[{"content":"Thanks to a chance episode of the Re-Enchanting podcast, The Seven Deadly Sins have been front and centre in my mind for a while now. In thinking about the past year of being forty-four, the y come to mind, particularly that of acedia. Sloth, its usual translation, doesn\u0026rsquo;t quite capture all its nuances, with its connotations of \u0026ldquo;a lack of any feeling about self or others\u0026rdquo;, \u0026ldquo;apathy\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;passivity\u0026rdquo; to name a few. It is this aspect of passivity and apathy that I feel like I need to address as a key focus area for the year of being forty-five.The last year did have momentous events ; packing up my life abroad and returning to be with family, a new job back in the UK and a slight pivot into the biofuels space from the core oil and gas stuff I had done all my work life before to name a few. Whilst that was most certainly the right decision, I do have doubts as to if it was the right time, and if it was for the right reasons. Forty-five then has to be the year of re-engaging, of re-igniting the passions that drove my life in the past. Alongside those are the several key decisions which loom for me next year, the desire for which has to be that they are made for the right reasons first and foremost.\nThe plan (ish) Four of the seven life dimensions on which my life plan is based stand out as being key for this year of renewed focus: spiritual, physical, relational, work \u0026amp; career and social. The plan (or more accurately, hope) is to identify one or two overarching objectives for each of these dimensions which then become the focus for the year.\nSpiritual: A key source of the malaise I have felt this year is an increasing sense of disconnection from faith, a fracture of sorts to quote Elizabeth Oldfield. Along with this has come a sense of a loss of awe about the world, my base mindset being one of the mehness of everything. To address this, I am hoping to engage with a devotional for the year with completing 90 consecutive days a metric I am looking to track.\nPhysical: Perhaps the most obvious indicator of the need to re-engage is the fact that I am now at my heaviest since the early 2010\u0026rsquo;s, the long dark days in which I subsisted on junk food and had little activity. The days of actively tracking runs on Strava and weekly Parkruns with PBs seem like a long lost history. Two things stand out here as objectives for the year:\nComplete a couch to 5k program by 31st March 2025 Run an official 10k in under an hour by 31st August 2025. Work \u0026amp; Career: If anyone had told me all those moons ago that the day would come on which I would consider corrosion engineering as a non-core part of my life, I would have laughed them to the moon and back. That is my reality now, one in which I find myself pondering if this path of specialist I have chosen is still worth pursuing or if a pivot is not warranted. Part of it is I suspect the lure of something new as I find myself solidly mid-career. For work and career this year I am targeting two things:\nAchieve Fellow of the Institute of Materials by 31st August 2025 Achieve the ASME Level 3 certification by 31st December Relational: Being back in the UK with family has sorely tested my patience, in a good way. The underlying admission which I am somewhat loathe to accept though is that the years of living abroad kept me sheltered from the realities of every day life, toddlers, shared space and demands on my time and energy. Engaging these with intent will have to be a key focus for this year.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2024/09/18/re-engage/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThanks to \u003ca href=\"https://pca.st/szr8n2p0\"\u003ea chance episode of the Re-Enchanting podcast\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_deadly_sins\"\u003eThe Seven Deadly Sins\u003c/a\u003e have been front and centre in my mind for a while now. In thinking about the past year of being forty-four, the y come to mind, particularly that of \u003cem\u003eacedia.\u003c/em\u003e Sloth, its usual translation, doesn\u0026rsquo;t quite capture all its nuances, with its connotations of \u0026ldquo;a lack of any feeling about self or others\u0026rdquo;, \u0026ldquo;apathy\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;passivity\u0026rdquo; to name a few. It is this aspect of passivity and apathy that I feel like I need to address as a key focus area for the year of being forty-five.The last year did have momentous events ; packing up my life abroad and returning to be with family, a new job back in the UK and a slight pivot into the biofuels space from the core oil and gas stuff I had done all my work life before to name a few. Whilst that was most certainly the right decision, I do have doubts as to if it was the right \u003cem\u003etime\u003c/em\u003e, and if it was for the right \u003cem\u003ereasons\u003c/em\u003e. Forty-five then has to be the year of re-engaging, of re-igniting the passions that drove my life in the past. Alongside those are the several key decisions which loom for me next year, the desire for which has to be that they are made for the right reasons first and foremost.