The Welshman

Time Capsule

2010-01-21T19:03:00.002-05:00

I was telling this story the other day and realized it would make a great blog post.

About 7-8 years ago my mother and I were visiting some friends outside of Toronto. On the way back we were going to be very near the house where I grew up. We decided to drop in on Mrs D. She still lived in the house next door. We pulled up in her driveway. As I got out of the car a fellow was coming out the front door of the house I grew up in. As I was only a few feet away, I said hello and told him that I grew up in that house. He smiled, looked at me funny and asked if my name was "Martin". I was kind of shocked and said that it was. He proceeded to tell me that the week previous during some renovations in his basement he found a piece of drywall with my name and a date on it. I had poked a hole in the wall put a few items inside and patched it up. This was when I was 8 years old. More than 40 years had passed.

I remembered that they had talked about time capsules in school that week and how they were burying one in the school yard to be dug up in 20 years... That's where I got the idea.

He asked if I'd like to see what he found - and took me into the house. The only item of value was a dutch teaspoon that I taken from my mother's collection at the time and placed in that wall. He told me I could have it and I was thrilled as I could now return it after 40 plus years!! Mom was thrilled.

This was really amazing as if we had been 10 minutes earlier or later I may not have seen him and never have known. As far as me saying hello - well, that's always a sure thing!!

George Orwell's 1984

2009-11-02T16:08:00.002-05:00

When I grew up – way back when – we had as part of our curriculum in High School, the book “1984” by George Orwell. I had mentioned to my brother at that time that I was not going to read it but wait until the year 1984. This was in the 1960s. Then I proceeded to forget about this incident. My brother obviously did not, as Christmas 1983 he gave the book to me for a present. I did have to wait a week to read it but then went through it very quickly. I wanted to wait to read it to see if things would be as Orwell predicted.

Some parts of the world were pretty bad then – take the USSR for example - but not so much North America. Now though, I wouldn’t say the same especially since 9/11 and the advent of the Patriot Act. There has been such a slow attrition of rights in the Western World – a dulling of consciousness with drugs and degradation of education – that people are really not aware that life has changed all that much. Books like ‘1984’ by George Orwell and ‘Brave New World’ by Aldous Huxley predicted a police state and where one took a drug for every mood. These were then considered BAD things. Orwell’s book was written in the 1940s.

If you have every wondered where the phrase “Big Brother (is watching you)” came from then check out 1984 by George Orwell. I really think it should be mandatory reading for anyone wanting to understand better the world today. I’m pretty sure that you won’t find it on any school curriculum in North American anyway. It may be a bit dry reading for many but well worth it.

You can order copies on the web, new or used but if you want to have a look right away read it online at:

George Orwell's 1984

Bananas and Sleep

2009-10-30T14:13:00.002-05:00

For some reason lately I'm sleeping better. I'm sleeping through the night more than I ever have. One of the problems that I've always had is a high metabolism - at least that's what I think it is as I do seem to have to eat fairly often - not huge volumes but often. So, 3-4 in the morning I awake. It often takes me a little while to realize that I'm hungry - it actually takes me a while to realize that I'm awake...

If I'm quick enough, I eat a banana and back to sleep I go before you can say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious - (just kidding). I've tried other foods, particularly when I don't have any bananas but nothing seems to be quite as effective in getting me back to sleep.

I was curious as to why so I did some research. l found people eating banana smoothies and various combination's of foods before going to sleep - seems to be lots of people out there using this fruit to help them sleep.

Bananas are packed with nutrition much of which is going to help your body relax and sleep:

Potassium
Vitamin B1, B2, B3(Niacin), B6 and B9
Vitamin C
Vitamin K
Magnesium
Copper
Melatonin
Tryptophan - Turkey has this and that is why you get sleepy after a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.

Bananas also have antioxidant properties. I don't know if this would help one sleep but it's good anyway.

Many of the ingredients that are in Bananas are in other fruit. You can see a breakdown here: Fruit Chart

I don't know why bananas do such a stellar job over other friuts but they work for me.

Hope this helps.

Spencer Jones on IMDB.com

2009-10-28T14:05:00.002-05:00

Check out the short: Finals You can see Spencer in this film by going to to the IMDB.com database.

See Spencer in 'Finals'.

Spencer and his partners spend their weekends making films. Watch for the next one: 'Social Status Upgrade".

Fat Free Diets

2009-10-22T13:13:00.002-05:00

It doesn't take much research to figure out what one needs to be eating well. If you listen to the media and food companies on what to eat you could get yourself in big trouble.

