Happy New 2014

Some things I don't understand!

With a title like that - this could be a very long post......

I don't understand signs that say,
                       
                            BANK HOLIDAY OPENING HOURS    
    DECEMBER 25TH ..................................................CLOSED
    DECEMBER 26TH...................................................CLOSED
    JANUARY 1ST........................................................CLOSED

Yes all bank holidays but opening hours, looks more like closing hours to me! 
I also don't understand that it was in a bank. Thought it was in the title, bank holiday?

I don't understand why we are all supposed to go and buy sofas on Boxing Day and in the January sales, even if I did understand that I would not understand the cost of them, and who really falls for that half price, four years interest free rubbish?

I don't understand Midnight Mass - 11.30pm. 

Holiday advertising that starts on Boxing Day, hang on yes good idea but we have't paid for Christmas yet, I don't understand that.

I don't understand cyclists who use bridle paths when there is a path for them and walkers. Maybe it's some kind of off road experience or does it just mean that even horses and their riders can hate them as well. 

I don't understand why we make New Year resolutions that we blatantly have no intention of keeping or trying to keep and why do we publish and are so proud of our failures when we fail!

Finally, for the moment..... I don't understand The Simpsons, never have and never will!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR FOLKS!! 

Happy Christmas Everybody

To all the lonely people....

Real Wilko News!!

There is no doubt that for instant news and constant update Twitter and Facebook have it all wrapped up.
This blog did used to be a monthly, hard copy family newsletter - I kid you not!!
However blogs like this still play an important part in the transmission of news and however grateful I am for the ease of today's social networks, I still like the more relaxed way of news reporting for families that is offered by blogs such as this one. After all it is in the title... Wilko News Two.

Let's cut to the chase then!!

19th December in Disney World resort in Florida, right in front of the castle my younger son Matt got on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend Sarah! A more idyllic location I'm not sure even exists, especially because Disney Land Paris is where the two of them met. So I could just let you click one of the numerous Facebook links yourself and that would be that. Here though you don't have to be friends with somebody and allow on timeline or have text notifications. If I want you to see it as it happened then you can see it here! Along with what was waiting back at the hotel room when they returned for their last night before flying back to the UK!

So by the time the happy couple arrived back in the UK it was another major event for this family.

This time the second birthday of my other son, Tim's daughter. Well what fun we had at the finger food party! Again well documented on the social networks but this is my blog for my family and this was a busy old 48 hours, so here's a couple of pictures that you don't need permission from A.N.Other network to see of my beautiful princess, Elise.

Happy Birthday Elise and 

Congratulations Matt and Sarah

RUDOLPH - TRUE STORY?

THE TRUE STORY OF RUDOLPH

A man named Bob May, depressed and brokenhearted, stared out his drafty apartment window into the chilling December night. His 4-year-old daughter Barbara sat on his lap quietly sobbing. Bob's wife, Evelyn, was dying of cancer.
Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy could never come home. Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked, "Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's Mommy?" Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears. Her question brought waves of grief, but also of anger. It had been the story of Bob's life. Life always had to be different for Bob.
Small when he was a kid, Bob was often bullied by other boys. He was too little at the time to compete in sports. He was often called names he'd rather not remember. From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit in. Bob did complete college, married his loving wife and was grateful to get his job as a copywriter at Montgomery Ward during the Great Depression. Then he was blessed with his little girl. But it was all short-lived.

Evelyn's bout with cancer stripped them of all their savings and now Bob and his daughter were forced to live in a two-room apartment in the Chicagoslums. Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938.

Bob struggled to give hope to his child, for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a Christmas gift. But if  he couldn't buy a gift, he was determined to make one - a storybook!

Bob had created an animal character in his own mind and told the animal's story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope. Again and again Bob told the story, embellishing it more with each telling.

Who was the character? What was the story all about?

The story Bob May created was his own autobiography in fable form. The character he created was a misfit outcast like he was. The name of the character? A little reindeer named Rudolph, with a big shiny nose. Bob finished the book just in time to give it to his little girl on Christmas Day. But the story doesn't end there. 

