Holiday

Today is my last day at home tomorrow i will be jetting out to Malta for two weeks of sunshine i can not wait.
The only part of the Holiday i do not like is the journey to the airport and the waiting around for the flight.
We have an hours journey to  the airport then check in suitcases and then have to hang around the airport for around three hours. (if only there was a faster way to do it) Once we get going we have a three and a half hour flight, then an hour coach journey to our hotel.
We have to leave around 2:00pm for the 06:00pm flight, but we will not reach the hotel until around 11:00pm.
Still once we get there we can then relax and enjoy the 30 plus degree sunshine around the pool, go for nice walks, go on a nice cruise around the island, jet skiing, etc, then chill out in the evenings to a nice meal, a few drinks and good entertainment. The only bad bit will be having to come home the wife and i have made some really good friends out there and we are looking to move out there in the near future.
If i could get the work out there while i was on holiday we would not even bother to come back.

Mosta Church Malta

What was it like to be the only Army Bomb Disposal Officer in 'the most bombed place on earth'? UXB Malta reveals for the first time an extraordinary story of bomb disposal under fire - and how just one or two officers and a handful of men dealt with over 7000 unexploded bombs in two years

Just about every holidaymaker who goes sightseeing in Malta visits the famous Parish Church of St Mary in the town of Mosta. Its beautiful Rotunda, the third largest in the world, stands like a beacon dominating the skyline towards the north of the Island. As visitors stand in awe underneath the magnificent dome, they hear a story from the darkest hours of World War 2.

Mosta was in the direct flight path of enemy bombers retreating from or heading to the RAF base at Ta Qali. As a result the town was heavily bombed in the first four months of 1942, and civilian casualties were high. Never before had their faith been more important to the people of Mosta.

At 1640 hours on 9 April 1942, up to 300 of them were gathered in the church to hear Mass when a 500kg Luftwaffe bomb pierced the dome and landed among them. It failed to explode. The shocked parishioners were ushered out of the Church to safety and no-one was hurt.

News of the remarkable escape spread quickly across the Island, and among these deeply religious people it wasn’t long before the event was being described as a miracle. When the siege was over, the Maltese began to rebuild their lives and tried to forget the horrors of the war. But the story of ‘the Miracle of Mosta’ was kept alive, as a symbol of the faith and hope of the Maltese in such troubled times. In due course, a commemorative display was set up in an ante-room, with gift shop.

Inevitably, like many remarkable tales that are told and retold, over the years the tale of Mosta has reached mythical proportions, with the inevitable blurring of truth and fiction. A thorough investigation of all aspects of the event was carried out by the late Anthony Camilleri, published in his 1992 book ‘Il-Hbit mill-Ajru fuq ir-Rotunda tal-Mosta’. However, even he was at the mercy of the effect time has on the memory.


The bomb
The UXB removed from the church on 9 April 1942 was a 500kg German high explosive. Contrary to some recent claims, it was a live bomb; it was not full of sand and did not contain a message of greeting. The bomb on display in the church is not the real one but a similar example.

The removal
The emotional attachment to Malta of many who served there during World War 2 has drawn them to return as holidaymakers in recent decades. They often identify strongly with Mosta, so much so that some believe they were present that day in 1942. According to several sources in Malta, former RAF and Army servicemen from a range of regiments have stated that they shepherded the congregation out to safety, others that they picked up the bomb and carried it out of the church.

Who did it
The disposal of the unexploded bomb at Mosta on 9 April 1942 is logged in the official War Diary of the Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal Sections. For them, arriving after people had been led out of the church by their priests, there was no sense of a miracle at the time – it was just a routine UXB.

The bomb on display in the church represents something beyond the ‘miracle of Mosta’. It stands for just one of over 7000 unexploded bombs dealt with by the RE Bomb Disposal Sections in two years. 

Popeye Village Malta

On my last trip to Malta we went to Popeye village in Malta it is the actual village set used for the film starring Robin Williams, it was a great day out.

Popeye’s Village in Real Life

Tucked away in the small European country of Malta is a place you’d probably never expect to find in the real world– Popeye’s Village. Also known as Sweethaven Village, it is an ideal family-vacation spot and one of Malta’s major tourist attractions. The fun park is modeled on the theme of the favorite children’s cartoon character, Popeye the Sailor Man. Interestingly, this village was the actual set used by Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Productions to shoot the 1980 film Popeye, based on the comic strips by E. C. Segar.
At Sweethaven, you can expect to see models of all the main characters of the popular children’s cartoon – Popeye the Sailor, Olive Oyl, Bluto, Swee’Pea and Wimpy. You can also go on joy rides and visit play houses, puppet shows, museums, and cinema sessions featuring the film Popeye and the construction of the set. You can even star in your own film, record it and take it home. But that’s not all, there are a host of other things to see and experience, like face painting, balloon modelling, storytelling, open-air barbeques, crafts and Wii games. There’s also a mini golf course and a free wine tasting for adults. The season-specific activities are a huge hit as well, these include water trampolines, play pools and boat rides during the summer, and a Christmas Parade along with Santa’s toy town in December.

