C'est la vie

—— Feline supremacy ——

—— Refillable cleaners ——

—— C’est la vie ——

Cats rule. Ok.

Anyone who shares a home with a cat, will know that they do not OWN the cat. 

Cats know, oh so well, that they live by their own rules! 

They accept instructions, simply because they know who feeds them, and who offers them shelter!

Be wary however, cats know how to manipulate humans, so effectively. Many of you may argue, but cats are cleverer than dogs. 

The end. Case closed.

Refillable cleaners. 

Buy 1st a bottle, then refills (or ‘new cartridges of concentrated substance’). 

Yes, we recycle packaging a lot more than previously, but I believe that the next step involves a ‘culture-shift’. 

I feel that we must open our eyes a lot wider, to recycling for ourselves, in our homes. If we finish ‘using a product’ or ‘eating a consumable’, we are likely to be left with empty packaging. 

So, we buy some more of the product. Are we aware how much of the cost is spent on more packaging? It not only costs us financially, but is cost to the world in terms of the material used and the energy of production costs.

We have an empty package sitting at home!!!

Why are we buying more than we need?
Why are we costing the Earth more than is needed?

A tiny portion of concentrated cleaner, is diluted with water, and used in a 're-cycled' spray bottle.

Household cleaners are the first products, of many, which spring to mind. The cleansing chemical may infect the packaging, so it is more difficult to clean the recycled material of the packaging, safely. It is unlikely that the packaging will need to be cleaned, itself, if it is to be re-used for the identical purpose.

We should recycle the packaging ourselves, by simply re-using it. We may only need  a small quantity of the chemical, which we can dilute, if needed.

It confuses me that so many products are available in ‘single-use’ packaging, only. 

Why do we allow this stupidity? 

Why pay more, to harm our home (Earth)?

Happy days!

First game of their season, La Viola hit six!

:)

My vote for ‘Goal of the Season’, already!...

Roma's Argentine, Javier Pastore goal v Atalanta - Monday 27th August ‘18

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxxQNCM_FA0

http://2lovecoffeehouse.co.uk

Bolivian ‘Coraca’ was suggested as an alternative to my request. I asked for an Ethiopian coffee (presuming a similarity to the fruity ‘Ethiopian Yirgacheffe’). The alternative was a brilliant decision!

Super coffee shop! http://independentcoffeeshops.blogspot.com/p/2good.html

Tuesday morning coffee, I don’t read, I think to myself in desperation...

‘Aaaaah!! What have I done in my whole life, to deserve this current situation?’

My mind attempts to respond, re-assuringly. ‘I work voluntarily, when I can.’

‘Even this has recently become minimal. How do I escape this precipice?

‘Hospital and Physiotherapy. The doorway to your road.’

‘This does help, but takes a lifetime (no exaggeration). The road may never end.

I live. Social media constantly tells us that EVERYONE else is living ‘to-the-max’! We are finding pictures of everyone living their lives, with their beautiful partners/families, loving themselves, on holidays on the other side of the world.’

Stop!!!....

I must stop falling down into this! Recognise, respect, move on. I see no way out... 

...but I am here!

C’est la vie :)

It was about time, I discovered a good rock band, for my ears...

Dublin based, guitar, rock, band…

Heard on 6music, (played fairly loud), immediately after completing previous note.

Fontaines DC

Chequeless Reckless

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6tKcqI8Ml8

Further investigation needed. A large potential. ;)

It is September tomorrow! Summer has ended. A long, hot summer. 

We must not be surprised to experience the opposite, as autumn and winter approach. 

If we do not experience such opposition, we must accept this further signal of ‘climate change/global warming’.

We English, must embrace whatever weather we experience. We are lucky not to expect extremes in either direction. 

Professional cyclists hit the Portsmouth Road in Surbiton, earlier this summer...

over-charged

---- Public focus ----

---- New music ----

---- Over-charged ----

Pushed into public focus

I am used to expressing very honest opinions on this blog, as I regularly feel that I must prove that I am just a normal bloke despite what people see. I now know that I am regularly recognised. A trip down the local high-street, everyone greets me with a friendly welcome and a smile. This is brilliant, providing me with essential self-confidence. Confidence which is carried with me throughout the day. It is very likely to be passed on.

My mentality feels prominent. I want to share, when I can, as nothing but positivity, as I have been pushed into public focus.