The general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little storybook and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the book. Wards went on to print, “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores.

By 1946 Wards had printed and distributed more than six million copies of Rudolph. That same year, a major publisher wanted to purchase the rights from Wards to print an updated version of the book.

In an unprecedented gesture of kindness, the CEO of Wards returned all rights back to Bob May. The book became a best seller. Many toy and marketing deals followed and Bob May, now remarried with a growing family, became wealthy from the story he created to comfort his grieving daughter. But the story doesn't end there either.
Bob's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation to Rudolph. Though the song was turned down by such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and DinahShore , it was recorded by the singing cowboy, Gene Autry. "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling more records than any other Christmas song, with the exception of "White Christmas." 

The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago kept on returning back to bless him again and again. And Bob May learned the lesson, just like his dear friend Rudolph, that being different isn't so bad. In fact, being different can be a blessing.

The story above is the one we'd all love it to be.

The real story is not that different, although it was a little more commercialised, what do you expect it is to do with Christmas after all!

Robert L May's wife did die of cancer in 1939 and a slightly different version can be found on this site,

http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/rudolph.asp

This is so cool! Well done Westjet.

How to wrap a cat for Christmas!!

Mayor of Toronto?

Many thanks to my mate Tom for this......

A country preacher had a teenage son,  and it was getting time the boy should give some thought to choosing a profession.

Like many young men,  the boy didn't really know what he  wanted to do,  and he didn't seem too concerned about it . 

One day,  while the boy was away to school,  his father decided to try an experiment.   He went into the boy's room and placed on his study table four objects: 

A Bible
A Silver Dollar
A bottle of Jack Daniels
And a Playboy magazine. 

'I'll just hide behind the door, the preacher said to himself,   'and when he comes home from school this afternoon,   I'll see which object he picks up.'

'If it's the Bible,  he's going to be a preacher like me,   and what a blessing that would be!

'If he picks up the dollar,  he's going to be a business man, and that would be okay,  too. 

'But, if he picks up the bottle,  he's going to be a no-good drunkard,  and Lord,  what a shame that would be. 

'And worst of all,  if he picks up that magazine,  he's going to be a skirt-chasing bum.'

The old man waited anxiously,  and soon heard his son's footsteps as he entered the house whistling and headed for his room.

The boy tossed his books on the bed,  and as he turned to leave the room,  he spotted the objects on the table.   With curiosity in his eye, he walked over to inspect them. 

Finally, he picked up the Bible and placed it under his arm.
He picked up the Silver Dollar and dropped it into his pocket.
He uncorked the bottle and took a big drink while he admired this month's centerfold.

'Lord have mercy,'  the old preacher disgustedly whispered, 'He's going to be the next mayor of Toronto!'

Hotel California?

I JUST LOVE THE STORY OF THE COVER TO THE EAGLES ALBUM "HOTEL CALIFORNIA", DON'T YOU?

All coffee is grown within 1,000 miles of the equator and almost all the coffee in the world consumed comes from two species of coffee plants: Arabica and Robusta. Arabica produces superior quality coffees has roughly half the amount of caffeine and a more mellow taste. Robusta has more caffeine and higher acidic content which creates a significantly more bitter flavour.

.

Music.....

Thanksgiving 2013.

View from above!

If you knew the area it would just have to be the Carr Lane Estate in Hoylake

20 astonishing holiday complaints

Presented to you, for your entertainment and pleasure – 20 of the most outrageous, ridiculous and stupid travel complaints made to tour operators

A recent survey from Thomas Cook and ABTA reveals 20 of the most ridiculous complaints by holiday-makers made to their travel agent.

1. "I think it should be explained in the brochure that the local store does not sell proper biscuits like custard creams or ginger nuts."

2. "It's lazy of the local shopkeepers to close in the afternoons. I often needed to buy things during 'siesta' time - this should be banned."

3. "On my holiday to Goa in India, I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don't like spicy food at all."

4. "We booked an excursion to a water park but no-one told us we had to bring our swimming costumes and towels."

