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The Upside to Business Travel

Many people abhor traveling for business, while some only hate it when they are consistently on the road as a road warrior. They frequently miss home, having their own familiar place to stay, and home cooking. Still, there are a number of tips for the business traveler that can make the best of traveling for business.

Free Fun Travel
Traveling for business can also help increase traveling for pleasure. While flying, staying at hotels, and renting cars one can be collecting loyalty points for future use. This means that one can be traveling for fun with the rewards of their business travel. It is a liberating feeling to walk to an airline counter and cash in some points for a trip to anywhere in the world- Vegas for the weekend or take someone special to Paris.

Travel Perks
Being a frequent traveler with the loyalty programs will have you an established elite traveler in no time. Pay attention to the requirements and do what you can to get elite status as soon as you can. The perks are tremendous with free and sometimes unexpected upgrades. Preference in the check-in lines will make a huge difference when you are pressed for time or dog tired at the end of the day. Preference in check-in/check-out times will be a perk you will use often.

Be In The Now
Every major town will have its unique flavor and will have some tourist must sees. See them when you have down time. When you are constantly on the road it will seem enticing to stay in a hotel room and relax to some TV, but when you do this day after day, town after town no wonder burn-out settles in. Get out and explore, get to know the town, it will undoubtedly help your business in that town to know more about it. Try the specialty foods of the area, stay away from national chains. And if you do find that you travel the same cities consistently, then make it your town. Find some favorite places to eat and entertain yourself, then you can actually look forward to visiting again.

Being able to travel for business is a wonderful opportunity and should not be seen as a burden. Changing of the attitude may be as simple as looking to the pluses and not focusing on the negatives of frequent travel.

Do Not Let Business Travel Disrupt Your Fitness

You have your ticket, you are packed, and the airport van is picking you up for your next business trip. Leaving Sunday afternoon and returning Friday evening has become routine over the last couple of years. You ran your errands and spent time with the family. You managed a brief workout early Saturday morning so you could attend the kid’s soccer games and birthday parties. Business travel is difficult. Lately you are feeling your clothes tightening around your waste. It has not gotten to the point of buying new clothes, yet. Ask yourself if this sounds familiar. There are more and more business professionals challenged with stressful jobs compounded by stressful travel. Surely, this takes a toll on the family and personal life[1], but even more important it could be destroying your health. When your health is gone, your family and job is in jeopardy.

Health and fitness for traveling business professionals is a serious concern, “But it is also a source of a variety of stresses, often overlooked or denied by both organizations and travelers themselves. The World Bank, studying its own travelers, discovered that both their physical and mental health-care claims were significantly greater than those of nontravelers.“[2] The typical executive travels 3-5 days per week. They eat ninety-five percent of their meals in airports, restaurants, or fast food establishments. They eat late while entertaining clients. Most of them do not exercise on the road even though gyms are available in hotels. In addition, most traveling business professionals do not get the deep sleep they need. Any medical professional, or fitness expert, will tell you this lifestyle is a recipe for disaster.

There are several resources offering ways to eat right and workout while traveling.[3] Videos abound on exercises you can use while traveling.[4] Still with all this information available, the vast majority of business travelers fail to eat right and workout on the road. Why is this? The problem is more behavior than access to good food and workout facilities. The solution is more education about fitness, not more facilities, workouts, and supplements. People who understand “why” about anything tend to accept and change more than those who do not take the time to understand a subject. Think about this principal. Continuing education is designed to make you more proficient at your job. The more you know and experience the more valuable you become to your employer. Your self-worth and self-esteem increases. This is true when it comes to fitness. The difference is you are your own boss. Here lies the root cause of the problem. If fitness is not a priority in your life, you have too many irons in the fire, you are stretched thin, and now your travel time takes up twenty percent of your waking hours, then you will put fitness on the back burner. The next thing you know you are twenty-five pounds heavier, your body fat percent is nearing obesity, and you have little energy at the end of the workday. At this point, your doctor informs you that your blood pressure is elevating and recommends blood pressure medicine.

A CEO who has all the distractions mentioned earlier recognizes the problem, does not drop everything, and still attacks the specific problem. They would contract a professional, e.g. lawyer, CPA, or consultant to help them filter through all the information and establish a good plan to attack the problem. These professionals allow the CEO to attack the problem while dealing with all the distractions, and still achieve his/her goals. The traveling businessperson should have the same approach to solving their fitness problem. Their professional is a private personal trainer, or fitness consultant.

Private personal trainers have the ability to provide you the right amount of information you need at the time you need it without you spending large amounts of time researching nutrition or exercise routines. They have the ability to assess your current fitness level then design a nutritional and exercise program that works for you. In addition, they can continually assess you, and make changes that will allow you to progress. Good private personal trainers have the ability to council behavior as well as design programs. They hold their clients accountable the same way a CEO uses a consultant to help them maintain accountability for a strategy. In most cases, a private personal trainer is more expensive than a gym personal trainer, but offer services that are more customized and personal. They are normally much less expensive than business consultants. You should consider a private personal trainer as an investment not an expense, the same way a CEO considers a consultant as an investment. So if you are traveling how can a private personal trainer help? You sure are not going to pay them to travel with you. The good news is technology helps to solve this problem.

Today private personal trainers have a wealth of technology available to them to help resolve the two biggest problems preventing fitness while traveling, i.e. education and accountability. Private personal trainers normally have their own web site. This web site provides the tools necessary to help their traveling client. Let us review a few tools that provide a near personal training experience on the road for a fraction of the cost.

  1. You have access to articles, other web sites, and educational material on your personal trainer’s web site. Your personal trainer can provide information based on your level of fitness. In other words, they provide the right information at the right time. You are not wasting time.
  2. Your personal trainer can provide a private login on their web site that has all your information, e.g. measurements, training schedule, exercise videos, meal programs, etc. This section of their web site is password protected for your privacy. Google documents offer great tools for this type of interface.
  3. Accountability is available with the use of Google’s calendar and SMS notifications. SMS messages are pre-assigned via the Google calendar for clients. They receive alerts on their phone saying to snack, complete a workout, etc. Business travelers have the ability to respond through SMS text messaging, email, or a phone call letting the trainer know what they have eaten, or that they completed their workout routine. If not contacted the trainer will follow-up. This happens no matter where the business travelers, or the trainer, are in the world.
  4. Clients can sign-up on
  5. It is less than $10.00 per month and offers the ability to track and monitor nutrition, activities, journals, and moods. By providing their trainer access, the trainer can track all activity 24/7. This combines nutrition, exercise, and behavior extremely well. This provides the trainer the information needed to council clients through a variety of virtual techniques, e.g. SMS texting, web site response, email, phone call, or SKYPE.
  6. Skype, Google Video Talk, and other video conferencing tools allow clients to schedule times with their trainer in order for the trainer to view the business traveler’s workout. This is convenient if they are working out in a hotel room.
  7. Finally, it is important to meet at least once a week when possible with your personal trainer face-to-face to celebrate your progress, establish new measurements, and set new goals.

This type of professional and private personal training is available to travelers. One company providing this service is Strategy for Fitness(TM). Overcoming a lack of education and accountability will be a big step to improving your fitness level. These services are an investment in your life. You have someone who is interested in your health and wellness and can counsel you on an ongoing basis no matter where you are. Using technology reduces your overall cost for personal training. Accountability is a powerful motivator. Trainers can hold business travelers accountable through advanced technology services. Do not let excuses become a barrier to improving your fitness while you travel. There are no excuses.

[1] Espino, C, Sundstrom S, Frick H, Jacobs M, Peters, M, “International Business Travel: impact on families and travelers”. Occupational and Environmental Med Medicine. January 11, 2010 .

[2] James Striker, Lennart Dimberg, Bernhard H Liese, “Stress and business travel: Individual, managerial, and corporate concerns”. Journal of Organizational Excellence Vol. 20 Issue 1 pages 3-10. January 11, 2010

What I Can Teach You About Houses

Benefits Of Roof Inspections The the process of roof assessment is important for homes and business properties. There are many reasons as to why this is the case ranging from mandatory lending rules, long term investment protection to an individual’s comfort. Some countries have laws to be followed to the letter when one is purchasing or building a house. These rules are more stiff in countries that receive heavy rains mainly hails and snow.This set laws are more strict in the countries that experience heavy precipitation that include snow. Most home owners ensure that roof inspection is done to their buildings and the roof of the building must pass a given test for it to receive certification. In dry regions a roof must have passed the test of inspection before an individual can be loaned money to buy a house. Some insurance companies also demand a roof inspection before they can take a customer. How long a roof can be determined by several factors such as the matter composition of the roof, how it was installed, air circulation, amount of care given to it and the weather of the area. An the excellent roof should not live less than twenty years, but there are roofs made of many advanced materials that can go up to fifty years. Regions that regularly receive snowfalls, must repair their roof after five or ten years even if the roofs have been given an excellent care. A good roof is crucial for an individual’s well-being, safety and investing.. Roofs are very costly materials and it is fair enough that you protect them to last long and roof inspection is a perfect way to help you do that.
Discovering The Truth About Homes
The sole objective of roof inspection is to assess the statues of the roof in terms of quality and integrity. This the procedure also aims at identifying damages in good time before they scale up and demand a lot for rectifying. Through an inspection a house owner will be in apposition to know the current state of the roof, any shortcoming found and the time that repair must be done. A licensed roof inspection company possess various procedures for assessing your roof status without errors. It is not always essential for an inspector to climb on a roof to examine it, on the contrary, most roofing contractors have complex processes, technologies and gadgets that allow them to conduct correct and reliable inspection. Infrared technology is one of the procedures that aids in roof assessment. After one had had an inspection on their roofs one gets calmness knowing that there is no likelihood of problems that will lead to unnecessary costs.Discovering The Truth About Homes