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"45: Re-Engage"},{"content":" __\nIt seems as though scarcely a blink has passed, yet somehow it is the end of March, a quarter of the year having sped past. Winter, a not particularly difficult one as I recall, has been and gone. Incessant rain interspersed with sunshine, longer days and the first sight of flowers blossoming all point to spring on the horizon, and how have I needed that! There is also the small matter of a milestone of sorts - four months in the new gig. A semblance of routine has taken root: Monday night flights to the continent, three days of hard work, and a late return to London on Thursday nights, followed by some work from home on Fridays.\nStopping by in the N/E and catching up with U was a much needed break from the monotony. I am finding that nothing pleasantly surprises me more these days than the joy of friendly faces in middle-of-nowhere places, not that Hull is quite the middle of nowhere even though given the hoops I had to jump through to get there, it might as well have been. The trains were a nightmare - standing room only - turning what should have been a run of the mill Sunday evening hop to Sheffield and then onwards into an epic battle of wits and patience.\nFrequent trips to the continent add an element of excitement to my life at the moment, given the occasional propensity of the Dutch train system to collapse on itself, not unlike the sporadic East Midlands-induced kerfuffles. Three incidents stand out: one where the driver reached his maximum hours, leaving the train company scrambling to find a replacement; another involving train works redirecting me from Rotterdam to my regular stop and back again; and a third where the train was delayed for over an hour with announcements solely in Dutch.\nPassing through Schiphol airport twice a week or so has put Brexit into perspective, especially waiting in line for entry/exit stamps. The looming spectre of ninety-day limits weighs heavily on my mind, prompting me to create a spreadsheet to track my cumulative days spent over the past 180. Tempers have occasionally flared; I witnessed a tense moment between a burly airport security officer and a passenger, nearly coming to blows over directions to the passport queue. \u0026ldquo;I\u0026rsquo;m British,\u0026rdquo; the passenger vehemently declared as he reluctantly joined us in the queue alongside other Brexit-affected plebs. If there is a silver lining to all the travel, it is getting back on my book reading and podcast horse. The Poetry Unbound pod is a perennial favourite, though I am finding the draw of the last season less strong. I did pick up a new favourite though, Sandra Cisnero’s When in doubt one I have come back to again and again along with previous favourites.\nHaving Fridays and Mondays back home afford me the opportunity to do the school drop offs, and the joys of seeing L blossom into a precocious almost three year old. Ne’er a day passes without us being regaled of some event involving a best friend N. A chance meeting with N’s mum the other day suggests the admiration is mutual. Surely it is too early for her to give me a heart attack? She has also somehow taken a shine to Nigerian gospel music with the likes of “ Big God” and “ Over” getting extreme plays. I shudder at what this year’s Spotify wrapped for me will look like.\nSimmering at the back of my mind is the question of what to do with this space. Back when I finally kicked it off, it was a good way to get some thoughts down - and navel gaze/belly ache about being out in the middle of nowhere. As P pointed out the other day, I am still a prodigal of sorts; just one who has less to belly ache about. What that truly means remains to be seen, I suspect.\nOh… and Happy Easter…\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2024/03/29/coming-up-for-air-4/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/d8773307-1346-45b0-86fe-4000e252f81d%5F2781x3060.jpg?w=931\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e__\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt seems as though scarcely a blink has passed, yet somehow it is the end of March, a quarter of the year having sped past. Winter, a not particularly difficult one as I recall, has been and gone. Incessant rain interspersed with sunshine, longer days and the first sight of flowers blossoming all point to spring on the horizon, and how have I needed that! There is also the small matter of a milestone of sorts - \u003ca href=\"https://aprodigalabroad.substack.com/p/beginning-again\"\u003efour months in the new gig\u003c/a\u003e. A semblance of routine has taken root: Monday night flights to the continent, three days of hard work, and a late return to London on Thursday nights, followed by some work from home on Fridays.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Coming Up for Air"},{"content":" Turning forty four sometime last year (where did the time go) seems to have been a trigger for thoughts about legacy rising to the fore in my mind, the end result of which was packing up my bags and swapping the sand dunes for Surrey. The decision being made, it still took the better part of six months to execute; lining up something this side of the dunes, rolling up the detritus of 1200 days of life and navigating notice periods amongst other things. Tnere was a lot of hand wringing, offer/counter offer and a little bit of emotional blackmail (of the good sort) but in the end what had to be done had to be done and I was on a flight heading bacck to good old Blighty.