5. A tourist at a top African Game Lodge over looking a water hole, who spotted a visibly aroused elephant, complained that the sight of this rampant beast ruined his honeymoon by making him feel "inadequate".

6. A woman threatened to call police after claiming that she'd been locked in by staff. When in fact, she had mistaken the "do not disturb" sign on the back of the door as a warning to remain in the room.

7. "The beach was too sandy."

8. "We found the sand was not like the sand in the brochure.Your brochure shows the sand as yellow but it was white."

9. A guest at a Novotel in Australia complained his soup was too thick and strong. He was inadvertently slurping the gravy at the time.

10. "Topless sunbathing on the beach should be banned. The holiday was ruined as my husband spent all day looking at other women."

11. "We bought 'Ray-Ban' sunglasses for five Euros from a street trader, only to find out they were fake."

12. "No-one told us there would be fish in the sea. The children were startled."

13. "It took us nine hours to fly home from Jamaica to England it only took the Americans three hours to get home."

14. "I compared the size of our one-bedroom apartment to our friends' three-bedroom apartment and ours was significantly smaller.."

15. "The brochure stated: 'No hairdressers at the accommodation’. We’re trainee hairdressers - will we be OK staying there?"

16. "There are too many Spanish people. The receptionist speaks Spanish. The food is Spanish. Too many foreigners now live abroad."

17. "We had to queue outside with no air conditioning."

18. "It is your duty as a tour operator to advise us of noisy or unruly guests before we travel."

19. "I was bitten by a mosquito, no-one said they could bite."

20. "My fiancé and I booked a twin-bedded room but we were placed in a double-bedded room. We now hold you responsible for the fact that I find myself pregnant. This would not have happened if you had put us in the room that we booked."

November 3rd was National sandwich day......

The nation of course was America, so here is a break down of each of the states and their favourite sandwiches  >>>>> CLICK HERE 

Liverpool touristy bit!!

DEJA VIEW

Virgin's new safety video.

NOVEMBER 5th 1909

THE WOOLWORTH MUSEUM

Help with your bucket list?

Leave you to browse and make additions to your bucket list at will. What a wonderful world/lonely planet we live on!!

Mark twain - kick ass guy!!

Mark Twain’s Top 9 Tips for Living a Kick-Ass Life

This is Old Wirral and trains. From Wilko's inner geek!! Thanks to Andy Clay.

RIP Lou Reed 27 October 2013, aged 71.

So how about the 33 most beautiful abandoned places in the world.....

*CLICK HERE*

Jai Ho - Slumdog Millionaire - Peter Hollens Feat. Alaa Wardi

So let's celebrate an unsuccessful explorer

Columbus Day in the USA has been a federal holiday since 1937. What, I have to ask happened on the day now known as Columbus Day between 1492 and 1937?

I post this on the day after Columbus Day so Americans have a whole year to contemplate some of the myths surrounding the man 'hyped' as some kind of hero by the Knights of Saint Columba.

For your inspirational reading material click anywhere on this sentence.

Tuesday's quote

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall"

 ~~ Confucius

Matt&Sarah - Matt - Bat out of hell

So there may not be enough sweat and spit in this version for some people but leaving that aside isn't this the most definitive version of this most definitive rock song.......EVER??!!

Turkish Delight?

So that’s it back home after my fourth visit to Turkey! 

The important thing to get from that is that the last time of course was, we think, 15 years ago!

In some ways nothing has changed, in others everything has changed! 

Behind that there is some good old fashioned Persian logic! Don’t kid yourself that Persia doesn’t exist. It was a larger, more influential empire than Europe.

Europe is the biggest part of the problem now though. Geographically Turkey is on the brink of Europe, the political and corporate side is headed way down the highway towards the European Union because economically, to them, it makes sense. The people however have no interest whatsoever in being anything other than Turkish.

So let’s think again – 75 million people, 97% Muslim in 300,000 square miles with borders to Asian, European and Middle Eastern countries. That’s a seriously big country with border problems, although less than ever do still exist between both Cyprus and Greece, both in the European Union and in Kurdish territory between itself and Iraq. Human rights issues are prevalent and many other issues with regard to employment, trading  and equality seriously need sorting before Turkey joins any serious ‘Western’ union!

