Ed Vogue's World

I have to admit to being a bit of a sci-fi fan as to be honest are some of my best friends. This is usually something that people keep to themselves, closet away, to mention only when they are safely in the company of like minded people. Who would admit to being a Star Trek fan in a crowded room unless of course it was at a convention in Las Vegas and the other people are dressed as Borg...resistance would then of course be futile. This weekend science fiction has been overtaken by science fact as a quite remarkable little robot continues its exploration of another world. It is easy to forget that humans have visited the moon, it was a long time ago. Looking up at the full moon last night it's quite hard to believe that people have walked around on it and returned safely to their loved ones. It is also easy to forget that two space craft launched in the 70's; Voyager's 1 and 2 have left the Solar System and are flying into the far reaches of space literally going where ...

Do you remember where you were on the 19 November 1994? I do. Some 18 years ago many of us were sitting at home glued to our televisions sets for a very new experience. The BBC One TV show was 60 minutes long and hosted by the bearded one now famous for a Channel 4 show with red boxes. Noel Edmonds presided on that night over the first ever National Lottery. Many of us had queued up in newsagents across the land to choose our numbers and the nation sat enthralled in front of our telly boxes grasping our little tickets in our hands. I remember actually feeling like I had a chance. I actually believed just a little that I might win the jackpot. For weeks before the news shows had ad statisticians telling us that in fact there was only a 1 in 14 million chance of winning the jackpot...but no one was listening. What did they know? Tat night was the night when dreams would be made. http://www.foviance.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/main_national-lottery.gif When the numbers were draw...

January 2010 and a new craze hit Facebook. Across the social network women started to post colours as their status. Some posted beige, some ivory, some hot pink, some polka dot. For a while people across the world were confused, intrigued, indeed fascinated by what these colours could mean. In fact the colours referred to the colour of the bra the woman was wearing that particular day. This 'craze' was in aid of a breast cancer awareness campaign a fantastic cause and in my opinion a clever and innovative use of Facebook. Over the last couple of days some of the ladies have begun to post a length measured in inches followed by a time in minutes. This has resulted in a status that might read '6 inches 25 minutes'. Oh how amusing...I like a bit of smut but I found these updates strangely annoying. Obviously it doesn't mean what it says and is code for something fairly inane and boring. So slightly intrigued and determined to crack the code I did what I always...

It is getting near to the time when a big choice has to be made. It is getting near to that time when the right secondary school needs to be chosen. Tonight I made a visit to a local school to check out its suitability. Looking at schools is a strange thing to do, especially on one of their open evenings. You can get a bit of an idea about the place but it really is difficult to get a proper idea about what a typical school day is like.     http://images.publicradio.org/content/2010/08/25/20100825_red-lake-high-school_33.JPG The problem with school open evenings is that there is no teaching and learning taking place. Surely this is what schools are about? This is what schools do. Yet most people go and look around a school when none of this is happening. It would be like looking at a hospital ward when there are no patients or going to watch a football match when there are no players. Of course the school looks impressive, it's been cleaned, all the best kit is out....

I have seen many a confident person reduced to a quivering wreck when having to stand in front of a audience of people and give a speech. It is quite remarkable the effect that this activity can have on a person. http://talknerdy2me.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/microphone.jpg Physiologically why it should have such a powerful reaction on a person is a little mysterious to me. The adrenaline flows, the mouth goes dry, the shaking starts and the guts contract. For others the opposite is true. Some people become über confident revelling in the challenge of conveying their point in a concise, informative and witty manner. The classic advice given to a person about to deliver an oratory in front of an audience is to imagine that said audience naked. I can think of many situations where this would not be good advice at all, I won't outline them here, I'll let you compile your own personal list. Just to say in most situations I might find speaking to room of naked people sl...

