Dearn's Beef Jerky Recipe

We all (well most of us, OK maybe not most but some) love that beef jerky we can buy from the supermarket, we chew on it like a dog with a pigs ear. The only problem is thats its so expensive for so little!!!

Problem solved, here is my time tested recipe for this great protein snack..

Firstly get 1kg of silverside beef (I find morrisons has the best for less) and trim off the fat.
Freeze the meat for an hour then cut into slices about 1cm thick.

Get a bottle of Encona sauce

Encona sauce

Mix the meat with the sauce and cover with clingfilm and leave in the fridge overnight.
The next day lay the slices of meat on a tray lined with foil, dont overlap. cook in the oven on the lowest setting for 7 or 8 hours flipping half way. This should try out the meat and hey presto...Beef Jerky Dearn style!!!
Enjoy!!!! Now you can chew and act like James Stewart in The Naked Spur :-)




Rant (pls excuse the swearing)

 I am trying to find what positives I can in the shitty circumstances, and one of those is that I shall be glad to see the back of this poxy little country and this fucked-up world and this bunch of fucking morons constituting my fellow stakeholders in the species homo so-called sapiens.
I shall consider myself well rid of this island's pathetic, grovelling population of celebrity-obsessed, superficiality-fixated wankers. I shall not miss the institutionalised servility that is the worship of the royals – that bunch of useless, vapid, anti-intellectual pillocks – or the cringing respect accorded to the shitting out of value-bereft Ruritanian "honours" by the government of the fucking day, or the hounding of the poor and disabled and the cosseting of the rich and privileged, or the imperially deluded belief that what we really need is a brace of aircraft-free aircraft carriers and upgraded nuclear weapons we're never going to fucking use and which would condemn us for ever in the eyes of the world if we ever fucking did. Not that we can, anyway, because we can't fire the fucking things unless the Americans let us

I shall not have to witness the drowning or the starvation through mass-migration of the destitute of Bangladesh or
anywhere else low-lying and impoverished, or listen to another fuckwit climate-change denier claiming that it's all
just part of some natural cycle, or down to sunspots, or watch as our kleptocrat-captured governments find new excuses not to close down tax havens, or tax the rich such that the fuckers actually have to pay more than they themselves or their lickspittle bean-counters deem appropriate.

And I shall not miss being part of a species lamentably ready to resort to torture, rape and mass-murder just because some other poor fucker or fuckers is or are slightly different from those intent upon doing such harm, be it because they happen to worship a very slightly different set of superstitious idiocies, possess skin occupying a non-identical position on a Pantone racial colour wheel, or had the fucking temerity to pop out of a womb on the other side of a river, ocean, mountain range, other major geographical feature, or, indeed, just a straight line drawn across the desert by some bored and ignorant bureaucrat umpteen thousand miles away and a century ago

None of these things shall I miss. Frankly it's a relief to be getting shot of the necessity of watching such bollocks
play out. I would still rather have the choice, mark you, but, as this would appear to be being denied me, I am making the best of a bad job and looking on the bright side: I shall be free, at last, of that nagging, persistent sensation that I am, for the most part, surrounded by fucking idiots.
RIP Iain Banks

Blue Eyes

In human beings, brown eyes are the default, and blue occurs only when that default is turned off. blue-eyed mutation occurred, the person who carried it would have had brown eyes. But as time proceeded, a man and a woman who each carried that one blue-eyed gene mutation mated and produced the world's first blue-eyed baby. (starting to feel like an X-man here)

Today, some 300 million people carry that one mutation, and it is still not known why it is so common in some populations. Blue eyes are relatively rare in the United States, but very common in countries near the mutation epicenter, which the researchers have pinpointed to be somewhere in the Balkans or near the Black Sea. In Estonia, for example, 99 percent of the population has blue eyes, while 75 percent of Germans have blue eyes (i did get discounts in a Balvarian hotel in Brazil once cause the owners thought I was german...lol)

A study of thoudsands of white me (all of them prisoners) found that for some reason, those with light eye colors like blue, green, gray or hazel, can handle more alcohol than men with dark eyes. And a totally different study of almost 2,000 women found that the same held true for them.

Even more interesting is the fact that this result was predicted before the study. Because apparently brown-eyed folks are more sensitive to medication and other stimuli, and that sensitivity is what prompts them to stop when they've had enough. Blue-eyed people, on the other hand, require more alcohol to get buzzed, so they develop a greater tolerance for the stuff. And according to the study, the blue-eyed people are also more likely to be alcohol abusers.

As for what eye color has to do with alcohol tolerance, scientists are still on the fence. One theory is that the amount of melanin in the eyes is directly related to the amount of melanin insulating neurons in the central nervous system, and that more melanin somehow translates to quicker nerve transmissions. In any case, you might want to think again before challenging someone with blues eye to a drinking contest. (anybody could drink me under the table, I am an amature)

Man of Steel

Just back from seeing Man of Steel in Falkirk Cineword in 3D…all 143 minutes of it and I enjoyed it. Directed by Zack Snyder who movies I like (300, remake of dawn of the dead) also stars Michael Shannon as General Zod, a like Michael as an actor very much (boardwalk empire) Henry Cavill plays Superman (him from the immortals but we can forgive him for that). Cavill is quite good in his role but rest easy Christopher Reeve fans. He's still the best Superman ever, and Margot Kidder is still the number one Lois Lane

It was a wee bit special effects overload for the last 30 to 40 minutes but its certainly worth seeing on the big screen and in 3D. Some science involved in it which hits the nerd bone good. Real feel good moments too...lots of fun.

Dean Savage Memorial Park

Damm....They have spelt my name wrong!!