Although Popeye was created way back in 1929, the popularity of this character has remained intact through the decades. I remember many happy hours of my childhood spent watching reruns of the old 1960s Popeye cartoons on TV; it was the only way my mother could get me to eat Spinach! The film version was made by Robert Altman starring Robin Williams, and was shot at Sweethaven in 1980. The construction of the set started in 1979 and it took seven months to build with the help of 165 workers. There are 19 real wooden buildings, the materials for which were imported from Holland and Canada, because Malta doesn’t have any forests. The all-wooden village was constructed to give it a 1920s look and feel. 8 tons of nails were used to make the structures stand, and 2000 gallons of paint to make them look cartoony. They also built a huge breakwater in Anchor Bay, to protect the set from high seas.

Popeye village is well-connected and a short bus-ride away from Mellieha Bay. The Fun Park is accessible all year round, but opening times vary according to the season.

Breaking News

Police Officer Stabbed In Mosque Attack

Last Updated 03:41 16/06/2013

Four men including a police officer have been taken to hospital after being stabbed in a mosque in Birmingham.

The police constable was responding to reports that three men had been stabbed inside the mosque in the Ward End area of the city when he was attacked.

The four are being treated in hospital for their injuries. They are all said to be "stable".

A 32-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and is currently in custody.

A West Midlands Police spokeswoman said: "Police were called at 11pm on Saturday night to a mosque in Washwood Heath Road, Ward End, to reports of three men with stab wounds.

"Officers arrived at the incident and whilst the man was being detained, one police officer suffered a stab wound.

"The three people and the officer have been taken to hospital, all are currently described as stable."

Officers are investigating whether the attack was a hate crime.

"We don't know at the moment, it's very early stages in the inquiry," the spokeswoman said.

"We can't rule anything out at the moment."

Mohammed Shafiq, the leader of national Muslim organisation the Ramadhan Foundation, expressed "deep concern" over the stabbings.

He said: "Our immediate thoughts are with the victims injured and their families.

"It is too early to speculate on the circumstances of the stabbings but we must be clear there should be no place for this sort of violence in our country. There will obviously be people who will try to take advantage of this tragedy but we must not allow them to succeed."

A number of mosques have been targeted since the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby close to his barracks in Woolwich, south London, last month.

The killing also sparked a large increase in anti-Muslim incidents in the days that followed, according to the organisation Faith Matters, which works to reduce extremism.

In what were believed to be reprisal attacks, the Islamic Somali Community Centre in Muswell Hill, north London, was burnt to the ground while the Grimsby Islamic Cultural Centre was also targeted by arsonists who threw petrol bombs.

Last week, Muslim groups called on authorities to take serious action against the wave of anti-Islamic attacks.

in London, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe responded by saying extra resources would be deployed to sites deemed to be "at greatest risk".

Mellieha bay hotel malta

Off on my holiday to Malta on Tuesday 18-06-2013 not long now really looking forward to it.

Mellieha bay hotel is on the south side of the island of Malta it is one of only a few hotels that has a sandy beach, it also has its own private beach.

The hotel has over 300 rooms and everyone of them has a fantastic sea view, the staff are so friendly, the entertainment is very good and the food is excellent. 

The gardens are out of this world and the grounds go right to the edge of the sea, there is plenty of water activities, you can even hire your own speed boat for the day for around €100-€150.

Take a cruise over to Gozo explore caves on the way then head to the blue lagoon where you spend the afternoon in paradise, all this for €10 each well worth doing. 

Relax and just spend a day round the pool one of five and check out the gardens, or take a bus round the island for €2.50 which is a day ticket so you can hop on and off as many buses as you like.

Go to Popeye village and walk around the set for the film starring Robin Williams meet the characters and watch them put on a show, or just explore the island with its many caves, shops and bars etc.

I would highly recommend it, check out pictures below.

                 

            

          


             

Poems

Twenty poems to enjoy.

