The start

—best duet ever—

—term starts—

—‘culture shift’ IS starting—

’New layout’ has won.

- This website is updated every week. 

- It is inevitable that your main user-interface (‘Home’ screen) develops with time.

- I introduced a new-scheme last week, aimed at Mobile-Device viewers. 

- Not too detrimental to regular computer audiences, and popular, it stays.  

A day without. Are we living, trapped by our watches?

- I was on a bus to Kingston, last week, and i suddenly realised that I had forgotten to wear my watch. I had my phone in my bag, so the time was available to be viewed, if needed. 

- I continued throughout the day, comfortable, as i realised how ‘free’ I felt. It was a Sunday, I had nothing planned, therefore I had no restraints. It felt surreal and brilliant to be so free. I realised that, not since my early-hospital life, did I feel so free.  I had no restraints whatsoever.

- Just live. 

- I am a lot more ‘able’ than my time in hospital, obviously. I could do a lot more than i realised!

One of the best duets ever?

Without you I’m nothing Placebo with David Bowie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTAcWmd2RzQ

Shorts last forever

- The end of September signifies Autumn. Summer’s gone. 

- The weather is still warm, warm enough for me to wear my long-shorts. 

- I am still an obsessed cyclist. I just cannot ride a regular bicycle. I am used to wearing shorts. 

Powered by 'Cubetti di Gloria', on Mapei socks

- I stop wearing shorts, accompanied with cycling socks, after the World Championships’ Road Race (Sunday). 

- This event also signifies to me a time from which I can halt my ‘Gym-bike training’! It will continue throughout the winter, new targets will be set for next year! 

- Targets throughout 2018, were all reached! :)

- New PB in time for the World Championships!

A lumpy parcours awaits World Championship riders in Austria. 

September, term starts. University town, Kingston is awash with students.

My life before. 

I was a student, I could dream of my future... 

Eventually, I was in the process of completion. All work? Done.

I awaited my second graduation ceremony. 

I was in love with a wonderful girlfriend. 

I was a very keen, active cyclist. 

I was employed. I believed that my life was just about to start. 

I miss those days. 

I am incredibly lucky to have lived my life. 

I remain forever proud of myself, and incredibly grateful to all friends who I’ve made, along the way. 

You have all been part of me. Thank you!

Supermarket sells coffee without cups!

The ‘culture shift’ IS starting! :)

My delight was found when i saw this signage in a local supermarket. The company obviously feels comfortable, having enough customers hooked on their coffee, and fortunately it stuns people that...

....‘They must bring their own cup’!

This really raises the profile of the issue that I have been banging on about for aaaaages! Public awareness is raised. Thank you, Waitrose.

Cat Power = Hero

A super, mini-biography of a super musician

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/sep/23/cat-power-i-didnt-know-i-loved-myself-when-i-was-younger-?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Yahoo_Mail

In an elevator at Clapham Junction, i shared with an ‘older couple’...

‘Wow!’ Tut

‘You are so lucky,

Your wheelchair...

When I was in England, we didn’t have these things.’

Oh, i remained silent, but how i wanted to respond. I really wasn’t in the correct mood to respond pleasantly, so I best keep quiet.

Marissa Nadler

Her new album 'For My Crimes', is out today.

I am currently listening for the first time, so a review would be unfair.

A wonderful, delicate voice is beautiful but can be haunting at times.

A couple of beautiful @parisAMDparis twit pics...

content identity

• Green Energy

• OK Computer / Traumatic ABI

• Identity

Please have a look at this blog’s past, through the archives.

I have tried to make it as easy as possible...

- Go to Archives page (archive page)

- Select a year

- There are only nine pictures displayed, per year. Follow the specific month-links (below images) for the original picture!

I realise that I may be driving you all crazy, with my constant promotion of ethical businesses. It is my blog, I don’t charge you anything, so I hope that my words are read, and effect can be felt. 

Last week I promoted ‘Ovo’ because they seemed such an ethically positive company, but small. 

