James Emmans

Making a Wooden Ring

2012-02-13T09:14:00.001-08:00

First job is to select the wood, my supply came from the back garden yew tree.

The wood came from logs and they are then axed to correct size.

Now the small block is cut out. This gives the ring its width and best grain is chosen.

The block of wood then is marked out with the hole position to give the best grain position.

The outer ring is marked and cut away carefully by chisel.

The middle is drilled out, having a nice drum drill of the correct size is best.

Now the ring is ready to be shaped.

Ring

2012-02-10T10:30:00.000-08:00

There are a few websites that take orders for wooden rings that can cost up to £150+ for a wedding pair. These top quality rings are made using a special steaming method that curves thin layers of wood into a ring. This is the stronger way of making wooden rings because the grain is unlikely to crack all the way through.

The cheap easier way to make rings is the block method normally you would drill out a ring using drum drills . I choose to make a ring the hard way all by hand tools

This is the starting block of yew with outer circle already cut. The middle I am beginning to cut out by hand.

Here you can see the ring beginning to take shape with the width reduced to the desired size.

The surfaces are rounded off using a knife carefully, the grain does not cause problems and the wood is very strong and hard. This is the near finished ring, all thats needs to be done is increase the hole size to fit size 4.5 in US scale.

Here is the finished ring with correct size hole. It nearly fits my little finger, and i really love this ring it feel more like stone than wood, and looks really what I was looking for.

And here is the matching pair.

http://www.fortheloveofwoodrings.com/Gallery.html

Resdential Medical Training Week

2012-01-30T04:55:00.001-08:00

Baxters is the medical company contracted to the NHS. They supply the machine and organize all delivery including teaching. This is my bedroom.

The training center is design for 3 students set in a homely environment.

Automatic PD Dialysis Machine

2012-01-30T04:47:00.001-08:00

This is the complex machine that will dialyzes me at night, my job now is to learn the procedure , pipes computer menu and sterilization etc.

The machine is call an APD machine the model is HomeChoicePRO, it uses special software that get upgraded occasionally.

The bag on top of the machine has a automatic heater with thermostat.

The blue cassette organizes the pipes and gets changes on each dialysis session.

Fluid Heater

2012-01-30T02:44:00.001-08:00

This device heats your dialysis fluid to body temperature. This makes it more comfortable and prevents shock also. This device is for manual P D dialysis, the auto machine has a built in heater.

Catheter Photo

2012-01-16T06:25:00.001-08:00

This is the first time to see the tube while the exit wound was being cleaned. This happens once a week now. You can see the valve that will transfer the dialysis fluid to and from the adominal cavity. The section exiting the body must be keep very clean to prevent any infections that risk illness. Any day now I may start dialysis and some time during next 5 weeks.

Peritoneal Catheter

2012-01-11T03:44:00.001-08:00

Here is the exit site with dressing ready for healing. It takes 6 weeks to heal.

The operation was done with local anesthetics so i could feel what was happening. It is more painful operation than the biopsy operation.

After the catheter was inserted in the abdominal cavity they tested the pipe with half a liter of fluid. It worked nicely. After my recovery I will be trained how to do peritoneal dialysis by machine overnight. The training takes a week.

We pay too much for security, not enough on poverty.

2012-01-06T07:23:00.000-08:00

According to the Zedillo report to the UN, the MDGs will cost approximately the following to implement:

These contrast with the following spending figures (for 2005):

This Photo sums it up very well..

Nurse visit

2012-01-04T06:05:00.001-08:00

Today i was being prepared for my operation to inplant a dialysis tube into my abdomem.
They did a CRT scan. Took lots of blood samples and two swab samples.
The day before my operation i will take a drug to clean out my guts which involves explosive diarrhea! They warned me i will not be allowed a bath for 6 weeks!

The result of my scan blood pressure was a little high.

Crash

2011-12-30T04:26:00.000-08:00

Driven 70,000 miles now in my trusty Skoda Felica. I have to report no accidents or near misses. But for many people this is not the case. This is the car when it snowed last year.

In the 1980's I was involved in a crash in Norfolk travelling to an event with my cousin Kelvin and some friends.

We became distracted by a low flying plane and the driver did not slow down for the corner. The skoda was rear wheel drive and when the driver tried to correct the turn he over steered and lost the front wheels as they began to slide. At high speed we span in the road across oncoming traffic and into the other side of the road landing with the car on its side! All jumped out and got back ready for the explosion, but nothing happened so we pushed it back level and to our relief the car was still in working order.

After heavy snow the car looked like this!

Time of Excesses

2011-12-24T05:59:00.000-08:00

Planning a page on how to live on practically nothing. This picture sums up the world today.

These maps shows us were the poor people live. The first is the % of people living on $1.25 a day or less. The second map is % of population malnourished.

To help focus on what it really means to be poor here is a suggested list of what you must do.

The Great Ascent by Robert L. Heilbroner

First, take out the furniture: leave a few old blankets, a kitchen table, maybe a wooden chair. You've never had a bed, remember?

Second, throw out your clothes. Each person in the family may keep the oldest suit or dress, a shirt or blouse. The head of the family has the only pair of shoes.

Third, all kitchen appliances have vanished. Keep a box of matches, a small bag of flour, some sugar and salt, a handful of onions, a dish of dried beans. Rescue those moldy potatoes from the garbage can: those are tonight's meal.

Fourth, dismantle the bathroom, shut off the running water, take out the wiring and the lights and everything that runs by electricity.

Fifth, take away the house and move the family into the shed.

Sixth, by now all the other houses in the neighborhood have disappeared; instead there are shanties - for the fortunate ones.

Seventh, cancel all the newspapers and magazines. Throw out the books. You won't miss them - you are now illiterate. One radio is now left for the whole shantytown.

Eighth, no more postman, fireman, government services. The two- classroom school is 3 miles away, but only 2 of your 7 children attend anyway, and they walk.

Ninth, no hospital, no doctor. The nearest clinic is now 10 miles away with a midwife in charge. You get there by bus or bicycle, if you're lucky enough to have one.

