What I think about while I'm cycling . . .

Just reading "Murakami's" "What I talk about when I talk about running" and enjoying it immensely.

I try and mix up my reading with a bit of fiction, biography, educational, swapping alternatively to keep the interest levels up.

Every so often a book gets read at just the right time, I've just finished Wilfred Thesiger's "Marsh Arabs", which although interesting I was looking forward to moving on and it was no reflection of the book itself. I just wasn't what I was needing to read at the time.

"What I talk about when I talk about running" is timed to perfection. Over the last 8 months I've been workingto regain my fitness I had in my younger years and I have just reached a point when I am happy to call myself fit.

Murakami covers his path to writing, through jazz bars etc and then I finds the running he takes up helps him adapt to his new career choice. Falling almost in line with my recent career change and my progress back to fitness.

I've always been a big adovocate of fit body, fit mind and feel I am getting back to where I was a few years back, with a new lease of life in my career I felt invigorated and passionate about work again, something I've not felt for years. Now with my fitness returning I am actually starting to feel years come off my age.

But the real interest I find with Murakami's account of his life is the solitude he seeks when running and how this has helped him. This is something I seek in both my running, cycling and when out in mountains in general. It's a defrag of my mental hard drive, a resorting of unnecessary information and filing into the depths of my mind, whilst at the same time running over items of interest that I have active in my mind that might develop into projects for the future.

My hat off to you for your "as it is" account Haruki, perhaps if your passing the Peak District you can drop in for a run, but don't expect me to say much.

So Where Are We . . . ?

Probably going to be another quick post again, life seems so unrelenting at the moment, I suspect it might stay like this until our kids reach the age of about 30 . . . Anyway its all good at the moment.

I'm in a new job, which is great, working for agency out of Manchester called Elevator Digital and loving it. A predominately .NET agency so a new technology for me, but I've worked with Microsoft for so many years its all seems like an old friend.

The works good and varied, with it being a relatively small agency I am getting busy with all sorts, which at the moment is the way I'd prefer it. Briefs, tenders, bit's of CSS, design, client liaison, you get the picture . . .

In the meantime I've been doing some interesting background reading about human networks, after reading this interesting article about the "Tipping Point" and super influencers or Uber-Influencers as I like to call them.

It infers that there are individuals who are so in-tune with their social group that others turn to them for ideas and acceptance of what's the next big thing, the idea being that marketeers can then harness their potential to unleash a new brand or idea/trend and it will be picked up virally by others.

The article itself introduces a sceptical take on this devised and researched by a guy called Duncan Watts, a mathematician who has spent sometime researching and trying to prove the tipping point argument right or wrong.

I've got to say I'm in agreement with Duncan's finding so far. I've ordered his 6 degree's book to read further on the matter.

Like Duncan I do agree that there can be uber-influencers that can have a substantial affect on how a concept or product is adopted, but that this is not the only factor.

Tipping point famously talks of the adoption of Hush Puppies by uber-influencers and then how they then went on to out sell many much more established brands by the fact they had been worn by a number of uber-influencers and so been deemed as "cool", but I wonder and Watt's findings support this, had the uber-influencers been wearing clogs would they have become quite so popular?

I don't disagree that the market/popular thought/paradigm can be influenced by certain individuals that might speak/wear/buy things and everyone else watches and follows, or at least a large number do. But its just not that simple, it has to be at the right time and the right product, it can't just be anything.

Anyway, perhaps Watts himself is becoming an influencer and he's just got me at the right time, either way I'll read what he has to say and perhaps come back here and share my findings.

Well, the suns shining again here so I am going to don my running shoes and go for a fell run with the dog . . . laters.

Toy ducks

Short and brief today, lots of things to write about at the moment, it's just finding the time as they are coming thick and fast.

For one, I've got a new job and start there on Tuesday July 1st and for the first time in a long time, I can't wait to start there . . . more on this soon.

Right, food for thought, why are toy ducks always yellow with red beaks?

Worlds Biggest Killer

For this next post I am returning to something already visited in my blog, road traffic accidents.

This has been brought on by exposure to another catalogue of incidents and I can only see these increasing in our lifetimes.

