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 iphone or nexus 1 Has Google copied the i Phone with the Nexus One? Judge for yourself. They say in business that organisations should not be ashamed to copy good ideas as no one entity has a monopoly on inspiration. The iPhone is the greatest phenomena in this space since the Nokia 6110. When you are travelling the functionality of your communication device is extremely important and these devices do not disappoint with longer battery life, large storage capacities, cameras, WiFi, GPS, internet, email….. Nexus One
iPhone
Which do you prefer?
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Salmon are native to the world’s two largest oceans and the rivers draining into them. The Atlantic Ocean has only one species, the Atlantic salmon and in the Pacific Ocean there are several species: pink salmon, chum, sockeye, coho, chinook and amago. All salmon spawn naturally in freshwater typically in the headwater and tributary streams of rivers. The migration to suitable habitat may commence up to a year before spawning takes place in the autumn and winter with salmon ceasing to feed and directing all their energy instead to reproduction. Usually the female salmon will excavate a depression in the gravel with her tail, and deposit her eggs into this. One or more males discharge sperm over the falling eggs to fertilize. The eggs are then covered with gravel to a depth of several centimetres by the female. The parents then leave the eggs in the nest or “redd”. The ova begin developing right after fertilization, and will hatch after about 180 days. The just-hatched fish are called alevins. Once they begin to swim freely (three to six weeks after hatching), they are called fry. Fry quickly develop into parr and feed on aquatic insects and grow for one to three years in their stream. Once the parr have grown to 10–24 cm in body length, they undergo a physiological pre-adaptation to life in seawater while still in freshwater, by smolting. In spring, smolts leave rivers and go to the rich feeding grounds of the Ocean where they feed primarily on fish.
Some salmon, called grilse will reach maturity after one year at sea and return to their river in summer weighing from 1 to 4 kg. Salmon exhibit a remarkable homing instinct, by which a very high proportion are able to locate their river of origin using the earth’s magnetic field, the chemical smell of their river and pheromones. A journey of up to 5,000 km makes salmon “the king of fish”. Salmon are an elusive and complicated quarry for the angler and their behavior can be greatly affected by many factors, including the season, the prevailing weather conditions or even the time of day. It has been established that salmon do not feed in freshwater and so the reason why they are tempted to take bait or a well presented fly seems to be down to curiosity or annoyance. The longer they sit in freshwater the less inclined they are to take a bait. This is why freshwater salmon fishing is so challenging and also so rewarding. When salmon move into freshwater in the colder months of the season, they often progress slowly up rivers. However, as the water temperature rises, this is reflected in the salmon’s metabolism and they become more active. For salmon anglers who fly fish the key water temperature is 7C/45F. Below this temperature one should fish a sunk fly and above this temperature salmon will move to one fished on a floating line. This is also true for other forms of salmon angling and the old adage would be ‘when cold, fish slow and deep. During the summer the best taking times for salmon are very early in the morning and the last thing at night.
The classic way to fish for salmon is with the fly. A river current will impart movement to the fly and most loughs fish best when there is a good wave. Dapping natural insects is a popular form of lough fishing from a boat. A long light rod (at least 14ft) and a blow line are used. An echo sounder is a useful aid on the larger loughs. The equipment is used primarily to ascertain depth, and to locate fish and the depth they are feeding at. Spinning for salmon can be a very effective method when conditions suit. In heavy water it may also be the only realistic option to take a fish. The main bait fishing techniques are shrimp/prawn and worming.
Salmon like cool water temperatures with quickly moving rivers and many hiding places and the annual salmon run is a good time to fish for them. When you are going to fish make sure you are familiar with the fishing area where you are going to fish and know where the salmon gather. When you are casting your line, do it quickly, cleanly and don’t make a large disturbance on the water. The fishing spot should not be in the blazing sunlight since the salmon like cool temperatures and will retreat to shady places or deep down under logs or other natural hiding places. Try to aim the lure so it will be near the fish, but not too close as not to startle them. Try to fish for the salmon you can see instead of for the ones that you can’t. Then you can react faster to a bite and will have a better chance of landing the catch. If you are fly fishing, let the fly float freely, let it look natural and don’t repeat the same pattern over and over. The salmon needs to think the fly is a real one, and unpredictable. Make sure the fly goes directly over the fish to taunt him into biting. Make sure that you don’t fish when the sun is directly overhead since the fish will have much trouble seeing the fly. The best time would be near dusk or dawn, when the sun lights up the fly and the fish will be hungry for a snack. If you loose sight of the fly, make a new cast, since you will need to keep track of where it is to make it look realistic and to successfully lure the salmon. If the fish doesn’t bite after a while, try to use a different lure or fly and don’t jerk the fly or lure when you see the salmon going for a bite. Keep acting natural, since often catches can be lost if a person reacts with panic and give the line a jerk. Make sure that you have sure footing where you are casting from since the salmon tend to be avid fighters once they are caught and you will need all the advantages you can get. Once you have a bite, tire the fish out by keeping some tension on the rod and line. When the fish runs, let him, but don’t let the line go slack as the fish can break free in this situation. This will tire him out in time. Tight lines!