\nBeing back has been interesting, the key change being slowly reintegrating into the routine of domestication. Driving, bins, and all the quotidian things which make life up have become mine again, and slight irritations apart - I’ll swear blind I didn’t really mean this- it has been a good reintroduction, topped up by the delights of lots of time with L and S. Swathes of greenery all around has also been great to enjoy, cold snaps apart, as has been the ability to indulge my proclivity to dump a couple hundred pounds now and again on a used thinkpad (not much longer I suspect, seeing as the largesse from prodigaling has come to an end).\nFor all the noise I made about falling out of love with rust, it still pays the bills. That bit is thankfully made more interesting by being in a slightly different space than usual. My old oil and gas haunts have been swapped for something greener, along with which has come loads more reading than I have had to do in a while. There is also the small matter of taking my fascination with graphs/networks and complex systems a bit further with intermitent visits somewhere on the South coast for my sins. Between both, the mental challenge is a good one and should keep me honest for a good few years before the bug to prodigal again bites.\nIn retrospect, the stint of prodigaling was a lot more good than bad, though at the end it had started to feel staid. I suppose it is the curse of most prodigals to always keep an eye out on what looks like the lush greenery across the road, and weigh the benefits against the discomfort. All told, multiple trips into the continent aside, S and L are much the happier for having me in the vicinity. I suspect in the overall scheme of things that weighs much more than the pain of dealing with the taxman again after a short reprieve. In a sense, I’m still prodigaling abroad, just the small matter of a one hop prodigal, not two.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2024/02/10/beginning-again-2/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/a6b4f70a-bd2e-42fc-926d-4a2971e9a751%5F4032x3024.jpg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTurning forty four sometime last year (where did the time go) seems to have been a trigger for thoughts about legacy rising to the fore in my mind, the end result of which was packing up my bags and swapping the sand dunes for Surrey. The decision being made, it still took the better part of six months to execute; lining up something this side of the dunes, rolling up the \u003ca href=\"https://aprodigalabroad.substack.com/p/lift-off-well-sort-of\"\u003edetritus of 1200 days of life\u003c/a\u003e and navigating notice periods amongst other things. Tnere was a lot of hand wringing, offer/counter offer and a little bit of emotional blackmail (of the good sort) but in the end what had to be done had to be done and I was on a flight heading bacck to good old Blighty.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Beginning Again"},{"content":"The year of being 43 was meant to be the Year of Disciplined Execution, drawing from the Sean Covey book, namely : focus on the wildly important, act on the lead measures, keep a compelling scorecard and create a cadence of accountability. Looking back it is fair to say delivery on this was middling at best, with both high and low lights, summarised below:\nHighlights Daily Bible App story helped me maintain a semblance of devotional life Highest ever plant performance ranking at work in several categories, increased recognition at the plant of my M\u0026amp;C skills with several key solutions delivered Good earnings supplemented by decent performance in the stock markets Greater clarity around the next type of role for me: stay in Upstream M\u0026amp;C Corrosion Management, not necessarily projects etc Offered roles at bp and Shell after rigorous interviews, great boost to the morale that I can still mix it with the good guys Bonding with L, despite the distance and intermittent visits from me Lowlights Weight stayed high, didn’t manage to bring it down to the low 90s as anticipated Health was middling, a number of developing issues to keep a eye on as I transition into my late forties Beginning to feel like I am in a rut at my current job Didn’t blog/ write as much as I would have wanted 44: Legacy For the next run around the sun, the word which has bubbled to the fore of my mind is Legacy. It is one which has guided the core of my activities and decisions over the past few years albeit without being explicitly expressed. In a sense, it is a continuation of the Year of Disciplined Execution, as Legacy and its underpinnings should drive the definition of what is wildly important which is then executed in a disciplined manner. Legacy is also inextricably linked to the three interaction clusters of my life plan, personal, professional and public. Of particular importance for me in this context then is being healthy in every dimension of my life whilst adding value in each of those three clusters.\nIn addition to the above, a number of specific reasons come to mind as to why Legacy should be important for this next run, including:\nAge: I will be 45 in a year. A life expectancy of 81.77) suggests over half my reasonable expectation of life is already spent. Paying it back: I have benefited extensively from older, wiser heads in both personal and professional lives, part of the legacy I want to leave is to similarly help others Health: Whilst not expecting to keel over tomorrow, a number of emerging health issues suggest that reaching 81.77 requires significant improvements to lifestyle and others. A legacy of good and healthy habits is therefore one I would like to leave Key annual objectives are:\nGet healthy and stay healthy Resolve spiritual malaise Develop my Netzero - corrosion and materials skills: New role? Develop data science skills: the PhD? ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2023/08/29/44-legacy/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe year of being 43 was meant to be the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2022/08/19/43-disciplined-execution/\"\u003eYear of Disciplined Execution\u003c/a\u003e, drawing from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Disciplines-Execution-Achieving-Wildly-Important/dp/145162705X\"\u003eSean Covey book\u003c/a\u003e, namely : \u003cem\u003efocus on the wildly important, act on the lead measures, keep a compelling scorecard and create a cadence of accountability\u003c/em\u003e. Looking back it is fair to say delivery on this was middling at best, with both high and low lights, summarised below:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"highlights\"\u003eHighlights\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDaily Bible App story helped me maintain a semblance of devotional life\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHighest ever plant performance ranking at work in several categories, increased recognition at the plant of my M\u0026amp;C skills with several key solutions delivered\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGood earnings supplemented by decent performance in the stock markets\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGreater clarity around the next type of role for me: stay in Upstream M\u0026amp;C Corrosion Management, not necessarily projects etc\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOffered roles at bp and Shell after rigorous interviews, great boost to the morale that I can still mix it with the good guys\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBonding with L, despite the distance and intermittent visits from me\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"lowlights\"\u003eLowlights\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeight stayed high, didn’t manage to bring it down to the low 90s as anticipated\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHealth was middling, a number of developing issues to keep a eye on as I transition into my late forties\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBeginning to feel like I am in a rut at my current job\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDidn’t blog/ write as much as I would have wanted\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"44-legacy\"\u003e44: Legacy\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the next run around the sun, the word which has bubbled to the fore of my mind is \u003cem\u003eLegacy.\u003c/em\u003e It is one which has guided the core of my activities and decisions over the past few years albeit without being explicitly expressed. In a sense, it is a continuation of the Year of Disciplined Execution, as Legacy and its underpinnings should drive the definition of what is \u003cem\u003ewildly important\u003c/em\u003e which is then executed in a disciplined manner. Legacy is also inextricably linked to the three interaction clusters of \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/the-life-plan/\"\u003emy life plan\u003c/a\u003e, \u003cem\u003epersonal, professional\u003c/em\u003e and public. Of particular importance for me in this context then is being healthy in every dimension of my life whilst adding value in each of those three clusters.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"44: Legacy"},{"content":" Never one to miss the opportunity proffered by a long weekend, I drag myself and my back pack in the wee hours of the morning of the 27th to the airport to catch two flights - first to Dubai and then to London. The third trip of the sort this year, it is my ongoing attempt to manage this year of distributed domestication, one in which S and L having returned to London for good I am left shuttling back and forth every few months. Unlike the last time, I do not run into anyone I know, for which I am thankful for the company of Ike Anya’s Small by Small. Beautifully short and deeply evocative of my own memories of growing up, I find myself going down mental rabbit holes, fleshing out the (typically) well written prose with my own experiences. Not being of a medical persuasion myself - engineering saved me from all that - the extensive overlap with friends and family does leave me with enough knowledge to appreciate his specific travails. with the memories of growing up on a university campus it drew in.\nDubai as always is a short pit stop. This time I manage to wolf down an overpriced chicken caesar wrap and a piping hot black coffee to soothe the rumblings of my stomach which had not received any sustenance due to having to wake up at an ungodly hour for the flights. Arriving at Heathrow, the flight lands as flawlessly as could be, which leaves me wondering when last I was part of a bumpy landing. Are the pilots getting better, or is it auto-pilots or just plain luck? I don’t know but a return to more than a few white knuckled landings of the past is most certainly not welcome. One particularly difficult one in which half the plan was pleading the blood of Jesus - of course it was landing in Lagos - comes to mind. The plan this time is to spend three weeks - hence three Fridays - two of which are already tied up with finalising essays for a course I took upon myself (somewhat unadvisedly). Two semi-formal chats around potential roles back in the UK have also been lined up for the three weeks as well as the small matter of F’s 40th birthday shindig up in Kent. Bags collected on the other side, I do not get the usual taxi guy; a small mercy I suppose given that my repertoire of white lies are just about exhausted, plus I am hardly in the mood for banal small talk.