Well I thought it was funny!! but is all seriousness nothing to do with me (if you have not already guessed) but give these guys a "like" on Facebook for all the good work...Detroit Hispanic Development

A Tale of Two Photos

In March 1993, photographer Kevin Carter made a trip to southern Sudan, where he took now iconic photo of a vulture preying upon an emaciated Sudanese toddler near the village of Ayod. Carter said he waited about 20 minutes, hoping that the vulture would spread its wings. It didn’t. Carter snapped the haunting photograph and chased the vulture away.

Where is God in this Photo????

The photograph was sold to The New York Times where it appeared for the first time on March 26, 1993 as ‘metaphor for Africa’s despair’. Practically overnight hundreds of people contacted the newspaper to ask whether the child had survived, leading the newspaper to run an unusual special editor’s note saying the girl had enough strength to walk away from the vulture, but that her ultimate fate was unknown. Journalists in the Sudan were told not to touch the famine victims, because of the risk of transmitting disease, but Carter came under criticism for not helping the girl. ”The man adjusting his lens to take just the right frame of her suffering might just as well be a predator, another vulture on the scene,” read one editorial.

Carter eventually won the Pulitzer Prize for this photo, but he couldn’t enjoy it. “I’m really, really sorry I didn’t pick the child up,” he confided in a friend. Consumed with the violence he’d witnessed, and haunted by the questions as to the little girl’s fate, he committed suicide three months later.

 ....Now another Pic, but with a happier ending...

In the picture, the girl will always be 9 years old and wailing "Too hot! Too hot!" as she runs down the road away from her burning Vietnamese village.

She will always be naked after blobs of sticky napalm melted through her clothes and layers of skin like jellied lava.

She will always be a victim without a name.

It only took a second for Associated Press photographer Huynh Cong "Nick" Ut to snap the iconic black-and-white image 40 years ago. It communicated the horrors of the Vietnam War in a way words could never describe, helping to end one of America's darkest eras

Ut, the 21-year-old Vietnamese photographer who took the picture, drove Phuc to a small hospital. There, he was told the child was too far gone to help. But he flashed his American press badge, demanded that doctors treat the girl and left assured that she would not be forgotten.

A couple of days after the image shocked the world, another journalist found out the little girl had somehow survived the attack. Thirty percent of Phuc's tiny body was scorched raw by third-degree burns, though her face somehow remained untouched. Over time, her melted flesh began to heal.

For a while, life did go somewhat back to normal. The photo was famous, but Phuc largely remained unknown except to those living in her tiny village near the Cambodian border. Ut and a few other journalists sometimes visited her, but that stopped after northern communist forces seized control of South Vietnam on April 30, 1975, ending the war.

She worked hard and was accepted into medical school to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. But all that ended once the new communist leaders realized the propaganda value of the "napalm girl" in the photo.

 She was forced to quit college and return to her home province, where she was trotted out to meet foreign journalists. In 1982, she traveled to West Germany for medical care with the help of a foreign journalist. Later, Vietnam's prime minister, also touched by her story, made arrangements for her to study in Cuba.

She was finally free from the minders and reporters hounding her at home, but her life was far from normal. Ut, then working at the AP in Los Angeles, traveled to meet her in 1989, but they never had a moment alone. There was no way for him to know she desperately wanted his help again.

"I knew in my dream that one day Uncle Ut could help me to have freedom," said Phuc, referring to him by an affectionate Vietnamese term. "But I was in Cuba. I was really disappointed because I couldn't contact with him. I couldn't do anything."

While at school, Phuc met a young Vietnamese man. She had never believed anyone would ever want her because of the ugly patchwork of scars that banded across her back and pitted her arm, but Bui Huy Toan seemed to love her more because of them.

 The two decided to marry in 1992 and honeymoon in Moscow. On the flight back to Cuba, the newlyweds defected during a refueling stop in Canada. She was free.

General Update #1

well this is a general update of whats happening in the life of Dearn S, not that anyone will be interested but I enjoy writing it. Dont expect a virtual "rear window" view into my private life cause I need to draw the line somewhere and keep my personal life personal.

Gardening duty at the weekend, Patio apricot tree and cherry tree truely dead, white cherry tree has tiny fruit on it..hey hey, but still will be shopping in tesco for my fruit for a couple of years yet as not self sufficient on fruit yet...but give me time!!! Grass long again, anyone loan me a Horse, goat, sheep, cow or any grass eating beast, promise it will be well feed!! Next project is little green house for tomatoes :-)

Double bill at Cineworld on Saturday ..The Purge followed by hangover 3, both nothing to write home about...The Purge had some neat ideas about morals but could not see it through...fancy that new Superman movie.

Gym this morning (monday 17th) ripped the arse out my shorts...mean that literally and not figuratively, treadmill was fine but thought I'd do some lunges then ripppppp, at least I had black boxers under the black shorts so think I got away with it...or perhaps on youtube by now...lol, anyway...made a hasty retreat....Mr Bean Moment #2987

Rocky still not taken to his pellets yet, I am mixing with seed and nuts but the wee bugger picks the "tasty morsels" out and leaves the pellets....what can I do?

Soon to be the 25th aniversery of Piper Alpha (6 July 1988), already seeing it on the TV too much just now, some hurts never heal, dont like it when my Mum can see it on the TV when she is alone, I should really elaborate more on this but soon will do a post about it.

