Its just my luck that right before Christmas that I have caught the flu, I feel like death,but things need doing! I tried to stay in bed today but the phone kept ringing and by 12.00 I had given in and got up. I had to go to Taunton to pick up a wheel bearing for an old pick up truck I have, any way on the way back to Monument Farm,it started to snow again, it was cold, blowy and the only place I wanted to be was back it bed with a hot drink. It was then I came across a little old lady with a flat tyre, she was stranded, So feeling like sumo wrestler stuck in a swamp I stopped and changed the tyre and sent her on her way. As I was shutting her boot she said, “Thank you young man!” and with a beaming smile gave me a toffee.
I climbed back in the van feeling just a little better and the world felt just a little warmer.

Merry Christmas everyone x

Philip L Moore

I remember when I was just starting off taking pictures, for a while I sort of whined and complained ‘cus I thought I had nothing to photograph. My sister was the one who told me at some point to just take pictures of anything; that I don’t need models or sets or anything. So one day I sat out in my gallery and really started looking around. I noticed a lot of things for the first time, stuff that collectively I had always considered beautiful but when taking in their individual components I noticed their individual differences and what made each of them uniquely attractive.

Why on earth am I posting this now? Well it’s not because I have nothing better to post. I was actually watching Love Actually last night- I’m serious- and it’s one of those movies that I can watch at absolutely anytime, no matter my mood, and end up feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. I especially love the scene in the end where everyone is meeting at the airport and hugging and kissing and smiling J

Well anyway it was good to see that this world can really be wonderful. There’s a girl by the name of Hanna Lendor, who’s mother has been pleading for months to help them raise $1,000,000 for a liver transplant that can save her life. If a few people donate a little of what they have it can really add up. If you care to you can put money in any branch of Royal Bank of Trinidad & Tobago (RBTT) on the account number: 8917113188.

So once again on a happier note, it’s good whne you can to take the time out of your day to capture beautiful moments. It doesn’t have to be with a camera, simply write it down. You’ll look back at it later and get the same warm feelings all over again. Try never to forget the simple things that make this world wonderful, because when it doesn’t seem so great , it’s those moments that help you smile.

On the other hand it might help to take note of some of the really depressing stuff life throws at some people as well. It humbles you when you look back at it and helps you to remember to have compassion, which is in essence what will make the world a better place right?

And on an even happier note- for me at least- its 2 weeks till Christmas!! Ha I looked up as soon as I typed that and trust me my house at this moment absolutely does not reflect that.

That also means “The Wedding” is closer as well. Yipee/Yikes?!?

The centrepieces started arriving and the bows to decorate the church as well as the hall and they’re absolutely gorgeous! I hope and pray that come that day all goes perfect. I can’t wait to get married!- okay , scratch that I can, for like five or six more years; I’m nineteen. Not so much for the wedding but for- here comes hopeless romantic me- looking down the isle and seeing someone you love and trust so completely that its 100% scary because it’s 100% fact that that one person can absolutely destroy you, and even knowing that, still walk down that isle to that person because you don’t care.

To all my commitment-phobe friends out there- you know yourselves- I know this is absolutely not helping you. But fear not, I shall save more of my gushy, lovey-dovey sappy romantic vibes for a later post; probably the wedding one, who knows.

For the time however just enjoy these photos from around my home and try your best to capture (in anyway you can) any and every moment of ‘wonderfulness’ you see!!!

I played around with my colours a bit in some of these pictures. It’s fun doing something you love to do that makes you happy! Try it. No matter what it is (scratch that- don’t quote me on that…)

And subscribe…

Remember to click to enlarge…

And most importantly Smile !!!!

Khai

Week 1 and 2 went really well. Willpower and noticeable results were on my side, but then the Christmas party, 1^st year relationship anniversary and general socials came larding down on my spare tyre in one short little week.  A combination of curry, booze and my butter habit have a tragic impact, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop. Oh no! I now only have 2 more parties to attend until Christmas day leaving me 2 weeks of saintly eating and gym attendance to get me back on the straight and narrow.

Christmas overindulgence!