Non of that is said to make any political comment, purely to bring the country up to date in both my own and maybe your minds!!

So 15 years ago Turkey was in many respects a third world country. How ridiculous to ask my son whether there were plenty of both internet cafes or cash machines!!

My memories of my three previous visits in the late nineties were of one or two cash machines in the whole time we were there and only ever a less than 50% chance of them working and as for the internet, yes laugh away!!                        

                 

So what we have now is more ATMs in one place than I have ever seen before and a full on Wi Fi war! Though to be fair Fast Internet has become a bit of a Turkish oxymoron!

Still 15 years ago you were a Lire millionaire with less than £5, the Dolmus’s were cheap and always full and McDonald’s had only just arrived. 

The bottom right I'm lovin' it is Turkish but it's a very strange translation!!

Nothing’s changed, no really, ok they’ve knocked a few 000’s off the currency, Burger King and Subway have joined loads of fast food branches of various descriptions and as for the Dolmus service it is still incredibly cheap and lip service has been paid to both the regulation, what and how many can be carried and the age of the actual vehicles there is no escaping the fact that Dolmus is (still!) Turkish for ‘stuffed’ and that is invariably what they are – with people, animals and locals and touristy things!

Remember Dad it's the pink dolmus - who could forget or miss it?

Yes there has been huge expansions in the tourist areas, making them more commercial than ever, the supermarkets are more prolific, the bazaar more keenly competitive. The excursions are just as tacky and oversold. English is still the chosen language to establish where you are actually are from, you are still for the most part approached at every opportunity to go and spend your Turkish Lire in their establishment. They still accept $’s and £’S at extortionate rates of exchange for almost everything, haggling is alive and well. The poor are still poor, the rich are still rich and the locals are more or less the same as they always have been.

No change at all in the ‘funny’ signs – made all the funnier by either grammar or spelling.

But here is the thing…… I have changed! As a single traveler look at the advantages I have!             

Nobody wants a single ‘old fart’ in their beach restaurants or their late bars/night clubs so I can walk past and observe without being hassled. I have no one to protect, no partner to look out for in this ‘male heavy’ environment. I can walk through the bazaar without offers to swap my ‘woman’ for a camel or two. I have no children to take care of and protect from adult orientated humour or inappropriate behavior.  Neither do I have to explain some of the nuances of a multi cultural society to any other person, young or old.

This time too, it has to be said, some other big advantages.

The main reason for my visit was to see my son and his girlfriend, Matt and Sarah, yeah click the link, perform at a highly prestigious, all inclusive well known venue,for a major tour operator, a distance from the town of Marmaris.  I’ll leave you to work out the advantages of having a son that looks more Turkish than most Mustaffas and works and lives successfully in the community that they all coexist!! Plus how superb is it when the mystery password for all the all inclusive benefits is “I’m Matt’s Dad!!”   

Friday's Quote.

"To be successful, the first thing to do is fall in love with your work."

~ Sister Mary Lauretta

Well that's it for quotes on here for the moment. It was only temporary you know!! Quotes will continue next week on Facebook I'm sure!! 
Thanks for visiting be sure to come back some time hey?!! 
Visiting my other blogs could not be easier, just follow the links somewhere over that way!!! >>>>>>> 

This is Thursday's quote.

"The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary."

~ Vince Lombardi

Last quote of the week is tomorrow after 8am!

A quote for Wednesday.

"A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices."

~ William James

Come back tomorrow after 8am for Thursday's quote!

Tuesday's Quote

"Every man has three characters: that which he exhibits, that he has, and that which he thinks he has."

~ Alphonse Karr

After 8am for tomorrow's - I will be checking who is here!! 

Monday's Quote

As many of you know who are friends with me on that social network, it has become quite a regular thing that I post a quote a day!! 
I do often duplicate them on here as well but as that social network doesn't allow to schedule advance postings and this blog does - while I am Turkeying there will be a quote every day, Monday to Friday which will appear as if by magic at 8am UK time every morning! 
Cool Hey!!