The salmon is perfectly wonderful simply grilled and otherwise unadulterated. Measure the thickest part of the salmon and cook for 10 minutes per 2.5 cm (1 inch) if the fish is fresh or fully thawed, the secret is not to overcook wild salmon. Then let it rest off the heat for up to 5 minutes, loosely tented with foil. This will allow the fish to continue cooking and the juices to settle, ensuring a moist and tender texture. The first issue is your steed.
The fancy motorcycle for zipping around town at speed or in style may not be the best motorcycle to go touring with. We have two main categories here; fast sports bikes and stylish bikes such a Harley’s and the like.
The problem with fast sports bikes is that they are built for speed not comfort. Your body is molded to the shape of the bike and not the other way around. They will be very uncomfortable if you need to cover large distances of hundreds of miles in a day. Secondly they can be quite thirsty on fuel requiring many pit stops thus breaking your stride too much. Thirdly sports bikes are often very highly tuned and maintenance can be an issue. Storage can be an issue for long trips and you may need to fit everything into a small haversack. These bikes are fine for day trips but can be difficult companions for longer trips.
Stylish cruisers are wonderful works of art and are great for posing on a Sunday afternoon. However they normally have teardrop fuel tanks that need to be refilled every 80-90 miles, a problem of you need to cover up to 1,000 miles in a day. Handling can be a problem on some of these machines when you go exploring minor roads. Chains, sprockets and belt drives among other things can impact on the machines reliability. Their strength is their v twin engines that produce gentle usable power on sweeping bends.
The ideal touring motorcycle has a v twin engine, maintenance free shaft drive, have a long distance between fuel stops, have lots of storage, a fairing to keep the wind off and a power point for charging mobile phones and satellite navigation systems. It should handle well, not be too heavy and should be capable of cruising at motorway speeds all day long.
The normal rules about travelling light apply. However good protective and rain gear is essential are are proper motorcycle boots. On a very long trip the slightest irritant can assume major importance.
Electronics have made travelling easier a satnav can be of enormous benefit. If you can carry a mobile phone such as an iPhone with internet access you can easily check ferry times, call for help and be contactable (if you want to be).
A few simple maintenance items are useful such as a tire inflater aerosol to get you to the next service station and a basic tool kit with a couple of commonly used spares.
When you survive if you fight quickly and perish if you do not, this is called death ground… Put them in a spot where they have no place to go, and they will die before fleeing. If they are to die there what can they do? Warriors exert their full strength When warriors are in great danger, then they have no fear. When there is nowhere to go, they are firm, when they are deeply involved, they stick to it, If they have no choice, they will fight. Sun Tsu, The Art of War
Over two thousand years ago, the Chinese strategist Sun Tzu…talked of a ‘death ground’, a place where an army is backed up against some geographical feature and has no escape route. Without a way to retreat, Sun Tzu argued, an army fights with double or triple the spirit it would have on open terrain because death is viscerally present. Sun Tzu advocated deliberately stationing soldiers on death ground to give them the desperate edge that makes men fight like the devil. That is what Hernán Cortés did in Mexico, and it is the only sure way to create a real fire in the belly. The ultimate motivator is when we are given no options but fight or die. Let’s use that in everyday life? There is a point when we are faced with either success or annihilation. Fortunately, or unfortunately, that does not happen to us often. But when it does there is no question that we will bring all our resources to bare to create the outcome we want. It’s name, “The Death Ground”, comes from military strategists who intentionally put their forces in positions where they must fight or die. In those moments a soldier has only one action that they must perform and they do it with full commitment. If only we could live every moment with such commitment. A sense of urgency comes from a powerful connection to the present. Instead of dreaming of a rescue or hoping for a better future, you have to face the issue at hand. Fail and you perish. People who involve themselves completely in the immediate problem are intimidating. Because they are focusing so intensely, they seem more powerful than they are. Their sense of urgency multiplies their strength and gives them momentum.