Tenth, throw out your bankbooks, stock certificates, pension plans, insurance policies. You now have a cash hoard of $25.

Eleventh, get out and start cultivating your three acres. Try hard to raise $300 in cash crops because your landlord wants one-third and your moneylender 10 percent.

Twelfth, find some way for your children to bring in a little extra money so you have something to eat most days. But it won't be enough to keep bodies healthy - so lop off 25 to 30 years of life.

Free Drink

Expensive teas and coffee are not an option, for many the garden can supply good tasty drinks especially in hot counties. Lemon grass is an excellent example.

I remember visiting a the poor southern mountain region of Poland one Christmas and they had a big pot brewing away, wish I knew exactly what they were drinking.

The British would have drank nettle drew in poorer times.

Hibiscus flowers make a drink that many counties traditionally use, i was pleased to hear a drink company is now using African hibiscus as a high end drink product that sells well in the US. This is a case of win win, the rich purchasers feel good about supporting the poor hibiscus farmers and revitalizing a dying tradition industry.

An Answer

Kiva is a big success story that helps people get out of poverty in a simple way. You invest £25 into a chosen person and receive it back in full after a agreed length of time.

www.kiva.org

Learnt Something Today

2011-12-22T09:11:00.000-08:00

We like to categorize people. Today a strange thing happened. I needed to cross a busy road and to my surprise a shiny new Bentley stopped for me. This big sporty car obviously had a caring driver. I would never associate extravagant cars with this type of behaviour. Maybe I can learn a important lesson here. Never prejudge people. Individuals must be viewed as unique.

Borneo Photo

2011-12-22T09:02:00.000-08:00

This picture is so cool!

PD Dialysis

2011-12-22T03:08:00.000-08:00

Peritoneal Dialysis

Got the call from the nurse today saying I must visit to prepare for PD on the 4Th January.

Basically you get a tube inserted into your tummy.

The peri-toneum is the lining of the abdominal cavity that has a large enough surface area to do the same job as the kidney, the dialysis solution fills the large cavity and the dangerous toxins are leached into the solution over some time. After the treatment has finished the solution is then flushed away.

The solution used to clean your body is quite a large volume(2-2.5lt) for each dialysis session. The treatment is a daily treatment that is psychologically better than the normal blood dialysis so I am one of the lucky few allowed PD dialysis.

My dialysis is planned for only a few months so I may not be given the automatic PD machine.

Problems with PD

Anyone with injuries to the abdomen, bowel problems and infections would not be allowed PD because of the risk of peritonitis.

Healthy people who have the option of PD still run a high risk of peritonitis, treatment for this will have to be carefully administered at high cost.

Kidney Disease

2011-12-21T10:02:00.000-08:00

Uremia

This is a build up of nitrogenous waste products in the blood including urea.

Symptoms are loss of appetite, lethargy, fatigue, nausea, cold, bone pain, itching, shortness of breath and seizures, with late symptoms being decreased mental acuity and coma.

Can be diagnosed when Kidney function is below 50%.

GFR - Glomerular filtration rate.

The rate of filtered fluid through the Kidney .

GFR at the different stages of the disease

Normal kidney function – GFR above 90mL/min/1.73m² and no proteinuria.

1) CKD1 – GFR above 90mL/min/1.73m² with evidence of kidney damage

2) CKD2 (Mild) – GFR of 60 to 89 mL/min/1.73m² with evidence of kidney damage

3) CKD3 (Moderate) – GFR of 30 to 59 mL/min/1.73m²

4) CKD4 (Severe) – GFR of 15 to 29 mL/min/1.73m²

5) CKD5 Kidney failure - GFR less than 15 mL/min/1.73m² Some people add CKD5D for those stage 5 patients requiring dialysis; many patients in CKD5 are not yet on dialysis.

Creatinine

This is a by product from muscle tissue that is produced in a steady flow. The kidneys job is the keep the creatinine level stable by filtering out excesses.

Creatinine levels in the blood are used to diagnoses early stage kidney failure.

End stage Bun - to - creatineine ratio is used to monitor fidney failure more accurately at later stages of the disease.

Tea at M & S

2011-12-15T06:29:00.001-08:00

A pot of tea cost £1.70 the cheapest drink, coffee is over £2 .

Nippa Hut - Mindanao Philippines

2011-12-13T08:28:00.001-08:00

Nippa Hut, a photo by jemmans on Flickr.

This small dwelling is built using local material mostly being bamboo. The ground is natural earth. The setting is in a coastal village in a forested region that is quite unspoilt. Lives are very simple here with no running water or electricity.

Restaurant Sign in Tagalog

2011-12-12T12:56:00.000-08:00

The photo was taken in General Santos Mindanao near a small place I was staying for a while.

When you are trying to learn the languages this is a good type of place to learn new words. I took the photo partly to do a blog and to get the words.

Calderita is Kaldereta in Tagalog.

Kaldereta is a popular dish in the Philippines, especially on Luzon island. The common ingredients is goat shoulders with tomato paste and liver spread.

Kaldereta is originally a goat stew made with tomato sauce, potatoes, spices, liver spread, olives, bell peppers and hot peppers. Originally adapted from the Spanish during their 300 year occupation of the Philippines.

Kaldereta is a favorite Filipino meal served during parties, festivities and other special occasions in the Philippines. It is a Spanish-influenced dish that became to be Filipinos' favorite and made their own versions. Originally, the main ingredients of this dish includes goat meat, tomato sauce, liver, pepper and cheese.

Variations of this dish is with beef, chicken and or pork. Beef Kaldereta is a common dish in the Philippines made with stewing cuts of beef simmered until tender. Another is with chicken or pork because of the price and availability.

Kilawin

kinilaw / kilawin — Filipino vinegared raw fish similar to ceviche

Papait

This is a green plant that is used in salads.

The papait (mollugo oppositifolia) is popular among bitter-loving ilokanos who has the distinct and rather unique taste preference for something bitter, the more bitter, the better.