The De-carb candy I’ve been trialling has also helped. For some reason knowing that I’m taking this natural remedy to help block those naughty festive carbs has helped me mentally not feel too guilty. I’ve remained positive about my weightloss even in a time of need. It’s a similar affect when going to the gym – it gives you another reason not to ruin all your good efforts!

So what other advice can I give you dieters during the party season? Well, when it’s a party, enjoy the party and don’t feel guilty for it. Only drink during the event and try to avoid unnecessary boozing throughout the week. I nearly opened a bottle of red last night, but sense prevailed.

In summary, you may not lose weight, but more importantly you won’t gain any allowing you to pick up where you left off.

I say all of this now but only time, and too many sausage rolls will tell……

Three facts for you, which will get their context later:

1. Many journalists, particularly older journalists, have been renowned alcoholics.

2. Like defence lawyers, hacks need to alter their style and tone to whoever they’re writing for.

3. The British press, with its clear tabloid/broadsheet distinction, is one of the greatest proponents of our stiff class system.

Now let’s begin.

Columnist Alexander Chancellor

Back when I was one of those Guardian-readers, I used to go for the weekly G2 column (left-wing) by former Spectator editor (right-wing) Alexander Chancellor.

So how surprised was I to see his Daily Mail column today complaining about the police – who should be “fighting violent crime or terrorism” – who took away his licence for being pissed as a fart at the wheel?

I always thought he was a bit of a grumpy-old-man, and enjoyed it. So I’m trying to blame the article’s tone and message on the fact it was published in the Mail. This one by him in the Guardian a few weeks ago, for instance, makes similar points but does it in a less hard-on-the-ears way.

Yet even I was shocked to read this article, and the offensive class assumptions that underpinned it. He starts by justifying his being “well over the limit” by giving it a nice, Daily Mail middle-class tint:

I’d been to a Sunday lunch birthday celebration in the country near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire and got a flat tyre driving home to Northamptonshire in the afternoon. While waiting at the side of the road for the AA, I dozed off at the wheel and a passing member of the public called the police.

What’s wrong with that, dear reader? For a start, he couldn’t change a flat tyre. But that’s not the point. The point is he so firmly believes he’s not part of the crime classes, he shouldn’t be punished, as a later paragraph shows:

After a while, the policeman reappeared and asked if I would like something to read. When I said ‘Yes, thank you’, he gave me a couple of explicit pornographic magazines. Is failing the breath test now seen as evidence of depravity in every area of life?

Failing a drug test is not like failing an exam. You have to commit a crime in order to do it. His claim that drink-drive deaths are only a “fraction of the total” is hopeless – they are that way because of the way the police crack down on boozers.

But the real sting is his cavalier selfishness. As if 11 months without a licence, higher insurance premiums and three hours in a cell would be too great a punishment for putting the lives of innocents in danger.

Whether you’re drinking red wine or white lightning, the crime is the same. And the more sure the person is in their convictions, the more likely they are to reoffend. Should we expect this guy – who tries to cut to below three wine bottles a week, and can’t – to change?

So what’s my progress after 1 week? I feel more toned and fitter from my gym visits. My skin is clearer and I have more energy due to my better diet and no booze. But crucially have I lost any weight. Well, my goal jeans are still tight, and the tyre is still there, but lets say I’m down to 1.4 moped tyres and certainly my other clothes are feeling more comfortable and looking better. As I work in marketing, I have lots of friends who work for various retailers and I mentioned to one that I was starting a new diet plan.

The friend suggested I try out a new slimming supplement called DeCarb that is launching later this year. It’s natural and apparently has clinical trials to prove that it can block around two thirds of starchy carbs being turned into calories. As a self confessed carb-addict, I figure it can’t hurt to give it a whirl, so I’m starting this week and will let you know how I get on.  Bring on the bread

The “tyre explosion” in the Syrian capital last week has raised a few questions, many of which may never be answered.

Ruins of bus in Damascus

A friend and colleague of mine Richard Hall has decided to do some investigating, in the form of some good old fashioned digging.

Demolition experts in the UK seem to think there is more than meets the eye with this incident.