I was reading one of the Sunday papers the other week and came across an article relating to a WHO (World Health Organisation) report on road traffic accidents that had identified that RTA's were the biggest killer in the world for the age group under 25. With nearly 400,000 young people killed a year it is far higher that AIDS or any other disease and that figure doesn't include those that survive with disabilities.

Later this week I read that one of Liverpool FC's academy hopefuls was involved in a car accident which sadly two of the other passengers died in and one other is still in intensive care.

Then just this morning I read of an accident near my home village that has killed 4 and seriously injured 2 others.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all involved in road traffic accidents and hope that the survivors make a full recovery.

When I had my last accident, a Police office corrected me when I used the term RTA, they no longer call them RTA's but now called them RTI (Road Traffic Incident) which I saw as a positive step. This was because most incidents were caused by something, they weren't just accidents. I don't know the details of either of the above mentioned collisions and therefore I am not inferring anything to those particular cases.

But the two I have been involved in from my knowledge were not accidents, somebody took and action that caused the collision. This action might have been tuning the radio or answering your mobile, or talking to someone in the rear of the car, it doesn't have to be overtaking or some other more dangerous action.

We all seem to think that it will never happen to us, until it does . . .

Cars are inherently dangerous, large over 1 ton objects that can travel at speeds of over 100mph. Would you answer your mobile while pointing a gun at a stranger or look over your shoulder while taking aim? That's effectively what you are doing. I still see some many people talking on their mobiles while driving, but don't worry they're good drivers and nothing will ever happen to them.

Yesterday a watched a women coming through the lights on Eccleshall Road, Sheffield in her large Mercedes 4x4 nonchalantly chatting away on her mobile while negotiating a corner onto a dual carriageway with traffic lights, but don't worry she's a good driver, we're all safe. I see drivers driving down slip roads onto the motorway while chatting on their mobiles, but don't worry it won't happen to them. For want of a better description, all of these people are idiots risking my life and the life of all those around them for the sake of a phone call, yes you madame in your Mercedes 4x4 you're an idiot, you may look smart and intelligent and hold down a cushy job, but to me that's all you are, an idiot.

One of my friends stated something the other day that rang so true that I thought I would share it with you, he said "in years to come they'll look back on this era with horror, I mean what madman would drive around in a metal box, passing other people in metal boxes at combined speeds of up to 120mph with only centimetres between them, protected only by an air bag and seatbelt?"

Pay attention while you drive, it could only be a short time you are in the car, but it could affect the rest of your life and several others that you have never met.

Old School . . .

Whilst making a delicious Sumatran lamb curry (if I do say so myself) last night I decided to plug in my headphones and let my i-pod do the entertaining.

It's been a long time since I listened to music through headphones and I'd forgot just how good it is. It had me reminiscing in no time, playing an old playlist of mine with lots of oldish electro.

The likes of the fantastic Yulquen - Autechre, Ptolemy - Aphex, Yak - Plaid and Psychodelik - LFO graced my ears for the first time in a while and what tunes they are.

I was "big" into my electro during my Uni years and for several years after, well I still am but there isn't as much stuff of this ilk being produced any more and I have lost touch with the music scene.

Touring the country to visit nights and small festivals like the one in Wales where I hitched to with my younger brother. What a weekend, the hitch hiking was great we got there in no time. The trip back started with a memorable trip in the back of an open backed pickup lying on our backs as we travelled through the local woods, which was great therapy after the weekend we had just encountered. I did a quick search to see if I could find the "do" and found some old photos from the night "Baskerville Hall".

Anyway, I look back on Oscillate nights now with rose tinted glasses, they were fantastic and for just an hour last night while I cooked I felt like I was back there. Perhaps I'll take a trip to the Sheffield LoveBytes festival that was advertised on the Oscillate site and see if fulfils some of the potential that my past experiences still hold.

And the Reds go marching on . . .

Okay, time to reveal some allegiance to my favoured football team, Liverpool.

What a game last night! Non stop action from the start to the finish.

I must admit I was a little bit taken aback by the pace with which Arsenal started the game, but even at this early stage I did wonder how long they could keep that up.

Their passing in the first 25-30 minutes was subliminal, but at the end of the day it's the goals that count and there were plenty of those to talk about.