Sinampalukang

This is a chicken dish with Tamarind Soup normally written Sinampalukang Manok

Adobo

This is a picked meal or Marinated meal usually meat

Bricks

2011-12-10T12:48:00.001-08:00

Very Old Wall, a photo by jemmans on Flickr.

These bricks were made with local red clay. They were used by the victorians to face buildings. I new that victorians prefered natural stone and this was the poor mans material of its time.
When reading a book about London called 'LONDON the biography' I was supprised to learn the real reason for the choice of red brick. London used to suffer from terrible fog that sometimes bought the visability down to a very low level. The red colour was chosen so people could see where they where going in the fog. In some cases a carriage would fail completely to see a house in stone hidden by the fog.

Kidneys on the Mind

2011-12-06T06:27:00.000-08:00

To most people they are served with steak, in the form of a delicious crusty pie. To me they are different, they are a part of me that has failed to work normally and I therefore am very aware of them every day now.

The medical people say a human kidney is the approximate size of your hand. So it is quite a large organ with the capacity to work in all normal life's condition including mild poisoning. Even with 85% damage, most people will have no symptoms.

Unfortunately my kidneys began to show signs of disease in October 2010 when I was tested when applying for a drugs trial.

Kidney disease or CKD is a progressive chronic illness that is categorized into 5 stages with stage 5 being the last stage before complete failure.

Stage 1-3 are the best stages to be diagnosed because at this level you can change your diet to slow or stop the progress of the disease. Most people get diagnosed at stage 4 like I was.

At stage 4 your kidney is under great stain and is working much harder so the kidney is in steady decline taking normally two year before failure, or sometimes sadly less as in my case.

The Kidney post I write now is at stage 5, a bit late to start blogging, but I felt it needed to be written. Even with getting close to 10% function I feel quite well, but I expect to feel unwell in the near future.

For many people the only treatment is going on dialysis, a medical replacement of the kidney. In my case I am one of the lucky ones who is basically youngish and healthy enough to be able to have a kidney transplant.

This is the operation looking from the lower back area.

This is the result, a third kidney is placed in the front tummy area.

If my brother is a suitable donor then I hope to have a live kidney transplant from him next year, the signs are all positive so far.

A live kidney is better than a dead kidney for two main reasons, one you can set a fixed date for the operation, in my case a Wednesday. The other reason is the dead kidney will take up to 5 days to recover and begin to work, during this time dialysis may be needed. My hope is to avoid all dialysis which saves a lot of money and effort.

I hope to do some more posting about the operation and post the final scars of my brother and mine also.

Here is one I found on the web.

Bridge in mountain valley

2011-12-04T13:45:00.001-08:00

Bridge in mountain valley, a photo by jemmans on Flickr.

Mountain stream that looks like it turns into a raging river at times. The water flows down to Marrakesh and keeps the city alive, the water tastes good.
The hand built bridge serves a few houses or field access. The sign seems to indicate a restaurant is over the bridge also.

Mountain road

2011-12-04T13:41:00.001-08:00

Mountain road, a photo by jemmans on Flickr.

Mountain road on the Atlas mountains foothills, the houses are painted pink to hide the sand dust from the Sahara Desert. There are many popular and willow trees in the area, and olive trees grow on the steeper area and also line the streets and also in plantations.

The white van brings tourists from the city 60km away, not too many on the day we went.

Atlas Mountain Setting

2011-12-04T13:35:00.001-08:00

One reason to visit Morocco was to see the Atlas Cedar tree in its native setting, unfortunately I did not do enough research and found out they grow in another region in Morocco. So here we have the ordinary pine I am not sure what type it is.

Atlas Mountain Setting, a photo by jemmans on Flickr.

In Morocco the Atlas mountains rise to an amazing 15,000 feet giving the snow cover. The photo is about 3000 feet in the foot hills that are populated by villages. The Berber people sought refuse in the mountains against enemies that would finish them off in the flat lands oasis of Marrakesh. Mountain tribes around the world would have a similar story to tell, it is unnatural to try to live in these harsh places.

Time to Start Dating

2011-12-01T04:05:00.000-08:00

This young girl caught my eye, but would the family approve. Kissing could be a hazard, but I am sure the lip jewelry is removable. Getting a visa could be another problem.

Lychee for Sale

2011-12-01T03:54:00.001-08:00

Lychee for Sale, a photo by jemmans on Flickr.

These attractively presented lychees are sold to tourists in the Atlas Mountains Morocco.

Head profile of a Camel

2011-12-01T03:37:00.001-08:00

Head profile of a Camel, a photo by jemmans on Flickr.

Do not see camels very often, this one is near the airport in Marrakesh. I was pleased to see them close up on the hike trip to the airport. Getting a camel to yourself is one of the advantages of walking, you miss so much when using normal modes of transport.
The last time to see camels was in near the Taj Mahal again for tourist.

2011-11-22T12:36:00.000-08:00

Will try to post a few blogs just not been in a blogging mood lately.

Natural Beauty

2011-05-26T18:43:00.001-07:00

Natural Beauty, a photo by jemmans on Flickr.

The lighting was perfect for this shot. The result is a high quality sharp image giving good texture to the rocks and brings out the skin very well. The water adds to the interest of the photo and trees give it a natural boarder.

I - Chargj Station for Mobile Phones

2011-03-03T21:37:00.001-08:00

I - Chargj Station for Mobile Phones a photo by jemmans on Flickr.

5 pesos for 10 minute fast charge. It seems to be a very good system.

'I-Charj' - a compact charging station - is the first Filipino-made coin-operated charging machine. It is noted for its compact design, ease of use and profit-generating features.

This invention caters to widely-used mobile phone brands in the market today and has also integrated charging services for mp3 players and portable play stations.

The I - charj has won a Gold medal award at the INPEX show, the inventor Engr. Aquilino 'Jun' Tubigan must be proud of his recognition.

INPEX is an international tradeshow of inventions from all over the world. It showcases international new inventions and innovations. The tradeshow is held every year in USA and judged by international jury.

Drink

2011-03-03T03:40:00.001-08:00

Drink a photo by jemmans on Flickr.