Any Dilbert fans out there? (anyone read these posts anyway??? feels like I am casting out a message in a bottle at times but I still enjoy it) got the box set recently so just need the time to sit down and watch 374 minutes of Scott Adam's Dilbert...kinda like the office I work in at times :-)

Stressed Eric

Eric Feeble is 40, a divorced father with two kids and a crippling mortgage. His son is thick, his daughter is allergic to everything and his au-pair is an unreliable waster. The successful and wealthy Perfect family, who live next door, provide a constant and irritating reminder of what his life could have been. At work, a series of stress related illnesses have seen him demoted from Sales through half a dozen offices to the dark, dank wastelands of the Data Department, next to the Gentlemen’s lavatory. Through it all Eric battles on, a man whose very survival each week against impossible odds makes him an ulcer-growing hero for our times.

As soon as i realized this was available I just had to buy it. I remember watching it many years ago and laughing my head off. Needless to say its just as funny as I remember it. Essentially the story-line is based around Eric who has a beyond stressful life. The conundrums he gets himself into are hilarious and the writers are genius. He lives with an alcoholic, has two less than perfect children, one who is allergic to almost anything and another who is less than dim. Slap in an annoying ex wife, a mad crazy boss and neighbours called the perfects, Eric Feeble does have an incredibly funny life to watch.

Gym

This post is about training, more specifically the training I now do. Why would you be interested in this? The short answer is you would probably not be!! But this is my blog so I can write what I want and I like “talking” about training. I don’t spend my life in the gym; I just go so I can enjoy life more!! Previously I trained for sports (Rugby and Boxing, even running when I was a young kid) but now it’s just for good health and to keep myself fit and maintain some muscle (plus I enjoy my food especially ice cream but never want to diet so prefer to work off these extra calories) plus of course I enjoy it!!! I done all the hard work when I was younger, power lifts (squats, deadlifts, benching and power cleans) which built strong foundation and a base. The routine I follow now would not build up the average joe, its customised to my needs. If you are a skinny runt and want to get big then concentrate of the power exercises and get stronger cause a strong muscle is a big muscle and vice versa.  Don’t resort to performance drugs such as steroids or HGH, these will just screw you up in later life…take my work for that cause I know plenty of guys who took “gear” and it’s a scare story to hear about their health now!!! Set yourself goals and obtain them under your own steam, work hard, eat well and do everything strictly with a full range of motion, an injury will set you back. I would not recommend Bodybuilding, these guys are big and look impressive but have not cardio and at competition level it’s a “chemistry show” I have a lot of mates into this, I do admire their dedication but its not healthy, sorry..I don’t want to offend anyone but this is my view, I also knew a few guys who do it naturally and this is fine but please please please work the heart too if you go down this line and include cardio. I am not impressed with martial arts but Judo is the best of the bunch, but hey…what do I know? These are just my opinions. Boxing, Rugby, Rowing, Running and athletics are all good choices (just avoid the chemicals, all sports has its users)…I am getting on my soap box a bit too much here but I feel strongly about such things….well anyway…here is what I do, I am a normal guy and will never be on the cover of “Men’s Health” but I enjoy what I do and my fitness is away above average and I am happy with myself.

I go to Bannatynes gym in Falkirk (at the retail park) my routine concentrates mostly on intensive cardio as now I am older at 41 and want to keep my heart and lungs healthy and build and maintain my overall fitness. I nearly always start with running on the treadmill, in my opinion running is the best exercise there is (apart from Nordic Skiing which I once had a Nordic Track machine at home long since broken and dumped but you don’t seem to find these machines anymore on ebay for love or money) I prefer the treadmill cause its padded track, electronic feedback, adjustable incline and built in TV..lol I usually do about 40mins running doing wind sprints and various inclines to keep things interesting (some days I only manage 20mins if my heart is not into it) after the running my body is well and truly heated up so now to the weights…as I have said, it’s not my aim to build big muscles, I have built my body up as big as I want it so now I just want to maintain as every pound of muscle the body has burns 50 calories a day so this keeps the metabolism up. I never lift weights with my legs any more, my legs have been built up enough from years of rugby training running up hills with ankle weights and stuff strapped to my back, also during boxing training doing step ups on a block, again wearing ankle weights.  I also have done lots of squats when I was younger (done 280kg for 5 reps ankles to arse) and the running on the treadmill at incline maintains them just fine. I break my body parts in half over two different days…one day I do Chest (pecs) Shoulders (delts) and back of the arms (Triceps) which is mostly pushing and on the other day I do Back (lats) and front of the arms (biceps) which is mostly pulling. I don’t really train the abs much as I feel they get enough work from acting as a stabilizing muscle of the other exercises. I am also not into training my arms much; I always found they were strong enough and over developing the biceps and triceps slows down punches in the boxing game and also tightens up too quick. For chest I usually do some incline benching, again nothing heavy but strict technique and explosive upwards thrust and slow down right to my neck using full range of motion. Usually I do 5 or 6 sets never less than 12 reps and take just of a minutes rest between sets, this is my formula or most exercises. The I do some wide grip dips, really concentrating stretching the chest out. Shoulders are next and I am happy enough with my deltoid development so go straight to cable side laterals which pre-exhaust the delts for the dumbbell presses which I preform next. The triceps are last and already quite tired from all the pressing I have done to just simply do some cable pushdowns alternating wide grip with narrow the next time, sometimes using the ropes. On the days I do back I usually either do pull downs to the front or wide grip chins. I have plenty of thickness, I just want to maintain so I don’t spend too much time here. Again Bicep training like my triceps is not something I have done much of previously. I start with preacher curls then go reverse cable curls to strengthen my wrists. After my weights I finish off with some more cardio either 20 minutes on the cross trainer at maximum resistance or the concept 2 rower which I believe is a great piece of kit, I actually have one here at home I got about 15 years ago, still works fine but currently dismantled and in the shed.

