Welcome to my blog. I post on this, roughly once a week (it does vary). I sustained a 'Traumatic Acquired Brain Injury', and a six month coma from a 'road traffic accident' whilst cycling, in October 2006. I spent the following 4 years (22-26yrs old), in a combination of hospitals and rehabilitation homes. Now, I have been living independently in Surbiton, England since October 2010. This blog begun life in December 2010, as i realised that there are many people worldwide that i want to share experiences with. I know that, as a wheelchair user, I am obviously not as mobile as i wish, so, use the internet to connect to you. I enjoy letting my thoughts represent through type. I type honestly. As numerous readers, as well as email recipients, will understand, I find typing to be very therapeutic. Thank you :)
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Friday 22 February 2019

...Leading the way


My brain...
My blog...
My thoughts...

Our biggest problem
The biggest problem that the world faces, is the ridiculous state of ‘lack-of-action’. More and more people are becoming aware of environmental issues, but this list of issues seems to continue to grow infinitely? More and more problems are discovered, just as populations are learning about older ones. 
How do humans slow this ‘list growth’? How can we potentially catch up? 
Well we must fasten tight laws on future design, production, and growth. Expansion is finite, and this must be recognised! Expansion cannot, and will not last forever. All ecological laws must apply across the world, to EVERYONE (yes, even you Donald)!
Oh but ‘I want, I want, I want’...
We will all have to face restrictions. Restrictions and restraints now, or severe disability and destruction in the future?
Planet Earth is a globe. A three-dimensional, spherical, ball-like object. It is one. Some very slow nations are led by people who fail to understand this. Every nation, worldwide must agree with each other, that we face these problems. Everyone must realise that these problems can only attempt to be solved, if the ENTIRE GLOBE works together as one. Every nation must realise that we do not live in the second Millenium anymore. We are done with in-fighting. We have discovered no aliens or a ‘final-frontier’. There is only one enemy that can defeat humanity. Ourselves.
The biggest problem is ourselves. We will never defeat ourselves intentionally, but we could easily suffer from ourselves insurmountably .

Plastic and Carbon-Free
A grand goal set by a relatively small country, shows that the correct attitude is held by so many! Where there’s a will, there’s a way!


If you choose to lead the way successfully, thank you Costa Rica.
Wow!

Advantage of Cycling
I clearly remember a thought that was forever in my head, whilst riding my bicycle.
‘I love this so much. It gives me so much. I owe it so much… One day, something will happen to me.’
I always felt this, very strongly.
I wake up from my coma, and realise that ‘I was right, scores have been settled’! Not fully, but I can now recognise how ‘cycling’ has bitten back.

I still have a strong love, for cycling, and forever will do. I know that cycling has done, and continues to give me so much. It formed many essences of me as a human being (pride, determination, competitiveness, fitness etc). I am still a ‘cyclist’, but ‘a former cyclist’. I remember scrambling to kick my bike to safety, ahead of the oncoming car. It survived. It needed a service, but it survived! Now, cycling remains as part of me. I love it, and will always do so, and I will always defend it from attackers (which there are many).






Strongly supported by Kingston Green Party...

Friday 15 February 2019

...ONLY SOMETIMES!



Congratulations Tokyo. First winners…
Leading image to this article could be considered as confusing (sorry).

... every medal presented to winners at the next Olympics (Tokyo 2020) will be made from recycled electronic waste. This will surely increase public awareness of the potential for recycled material. It will encourage people to engage in recycling.




Courtney Barnett sings with an emotive power, through such direct lyrics. Such dramatic words continue, and are often hidden behind relatively light-weight/shallow music. It could be said that this relative juxtaposition adds to it’s strength. The brilliant sincerity of this tune cannot be ignored.
Kim’s Caravan


Cycling season 
  • 2019 is the final year of Team Sky, the most successful British Professional Cycling Team. First entering the sport as a team, founded in 2009. Olympic Gold Medal followed the first British Overall Success at the grand Tour de France, for Bradley Wiggins (later ‘Sir’), in 2012.
Geraint Thomas leads his team, wearing the new 2019 kit. Faded colours used in the final season. Are the team suggesting that they may 'fade out'? This is a very harsh critique. Sorry!


I am still a keen fan of the professional sport, a few key spring dates for the 2019 season...

March 
Paris-Nice ___ 10-17
Tirreno-Adriatico ___ 13-19
Milan-SanRemo ___ 23

April
Flanders ___ 07
Roubaix ___ 14
Amstel ___ 21
Flèche Wallonne ___ 24
Liege Bastogne Liege ____ 28

Major Tours

Key dates in UK….

RideLondon-Surrey Classic 04 August
Tour of Britain 08-15 September (further details TBA)


Sir Bradley Wiggins winning Tour of Britain in 2013

Julian Alaphilippe Tour of Britain winner, 2018


UCI World Champs (Yorkshire) 21-29 September

Tour of Lombardy (Italia12 October

............