\nNoon on Saturday finds me with the keys handed back for my designated driver role, and making our way through an M25 bogged down with traffic eastwards. Someone of the other drones on on the LBC, a state of affairs which would becomes the leitmotif for the three weeks. We must have wronged the traffic gods or something because on the way back, yet another accident causes long tailbacks - a helicopter is mobilised this time - with no movement at some stage for almost an hour an a half. The shindig itself delivers as all Nigerian shindigs do, plenty of pepper soup and old friends from the ‘Deen to catch up with and more than a few babies - L included - to pat and rub since I last saw some of these folks. Most of the days after that are filled with writing my essays and ferrying everyone around.\nIt might be all that LBC, but the unshakeable sense I come away with is that of the UK going to the dogs. All the talk on the radio is of a summer of discontent with strikes across multiple agencies - rail and the NHS included. Farage loses his bank account and instantly weaponizes that to shout about cancel culture from the roof tops. Immigrants - boats, care providers and what not - also fill the air waves. There is also the unfortunate tale of two boats, the potentially hubris inspired implosion of the Titan submersible and that of several hundred migrants on the Messenia which sparks a lot of editorialising of course. Most of the talk is about what it says of us, never mind that fact at us are largely unaffected by the loss and grief that the events cause for those directly impacted. Just Stop oil and their campaign of civil disobedience and disruption of high profile events only serves to add to that sense of a looming dystopian future.\nSequestered in the corner of the world where we are, the sense of privilege is one which one keenly feels, the luxury of being able to lose oneself in rich verdant countryside within a few minutes of walking being one which should not be taken for granted. Range Rovers, Teslas and the odd used Quashai (ours) dot the garages around, the neighbourly talk being of going away for the summer not surviving. On the five or six days it is reasonably dry and warm, the smell of some neighbour or the other’s barbecue filters through when the wind changes as is its wont. The habits of the past few years are hard to shake so I still wake up way before everyone else, which gives me the freedom of an hour to kill on a light jog and the 5K training plan which the Arabian summers had stalled. When I finally get some breathing space after my essays and exams are done we join the summer day out trail, one day at the Chobham Adventure Farm, two on the (miniature) Great Cockrow Railway line and one at Hobbledown Heath. L seems to like it all, and at the end seems to be getting quite used to the whole two parent thing. On the odd occasion I sit in the chair which S usually does, L screeches - Mummy seat - and points until I relocate myself. One suspects this business of distributed domestication is not much to her liking. Big decisions loom.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2023/07/28/three-fridays-of-summer/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/screenshot-from-2023-08-02-05-34-13.png?w=893\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNever one to miss the opportunity proffered by \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid_al-Adha\"\u003ea long weekend\u003c/a\u003e, I drag myself and my back pack in the wee hours of the morning of the 27th to the airport to catch two flights - first to Dubai and then to London. The third trip of the sort this year, it is my ongoing attempt to manage this year of \u003cem\u003edistributed domestication,\u003c/em\u003e one in which S and L having returned to London for good I am left shuttling back and forth every few months. Unlike the last time, I do not run into anyone I know, for which I am thankful for the company of \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://micro.blog/books/9781914518096\"\u003eIke Anya’s Small by Small\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e Beautifully short and deeply evocative of my own memories of growing up, I find myself going down mental rabbit holes, fleshing out the (typically) well written prose with my own experiences. Not being of a medical persuasion myself - engineering saved me from all that - the extensive overlap with friends and family does leave me with enough knowledge to appreciate his specific travails. with the memories of growing up on a university campus it drew in.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Three Fridays of Summer"},{"content":" Cake with I, somewhere on a humid Lagos afternoon\n**\nBeing a prodigal abroad, in a relatively small, close knit expat community has its perks, not least if you are Nigerian. Truth be told, more often than not, there is a risk of private spaces being invaded, but when they come through, they come through spectacularly. The most recent example of this was Easter Sunday, on which after dragging myself home from work my late evening reverie was interrupted by persistent knocking. At the door was M, the matronly mother figure from three streets over, with a bowl of piping hot egusi soup, some swallow and a tub of fried rice in tow. Whatever misgivings simmered beneath the surface at the intrusion vanished very quickly, wafting away as though borne by the steam still rising from the bowls of food.