In the first half the area of the field where we seemed to be losing the ball the most was our powerhouse midfield, our usual area of dominance. But Xabi was off form last night to begin with and it altered the midfield that was supposed to feed the already altered aggressive but odd new front line that included Torres, Kuyt, Crouch and Gerrard all playing attacking roles.

But after the ever youthful Sami scored the goal from the corner, yes Liverpool scored a goal from a corner, it was a different Liverpool that started playing.

Coming on in the second half Arsenal started to show heavy legs after their first half exertions and Liverpool started to show what they do best, which is applying continued pressure.

Torres and Gerrard, who had been almost missing previously due I think partly to the formation, started appearing all over the pitch and showing some of the world class skill that they are capable of.

Torres's goal was sublime, a truly talented individual we have there and I am looking forward to see how he can improve further, yes imagine that!

But then the unimaginable, a goal from Arsenal and a good goal at that, with the fresh legs of Theo Walcott proving unstoppable.

Moments later a penalty, which in itself could have been the talking point of this post, but all I am going to say is that in this game sometimes you get the shout and others you don't, Liverpool have had plenty of decisions not go their way and even if Arsenal had got their penalty last week we would have still qualified 5-4.

Gerrard tucks the penalty away with cool composure and we see a light at the end of a tunnel. Moments later our fresh legs goes on his own one man show by running the length of the pitch, but goes one better than Walcotts effort earlier by scoring the goal himself. Ryan Babel is an act to watch in the coming seasons, I expect great things from him.

All in all a great night of football and we are back to Stamford Bridge for the 3rd Semi-Final in 4 years. Bring on Moscow I say!

Spring is in the air . . .

Whilst out walking Dylan our Springer Spaniel in Froggatt woods wearing shorts the other day, it was hard to deny Spring was well and truly in the air. I'm not saying that winter might not have one more bite left in it yet, just that Spring has taken command.

The Silver Birch that dominate the woods were slowly coming into bud and even the later budding Beech was showing signs of finally dropping all of its last season golden crop of leaves.

I wasn't shocked to see that I wasn't the only fool hardy idiot out walking in shorts, in fact I passed several and it was because the air was so undeniably warm. If this evidence wasn't substantial enough, as I came down from my walk back to Grindleford I passed my first grass cutter of the year, obviously wanting to start with the official start of British Summer Time.

I always find it a wonderful time when you start to see the seasons change, which ever they may be. But I think Spring has to top the season changes, when it come to what a new season may hold, there is something so expectant about it. Winter draws to a conclusion slowly, still leaving the odd frost well after we have all started wearing t-shirts (if not shorts!), but Spring proffers Summer up, warm nights and lazy weekends warming our cold bodies after the dank Winters we get in Britain.

The psychological affect it has on you can be astounding, some how all of the worries that have been with you over the Winter months seem to slip into your sub-conscious and you are reborn with this new feeling that everything is going to be all right after all.

It's been nice to really start noticing the smaller components of season change since we left London to live in the country again. Whilst in London you obviously still get the major factors of the air temperature and the hours of daylight, you don't however notice as many of the other factors. The abundance of life is slapping you in the face at this time of year out of the cities, birds everywhere nest making, flower bulbs pushing their way out of the now fully soaked soil. Give it a few more weeks and the Bluebells are going to adorning the wood floor like a fairy carpet here.

With a young child in our family now, it seems to be all that more important to witness these things, I grew up having all of these changes pointed out to me by my parents and they have stayed with me all my life. My wife mocks my boring tirades whilst we are out walking as I point out every detail of nature as we pass, but for me this is what I love about nature, it's detail and it's this detail I now want to share with our daughter in the hope that she too will incorporate it into her vision of the world.

I am currently reading Wildwood - A Journey Through Trees by Roger Deakin, which whilst a somewhat eccentric take on woodland life is a refreshingly detailed account. Someone who truly encapsulates the comings and goings of a woodland environment and their seasonal changes. Some times I feel that in this fast paced modern world, which we all enjoy in different ways, we don't take enough time to notice the details. So next time you are out walking, whether it be in a woodland or even down Charing Cross Road, take a pause and take in some of life's wonderful details.