A Simple Plan: Services

Factors to Consider Before Hiring a Tree Service Company Trees are perennial plants that have lengthened stems for holding the leaves and branches. Trees are not only important to human beings but they are also useful to other animals and the environment at large. Other than providing cool areas for recreation and relaxation, trees also create a surrounding with cool and attractive colors of the numerous leaves, as well as blocking unwanted sounds hence reducing noise pollution. In addition, trees purify the air through mean of absorption of contaminant gases such as ammonia and then sieves the particles from the air by catching them on their leaves, moreover, trees improve economic steadiness of a republic by attracting businesses through making people to stays around places that are around trees so as to protect themselves from sun rays. In addition, trees act as landmarks of places thereby giving a place a new identity , provide shelter for animals and other small plants ,providing timber for building of homes and offices, making people together thereby encouraging peace and harmony, preventing water pollution, acting as cure for illnesses by providing medicine, and shielding people from ultra-violet rays from the sun.
If You Think You Get Landscaping, Then Read This
Pruning of trees is recommended especially for trees that are located on electric poles, along or near a property or even those that are planted near residential homes. Therefore, tree pruning improve the health of a tree by extending the life the trees through removal of dead and weak branches before they begin to rot and fall. Trees that are left to grow without being trimmed can grow into power lines thereby leading to a risk of power loss and additional destruction to the line, also tree branches that hang over a house can cause damage when they break and fall into a building as a result of strong winds.
Getting Down To Basics with Landscaping
When a tree owner wants to maintain a tree, it is recommended that they hire tree service technicians who are people who look take care of trees, by looking and curing tree illness and pests through using complex tree climbing methods. There are various questions that tree owners need to get answers before hiring a tree service technician, these include, getting answers on whether the tree technician will provide an up-to-date certificate of insurance and a copy of their work, asking about the credentials, enquiring on a list of referrals from the technician, asking about the method that will be used by the technician in servicing the tree. Moreover, a person needs to ask about the cost estimate of servicing a tree, the duration that the project will take, and also get to know if the tree service company has hired experts in the tree service industry and if they adhere to the rules of the profession.

If You Read One Article About Technicians, Read This One

Things To Take Into Account Before Painting Your Home Or Office. Making the changes in colour of your home or office can make a big impact in the feel of your locale. Painting services are usually provided by a company or individual which charges a small fee. There are varieties of painting services. Painting can be done according to your preference that is it can be the use of specific figures or anything that you want. When offering painting services of the houses and buildings, there is a contract and agreement signed during payment. It is wise to pick from a few contractors that are readily available on the internet. In order to show their accomplishment, they offer sample pictures. You are left to choose on your own the kind of contractor you need. Usually People consider their budget. Therefore it is a good idea to check their estimation for the painting work. The internet is a part of daily life now, and it’s an excellent resource for tracking down a good Painter.
Learning The “Secrets” of Experts
Some variables involved in a painting service include interior painting and exterior painting. Miniatures and artworks are also included in this industry. But focusing on a single topic which is the house or building painting services, elements must be considered. High requirements of enhancing the current paints of cabinets, walls and baseboards are put together with the interior painting.
The Essential Laws of Experts Explained
There are also many different tips to help you find the right painting company. There are particular things that you are required to look for in a good painting company. They have to be licensed, have liability insurance as well as workman’s compensation insurance coverage. A a good company will, also, be bonded which means that the owner and employees have got their fingerprints and personal data on the file with the local police department, and have passed a simple background check. This is extremely important because you are letting strangers, come into your home or on your property and you want to be able to trust them when you’re not around. Before painting, you need to look into your house and make a note of the parts you need them being painted then seek help from the qualified people. It is recommended to use make estimations on the amount of kind of paint you are aiming to use. Noting the required factors can obviously assist you even when you are planning to employ an individual for job. Always remember that it would be much better than you are hands-on regarding repairs and painting services for the betterment of your own house. However, if you choose to do it on your own, you must learn the proper way of doing it.

Finding Ways To Keep Up With Construction

Factors to Consider When Buying a Construction Hauling Truck When having a construction project, most people incur much costs in transport.This is as a result of loose materials that need to be brought or removed from the construction site. Sand, cement, gravel, and stones are some of the major ones. The construction project owner will incur a lot of costs to hire a hauling truck especially if construction takes long periods of time.In such a case, it is advisable to invest in your own dump truck for your construction project.The following are tips for buying the best construction hauling truck. To be able to determine the best type of truck for your project, the size of your construction project matters. It is important to visit a few dealers to view different types of trucks if you don’t have an idea about them. Ensure that you compare the standard, transfer, and side dump trucks, which are different in features. It will be easy for you to decide the best truck for your project after doing a comparison. In addition to this, the truck should be road worthy.This is by checking the safety measures set by the manufacturers in case of an emergency. Additionally, all safety regulations by the federal and state laws should be met.This will avoid getting into trouble with the law and for your own safety too.
What Has Changed Recently With Hauling?
Subsequently, consider the carrying capacity of the truck.It is good to ask the dealers how much the truck is allowed to carry in terms of weight. Failure to comply with this requirement may land you in problems and also poses a risk to the truck. It is important for a truck to have a good turning radius. This comes in handy especially when there is little space for turning and reversing. It is very difficult to maneuver trucks with multiple trailers in a small space.
What Has Changed Recently With Hauling?
The manufacturer of the truck should be considered too. The truck selected should be from a credible manufacturer who has a safety record. For credibility purposes, ask family members or close friends about them.Their dealership should also be located near your project so as to get help when needed.Another important factor to consider is the truck’s fuel consumption. A fuel cost-effective truck is the best to buy. The weight of the truck could also be restricted on certain roads. Due to their weight, they could cause damage to some roads and bridges. The truck should be cost-effective in terms of maintenance. Availability and cost of spare parts should be favorable. Steel suspensions are recommended since they are durable and easily maintained.

Getting To The Point – Patios

Outdoor Kitchens: A Taste of Luxury In many modern homes, you will visit, you will find out that they all have outdoor kitchens. In fact, in some technological countries, this outdoor style has become common among the home owners. If you have a home already and it does not have an outdoor kitchen, you are lucky because you have landed on the best information for you. If you are building a home and wondering how to make use of the left space in your backyard, here is what you need to do. You need to preserve some space to create an outdoor cooking area. After reading this article, you will have gained the reformation advice you need for your kitchen. The first top rated advantage of an outdoor kitchen is entertainment purposes. If you want to have the best entertainment, then look for no other spacious area than that of outdoor cooking. You can never have enough time to chat with your visitors if not sitting around the BBQ sector while chilling for the meals to cook. The congested indoor kitchens will not allow you and your visitors to enjoy your time just as planned. To make it more interesting having the outdoor cooking area, you can add some music; light strings as well are furnishings that suit the outdoors. Many investors have realized that the best way to sell their properties fast is by having houses with kitchens at the outside. You do not expect to sell fast a house that has no unique features that prove to the buyer being the best. In that case, think about having outside cooking places. Again, apart from having your house looking unique, you will have increased its value. It feels good to have any property that does not stay in the market for so long. Also, the house sellers will not come across any investors without having the kitchen installed at the outdoor.
Smart Ideas: Additions Revisited
Are you looking forward to reducing those high utility bills you receive every month? During the hot summers, people would require to switch on their air conditions to keep the heats down. However, while cooking from the outside, you would require none of that since the breeze from the plants outside provides the cooling you wish to have at this season time. During the hot seasons, people look for cooler temperatures and not worsening the situations when cooking from the indoor kitchens. You do not know how many people own their own houses but regret having high bills for their utilities every month that pass. All the above benefits are what you do not want to miss. Why People Think Patios Are A Good Idea

Why No One Talks About Gardeners Anymore

Factors To Consider When Choosing Landscaping Designers Landscape trimming is the way toward influencing a real estate parcel to seem more appealing, and this is typically done by including fancy highlights, planting extra trees and furthermore modifying the outline of the land parcel. It is basic to finish an ordinary scene of your yard as it enhances the nearness of the home and moreover gives a not too bad area to people from the home to loosen up. Quality landscape trimming services are normally given by an expert gardening creator or gardening organization, and before procuring a landscape planner, there are various variables to consider to guarantee that one picks the best originator. An individual exploring getting a scenery trimming planner should look for an gardening organizer, and one of the ways one can have the ability to get this information is by asking for referrals and recommendations. The notoriety of an scenery architect dependably assumes an essential part with regards to advertising their administrations, and this is regularly dictated by the sort of administrations their customers will get. The same case applies when an individual is looking for a landscaping designer as they will require the recommendations of friends and family members who have been able to hire a certain garden designer for their landscaping needs. The cost of employing a landscape architect ought to likewise be considered, and this implies one should see whether the charges expressed are simply appraises or settled costs for the administrations gave. This is because most of the time many contractors tend to have hidden charges which mean that the client usually pays for a service that they have not received, hence it is important to consider the cost which should be within the budget of the client. Landscaping in itself is considered as a dangerous job as one may get injured during the line of work, and this is why it is imperative to ensure that the landscaping designer has an insurance cover.
Finding Similarities Between Gardeners and Life
This is because failure to have an insurance cover and the landscape designer gets injured, then the owner of the premises will be answerable for the injuries the landscaping designer sustained. It is basic to experience the landscape gardener’s past ventures in order to know the kind of administrations and furthermore the nature of administrations they give their customers. This is because it is not savvy to procure a contractual worker without seeing their past tasks as the customer may wind up getting baffled by the nature of work the gardening fashioner will have delivered as it might be of low quality or may not meet the customer’s desires.Practical and Helpful Tips: Houses