Time wasn’t really recognised, or felt, immediately after awakening from a coma. ‘Trapped’ in a hospital, but you have to be sheltered from reality! I have lived, since my experience of hospital-life, re-learning life and teaching myself how to live MY LIFE!
Difficult, as I realise that I am now experiencing a life that I had forever feared. I was a fully-able, young man, on the verge of leaving student-life, at the start of adulthood. I stood atop Alpe D’Huez, with my bike, watching the Tour de France...

Yours truly, July 2006

‘Where do i go from here?’
... The only way was down. 
 I feared this disaster, but I also knew and still do know that I have the ability to tackle problems, and find the best solution. Hospital-life was only an extremely tiny blip, but it gave me such an incredible quantity of time to call on mental strengths (which i have always known as possible).



It may have been one of you!
Hang your head in shame, if it was!
You were walking towards me, down Surbiton High Street, had just crossed the road, on, past Costa Coffee. You then dropped something, ahead of me. I paused, and alerted you. You then scowled at me, and gave me the most derogatory look, deliberately ignoring me. It was only a tissue, but littering, without hesitation, IN SURBITON?!!!!

Recyclable yogurt pots????
A lot of regular plastic IS NOT RECYCLABLE. But people don't know!

Tiny, regular, lightweight yogurt pots...questionable
Hmmm.... More plastic
This plastic is usually an LDPE (LowDensity Polyethylene). 
These cheap, lightweight plastics are harder to recycle effectively than others (if at all). Supermarkets often sell these in packs of four.


So...

I have fallen in love with larger yogurts (as shown above) that can be stored in the fridge, split into four servings, packaged in a fully-recyclable plastic. A severe reduction of waste per serving of yogurt.


I have learnt that it is unwise to plan anything important, if you wish to use a train, in a wheelchair. You can be lucky, but far too regularly, lifts are broken/inaccessible and therefore platforms and trains are too! Sometimes it works perfectly. But only SOMETIMES!
Eurostar seems to be the only positive exception. Hehehe, I have only used this a few number of times, always pre-booking tickets. Whereas 'SouthWest Trains' are regularly used, so there is a greater chance of a problem for me!
Still stressful!!!!!!!!!

Ohhhhh, the slightly confusing graphic looks so good (travelling backwards, downhill, maybe) but...

found here





Friday 1 February 2019

Angel Gabriel





Thursday, I travel back through Kingston, after typing this post. I am greeted with a joyous smile, as Giuliano recognises the glee i felt yesterday, watching Fiorentina beat Roma 7-1, in the Coppa Italia! He is a Napoli fan (knocked out by Milan), so i think he is cheering for Fiorentina, in the Cup!
Sette!
‘Chi est Roma?’
‘Sette! Sette!!’
‘Forza FiiiiorENtinA!
En la Coppa Italia!! :)

Standout player, from a rival team, deserves much respect...
Quagliarella (Earlier this season, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yyA5Fbn7m8)
.
... Now, a Goal-scorer in ELEVEN CONSECUTIVE Serie A games
(equals Batistuta record of the mid ‘90s)
Not bad for 36yrs old (DOB - 31/01/83)
Form comes and goes, but class is permanent!
Samp v Udinese (26/01/19)

Gabriel Batistuta, 50yrs old today. :)
Tante Auguri Gabriel!!!

Netting the first goal, on Saturday, from the penalty spot.



Ok I have lived my ‘new life’ for over twelve years. I’ve spent this time forever alone/single. I have kissed no-one.
I pecked a friend on the cheek, only. 
Nothing. No-one.
I blame my wheelchair. I know that this may not be popular, but only I can recognise it's TRUTH. 
People see a wheelchair, and panic. Their mind is filled with presumptions of disabilities. I can do nothing about this. To be honest, I am hurting. I cut this paragraph short.
I haven’t found anyone’, wrong, I can’t say this, as I try, and flirt with, so many. 
NO-ONE HAS FOUND ME’!

... However, I do what I can to use my wheelchair to my advantage! Whilst it offers no advantage in the ‘world of romance’, I have to remain positive, and it does help me! It is invaluable. I use it. 
My wheelchair IS NOT ME, but I USE IT!



Sharon Van Etten 'Remind Me Tomorrow'



After nervous expectation, I bought Sharon Van Etten’s latest album ‘Remind Me Tomorrow’. I couldn’t see how she could follow previous albums, such as ’Tramp’, or ‘Are We There’. A more upbeat album is the answer. Upbeat, but still powerful, heart-wrenching vocals at times!


I do not use Spotify, cannot support iTunes domination. I want to pay the artist, bandcamp.com is the way forward!

Albert Camus (1913-’60), such a wise man.


Recycling’ is becoming ‘the norm selling point’
Such indication, tells the customer that the designer DOES follow such ethical views, explaining that these positive views are mirrored throughout the store, and must be shared as widely as possible. 
Thank you Sainsbury’s. 

When I notice a ‘positive’, I immediately notice a ‘negative’ (eg. Why is this not promoted in such a way, in other supermarkets?)

The side of a Sainsbury's Fruit Juice box, indicates how users should dispose and recycle the cardboard, at the end of use!