Felix Baumgartner seems like a very down to earth guy

The title is a reference to the jump by Felix Baumgartner to earth. A long way up, taking ages to get there, and ten minutes later, he is on the ground. And no, I have not watched it. Yet.

I survived the day. I was was knackered. Though if that was due to a late night on Friday and Saturday as opposed to spending time with the kids remains to be seen. It was good to have them to myself though. Not that I did much. After my wife left (I could not tell if she was laughing and rubbing her hands with glee) I just relaxed and was a bad father, letting the kids watch television. My excuse is that there was a lot of Spiderman episodes taped and I needed to clear space on the Sky box and I am going to stick to it. The both parties were great. The first one really was one my son was meant to go to, but my daughter, along with a few other children from her year were invited. As one mother of a child in my daughters year was saying that she needed something more sophisticated for her birthday, the two girls cycled past on some tricyles. There was a great bouncy castle which I did not get to go on (just to check it was safe for the children) as well as lost of soft play. But it was a 5th birthday party. When it came to feeding the kids, I helped a little bit, but lots of kids gave me wary looks, after all, some strange man is offering them sweets and they have been told to say no to strangers! During this time, I helped guard a door from a boy and a girl who wanted to leave the crowd and play elsewhere. The boy even punched me in the stomach in an attempt to let me open the door! Some kids eh?

Afterwards, it was to Colchester Zoo for the party that my daughter had been invited to. I took my son to see various animals. He was just interested in the big park near the entrance to the park, but soon took to seeing the different animals and even got to feed an elephant! With going to school, he has been more aggressive in the evenings recently and this has resulted in a few arguments. Today was a great day for the two of us to bond together. I think that happened and hopefully, one day he will remember the time that he spent with me there. Fortunately my wife arrived at home soon after we got home. I had allowed the kids to gorge themselves on the sweets and cake that they had been given and she got back before the sugar rush made them high. All in all, despite not seeing my wife as much as I would like, it was a good day.

Alan Pardew has told his Newcastle United players to forget all about the club's new sponsorship deal with Wonga.com. He's told them to just get on the pitch and give it 4107%.

Doomed. That is what I am. The kids are to go to a party this morning. Well, my son is, I am allowed to take my daughter as well. And then I am going to another one for my daughter. And my wife is away for the day. Doomed I say.

My wife doesn't think she can trust me. Well that's what my girlfriend told me.

Evening all.  Just a quick post before I go to bed.  My wife has had the bookgroup round.  Which meant I was banished upstairs with the computer, beer and football!  What a shame, have to get her to get the book group round more.
At work, I have seen two people who cheated on their partners and now Karma has appeared to bite both hard.  The moral of this week is never cheat on your partner.
The kids have been good, within limits.  My son is very tired when he gets back from school and screaming ensues when it comes to putting him to bed.  It takes a lot of patience not to snap back, but to be fair, it is not his fault.  My daughter was very proud for getting a reward in class for being kind.  And playing football today, she scored loads of goals.  All in all, a good week.  Take care all.

A young hot couple had a perfect marriage. one day the husband leaves his phone at home and not one to miss an opportunity, the wife has a look at it, and to her dismay, she finds dirty messages from her husbands secretary. She was curled up on her bed crying when the maid found her and asked her whats wrong
"My husbands cheating on me with his secretary!"
The maid was appalled, "The lying git! he told me it was over with her!"

A husband and wife are in bed together. In her sleep the wife yells quick my husbands home. Her husband jumps out the window.

Kopapa review

It has been a busy day today.  I had the flu jab on Thursday, felt ill yesterday and had not recovered fully this morning.  And we had to get up early.  I had a course in London and then we were to meet up with my family for a late lunch.

First of all, the late lunch, and then I will talk about everything else. My wife picked Kopapa and we made the decision to eat there last night. We rang for a table, and although they did not have one for seven, they literally squeezed us in at the time we wanted (well, half an hour late) which was really good of them. When we got there, I have to say my first impressions were not that good. The service was lacking and it took time to get the menu's. But the food came quickly and while my wife was not 100% happy with hers, I loved my choice. This applied to both my main course as well as my pudding. The thing that makes me think that they were short staffed was the attention we were given once the restaurant was starting to become less busy. Then the same staff had the time to give us the attention which, to be fair, was lacking when we arrived.  When I have eating places where the service is poor because the staff do not care, it does not matter if they are busy or quiet.  Here, once the staff had the time, then we got great service.  So all in all, while this review may come across as being negative, I do not intend it to be.  I would recommend eating here and I would be more than happy to return.