The Beginners Guide To Drapery (Chapter 1)

Why Drapery Cleaning is Important Drapes and curtains although it means the same thing to most of us, are actually used distinctively. The curtains that we use to cover and complement our windows are made of light and thin fabrics, but they also are used to prevent dust and allergens from coming inside the house. Drapes on the other hand, have lining or have a fabric behind the curtain itself to protect the face fabric from sunlight. The face of the fabric is the fabric that you see when your bearing is inside the room and looking out. When your windows are shut and you want to completely block the sunlight from entering, then you use drapes. The darkness of the room depends on the darkness of the lining of your drapes. The lining of the drapes has a contrasting color to the face fabric and are usually lighter than the face fabric. The face fabric of the drape is heavier than its lining and it can insulate noise coming from outside. We clean our curtains from pollutants coming from the outside while the drapes are cleaned because of the pollutants that are inside the room. Pollutants do not really enter by the window in draped rooms since it is shut most of the time. So it is said that there is less amount of dust and alelrgens in rooms where the windows are shut then in rooms when the windows are most of the time open. During certain seasons, dust and allergens can easily be blown inside an open windows and so they are present during the entire season. Compare this to the amount of times you go in and out of that room and bringing with you dust or mud from your shoe that when it dries means sprinkling particles of soil and allergens. You do this year round and especially in greater extent during seasons when you hardly can find them entering through your window.
Questions About Carpets You Must Know the Answers To
Even with closed windows, you can expect dust and allergens to be present in your room all the time. Despite the fact that you room is air tight and with very little circulation from outside air, and therefore the task to clean your drape has to be done regularly.
Why Services Aren’t As Bad As You Think
Wrapping it up, what better way to have a regular drapery cleaning than to make a year round contract arrangement with Yucca Valley Drapery Cleaning services. A professional drapery cleaning company can help eliminate built-up allergens, including pet hair, dander and dust mites that becomes trapped in the fabric of your drapes.

6 Facts About Experts Everyone Thinks Are True

Importance of Repairing Your HVAC System A large number of people who have the HVAC devices in their homes mostly want to know why it is important for their systems to be fixed by a specialist. There are lots of things that will make you have your HVAC fixed Below are some of the important information about HVAC and why it is of essence to find a professional to rectify it whenever it has issues. The normal lifespan of these systems is usually ten years. However, it can only last for this long if you handle it I the right way. If you want your HVAC machine to last even for more than ten years, you should find an expert to help you keep it well maintained. Due to this, you will have your system do the work that it was meant to do. In addition, it will ensure that you see the value of the money you are spending. During the process of utilizing this machine, there are some issues that are inevitable. HVAC Systems are meant to make you feel comfortable while at home. This implies that you will never get the most out of it when it has issues most of the time. However if you let a professional fix it, you will be able to enjoy every bit of it. Through this, you will get the comfort you deserve. Again, you will not be worried about your machine at most times. When you repair your HVAC system, you will be saving a lot of money as well.
Why Experts Aren’t As Bad As You Think
A large number of people do not like catering for amendment costs. However, they still do not know of one fact which is the more they avoid spending on repairs, the more money they are likely to release in the end. For this reason, it is advisable to prefer amending your HVAC machine whenever it has issues rather than parting with a large sum of cash after sometime when buying another one. All you have to do is to look for a mechanic who is highly reliable so that you can get the most out your system.
5 Uses For Services
In case you have HVAC machine in your home, it is proper to be highly knowledgeable about the different kinds of repair available for it. You can find certain minor repairs that any machine owner can take care of while you can also find some sort of repair that needs to be handled specialist since they are complex. One kind of amendment that you can take care of is the replacing of new filters. The replacement of filters is of essence since if they are kept dirty; they affect how the system operates. Although if it’s your ductwork or vent that has issues, it is advisable to find an expert to fix this problem.


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Removalist (main) : Furniture Removals Articles : Moving On The Gold Coast

Gold Class Moving On The Gold Coast

Sun, surf and sand! My Gold Coast lifestyle was post-card perfect. So I didn’t intend to let a ‘little’ rude awakening like moving house spoil that. Stress was not part of my plan, yet neither was a hefty movers bill. Here’s how I achieved my dream move.

Achieving Moving Zen

No way was my first sprouting of grey hairs going to be caused by moving house. Nor was I prepared to suffer broken nails, strained muscles and excessive perspiration. So I called in every mover’s lifesaver – professional and affordable movers who know Gold Coast inside out. In one swoop I’d taken care of:

  1. Packing
  2. Loading
  3. Transporting my household
  4. Unpacking
  5. Arranging furniture in my new home

So I was left with plenty of time to book childcare and a dog minder for moving day. Not to mention leisurely ‘spring clean’ my old abode and plan a garage sale to re-home excess baggage.

 gold standard gold coast movers

One Person’s Trash Is Another’s Treasure

That age old question confronted me during a spring-clean of our old home. When did we accumulate all this stuff? There were many things the kids (and the adults!) had outgrown. So I made the most of Gold Coast’s superb weather by throwing a garage sale. Never have I seen a faster way to re-home:

  1. Furniture
  2. Clothes
  3. Toys
  4. Bric a brack

We even made some extra cash to boot. I pocketed the spoils for special family takeaways on our first night in our new home. Just another beauty of having affordable removalists on the job.

Moving Day Dawns

Gold Coast turned on the hottest sun for our moving day. So while I didn’t escape sweat altogether I certainly avoided stress. Our movers turned up right on time and handled our belongings like their own. So my husband was free to check gas, electricity and phone connections at our new home. And I was free to get the kids off to a babysitter and thoroughly clean our old abode. Plus it was an indescribable treat to order pizza at our new home while the movers expertly unpacked.

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Conus Noble’s mission is to help good businesses become better businesses by unlocking short-term capital that may be held up for one of a variety of reasons.

Founded by Gene Lilly (Former State manager, HSBC)
and Al Rosano (Former Director, FIFO Capital)

Even good businesses sometimes face the challenges of short-term cash flow problems.

This can be due to a number of reasons and can hold back the business, slow down its growth and make it difficult to pay creditors on time. Fortunately, at Conus Noble we offer a blue-chip solution.

Find out more…


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Report to President: Baldrige is an effective tool to improve health care

Paul GrizzellArticles, Baldrige Categories, Healthcare, i. Societal Responsibility, k. Systems PerspectiveLeave a Comment

A recent report provided to the White House by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology titled “Report to the President: Better Health Care and Lower Costs: Accelerating Improvement Through Systems Engineering” makes seven systems engineering recommendations to address the challenges in health care.  I’m pleased to see Baldrige as part of one of the recommendations (Recommendation #6 … Read More


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Jul 06

Volume 26 Features Bi-Sexuality

The Collected Works of Creampie Eater Volume 26The Collected Works of Creampie Eater, Volume 26 is a little different.  Each of the stories features male bisexuality, rather than a more general variety of topics.  The stories are:

  • “Finally?” – Finally! A man indulges his bi-sex fantasies and just does it! (or does he?)
  • “Crossing the Line” – A man crosses the line between straight and bisexual, with the help of his lady lover.
  • “BI-WHORE” – A man submits fully to his Mistress, who lends him to another FemDom couple for their filthy use.
  • “Showmen” – A man comes out of bisexual retirement to let his girlfriend see the nasty sex acts she’s become obsessed with.
  • “Bi-Pie” – A man joins a couple for a no-holes-barred threesome.

Most of the men who eat creampies are straight, but many are bisexual or at least bi-curious.  The stories in this  collection were written during a period when my own bisexual fantasies were running rampant.  In compiling the volume, it seemed appropriate to give a little sumpthin’ to those who are looking to feed their own fantasy hungers.  The stories are pretty hot, I must say.

We hope you enjoy them!

  1. Hazel

    I want to read male bisexuality stories where the man has sex with other men, generally thick hung black men and sometimes, so does the wife who has a regular thick hung black lover

    1. creampie

      I think you can find several stories like that if you use the search page and look for “INTERR”. I don’t typically focus on race, but I know it is hot for many (myself included).

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How I Corrected My Winged Scapula

(Shoulder Blades That Stick Out)

An Overlooked Cause and Treatment

Read my disclaimer and terms of use.

When my fibromyalgia was at its worst, one of the many orthopedic problems I had was winged scapula. While I didn't feel any particular pain in my shoulder blades, it looked pretty bad. I did have pain that radiated up into my neck, giving me chronic neck pain. If you looked at me from behind my shoulder blades were very pronounced and stuck out from my body at a weird angle.

Most of the physical therapists I went to told me my problem was caused by back muscles that were stretched out and weak. They gave me back tightening exercises to do to strengthen my back. However, the back exercises just made me worse and made my neck hurt. In the end I figured out that the physical therapists were only half right. My back muscles were indeed weak and stretched out causing my shoulder blades to separate too easily from my body, but that was a symptom of my problems - not the cause. They presumed that where my dysfunction occurred was also the location of the cause of my problem, which in my case, and probably many others, was not true at all. It was a gross over simplification of a complex, interrelated set of factors.