In my first life, my nervous confidence was always carried, but always remained hidden, safe, unneeded.

Since my accident, I am quite unaware of owning a self-confidence in such strength, but instead, it has been recognised, very differently. I now know, very astutely, what can or cannot be done. Therefore, I very rarely ‘fail’. There is very little point in attempting something which cannot be done. If I attempt to do something, I am ever-so-confident that it can be achieved. It may take time, but I know that it’s goal will be reached.

New music has been found this week from a few artists that have already been included on this blog, but provide new, quality tunes.

Little Hurricane - Hunted

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpNhSfDEGDU

No further release information from the Little Hurricane, has been found by myself, as yet. 

My second artist of the post, is one of my top 5 favourite, of all time. Cat Power releases her new album ‘Wanderer’  in early October (released October 5th)

Cat Power - Woman (feat. Lana Del Rey) (Official Video)  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd8nU87OCrA

Don’t live over-charged!

We spend much of our lives using mobile devices that store power for mobile-use but rely on being charged up from an electric power supply (no matter how many ‘charging devices’ we have, powered essentially from a mains supply). We may not be as conscious of using power, but we are likely to still be eating from a finite supply. Percentage of devices’ power level is displayed to us clearly. We can all tell ‘how low we are running’. It may be human nature to charge devices, as much as possible, so there is less chance of running out. We all (I include myself), often over-charge devices. Therefore we are wasting so much.

I live in a powered-wheelchair, and this has always alarmed me. In my 'rehab-home', I was encouraged to charge my wheelchair, every night. I did so, initially, but I always felt guilty for ‘over-charging’ my ‘chair. I no longer do this. Whenever you over-charge a battery, you eat away at it’s capacity. 

By living on ‘Mobile-Devices’, we risk to be eating more energy than we need. There are so many benefits of these devices, we MUST be aware of the large, ‘unseen’, negative... their energy use. Only charge when running too low! Switch your device to ‘Low Power Mode’, in emergency!

I feel guilty about rambling on too much about my views regarding our impact on our Ecology. My work experience in Sustainable design, my education in a broad range of subjects, and experiences of my ‘new life’, provide me with a small feeling of duty, to tell of such theories!

I may have not been able to ride a bicycle for the past 12 years, but I still consider myself to have the mentality of a cyclist! Perhaps old news, but this man is so special. David Walsh has the ability to explain truths. Professional cycling of the 1990s was a dark, dark place. Some were fooled by the cheats of Lance Armstrong, in the following years. No-one could speak out. It should be no wonder that Armstrong ran the sport.

David Walsh speaks English on German TV...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79DB5YWV1ts

Blog archive update

A clearer explanation of photos supplied ‘in the box’ (archive box).

archive (updated)

Released over ten years ago, on revolutionary album ‘In Rainbows’.

RADIOHEAD - Weird Fishes / Arpeggi

A live, legendary performance at Glastonbury 2017.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9chOtYIr2nA (Glastonbury 2017)

I type the text of my Blog post, today in the best 'DeliCafe' in Kingston.
Giuliano's DeliCafe
http://independentcoffeeshops.blogspot.com/p/g.html

lunch?
mmmmmm

https://www.facebook.com/GiulianoDelicafeRestaurant/

blessing in disguise

- A ‘blessing in disguise’.

- A step in the correct direction, for everybody!

- What energy do YOU use?

……

Everything is a ‘blessing in disguise’. There are both ups and downs, of everyone and everything. All bad, negative issues, have an element that can be felt positively. It is a mission of every human on this planet to recognise this. If enough people recognise the positive aspect, it will grow, and so effect will increase. 

Negatives will always exist, but it is human nature to reject these. However, we must not ignore them, as we will risk letting them grow uncontrollably. We must maintain control.  Recognise and respect the negatives, focus on the positives.

……

A step in the correct direction, for everybody!

Thank you Caffè Nero - Glass cups replacing harmful polymer cups. 

Caffe Neros in Eden Walk (left) and Surbiton (right) were initially cited by myself

Thank you Caffè Nero. This chain company of ‘High-Street Coffee Shops’ should be congratulated. I emailed them earlier this week, thanking them for showing, dutifully, a responsible attitude towards several, key sustainability issues. It may take time, but others must follow!