Once my gym session is over if I am not rushed for time I will go and have a swim, perhaps 10 or 12  lengths of breast stroke if it’s quiet, even finish up in the sauna if I have not got my work to attend later. As you can see, the routine I follow is nothing complicated, its rather basic and simple and works just fine for me. Sometimes I do mix things up a bit, it I have been running too much my face tends to get gaunt so I lower the mileage and up the weights, If I feel I am getting too blocky when the weights come down and the cardio increases, it’s a bit of a balancing act and after training for over 25 years I know my body well so a lot is intuitive. I know I should really do more stretching these days and perhaps cool down more so I am not perfect.

I do take some supplements. I am a big believe in taking zinc (15mg which increases natural testosterone production up to 10%) and Vitamin C (up to 3 grams a day as its water soluble) I also use peptide and branch chain aminos before and after a workout. Protein drinks twice a day and a small amount of liquid aminos in my bottle of water I constantly sip of whilst I train so I am “drip feeding” the muscles when working out. All this protein adds recovery. The protein shakes I only use when I am working as it’s more convenient than having chicken or beef at my desk. I have also tried an energy drink before training (Rage 2, read about it on my previous blog) but think when I finish this tub I will just revert back to a couple mugs of strong black coffee before I train as I use to do before.  I eat like a normal person, I try to limit my microwave instant meals, I only take a drink at the weekend and I am not very much of a drinker. I love my ice cream and McDonalds is right beside the gym so I give into temptation far too much…lol People can get too obsessive, removing the skin off their chicken, not eating the skin of their baked potatoes!! Life is for living, training improves your quality of life, food is there to be enjoyed, everything in moderation and never smoke, take drugs and drink too much.   

Feijoada done in the slow cooker (a la Dearn)

Feijoada is a Brazilian, described as a national dish of Brazil - an elaborate stew prepared with several different kinds of smoked meats, Brazilian-style beef jerky (carne seca), pork and/or beef ribs, other varied cuts of beef and pork, and lots of black beans (get black turtle beans from Tescos)

Ingredients:

•6 pieces of smoked bacon

•1 pound smoked chorizo, or other spicy smoked sausage

•1 large onion

•1 tomato

•4 cloves garlic

•1 pound beef short ribs

•and/or 1 pound pork ribs

•1 1/2 cups beef broth

•1-2 teaspoons cumin

•3 (14.5 ounce) cans black beans, drained

•Salt and pepper to taste and add a Bay leaf

•Juice of 1 lime (optional)

Preparation:

Coarsely chop the onions and tomato and set aside. Mince the garlic and cube the chorizo and slice the bacon into tiny wee bits.
Fry until onions brown, don’t burn.
Add the beans after rinsing (hard from the bag) to the preheated slow cooker, add the fried mix from above, add the broth and the ribs, tomato, salt, pepper and cumin, cover with water and float a bay leaf on top.

ive a little stir then cover and turn on the slow cooker to max temp for 4 hours, check after 4 hours, hopefully by then the rib meat will start to fall off the bone which is ideal as us gringos want to remove the bones at this stage.  Give a little stir and mash up some of the beans to thicken the gravy, boil down a bit with the lid remaining off the slow cooker for another couple of hours. The mixture should be soft stew consistency. The final dish has the beans and meat pieces barely covered by a dark purplish-brown broth. The taste is strong, moderately salty but not spicy, dominated by the flavors of black bean and meat stew

TIP..it tastes better if left to lie overnight if you can wait that long. Serve is a clay pot if you have one.
Now you have made Dearn’s famous (in his own mind) slow cooked Feijoada you can serve on a bed of rice, some slices spring greens on the top (and some quartered oranges if you want to serve it like they do in Rio) Send me my invite and lets enjoy.

After Earth

Just returned from the cinema after watching “After Earth” starring Will Smith and his off screen son Jaden.  I did not know what to expect after reading reviews of this Movie. Rotten Tomatoes scores it only 11% but I am glad I don’t pay that much attention to reviews cause I enjoyed this movie very much. I thought it was an exciting and well-paced adventure. I am a bit of a Sci-fi fan and M. Night Shyamalan is one of my favourite directions (I also am a fan of Will Smith but let’s not dwell on that)

The story line is …”One thousand years after cataclysmic events forced humanity's escape from Earth, Nova Prime has become mankind's new home. Legendary General Cypher Raige returns from an extended tour of duty to his estranged family, ready to be a father to his 13-year-old son, Kitai. When an asteroid storm damages Cypher and Kitai's craft, they crash-land on a now unfamiliar and dangerous Earth. As his father lies dying in the cockpit, Kitai must trek across the hostile terrain to recover their rescue beacon. His whole life, Kitai has wanted nothing more than to be a soldier like his father. Now, he gets his chance.”

The plot - We learn through endless, droning exposition that humans have been forced to flee Earth for another home planet. Considering the recent Tom Cruise Sci-Fi film, Oblivion, opened in a similar manner, it only made me wish I was watching that film instead. The humans have generally been living peacefully on their new world, except for some pesky encounters with some big, ugly aliens called Ursa who are blind, and can detect people only by smelling their fear. They're yet another hostile alien race who have mastered the art of the jump scare, but not intelligent conversation, since all they can do is roar, growl, and generally look and act like generic CG.

One of the main war heroes in the battle against the Ursa is General Cypher Kaige (Will Smith). Cypher is a tough, battle-hardened military man who seems to have a hard time differentiating his work life from his home life. His son is Kitai (Jaden Smith), a young boy who desperately wants his father's approval, and is trying for a position in the military, but fears he will never live up to dad's lofty expectations for him. Kitai is also haunted by the memory of seeing his older sister, Senshi (Zoe Kravitz), being killed by an Ursa right before his eyes. Cypher's wife suggests a father-son space voyage, so that they can bond. This doesn't go very well, as the ship is severely damaged in an asteroid belt, killing everyone on board except Cypher and Kitai, and sending the ship crashing on the abandoned planet Earth.