“If the damage process had indeed been started by an exploding tyre, then it is most unlikely that it could have been sufficiently powerful to cause the damage shown, unless the fuel tank had been near-by and had disintegrated under the impact. However, the fuel tank arrangements are unknown,” the specialist, who did not wish to be mentioned due to the sensitivity of the case, said.

“Even if the tyre had exploded and burst the fuel tank, the fuel explosion would only occurred if the engine had been hot, i.e. the engine must have been running for some time.”

None have ruled out the possibility the culprit, if there is one, could be a smaller terrorist group or offshoot of Al-Qaeda. But whether Syria gets to the bottom of this, or whether they will even try, is unclear.

Day 2 and I’ve realised that measuring the success of my weight loss comes in many forms, but mainly quantitative ones! Getting to your ultimate BMI or weight. Taking accurate measurements of the amount of fat you can pinch or vital measurements. There’s nothing that gives you a better boost than to see the numbers fall. However, I have an issue with these measurements.

I hate weighting myself.  The problem is this. Even when I was a small size 8 at 5ft4 I still weighed 9st7lbs. That’s an awful lot for a munchkin. I was even told at a medical I was boarding on overweight as my BMI was 24.8. I asked the nurse where she thought I could healthily shift this “excess weight” off what was, at the time, an athletic trim body! I’ve always hated the fact that I’m heavy. Even when I’ve been thin, the thought of being heavy makes me feel heavy. This is not conducive to happy weight loss.

So how about measuring my vitals and pinching my fat. Simply, it takes too long and is therefore boring. I need something quick that effectively tells me I’m on the road recovery.

So here’s my method. It may not be scientific or quantitative, but I think there’s merit……the tyre method.

I’ve measured the size of my tyre overhang on my favourite jeans. This equates to around a 1.5 moped sized tyre in the standing, letting it all hand out, stance. Through a healthy diet and exercise, I shall slice through the tyre family, through mountain bikes, hybrid road bikes, through to the highest performing race bike until final the tyre has gone.

So the challenge is set, supported by an accurate, measurable weight loss system ensuring I stay on track and keep motivated. The only question now is, will it work……..

So this morning was the first morning that a frost was there waiting for me as I wheeled my bike out of my house and onto the pavement and It was this very frost that prompted me to do my ‘Winter warmers’ list.

So here it is. A list of necessaries and maybe some unnecessaries that I and maybe you will need to get you through to next year’s sunshine warm, dry and safe.

Rapha long sleeve Merino Base layer.

Because I find that now the short sleeve base layer I have coupled with short sleeve jersey, armwarmers and stowaway just isn’t enough to keep mr frosty out.
£55 From Rapha.

Mudguards.

Because that strip of muddy water that sprays it’s way up past my saddle and onto the complete rear of my person will be tolerated no more. Thing is: I hate guards, I think they look like rubbish BUT they are indeed needed so after a hunt I found these, SKS Race gaurds, The sleekest of them all.
£31.99 from Chain Reaction.

Rust Prevention.

If I cannot afford the next item on the list I will have to go down this route. Because steel as we know rots and rusts and the wintery salt and slush on our British roads may well cause the demise of my cherished Team Pro.
J.P Weigle’s framesaver £12 from 18 Bikes.

An Aluminium track frame.

Because simply put – I would not need to care about it. This material handles the winter very well in my experience and the clearance ( on the frame pictured ) is also good for bigger tyres ( see the next item on the list ). In my mind I currently have the Nelson track which has drillings for both brakes and the geometry is also very good – tall and short. The Dolan Pre cursa ( pictured ) is also a favourite. After having owned one of these last year I have hankered after another for months so… let the mental tussle begin!
Nelson £225 from Cyclebasket.
Dolan Pre cursa £270 from Italian Solutions.

Bigger Tyres.

Randonneurs, especially because every experience I have had with them have been nothing but good. Good grip, good puncture prevention ( there I said it! ) and now also available in 25c for those who want them fat… but not that fat.
£14.50 from Parker Int.

Good coffee.