Cheers

Rice Field next to Housing Estate

2011-03-02T22:25:00.001-08:00

Rice Field next to Housing Estate a photo by jemmans on Flickr.

A typical house in Manila with standard 'tin' roof, the cow is feeding on the rice field but eventually the field may be lost to yet more housing estates. Heavy black tropical clouds are promising more rain.

Gulaman Juice Manila

2011-03-01T21:18:00.001-08:00

Gulaman Juice Manila
Originally uploaded by jemmans

Taking it easy in the Philippines.

Email Leg Puller

2011-02-23T11:31:00.001-08:00

This was a email conversation from a joker to an advert.

Original ad:
**********HEY YOU THERE*************-$1500

HELLO I AM LOOKING FOR A FORD EXPLORER!I NEED A TRUCK SO IF YOU ARE SELLING YOURS AND IT HAS NO PROBLEMS WHAT SO EVER THEN LET ME KNOW. I'M A SINGLE MOTHER OF 3 BEAUTIFUL GIRLS AND WE NEED A WAY TO GET AROUND WHERE NO BODY WILL BE ALL CRAMPED UP AND A EXPLORER WILL DO US JUST FINE. I'M LOOKING TO BUY AROUND THE END OF OCTOBER IF YOU HAVE ONE THAT YOU WANT TO SELL THEN GET AT ME A.S.AP.

(the ad also had a picture of her posing for the camera, like that is necessary for an "auto wanted" ad)

Me to SHANIQUA ***********
ay yo girl i gots a ford explorer for you

its not really a 1997 its a 1985
and its not really a ford explorer its a ford bronco but its like the same thing

here are the specs if your interested:
-217,292 miles
-transmission is in good shape, 5th gear and reverse work but the rest dont
-the V6 engine was replaced with a V8, gas mileage is pretty good - i got about 12 mpg highway the other day but that was with premium
-power windows but you have to turn a crank to roll them down
-tape player - it does play but there is a def leppard tape jammed in there and it won't come out. great for def leppard fans!
-i am a smoker so you can smell it in the car, but ill throw in an air-freshener for an extra 10 bucks
-it came with front airbag, but it deployed in my last accident and i didnt get it replaced. broncos are safe though so you wont have to worry about an airbag.
-the air conditioning does not work anymore, but it used to and was really cold.
-heat works if you drive the car for a while
-the frame is bent due to an accident with a tractor trailer, but as long as you dont drive over 40 you shouldnt have any problems
-it can seat five which is good for kids, but the back seat has beer and urine stains. they have been professionally treated with windex
-the rear window is missing, but has been repaired with saran wrap
-you will need to have some minor repairs done: new brakes, the rear axle is missing, needs a new radiator and coolant system. i spoke to my friend who knows a lot about cars and he said it shouldnt cost more than a few bucks.
im asking for $7,500 but am willing to negotiate.
let me know what you think
-ted

SHANIQUA *********** to Me

No thanks.That's not what I'm looking for it's too old and not even the right type of Ford.Have a nice day :)

Me to SHANIQUA ***********

I'm willing to drop the price to $7,000 and throw in a phil collins cassette tape for the tape player. even though it may seem old, it still runs like it was OJ's bronco. and don't worry about it not being an explorer. all fords are built ford tough.

SHANIQUA *********** to Me

I don't think that you read my ad.I don't have $7000.00 to spend on a truck much less a D**N 1985 BRONCO!!!!!!!!!!!You should be willing to give that old ass piece of s**t away.GO AWAY and leave me the hell alone STOP WASTING MY TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me to SHANIQUA ***********

I see you are a tough negotiator. My final offer is $6,900, and I'll include a floormat from my 1983 cutlass supreme. this floormat is brown with several stains and cigarette burns, but it will keep the beautiful bronco interior very clean. please consider this generous offer.

SHANIQUA *********** to Me

READ THE AD 1500 THAT'S IT.I DON'T WANT YOUR D**N FORD BRONCO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me to SHANIQUA ***********

Okay, I can see that this luxurious bronco is out of your price range. That is okay. I have a cheaper car that you may be interested in.
It is a 1996 Geo Metro. Almost EXACTLY the same as a Ford Explorer. When looking at the two, I personally can't even tell the difference.
It was my son's car, but he lost his license after his third DUI, so now I am stuck with it. I have no use for it though, and would be willing to sell it to you for $1550.
Features:
- 246,000 HIGHWAY miles
- AM radio, great for traffic reports and radio disney
- 3 great tires from Walmart, they still have about 200 miles worth of tread on them
- Partially functional transmission. Reverse does not work, but you don't really need that anyway.
- Due to a wheel alignment problem, the car can only turn right. But with power steering, it makes turning right easy. Three right turns can make a left.
- No title
- Currently needs brakes, exhaust, cat converter, a front wheel and rotor, and a motor to pass inspection. But as long as you don't get pulled over, who cares about inspection?
- The paint is a metallic/rust red. Some of the spots have rusted through, but I covered it up with duct tape and spray paint. Looks good as new!
- Comes with THE CLUB, a state of the art anti-theft device. But i lost the key to it, so its stuck on the steering wheel. great for leaving your car in west philly!
- The gas tank currently leaks gas, so MPG is around 6 or 7 depending on how fast you drive. You just need to keep plugging the hole with gum.
At that price, this car is a DEAL! Let me know what you think.

SHANIQUA *********** to Me

YOU ARE AN A**HOLE GO AWAY GO AWAY GO AWAY GET THE F**K OUT OF MY FACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me to SHANIQUA ***********

so you don't want the geo? you're missing out on a dream car. tell you what, for that price, I will also include three old Newsweek magazines, a used toaster, and an old Philadelphia Eagles #81 Terrell Owens jersey.

London Underground

2011-02-17T13:28:00.001-08:00

London Underground
Originally uploaded by jemmans

Colourful underground train stopping at the new station near the westfield shopping centre.

Signs

2011-02-11T23:55:00.001-08:00

tutup
Originally uploaded by jemmans

Not quite 24 hours..