So, now they're trapped on Earth, and must rely on each other for survival. Cypher has broken both of his legs in the crash, so it is up to Kitai to get them home. The journey Kitai undertakes is supposed to make him into a man, while allowing his father to win respect for him.

I can understand why some people may not like this movie but I love it, to me its what SF is meant to be. Evolution, gadgets and space travel…it gets a thumbs up from me.

Alex & Me

On 6 September 2007, an African Grey parrot named Alex died prematurely at age thrity-one. His last words to his owner, Irene M. Pepperberg, were “You be good. I love you.”

The above was taken from the back of “Alex & me”, a book by Irene M. Pepperberg

Irene Pepperberg has had birds for pets since she was 4 years old. She graduated from university with a chemistry degree but realised chemistry was not her passion, animal linguistic/cognition studies were. She acquired Alex in 1977 and spent the next 30 years studying him.

It’s an excellent book, I could not get it in the shops here in the UK so I got a second hand copy all the way from the states posted out (but I can now see you can get it off Amazon)

Irene says in the book that she tried to keep an emotional distance from Alex. Tried to relate to him as a research tool but found that his personality, bossy, contrary, playful and intelligent precluded distance and they shared a deep bond..I can certainly relate to that after “being owned” by a African Grey myself for the past year now.

Rocky & Me

After the first highly emotional chapter or two, Ms Pepperberg gets down to the business of giving us her background and launches into the research work that dominated her life. The research practices and principles are clearly explained in business-like fashion, a husband gets the merest of mentions; it seems her work – Alex – was no. 1 in her life.

I found the book a riveting read and again confirms what I have always thought, that animals are intelligent creatures..never use the word “bird brain” again unless it’s a compliment

Metal Brain Cells

Good Metal music can be challenging and uncommercial, exactly the kind of thing someone who stands apart from the mainstream would find appealing. It's noisier than it ever was and it takes effort to understand it. If you're a Mensa member whose best friend is a book of scientific equations then it's no surprise that you might fall in love with a band whose rhythmic tendencies are the musical equivalent of Einstein's theory of relativity.

A disproportionate number of members in the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth (a body of 120,000 students which represents the top 5% of academic achievement) list heavy metal - or "metal", as its devotees these days know it - as their favourite kind of music.

My African Grey Parrot, Rocky listens to Karrang radio whilst I am at work and he can already speak all 38 plays of William Shakespeare word for work....ok thats not true but the rest here is serious...

Let me give you a few examples of bands that have released albums that are educational as well as entertaining… Mastodon have released an album based on Herman Melville's Moby Dick,  Californian band Thrice have written music inspired by the Thomas Pynchon novel V, black metal band Bathory derived much of their music from classical composers …then we have the ever popular Iron Maiden …just listen to Powerslave which includes a 13 minute Rime Of The Ancient Mariner. Most metal lyrics are surprisingly literate.



DJ Ashba Glasgow last year

The lead singer for Iron Maiden is Bruce Dickinson who is also a airline pilot (regularly flying Boeing 757s, published author and almost made the Olympic games in 1992 as a fencer!!

Most of the metal fans I have met are really clever guys (and gals) I am perhaps the exception as I am sometimes as dumb as 12 shy of a dozen but perhaps that’s because I have too much Elton John and The eels in my CD collection ;-)

Twilight Zone

“The Twilight Zone” is an American television TV series created by Rod Serling. It is a series of unrelated stories containing drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, and/or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist.

I am so enchanted with these old black and twilight episodes , I can remember watching these as a child with my dad (reruns as I am not that old..lol) so there is a big nostalgic influence here too. Some evenings if we were really lucky they would show two episodes back to back…good memories!!!

There was also a first revival of the Twilight zone running between 1985-1989, then the lost classics 1994 followed by the second revival 2002-2003, I have them all on DVD but none beat the original series IMHO.

The creator Rod Serling (1924-1975) was an American screenwriter born into a Jewish family in Syracuse, New York. Serling drew on his own experience for many episodes, frequently about boxing, military life, and airplane pilots. The Twilight Zone incorporated his liberal social views on racial relations, somewhat veiled in the science fiction and fantasy elements of the shows. Occasionally, the point was quite blunt, such as in the episode "I Am the Night—Color Me Black", in which racism and hatred causes a dark cloud to form in the American South, before spreading across the world. He also held liberal views on gender roles, and many Twilight Zone stories featured quick-thinking, resilient women as well as shrewish, nagging wives. The Twilight Zone aired for five seasons (the first three presented half-hour episodes, the fourth hour-long episodes and the fifth returned to the half-hour format).

Scott Ian speaking out at the Arches

Scott Ian is a man with the bald head and beard and the legendary Anthrax co-founder and guitarist for over 30 years (also was a zombie in “the walking dead”)

Last night (Wednesday 6^th June) in the Glasgow Arches a friend and I went to his “Spoken word” tour.

Scott spoke for almost 3 hours about his life and friends which included Dimebag Darrell (from Pantera), Sebastian Bach (frontman with Skidrow) and various experiences over the years such as taking a seizure on House of Pain’s tour bus, having a conversation with Steven Spielberg  and what happened the first time he was drinking with Lemmy from Motorhead.

Scott was very open and candid. He comes across as unpretentious and very friendly, I would recommend this event to anyone interested in music.