Anyway, the kids went to the British Museum.  A brave decision on the part of my wife considering that she has not been that well in the last few days, and in addition to this, my son was been knackered and very ratty at the end of each school day.  The kids have been there before and did love it when they were there before.  As my son was knackered, while they enjoyed bits of it, my son, bless him, was not able to enjoy it as much as he did previously.  Meeting up with my family was great as well.  As noted, while there were things about the meal that could have been better, it was a very enjoyable experience and one which was family friendly.  The kids got to spend time with both my brothers as well as my Mum, and she loved buying them things.  They do not just love her for the presents that she buys as they love it as she spends time playing things with them, the joy on their face when she gets them things is almost as great as the joy on hers as she sees how much they love them (and her).  The kids, when they are lifted onto my brothers love being able to look down on me, which reminds me, I have to ban that...

What's Abu Hamza's least favorite Eddie Murphy movie?  Coming to America. It concerns me that I can't fly to Ireland with a pair of tweezers in my bag, yet Abu Hamza can fly halfway around the world with a huge hook attached to his arm.

The North Hill Noodle Bar

How could I forget!  Yesterday, after coming back from a course in Cambridge I managed to get home.  The day before, when I had got home, it was late and I had to cut short the story I am reading to the kids (The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe), which meant that I promised to read two chapters on Tuesday.  So I got home after a long drive at the end of a long course, to find two hyperactive children.  Both were really happy to see me, which is really nice.  I even got a hug from my son who does not do so everyday.  Both then wanted to play on me, so I told them that I would go upstairs while they had jelly and when they finished, I would read to them as promised. 

They did come up, and I did manage to calm them down, to read them the rest of the chapter, but not the otherone as my wife and I had to go to my daughters school for the "Year ahead" meeting.  That was good as it gives us an idea of what is coming up in the next year.  Afterwards, it was a quick meal at The North Hill Noodle Bar.  I have posted about this before, and again, we had a great meal.  We just wanted something quick and good, and it was both.  Prompt and attentive service, the food not taking too long.   Bear in mind, this is a restaurant, so no, the speed of the food coming out will never compare to McDonalds or the like, but for a restaurant, the food was brought out fairly quickly.  And as before, the food was brilliant.  Full of flavour, and if you wanted a change to a dish, they would accomdate yoru wishes, as my wife found out when she wanted her dish to be a bit hotter.

Anyway, have to go, take care all.

The Innocence of Muslims

Yes, this is a post about what is happening across the globe.  Notably a film and come cartoons that have caused offence.

Let me start by stating my position on this.  I think that freedom of speech is important.  I think that we should be free to speak our minds, and if doing so, in what every form, is considered an act of blasphemy, so be it.

I also think that with great power comes great responsibility.

And free speech gives us great power.  And some are using it for good.

Needless to say, I think that it is wrong for people to demonise Islam and try to stir up hatred.  Just as I think that it is wrong for (a minority) of Muslims to attack and kill and destroy things that are linked to America because of a video.  Of course, saying this, it is not just about a video, it is about the way that many in the Muslim world see America.  But let us face a few facts.  America can be worse, far worse.  It has been in the past, and if Romney is elected, can be so again in the future. While many people have died in Iraq and Libya, thanks to the actions of the USA, one thing that they do have is the right to vote.  (I do not include Afghanistan in this due to the problems that have been present with Putin like elections there.)  I understand the frustration that many have towards America, especially the way it has backed oppressive regimes but two wrongs do not make a right.  Islam is perverted by extremists and idiots, and it is wrong to judge all Muslims on the actions of a minority, however much damage that minority causes.  And the same should hold about they way Muslims look at others (again, please note, I am aware that it is only a minority that are being violent).  I have not watched the Innocence of Muslims, and unlike one of my friends (who felt it to be a terrible YouTube clip) I am not going to.  It is my choice not to do so. I am not going to look at the cartoons in Charlie Hebdo either.  Again, that is my choice.