Tree Worker

2011-02-10T08:12:00.000-08:00

Miles working hard reducing a tree in clients garden.

Lovely growth on Oak Branch

2011-02-10T08:06:00.001-08:00

Lovely growth on Oak Branch
Originally uploaded by jemmans

amazing texture and colours on this branch, was busy doing some tree surgery and quickly took this on my mobile phone. If I had time I could have got better shots, shame the background is too focused.

4 Owls

2010-12-14T11:15:00.001-08:00

4 Owls
Originally uploaded by jemmans

Mae

2010-12-03T01:40:00.001-08:00

Mae sa simbahan
Originally uploaded by jemmans

Mae at church setting in thoughtful pose

Popular Trunk

2010-11-13T08:59:00.000-08:00

Wall Plants

2010-11-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

These plants go well on the old boundary wall of Hampton Court Palace.

Cytronex Electric Bikes - Innovative Electric Bicycles with Hidden Power Assistance

2010-06-18T09:17:00.000-07:00

Cytronex Electric Bikes - Innovative Electric Bicycles with Hidden Power Assistance

Ivy

2010-04-24T06:14:00.000-07:00

Tourist Map

2010-03-28T04:23:00.000-07:00

When you are visiting a strange city the tourist map is vital to your enjoyment and success of the trip. Finding one can be a problem, tourist infomation offices are often closed when you arrive. The very best way to visit a city is do research before you go, this will make your trip a lot better. The map here is Kuala Lumpur the capital of Malaysia. I have visited it 3 times now and feel confident about getting around and where to stay. The city is a very good value and pleasent with good public transport.

Sharjah Airport UAE

2010-03-28T04:07:00.000-07:00

Stayed overnight at this airport, ended up walking around the local area most of the night catched sleep by crashing out on grass etc.

My Birth Town

2009-07-15T02:15:00.000-07:00

Jealousy

2009-07-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

What is it? I met this first hand recently and thought it would be good to do a page on this subject.

First thing to note it belongs firmly in the world of emotions - mmm is that a female world? Men do have senses but do we possess emotions? Certainly we do but not to the same degree as our female friends.

Emotions fit into the world of interpersonal relationships - ie long term relationship between 2 or more people. Jealously fits into the 'or more' category usually, but I expect some are jealous of there husband or wife or parnter.

Here some examples of relationships.

Boyfriend · Casual · Cohabitation · Concubinage · Courtesan · Domestic partnership · Family · Friendship · Girlfriend · Husband · Kinship · Marriage · Mistress (lover) · Monogamy · Non-monogamy · Pederasty · Polyamory · Polyfidelity · Polygamy · Romantic friendship · Same-sex relationship · Significant other · Soulmate · Widowhood · Wife

This is the list of emotions that can be experienced.

Affinity · Attachment · Compersion · Infatuation · Intimacy · Jealousy · Limerence · Love · Passion · Platonic love · Polyamory ·

Some view jealousy as a healthy attribute to a relationship as in this quote.

'Jealousy in romance is like salt in food. A little can enhance the savor, but too much can spoil the pleasure'

Here is another view on the subject.

'A competent and self-confident person is incapable of jealousy in anything. Jealousy is invariably a symptom of neurotic insecurity.'

What is the difference between jealousy and envy? Jealousy is about something one has and is afraid of losing, while envy refers to something one does not have and either wants to acquire or to prevent another from acquiring.

This title is wrong it should be envy, one has something that the other wants! But maybe the words are used loosely in modern useage.

Here is a good picture that sums up jealousy. The blonde lady does not like the attention the other lady is giving to her partner. She feels she is at risk of loosing him.

Women

2009-06-22T06:05:00.000-07:00

Got women on my mind, after reading astra's excellent blog on dating,

http://astranavigo.blogspot.com/2009/06/some-more-observations-on-dating.html

The experience women have in the pass few decades is completely changed for large sections of society.

Even up until the 1970's some children in the UK were still seen as economic resource's and when a child got a job all the money went to the mother and they would have to ask if they needed money for something. This would last until they got married. It took wealth to bring this tradition to an end in the UK but most poorer countries in the world this still would be normal life experience.

A painting of a working woman by Van Gogh shows a harder life than is experienced by most women especially in the wealthier countries.

I remember Beth's blogs about the loss of her granddaughter and how devastated she was. What a contrast to how a victorian farm labouring woman would have viewed this situation. Just like the woman in the painting.

Life was so hard for the poor that the birth of a child could only be viewed though the eyes of economics and practical living. Affection and natural instincts where beaten out of their lives, though 'rude labour' exposure to the cold/heat or the elements, coarse food and lack of money.

The farmer would ask his labourer how did the birth of your child go? If the child was a girl the reply would be '' Aw, sir, a' be main weak and picked, an' like to go back - thank God! basically the labourer is saying the child is weak and wasted and hopes it will die soon - because it is a girl!

Why did they want boys so much. Its because they could earn money from a young age starting work as young as 8 but the girls were seen as poor workers and a burden for many years to come. If the girl had an illegitimate child it could be very hard for her, first she would be placed in the local work house if she was lucky, it was not unknown for the daughter to die from exposure after being thrown out of the family home.

A girl in the poor house was my great-great-great grandmother Sarah Emmans. Was she thrown out of the house by her family? probably yes. All we know was that her child grew up in the poor house and she managed to find work somewhere and some speculate it could have been America.

Sarah was born in 1821 and 17 years old when she had Robert in 1839. She must have had an extremely harsh existence and probably was uneducated, crude, and a very unpleasant person generally.

How did she get pregnant? one way a girl got pregnant was visiting the annual fair and maybe experiencing drink for the first time lost her way with a local boy who was probably equally drunk. Another way would be a reckless employer taking advantage of her, a sort of economic rape. It is possible Sarah got pregnant by being raped in horrible circumstances? The average girl at that time would not be stupid enough to have sex with a poor labourer even though there may be plenty of opportunities to do so. If the girl was suffering manic depression or major personality disorder or was mentally backwards she would be as risk and maybe Sarah was unstable in some way?