Dad

On the 16^th on June it will be Father’s day!!! I am sure my little Sam who is aged 9 must have made his plans by now after consulting his Ladybird Michelin star restaurants guide books and much heated debate with himself just where he will be talking me out for my dinner (for my birthday in may he took me to Frankie and Bennys because…well, because that’s his favourite for pasta) I am also sure he must have a Father’s day card ordered up from Moonpig just now with witty comments. OK…that’s not going to happen, I pay for the dinner and my little Sam feels all proud still believing he choose the place although I guided his hand with suggestions, the Father’s day card will have been made at this school with paper and glitter but it will be more precious than diamonds to me as its made with his tiny hands and from his heart. I can remember doing the same for my Dad (my Mum too but I am concentrating this post on fathers due to it being father’s day next week)

My little Sam was named after his Granddad, My Dad who was called Samuel. Unfortunatly my Dad died before Sam was born so he never got to know his granddad which I find really sad. I was born after my grandparents on both sides had passed away .

My Dad was born in Stenhousemuir in Falkirk in 1915 (world war 1 was still underway and only 3 years after the Titantic sank so that gives you an idea of the time) He was born into a very poor family, one of 8 brothers (4 of which survived their childhood) and 2 sisters (one of which died as a baby) He had no shoes as a child, wore handed down shorts and collected empty jam jars around the tenements to trade at the cinema to see movies which he loved (and passed that passion onto me) I know that my grandmother (my dad’s mum) was a singer but I don’t know anything about my grandfather, I have never seen any photos and unaware of any photos which have survived.  My dad was left handed and at school the teacher tied his left hand behind his back to force him to write with his right hand which my dad said made him ambidextrous due to this pratice. My dad also use to tell me that in the morning my gran poured porrage oats made with just water and salt added into a big long cupboard drawer and when the kids returned home she would slide the drawer open and cut the porrage which was then hard and cold into slices and give it to them for dinner.

My Dad

In 1929 (ish) my dad got an apprentiship as a joiner, which was a blessing as his other brothers would work down the coal pits. After he finished his training he went down to live and work in London.   In 1939 he joined (before he was conscripted) the army to fight in the war against Hitler.  During his time in the Army he fought in North Africa and Italy where he saw some heavy fighting during The battle for Casino, he was blown up and buried under rubble and soil, Monks from a local monastery dug him out and when he gained consciousness me was in a room with statues of Jesus and the saints and the monks hovering over him, his first question was …”Am I in heaven”…lol, I guess he was still a little confused. During his transit home his ship was torpedoed within sight of the white cliffs of dover. All though his later life he still had nightmares about being buried alive which I can remember hearing his shoust and scream in his sleep as my mum comforted him, it was very sad, he also hated water from that experience being sunk too. He never taked much about his experiences in the war but I know from my mum and other friends of my dad he had some terrible experiences and a lot of his friends never made it back. You can read about what happened at Mount Casino during 1944 online, my Dad was in the 8^th Army during the Italian campaign, they had a terrible time of it. My dad stayed in the army for a couple of years after the end of the war. When he was away fighting his house in London was bombed, we had nothing left, everything he owned was gone. When we returned to London he used his Army pay to buy a motorbike (with sidecar)used a cigar tin which held all his possessions which he had with some clothes tucked into the sidecar (medals, discharge papers, some post cards and photos and little nicnaks) and rode back to Scotland to stay with his brother.  This is where he started working again as a joiner and part time ballroom dance instructor (no joke) and also met my mum, Anne.

My Dad with his friends in the army

I was born in 1972, my dad was 57 years old (my mum was in her late 40’s and my brother 25, guess I was a wee accident ..lol) I can honestly say with my hand on my heart, although the large age difference between myself and my parents and brother I could never imagine a child who was more loved and had a happier childhood then me!! My dad took me everywhere, he was so proud of his little baby boy and as a child I was so proud of him!! He made we toys out of wood, sledge, carts, pull along boats, he carried me on over his shoulders coming down the stairs in a fireman’s lift, when my mum worked nightshifts at the hospital (she was a nurse) my day use to tell me bedtime stories customised with me as the hero. I loved this old man, he was not a big man but had huge callused strong hands and weathered face with a broken nose and was very gentle spoken. We watched hammer house horror movies on a Friday night…I remember lying with my head on my dad’s tummy and hearing it rumble …lol we watched the old black and white twilight zones and john wayne movies with him, at the weekend during the day if he was doing some work he would take me with him and as a child he would give me purpose, handing him tools, collecting nails…I also felt so important with him, we went digging for peat for the garden together, he took me out for walks. He was more than just my dad, he was also my best friend. As a teenager I did go through that rebellion stage and had my arguments with him but I always loved my dad (and my mum and brother too of course) then on July the 6^th 1988 my brother then aged 41 (I was 16) died on an Oil Rig explosion, he was one of 167 unfortunate souls who died. My dad was never the same after losing Jimmy, my brother and his first son. Shortly after that my dad was parked outside a shop awaiting my mum when a driver crashed into the back of him, my dad was gripping the steering wheel and was badly hurt, he had damage to both hands and would never get nerve feelings to work again so could no longer work with his hands and as wood carving and joinery was his passion this put an end to it. My dad got very depressed, some days he would just sit and cry and call me by my brother’s name by accident as he could get confused. He withered terribly and lost lots of weight. December 1998 he died at home in his bed, he had lung cancer (he smoked cigars for years, he started in the army, stopped when I was born but started again when we lost Jimmy)

Although this post appears to end on a sad note and would never want anyone to think the tragic outweighed the happiness in my dad’s life cause that is not true. My dad died aged 83, he was loved and I am happy to say he knew I had “screwed my nut” by then and had my own place and in a career, his love paid off. He also had the knowledge he gave both his sons the happiest upbringing possible and was a faithful and loving husband to his wife, my mum. He was a provider and never knew what the inside of a pub looked like, if his family was happy he was happy. I loved that man with all my heart and still love him to this day, I wish my little Sam could have met his Granddad Sam cause I know my dad would sweep him up with these big kind hands of his, make him giggle and love him as he loved me, I miss that old man so very much.