The root cause of my scapula issues was that my chest muscles were overly tight from a combination of having a connective tissue disorder, a magnesium poor diet that kept my muscles from relaxing and sitting at a computer for long time periods. In my experience, there are some great physical therapists out there (and I eventually found a good one) but many PTs have difficulty distinguishing between where pain occurs and the source of the pain. They are not necessarily the same place. With the winged scapulae and many other of my orthopedic problems, the pain and dysfunction were often a symptom of a problem somewhere else in my body, and not the root cause.

Stretch or Tone: What to Do First?

Leon Chaitow, N.D., D.O. notes that it is common to believe that the first goal in body balance should be to tone up weak muscles. He disagrees with the approach. Dr. Chaitow feels that by freeing up and loosening the parts of your body where you are tight and stiff, this will in turn strengthen the weak muscles on their own.1

I have tried physical therapy both ways, and for me his way works better.

In the end, the main thing I did was yoga postures to loosen up my tight chest muscles, change my diet to get more magnesium to release my tight muscles, and take frequent computer breaks. With these changes the winged scapula condition cleared up completely over time. I think it was because my shoulder blades were no longer being pulled out of position by tight muscles from the front of my body.

It is interesting to note that the most common Western medical treatment for this condition is back strengthening exercises. I did not do any back strengthening exercises at all and my condition cleared up completely. The only thing I did was to loosen my tight chest muscles.

What Helped Me

1. Laying lengthwise on a hard styrofoam back roller. I have one that is about 36 inches long by 6 inches wide. I lay on it lengthwise with my spine centered on the middle of the roller. This is great for stretching out tight pectoral muscles. It particularly helps rounded shoulders.

Our back roller is one of the most used items in our house. One of my sons was having trouble with shortness of breath playing soccer. He started laying on the foam roller for about 30 minutes a day and at the next soccer practice he suddenly could breath better. It improved his playing dramatically. The roller probably would not help anyone who already had balanced muscles around their rib cage, but for someone like my son with tight pectoral muscles the change was amazing.

In my case I would say that this was the number one treatment that helped my scapula stay flatter.

man stretching out over a balance ball
Balance balls can be used for all types of chest stretches.

2. Laying backwards on a large balance ball. If you have not used one before, balance balls are large, sturdy inflatable balls larger than beach balls. When I use mine I kneel down, put the ball on the floor behind me and drape myself over backwards on it. This provides a good counter-stretch to being forward over a desk and keyboard at work all day. You can also do this pose with your feet on the ground instead of kneeling, and then put the ball more under your buttocks. It is a good way to do a supported back bend. (This stretch is pictured at the top of the page.)

3. Using a lumbar support roll in my office chair and the driver's seat in my car. My physical therapist suggested this and it has worked out well. I bought mine at a medical supply store. The one I use is quite thick, but they sell different sizes to fit different body types. I place it on my back below my shoulder blades. I can actually feel my muscles being stretched when I rest up against this support roll.

4. I did yoga to get my body on all around better shape. The book I found the most helpful for correcting this problem was Back Care Basics. The postures in the Back Care Basics book that helped the most were:

1. Passive Back Arch - page 97

2. Crocodile Twist - page 94

3. Standing Twist - page 108

4. One leg Up, One leg out - page 100. This pose seems to be more of a leg stretching pose, but in my case my chest muscles were tight, in part, because of tight muscles in my legs pulling on my torso. So by relieving the pressure in my legs, in turn it helped loosen up my chest muscles, which in turn loosened the pull on my shoulder blades.

5. Wall push - page 123

6. One Elbow Up, One Elbow Down - - page 153

7. Kneeling Backbend - page 153

Currently, my shoulder blades look quite normal. I still do yoga and all of the other tactics listed above every day. I hopes this keeps them that way.

1. Chaitow, Leon. Maintaining Body Balance, Flexibility, and Stability: a Practical Guide to the Prevention and Treatment of Musculoskeletal Pain and Dysfunction. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, (2004): 17-18. Print.

Related Links -

Chronic Neck Pain Treatment Tips

Exercises for Pectus Excavatum - I suspect that tight chest muscles plus soft bones in the rib cage play a role in many cases of sunken chests.

Fibromyalgia Tips

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Guide: How to cite a Magazine in Journalistica (Danish) style

Guide: How to cite a Magazine in Journalistica (Danish) style

Cite A Magazine in Journalistica (Danish) style

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Use the following template to cite a magazine using the Journalistica (Danish) citation style. For help with other source types, like books, PDFs, or websites, check out our other guides. To have your reference list or bibliography automatically made for you, try our free citation generator.

Pink text = information that you will need to find from the source.
Black text = text required by the Journalistica (Danish) style.

Reference list

Place this part in your bibliography or reference list at the end of your assignment.

Author Surname, Author Forename (Year Published). Title, Publication Title, s. Pages Used. http://Website-Url (Hentet 10. oktober 2013).

Anand Upendran, The Diplomat (2015). 'The “Patriotic Education” of Tibet', The Diplomat, (Hentet 29. april 2015).

In-text citation

Place this part right after the quote or reference to the source in your assignment.

(Author Surname, Year Published)

“On Sundays, our one day off from work, we had to study Chinese policies. We were taught about Deng Xiaoping and had to write his political statements in our books and learn about his life and that of other high officials. We were told that Tibet would never be free and that the Chinese government is good. They said that Tibetan and Chinese were members of one family and that we would never get our independence. Sometimes high Chinese officials would come and give us instructions. They would say that Tibet would never be independent as China had the political and economic power to do anything. They also said that they had powerful bombs and that the Chinese army was very strong. They said that Tibet would only be free in our daydreams…
“Practicing religion was not allowed in prison. All I could do was wait until night time and then when I was lying in bed, put a blanket over my face and recite my prayers. If anyone practiced openly, they were beaten and tortured… We were made to study the Chinese version of the history of Tibet. Those who disagreed with its contents were tied up, made to run and beaten.” (Anand Upendran, 2015)

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How Auto Car changed our lives in The Brand New Year

Did you watch a number of the Olympics or hear information stories from the video games? The Olympics are always fascinating for two causes: The performances are superb, and the again tales for each and every Olympian are simply as superb, if no more so. My query for you is, are you an Olympian? Virtually each motorbike comes with a handbook that includes a manufactured recommended service schedule. It can be crucial that you understand if the motorbike has been correctly serviced. Ask the vendor to provide any data or receipts related to the bike’s care.

Others take delight of the auto interiors with their modern steering wheels, colored dashboards and shift knobs, pedals, colorful and trendy seat covers, music and video streaming devices such because the mobile television and music players, with chargers and placers for digital devices like cellphones, mp3 gamers, and handheld devices. Some even have fully automated dashboards that permit the riders to do loads of issues by simply pushing buttons.

Auto Car

One-to-one method Ultimately, the choice’s yours.

When you use your truck for an off highway journey, chances are you’ll need to search for accessories that assist you to to get essentially the most out of your truck when you find yourself not on the asphalt. Many people purchase a Car for off highway use and there are various accessories which you can purchase that will help you get much more out of your expertise. It’s essential to determine what type of Car that you’ve got after which discover out what’s out there for your specific style of Automotive.

If you happen to select to operate another person’s automobile without insurance of your personal, you might be held liable in your actions behind the wheel. You may discover that the car’s proprietor does not have insurance coverage for drivers aside from himself or herself, leaving you stuck with the legal responsibility for any damage and injuries brought on when you were behind the wheel.

Their jobs are not seen to the naked eye.

Wages for automotive technicians are usually dispersed hourly instead of yearly. The median hourly wages of automotive technicians was roughly $sixteen.88, although with enough experience, you may earn as much as almost $30.00 an hour. As you gain experience, you may be able to earn fee associated to the labor value charged to the customer.

Quite a few new employment opportunities are being created as we speak by auto tendencies based mostly on advances in know-how, giant manufacturing overcapacity, heavy fuel consumption, environmental considerations, and a gentle retirement of skilled or skilled personnel. Because of this an already large worker base is about to develop, and effectively-skilled candidates shall be highly wanted. Take into account latest statistics from Canada, which show that there are 162,000 people employed in auto technical trades in that country. ninety six% of those staff work full time and more than one-third of these jobs require a talented commerce designation or a school diploma. These numbers reflect comparable situations in countries throughout the western world. What this implies is that there are nice opportunities for educated, extremely skilled auto mechanics. Now is a great time to enroll in an automotive trades training program.

Traveling up the aspect of a mountain on or off street might not be the thing for you. You only need a show massive enough to show code numbers otherwise you need a large display so you’ll be able to see readings of sensor in graph, dial or meter? Batteries and Cables -Often examine your car’s batteries and cables.