To get the blood flowing through my veins just that little bit faster preparing me nicely for my daily commute into work. Damn I love a hot espresso in the morning!
Espresso Crema Coffee Beans £9.30 from Pumphrey’s

A Brake.

Because when riding in the wet and having to deal with drivers who like me ‘just want to get home’ a brake could mean the difference between me getting home safely and getting home with a bruised arm.
Campagnolo Veloce Skeleton £79.88 from Wiggle.

German Sausage.

Because my weekly trip to Birmingham’s Xmas German market with my woman and friends makes a week’s worth of commuting in the cold and wet just that little bit more worth it. I look forward to Friday nights in December because of this and especially that great big pile of wooden goodness that is the Bratwurst stand. BBQd loveliness full of god knows what but it tastes so, so good!
£3.00 from the German Market.

So there we have it… the list, if anyone has any other suggestions on how we can all get through the grim dark and wet time of year we lovingly call Winter please leave a comment. Let us know how you do it, what tricks do you have for fending off mr frost and his ice brothers?

Art really can come from the most unexpected places. Yes, that may just sound like we’re trying to be “modern” (or even post-modern?) but there is an element of truth – just take a look at these shots of a scrapyard in California.

The works themselves come from Edward Burtynsky, who has also done collections on oil and mining (both of which are worth checking out) - making him something of a climate campaigner. Of course, these works are slightly unnerving. That’s a lot of wasted tyres, and given that this is just one random scrapyard, it doesn’t bear thinking about on a worldwide scale… Still, since they’re there, might as well try and get something out of them…

(source: The Design Llama via Notcot)

This Weekend Past has been full of 100% WIN in a Bowl served with a Side of EPIC’ness! EXACTLY what was asked for..

All my photo’s were taken on the gorgeous iPhone to which im sending back to Apple tomorrow morning.. I thank you, but your CUT apple.. Here are a couple snaps from the Oly and a little PS with CHIBI Star’s Ichigo-go!

Still not well though – This medication is taking its toll.. Only a few weeks to go till im in Japan!

-Oyasumi

Throughout the world, where car runs, where our wheel locks(tire lock), www.cn-std.com

Tyres plays an important role in all wheels vehicles. Whenever you purchased a new or a used car, you check first tyre because all balance of vehicles depend on it. If you have a car using from a long time and want to change your car tyre and don’t have proper idea than you may try surfing on internet. There are many types of companies on internet that take care of your vehicle but some time your car may have some other problem and you might require to move for other mechanic, means you never get all services under the same roof.

Autovets is one of the best company that is looking after all your vehicles problem and is able to provide all solutions under one roof. Autovets is based in Brighton and is one stop destination for MOT, Car service, Car audio, Car air conditioning, Car tyres, tracker and alarms. Car vehicle manufacturers choose the tyre by type, make, size, profile, load carrying capacities and speed ratings to match their vehicles, adjusting the tyre pressures to give the optimum grip, ride and handling characteristics. Autovets Brighton advises that worn tyres should be replaced with new one when the tread depth falls below 3mm.

Sometimes it’s not always about cameras, editing and filming, or it is? …
Here’s Hamade and I completing a swap edit, agg I mean a swap tyre – doing the manly thing for my wife Kathy.
Otherwise:
Jump here for a tip on swap edits (FCP).
or
Jump here for tips on changing a tyre.

Ini Semua Mulai pada tahun 1926

Semua orang memimpikan mendirikan sebuah perusahaan yang sederhana dan menetapkan untuk membuat terbaik di kategori produk. Expand bahwa sedikit keinginan untuk berpikir tentang apa yang akan terjadi jika perusahaan yang sama tumbuh pada tingkat yang dramatis karena semua orang menginginkan produk unggulan. Silakan melihat ke masa depan dan meramalkan perusahaan itu 78 tahun kemudian, masih memproduksi produk hebat yang sama, tumbuh pada klip yang sangat cepat. Anda baru saja membaca sejarah singkat IRC. Bagi kami, bahwa produk ban sepeda.