It is also possible she thought she had a viable mate but when she got pregnant, thinking marriage was the next step, only to find the man disappear without a trace. During this time most teenage marriages resulted in a baby being born 3 months later. In fact the vicars wife would offer prizes of furniture to the first couple to have a child after 9 months of marriage!

Robert got a break in life joining the navy and he eventually started a family of his own with a degree of success. The family story goes he joined the navy under 5 foot tall and grew to be 6 foot 4 inches and a big frame!

Check out Sarah here:

http://www.myheritage.com/site-724942/emmans-family-website

My Guest Book - please sign

2009-06-18T03:23:00.000-07:00

2009-06-10T08:57:00.001-07:00

Bruderhof

2009-06-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

A Hyperbole is an exaggeration to make a point for impact. 'He has a brain the size of a pea' is an example.

The Sermont on the mount has been seen as a hyperbole by the traditional church but a few non-conformist take a literatal view of the sermon.

St. Francis of Assisi, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Leo Tolstoy and Ghandi are more famous people that take an absolutist view.

A lesser known charcater is Eberhard Arnold - which I have had 'contact' with.

He came from the German Youth movement which dates back to 1896 this was a sort of early 1960's movment.

'To escape repressive and authoritarian society and parents, groups of young people searched for free space to develop some life of their own. Also a romantic longing for a pristine state of things played a part. For this they turned to nature, confraternity and adventure. Soon the groups split and there originated ever more organisations, which still all called themselves Wandervogel'

The Bruderhof communities were started by Eberhart Arnold in 1920 with the first 'place of brothers' and it has a very intersting history from there on.

So where am i leading you here? well its the aboslutism view.

The sermon which inspires many thousands of intentional communities around the world - it says in the sermon -

But if thy right eye be a snare to thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members perish, and not thy whole body be cast into hell.

Sadly the Bruderhof have taken this verse in an absolutist way again - they find the internet a evil place so they have completely withdrawn their presence at a great cost to the web users. Up until a few years ago they had very good websites and it is so sad to see them disappear. I wanted to give you a proper introdution to the Bruderhof but I cannot. Most links are now dead on the web!

But they are true to what they believe - the sermon on the mount.

Their publishing house was also closed down and many important works were no longer available as a result.

Looking into the current situation the 'Plough Publishing' is now making a come back and the Bruderhof is starting to make presence again!

You can visit the Bruderhof in Kent UK and other countries as well.

Goodbye

2009-06-04T23:37:00.000-07:00

Yahoo 360 blog is closing down on July 13th for good. It was my first 'cyber home' and I met some nice people there including Mae from Luzon who I met this year.

The site started June 2005 and I joined in 26th Aug 2006.

My blog had 649 pages and was visited nearly 150,000 times so was a popular page.

I will miss the site and feel there is no replacement blog site available they are all so different. Multiply seems to be the closest and has a friendly feel.

One of the best features of 360 was the ability to show very big photos and show of your photography skills well.

I thing Vox is the most advanced blog site and quite like it, this site seems very hard to use, the thing that puts me off is I cannot click and paste photos and text.

So for the last year or so I have been a blogging refugee with accounts everywhere and no real commitment to one community of bloggers.

Well I did a few blogs on the closure of 360 and this one seems to be the best! Maybe blogger could be my new home?

Wandermap.net

2009-03-06T12:36:00.000-08:00

Wandermap.net

This web site is very good. Compare it to quickmaps and you see just how good it is. http://quikmaps.com/show/70695
Anyone can now share their favourite route with the world and anyone can try out your route using very detailed satalite maps.
If you like walking then you will love this website.
The Germans must be proud of their efforts, they have done an excellent job and even given the world an english version also.
Have a look at my first route here. http://www.wandermap.net/route/128172

Feet Size - Large

2008-08-10T00:38:00.000-07:00

The high tec digital calliper is a good way of measuring feet.

Results for measuring the Phalanges (exterior skin measurment) :

Big toe is over 5cm long thats about 10% bigger than avatar's big toe.

2nd toe is not perfectly straight. 4.7cm

3rd toe is a near perfect toe. 4.4cm

4th toe next is not straight and is quite curved. 3.7cm

5th toe 3.3cm

Foot length 27.8

My feet are not that ugly with the big toes being the best looking ones.
The fifth toe is sometimes called the pinky toe / little toe because it is the smallest

Fire

2008-07-13T08:00:00.001-07:00

Had the fire brigade deal with a burning car in the middle of the night close to the house, we were evacuated for about 20 minutes until the situation was under control. This was the result and the fire brigade say it was a case of arson attack . The car had a 3 lt engine so I am suspicious of the owner setting the fire and claiming on the insurance due to not being able to afford the petrol running costs!

The UK has been quite strict with fire regulations that go back to the Great Fire of London of 1666. These controls together with an efficient fire service must save many lives and property.

Skyscrapers are a recent occurrence in London partly due to the strict fire code with buildings restricted to the height of fire engine ladders.

Surrey Fire and Rescue Engine.

One thing you notice when travelling in poorer countries is the common occurrence and damaging effects of fires. Shanti towns are particularly at risk.

quickmaps web site.

2008-06-21T08:34:00.000-07:00

This site allows you to make your own maps using googlemaps webmaps. I expect this site will catch on because it is very simple to use. Here is my first attempt.

Know your leaf shape!

2008-06-21T02:18:00.000-07:00

This is a lovely chart to help your identification of plants.

Housekeeping: Quit Changing My Towels!

2008-06-20T23:33:00.001-07:00

with "don't change towels" doorhang

read more | digg story

Road Tax Time

2008-05-24T04:17:00.000-07:00

Its time to get the tax disc for the old skoda again.
Cars over a certain age need to be Ministry Of Transport tested - and the car is then made officially road legal. Over the years the testers always seem to find a fault / faults and need to do work for the MOT. This work often means the hassel of leaving your car at the garage for a day or to and you have to get back home some how plus the extra expense.
Yesterday's MOT, I am happy to report went smoothly, costing a mere £50. All I have to do now is get the disc from a post office and the car is ready for another years driving.
The price of petrol yesterday was £47 for my tank or a price of £1.14 per litre that a tad short of £5 per gallon.

