Here's Grace...!

I watched some of the Diamond Jubilee Concert last night and couldn't help thinking what a wonderful job the backstage crew did. For all Gary Barlow's efforts, which will undoubtedly earn him a knighthood, it's the stage management team that deserve the applause. Events like that must be a nightmare to choreograph and it's a tribute to those technicians and crew that some of the biggest egos in show business ended up in the right place at the right time.

Highlights for me of the front stage shenanigans included, the "Peter Pan of Pop", Sir Cliff Richard, looking as if he was about to face up to his awfully big adventure live on stage as he tottered about to a medley of his hits, Dame Shirley Bassey proving that with age has come a burly chassis to match the size of her star status and Sir Elton John looking remarkably like the Queen Mother.

My favorite performance from last night, however, has to be 64 year old Grace Jones' statuesque and amazonian appearance for her rendition of Slave to the Rhythm, while hoola-hooping for over 4 minutes throughout the song. Star quality, indeed!

And now, ladies and gentlemen, here's Grace...!

Running in the Bay...

I went for a run late this afternoon and there were so many people running in the Bay. I think I've mentioned here before that normally, I don't see that many runners, however... This afternoon must have been designated "go for a run around Cardiff Bay afternoon".

It seemed that everyone just slipped on a pair of daps and started running in random directions. There were those in the latest Nike kit complete with their sweat bands and running bottles, those who were just making do in an old pair of pumps and an unwashed t-shirt and everyone else inbetween.

As much as it's lovely to see other runners, I think, on balance, I prefer it when it's a bit quieter.

Today's run at 16:50
Distance	5.01 km	Time	26:49
Pace	5:21 min/km	Cadence	79 spm
Comments: Bright.

Going bananas...

I seem to go through phases with foods. I can survive on one dish for weeks before I get bored and take up another. It might be beetroot this month and kidney beans the next. At the moment, I seem to have a thing for bananas; the smell and then the taste of the banana flesh is intoxicating to me.

Reading up on Bananas, I found out that Americans eat more bananas than any other fruit; that's about 12 kilos per person per year. However, Ugandans dwarf that figure, consuming nearly 230 kilos per person per year. Bejesus!

After a debate in work the other day about how many it's safe to eat before you get poisoned by the potassium they contain, I did some research. There are many stories out there warning against eating too many but you'd have to consume somewhere in the region of 250 in one sitting to feel any adverse effects from potassium. You'd burst well before being poisoned by the potassium.

Contrary to popular belief, bananas do not grow on trees. No, they grow from a root system that produces an above ground stem. The plant is officially classified as a tree like herb and the banana is actually a berry. Bananas are the only fruit to contain the amino acid, tryptophan and vitamin B6; these help our bodies produce seratonin, which help counter depression.

The health benefits of eating bananas are many, with claims that they can help lower blood pressure, ease mosquito bites, help with stress and even cure warts. If all the claims I've read are true, bananas will soon be hailed as the new wonder drug, more versatile than aspirin! Go buy a bunch today, before some supermarket slaps a superfood sticker on them and their price trebles.

For more on bananas...

Today's run at 11:40
Distance	5.03 km	Time	27:40
Pace	5:30 min/km	Cadence	80 spm
Comments: Grey.

Celebrity tweeps I follow...

You can tell a lot about someone's personality by the celebrity tweeps they follow. Make what you will of it but here is my list:

Stephen Fry: British Actor, Writer, Lord of Dance, Prince of Swimwear & Blogger.
Mark Gatiss: ‏Actor. Writer. Strangler.
Gareth Thomas: It's not where I'm going, it's where I come from that's important to me.
Dr Christian Jessen: ‏British doctor and sexual health campaigner. Presenter of Channel 4's Supersize Vs Superskinny & the BAFTA award winning Embarrassing Bodies.
Russell Tovey‏: My views are not my own and are associated with really big massive corporations.
Jeremy Hardy: I was born a coalminer's daughter. In a cabin, on a hill in Butcher Holler.
Tomasz Schafernaker: ‏Weather Forecaster and TV Presenter, BBC.
Brian Cox: Currently working on a book and lecture course at the University of Manchester. About to start filming Wonders of Life for BBC / Discovery Science Channel.
Dan Snow: Broadcaster and historian. BBC in the UK, History in Canada and PBS/ Military Channel in the US. App just released: www.timelineww2.com.
Evan Davis: This is the bloke on the Radio 4 Today programme, Dragons' Den and the Bottom Line. Author of Made in Britain. These are only my views - the BBC has no views.
Richard Dawkins: Richard Dawkins' Personal Twitter Account.
Sue Perkins: Mutton dressed as mutton.
Chris Packham: Naturalist and BBC broadcaster.
Alan Cumming: Scottish elf trapped inside middle aged man's body
Jake Shears: Singer, dancer, scissor, sister.
Ian McKellen: A‏ctor and activist.

Not quite sure what this says about me...?

A lovely, long and lazy weekend...

At last, the bank holiday Jubilee weekend is here. Yay! Anyone would think I'm a monarchist. Nah, not really; just looking forward to a lovely, long and lazy weekend. As for marking 60 glorious years of Queen Elizabeth II; beyond this post, I shan't give it another thought. I'm sure there'll be many references in the media to what the world was like when she first became Queen...

In 1952 Winston Churchill was Prime Minister and Harry S Truman was US President, Joe Strummer, Jenny Agutter, Liam Neeson and Douglas Adams were born, the films Singing in the Rain and High Noon were released, the United Nations moved to its home in New York, The Mousetrap opened in London's West End, Churchill announced that the UK had an atomic bomb, the US signed a peace treaty with Japan, Helsinki hosted the Olympics and Italy, France, West Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg formed the European Coal and Steel community (later to become the European Union). The world has changed much.

Plans for this weekend? Some running and swimming, no doubt. I have a friend staying and consequently I shall be on best behaviour, so no drinking to excess or being naughty; although I might introduce him to my local homosexual hostelry on Sunday - something I certainly wouldn't have been able to do openly 60 years ago.