Initially, I recognised their desire to move progressively, encouraging customers to use their own cups. The aim, surely, is to increase public awareness of re-use, re-cycling and ‘closing a loop.’ It reduced the public reliance on plastic ‘take-away cups’ (instant, non-biodegradable litter).

Like several companies, Caffè Nero has moved away from plastic straws. Their introduction of cardboard straws is another move in the right direction.

It has been this third discovery, that overjoyed me. I was in the Eden Walk branch, in Kingston, on Monday, when I was overjoyed to find that plastic cups were no longer in use. Now, re-usable glasses were stacked ready to be used again, and again... and again. Public awareness will peak, culture shifts are always born small, local to somewhere! 

……

Energy resources

What energy do YOU use?

Although I have been emailed by the company today, telling me that prices will inflate in the future (as expected), I was pleasantly surprised, whilst quickly investigating the British Gas website. The image above shows a table that was offered. I am relieved to find that the largest source of energy supplied by British Gas, originates from renewable resources. Just under half in total, shows that it is by far the largest supplier. 

……

PB on Birthday!

Increased twice already, since, but a present given to myself on my birthday, was a ‘sense of achievement’. On the gym bike, I always love going ‘100%’, so I usually do. My birthday was no real reason not to test myself. Mission successful.

:)

…A quote from page 46 of ’Sickness unto death’, by Father of Existentialism, Soren Kierkegaard.

An open, creative mind is essential for all. As Kierkegaard explains, ‘imagination’ and ‘possibility’ are key for human minds. We must not regard anything as ‘impossible’. Those who believe in ‘Fate’, or ‘Determinism’ may disregard ‘possibility’ or ‘chance’, but will not allow for an existence of ‘impossibilities’. Nothing is impossible.

I admit failure. I have read half-way through this book, and I retired from continuing. Too deep for me to comprehend. Back to a story written by Sartre, I must go!

Giorgio Chiellini - 14th August 1984

Many of you will have seen already. A good friend bought me a ‘Ltd Edition Bialetti Alpina’  for my birthday! So, a ‘very’ good friend!! ;)

I needed to wait until I had an ‘converter’ for my Induction hob. So, I first used it on Tuesday 14th. I felt a name was needed for my new love. I knew that Giorgio Chiellini, the great Italian, Juventus (formerly Fiorentina), defender was celebrating the same birthday as me just three days after! A name had been found! ‘Giorgio Bialetti’ was born!  

Enjoy!

- Archive of blog - Enjoy!

- Always have a number of targets

- Stop to think!

This past week has involved me developing an easy, accessible archive of this blog. I set myself this target, only last week! All previous posts have been reached by a ‘drop-down menu’. I hope that you all find this new webpage offering an easily accessible, descriptive library of this blog history. Posting regularity has varied through it’s eight year history, but plenty of information is now a lot more accessible for you.

http://patrickgoodacre.blogspot.com/p/annual-archive.html

Blogspot is not a tool to design websites. I apologise, as I have checked, and re-checked (etc), however font sizes vary too much! Hopefully the rough layout is suitable for you. 

Annual archives.   Seven years of 12, monthly pages.

------

Beware of accomplishing all goals.

Always have a number of targets
You will miss some, but cherish what you accomplish

Always stay on track, and move forward.

I am unsure how to explain this, but I will try.

I lay in hospital, following my accident, saddened extremely, but I was able to review my recent history, with great satisfaction. I was satisfied with myself. I realised that I had achieved all of the ‘personal goals/aims’, that I had set myself to reach, at that young age. I was not midway through anything. 

Cycling goals had been there since my teenage years, as a dream, but I had ticked them all off my list. 

All coursework of my Graphic Design course was completed successfully. My work in Sustainable Design Research involved many different, individual jobs, nothing was prominently confronting me. 

I was mid-relationship with my close girlfriend. I am really, very grateful, that she stayed with me throughout that first year. I hardly ever saw her, but I knew we could both withstand these pressures.

It is in total mind-screwing reflection, that I realise with panic, that maybe ‘my time had come’. I had not really set myself any separate, or totally new, goals.

------

Stop to think!

It seriously alarms me that so many people don’t seem to break their day and let themselves think. All humans have the ability to think for themselves, but few do. Everyone feels a necessity for immediacy. People do not give themselves time to think about bigger pictures, because society demands the best, NOW! Yes, we risk too much by making such high pressure, immediate demands. Stop! Take a break. Let your time be spent by you and only your mind. You will reach valuable conclusions, and may create new concepts (on anything that is valuable to your life). Take control, you may rule out possibilities/ideas, but your overall outcome/conclusion will have a positive effect for you.

