The Year Zero

Decent session at pilates today, 5 of us and our private instructor who is very, very good.

We did many of the usual positions – most of which are tough. We did a rollover move similar to this:

I can get my legs up in the air but can’t (yet) do the scissor movement as I start to lose balance. Also, the move we do is not quite like the picture – you prop your hips up with your hands. Some of the people in the class can’t do this move and they’re encouraged to do it against the wall which is easier.

We ended on the pigeon which I find hard. It’s like this:

I’ve been doing pilates for 8 or so months now and really feel like I’ve improved and come on a long way. It was very hard to begin with. To be fair it still is. But now that I know how to breathe and because the instructor is very good – it’s become easier.

We were told by the Met Office that those of us resident in the UK could expect a ‘barbecue summer’. Remember?

I’d just like to say, as we approach the end of July, that that forecast was well and truly wrong. We’ve had what is proving to be an awful summer weather-wise (apart from two great weeks that coincided with Wimbledon, in June, when the weather was amazing). This month has been terrible. Masses of rain. Lots of storms. Huge amounts of heavy, dark, brooding grey cloud. High humidity (horrid for those of us commuting by public transport including tube).

I invariably consider swearing to be quite vulgar. But it’s time to call a spade a spade. It’s been sh*t.

And according to news on the BBC today, August isn’t going to be much better:

You will need a brolly on holiday in the UK in August – the Met Office is issuing a revised forecast for more unsettled weather well into the month.

It is a far cry from the “barbecue summer” it predicted back in April.

The news will raise questions about the Met Office’s ability to make reliable seasonal forecasts.

But the organisation has defended its record, saying people have already forgotten the hot weather experienced across many parts of Britain in June.

Source: BBC News

If you read the article in depth, you will see that that pesky ‘jet stream’ is the reason for our bad weather. It has a habit of stalling over the continental United Kingdom which is singularly annoying. In reference to the two prior bad summers (2007 and 2008):

In both instances, the Met Office failed to predict the movements of the jet stream – the high-level wind that races round the world 10km above the surface.

The past two years it got stuck above the UK – and that locked a low-pressure system in place which in turn brought misery and rain. That has been happening again this July.

Guess who has a UK holiday planned for August? I do. A northern road trip, in fact, taking in the sunny delights of Huntingdonshire, Leeds, York and Newcastle. Have uni friends in all 4 locations, 3 of whom now have children that I’ll be seeing for the first time. Sheridan accompanying. He is a culture vulture and planning a great many excursions as part of the trip – mostly cathedrals and castles.

I am not going to expect great weather. I have a week in France in September (way down in the far, far south) where the weather should still be very good. That may be the only good weather I get this season.

(via vintagephoto: New York City Crime Scene, 1914-1918.)

9pm last night, taken by our man in Van.

(via ryan edward miller)

I’ve had some downtime so have done some photo editing. I was in Florence in May. Took a fair few pics (most of which I’ve posted). My composition is rarely very original but I do quite enjoy the PP stage (post processing).

You can see larger versions if you click on the picture (which takes you to the flickr page) and then choose ‘all sizes’.

A bust, I forget which museum. I don’t think it’s a Michelangelo.

A church in a square, the names for both of which temporarily escape me.

The Duomo. Have gone for quite a contrasty B&W conversion on this.

Church and square. I quite like Ansel Adams-esque black skies (in film days you’d achieve this with red filters).

Church interior. These frescoes on the wall are very old, 500 years or so.

Taken in Florence when I was there a couple of months ago. I forget which church (might also have been one of the museums).

I remember I found it striking.

I’ve gone for quite a strong B&W conversion.

As this came up in a twitter conversation last night and as so many of us who tweet have blogs (and lots of us either have had or currently have swine flu), I thought I’d follow through by making some badges (note: I didn’t take the picture of the pig or draw the cartoon, found those online! I just mocked up the badge in photoshop)

We have two for sufferers:

Two for avoiders:

And two for survivors:

Enjoy! And get well soon to those of you who still have it (I’m not out of the woods myself though do feel a lot lot better). Still off work though.

PS If you want a ‘personalised one’ (you tricky thing!) let me know as I might be able to oblige.

When I lived in Japan back in the late 90s, I remember getting a big shock the first time I saw a person walking down the street wearing a mask. It’s an odd sight and one you never see in the West. It all makes sense though now. The Japanese are highly mannered and deeply considerate of others (theirs is the culture in which you never, ever wear outdoor shoes in the home, for example). They take personal hygiene extremely seriously; it’s part of their culture. So if you have a cold or cough, it’s pretty much a given that you’ll wear a mask so that you might go about your daily business without the risk of infecting others. Sensible stuff.

So why don’t we wear masks here, we’re in the throes of a pandemic after all? I think it is because culturally we loathe masks and what they represent. Just think of our hatred of the burqa and hijab, for example. Contrast this with Japan where Noh (masked drama) has been part of their culture since the 14th century. In Western culture masks have very negative connotations. Gas masks (reminding us of war and oppression), storm troopers, horror movies such as the hockey mask from the Halloween movies and the black and white mask from the Scream movies.

I have been trying to persuade Vic to wear a mask because she is pregnant and runs the daily gauntlet of what we call the London tube – that feral, subterranean spider web of tunnels that transports millions of us around this dirty, degenerate city every day. It is a grimy rat hole. Sure, you see them cleaning it every morning – but they’re clearing it of rubbish – not actually cleaning it. Where is the bleach to sterilise the handrails? There isn’t any. Subsequently, it’s a breeding ground for all types of germs. And for this sin city in which all of humanity and its myriad illnesses and vices are contained – it is a location ripe for pandemic and plague. I am not at all surprised that we have the highest rate of swine flu in Europe.

We should be wearing face masks. And heck, why not let’s have some fun whilst doing so, like they did in Mexico?

(via skinny ships)

I popped two green & white capsules last night as I went to bed at 10pm. Night Nurse. First time I’d taken it funnily enough (like I said, I do not get ill from one year to the next).

10 hours later I awoke from an uninterrupted sleep. Felt like a zombie but two hours later, I’m feeling marginally better.

This condition is so up and down. I actually feel half human now but if yesterday is anything to go by, I’ll go downhill again later. Also, the 2 paracetamol I took at 9am are probably kicking in which explains why things aren’t so bad.

It could be worse! My work interviews are being cancelled. Other than those I had quite a quiet week, so on the work front it’s not a disaster. Plus, others at work have it.

Hoping the worst is over.

A very comprehensive Q&A about swine flu here.