Here is Monday's Quote of the Day : 

"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored."

~ Aldous Huxley.

Don't forget to come back tomorrow!

"Once photography enters your bloodstream, it's like a disease."

Just sayin'!!

Kiss Kiss XX

Friday's best bit!!

Love the trailer for the new series of Downton Abbey.
"Is this your first experience of jazz Lady Grantham?"
"Oh is that what it is? Do you think that any one of them know what the others are playing?"

Pure and simple..........

Put the coffee on......

TEN REASONS WHY DRINKING COFFEE IS GOOD FOR YOU!! TIS TRUE!!

READ IT AGAIN.......

TEN REASONS WHY DRINKING COFFEE IS GOOD FOR YOU!!

***CLICK HERE***

9 11 Remembered.

Please just spend a minute today, here or elsewhere reminding yourself of the atrocity of 9 11. 
It's important we all remember so that we can all play a part in hoping together that this sort of thing can never ever happen again. 
This is in no way attributing blame or subscribing to any 'conspiracy theory' this is purely remembering a day that changed the lives of so many people. All around the world. Forever.
I am sure that there is no one unaware of the happenings on this day in 2001 but *click here* for the factual account. 

In 1990 I took pictures of the World Trade Centre and visited the top of the tower, the one without the radio mast. I was able to take pictures of the radio mast, needless to say, a big 'wow' for me on my first ever trip to America! Imagine my horror as I watched the news live on Tuesday 11th September 2001 seeing that mast come crashing through the tumbling tower. 
It is an image that remains with me. 
It has become for a generation the event that you can recall perfectly where you were when you first heard about it and how it made you feel. Some of my pictures are *here*.
Over the years all searchable on here and the old Wilko News I have also remembered, feel free to look for them. I have just one highlighted *here* which was from 2010.

Thank you for reading and remembering.

This is my picture of a window in the stained glass museum in Chicago.

I love this interwebby thingy!!

So "Super Geek" and "Dr Google" come together while watching Eastenders tonight!! Incidentally the word, Eastenders has that annoying red squiggly line underneath that indicates the spelling 'high ground' and tries to intimate that I can't spell.
Anyway back to the post - Do you think Phil Mitchell would be just a bit annoyed to know that the Air Ambulance that took him to hospital in Eastenders, tonight is only a relief air ambulance for Kent and was most recently used as a police helicopter and to top it all isn't currently in emergency service use at all!!
I love all this interwebby stuff don't you?

Some important lessons about how we treat people.

1) Cleaning Lady

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and I had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one : “What is the first name of the woman that cleans the school?” Surely this was some kind of joke, I had seen the cleaning woman several times, She was tall, dark haired and in her fifties, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count towards our quiz grade. “Absolutely,” said the professor. “In your careers you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say, “Hello.” I’ve never forgotten that lesson or her name, Dorothy.

2) Pick up in the rain.

One night, at 11:30 pm, an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960's. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab. She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's' bedside just before he passed away. God Bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."  
Sincerely,  Mrs. Nat King Cole.

3) Always remember those who serve.

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it. "Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied. The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

4) The obstacle in Our Path.

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the King's' wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand!
Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

5) Giving When it Counts...

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away". Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

Labour Day?

Thought for the day - which man would you choose?

A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat." "Is the man of the house home?", they asked. "No", she replied. "He's out." "Then we cannot come in", they replied. In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened. "Go tell them I am home and invite them in!" The woman went out and invited the men in" "We do not go into a House together," they replied. "Why is that?" she asked. One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, "He is Success, and I am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home." The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. "How nice!!", he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!" His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?" Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!" "Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice," said the husband to his wife. "Go out and invite Love to be our guest." The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest." Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?" The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!!!!!!" MY WISH FOR YOU... -Where there is pain, I wish you peace and mercy. -Where there is self-doubting, I wish you a renewed confidence in your ability to work through it. -Where there is tiredness, or exhaustion, I wish you understanding, patience, and renewed strength. -Where there is fear, I wish you love, and courage.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss 'do' Black Dog!!

August 29 2005 - Remembered.