I love a cup of the old char but I have to admit that I very rarely finish the whole cup. I am also not one of those people that always have to have a brew on the go. When at work I often make a cup, it is then too hot to drink so I leave the tea bag in and due to the nature of my job may not get back to the drink until 2 hours later. By that time the tea has stewed so much that the tea bag seems to stick in the fluid as it is pulled out, the temperature is cold and the tannin leaves a film on ones teeth but I'm usually so thirsty I still drink it. I did read a summary of some research that apparently reported that well stewed tea reduces the chance of cancer so at least there is some good news. Personally I like a cup of tea that has been left for just the right amount of time so that it is only just cool enough to drink down in one. This is tough to judge, the time it needs to be left is affected by many independent variables including, ambient temperature, surface area of mug...

It's the little things that matter. Those little details that make ok things fantastic. That was what made tonight's dinner a little bit special. The courteous, attentive but not overbearing staff; the napkins unfolded and placed on our laps; the extra bread at no cost; the coffee served with steamed hot milk on the side and the happy birthday written in chocolate sauce on the birthday girls plate. Just little things, but those are the attentions to detail that make the difference. I think it was Ben Elton in his late 80's, early 90's TV show who coined the phrase style over substance. If I recall correctly he was making comment about a supermarket which had just brought out a new advertising campaign that seemed to be marketing their food as a more upmarket cuisine. His point was that it was the same old food, the same substance but the marketing gave it a new style. Sometimes I think that there is a place for this. If something is dressed up to look nice then oft...

One of the best things about being British on a Sunday is the great Sunday roast. It's a meal when the family all sit down together and traditionally demolish a carcass of some kind surrounded by an assortment of vegetables. It looks impressive and complicated but with practice the Sunday lunch is a meal that can be conjured up fairly easily. Discussion often centres around the optimum way to cook the joint, what temperature is required to get the perfect blend of moistness, tenderness and pinkness that ensures the meat is cooked to perfection. The roast potatoes are an art form in themselves, how exactly do you get them crunchy and caramelised on the outside but fluffy and soft on the inside. Yes, a Sunday lunch is easy to conjure up but to make a perfect roast dinner, well that is altogether something else. My Mum is good at roast dinners. I was lucky enough to visit her last week when she, from apparently nowhere rustled up roast lamb, what appeared to be 6 vegetable a...

Those of you that know Mr Ed Vogue will understand that I do not confirm to the stereotypical blokey bloke. For one I don't really understand football. I have never felt the urge to sit down in front of Match of the Day to relive the 'exciting' highlights as Wolverhampton Wanderers score two goals agains Manchester City after just 3 minutes of play. Additionally I have never had to leave the room at the beginning of the BBC1 sports report on the Saturday news so I don't hear the score.  I don't knock those people who become transfixed by their team and are visibly distressed when a goal is disallowed or heaven forbid their team loses...I just don't get it.   I also don't really get why certain men find it important, nay imperative, to drinks gallons of beer when they go out together, becoming louder, ruder and more likely to cause themselves or others harm. This behaviour will inevitably lead to some kind of blood injury, a kebab with chilli sauce and vo...

When I walked into work at the beginning of the week I was hit by a wall of warm air. It was a little like stepping off an aeroplane when you land at Faro airport at the beginning of a summer holiday, such a lovely feeling as the warmth encompasses your whole being... http://www.tripextras.com/files/airports/FAO.jpg Come to think of it, wouldn't it be good if airlines could turn the air conditioning temperature right down on the flight back so when you step off the aeroplane at a dull and grey Luton it still feels warm and inviting? I would wear a warm jumper for a couple of flying hours or that experience, wouldn't you? The wall of warmth in my workroom was a little oppressive and unlike the Algarve there was no promise of calamari, piri piri chicken or a cold pint of Stella so the first thing I did was to get on my hands and knees, climb under the desks and turn off the radiators. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_y0QO3bXar1_Lxa8sCSBaBTJO7z...