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Dave's Diary
This journal of the comings'n'goings and musings'n'enthusings of Dave Ling will be updated daily
(except after nights of excess)

Back to the Diary Archives

Sunday 30th August
A good time was had by all – including myself, Malcolm Dome and my brother-in-law Stuart – at the second sold-out night of Hawkwind’s 40th anniversary celebrations. Let me take this opportunity to echo the goodwill directed at Dave Brock, the rest of Hawkwind, the band’s manager Kris and all that strove to make the Porchester Hall shows so successful. I’m a big fan of Hawkwind, have been since the night in November 1980 that I saw them for the first time (complete with NWOBHM power-trio Vardis as support). Slightly off topic for a moment, but the drummer on that occasion was none other than Ginger Baker. The ex-Cream legend had played on the band’s masterful ‘Levitation’ album but would depart before too long. In fact, so legend has it Baker – self-proclaimed as “the best drummer in the world” – parted company with the Hawks following a gig in Liverpool. During an after-show confrontation, Ginger allegedly told Brock he was “the worst guitarist in the world”. If substantiated, Brock’s retort of “Well, the worst guitarist in the world just sacked the best drummer in the world!” is perhaps one of the ultimate put-downs in rock and roll history.
It’s perhaps this type of single-minded attitude that has kept Hawkwind afloat of four decades. But the same reason may also explain why the promised array of special guests, many of whom have aligned themselves to Nik Turner’s Hawklords, stayed away. There were rumours that David Gilmour was in the crowd on the Saturday night, though I didn’t see him. It’s an indisputable fact, however, that Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson had welcomed the group to the stage 24 hours earlier. The MC also read out some greetings from those that couldn’t make it. Alongside a more formal greeting from Eric Clapton, Girlschool sent a missive that read: “You lying bastards, you said you were 35”. Bob Kerr of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band Band, in whose basement Hawkwind’s earliest rehearsals had taken place, dropped by to play the horn on ‘Lighthouse’, and Huw Lloyd Langton performed an acoustic support set (intriguingly, Hawkwind also played unplugged earlier in the afternoon billed as The Elves Of Silbury Hill), but mostly the band just got with delivering a great night of classic space-rock that peaked with renditions of ‘Spirit Of The Age’ and ‘Silver Machine’ – the latter being especially rarely played these days. Here’s the full- set-list: ‘Warriors’, ‘Assault And Battery’, ‘The Golden Void’, ‘Where Are They Now’, ‘Lighthouse’, ‘Space Is Deep’, ‘Angels Of Death’, ‘Wraith’, ‘Green Machine’, ‘Spirit Of The Age’, ‘Silver Machine’, ‘Sentinel’, ‘Lord Of Light’, ‘Magnu’, ‘Brainbox Pollution’, ‘You’d Better Believe It’ and ‘Right To Decide’, with encores of ‘Hassan-I-Sabbah’ and ‘Fahrenheit 451’.
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Saturday 29th August
What a pleasant Guestbook message from somebody hiding behind the name of Spudgun.
Palace 0 (zero?) The Mighty Blues 2 (deux?). Kinda like Eddie Van Halen humouring the guitarist from the BulletBoys. “Yeah, cool man. Keep grafting.”
With none of the success and twice the talk, Manchester City are fast becoming as conceited as their neighbours ManUre. What Spudgun forgot to mention was that the starting line-up of his City team cost £162m to assemble. Palace’s is worth a mere £2m. So it didn’t take Einstein to predict the result. Doesn’t it go to show, money won’t necessarily buy you class?
Anyway, I’m in a fantastic mood. It’s a beautiful sunny day here in London and although I’ve a set of sleeve notes to complete over the Bank Holiday break I’m off to see Hawkwind tonight. On top of that, I’ve just received box full of goodies from Universal Records (many thanks Steve!), which includes the Deluxe Editions of Leppard’s ‘Pyromania’ and ‘Adrenalize’ albums, neither of which I’ve owned on CD before, plus the gatefold, heavyweight double vinyl versions of the first three Black Sabbath albums (each including a slew of bonus tracks). Absolutely. Bloody. Superb.
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Friday 28th August
Yes, Crystal Palace lost last night. Yes, I was there to see it. Yes, I’m **extremely** hung over. But, no, in this instance I’m not disappointed. One of the daily papers described our League Cup second round home tie with Manchester City as an “archetypal clash of paupers and princes”. Not content with outlandish bids for just about anybody with an ounce of talent, City – funded by oil-rich Arabs – have just splashed out almost £23 million on a Lego-headed defender to complete a £100M summer spree. The Eagles, on the other hand, didn’t spend a single penny during the summer break, pulling in free transfers, Bosmans and promoting youth players to the first team. Sitting in the pub before the match, gulping down booze to numb the pain, it was communally agreed that anything less than a 3-0 spanking could be regarded as a moral victory.
Having scored a last-ditch equaliser against Palace in our one and only FA Cup Final appearance, Mark Hughes will always be on my Shit List, but fair play – ‘Sparky’ fielded pretty much a full-strength City side, including said Lego-headed defender (Joleon Lescott). It was amusing to watch the disbelieving faces of those around me as the team sheet was announced: “Toure… Bridge… Wright-Phillips… Ireland… Barry… Robinho… Adebayor… Tevez”. The Selhurst crowd – including a pitiful turnout on behalf of the visitors – was on the edge of its metaphorical seat from the off. Tevez was, unsurprisingly, booed every time he touched the ball and inspired the night’s best chant of “Shit Maradonna/You’re just a shit Maradonna”. At one point, after a emitting a lusty cry of: “Fuck off, Tevez, you fat, short-arse, overrated, over-paid Argie cunt” I felt compelled to apologise for my bad language to the nice lady that sits next to me in the Holmesdale stand. As she smiled warmly in response, her hubbie added wisely: “That’s only necessary if you say something inaccurate.”
In fact, Palace acquitted themselves with honour, scrapping for every ball and keeping the scores level until just after half time. The game ended 0-2, capped by a goal from the “shit Maradonna”, which Shaun Derry might have prevented had he jumped – sadly, the captain’s battery was just about expired. Late on, the Eagles claimed for two penalties – the shout for handball looked definite – but ended up walking off with the most important prize of all, a cheque for £60,000 from Sky TV that will allay the club’s money worries… for now.
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Thursday 27th August
What an absolute waste of a night, not to mention a Travelcard. For several months, the PR for a band called Invasion has been trying to get me along to one of their shows. No, despite the name they’re not a Magnum tribute group, hahaha! And having played the trio’s debut album, ‘The Master Alchemist’ (due on October 4 via This Is The Music), I was extremely keen to check them out. It’s big, groovy, fuzz-toned, doom-laden female-fronted metal; a little like Mother's Finest meeting Monster Magnet in an Amsterdam hash den. So last night I arrived at the Underworld only to find that not only were Invasion lined up to play at 11pm, and allotted just half an hour (perhaps not so surprising given that the dozen songs on ‘The Master Alchemist’ last for just 31 minutes), but that I hadn’t even been guestlisted. I made it in anyway and killed some time reading Lemmy’s autobiography. But by 11.25 there was **still** no sign of Invasion, so I cut my losses and headed off for my last train – very peeved indeed.
On a far less frustrating note, the third album from Transatlantic – the prog supergroup comprising members past ‘n’ present of Dream Theater, Spock’s Beard, Marillion and The Flower Kings – drops at last in October, with European touring commitments due to begin on Oct 23. Tantalisingly, Disc One contains the record’s title cut, a 77-minute piece of music called ‘The Whirlwind’. And on Disc Two, the band augment four original tunes with a variety of covers, including – OH MY GOD! – ‘The Return Of The Giant Hogweed’ by Genesis. I simply cannot wait…
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Wednesday 26th August
Three cheers #1 – The gig scene appears to be back in business after a fairly barren spell. Reports to follow.
Three cheers #2 – Following a few days of bills, leaflets and surly letters from the bank, the postie as just delivered a huge batch of mail. Diamond Head’s ‘The MCA Years’ is a three-CD box that finally makes the ‘Borrowed Time’ and ‘Canterbury’ albums available on CD at last (domestically speaking), plus a further 11 tracks sourced from the Reading Festival in ’82 and a BBC In Concert that same year. Nice packaging, too. The Deluxe Expanded Edition of Venom’s ‘Black Metal’ is now swelled by a DVD of the trio’s ‘Seven Dates Of Hell’ gig at Hammersmith in 1984, plus a smorgasbord of outtakes, B-sides and promo videos. Pretty bloody definitive, if you ask me. Fittingly, considering I will be attending one of the band’s 40th anniversary shows this coming weekend, I’ve also received the updated version of Carol Clerk’s book The Saga Of Hawkwind – it’s now almost as weighty as the telephone directory. The new issue of Fireworks magazine is also here and looks stuffed with plenty to read, with Dream Theater on the cover.
Three cheers #3 – A video of a brand new Mr Big song, ‘Next Time Around’, has been posted online. Eric Martin looks so darned young that he could be in the Partridge Family – I like it. Can’t wait for their London gig in just over two weeks.
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Monday 24th August
The Ashes are back in England's grasp once more. Faced with a copy deadline of tomorrow morning for a couple of important stories, I sat in my office attuned to the radio as the Aussies stubbornly kept England at bay until the dramatic run-out of captain Ricky Ponting turned the game on its head.
Having completed my work, I sat in front of the TV and became rather misty-eyed as England inched closer and closer to the finish line, the last five wickets falling for a mere 21 runs in 48 balls. Finally, at 12 minutes to six and with the umpteenth glass of cider in hand, England regained the Urn they had surrendered so abjectly in Australia three winters ago. Given how poorly they performed in the Fourth Test, it was something of a shock.
But despite their statistical superiority, the Aussies have looked distinctly mediocre for most of the series, with England managing to deliver when it most counted. I'd be the first say that the victory owed a little to Lady Luck - how many times did we win the toss; how many dodgy umpiring decisions were made? - but overall, Strauss' men were good value for money. Now back to reality...
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Sunday 23rd August
Palace's 0-2 defeat to Newcastle wasn't entirely unexpected. The Eagles created enough chances to have taken something from the game but were never going to come back from conceding yet another stupid early goal against a team stuffed with internationals. Realistically, the Geordies deserved their
three points and look a very safe bet to return to the Prem at the first attempt.
Though events at Selhurst were entertaining it was hard not to have mentally drifted across south London to the Oval, where mobile phone reports continued to suggest that England's batsmen were piling on the runs and heaping misery upon the Aussies (not that I take any delight in such a statement, mind). Andrew Strauss having elected to declare at 545-9, the tourists now a run-chase that surpasses any other in the history of Test match cricket. Nevertheless, only a fool would write off the Aussies, and today will be bloody exciting.