Years ago when the 'fat-free' band wagon started I didn't understand it largely because the only way that one could make fat free food taste any good would be to add sugar. Plus the fats are what help fill you up. I did some research and found some interesting information in a couple of Adelle Davis books.

One from "Let's Get Well" in Chapter 32:

'Fats are needed to improve the flavor of foods, to satisfy the appetite, and to stimulate bile flow.'

There is more and this fact should not be taken all by itself. I'm not saying someone should go on a fat binge. I am saying that one should do his or her own research. There are types of fats that are good for you and types that are not.

I was telling a friend about the fact that fats help one's appetite become satisfied. He replied "like when I eat a bunch of onion rings?" Yes, but that is the wrong kind of fat.

Here is another quote from another Adelle Davis book, 'Let's Eat Right To Keep Fit":

'For three reasons, eating to little fat is probably a major cause of overweight. First, many seemingly fat persons are only waterlogged; an adequate diet including salad dressing daily often causes then to lose pounds. Second, it has been proved by what is know as the respiratory quotient that when essential fatty acids are insufficiently supplied, the body changes sugar to fat much more rapidly than is normal; Dr Bloor points out that it would seem as if the body were speedily trying to produce the missing nutrients. This quick change makes the blood sugar plunge downward, causing you to be as starved as a wolf; the chances are that you overeat and gain weight. Third, fats are more satisfying than are any other foods. If you forgo eating 100 calories of fat per meal, you usually become so hungry that you eat 500 calories of starch and/or sugar simply because you cannot resist them; unwanted pounds creep on.' Chapter 5

There does need to be a balance. And it is really not that hard to find the true information. One of the best sources of good nutritional information that I have found is from Adelle Davis books. These can be found in libraries and Amazon.com and Biblio.com. Do a little homework and get the data for yourself then you don't have to blame someone else if they steer you wrong.

Companionship

2009-10-07T10:31:00.001-05:00

"Everyone needs someone to wash their back."

- Jeannette Amarens Jones

SkyTrain Vancouver

2009-09-10T11:04:00.003-05:00

I had the pleasure of riding the SkyTrain to the Vancouver airport a few days ago. I was in North Vancouver and was dropped off at the Sea Bus. This is a ferry that takes one from North Vancouver to the main terminal in Vancouver. There, I did a little walking and a wrong turn and made my way to the 'Canada Line' which was a 26 minute run to the Airport. All in all quite smooth and the whole trip took less than an hour. To have someone take me, depending on traffic may not have been a whole lot less.

I had one complaint/problem. When I got off the Sea Bus(ferry) I had to go the bathroom. Too bad. The brilliant minds that put the project together for some reason overlooked the fact that humans may be using the facility. When I got to the main hall, I asked someone who told me a couple of choices - both outside and 'across the street'. When I got to my train there was an agent on the floor to help direct people and I asked him about this oversight and was told that is the biggest complaint that he gets.

I do hope the powers that be see their way to rectify this oversight before February and the 2010 Olympics.

Better signage will help as well at the top directing one to the proper train system - some locals were as lost as I was at one point.

All in all though I was impressed at the speed with which I was delivered to the Vancouver Airport from North Vancouver. Cities such as Toronto and Tampa could learn...

Botannical Gardens Niagara Falls

2009-08-09T15:11:00.002-05:00

Gareth and I went to the Botanical Gardens a few weeks ago and as it was raining and we didn't have lots of time that although we got some good shots there was much left to be seen. If you come for a visit this is a must see. There is a horticultural school here and they keep the place like a dreamland. I went back yesterday and wandered around taking pictures for an hour or so. I'll let you know here when the photos are all up for viewing.

Gareth Jones Downtown Clearwater

2009-07-26T14:42:00.002-05:00

Here is Gareth on a photo shoot in downtown Clearwater.

Niagara Falls Maid of the Mist Photo

2009-06-23T11:27:00.003-05:00

Gareth took this photo from the Maid of the Mist boat looking at the American side at Niagara Falls. We were quite close and got some great photos but this was definitely one of the best. Can you believe that it was a bright sunny day?

Visiting the Beaches in Toronto

2009-06-16T19:53:00.004-05:00

Gareth and I spent Sunday in Toronto and managed to get to the beach with Leah and Kayla. We took a break from out stay at Peter and Gwen's at Campark Resort. Leah took this picture of the two of us at the beach watching the volleyball. Hot dogs, ice cream and an absolutely beautiful day walking on the boardwalk. There was also a blues festival across the street in the park we got to enjoy as well.