This male rhino had his horn cut off because he killed the female elephant in the safari park. The male elephant was angry at this and killed the female rhino as retaliation. Who says humans are bad? The safari park got the rhino another female. The elephant has not got a new female yet because he is gone really bad tempered. His favorite past time now is shredding tractor tires. Those are some seriously big tires to shred. You don’t want to get on his bad side!!

Hmm.. I was trying out the wordpress app on my new iPhone and it seems to have not worked – strange.. anywho, Here we find outrselfs to possibly one of the last track sesh’s of the year.. and what better way to end it, than with the newly 300hp found Minty.Fresh EVO III Touge Edition.

When TK San told me he was hitting up Knockhill for a track day held by the guys over @ Track Scotland, I knew I needed to get my ass down there and snap the shots.. The conditions.. were, well.. Wet. Cold and overal, not too pleasant to be standing in what can only be described as a glorified bus shelter.. however; needs must when it comes to Automotive Photography.

-Oyasumi

The recently published list of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations, as derived by Innovest, is based on a comprehensive analysis of organisations on four factors; Strategic Governance, Human Capital, Environment and Stakeholder (Not Shareholder) Capital. The Forbes article has been quick to point out that three most admired organisations as of today, Google, Apple and Microsoft, have not featured on the risk because of reasons very particular to them. The way I see it, the factor that stands true for all three of them is that they were all Entrepreneurial ventures to begin with, with clear cut leaders and focus areas. The fact that none of the entrepreneurs behind these three will survive a 100 years, at least two won’t even last another 25 years, is a very important factor. The one attribute common, as per my understanding, to the organisations that do feature on the list is that a majority of them don’t have clear cut leaders on which are the face of the organisation, as is the case with both Apple and Microsoft, are not there. They don’t actually have a face of the organisation, but the organisation itself is a brand in itself, whether through its products/services, logos or size. This is possibly why the authors of the article have stuck to companies without a person representative of their brand. I personally could not think of one person whom I could relate to any of these corporations, which is probably why they are actually sustainable since the responsibility of the organisations representation lays with the organisation itself, and not just with the Entrepreneur himself.

Michelin, the world’s second largest tyre maker, is an Entrepreneurial venture started by André and Edouard Michelin in 1888 to address a gap in the market. It was started when a cyclist with a busted pneumatic tyre approached the brothers, who ran a rubber factory at the time, to fix it. Upon their analysis of the tyre and the fact that it was glued to the rim of the bicycle, they identified a gap in the market in the form of a ‘removable pneumatic tyre’ which didn’t need to be glued to the rim to function properly and could be replaced faster than the conventional pneumatic tyres which took a couple of hours to dry. The brothers filed a patent for the same in 1891.Thereon, the organisation has made a large number of innovations, from improving the design of the pneumatic tyre to the Radial tyre in 1941 to the ActiveWheel system which has motors built into the wheel, and is to be launched in 2012. Michelin is the creator of, arguably the most recognized trademarks in the world, The Michelin Man or Bibendum, which was introduced in 1898 and represents Michelin in over 150 countries. Bibendum is essentially a man made out of numerous stacks of tyres and is used by the organisation in various promotional related activities across the world, and is shown doing a variety of activities in Michelins advertisements.

Innovation then runs in the blood of Michelin. This, for me, is the most prominent feature of an entrepreneurial venture as it is the factor that distinguishes the entrepreneur from the businessman. An Entrepreneur innovates existing products/services and creates one that is more functional or utilitarian, which is exactly what the Michelin brothers established. With tweaks in the design of the pneumatic tyre, they managed to have it grab the rim of the wheel without actually gluing the tyre which essentially allowed the repairing of tyres to become a much quicker and easier job. This transformed the entire industry to develop into what we know it as now. Had this innovation not been thought of, we’d be carrying glue in the back of our vehicles along with the spare tyre. To prove the usability of their version of the pneumatic tyre, the brothers actually scattered nails on the road during a cycle race and depicted to the people there the superiority of their tyre over the conventional tyres. The organisation then went on to focusing on developing tyres for Cars and eventually partnered with Citroën to develop the Radial type tyre.