How often have you put yourself on “The Death Ground” to get what you want? Most of us live like sheep, not soldiers, when it comes to our goals and desires. We hope what we do will have an effect instead of determining that it must and will help us. In the moments we stand on the Death Ground we decide on an outcome instead of hope for it. Failure is not an option. It is one of our greatest moments of power. Ironically, soldiers who have survived living on the “Death Ground” they often report it was one of the rare moments of their lives when they felt most alive! You must locate the root of your problem. It is not the people around you, it is yourself and the spirit with which you face the world. In the back of your mind you keep an escape route, a crutch, something to turn to if things go bad. Maybe it is a some wealthy relative you can count on to buy your way out. Maybe it is some grand opportunity on the horizon, the endless vistas of time that seem to be before you. Maybe it is a familiar job or a comfortable relationship that is always there if you fail…You may see this as a blessing, but in fact, it is a curse. It divides you. Because you think you have options you never involve yourself completely enough in one thing to do it thoroughly, and you never quite get what you want. Sometimes you need to leave yourself just one option: succeed or go down. Make it as real as possible. Get rid of your safety net. Sometimes you have to become a little desperate to get anywhere. The world is ruled by necessity. People change their behavior only if they have to. They will feel urgency only if their lives depend on it. Death ground is a psychological phenomenon that goes well beyond the battlefield. It is any set of circumstances in which you feel enclosed and without options. There is very real pressure at your back and you cannot retreat. Time is running out. Failure, a form of psychic death, is staring you in the face. You must act, or suffer the consequences. The trick is to use this effect deliberately from time to time, to practice it on yourself as a kind of wake up call. The following actions are designed to put you on a psychological death ground. Reading and thinking about them won’t work. You must put them into effect. They are forms of pressure to apply to yourself. Depending on whether you want a low intensity jolt for regular use or a real shock, you can turn the level up or down: the scale is up to you.
How can you create a “Death Ground” in your daily life?
Of course there is a downside you might not make it but you will know that you have definitely given it your best shot!
The marathon is a long-distance race with an official distance of 42.195 kilometers (26 miles 385 yards) that is usually run as a road race. The event is named after the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens. The marathon was one of the original modern Olympic events in 1896, though the distance did not become standardized until 1921. More than 800 marathons are contested throughout the world each year, with the vast majority of competitors being recreational athletes. Larger marathons can have tens of thousands of participants. Running a marathon can be extremely rewarding. It represents a personal challenge for all participants. World all-time top ten listsAccording to IAAF statistics, the following men and women are among the top ten fastest at the marathon distance.
Most participants do not run a marathon to win. More important for most runners is their personal finish time and their placement within their specific gender and age group, though some runners just want to finish. Another goal is to break certain time barriers. For example, recreational first-timers often try to run the marathon under four hours; more competitive runners may attempt to finish under three hours.