I ne'er was struck before that hour With love so sudden and so sweet,  Her face it bloomed like a sweet flower And stole my heart away complete. My face turned pale as deadly pale. My legs refused to walk away,  And when she looked, what could I ail?  My life and all seemed turned to clay. And then my blood rushed to my face And took my eyesight quite away,  The trees and bushes round the place Seemed midnight at noonday. I could not see a single thing,  Words from my eyes did start -- They spoke as chords do from the string,  And blood burnt round my heart. Are flowers the winter's choice?  Is love's bed always snow?  She seemed to hear my silent voice,  Not love's appeals to know. I never saw so sweet a face As that I stood before. My heart has left its dwelling-place And can return no more Phenomenal Woman Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size But when I start to tell them, They think I'm telling lies. I say, It's in the reach of my arms The span of my hips, The stride of my step, The curl of my lips. I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me. I walk into a room Just as cool as you please, And to a man, The fellows stand or Fall down on their knees. Then they swarm around me, A hive of honey bees. I say, It's the fire in my eyes, And the flash of my teeth, The swing in my waist, And the joy in my feet. I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me. Men themselves have wondered What they see in me. They try so much But they can't touch My inner mystery. When I try to show them They say they still can't see. I say, It's in the arch of my back, The sun of my smile, The ride of my breasts, The grace of my style. I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me. Now you understand Just why my head's not bowed. I don't shout or jump about Or have to talk real loud. When you see me passing It ought to make you proud. I say, It's in the click of my heels, The bend of my hair, the palm of my hand, The need of my care, 'Cause I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me. The Road Not Taken Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim Because it was grassy and wanted wear, Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. ‘Carnal Apple, Woman Filled, Burning Moon,’ Carnal apple, Woman filled, burning moon, dark smell of seaweed, crush of mud and light, what secret knowledge is clasped between your pillars? What primal night does Man touch with his senses? Ay, Love is a journey through waters and stars, through suffocating air, sharp tempests of grain: Love is a war of lightning, and two bodies ruined by a single sweetness. Kiss by kiss I cover your tiny infinity, your margins, your rivers, your diminutive villages, and a genital fire, transformed by delight, slips through the narrow channels of blood to precipitate a nocturnal carnation, to be, and be nothing but light in the dark. I want you to know one thing. You know how this is: if I look at the crystal moon, at the red branch of the slow autumn at my window,  if I touch near the fire the impalpable ash or the wrinkled body of the log,  everything carries me to you,  as if everything that exists,  aromas, light, metals,  were little boats that sail toward those isles of yours that wait for me. Well, now,  if little by little you stop loving me I shall stop loving you little by little. If suddenly you forget me do not look for me,  for I shall already have forgotten you. If you think it long and mad,  the wind of banners that passes through my life,  and you decide to leave me at the shore of the heart where I have roots,  remember that on that day,  at that hour,  I shall lift my arms and my roots will set off to seek another land. But if each day,  each hour,  you feel that you are destined for me with implacable sweetness,  if each day a flower climbs up to your lips to seek me,  ah my love, ah my own,  in me all that fire is repeated,  in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten,  my love feeds on your love, beloved,  and as long as you live it will be in your arms without leaving mine. You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I'll rise. Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? 'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells Pumping in my living room. Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I'll rise. Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops. Weakened by my soulful cries. Does my haughtiness offend you? Don't you take it awful hard 'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines Diggin' in my own back yard. You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I'll rise. Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise That I dance like I've got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs? Out of the huts of history's shame I rise Up from a past that's rooted in pain I rise I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide. Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear I rise Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise. Hold fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird That cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow. It was many and many a year ago, In a kingdom by the sea, That a maiden there lived whom you may know By the name of ANNABEL LEE; And this maiden she lived with no other thought Than to love and be loved by me. I was a child and she was a child, In this kingdom by the sea; But we loved with a love that was more than love- I and my Annabel Lee; With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven Coveted her and me. And this was the reason that, long ago, In this kingdom by the sea, A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling My beautiful Annabel Lee; So that her highborn kinsman came And bore her away from me, To shut her up in a sepulchre In this kingdom by the sea. The angels, not half so happy in heaven, Went envying her and me- Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know, In this kingdom by the sea) That the wind came out of the cloud by night, Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee. But our love it was stronger by far than the love Of those who were older than we- Of many far wiser than we- And neither the angels in heaven above, Nor the demons down under the sea, Can ever dissever my soul from the soul Of the beautiful Annabel Lee. For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride, In the sepulchre there by the sea, In her tomb by the sounding sea. If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too: If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or being hated don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise; If you can dream---and not make dreams your master; If you can think---and not make thoughts your aim, If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same:. If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools; If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings, And never breathe a word about your loss: If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!" If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings---nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much: If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son! Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village, though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound's the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds, and shall find, me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll. I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul. The free bird leaps on the back of the wind and floats downstream till the current ends and dips his wings in the orange sun rays and dares to claim the sky. But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing. The caged bird sings with fearful trill of the things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom The free bird thinks of another breeze an the trade winds soft through the sighing trees and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn and he names the sky his own. But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom. Take this kiss upon the brow! And, in parting from you now, Thus much let me avow- You are not wrong, who deem That my days have been a dream; Yet if hope has flown away In a night, or in a day, In a vision, or in none, Is it therefore the less gone? All that we see or seem Is but a dream within a dream. I stand amid the roar Of a surf-tormented shore, And I hold within my hand Grains of the golden sand- How few! yet how they creep Through my fingers to the deep, While I weep- while I weep! O God! can I not grasp Them with a tighter clasp? O God! can I not save One from the pitiless wave? Is all that we see or seem But a dream within a dream? Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I've tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice. I do not love you except because I love you; I go from loving to not loving you, From waiting to not waiting for you My heart moves from cold to fire. I love you only because it's you the one I love; I hate you deeply, and hating you Bend to you, and the measure of my changing love for you Is that I do not see you but love you blindly. Maybe January light will consume My heart with its cruel Ray, stealing my key to true calm. In this part of the story I am the one who Dies, the only one, and I will die of love because I love you, Because I love you, Love, in fire and blood. The most important thing we've learned, So far as children are concerned, Is never, NEVER, NEVER let Them near your television set -- Or better still, just don't install The idiotic thing at all. In almost every house we've been, We've watched them gaping at the screen. They loll and slop and lounge about, And stare until their eyes pop out. (Last week in someone's place we saw A dozen eyeballs on the floor.) They sit and stare and stare and sit Until they're hypnotised by it, Until they're absolutely drunk With all that shocking ghastly junk. Oh yes, we know it keeps them still, They don't climb out the window sill, They never fight or kick or punch, They leave you free to cook the lunch And wash the dishes in the sink -- But did you ever stop to think, To wonder just exactly what This does to your beloved tot? IT ROTS THE SENSE IN THE HEAD! IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD! IT CLOGS AND CLUTTERS UP THE MIND! IT MAKES A CHILD SO DULL AND BLIND HE CAN NO LONGER UNDERSTAND A FANTASY, A FAIRYLAND! HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE! HIS POWERS OF THINKING RUST AND FREEZE! HE CANNOT THINK -- HE ONLY SEES! 'All right!' you'll cry. 'All right!' you'll say, 'But if we take the set away, What shall we do to entertain Our darling children? Please explain!' We'll answer this by asking you, 'What used the darling ones to do? 'How used they keep themselves contented Before this monster was invented?' Have you forgotten? Don't you know? We'll say it very loud and slow: THEY ... USED ... TO ... READ! They'd READ and READ, AND READ and READ, and then proceed To READ some more. Great Scott! Gadzooks! One half their lives was reading books! The nursery shelves held books galore! Books cluttered up the nursery floor! And in the bedroom, by the bed, More books were waiting to be read! Such wondrous, fine, fantastic tales Of dragons, gypsies, queens, and whales And treasure isles, and distant shores Where smugglers rowed with muffled oars, And pirates wearing purple pants, And sailing ships and elephants, And cannibals crouching 'round the pot, Stirring away at something hot. (It smells so good, what can it be? Good gracious, it's Penelope.) The younger ones had Beatrix Potter With Mr. Tod, the dirty rotter, And Squirrel Nutkin, Pigling Bland, And Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and- Just How The Camel Got His Hump, And How the Monkey Lost His Rump, And Mr. Toad, and bless my soul, There's Mr. Rat and Mr. Mole- Oh, books, what books they used to know, Those children living long ago! So please, oh please, we beg, we pray, Go throw your TV set away, And in its place you can install A lovely bookshelf on the wall. Then fill the shelves with lots of books, Ignoring all the dirty looks, The screams and yells, the bites and kicks, And children hitting you with sticks- Fear not, because we promise you That, in about a week or two Of having nothing else to do, They'll now begin to feel the need Of having something to read. And once they start -- oh boy, oh boy! You watch the slowly growing joy That fills their hearts. They'll grow so keen They'll wonder what they'd ever seen In that ridiculous machine, That nauseating, foul, unclean, Repulsive television screen! And later, each and every kid Will love you more for what you did. From childhood's hour I have not been As others were; I have not seen As others saw; I could not bring My passions from a common spring. From the same source I have not taken My sorrow; I could not awaken My heart to joy at the same tone; And all I loved, I loved alone. Then- in my childhood, in the dawn Of a most stormy life- was drawn From every depth of good and ill The mystery which binds me still: From the torrent, or the fountain, From the red cliff of the mountain, From the sun that round me rolled In its autumn tint of gold, From the lightning in the sky As it passed me flying by, From the thunder and the storm, And the cloud that took the form (When the rest of Heaven was blue) Of a demon in my view. It was a long time ago. I have almost forgotten my dream. But it was there then, In front of me, Bright like a sun- My dream. And then the wall rose, Rose slowly, Slowly, Between me and my dream. Rose until it touched the sky- The wall. Shadow. I am black. I lie down in the shadow. No longer the light of my dream before me, Above me. Only the thick wall. Only the shadow. My hands! My dark hands! Break through the wall! Find my dream! Help me to shatter this darkness, To smash this night, To break this shadow Into a thousand lights of sun, Into a thousand whirling dreams Of sun! Don't go far off, not even for a day, because -- because -- I don't know how to say it: a day is long and I will be waiting for you, as in an empty station when the trains are parked off somewhere else, asleep. Don't leave me, even for an hour, because then the little drops of anguish will all run together,  the smoke that roams looking for a home will drift into me, choking my lost heart. Oh, may your silhouette never dissolve on the beach; may your eyelids never flutter into the empty distance. Don't leave me for a second, my dearest,  because in that moment you'll have gone so far I'll wander mazily over all the earth, asking,  Will you come back? Will you leave me here, dying? Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night. Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way, Do not go gentle into that good night. Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light. And you, my father, there on that sad height, Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Do not stand at my grave and weep I am not there. I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints on snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain. When you awaken in the morning's hush I am the swift uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circled flight. I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not stand at my grave and cry; I am not there. I did not die. I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the milky way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed---and gazed---but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.