I presume there maybe plenty more Green Energy, that must be promoted, deserving a boost.

https://www.ecotricity.co.uk

‘Britain’s greenest energy company’

OK Computer /  Traumatic Acquired Brain Injury (Traumatic ABI)

• I am constantly recovering. Twelve years post-accident, but I had to accept that life from now on was in ‘recovery mode’. 
• My life had been ‘shut-down’, I had to recover as many ‘key files’ as possible, whilst in hospital. My life was ‘re-booted’, whilst aided by support power supply, in my rehabilitation home. 
• Once re-booted, i moved to live independently. Unfortunately human brains are not as simple as computers. A human brain is a conscious creative, with the power of both logical and emotive-reasoning. 
• There will never be a true way of fully rehabilitating an injured brain. I have always been told that ABI recovery is not a destination that can be reached, but it is a life path which is to be journeyed.
• I cannot have lifelong aims, targets or goals, anymore.  I live the journey!
• I am constantly recovering, as i live. 
• I was ‘lucky’ to be the age I was, as much as it could be viewed as ‘unlucky’. 
• ‘Lucky’, I had completed all work required  for my second graduate qualification in design.
• I had my list of ‘personal goals’, all achieved. This included things like Radiohead at Glastonbury, Tour De France on Alpe-D’Huez, Employment in an Ethical job  (Sustainable Design Research team), etc.
• I had a wonderful girlfriend. All was good, too good. 
• There is no way i can enjoy a life like that again, but I am lucky to be here at all. 
• Make sure that you don’t live with any regrets. You never know when your life will be reviewed, by yourself or whoever.
• You WILL look back on yourself. Be happy. Be proud. Be content. Always.
• My young age, helped my determination through my Rehab homes. I am a determined human-being, and believe me, if i set myself goal, I will reach it (no matter how long it takes).

• I was leaving my flat, Monday morning, looked at myself, panicked. Did my blue tops clash with my black shorts? 
• I was on the way to the gym, so I ignored my panic, took a photo, which were to help me review, later on! 
• This must seem obsessive, i promise you I am not. However, if something catches my eye, I can become 100% focussed with complete attention paid!

If you think you can do something, then YOU CAN do it. Your success is likely. Should you doubt yourself at all, or even have the slightest hesitation, you will most likely fail.

This note is written on Tuesday 18th September

Mercury Music Awards 2018 (Thursday 20th)…

My vote goes to two albums that were released, late last year! 

- Noel Gallagher`s High Flying Birds - ‘Who built the moon?’

 - Nadine Shah - ‘Holiday Destination’

It’s Friday, results are out. I was wrong, nevermind. Congratulations ‘Wolf Alice’!

• I am content at being regularly recognised. 
• I am always recognised, and greeted by many as i am about town. My town, it is probably because people know of me. 
• However, where ever i go that is new to me, I try my hardest to maintain a friendly persona. I do this so regularly, i notice that it alarms me if i am not smiling! 

It’s not what you know, but ‘who you know’! It saddens me to remember that earlier, post-accident, I would be so sad and angry because it seemed that ‘everyone looked down on the poor man in the wheelchair’. This may still be partially true, but i feel i am more content with my own identity now! 

Cat Power - Stay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-Tsk-cPXxI

(Rihanna cover)

• Wednesday, on ElevenSports, I watched Fiorentina draw, against Sampdoria,  in the ‘Stadio Luigi Ferraris’ of Genoa. 
• Dressed in the ’Green’ away kit (representing the ’San Giovanni’ quarter), the team was led with great pride, by new captain, German Pezzella. 
• The Argentine, centre-back wears Davide’s Astori’s armband in honour.
• The late captain, who passed away unexpectedly, on March 4th, is respected greatly, by the whole of Florence. 
• Davide Astori, Il capitano sempre con noi. (Davide Astori, the captain always with us)

My gym-bike

• I have already reached the ‘autumn goal’ that i set aim on, at the start of the year.
• So I spend the next week trying to see what goals could be targeted, next year. I have decided that it may be detrimental to cycle and always increase resistance. 
• Stable maintenance of at least a 50rpm speed, is what should be used when cycling.

• Lana Del Rey, an artist that has already been promoted on here, a few years ago. 
• Validly, she gained huge success. However, I unfortunately was not a fan of her mega-stardom, what would she do next? How would she follow this? I admit that I even doubted her talent, as she seemed an over-produced and a ‘Hollywood Starlet’. 
• I have since watched a YouTube documentary, and have been ‘won back’ by this star.
• She is a true talent. Her new music provides a wonderful display of her attitude, and social angst, towards the ‘industry’ which she has been forced through.  
• Those who have given up on her, believe me, she deserves a second chance!
• Lana Del Rey - Venice Bitch. 

You may be able to tell that this post, is a test-run of a new layout aimed  for increased legibility on a mobile phone.

Believe in yourself.

— A ‘give/take world’? —

— Believe in yourself. —

— Seventeen years ago! —

... A ‘give/take world’?