The long run is an important element in marathon training. Recreational runners commonly try to reach a maximum of about 20 miles (32 kilometres) in their longest weekly run and a total of about 40 miles (64 kilometres) a week when training for the marathon, but wide variability exists in practice and in recommendations. More experienced marathoners may run a longer distance, and more miles/kilometres during the week. Greater weekly training mileages can offer greater results in terms of distance and endurance, but also carry a greater risk of training injury.Most male elite marathon runners will have weekly mileages of over 100 miles (160 kilometers). Many training programs last a minimum of five or six months, with a gradual increase (every two weeks) in the distance run and finally a little decrease (1 to 3 weeks) for recovery. The decrease, commonly called the taper, should last a minimum of two weeks and a maximum of three weeks, according to most trainers. For beginners wishing to merely finish a marathon, a minimum of 4 months of running 4 days a week is recommended. Many trainers recommend a weekly increase in mileage of no more than 10%. It is also often advised to maintain a consistent running program for six weeks or so before beginning a marathon training program to allow the body to adapt to the new stresses. Overtraining is a condition that results from not getting enough rest to allow the body to recover from stressful training. It can result in lowered endurance and speed and place a runner at a greater risk of injury. A typical training schedule will build up mileage over time. A typical example is as per below: Mileage Buildup Schedule (Schedule I)
At the conclusion of week 19, assuming that you’ve made it through the mileage buildup stage without injury, you are now ready to proceed to the Marathon Training Schedule 2. (Schedule II)
Many marathon runners also “carbohydrate – load” (increase carbohydrate intake while holding total caloric intake constant) during the week before the marathon to allow their bodies to store more glycogen. Carbohydrates that a person eats are converted by the liver and muscles into glycogen for storage. Glycogen burns quickly to provide quick energy. Runners can store about 8 MJ or 2,000 kcal worth of glycogen in their bodies, enough for about 30 km/18–20 miles of running. Many runners report that running becomes noticeably more difficult at that point. When glycogen runs low, the body must then burn stored fat for energy, which does not burn as readily. When this happens, the runner will experience dramatic fatigue and is said to “hit the wall”. Carbohydrate-based “energy” gels are used by runners to avoid or reduce the effect of “hitting the wall”, as they provide easy to digest energy during the run. Energy gels usually contain varying amounts of sodium and potassium and some also contain caffeine. They need to be consumed with a certain amount of water. Athletes should also ensure that they are fully hydrated before the race. Light stretching before the race is believed by many to help keep muscles limber. Coaches recommend trying to maintain as steady a pace as possible when running a marathon. Some advise novice runners to start out slower than their average goal pace to save energy for the second half of the race (negative splits). As an example, the first five to eight miles (8–13 km) might be run at a pace 15–20 seconds per mile slower than the target pace for later.
The body mass index (BMI) or Quetelet index, is a statistical measurement which compares a person’s weight and height. Though it does not actually measure the percentage of body fat, it may be a useful tool to estimate a healthy body weight based on how tall a person is. Due to its ease of measurement and calculation, it is the most widely used diagnostic tool to identify weight problems within a population, usually whether individuals are underweight, overweight or obese. Body mass index is defined as the individual’s body weight divided by the square of his or her height.
The formulae universally used in medicine produce a unit of measure of kg/m2. BMI can also be determined using a BMI chart, which displays BMI as a function of weight (horizontal axis) and height (vertical axis) using contour lines for different values of BMI or colours for different BMI categories.
BMI calculation uses a mathematical formula that takes into account both a person’s height and weight. Everyone is different, it is many experts opinion in the health industry that the BMI calculator formula used to calculated your correct weight for height is a rough guidline. There are many factors involved and BMI fails to discriminate between fat, muscle and age meaning the result is always slightly inaccurate.
ImperialMetric
On a Thursday in early August 2008 I left the midlands of Ireland to go on a bike trip. My steed was a 2004 Honda Deauville, a 650 cc shaft driven V twin. This is not a very fancy motorcycle but is ultra reliable with lots of packing spaces and is comfortable over long distances. I would suggest using the higher fairing windscreen though as there can be constant wind pressure on the head area.
Got to Dublin ferry port in plenty of time for the 2:30 pm sailing to Hollyhead in west Wales. It had been a very wet summer in Ireland so I thought I would keep heading south until it got warmer.
On arrival in Wales I drove to Liverpool in the pouring rain. Most of Britain was suffering from the same climate as Ireland. There is a diagonal line that crosses Western Europe the position of which varies from year to year. Above this line the weather is mostly unsettled and colder while below in is settled and warmer. This year it has stayed near the south east coast of Britain.
I decided to keep going and got a little bit towards Birmingham on the M6 and camped in the services area off the motorway with trucks pulling in and out all night. Next morning got up at dawn and got a gross breakfast in McDonald’s and headed south. By 9 am I am circa 75 miles from London and it is still lashing rain. Got on to the M25 around London and later crossed the Thames Bridge up into the sky. By lunchtime I am at a services area near Maidstone in Kent and the first bit of sun I’ve seen. At 4 pm I am waiting to get on the channel tunnel train. There is a British couple with an immaculate Honda Goldwing with every possible accessory and all sorts of exotic machinery here. It is warm now and I am for the first time in a T shirt. I travelled across to Calais on the train lashing rain again, soaked again, lost count of the number of times that this has happened on this trip.