This could be one solution to the petrol problem :

The price has gone up rapidly, I expect throughout the world, and it means more people will be using public transport this year as a result. 2007 saw the UK rail passengers rise to an all time high beating the post war highs for the first time.
I work in Reading about 33miles away from Weybridge and it is becomming very attractive to go by train - it is actually cheaper than the petrol I use!

2008-05-16T23:40:00.000-07:00

The Durian is a Tropical fruit which is very popular in Asia and further afield. They are a seasonal fruit and are harvested between June and August. If the tree is grown in colder climates it stops growing completely if the average temperature drops below 22 Degrees C!
The fruit is very large and has a formidable thorn covered husk with the fruit weighing up to 3Kg! A problem with the fruit is it gives of a sulphur smell which can annoy some people.
Davao city has a monument of the Durian fruit above.
The unusual husk has inspired architects and artists also.

This Fruit seller in the Philippines is weighing what looks like a small sample of the Durian, it may be the end of season stock?
Behind are the juicy melons - much better than the ones back at home.
The inside looks like this - chicken drumsticks, you eat these and inside is a large brown seed.

My Great World - new network site for photographers

2008-04-27T04:24:00.000-07:00

This site is easy to use and uses a scoring system to encourage users to upload their photos. The strength of this site is its ease of use and is a dedicated photo networking site with a geographical dimension.
The site is in beta and is quite new, my first photo was placed in southern Philippines and I was the first in this part of the world! Here it is.

DSC03338

http://www.mygreatworld.com/

Travel IQ

2008-04-18T22:52:00.001-07:00

The Web's Original Travel Blog.

This is a great bit of fun and will improve your knowlege of the world.

2008-04-13T02:15:00.001-07:00

Money seems to be going mad in the UK or am I just getting older?
I was walking to the railway station through the car park as usual only to see the latest price for parking your car. It had gone up from Around £3 to an amazing £5 a day! - that is getting close to the cost of a taxi ride both ways! The carpark was still full of expensive cars like normal. These people are now paying £100 a month to drive from their massively overpriced homes to the railway station. Added to the price of the expensive peak time rail tickets most are paying £400 a month to get to work.
Why does this seem so overpriced - well a new car at £7500 on a loan would be about the same price and the parking ticket!
Clearly most people in Weybridge have no money worries, with very high wages.

The town has been part of the commuteing ring around London since the Railway opened over 100 years ago. It is just inside the famous orbital motorway the M25 which has become the new unofficial London boundry. The economy inside the M25 is massive, the GDP is greater that the super state of California!
With this is mind maybe the £5 is a good price - it is to stop us plebs from parking, we are expected to walk!
The UK still does not have one bank producing the money as you can clearly see in this photo. Northern Ireland, Scotland Gernsey and Jersey still have there own money with the pound note still in use in places. The Isle of Man has sterling also but technically is not part of the UK.
The euro will one day bring a money union to the whole of the British Isles - with Ireland already using them.

2008-04-08T13:31:00.001-07:00

The Polish word for Vodka is Wodka and the oldest known use of the word was in 1405 in Poland not Russia. It is claimed therefore Vodka was born in Poland!
Poland has always been a major producer of Vodka and now is the forth largest market in the world.

Networking

2008-04-05T00:49:00.001-07:00

The shelfari network is for book readers. http://www.shelfari.com/
What I really like about the site is the ability to display the books you have read on a virtual library. When you have completed a book you can update your shelf for all to see.
I am a poor reader and have read only a few books, other keener readers are able to discuss / group / comment on their favourite books.
The book 'Two Caravans' is what I am currently reading. It is supposed to be better than her great book 'A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian' - so far I am not convinced.

Kayak

2008-03-16T08:48:00.000-07:00

Kayak
Found this web site that helps you find plane tickets. It is the best I've seen and is very impressive indeed. Finding Airline websites from one location to another can be a long process but this website does all the hard work for you. How did I manage to miss this one? Already 7 million subscribers! - It was first launch in the US so maybe the UK edition is new?
I found this site through a hardcore travellers blog called vagabondish -
http://www.vagabondish.com/
What is really nice about the site is you get a google map of your travelling area and you can click 'use nearby airports' feature which means if you chose an expensive airport the search will include the cheaper ones nearby.
I am an instant fan of this site because I enjoy dreaming up new routes and travelling possibilities and I keep a close eye on the new routes airlines are launching and planning.

Ireland - Eriu, Eire, Airlann, Irlanda, Irland, Ierland - St Patrick's Day Today!

2008-03-15T06:11:00.001-07:00

This is an actual Photograph of Ireland

We have Irish blood in the family but we do not celebrate St Patrick's day. To make up for this Here is my dedicated Irish Blog.
The Shamrock Symbol
The three-leafed shamrock is the Irish christian symbol of the Holy Trinity
The Anglicized word for Irish word for "clover" ("seamair") is "seamaróg". So the word Shamrock indicates how close Ireland and England were in our long history.

Ireland is the 3rd largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world.
It lies surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets and is a part of Europe.
Politically, the state Ireland (described as the Republic of Ireland in cases of ambiguity) covers five-sixths of the island, with Northern Ireland, part of the UK, covering the remainder in the north-east.
The population of the island is slightly over six million (2007), with 4.34 million in the Republic and an estimated 1.75 million in Northern Ireland .
This is a significant increase from a modern historical low in the 1960s, but still much lower than the peak population of over 8 million in the early 19Th century, prior to the Irish potato famine.
The name Ireland derives from the name Eriu (in modern Irish, Éire) with the addition of the Germanic word land. Most other western European names for Ireland derive from the same source, such as French Irlande, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese Irlanda, German Irland and the Dutch Ierland.
A common misunderstanding is thinking St. Patrick was Irish - but a simple explanation show them the error of their ways!