Get Music off your iPod

2009-06-01T15:49:00.002-05:00

I just found a very simple utility for getting music off my iPod. It is easy enough to get music onto your iPod but the other way around - not. I have tons of music and other material on my iPod that I transferred from my computer. Then my computer crashed. So, finding something that made it very simple and downloaded very quickly and didn't crash my computer was a nice bonus.

You can check download the trial version here: www.EasyiPodTransfer.com

Driving in the Left Lane on the Highway

2009-05-28T10:35:00.002-05:00

It's all about manners. Whether you are holding the door for someone or moving out of the way on the highway so the person behind you can pass. The dangers of driving vehicles slowly in the left lane of the highway are obviously not apparent to everyone. The people that do this will probably not read this whole article. In case you do ...

I hear the reasons like, "I'm going the speed limit" or "They don't need to go that fast." for sitting in the left lane of the highway blocking traffic. I'm very certain, given normal traffic flow, that if more people used the left lane only to pass, then traffic would move more smoothly and quickly. What I've observed is that when someone is cruising in the left lane more slowly than the general traffic, it prompts others to weave dangerously.

Some drivers I'm sure are not confident enough and just stay in one lane (the left lane) so that they are not moving back and forth. I would suggest to these drivers that they get someone to somehow help them become more confident drivers. There are many ways to do this. I'll try and post later something to help with this.

Weight Loss and a Healthy Diet

2009-05-26T19:42:00.001-05:00

There are probably as many different reasons that people are fat as there are people. Well, maybe I exaggerate a bit. But there are bad eating habits – which covers a lot of different ground – to hormonal confusions in the body. So, not every ‘diet’ is going to work for everyone. I don’t really like the word ‘diet’ anyway – I prefer the necessity of changing one’s lifestyle. If you go on a diet and lose weight then go off the diet, very likely you will go back to what you were doing before which was probably contributing to your excess weight. I’ve always felt that the goal should be a healthy lifestyle first and if you are doing that you’ll most likely be OK even if over a few pounds.

Here are some things that I do to stay healthy and keep my weight down.

Water: I drink quite a bit. If I’m hungry I will sometimes drink a glass of water – it handles the hunger. I drink a glass or as much of a glass of water when I get up or as I awake. I always have a glass beside my bed. If I’m thirsty I drink water not soda or tea or anything else.

This one is one of the most important: I NEVER eat till I’m full. I always stop before then. If I’m having a salad, I’ll try and eat it before my main dish – it will help me eat less. I don’t eat bread with a meal. I don’t go more than 2-3 hours without eating. Otherwise I get too hungry and eat too much. If I eat 2-3 meals or dinners till I’m full then I start putting on weight. I think the reason for this is that there is a lag with the food getting to the stomach. If you stop before you are full then wait a few minutes, you will be full. If you don’t stop then your stomach will end up over full and stretch.

I rarely eat dessert. If I eat well I’m usually too full. If I want something sweet, it will be a very small piece.

Deep breathing. I started doing this when I was a teen. I don’t necessarily use the breathing every day but I think this helps with metabolism – not sure – but you can look up on the web exactly how …

At least some exercise regularly – I cycle or swim, walk or do yoga exercises.

Ration my sweets. If I’m having a glass of wine later, I won’t have the dessert.

I seem to do ok with potatoes but try and limit pasta. Probably because it is over-processed.

I never eat ‘fat-free’ food. I hadn’t eaten these types of foods for years and was reading Adele Davis some years ago and found something very interesting. She says in one of her books – probably “Let’s Get Well” – that if you were to take the fat out of foods people would crave carbohydrates. Makes so much sense to me – I see ‘fat free’ food that is loaded with sugar. Go figure!

I rarely use butter on bread.

Fresh vegetables at least 3-4 times a week.

And when I cook my food – I really try to not over-cook it - particularly vegetables.

I’ll try and eat plain yogurt with honey and flax seed (ground up) at least 3 times a week – usually 5-6 times.

I lost quite a bit of weight once using the South Beach Diet – not very rigorously but it was keeping me away from pasta and being too heavy on the carbs.

Whatever you do, pay attention to what works. Do your own research and find out what is good for your body. If you listen to everyone else’s opinion on what to do and what is wrong then it is easy to blame them if whatever you try isn’t working.

Good Luck!