It's not often that I drive late at night. I like to be tucked up in bed by about 10.15 with a good book. However last night I had cause to be travelling later than usual and I was struck by the number of roadworks and indeed road closures on our nations highways. Every which way I turned there were flashing lights and red triangles explaining that workman were resurfacing, filling in potholes, fixing lamps, widening, plugging a leaking water main. Luckily my internal compass let me find my way home without to much bother. Tonight I have to work late and upon leaving I already know that the road well travelled is closed so I will need to find a different way home...hopefully I won't be too late. I already hear my bed calling. Picture (http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/transport_streets/roads_pavements/roa_closures.asp)

Ahhhh Shipmates, I be writin' me bloggin' diary early in the mornin' today to be informin' ye all that today be International Talk like a Pirate day. This be one of those days of the year where ye be joinin' in to be havin' some fun whilst ye be aboard your workplaces. It be the day ye may refer to your colleagues as scurvy dogs or shipmates (dependin' how ye be thinkin' about them) and ye drinks be grog. If ye don't be believin' me then ye can be spyin' at http://www.facebook.com/InternationalTalkLikeAPirateDay or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Talk_Like_a_Pirate_Day Time should be bein' talked about as the number of turns of the hour glass an all ye sentences should be bein' punctuated by hearty arrrrrrs. Here be some pirate lingo.... (that I be pillagin' from the official site) www.talklikeapirate.com Pirate lingo is rich and complicated, sort of like a good stew. But if you just want a quick fix, a surface glos...

I might have to change the strap line of my blog as according to a new survey commissioned by an online learning website middle age doesn't start until 55. Now, if I take that as an age then I still have 14 and a half years before I can even start to consider middle age musings. I actually struggle to accept 55 as middle aged as that would suggest that the average age of death would be 110. I still believe that the mean human life span is about 80 making 40 mid life, or indeed middle aged. When you look a little more at this survey it was undertaken by people over 50, some of which may have been a little reticent to admit to being middle aged. It appears that many people see middle age as a bad thing. I wholeheartedly don't. I see middle age as a badge of honour, a new chapter, perhaps affording respect and gravitas, an excuse for my greying beard. Being middle aged doesn't mean that I have to act old or over the hill but it might afford me an excuse for not knowing th...

Time, never enough time. That appears to be the problem. Too much to do and too little time. Deadlines, I work well to them. I find them useful. A deadline helps me to prioritise what is important. It helps me to sort out a do to list, too be honest deadlines help me to organise my life. http://www.pacenet.org/tipaday/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/to-do-list.jpg I often give myself deadlines, just in my head, such as I need to mow the lawn by the end of the day, I need to...by the weekend, I must buy such and such before the end of the month. Nothing too major but it helps. Then there are the big deadlines that get forced upon you. They come from nowhere and seem to be impossible. These deadlines are chosen by people in charge. These are the deadlines that throw all the planning and organisation into chaos; that turn your life upside down. I hate these. Then there are the worst sort of deadlines, the ones that are set way in the future, too far off to contemplate. The ones...

So it starts, the countdown to the festive season. Yesterday the 16 celebrities were introduced to their dancing professional partners for what apparently is the 10th series of Strictly Come Dancing. Through the coming weeks the dancers will train, do their stuff on a Saturday night and be whittled down until the final few. This competition will take place every weekend until just before Christmas, therefore the clock has started... In the shops there is evidence of Christmas. In the homeware stores the garden furniture and equipment has been packed away and the beginnings of Christmas decorations can be found. In the supermarkets you can now buy those tins of biscuits that people only buy for the festive period. Christmas puddings are also available in the seasonal aisles. http://www.freefoto.com/images/90/03/90_03_1---Christmas-Decorations_web.jpg It won't be long until those seasonal shops appear on the high streets in the vacant high street retail spaces and calendar s...

Have you ever stopped at a roadside diner? No, I'm not talking about any form of franchised chain of diners, I'm talking about those little trailers that turn up in laybys on our countries A-roads. There's one near where I live that has sprung up fairly recently. It's there in the morning, on the wrong side of the dual carriageway. It's advertised as Louise's Diner. I have passed it on the way to work this week and during that entire time I have only seen one person in the vicinity of the counter and I strongly suspect that this may have been Louise's boyfriend. I glimpsed Louise on Friday, standing behind the counter with her head in her hands and her elbows resting on the serving top. Stopping for breakfast in a layby at a kitchen pulled behind a rusty white van would never ever be on my agenda. It just seems to be a one way ticket to food poisoning. This is probably very unfair and there is probably some very good chow being made in Louise's Diner....