\nSpeaking of privacy, over the past year I have been slowly migrating my stuff away from Google, having not been on Facebook in years. Older, pre-2020 pictures though still live in Google Photos, which is why form time to time I get a pop up with a collage or the other of pictures from memory lane. Over the past few weeks, pictures from my early days offshore, of returning to Lagos and cathcing up with the guys and more than a few weddings have popped up. On a level, these are things I would not have remembered without the prompting from Google, all of which leaves me very conflicted. Is the value I get from being reminded worth the hassle of giving up my pictures to Google?\nHaving not been on here a lot of late, I am hoping to restore my practice of writing regularly. To kick tha off I started with a bit of spring cleaning, tons of spam comments and links in my sidebar getting culled. Amidst all the clutter was having to remove links to Al Mohler, to TA and a few others who no longer blog regularly. Particularly interesting was Al Mohler, who in the early 2000s was a fixture alongside Joshua Harris, CJ Mahaney and the Covenant Life crowd before that all went balls up. The very divergent paths they have taken since those days is real food for thought - Al\u0026rsquo;s doubled down on Trump and the Evangelical right in America, Joshua Harris has become the poster boy for taking deconstruction to the nth degree, whilst CJ became yet another example of the mega church implosion. It hasn\u0026rsquo;t been twenty five yet but nothing could be more divergent than that erstwhile group of playmates of sorts.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2023/04/16/prodigal-benefits-and-a-reflection-on-spring-cleaning/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/lagos-cake.jpeg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCake with I, somewhere on a humid Lagos afternoon\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeing a prodigal abroad, in a relatively small, close knit expat community has its perks, not least if you are Nigerian. Truth be told, more often than not, there is a risk of private spaces being invaded, but when they come through, they come through spectacularly. The most recent example of this was Easter Sunday, on which after dragging myself home from work my late evening reverie was interrupted by persistent knocking. At the door was M, the matronly mother figure from three streets over, with a bowl of piping hot egusi soup, some \u003cem\u003eswallow\u003c/em\u003e and a tub of fried rice in tow. Whatever misgivings simmered beneath the surface at the intrusion vanished very quickly, wafting away as though borne by the steam still rising from the bowls of food.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Prodigal Benefits and a Reflection on Spring Cleaning..."},{"content":"I may have waxed lyrical about taxis too soon, and in so doing vexed the taxi demi-gods, which is the only explanation of how on the one day I needed a taxi badly, I ended up with a guy who barely spoke English and whose understanding of Google Maps was minimal at best. Well, that or [Sod’s Law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sod's_law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sod's_law). The fault lay, at least partly, with me. It had been my first full day back at work since the beginning of Ramadan and my hunger addled brain failed to register the fact that the bus which would ferry me back from the middle of nowhere which was my work station for that day would arrive 30 minutes earlier than usual. On the phone to the taxi dispatcher, he explained that the earliest he could get someone out to me was an hour and thirty minutes, which seeing as I had no choice I accepted. Although he had my location, he somehow ended up at a site thirty minutes away. There was much hand wringing, and plenty more oohs and ahhs when he finally turned up, a full two hours later than had first been envisaged. I could only sit and fester for the whole of the 45 minute back to semi-civility and the comfort of my couch. Truth me told, umbrage is a luxury only those who have choices can take. I still hold the view that taxi rides are underated delights, the one caveat though is that there isn\u0026rsquo;t an insurmountable language barrier.\nIt must be the time of the year. Having gone months without the joys of a party out here, two suddenly came along in quick succession. First was for a 6-year old, for which more adults turned up than kids. I got the call in the late morning inviting me along, and with nothing else to do I hightailed it there directly after work, expecting to be one of a handful of adults. In the end there were close to 8 of us, gate crashing the party and making the most of the opportunity to dig into pepper soup, peppered gizzards and multiple varieties of rice. Proper liquids may or may not have been spotted in what was a proper Nigerian party. A couple of days later it was the turn of the oldies to host a party, L’s missus springing a surprise on him to which we were all invited. A slightly different crowd this this time, things were a tad bit more sedate. Again, the full Nigerian culinary experience was wheeled out, complete with the requirement to be in the know in order to spot some of the prize delicacies. Efo riro , was the special sauce, reserved for those with access to those in the know.