On this day in 2005 Hurricane Katrina claimed the lives of nearly 2000 people and changed the lives of millions, many for good in the cities and states of South Eastern North America. 
Much is said about the cause, the effects and the people to blame for Katrina but whichever way you look at it and however many people were lost this was a natural disaster. 

Nothing will bring people or their minds, belongings or lifestyle back but today people everywhere should just give some thought to Mother Nature and the devastation she can cause. 

I have great friends in and around New Orleans and have had the pleasure of visiting the city twice in the last three years. It's a strong city it has survived and most has been rebuilt and reshaped mainly due to the spirit and determination of the people.

Over the years since I have had friends in New Orleans, all made through this blogging platform - I have written a little something about Katrina in the hope that we learn from it in some way. They can all be found if you look but a lot of the links are broken and can you believe that the exact same area just 12 months ago were expecting Tropical Storm Isaac to copy the path of Katrina from 2005. Fortunately Isaac passed by without inflicting too much 'trouble'! Feel free to look here though, if you want.

Thank you for reading and remembering.

I was lucky enough to revisit New Orleans after having visited in 2010 and WOW!!! are they doing well!! Of course there is still things to be done, that goes without saying but the overall dynamic of the city and importantly its people is forever upward. I was lucky enough to be there for Mardi Gras, arguably the world's biggest party and really should be on every person's bucket list of things to do before they die.

However that is for another time..... 

I would like to share some pictures with you of the most tranquil and beautiful place in the whole of the city, where even the distinctive rattle of the street cars is drowned out by the singing of the birds! No I don't know how that happens either!! Trust me though it does!!

THE NEW ORLEANS KATRINA MEMORIAL

There is of course a totally different side to New Orleans and so for some less serious pictures 
*CLICK HERE*

Wilko Ramblings....

Part whatever in an occasional series of ramblings.

I know I’ve spoken about this before but it’s so more relevant these days with the technology that I don’t pretend to understand of cookies and tracking cookies.

Here’s an example of what I mean : Listen to BBC Asian Network on line and within an hour on Facebook’s sponsored pages are “Hundreds of Muslim women” wanting to meet me, which maybe quite fun if only it were true!! Taking it to the next step even if in error you accidentally clicked on these Muslim women and even closed it as quick as you opened it by the time you opened your e mail page there would be a banner ad there which miraculously has just appeared – Match.com!!

Of course it goes on from there too…. Put that last paragraph in an e mail, especially with gmail and send it even to yourself and then read the ‘suggestions’ from Google about that e mail! They now have the BBC Asian Network, Muslim women and Match.com to play with.

Got to be honest it can be fun if you are fully aware of what is going on, but think how it could affect the less aware or the more vulnerable – and we can all fall too easily in to that category!!

........ as an updated postscript to that above, I get an e mail notification of my blog posts and in 10 minutes amongst several other questionably relevant 'mentions' is <<Listen to A.R Rahman on Jango (a service I also subscribe to but didn't tell you before) currently playing Revival - Vande Mataram.>> and that was in just 10 minutes but probably in reality 10 seconds!!

Sticking with the BBC Asian Network for just a second, I love it by the way despite not understanding a great majority of it, but it sounds good!! There’s a lesson to be learnt here. They put stuff on because it sounds good and that is the only categorization allowed!! It may, rarely, be in English or Urdu or Hindii or Turkish or Tamil or any of many other recognized central Asian language. For broad minded, world music lovers this is brilliant. Sometimes only certain words that don’t translate that well are all that end up in English…. Booty, body and dance floor are prime examples!! Again the opposite occurs, the presenters speak for the most part in highly accented English but break quite often in to their native tongue.

The other lesson here of course is that good broadcasting content breaks down all the barriers! Imagine the BBC European network! German songs followed by Swedish vocalists singing in French with announcers anything other than your native tongue. The news in a highly accented French!! No one would listen! Guaranteed!

I guess you know that you are 56 and not 16 :

If when you are off the beaten track you check your signal on your phone, just in case you fall or get way too lost to recover on your own!!

If it is no surprise to you that this steep incline is called Angina Hill! No kidding!