Grandson

Grandson

Here is my beautiful grandson born today at 09:20 am weight 7lb.2 , my 7th now.

Real Or Fake Ghost Pictures

Ghost Photos – Real or Hoaxed?

I found this article about ghost pictures and a short description of the story behind the photos there is a view of an opinion about these photos, do you agree with what has been said or do you have your own opinion.

1. Ghost of Boothill Cemetery. This man wanted to have a photo of himself dressed up in period clothing to commemorate an anniversary at the OK Corral. I’m guessing this must be in Arizona. He explained that the reason the photo is centered as it is, is because they wanted to catch the beautiful mountains in the background to the right, which we can’t see very well due to the mist over them, or maybe the photo quality. Anyway, as you can see, someone else seems to have been caught on film.
I think this may be real because I have seen photos like this from Civil War era sites around the country. I’ve heard photo/video experts who have looked into the authenticity of these other photos and they turned out to be legitimate, not tampered with, not fake. So this may be one of those oddball cases where a spirit is caught on film accidentally. Why? Who knows!

2. Ghosts of the SS Watertown. Back in the day, this ship was enroute from New York to the Panama Canal. Two men were working in the cargo tank that subsequently exploded due to a gas leak. In the days following, crew members swore they saw the faces of the two men in the waves. So the Captain took a series of 5 photos, 4 showing nothing unusual, one showing this image, as if there were two faces in it.
I think they’re seeing faces that they want to see in the photo, based on natural wave/wind/water action. I don’t think it’s paranormal.

3.  Meanwhile, at the O’Hare Mansion in Greencastle, IN, a pink lady is supposedly seen in the windows from time to time. The fourth frame has been “digitally enhanced” to highlight a skull in the center of the pane.
Hoax. She looks a little too solid to me, even though I’m sure she was also “digitally enhanced”.

• 4. A woman visiting the Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery in 1991 caught this image on her black and white film (taken with an infrared camera).  She swore no one else was around.

This is a tough one. Critics claim the woman in the photo is casting a shadow below her leg, but I thought that was just the folds of her long gown. She also doesn’t seem to be wearing shoes. So I don’t know, this could be a ghostly figure, or just a weird photo. It would take a photo/video expert to say for sure.

5.  The Godfather’s Pizza in Ogden UT did some renovations a few years back. They subsequently started to experience spirit activity. Some saw figures of a man, a woman, and two children. Their jukebox started playing by itself (unplugged), and tiles were seen hovering off the floor about ten inches. Also there was a mysterious whistle from the kitchen.
Well, if we know nothing else from having watched Ghost Hunters all these years, we know that renovations typically set off spirit activity. But this photo doesn’t impress me that much, it just looks like a heck of a glare or flash from the camera’s light.
Also, after seeing that episode of Fact or Faked where they were investigating a similar type of photo that showed a ghostly figure against a mirror – and in a stroke of brilliance they realized it was a shadow cast from an old cast iron coffee grinder. It shocked me, and I’m sure everyone else. So now, looking at this photo, I feel there is probably a more earthly, mundane explanation. Not to say they didn’t have spirit activity, I just think this photo could be more thoroughly investigated.