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Saturday 22nd August
Incredibly, England have seized the initiative in the cricket. Following a total of 322, the Aussies reached 73-0 and appeared to be cruising to victory. Then followed a quite extraordinary, exhilarating passage of play that saw 10 men depart for a mere 87 runs, with Stuart Broad seizing a five-wicket haul. Day Two ended with England on 58-3, ahead by 230 on a disintegrating wicket. Truly amazingly stuff. In a way (and I can’t believe I’m about to write this), I’m almost reluctant to head off to Selhurst for Palace’s game with the Geordies.
Following the sensational events at The Oval, a pint or two of liquid relief was in order. Fortuitously, a gig just happened to be taking place at The Anchor, a new music venue in Lewisham, just a short walk away from Ling Towers. How would Juicy Lucy fare without frontman Ray Owen, who left at the start of the year, leaving the band as a three-piece with no original members? Surprisingly well, I’d say. With guitarist Mr Fish now also fronting the show, they rock with a slightly harder edge than blues purists might expect, offering songs from band’s original incarnation (‘Mississippi Woman’), a chunk of 2006’s comeback disc ‘Do That And You’ll Lose It’ (‘Silver Bird’, ‘Species’, ‘Freedom’), a cover of the perennial ‘Cocaine’ and, of course, their biggest hit – a re-make of ‘Who Do You Love?’ Complaints? Well, I’m not even gonna get into the ethics of them persevering minus Owen (who currently fronts his own rival group), and I suppose Mr Fish is a functional singer and not a truly great one, but the band is incredibly tight and their show is a lot of fun. A willingness to perform for more than two hours, despite being in a half-empty pub, also represents exceptional VFM.
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Friday 21st August
Sorry to say, the Aussies have the upper hand in the final Test Match. Having won the toss and elected to bat, 400-plus seemed a realistic target for England to aim for. Given that the wicket was a little more unpredictable than it appeared a first day total of 307 is perhaps passable – but for the loss of eight sodding batsmen??!! With the script set for a Botham-like performance in his penultimate (now possibly final) test appearance, Flintoff was among those to give his wicket away inexcusably cheaply at the Oval. This is likely to be the most important day of the entire series. It’s all about how England bowl and the Aussies bat on a surface that will definitely throw up a few surprises.
Not too long ago Jeb Wright of the Classic Rock Revisited site asked whether I might contribute to a list of the Top 100 Most Influential Hard Rock And Heavy Metal Songs Of All Time. Well, the votes are in and during the next month, a week at a time, Wright will unveil the results. 76-100 can be viewed here.
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Thursday 20th August
Gotta win the toss!
Gotta win the toss!
Gotta win the toss!
Gotta win the toss!
Well, the 2009 Ashes is set to reach its climax this morning as the Aussies arrive at the Oval. With the series tied at 1-1, the visitors require just a draw to retain The Urn, England must win. Last time around I was lucky enough to have been at the Oval when a classic innings from Pietersen (who, sadly, remains injured) helped to seal one of the most memorable and thrilling sporting triumphs of all time. The talismanic Flintoff is back, though his fitness remains uncertain. A good start from England is imperative… also, of course, a little luck.
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Wednesday 19th August
I'm basking in the afterglow of Crystal Palace's first win of the season, an apparently emphatic 3-1 victory at Ipswich. With two further goals to his name, Darren Ambrose has the makings of the playmaker/striker we've missed since Ben Watson's departure - thanks **so much** to the Clowns for supplying his services without a fee, hahaha. This was just the result, and indeed the performance, that the club needed before the visit of the Geordies (whose fire-sale has just continued with the sale of Damien Duff) on Saturday. The icing on the cake was that in their lower division, Shiteon were stuffed 7-1 - brilliant!
Hammer have sent me a real corker of an album to review. Enochian Theory are a young, UK-based progressive metal band with strong orchestral/symphonic-sounding tendencies whose independently released debut album, 'Evolution: Creatio Ex Nihilo', has already elicited praise from such tastemakers as Bruce Dickinson and Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson. It's a dark, brooding and challenging piece of work that's best savoured in one fell swoop - preferably with the lights off.
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Tuesday 18th August
At lunchtime I sped down to Selhurst Park to reserve my season ticket seats for the CPFC-Man City League Cup game. Nice to get that outta the way. With Classic Rock about to go into deadline once again, I almost forgot we have an away game against the Tractor Boys of Ipswich and their Antichrist manager R*y Ke**e. So I’m sitting here perusing the net, fourth glass of white wine before me and the fantastic new album from a band called A.O.R. entitled ‘Journey To LA’ (Escape Music, August 28) seducing my lug-’oles. Waiting for the team news, I just stumbled upon a thread at the Palace discussion group titled ‘Ever Had Sex At Selhurst (Or Any Other Football Ground)?’ Hmmm… judging from the responses it seems I am in something of an elite club. Even broke the seat, if I recall (and indeed missed an Eagles goal). Um, maybe I should log off now…
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Sunday 16th August
When is a goal not a goal? When it’s scored by Crystal Palace against Bristol City at Ashton Gate. Yes, my beloved Eagles were robbed when striker Freddie Sears fired past Dean Gerken to take the lead – only for hapless referee Rob Shoebridge to inexplicably rule that the ball had not gone into the net and award a goal-kick to City. Everyone else in the ground knew it had gone a yard inside the post, hit a stanchion and bounced back out again. Typically, Palace had dominated the game but couldn’t make their superiority pay, only to leak one in injury time. Witheringly, CPFC boss Neil Warnock says: “We can put a man on the moon, time serves of 100 miles per hour at Wimbledon, yet we cannot place a couple of sensors in a net to show when a goal has been scored.” I admire his restraint. Palace were also the victims of a similar ‘phantom goal’ scenario when a perfectly good Clive Allen goal was overruled in 1980. Methinks it’s time to introduce goal-line technology.
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Saturday 15th August
The new issue of Classic Rock, featuring the 100 Greatest Guitarists, is here. To be honest, I tend to find such articles a bit lame. This time, however, the musicians concerned have been selected by fellow guitarists.
All the big names have chosen their faves; Beck, Page, Edward Van Halen, Angus Young, Iommi, May, Vai, Gilmour, Slash, Satriani, Hetfield and Hammett, Neil Young, Joe Perry... you get the drift. plus a few wildcards like Satchel from Steel Panther. My interviews with Francis Rossi, Bumblefoot, Leslie West, Steve Howe, Vinnie Moore, Steve Lukather, Paul Gilbert, Alex Skolnick, Mick Box, Andreas Kisser, Martin Barre, Brian Robertson, Chris Goss and Steve Diggle (Buzzcocks) are all included, though
you'll have to buy the magazine to find out the heroes of those concerned. As you'd imagine, there's a heavy UFO/MSG/Scorps presence, including a nice big colour pic of Uli Jon Roth, with Kirk Hammett saying lovely things about him. I laughed aloud at Luke Morley's contribution, a tribute to Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter. Morley recounts being in the lavatory of the Guitar centre in Los Angeles when the Steely Dan/Doobie Bros legend walked in. "I thought, 'Fuck, it's Skunk Baxter!' and promptly peed all over my leg," confides Luke, "So I decided I wouldn't shake his hand."
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Friday 14th August
Dammit, dammit, dammit – I hate it when that happens. There are so few appealing gigs on the horizon, I licked my lips at the announcement that Europe are to join Uriah Heep and Jack Bruce in playing a special show during the week of the Classic Rock Awards. “Fantastic, I must be at the Garage on November 1st,” I thought. Opening the page to etch it into the diary, I realised that a gig was already down for that date – Francis Dunnery’s ‘New’ It Bites at Bush Hall. Um… don’t suppose anyone has a time machine they could loan me?!?
Dave Lewis has kindly sent a copy of his book Then As It Was, Led Zeppelin At Knebworth: 30 Years Gone (order it here), an anniversary reflection upon a pair of now legendary gigs that I was I’d been able to attend. Looks like a thumping great read. I actually had a ticket for one of those Knebworth shows (can’t remember which), but with my folks considering I was too young to go, I ended up selling it to a school-friend. Even three decades later, it’s a subject that still eats away at me. Funnily enough, I wasn’t old enough to have made the trip; Ross Halfin was there taking pictures… funny, that. [For those that are unaware, when he’s not travelling the world or queuing for his pension, Ross takes great delight in calling me ‘old’ at his website diary].
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Thursday 13th August
I was appalled by the blasé attitude with which certain England ‘stars’ approached last night’s game with Holland in Amsterdam – also, in truth, by manager Fabio Capello’s laissez-fair post-match attitude to the lazy, schoolboy errors from Rio Ferdinand and Gareth Barry that gift-wrapped the opening two goals. Yes, we **know** it was only a friendly, Fabio. Of course it’s best to make such gaffes in non-competitive games. It was the pair’s attitude, the team’s body language, that was unforgiveable. I cannot abide Jermain Defoe, but his introduction saved the game as England first levelled, then deserved to steal an unlikely win with the final minutes ticking down. If players are still mentally on the golf course when the season begins, please… for f**k’s sake… let’s leave them there.
I awoke to the news that Palace have drawn Manchester City at home in the second round of the League Cup. Simon Jordan’s accountant will have been praying for such a windfall – a Sky TV payout and 26,309 fans at a floodlit Selhurst Park. Whether or not City bring their full range of overpaid first-teamers to SE25, they are unlikely to relish such a blood ‘n’ thunder (some might call it ‘thud ‘n’ blunder’) trip.
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Wednesday 12th August