Yum. I just had a very nice treat for a Friday afternoon. A packet of Jelly Tots. Jelly Tots are a sweet from my childhood. Fruity, juicy, chewy and slightly tangy. A delicious taste sensation. The best bit the sugar left in the packet that can be tipped out into your mouth after all the Tots have been finished. I usually associate Jelly Tots with Christmas as I used to get a big tube of them each year. This was of course when Woolworths still existed. Woolworths surely was the shop if sweets and Easter eggs! Another childhood favourite of mine was Kinder chocolate bars. These were hard to come by in this country but could be bought on the continent. They were a firm favourite of mine and I would stock up on them when we travelled to France. To be honest I still do. I still love them, and nowadays I can buy them in the supermarket, not good for the waistline. When there is a packet in the fridge it doesn't last long. The sweet I really remember from my childhood howev...

There is a great story in the News today regarding a nursery in Denmark. Apparently Denmark is currently undergoing a slow down in its population. As a country it is placed 185th out of 221 in terms of its birth rate. http://www.babygadget.net/pics/leander-cradle-3.jpg This has caused the nursery to come up with an ingenious idea. They are concerned that without an increase in births some of the nursery workers will be made redundant and if the situation becomes extreme the nursery itself could face closure. The ingenious idea? Well, the nursery currently has 42 children in its care. The staff have offered to run a party tonight for all the children at not cost. This is to give the parents two offspring free hours allowing them time together to conceive the next nursery intake. http://yoga4hope.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/candles.jpeg According to the nursery about 20 couples have taken up the offer of free childcare, however it is uncertain as to the precise number that ...

Nearly a year ago I got up early to join a queue outside a well known mobile phone shop to get my hands on the new iPhone 4s. I have never bought a new piece of technology on the day it was released before but something about the new phone made me want to buy. To be honest it was the new Siri technology that caught my eye. The fact that I could speak to my phone to ask it directions and indeed if it is raining in Paris was somehow appealing to me. In reality this is something that I rarely use...and it's a bit rubbish. http://www.etftrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/apple-logo.jpeg   As I write this the new CEO is standing up somewhere in America, I believe San Francisco revealing to the world the new iPhone, perhaps dubbed the iPhone 5. Last year I was excited, this year not so. I still have another 12 months on my contract so can't consider the new shiny piece of technology, but I bet it looks divine, indeed I bet it is awesome. The great thing for those of us...

A change is happening to me as the weeks go by, imperceptible to many maybe but to me and those close the change is apparent. Grey hairs are starting to replace my brownish locks. It started a few years ago, just a couple here and there, mostly on my temples, but now the grey hairs are becoming more prominent and as my hair gets longer and requires a cut the grey hairs become a little more unruly and stand out. But it is in my beard where recently the change has become more obvious. Some of my whiskers, usually black and dare I say it a little bit ginger are being replaced by grey, nay white stubble. These hairs are slightly thicker and seem to grow ever so slightly faster. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't mind these grey hairs one bit. In fact someone said the other day that I had a touch of silver fox about me! I'm hoping that this greyness will provide me with some gravitas perhaps respect from the younger generation. At the very least I should be able to buy a bottle o...

One of the problems about becoming middle aged is having to remember all those pieces of information that plague modern life. They are seemingly insignificant but are also a major part of ones life. One prime example is bin day. I have to put the bins out the night before just in case the waste management employees arrive early in the morning. Firstly I have to remember which night to put them out and secondly which bins are due for collection on that particular week. Thankfully I have very efficient neighbours and all I need is to take a little look down the street, very helpful. There are things that we don't need to remember anymore. Once very important but now locked away in the memory chip of my mobile device, the phone numbers. When I was younger the phone number was an important thing to know. http://andysworld.org.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/browncompostbin.jpg If out and about you needed to be able to walk into a red telephone box and remember their number....