6. This next photo shows what is supposed to be a farm boy caught on film by a wedding photographer as he was preparing the shots for the bride and groom. The owner of the farm told the photographer he had seen the image of that boy in a white gown roaming his farm, from time to time.
This reminds me a famous photo from the Myrtle’s Plantation (see photo 27). That photo had been investigated and even discussed on an episode of Ghost Hunters. I think that one is real, and this is similar enough for me to think this COULD be a legitimate ghost photo. But again, I always wish a photo/video expert could look into these things.

7. This photo shows the husband of the woman in the photo standing behind her. Only problem is, he’d been dead ten years already.
I think he looks pretty solid, if out of focus. I suspect the family got the dates wrong or confused, and he could have been alive at the time the photo was taken.

8. This next photo was snapped by a furniture collector. Note the disembodied hand.
Hoax! This looks very much like those old hoaxed “spiritualist” photos taken around the turn of the 19^th and 20^th centuries.

9. Back in the Boothill Cemetery. A strange shot of a man and what must be a fake headstone. Behind him to the left they say there is another figure that is a ghost because it doesn’t cast a shadow.
I don’t see a shadow for the man in the forefront either, or maybe it’s blended with the shadow of the foliage in front of him. And that other figure is obscured by shrubs, so how can we see any detail, much less a shadow? I think it’s either a hoax or misunderstanding.

10. This photo shows a 180 year old cabin as photographed by some kids visiting the site. They claim they caught this ghostly apparition on their film.
Note how highly reflective all the window glass is throughout the cabin. I think that’s just another  weird reflection from something.

11. The woman in this photo visited the Fleet Air Arm Center in Yelverton, Somerset, England. She was the only one in the helicopter when this photo was taken. She said she felt “strangely cold” while inside the copter. It was a warm day in 1987. She believes a spirit was sitting next to her.
I just see a lot of sun glare. I don’t doubt she was chilled, but that could be for a lot of reasons. That said, there are tons of reports of sightings of soldiers around military bases and such around the world. I guess it’s possible that some spirit was there, but it still just looks like sun glare to me.

12. This photo supposedly shows author Robert A. Ferguson on Nov. 16, 1968. He wrote a book called, “Psychic Telemetry: New Key to Health, Wealth, and Perfect Living.”  At the time of the photo, he was speaking at a convention to  a group of Spiritualists. Mr. Ferguson believed the photo showed his late brother who had died in WWII.
Either a double exposure, or a fake. These spiritualists’ photos have been debunked over and over again on paranormal shows over the last ten or more years. Mr. Ferguson was SELLING the idea of the psychic telemetry and all things spiritual – what a great way to boost sales by showing his own ghostly encounter. I don’t believe it.

13.  Is this a ghost at the House of the Seven Gables in Salem, Massachusetts? People claim a small boy can be seen behind the shrubbery, peeking over the top.
I’ve been there, it’s a great place! There are also TONS of tourists crawling all over it. I think this is just a kid in a badly focused photo who looks a little spooky because of the poor quality of the photo.

14. Class photo, year unknown. They claim the child to the left of the photo looking creepy and out of line with everyone else is a ghost.
I think this is just a messed up photo. The “ghostly” child has its own space, as though a living child were standing there – probably because they are. It looks like the child just turned away and caught a shadow so she looks creepy.
Another possibility is that this could have been photoshopped. Someone could have put a spookier face over the face of a regular child in the photo. Either way, I don’t think this is one to get excited about.

15. This ghostly figure was supposedly snapped in 1959 in Australia. It kind of looks like the figure of a woman.
This one is intriguing, although I have to wonder why was someone taking a photo of that not so gorgeous or interesting spot? That alone is a clue it may been taken in preparation for altering back in the dark room.
I don’t know enough about photos to say for sure, so it would take a photo/video expert to weigh in on this one, and they’d probably need the film to be able to tell for sure.

16.  A couple visited Worstead Church in Norfolk, UK back in 1975. The husband took a photo of his wife as she was praying. The figure behind her was not there in real life.
Another tough call. The photo is so out of focus, it’s hard to see anything clearly. And I think the “shoes” on the spirit’s feet look pretty solid. So this could go either way.