Me with my little Sam

The smallest library in the world

I read this article in the newspaper today, what a great idea!! Very charming but would it work here?  Would red tape stop this e.g no wheelchair access!  Would Neds steal the books?             Nice idea though…maybe in a perfect world.

The smallest library in the world has appeared on the streets of New York City - and it has space for just one reader at a time.The bright yellow plastic structure houses 40 books and aims to help city-dwellers take a break from the pace of life in the metropolis by chilling out with a good story.The Little Free Library was designed by a pair of innovative architects using recycled materials to protect the books inside from the elements.

It was constructed from a plastic water tank and a wooden frame, with holes in the exterior allowing visitors to look in before they enter the structure.

City of the East

Ciudad del Este (City of the East) is the second largest city in Paraguay which I reached by driving over Puente de la Amistad which means Friendship Bridge and from my experience it was anything but friendly…. Its used for smuggling electronic devices such as handheld computers, digital cameras, drink, cigarettes and weapons from Paraguay into Brazil and whilst I was parked up bumper to bumper on the bridge awaiting my travel documents checked (and bribe to be accepted)a saw a group of men being beat up with a stocks of AK47 guns (as seen in the movies) by cops which looked like extras from the Expendables movie…scary stuff, I guess their bribes never got accepted!!!

Stradling two countries

Run Mario, RUN

Once clear of the “Friendship Bridge” you enter Ciudad del Este!! "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here!" sign posts should read quoting Canto III of Dante's "Divine Comedy, Inferno!! As scribed on the gates of hell!!  I felt very unsafe. The street sellers had interesting stuff to sell, and were positioned all up and down the sidewalk with booths that completely covered the sidewalk - so that you could not avoid walking through their booths if you wanted to get anywhere. The marketing was very aggressive, and everywhere it seemed it was necessary to watch every move in the event someone would have their hand in your pocket in a moment. The atmosphere was like sitting on a powder keg, police and also what looked like paramilitary where walking around with shotguns and machineguns!! Most if not all of the stuff sold in the streets is counterfeit; perfumes, whiskies, watches, jeans, DVDs.   I do have to say that if you walk off the main streets (at your own risk) you can find some little shops selling handcrafted stuff, I did buy a few figures and plates. Paraguay is not really a place I intend to visit again, but then again I only saw the worst Ciudad del Este and should not judge a country on one city alone!!

Busy place

Getting wet at Iguazu Falls

Wonderful!!!

The Iguazu River rises near the city of Curitiba. It flows through Brazil for most of its course. Below its confluence with the San Antonio River, the Iguazu River forms the boundary between Argentina and Brazil. The name "Iguazu" comes from the Tupi (Brazilian Indian)words "y"  meaning "water", and "ûasú “meaning "big".  The Iguazu water falls are semicircular and at the heart of this site is some 80 m high and 2,700 m in diameter and is situated on a basaltic line spanning the border between Argentina and Brazil. Made up of many cascades producing vast sprays of water, it is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world.  Iguassu Falls are not just one big waterfall but a collection of about 275 waterfalls The surrounding subtropical rainforest has many species of vascular plants and is home to the typical wildlife of the region: tapirs, giant anteaters, howler monkeys, ocelots, jaguars and caymans. Thankfully I never cme across any Jaguars but plenty of beautiful yellow butterflies.  

Butterflies

The falls are impressive, mesmerizing and something that you must experience if you have the opportunity to do so. I saw both the Brazilian and Argentinian sides and took boat rides and jungle safaris from both and they were truly memorable. The rainbows in the mist are lovely and I attended just after the rainy season so the water was flowing deep and fast. The Argentinian side has the power of Devil's Throat as well as a better boat ride than the brazilian side. However, the Brazilian side has a nicer panoramic view. We actually went right under the Devil’s throat section of the falls about 5 times …the water force hitting my head was hard but so very amazing. This was the most amazing place I ever had been to. If I died there then I would have died happy and at peace! Words just don’t do justice!!!! We have all seen photos and its been shown on movies on the big screen but you just don’t know what’s they are like until you are up close and there getting soaked and hearing the gushing water…unbelievable!!! I so much want to go back there again!!!!

a sailing we go

A friend

The Joys of Parrot keeping

Considering getting a Parrot? Is he the right pet for you? Perhaps aye, perhaps no…I am not going to attempt to change your mind but just give you a (small) insight into being a bird owner (or what sometimes feels like the bird owning me)

Rocky getting love

Parrots can be amazing companion animals. They are highly trainable, they can be cuddly and affectionate, and if treated correctly they will form very strong bonds with their care takers. The flip side is that they are such social and intelligent animals that they demand a huge amount of attention and mental stimulation in order to thrive. Many people eventually find that they can’t give enough time and energy to their pets, especially in the long run when the joy of a new pet begins to ware thin. To make matters worse, many parrots can be aggressive, especially once they become sexually mature. A parrot bite is not a fun thing to endure…My Congo African Grey  (Rocky) can be like a flying tin opener with that beak of his but luckily has now hurt me (much) as he has been brought up with much love and is a tender little guy but be aware if you are getting a preloved one from Gumtree, you have give him/her a loving home but you will need patience to retrain him with any bad habits. I got Rocky as a baby who was hand reared and gave him lots of love and attention from day one and its paid off well as he is a lovely boy, great personality and tender .Parrots rarely need to bite in the wild. For the most part the threat of a bite keeps parrots out of each other’s personal space. Through a variety of body language, one parrot conveys to another that it is too close or in its territory. Usually, the offending parrot takes these threats seriously and flies off before any blood is shed….I show Rocky lots of respect and give him his space some times when he gets grumpy…which is not too often and when he does it does not last long.