Although consumption of clean, renewable energy is increasing, slowly, it needs to dominate our supply. Humanity will need to reach a point of living in a purely sustainable world. A world in which we can replace what we need to take.

It is really not that hard to consider this existence. Think outside of the box!...

...I strongly urge you all to open your eyes more. Where is your energy coming from?

Finally, a larger Energy supplier has stepped, bravely into the marketplace, offering a complete energy supply, from 100% renewable resources. Therefore if the correct package is chosen, you can live in an entirely clean loop of ‘sustainable-energy-consumption.’

https://www.ovoenergy.com

Audience may be aware of my August blog-post, featuring a table of information, from British Gas. A blessing-in-disguise.

It states that the average consumption of renewable energy’s, is only 24% of the UK, whereas ‘Natural Gas’ supplies almost half of UK energy. This cannot last!

However, beware. Ovo offer numerous different packages, only one of which offers 100% sustainable energy. It is however, refreshing to find a company that is so proud of its ecological/ethical stance, advertises it, using it as a ‘selling point’!

‘It’s fantastic to see such a small, independent shop, busy!’

http://independentcoffeeshops.blogspot.com/p/sopratutto.html

A brief congratulatory comment that I gave to staff at ‘Sopratutto’. The small, independent coffee shop was reviewed on my related blog (linked above). It provides me with great satisfaction when any independent succeeds. Truthfully, the measure of success is unknown to me (it was busy, when I gave the comment)!

I am lucky in so many ways and I must remember this, as I often feel very lost. ‘Lost’ but I do believe in myself! As I am sure you are aware, I am confident in my ‘relative’ ability. I am lucky, and I believe in luck choosing your path in life. The terms ‘luck’ and ‘fate’, i understand as almost identical. I know that I have been incredibly lucky, so I feel that I have little option but to believe in fate. Do we have free-will, or a pre-determined destiny? Big question, well I feel that we have elements of both, but neither completely. We control ourselves through our free will, living in ‘our world’. But we do not have master control on ‘our life-paths’, each of which contain pre-determined destinies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80-_CpH07QQ

Part of the reason why I alarm so many of my friends/family. I know that my chances have taken a serious blow, since my accident (those which I had)!. Whether you all like to agree, or not, this is a fact. My weird beliefs, mean that I cannot let ANY chance skip past me. The possibility of such, terrifies me. On many occasions, i don’t think that i really have a chance anyway, but trust me,  strange things happen!

Personally, I believe that everyone is supposed to face the tasks that they face. Completion of all tasks are possible for those who face them. In completing them, humanity gains valuable knowledge and confidence, which it may use elsewhere. Each may be difficult, and may seem tricky, but this is only because others may doubt themselves in your position. Remain quietly confident. ONLY YOU CAN DO IT! YOU WILL. 

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.

Accept all opinions, but know the truth. Only you have lived your life of experiences, no-one can tackle any problem like you. Do not be a fake, maintain pride in your own identity. Only you are you. Quietly, own self-confidence! Rest assured that you will succeed.

https://dianebirch.bandcamp.com/track/in-it-for-the-race

In it For the Race

Tour of Britain

Sunday 09th, the race finished in London...

Race winner Julian Alaphilippe, resplendent in Green jersey.

Britain's Chris Froome rode eagerly with a dangerous breakaway.

End of summer

Summer has ended now. It is mid-September, warm weather still surrounds us, and i do still wear long-shorts, but Summer has gone. The photo below shows Le Musee des Beaux Artes in Lille, visited in early July. A good summer. :)

9/11 was half of my life ago (34/2 = 17). Gulp! 

I write this note on Tuesday. It is September 11th, 2018. The date of this month will always be remembered, for the tragic events in USA on 9-11-01. Seventeen years ago! I was seventeen years old, at the time. I remember arriving home from Richmond College, and my younger brother had the television on, watching mid-afternoon live news coverage of the second plane’s impact. Terrorist intent was then clear. The world was to never be the same again!  

Written in the stars

—- Bold and brave. Our New leaders :) —-

—- October 2006 —-

—- Written in the stars —-

I voted for this team.They won!!!

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/sep/05/green-party-bold-brave-ideas-britain?CMP=twt_a-environment_b-gdneco

Bold and brave

Back in early stages of ‘rehab’, I feared becoming too insular. I remember witnessing someone who boarded the bus, and seemed very timid. Silent, timid, alone. 

I cannot bear that thought. It terrifies me.

I want to be different. I believe that I can be different. I want to be positive.

'Italy', 'Cycling', and 'Coffee' is 'one culture'.