17.  This photo shows two men working on the remains of an abandoned hospital. The photo, from 1918, also shows what could be a spirit in the upper left corner.
I think this one could be real. What we’ve learned from Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures is that some crazy spirit activity DOES seem to occur at abandoned medical facilities. So this may be a ghost still hanging around whatever facility that once was.

18.  Angel near a car crash. This is a very old photo that’s been around on the internet for almost as long as there’s been an internet.
I believe in angel activity in the lives of humans. I’ve also read how this photo was debunked as some kind of camera glare or something like that.  If there is a normal explanation for it, fine. But I do believe angels are active in our lives more than we can ever know.

19.  In 1947 a woman went to visit the grave of her 17 year old daughter. She caught this baby on the grave in a photo. She investigated and found out that her daughter was buried next to the grave of two infant girls.
I think this is a hoax. Baby is too solid, too much detail in its face, clothes, etc. This could have easily been manipulated back in the dark room.

20.  This photo was taken at the remains of a building damaged in the Civil War era. He looks like a Civil War soldier. As I said before, a LOT of unexplained images have been caught on film around Civil War areas. I think this could be a ghost, but it’s odd how he’s ascending the stairs, isn’t it? I mean, that’s one heck of a leap up.

21. This photo was taken in January of 1985 at a meeting in St Mary’s Guildhall, Coventry, England. The assembled company had their heads bowed in prayer.  The oddity is the tall, hooded man in the top left of the photo. The one who doesn’t seem to have a shirt on.
No one remembered seeing a man dressed (or undressed) like that during the whole event.  So who or what was it?  Hard to say because that photo is also out of focus and very grainy.  Who knows?

22.  Photo of a man as he lay dying, with his spirit supposedly exiting his body.
Without a doubt – camera malfunction.

23.  People claim to see ghostly figures in this photo of an electric chair.  This chair, from Tennessee, was made from wood that had been part of the state’s old gallows.  The photographer later found what he thought were ghostly images in the chair.
I think this is a case of matrixing, where our eyes, programmed and accustomed to finding human faces from infancy onward, makes something out of nothing.  We all do it with clouds, don’t we?  I could go into my old dining room set and find faces or whatnot in the stains and scratches there, and I can assure you, that furniture is NOT haunted.
So I don’t think this is anything to get excited about either.

24.  I like this one. It just looks so creepy, I wish it was real. It was taken at a 16^th century palace that had belonged to King George VIII. Supposedly they all heard an alarm in the early afternoon that meant some fire doors had been opened. Guards investigated but the doors were closed. The photo was found on the security footage.  They say it happened three days in a row, but they don’t say if it was caught on the security cameras three days in the row.
If this was happening near you, and it happened twice in a row, wouldn’t you try to be there in case it happened a third time?  To see it for yourself?
I’d like to see more of the security camera footage too.

25.  In Quezon City, Philippines, there is a myth that says a woman in white with long black hair stands in the middle of Balete Drive. The legend says if there is one empty seat in the back of a car, she’ll get in, so the young people always make sure to have a full back seat.
I say, headlight glare.

26.  This photo was snapped in London’s St Botolph’s Church in 1982. It shows the choir loft with a supposedly ghostly figure present. One man went so far as to say he recognized the figure from a previous funeral (the deceased).
For me, there is too much glare in the photo from all the open, arching windows, and it’s kind of out of focus. I don’t seen an image there, just some bad camera work.

27.  Finally, the classic photo of Chloe, the slave girl from Myrtle’s Plantation. Many have investigated this photo and this plantation. I think this one is real.
What Do You Think?
So that’s my take on these “ghostly” photos! As I said, I’m no expert. So what do you think?

Playstation 4 News

E3: PlayStation 4 console priced cheaper than Xbox One

Sony is set to sell the PlayStation 4 for a cheaper price than Microsoft's rival Xbox One.

The Japanese firm announced at the E3 trade show that its machine would be sold for £349 in the UK, $399 in the US and 399 euros across Europe.
It added that it would not impose restrictions on second-hand games.
Sony also unveiled what its box would look like, having previously kept the design under wraps at its February PS4 press conference.
For many in the audience at the Los Angeles event, the scale of the price difference came as the biggest shock.
Earlier in the day Microsoft had revealed its new console would cost £429 in the UK, $499 in the US and 499 euros.
"Clearly the big headline is that the PlayStation is going to be $100 less than the Xbox One when they come out in the US," Stephen Totilo, editor-in-chief of the gaming news site Kotaku, told the BBC.
"Microsoft is going to need to look again at its price or explain why it offers better value, such as the inclusion of its Kinect sensor.