70 miles down the A 16 motorway to the Baie de Somme motorway service area, the site of the battle of the Somme where my granddad fought in the trenches in World War 1. This innovative, environmentally friendly area has some pleasant surprises in store for you, duck and fish ponds surround its elegant wood and glass buildings, overlooking vistas typical of the Baie de Somme. I camped there and explored this site the next morning. I had forgotten how beautiful France can be and how civilized.
It is dry and sunny for the first time since leaving Ireland so I travelled into the centre of Amiens to experience a new French city. Nice easy going town with river fishing, street markets and classic architecture. Amiens cathedral a world heritage site is the tallest of the large classic gothic churches of the 13th century and is the largest in France of its kind. The detail all over this building left me awestruck.
I travelled onwards across northern France towards the West and then crossed an impressive bridge The Pont de Normandy, over the Seine estuary.
France is well served with motorways some of which are tolled. This makes it possible to maintain a high average speed. So it was onwards towards Rouen across Normandy towards Rennes. My family name is Reynolds and we originally came to Ireland in the Norman invasions in the twelfth century, so in a way it was like coming home. However mistakenly, the Normans were believed to be of French origin but, more correctly, they were Vikings. These Vikings landed in the Orkneys and Northern Scotland about the year 870 A.D. and they invaded France about 911 A.D. I travelled onwards down the West coast of France Nantes, La Rochelle and Bordeaux 150 – 170 miles (up to 300 km) between petrol refills. I covered a lot of miles quickly because I was on a mission to try and come to terms with events that had occurred more than 40 years earlier. I was heading for the Pyrenees on a voyage of self discovery. Relentlessly onwards towards the city of Pau off motorways for the first time passing lots of foie gras specialists and beautiful French forested countryside. From here through narrow urban streets towoards the Catholic shrine of Lourdes at the foot of the Pyrenees. Following the claims that there were apparitions Our Lady of Lourdes to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858, Lourdes has developed into a major place of Christian pilgrimage.
My reason for going there was to visit my mother. In 1964 she was 39 years old and suffering from Leukemia a cancer of the blood or bone marrow. Being a devout catholic she travelled to Lourdes with my dad in the hope of being cured. She did not make it and was laid to rest in the Irish section of the cemetry in Lourdes. My dad boarded the plane to return home to Ireland alone. An American guy felt sorry for him and gave him a bottle of whiskey, half of which he consumed on the journey back. He returned home alone to raise five young children and our lives were never quite the same again. I did the shrine thing, the grotto and marveled at the large trout in the river. In the afternoon I made it to the grave and was completely overcome with emotion and a total mess for about twenty minutes. I talked to my mom, told her about my life, wished for something (that subsequently happened) and forgave her for one bad early memory I had. She couldn’t have chosen a more beautiful spot to be laid to rest underneath the beautiful Pyrenees. I travelled onwards towards Beziers where my son was working as a chef at a holiday resort near Valras Plage spent some time with him and then headed up through the mountain range towards Clermont Ferrand through beautiful sweeping bends and wonderful scenery.
Then I travelled onwards to Brittany to visit my sister who was holidaying there. Next day I got the ferry from Cherburg to Rosslare overnight and drove home. There is something about travelling alone on a motorcycle. Its just you and the open road and if you are camping you don’t have a lot of human interaction. There are no distractions like radio, TV or internet so you have loads of time to think and review your life, something spiritual happens in the most unlikely places. In the modern world many holidays are planned in great detail and packaged up so that there are no surprises. Many people like to have all of their ducks in line. This approach is anathema to me. I believe a holiday should be and adventure, a voyage of self discovery, you interacting with the environment to take you somewhere you are only dimly aware of. Whatever does this for you be it motorcycling, skiing, hang gliding…have an adventure that is yours alone and don’t be paraded around on a tour bus like livestock. The planet is our playground, our educator, our responsibility and our life. |
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Many motorway service areas in Europe have camping areas for camper vans and tents and you can sleep in the environment that you are travelling in. A small tent and sleeping bag are easily packable. Your motorcycle should be fully serviced prior to the trip.
Travelling in groups can provide a sense of security should anything go wrong. The down side is you may tend to travel too fast and there may be conflicting interests. It is entirely possible to travel alone. Finally allow plenty of time for your trip and be flexible with your schedule as you never know what you may come across along the way.
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