Being Black in Canada vs Being Black in America

2009-05-11T08:32:00.005-05:00

I have a friend. Well, actually I have a few friends but this particularly one is American. And he's black. Very nice guy. He told me a short anecdote. He grew up black in America and through the course of his upbringing became a black militant. He "knew" that when white people spoke to him they saw mainly the color of his skin and he felt everything that he said was filtered through that. It didn't make for a pleasant life.

Several years ago he came to Canada for a company he worked for. Shock may be a bit strong of a word but very quickly he realized that when people in Canada spoke to him they did not see the color of his skin. They were just speaking to him. They did not have any bias or already formed opinions about the type of person he was. It changed him.

He is no longer a militant and even being back in the US of A he finds because he has experienced more tolerance that he can be more tolerant.

Yea Canada!

Spencer and the Internet Movie DataBase(IMDB)

2008-12-07T16:40:00.002-05:00

When you get a moment look up Spencer Jones on the Internet Movie DataBase - he's up there for one movie and should be for a second in the next month or two. Cool.

13B Streetport engine for our 1st Gen Mazda RX-7

2008-12-02T17:28:00.002-05:00

OK - this post isn't for everyone. But if you have ever even thought about rebuilding a car, this is the blog to keep an eye on. My friend Grant Boshoff likes to race cars. His passion goes to rebuilding race cars and he has recently begun the project of rebuilding a 1st Generation Mazda RX-7. Well actually the engine at this point is the object of his passion. If you have any interest at all cars and what goes into a project like this, check out his blog here: Grant Boshoff's blog. If you ever dreamed of committing to a project of this detail, check the site often and you may learn something.

- Martin

Good Night, Good Night

2008-11-25T22:34:00.003-05:00

Gareth played at the Orpheum in Tampa again Sunday night. He was somewhat nervous. The first time he played there a few weeks ago, he played to a very small crowd as it was a Wednesday night. This time, Sunday evening there were a few hundred people there - well, at least a couple of hundred. Anyway, he played nine songs - this time I really wish I had a video camera to record the event - I will next time. By the sixth or seventh song the whole place was clapping along to the beat of the song. Huge cheering for every one. He played seven original songs and two covers. (A cover is simply playing a song written by someone else.)

The difference from the first show a few weeks ago to this one was amazing. He completely filled the room with his music - his own music is catchy and full of life and feeling. He was completely confident and exuded competence - if this is starting to sound like a parent doting or bragging - well, too bad.

He ended with the piece I've included here.Goodnight%20Goodnight.mp3

Gareth's latest Song

2008-11-19T16:46:00.003-05:00

Enjoy! You can download it here:
Stuck%20in%20a%20static.mp3

Or you can go to Gareth's MySpace Music page and listen online:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=387183565

No Flour Pancakes

2008-11-04T15:59:00.002-05:00

South Beach Diet Pancakes: These Rock!

I don't really call South Beach Diet a diet - I see it as just eating properly - anyway, here's the recipe from the book with some of my 'additives':

1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese
(I don't eat anything low fat - tastes terrible and I'm not convinced)
4 Egg whites (I use two whole eggs)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

I double the recipe as what's here won't give you much. They are pretty big pancakes and they are thick as well - so if you prefer thinner pancakes, add a bit more cottage cheese or eggs. And of course you can vary the spices to taste. Filling too.

Throw it all in a blender and you are good to go.

- martin

Gareth at the Orpheum

2008-10-16T15:47:00.002-05:00

Gareth played at the Orpheum - a club in Tampa - last night and did very well. We'll get the pictures up on the weekend and some of the music out to those who want it. There was another band playing there that has asked him to play other venues with them - they though he was great.

Yea!!!
- Mart

Gareth singing "Whisper"

2008-08-31T10:59:00.003-05:00

Here's Gareth singing a song called "Whisper" by Pink Goats Can't Fly (I think that's the name of the Group anyway.)Whisper.mp3

Being Frugal

2008-08-04T11:57:00.002-05:00

My sister has a new blog - all about being frugal. Some good ideas. Check it out at The Frugal Bugle

Leave her comments/feedback - she would like that.

- Martin

Another Song from Gareth Jones

2008-07-31T23:17:00.006-05:00

Here's a cover that Gareth did - a Manchester Orchestra song called "Don't Let Them See You Cry". Enjoy.

I don't think this link is working properly. If it works OK for you, let me know. I'll try and fix it tonight.
- link is not working -

- Martin

yaari

2008-07-31T19:14:00.002-05:00

If you received an email from me inviting you to join Yaari. It is spam - please ignore. And stay away from that site. More data here if you need it: http://tinyurl.com/2xyyke

Thanks,
Martin