Gianni Bugno - coffee positive :)

In 1994 the Italian had one too many espressos one morning, initially faced a two-year ban.

http://www.irishpeloton.com/2017/03/blood-is-thicker-than-coffee/

British newspaper reaction, in 1994...

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cycling-bugno-banned-for-two-years-1447118.html

October 2006 - Sunday 1st…100mile ‘Stephen Roche Cyclosportif’ just north of Paris (tired, but I always have enough energy to smile for a camera)!

I spend next weekend (7th/8th) in Birmingham with my girlfriend. Then a Friday 13th, precedes a fateful Saturday 14th. The ‘London Dynamo club ride’ was 4-laps of Richmond Park (anti-clockwise), usually followed by a couple of ‘warm down laps’. I think that it was when riding one of these, I fell off my road-bike for the first time ever. As our group of 12 cyclists came up to overtake a group of roller-skaters. I am told, that I swerved sharply to avoid contact, fell off my bike, hit by a following car. 

Helmet

It may have only cost me less than £50, but it’s value was priceless! It remains in one piece (above, recent photo), but is cracked inside. I hold this ‘Briko Solo’ so close. Without it, I would not be here!

One of the greatest racers ever, in my opinion. He never won the World Championships, but then neither did Michele Bartoli (my supreme hero).

Alejandro Valverde - Unique

However Valverde is unique. The roll call of his honours is incredible. He has had victories in the widest range of competitions, compared to any cyclist since  maybe Laurent Jalabert, or before. Early 21st century, I remember finding results of his stage victories in relatively minor Spanish races, for the Kelme team, as a sprinter.

Valverde victories include...

Stage wins in Giro & Tour… Liege Bastogne Liege 2006… Vuelta a Espana winner 2009…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alejandro_Valverde

I include him in this post because, he still wins!

Still! http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/vuelta-a-espana-2018/stage-8/results/ 

Stage 8 of Vuelta a Espana 2018

I was not only wearing the helmet shown above, but a cycling outfit including Valverde’s replica jersey of 2006.

2006 Caisse d’Epargne jersey

Formerly sponsored by ‘Banesto’, and now ‘Movistar’, the Spanish team of Valverde, was sponsored by ‘Caisse d’Epargne’ in 2006.

The team were belatedly given ‘Overall Victory’ of the Tour de France 2006. Victory was awarded to Oscar Pereiro (runner-up to infamous Floyd Landis).

Óscar Pereiro (Caisse d’Epargne) is the first winner of the Tour de France since Marco Pantani (1998).

Climbing up to La Toussuire, Pereiro races towards yellow, which he will lose the following day!

 Yellow jersey, Floyd Landis loses his yellow jersey, suffering up to La Toussuire. Landis won on the following day but his victory was annulled after his positive drugs test.

Victor in the Pyrenees, Denis Menchov is feeling the pain on the Alpe D'Huez

Erik Zabel and Pippo Pozzato amongst the leaders at the centre of the 'gruppetto', ascending the Alpe D'Huez a long time after leaders.

My photos above, are only a small portion from my 2006 Alpine visit! :)

2006 Tour was one of the most momentous (in my opinion, obviously)!

The seven years of Lance Armstrong dominance, has been scrapped from the records. Fear not though, he is interviewing celebrities on US websites... 

Lance Armstrong and Mia Khalifa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPKrtst9X3U

Fabio Quagliarella

Just a week after I post my initial claim for ‘Goal of the season’ by Javier Pastore, Fabio Quagliarella proves me wrong!!!
This IS the best.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xk7LIak0_8

Written in the stars.

I believe that we only have free will with regards to small/everyday choices. But we cannot design life. I have always had this way of thinking, from long before ‘my accident.’

I feel ashamed. I arrived back in Surbiton, and as I got off the bus, I told myself that ‘I will no longer compliment female strangers, however attractive.’

... 

Then...

Halfway down the high street a woman overtakes me and is possibly the sexiest girl ever, wearing a tight gym-outfit, beautifully tanned skin, long brown hair. The greatest legs ever! Beau coup. I was dazed and confused. I complimented. I am so ashamed with myself. I am weak. I had not lasted 5minutes of my ‘compliment-ban’!

Silence is the law.

I NEED to be outgoing, confident, with a positive, progressive mentality. Silence would destroy me.

I am hurting. I am confused.  I must break ‘my law’!

I have never felt any different, for the past TWELVE YEARS!

I enjoy complimenting people who i feel deserve it! Inducing a beautiful smile is the prize!