Seed Thief

People, on the other hand, miss the body language and don’t back off until they get bitten. Pet birds might quickly learn to skip all the signs of aggression and jump straight to the bite

When you go on holiday you will need to leave your parrot with someone who is also willing to give your bird all the special attention he needs and knows how to look after him. Even then, things may not work out. I have left Rocky with a friend for a few days before, I was a bit nervous as this person had cats (if they bred would the a cross between a parrott and a cat be a carott?) and Rocky needs his out of cage time but everything worked out great, I still am looking for someone else I can trust (that Rocky can trust) to care for him (send in your applications please) when I am away in the future, when possible I will attempt to take him with me in the traveling cage (his Motel) but this may not always work out.

Most of us have never had much contact with birds before. We know how to deal with cats and dogs but as soon as we get our hands on a bird we quickly realize we have no clue what we are doing. As a result you need to be willing to study and learn. I had some previous experience with smaller birds, I even bred finchies when I was younger but I still purchased lots of books about African Greys before I bought Rocky so I knew what I was letting myself in for.

Day old baby boy

Most, if not all parrots, are screamers. This doesnt mean they wail all day long, but if they need attention (and they do need a lot of it), they will shriek until they get it, or until they are taught not to. Rocky only screams when he is playing with his toys and having fun. Usually he is talking (lots) saying “Rocky Boy”, “Big Boy”, “Rocky is awake, I am up, I am up”, “Dearn”, “I can see you”, “what’s wrong?”, “I want a Hug, a Hug”, and much more…he also imitates my mobile text alert and a squeaky stair step I tread on….he also does a great air guitar..lol

If you are new to the world of parrots, then you may think that all you have to do is give pet bird’s fresh seed and water. For many years this was what we all thought and were led to believe that this meant feeding our parrots was the easiest part of keeping them. Thoughts on parrot nutrition have changed drastically in the last few decades. After all, most parrots eat a lot more than seed in the wild. They eat a tremendous variety of nuts, fruits, foliage and even grubs. Many parrots even consume small amounts of soil, clay and particular plants that probably have minerals that they need. They need a lot more than seed!



Helloooooo



As you begin to research, you will discover that there is a large variety of bird foods available and many thoughts on what parrots need for optimal health. Everyone agrees though that parrots need a variety of food, including fresh fruits and vegetables. This will mean more shopping and more preparation time than just pouring seed in a bowl. Parrots also react differently to foods than dogs or cats. Things that are just fine for you or your other pets to eat may be poisonous to your parrot. Rocky loves pommegrate but the mess he makes on the floor looks like a murder scene from CSI. I supplement his diet with Calivet Calcium supplement and Daily Essentials. I am also attempting to get him to eat more pellets.

It is not as easy or as inexpensive to get veterinary care for your parrots and this is mainly because a parrot’s body is very different from a mammal, like a dog. They have delicate bones, sensitive respiratory systems and entirely different diseases than dogs or cats. These diseases can be complicated to both diagnose and to treat. Illnesses are also not always easy to identify because pet birds rarely show obvious signs of sickness until they are extremely ill. I am lucky with Rocky that is health is very good but just in case we do have an excellent vet just up the road from where I live who also specialises in avian pets.

Parrots not only need time outside of the cage, but activities to keep them happily occupied. The closer this activity comes to what they would normally do in the wild, the better. Toys and environments that allow parrots to forage are great for keeping their minds and bodies busy. This will mean making the effort to think about designing a play area, buying or making toys and dedicating some of your own time every day to participating in parrot play. If you thought a parrot would be easier than having to walk a dog every day you might be surprised. Rocky loves his out of cage time, even if he is too tired to play he will happily sit at my side if I am on the laptop…as I am now…sometimes wanting to help..”stop that Rocky….nooooooo…oh no…done peck at the keyboard…oh n t lat, Ba B y Roc y”

Well you may have read my blog review of Monkey Dust…well here is Parrot dust!!!

Dander (like dandruff) is like the shedding of particles from the skin, fur or feathers. And dust/powder would be what is produced by the powder down feathers of certain species.

The parrots with powder down, are the Greys and the Cockatoos/Tiels. They have those special feathers on the flanks that continuously break down into powder

"Powder down feathers are small specialized feathers that shed a very fine, white, waxy powder composed of keratin. Powder down forms a waterproof barrier for contour feathers and is spread through the feathers when the bird grooms. Cockatiels, Cockatoos and African Greys, produce the greatest amount of powder on their feathers. If one strokes a powder down bird, it will feel very silky and soft. And when done, there will often be a coating of fine white powder on the hand. As mentioned above, powder down can cause irritation to people with respiratory problems and allergies.

Parrots do produce dander and feather dusk which does affect some people; luckily I am ok with this but I still don’t want this dust to settle around the house so I invested in an excellent Air Filter with a HEPA filter. The one I use is a Honeywell HA170E1 True HEPA Air Purifier with Air Filtration rate of 99.97%, it was quite expensive at £150 but it’s an investment and works a treat. The filter also comes with a charcoal strip which covers the main filter and clears  99% of odours, although Rocky my parrot does not stink and I clean his cage regularly too. I also give Rocky regular showers which keeps his dander down too.

Dust and feathers collected on the carbon filter for just one week!!