Just 3,140 fans – myself and eldest lad Eddie among them – turned up at Selhurst to see Palace ease into the 2nd round of the Carling Cup, a brace from Darren Ambrose sealing a hard-fought but eventually comfortable 2-1 win. Warnock had fielded a strong side, though how we scored just twice having forced so much pressure, against a League 2 team, is pretty worrying. No matter – we are still in the hat. With Shiteon and the Clowns both crashing out of the competition (the latter humiliated by Hereford United), let’s have my second team Leyton Orient away in round two please.
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Tuesday 11th August
The new version of UFO’s ‘Headstone’ album just dropped onto my desk. Originally issued in August 1983, ‘Headstone’ was a rather odd ‘greatest hits’ and ‘friends and relatives’ collection that also featured material from Scorpions, Lone Star, MSG, Wild Horses and Whitesnake, plus five songs from a supposed ‘farewell’ show at London’s Hammersmith Odeon. After unearthing six additional tracks in the archives, EMI have jettisoned the superfluous non-UFO material to re-title and re-package the album as ‘Headstone: Live At Hammersmith 1983’. It works quite well. The postbag also contained ‘Terra Incognita: Beyond The Horizon’, a potentially fascinating album by a group called Roswell Six that unites members past ‘n’ present of Dream Theater (James LaBrie), Saga (Michael Sadler), Asia (John Payne), IQ (Martin Orford), Kansas (David Ragsdale), Shadow Gallery (Gary Wehrkamp) and more with the duo of Lana Lane and Erik Norlander for a bout of deliciously pomp-infused prog-metal. Also… here’s another odd one… anyone remember the band Charlie, featuring eventual Bad Company/Fastway producer Terry Thomas? Amazingly, Thomas has put the band back together for its first album in almost a quarter-century. Available via Voiceprint, who will also be re-issuing the band’s back catalogue, ‘Kitchens Of Distinction’ gives Terry an platform to **really vent**, about wannabe celebs (“Her tits enhanced with silicone/Double Fs her gateway to the stars”, from ‘Get A Life’), the self explanatory ‘Shit TV’, rampant consumerism (‘It’s Not Enough’ and ‘Cars’), size zero waifs (‘West Coast Thing’) and, hilariously, those that allegedly attempt to conceal their sexuality (“He’s pictured with so many girls/Yet he’s still alone in this world/There question is there, it won’t go away/Is Robbie Williams gay?”).
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Monday 10th August
My Sunday was spent at the Cambridge Rock Festival, an event I’d not visited before. Previously known as the Rockin’ Beer Fest, it offered a decent array of bands and 12 different types of cider, most of which I believe I managed to sample, including a hot, spiced and rather potent one that fulfilled its job just before the commencement of Asia’s set – lovely!
The first band I witnessed were Godsacksman, a frighteningly young (16/17-year old!), local five-piece that has made great progress since recruiting a lively new singer. I was greatly impressed by Breathing Space, an offshoot of Mostly Autumn. Fronted by the delectable Olivia Sparnenn, whose unbelievably long legs and Lycra outfit made it looks as though she had stepped out of a Pussycat Dolls video, and with MA’s guitarist Bryan Josh complemented by two keyboard players, the band’s airy, smooth blend of prog-pop was just what the (rock) doctor ordered.
Next up were Airrace, who had made the long journey from… well, across two fields, where guitarist Laurie Mansworth happens to live. Though once again without Jason Bonham on drums, their set was tight, melodic and hugely impressive. With the event already running 90 minutes late, and wary of repeating the debacle of the previous night (which saw the Quireboys going on at 2am), the organisers reluctantly decided to remove a band from the bill, so bye-bye Karnataka (they at least got paid, though that was hardy the point). Promoting a new album called ‘Wintercoast’ that had been pressed into my hand backstage, the female-fronted Touchstone offered a delightful blend of prog, pomp and metal. Oddly enough the record, which was mixed by It Bites’ John Mitchell, also features a narration from actor Jeremy Irons… equally quirky, they ended with a romp through ‘Mad World’ by Tears For Fears, a band that are something of a guilty secret passion for yours truly.
I caught the end of Simon McBride’s set in the blues tent, which made me wish I’d seen more. Faced with watching Focus for the umpteenth time or having a peek at Sons Of Albion, the band fronted by Robert Plant’s son Logan, I pursued the latter to find myself in a tent occupied by around thirty people – ouch! Though the band’s music is darkly sombre and relies upon outbursts of bombast, wisely, SOB don’t sound anything like Led Zeppelin. I’d been warned that they have more in common with, say, Kings Of Leon. I probably won’t lose any sleep if our paths don’t cross a second time, but they are certainly good at what they do. Focus were just finishing as I checked off the last few ciders from my list. When they played ‘Hocus Pocus’, the place went absolutely barmy – and rightly so.
Asia, however, were hands-down the day’s best group. Faced with an 85-minute set, they wisely avoided solo sections and material from their other related acts (save for a version of ELP’s ‘Fanfare For The Common Man’) to include just two selections from current disc ‘Phoenix’, purring through various classics from the band’s first two CDs. There really are few better experiences than sipping politely at the 13th cider of the day as the original line-up of Asia – John Wetton, Steve Howe, Geoffrey Downes and Carl Palmer – soars majestically through ‘Here Comes The Feeling’. Here’s the full set-list: ‘Wildest Dreams’, ‘Only Time Will Tell’, ‘Time Again’, ‘An Extraordinary Life’, ‘My Own Time (I’ll Do What I Want)’, ‘Open Your Eyes’, ‘Fanfare For The Common Man’, ‘Here Comes The Feeling’, ‘Never Again’, ‘The Heat Goes On’, ‘Sole Survivor’ and encores of ‘Don’t Cry’ (played electrically, for once) and ‘Heat Of The Moment’.
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Sunday 9th August
The did-Scott-Ian-say-it-or-not saga rumbles on. Anthrax’s guitarist now claims **not** to have denied telling Dave Mustaine of Cliff Burton’s amazing claim that Metallica were plotting to sack Lars Ulrich in 1986 after all, which must leave Mustaine a relieved man. But the question remains: How on earth did Ian’s Twitterer have the authority to post such an important Tweet without his knowledge…? Hopefully it will bring closure to this story… the only reasonable conclusion to which I can reach is that Metallica actually did contemplate removing Ulrich from their midst at the conclusion of the ‘…Puppets’ tour. Wow – that’s pretty momentous.
And now over to the Sports Desk… Palace’s opening game of the season against Plymouth Are Gargoyles finished 1-1, Alan Lee having restored parity after the home side leaked a silly early goal. And, as I feared, Australia have humiliated England’s cricketers to level the Ashes series, taking just two and a half days to win by an innings and 80 runs. Jeez, that hurts. Once again, the contest will be decided at the Oval in 10 days. Somehow I doubt it will have the same joyous outcome as it did in 2005.
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Saturday 8th August
Things don’t look good in the cricket (slight understatement). Yesterday morning, as Geoffrey Boycott so rightly stated during the radio commentary, saw England “throw away The Ashes”. Skittled out on what seemed like a flat wicket, having elected to bat, a dismal 102 was England’s lowest ever total at Headingly. At the start of day two the Aussies are 100-odd runs ahead with just four wickets down. Looks like the series will be level once more by its swansong at The Oval. Obviously, however, if the trashing that now looks likely comes to pass, momentum will be with the convicts, who would require just a draw to retain The Urn.
On a (marginally) more optimistic note, today is the first day of a brand new footie season. My beloved Crystal Palace begin the campaign with a home game against Plymouth Argyle blighted by a transfer embargo and reports of money worries. A contract is a contract, of course, but how players like James Scowcroft, who made 10 appearances with no goals and one red card, turning down the chance of several loan moves, can morally defend suing the club for their full wages is beyond me. Apparently we owe John Oster £47K – unbelievable. My head tells me that the 2009/’10 is unlikely to be a brilliant season, but my heart tells a different story. So… roll on 3pm. Let’s stick it up the Gargoyle, and wiggle it about a bit.
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Friday 7th August
Dave Mustaine is several different people, and the most interesting thing about interviewing him is that you never know which one you’ll meet. Or rather, that used to be the case. Megadeth’s mainman has mellowed in recent years. Yet even someone that’s crossed swords with Mustaine twenty times or more knows he’s to be approached with care and trepidation. Well, I met Dave again yesterday and left with a superb array of quotes. He gave me the lowdown on the now seemingly ended feud with Slayer (“I’m still open to being friends with Kerry King”), his frustration at Lars Ulrich ‘semi-inviting’ him to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame (where he was told he could attend the ceremony but not be on the stage), the dichotomy between his new belief in God and the “witchcraft” he used to perform, the political nature of the band’s new album ‘Endgame’, his joy (and deep astonishment) at being No. 1 in Joel McIver’s recent book The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists, even how happy he is to have restored full credibility to the Megadeth name (“As my career nears its end, it’s finishing at the top”).
Several websites have also picked up on the fact that Mustaine – through gritted teeth; he **really** did not want to go there** – stood by his recent claim in Rolling Stone that Scott Ian had told him Metallica were planning to sack Lars Ulrich back in 1986 – something that the Anthrax man quickly refuted. The full transcript is out there on the net, but its gist was: “I was trying to help Scott promote his autobiography. I love Scott and would never do anything to hurt him – never. I wish I could just make the story go away. But I didn’t say it, [Scott] did.”
A few days earlier, Mustaine’s side of the story was echoed by a story from Geoff Barton at the Classic Rock website, which read: “Circa 1986, a few of us from Kerrang! went out for a drink with Scott Ian and [Anthrax drummer] Charlie Benante. We distinctly remember Ian pretty much telling us that Metallica were thinking of changing drummers, although not blatantly. So, we suspect Mustaine isn’t making this up…”. Sheesh, what a mess.