------

I want to promote the artist who I previously knew as the lead singer of the ‘Duke Spirit’ (super ‘guitar swirling, and atmospheric’ band who I saw live in a Kingston Record Shop in 2016 (May 2016 - 'Closer B'). Singer Leila Moss now performs as a solo artist. I have only heard one song on BBC 6Music, so I cannot give you a proper upcoming review. Rest assured though, she is a top quality artist!

------

Two big ‘eco’ issues, for me…

• The efficiency of using an electric, air cooling fan, alarms me. During very hot weather, our electricity consumption must soar?
• Regular, black-bin-bags become an immediately harmful, litter stain, existing forever. Many are not made from sustainable plastic, yet we consume them endlessly.

------

Yet another female artist that I wish to promote...

A super radio interview with Sharon Van Etten

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09xjtdd

------

What a legend!!!...

Geraint Thomas on winning Tour de France

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR0zF9CNg8E&t=20s

Seven Seas

Seven Plastic Oceans

We have seven seas, in our world. We are harming all seven, with terrifying quantities of plastic. The human race is continuing to harm the world, with utterly sickening levels of non-biodegradable materials which promise to litter and harm, our planet, forever. We do not want this, but why are we letting it happen?

No law has been passed yet, but the Government has announced its intention to ban the sale of plastic straws, drink stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds at the start of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit. 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-government-rallies-commonwealth-to-unite-on-marine-waste (18th April 2018)

Although introduction of a law, is not stated above, such talk is having an effect on public awareness, as many high-street stores (such as Wagamama, Pizza Express, McDonalds, Wetherspoons, Costa Coffee and Caffe Nero) have already adapted to regular usage of more ecologically sustainable materials.

New paper/card straw used by Caffe Nero.

Some may feel that the Tory government does not feel strong enough to set goals for itself, so it sets goals for other, future leaders to aim for…

’25 Year Environment Plan ambition to eliminate avoidable plastic waste’. 

This is a positive aim, and the government should be applauded for suggesting that such may be a realistic target.

Twenty-Five years is far too long, i feel. Our country must act responsibly, showing the rest of the world, what can be achieved, with rapid action!

We can all help make change, from NOW!

https://friendsoftheearth.uk/latest/plastics

Let’s stop choking our oceans!

Please sign this petition…

https://act.friendsoftheearth.uk/act/help-reduce-plastic-oceans

Le Tour/RideLondon

Geraint Thomas lifts the Welsh flag in pride, on the Parisian Champs Elysees.

As predicted, last week, I was split on Sunday. I cannot have been the only cycling-lover, of South-West London, torn apart by British legend, Geraint Thomas winning the Tour de France, and the annual professional race ‘London-Surrey Classic’, held on local (very local) roads. As ever, the local race was too good an opportunity to be missed. 

Race leaders, (left-right) Valerio Agnoli, Jay McCarthy, Owain Doulls, Chris Juuls Jensen, led by Nathan Haas.

Below, the peloton chases hard behind, along Portsmouth Road.

I fell in love with cycling as I learned to ride a bicycle, combined with following the professional sport, in 1992. Revolutionary Chris Boardman was successful at the Barcelona Olympics, but shortly before this, ‘El Diablo’ Claudio Chiapucci, won an alpine stage of Le Tour De France at Sestriere! Legendary.

Statistics tell me that the vast majority of those who view this website, do so through iPhones, androids, or various other mobile devices. Basic research has shown me how my blog is viewed, on a mobile phone!

This alarms me, as it is not how it was designed!

   

Above, large, computer monitor layout.

Below, representation on mobile-phone!

My legs!… Then Tuesday afternoon I felt that I had to have a sleep. I had visited Central London, but it was only when i had returned, I felt no energy for ‘my gym-bike’, no energy for anything… SLEEP! zzzzzzZZ!! I blame the ‘heavy weather’!

If Brexiters had been on the Titanic…

New page - Annual index next week

Next week, I plan to create a new page for this website, which will act as a door into the past! Ooooooooh

Hehehe, basically I aim to provide an ‘easy-access’ directory to the past pages of this blog. I aim to provide brief descriptions,  as this blog has lived for almost 8 years, there is a lot of text available!