One of the many things that Islamophobes use to castigate Islam is the claim that one wife of the Prophet was nine when the marriage was consumated with the marriage taking place when she was aged six.  Not everyone agrees with this claim.  Even if true, it has to be considered in a historical context.  I was born in England.  I live in England.  And my nation has had many child Queens.

Ealdgyth was the wife of Harold, it is recorded that she was born in 1057 and married in 1066, which means she was married at the age of thirteen.
At the age of twelve, Isabella of Angoulême became Queen in 1200, married to King John.
Queen to Henry III, Eleanor of Provence was queen at the age of thirteen.
Eleanor of Castile was Queen aged thirteen to Edward I being born in 1241 and married in 1254.

But Isabella of Valois was only aged eight on getting married to Richard II before her birthday in 1396 being born in 1387.

This is just looking at the Queens of England.  I have not looked at the ages of Queens of other European nations at the time but I am sure that there are many child brides there.  I am proud of the history of England, but there are things that have happened in the past which are not acceptable now.  People who wish to 'bash' Islam need to learn history and learn that nations and cultures that the far right consider 'civilised' have a history that is not whiter than white.

I do not judge all Catholics on the actions of paedophile priests.  I do not judge all Israeli's on the actions of Israel, just as I do not judge all Jews on the actions of a few.  I do not judge anyone based on the actions of a minority, and no one should this applying to Muslims as well as Hindu's and any religion.  I judge people on who they are, just like I would like to be judged.

Below is a quote from a famous play.

"Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs,
dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with
the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject
to the same diseases, heal'd by the same means,
warm'd and cool'd by the same winter and summer
as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed?
If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us,
do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?
If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that.
If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility?
Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his
sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge.
The villainy you teach me, I will execute,
and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction." (Act III, scene I) The Merchant of Venice

In summary, we are all different, but we are also all the same.  We should respect each other and the differences between us.  The past can teach us what happens when he let fear and hatred fester and breed.  Let us not let that happen again.

An Iphone 5 user walks into a bar... or was it a bank... or was it a hotel. They're not sure really.

Right, since the last post on the kids, they have played another game of football.  They both liked it this time, though my son has this urge to pick up the ball and run with it...

On the weekend, took them to see my mother and my wife's parents.  While at my Mum's they have a great time with her, and also with Dougal, the dog.  When I say dog, I mean horse.  He is huge.  You could put a saddle on him and get the kids to ride him.  My daughter has always been nervous of him.  When she was a baby and we brought her round to the house, he had to be shut in the kitchen as otherwise he would have licked her to death.   He barked, after all, he wanted to see everyone and did not want to be in the kitchen away from everyone else.  She cried.  He barked to let her know he was there to protect her.  She cried more.  He barked louder...  You can see where I am going.  Anyway, the relationship between the two has stayed the same.  He loves her and wants to lick her, she screams...  My son sat on my brother when there and played with Dougal.  She wanted to, and we did try to kick the ball.  My son did it, but my daughter kept hesitating, which meant that Dougal would pick it up, which made her nervous as she did not want him to bite her leg by accident (which he would never do).  But, she did get to play with my mothers cat. She loved making it purr and I think, to the horror of my cat allergic wife, that my daughter is going to be a cat person!

Anyway, also spent time with the in-laws.  They are great at making me feel welcome, and they lvoe the kids as well.  The kids played hide and seek, my mother-in-law hid too well and ended up having to make it very easy for them to find her by sitting on a chair.  Only even then they could not find her!

At school today, my son, who I am trying to teach non-violence to was attacked by a girl who was hitting his head against concrete.  Something that she had been doing to other kids.  Apparently.  That will be sorted out tomorow I think.  My daughter had a teachers evening were us parents got to find out what the basic plans are for the up coming year.  For the record, she is better than the picture above when it comes to writing.

Anyway, time to go.  I hope you like the jokes below.

Liverpool signed Fabio Borini who spent 2011 at Swansea when they were in the Championship. They also signed Jonjo Shelvey from Charlton, who are now in the Championship.
They're just getting a team together ready for next season. 

So John Terry has retired from international football..
The only internationals he'll now be appearing in are his Chelsea team mates wives.

Lukas Podolski "I'm thinking of getting an Arsenal tattoo"...
That'll be a bit awkward when he goes to Man City next year.

The new iPhone 5 is great news for Liverpool supporters.
They can see where they're on the table without scrolling down.

John Terry retires from international football to spend time with other players families