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Thursday 6th August
Doesn’t it make all the difference when promoters bother to book a decent support act? As if I wasn’t already anticipating last night’s gig by Jack Bruce, Robin Trower & Gary Husband, the news that Joanne Shaw Taylor would open the show added an extra spring to my step. I’ve been a fan of Brummie-based singer, guitarist and songwriter JST (nothing to do with the similarly-named “Keep ‘em peeled” Police 5 presenter of the same name) since her ‘White Sugar’ album dropped onto my desk in January, but opportunities to see her live had thus far eluded me. I wasn’t disappointed. An initially standoffish Shepherd’s Bush Empire became more and more responsive as it realised that Joanne can really make that geetar howl, the highlight of a 40-minute set being the Stevie Ray Vaughan-esque ‘Blackest Day’. My friend and CR colleague Neil Jeffries had no hesitation in picking up a copy of ‘White Sugar’ to investigate at home, just like many people I saw on the tube afterwards.
To be brutally honest, much as I respect the talent of Jack Bruce, it was an appreciation of a fellow Catford old-boy – Mr Robin Leonard Trower – that **really** drew me to the show. But, wow… for a guy of 66 years old, Bruce still has a resilient set of pipes. Unsurprisingly, BT&H’s set was mostly drawn from the current album, ‘Seven Moons’ (I recognised the title cut, ‘Lives Of Clay’, ‘Distant Places Of The Heart’, ‘So Far To Yesterday’, ‘Just Another Day’, ‘The Last Door’, ‘A Bad Case Of Celebrity’ and ‘Come To Me’), with ‘Carmen’ from ‘BLT’ another notable inclusion. Inevitably, though, the place went maddest for a handful of Cream classics. ‘Sunshine Of Your Love’ was extended – ‘Trower-ized’ might be a more accurate term – to 11-and-a-half minutes of pure Wah-Wah bliss, alongside the ‘Disraeli Gears’ album cut ‘We’re Going Wrong’, the perennial ‘White Room’ and an encore of ‘Politician’. A wonderful evening.
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Wednesday 5th August
I’ve just been playing the excellent new House Of Lords album, ‘Cartesian Dreams’ (Frontiers, September 21). Frontiers are accumulating a stellar roster of acts. The news that the Italian melodic rock label has signed Nelson – former Kerrang!-ites will remember the duo of Matthew and Gunnar (sons of rock ‘n’ roller Ricky) as being dubbed the Timotei Twins – for a back-to-their-roots album titled ‘Lightning Strikes Twice’ is a welcome but unexpected recent development. Recalling that Nelson actually topped the US chart with the single ‘(Can’t Live Without Your) Love And Affection’ in 1990 caused me to dig out their platinum-selling debut album ‘After The Rain’ for the first time in aeons. Amazingly, it sounded just as good as I hoped…
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Tuesday 4th August
I've finished reading Brian Manly's book on Brian Connolly. A passionately expressed account of the late, great lead singer of the Sweet's troubled early life, rise to international fame and subsequent crash-and-burn, The Man Who Sang Blockbuster (order it here) reads very much like a fan-penned tribute - which, of course it is. Manly is in such a hurry to expel his words, they spill onto the page littered with all manner of typos. Led Zeppelin, for instance, are called 'Lead' Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix becomes a more familiar 'Jim' and Suzi Quatro's name is consistently misspelled throughout as 'Quattro'. Meanwhile, Steve Priest is credited more than once as Sweet's 'base' guitarist. Nevertheless, the author's feel for his subject overrides such qualms. Within the first few pages Manly 'outs' himself as gay before relating a regrettable incident in a Watford nightclub in 1983. Upon meeting his hero for the first time, Connolly allegedly bursts Manly's bubble of joy by drunkenly propositioning him with the line: "I can give you one if you want, but it might take a while these days", before losing consciousness and being removed from the premises by security. Possibly benevolently, Manly theorizes that Connolly might have mistaken him for female, going onto explain how the singer remembered him the next time they met and apologised profusely for his behaviour.
Such tawdriness aside, The Man Who Sang Blockbuster focuses upon the timeless glory of Sweet's music and the backroom tensions that would eventually seal their downfall. The jealous rivalry between Connolly and guitarist Andy Scott is exposed, likewise the entire group's dissatisfaction at being ruled by the hit-making partnership of Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn. Justifiably, the author goes on to speculate what might have befallen Sweet had they not severed ties with the latter duo, who went on to compose 50-plus UK hits in 12 years for a small army of artists, quite so soon.
Ultimately, the book made me feel rather sad. Connolly had fallen so far in his post-Sweet years that I was unaware of his first two solo 45s, only discovering what I now recognise to be the third - 'Hypnotized', released via the 'German' label 'Carriere' Records (Carrere were actually a French company) in 1982 - shortly before seeing him sing for one of the final times with the short-lived group Connolly Encore, supporting Pat Benatar over two nights at London's Hammersmith Odeon in January of the following year. Check out this embarrassing photograph of myself outside the venue with several other confused-looking Sweeties, none of whom I'd met before.
P.S. Dammit - the Third Test petered out into a draw. But at least England still hold the advantage in the series with just two games to go.
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Monday 3rd August
Yah boo sucks to anyone that dares to call test match cricket a dull sport. With the Aussies resuming this morning on 88-2, still 25 behind England’s total and with Katich and Ponting already back in the hutch, all three results seem possible on the final day of the pivotal Third Test. Game on!!
I’m beginning to think that there are just two possible results of matches featuring Crystal Palace – draws and defeats. I was present yesterday at Selhurst Park as The Eagles were overturned by Gillingham (um… yes, Gillingham). Warnock had fielded a side that was dominated by fringe players and reserves, though I’m told the same was also true of the visitors, who triumphed courtesy of a solitary Jack Payne goal but could easily have scored two or three more. Worrying. Very worrying.
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Sunday 2nd August
Better late than never – a full-length version of my Kansas feature from Classic Rock #80 is now available here. Sadly, with all of yesterday’s play at Edgbaston washed out, the Third Test is looking like a draw. So Glenn McGrath’s advance boast that the Aussies will win the series 5-0 is more hollow than ever.
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Saturday 1st August
You’ll probably call me a male groupie but last night I attended another Airrace gig – my fourth since a reunion earlier this year. Sadly, Jason Bonham had unexpectedly flown home to America for “family reasons”, which considering the band were headlining and obliged to play a longer set than usual heaped extra pressure on his deputy, Simon Dawson. In fact, the show was superb. The Woughton Centre in Milton Keynes has a decent-sized stage and the sound was perfect. Frontman Keith Murrell was celebrating his birthday which also contributed to a really good, intimate vibe. With label boss Derek Oliver among the crowd, Murrell announced that Airrace’s one and only album, the Beau Hill-produced ‘Shaft Of Light’, is to be re-mastered and re-issued via Rock Candy Records in the coming months. So it made sense that they included everything from it except ‘Do You Want My Love’, once again filling things out via a selection of yet-to-be-recorded older numbers (‘Wrong Way Out’, ‘Keep On Going’, ‘One Step Ahead’ and ‘So Long’), tweaked arrangements and extended intros to ‘Didn’t Wanna Lose Ya’ and ‘Brief Encounter’ making things more interesting still. My friend Steve Way and I were grateful to have negotiated our way through MK’s sanity-defying maze of identical roundabouts and concrete cows to experience such a great night. Here’s the set-list: ‘Caught In The Game, ‘Not Really Me’, ‘Wrong Way Out, ‘First One Over The Line’, ‘Promised To Call’, ‘Keep On Going’, ‘Didn’t Wanna Lose Ya’, ‘One Step Ahead’, ‘So Long’, ‘All I’m Asking’, ‘Open Your Eyes’, ‘Brief Encounter’ and an encore – the band’s “first in 25 years!”, according to guitarist Laurie Mansworth – of ‘I Don’t Care’.
P.S. With the visitors bowled out for 263 and England having survived a nervy start – at one point they were 2-1 - the third day of the Third Test at Edgbaston is excitingly poised. As I’ve said all along, however, the weather will have a big bearing upon the outcome.


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