September always brings a little smile to my face as into the third week one of my favourite awareness days occurs. On the 19th September of each year International Talk Like a Pirate Day occurs. What a fantastic excuse to polish up those pirate phrases, like shiver me timbers, landlubber, grog me barkeep and land ahoy; otherwise you can just spend the day going argggghhh me hearties. If you are interested in getting involved you can find out lots more here . This got me thinking about these national awareness days and what others we might be in line for this month. I was gutted to see that I missed National Bacon Day on the 1st September, where it seems it is important to guzzle as much bacon as you can; I'm sure the pigs dread that day coming round. In a strange twist of fate as I can't believe for one second that it would be so well organised ths week is 'Know your numbers week', this is not about Maths but about knowing your health numbers like your blood pressu...

This morning, a Saturday, I woke up early to take a visit to London. The family had tickets to see some of the most determined human beings, the paralympians. It was a beautiful day in the capital, actually a little too hot, but I might just be being British and complaining about the weather. Our seats in the stadium were right at the top, row 70 of 75, however the view was good and our stratospheric altitude did not affect the atmosphere. To be fair there was not much home interest but that didn't stop the crowd getting behind the remarkable performances. By favourite parts of the morning were the numerous victory ceremonies. Many smaller countries had won gold so we were able to stand and celebrate some national anthems unfamiliar to my ears including the anthems of Tunisia, Algeria and Iran. Of course some more common tunes were also heard: Germany, USA, Brazil and Australia. Moreover the Australian anthem was accompanied by a talented operatic voice in Row 75. By far my favou...

What a lovely day today was. I left for work this morning at approximately 7.15 British Summer Time. The Sun was already out but it was clear that summer was starting to wave goodbye for another year. The tell tale signs are there: The Sun is noticeably lower in the sky; There is a different light, somehow cooler, crisper looking; This morning a thin mist was visible across the fields; My car was covered in dew; And there was a definite chill in the air. As the Sun climbed in the sky any clouds disappeared and a beautiful blue sky developed. At lunchtime I stood outside and just took some time taking in the amazing colour. The temperature rose to a barmy 26 degrees as though summer just wanted one last bite at the cherry. Always the giveaway when it comes to autumn is the change in colour of the trees. This week I have just started to notice the way in which the bright greens are metamorphosing into the autumnal palette of yellows, orange and reds. Summer Moved On, as the band Aha...

I have written about technology before and how when it works it is great but often little issues, usually to do with incompatibility, make it very frustrating. Today I thought that it was worth another look.   I like Apple technology. Once they were a small company and well respected as the makers of the Mac and a small player to the massive Microsoft Empire. Then came the iconic iPod. Maybe one of the greatest technological consumer products ever and the Apple grew and grew until it became a powerful giant. Of course now they are huge and now they are the multimillion giant company they have become the hated.   Apple had one problem. They could not ignore Windows and other operators because not everything Microsoft was disliked by the consumers. They needed to make sure that it all worked together otherwise why choose Apple.   This is exactly where I stand with technology. I want to be able to Bluetooth, wifi even god forbid IR my different technological devices tog...

It's September and today my kids went back to school. They go to a school officially rated in the last Ofted inspection as good. We as parents, have been and are, very pleased with the provision that the school has provided for our children and they are developing well. http://www.thelearningloftltd.com/_images/Ofsted-strip.jpg As many of you might have noticed from the news reports Ofsted has had a bit of a makeover. The powers that be have changed the rules. The grade satisfactory has now been made redundant. No longer can a school be satisfactory, no longer can a lesson be satisfactory. This term has now been renamed as 'Room for Improvement'; otherwise referred to as Not Good Enough! This made me think a bit about what the word satisfactory actually means. Defined in the dictionary as, 'Fulfilling expectations or needs; acceptable, though not outstanding or perfect.'. This doesn't sound too bad at all. In life if things are fulfilling expectations I ...