Ireland - Eriu, Eire, Airlann, Irlanda, Irland, Ierland - St Patrick's Day Today!

2008-03-15T06:02:00.000-07:00

We have Irish blood in the family but we do not celebrate St Patrick's day. To make up for this Here is my dedicated Irish Blog.

The Shamrock Symbol
The three-leafed shamrock is the Irish christian symbol of the Holy Trinity
The Anglicized word for Irish word for "clover" ("seamair") is "seamaróg". So the word Shamrock indicates how close Ireland and England were in our long history.

This is an actual Photo of Ireland.
Ireland is the 3rd largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world.
It lies surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets and is a part of Europe.
Politically, the state Ireland (described as the Republic of Ireland in cases of ambiguity) covers five-sixths of the island, with Northern Ireland, part of the UK, covering the remainder in the north-east.
The population of the island is slightly over six million (2007), with 4.34 million in the Republic and an estimated 1.75 million in Northern Ireland .
This is a significant increase from a modern historical low in the 1960s, but still much lower than the peak population of over 8 million in the early 19Th century, prior to the Irish potato famine.
The name Ireland derives from the name Eriu (in modern Irish, Éire) with the addition of the Germanic word land. Most other western European names for Ireland derive from the same source, such as French Irlande, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese Irlanda, German Irland and the Dutch Ierland.
A common misunderstanding is thinking St. Patrick was Irish - but a simple explanation show them the error of their ways!

Saturday 15 March 2008 - 12:26PM (GMT) Edit Delete Permanent Link 0 Comments
Wigets
This is a typical widget you can put into more advanced blog sites. On 360 you have to put it into a blog page, which is a shame. You see MyBlog on many websites now so I though it was time to get my own to keep up to date with things!
Recent Readers
View Entire Community Provided by MyBlogLog
Tags: widget Edit Tags
Saturday 15 March 2008 - 08:07AM (GMT) Edit Delete Permanent Link 0 Comments
How to build a boat.
This video gives you the inspiration needed to start your project. My project is a larger scale but I plan to build smaller boats like the one in the video when I am in the Philippines.
yfla.wrap("This multimedia content requires Flash version 9 and above.", "Upgrade Now.", "http:\/\/www.adobe.com\/shockwave\/download\/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash", " This is the one we are working on now");

Function VBGetSwfVer(i)
on error resume next
Dim swControl, swVersion
swVersion = 0
set swControl = CreateObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash." + CStr(i))
if (IsObject(swControl)) then
swVersion = swControl.GetVariable("$version")
end if
VBGetSwfVer = swVersion
End Function
This is the one we are working on now
yfla.wrap("This multimedia content requires Flash version 9 and above.", "Upgrade Now.", "http:\/\/www.adobe.com\/shockwave\/download\/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash", " http:\/\/www.spirainternational.com\/r_boatebook.pdf");
http://www.spirainternational.com/r_boatebook.pdf
Tags: boat-building Edit Tags
Sunday 9 March 2008 - 08:35AM (GMT) Edit Delete Permanent Link 0 Comments
Flying is getting that much more easy.

Kayak
Found this web site that helps you find plane tickets. It is the best I've seen and is very impressive indeed. Finding Airline websites from one location to another can be a long process but this website does all the hard work for you. How did I manage to miss this one? Already 7 million subscribers! - It was first launch in the US so maybe the UK edition is new?
I found this site through a hardcore travellers blog called vagabondish -
http://www.vagabondish.com/
What is really nice about the site is you get a google map of your travelling area and you can click 'use nearby airports' feature which means if you chose an expensive airport the search will include the cheaper ones nearby.
I am an instant fan of this site because I enjoy dreaming up new routes and travelling possibilities and I keep a close eye on the new routes airlines are launching and planning.
Tags: kayak Edit Tags
Saturday 8 March 2008 - 09:47AM (GMT) Edit Delete Permanent Link 0 Comments
Polldaddy.com

A new site starts today called Polldaddy answers at - http://polldaddy.com . I like the look of this site and looks like it will be popular with the Yahoo Answers fans. Yahoo Answers is very big in the UK and around the world so Polldaddy looks like a site tapping into this success.
You can choose to pay for a 'Pro' account which may suit the keener users and people promoting websites and hit rates.
This is my first Poll to test this site out - click on link.
surveys - Take Our Poll
Tags: polldaddy Edit Tags
Friday 7 March 2008 - 08:56PM (GMT) Edit Delete Permanent Link 0 Comments 1 - 5 of 504 First < id="num_next" href="http://uk.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-KXAS.Dk7RKONN6JSWV8avg--?cq=1&l=6&u=10&mx=504&lmt=5">Next > Last
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How to build a boat.

2008-03-09T13:46:00.000-07:00

This video gives you the inspiration needed to start your project. My project is a larger scale but I plan to build smaller boats like the one in the video when I am in the Philippines

This fishing boat is our project ongoing at the moment. It is 105ft long or 30 meters! so it is really technically a small ship.

Polldaddy.com

2008-03-07T14:42:00.001-08:00

A new site starts today called Polldaddy answers at - http://polldaddy.com . I like the look of this site and looks like it will be popular with the Yahoo Answers fans. Yahoo Answers is very big in the UK and around the world so Polldaddy looks like a site tapping into this success.
You can choose to pay for a 'Pro' account which may suit the keener users and people promoting websites and hit rates.

2008-01-19T09:20:00.000-08:00

Food

2008-01-19T08:27:00.000-08:00

This photo says so much. The family of 9 live in a poor country of Bhutan in Asia and their weekly food bill is $5 US. This is 100 times lower than some European countries. A lot of the world lives of the land with no need for money at all.
I expect few people have met people who live like this, we are so used of money as it is the foundation stone of the western societies.

New to blogger

2008-01-14T07:25:00.000-08:00

Well here goes -

The rain can be very intense - but never cold by UK norms.

Life is simple especially in this poor area of Pagadian Mindanao.

If you have a little money life is pleasent and you can do many things you could not back at home.

An example is going to the gym - in the UK it would be too expensive for me.