Michelin, as an organisation, has grown exponentially in the past, especially with the grown in the global auto sector post-world war 2, which was followed by two decades worth of stagnancy, and then growth again beginning the late 1980’s, during which Michelin picked up OEM, or Original Equipment Manufacturer, contracts with General Motors, Volkswagen and Volvo to name a few. The evolution of Michelin as a company was stupendously fast during the first five decades of its existence, mostly because the tyre market was still maturing, along with the auto industry. Off late, especially in the last three decades, Michelins growth has primarily been focussed on motorsports, primarily Le Mans and A1 GP. The primary reason for this focus, as Michelin puts it, is to help develop better tyres for street cars and motorbikes alike. This has proved to be of some substance with Michelin coming up with continual augmentations being made to tyres already being produced. With a decade of research and few tweaks, Michelin has managed to improve its Energy Saver tyres, which reduce fuel consumption by 0.2 litres per 100 Kilometres, and consequently reduce CO2 emissions by up to 4 grams per kilometre. Another innovation which the company is working on is the ‘Tweel’. The Tweel is a replacement for the very invention that took Michelin from Zero to Hero, the Radial tyre. The Tweel is made out of rubber and doesn’t need any air; instead the spokes of the wheel twist and bend as opposed to staying fixed solid. This not only allows for a more comfortable ride as the surface area of the tyre and the wheel are incorporated, but also allows for more flexibility and of course, punctures will be history once this tyre is put into use. These are just few of the many innovations Michelin is working on, which is why it features on the Forbes 100 list of companies that will survive a 100 years. Another reason why Michelin features on the Forbes 100 list is probably that they’re not afraid to admit failure and pull out of a non-profitable or unviable business. They did so with both Formula 1 and MotoGP because they understood that their products weren’t competent enough to go head to head with the master of all circuit racing tyres, Bridgestone. They do, however, still supply tyres to A1 GP and a host of other races where they know they have the cost advantage. This also is conceivably Michelins Achilles heel. Simply because they could not match the functional superiority of Bridgestone, they packed their bags and bid adieu as opposed to developing their product to meet the rigorous requirements of the pinnacle motorsport divisions. 

Michelins success, at least the way I see it, can be attributed to innovation, and by innovation, I refer specifically to those which were required by the market. The fact that Michelin have been able to sustain their spot in the global tyre market, even when competitors with differentiated, and sometimes superior, products have come in to snatch away segments of the market, is a symbol of their unwavering spirit to succeed, which has primarily been done through a deep, clear understanding of market trends and providing what actually mattered, as opposed to anything out of the sandbox. Whether it’s the Energy Saver Tyres, or the Tweel or the ActiveWheel, they are all innovations which have purely been derived out of the need of the market, and not as an attempt to display technological or operational superiority. Michelin, hence, can, and will, survive over a hundred years, because they don’t just change the rules of the game, they change the entire game.

References:

http://www.michelin.com

http://www.michelinman.com

http://www.michelin-passion.com/passion/home/en/home.jsp?lang=EN

http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/28/long-lived-companies-leadership_0128_sustainability.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelin

I was wandering out of work practically dancing for joy as I have a week off to relax and chill after a hectic few months, so I go to my bike parked in the car park.. I start her up to get the engine warm, put on my crash helmet and my gloves and on I get..

I grab hold of the bars and go to paddle her backwards out of my parking space… and nothing…. She’s not moving at all…

So I push a little harder… Still nothing… No movement at all..

WTF!!! I think to myself…

I get off thinking there’s summat preventing one or other of the wheels moving and notice I’ve got a flippin flat tyre

I go back to work, swearing my head off (as you do on occasions such as this!) and announce that I’m not going anywhere.. My boss very kindly offers me a lift home, via Kings at Kidlington to pick up my boyfriends birthday present and I make it home..

When my boyfriend goes back to the office to pick a few things up later he takes a look at my tyre and notices I have a rusty screw poking a good 2″ out of my tyre!

So now I’m at home, my bike is 20 miles away in the garage at the yard and now I have to somehow get her home to our local shop to get the tyre sorted out..

I’m not impressed..

Bloody Friday the 13ths!!

I flippin hate them!!!