View from E3

Dave Lee Los Angeles

If console battles were decided by the frequency and volume of whoops and cheers from excitable gaming fanatics, then Sony has won it hands down.
The biggest of all was about price. The PS4 will cost $399 or £349, a price point which drew gasps and then cheers from the audience in Los Angeles.
Cost aside, it was Sony's stance on DRM - digital rights management - which also drew huge applause.
"PS4 will not impose any new restrictions on your use of PS4 game discs," said Jack Tretton, boss of Sony Computer Entertainment America.
It was a cheer for what his audience saw as basic right.
Unlike Microsoft, however, Sony has still to provide a launch date, indicating only that the PS4 would be released in time for the "holidays" - a reference to Christmas.

"Of course, in the short-term it may not matter too much because when new consoles launch, supply is typically limited and hardcore gamers will pay anything to snatch them up. But six months or a year later on it will make a difference and Microsoft may feel at that point that it needs to match price with Sony."

Second-hand games Sony also sought to distinguish its games machine by announcing it would not introduce any new restrictions on pre-owned disc-based games bought from friends or retailers, nor would it require users to regularly authenticate their machines via the internet to allow games to continue being played.
By contrast, Microsoft has introduced limitations on who consumers can buy second-hand titles from and has introduced a requirement to connect to the net once every 24-hours to play games on the Xbox One.
"With Sony continually pushing their gaming credentials and the development of the PlayStation brand for gamers throughout their presentation - it has very publicly slapped Microsoft across the face," said Alex Simmons, UK Editor-in-Chief of news site IGN.com.
"Talk of restrictions on the sale of pre-owned games and a requirement for an internet connection have been two of the largest consumer concerns surrounding the next-generation consoles."
'Pole position' Sony's gaming division accounted for $7.5bn (£4.8bn) worth of sales in its last financial year, representing just under 10% of its total revenues.
The PS4's predecessor, the PlayStation 3, beat the Xbox 360 in terms of global shipments but was in turn outsold by Nintendo's Wii, according to market research firm IDC.

London-based The Order: 1886 was among the exclusive PS4 games revealed at E3

However, the Wii U - which launched in November - has failed to meet its sales projections, something Nintendo has blamed on delays to games releases.
"It's a big opening, the Wii U hasn't performed up to Nintendo's expectations or that of the broader industry" IDC's gaming analyst Lewis Ward told the BBC.
"You only get about once a decade to reset expectations around what a platform will be, and therefore the launch of the PS4 has the potential to move Sony back into the pole position it was at with the PS2."
New games Sony said that 140 PS4 games were in development, 100 of which should be released within its first year.
Among the titles that will be exclusive to the PS4 which had not previously been revealed was The Order: 1886, a steampunk-styled shooter set in the 19th century.
In addition, Square Enix announced that it was bringing Kingdom Hearts 3 - a role-playing game involving locations and characters from Disney cartoons - to the platform.
Sony said it also wished to make the PS4 the most "open and inclusive" platform to independent developers and highlighted a range of titles from the sector including a remake of 1997's Oddworld.
One expert suggested this was a deliberate effort to take advantage of the fact several small studios had complained ofexperiencing problems when trying to release titles onto the Xbox.

Sony spent time to spotlight titles from small independent developers

"While Microsoft has found itself incurring the wrath of many indie developers, Sony has taken the opportunity to reach out to the sector earning it access to great games and also a great deal of goodwill," said Christopher Grant, editor-in-chief of games news site Polygon.
"But while Sony says that it allows 'self publishing', it's not the kind of open market we might think of when we hear the term in association with smartphone platforms like iOS or Android."
Vita lives on In addition to the PS4 news, Sony also talked up the PS Vita.
It has previously acknowledged that sales of the handheld console had fallen behind expectations.
But at E3 it stressed the machine was "just beginning its life cycle".
It said that 85 titles were coming to the platform this year including Batman Arkham Origins, Killzone Mercenary and a new episode in Telltale Games' The Walking Dead series.
It also described the Vita as "the ultimate companion device" to the PS4 since the handheld can stream the bigger machine's titles.
Console competition

Sony showed off new footage from the latest game in its Infamous franchise at the event

Despite the PS4's price advantage, one observer at E3 said it was too soon to assume it would outsell the Xbox One.
"You don't get the Kinect with the PS4 - Sony's Eye camera isn't as powerful and may be sold separately - so Microsoft can push the fact its sensor is worth the extra £80," said Stuart Miles, founder of the Pocket-lint gadget review site.
"The other thing is that the Xbox One games line-up seems to be stronger at launch.
"A lot of the games announced at Sony's event have been given a 2014 date and its Gaikai cloud streaming service won't start offering PS3 titles to the new console until next year as well."