\nOther less palatable news has had me going back to Christian Wiman’s wonderfully prescient poem, “ All My Friends Are Finding New Beliefs”. A chance conversation with a friend with whom I had schooled near on 25 years ago brought to my notice that yet another school mate had passed on, after the proverbial brief illness. Said friend had also had a fairly significant health scare of her own a few months back which led to reminiscing about just how frail and fragile our once young and sprightly bodies once were.\nThe times and seasons are a-changing, sods law or not.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2023/04/08/sods-law/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI may have \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2023/04/01/spring-notes/\"\u003ewaxed lyrical about taxis too soon\u003c/a\u003e, and in so doing vexed the taxi demi-gods, which is the only explanation of how on the one day I needed a taxi badly, I ended up with a guy who barely spoke English and whose understanding of Google Maps was minimal at best. Well, that or [Sod’s Law](\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sod's_law%5D(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sod's_law)\"\u003ehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sod's_law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sod's_law)\u003c/a\u003e. The fault lay, at least partly, with me. It had been my first full day back at work since the beginning of Ramadan and my hunger addled brain failed to register the fact that the bus which would ferry me back from the middle of nowhere which was my work station for that day would arrive 30 minutes earlier than usual. On the phone to the taxi dispatcher, he explained that the earliest he could get someone out to me was an hour and thirty minutes, which seeing as I had no choice I accepted. Although he had my location, he somehow ended up at a site thirty minutes away. There was much hand wringing, and plenty more \u003cem\u003eoohs and ahhs\u003c/em\u003e when he finally turned up, a full two hours later than had first been envisaged. I could only sit and fester for the whole of the 45 minute back to semi-civility and the comfort of my couch. Truth me told, umbrage is a luxury only those who have choices can take. I still hold the view that taxi rides are underated delights, the one caveat though is that there isn\u0026rsquo;t an insurmountable language barrier.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sod's law"},{"content":" **\nAs though in the blink of an eye, winter out here has somehow slipped away, the halcyon days of pleasant twenty-five degree mid-day weather and leisurely late evening walks replaced by mid day temperatures in the low thirties. Whilst not truly hot enough to be unpleasant yet, the days leave one with a sense of borrowed time, a fleeting, finite block of time to be enjoyed before harsh reality hits. To make the most of it, and prepare myself for the long slog ahead, I pack the lightest bag I have and catch a flight back to London. Heathrow seems the same way it has always been - functional, frenetic, and increasingly arranged around minimising human contact. Trying to get cash from the ATMs for my taxi raises the spectre of having to pay a withdrawal fee for my UK debit card. A rude shock, and a first for me, if my memory serves me right. A mix-up with the telephone number they have on file for me means we spend the better part of twenty minutes trying to find each other, the blasts of cold, wet air a reminder of the stark difference between here and there. Several phone calls to the taxi company later, he gets my correct number and we find ourselves for the twenty minute ride home via the M25.\n**\nTaxi rides for me have always been one of the understated delights of travel. They are simple: two or more people, stuck in a man-made machine and beholden to each other by a transaction for a finite amount of time, have to make small talk, unencumbered by the weight of knowing and being known. Invariably, the driver is an immigrant or visible minority of some sort, which being what I am tends to create a certain element of shared experience. This trip, I get someone of Pakistani extraction who, when he finds out where I am coming from, proceeds to regale me with stories of a year he spent there working. He rode a taxi there too, his days spent ferrying military contractors to and fro airports, bound for Iraq in the days of the surge. I learn he has a daughter who is studying to be a Chemical Engineer, a wife who spends too much on henna and that he is planning to take his son and father on the Umrah next year. For my part, I nod sagely at the daughter who is studying to be an Engineer - I am after all that guy who thinks STEM is everything to an extent - and smile uneasily at the complaint about the wife. I suspect that in any other setting, this is not information that would be shared but being almost perfect strangers bound together for a brief moment, white lies and unverifiable anecdotes help pass the time.\n**\nThe cul-de-sac on the banks of the Wey has changed quite a bit since I was last here. The houses which lay empty along the way now have occupants; a lady with a strong Geordie accent and her Swedish beau - both ex Airline folks, a Ghanaian couple two houses down and a Hong Kong repat amongst others stand out. The days are spent taking in what little sunshine peeks out from behind the clouds as I take leisurely walk along the Wey with podcasts for company, ferry L to and from nursery and catch up on sleep and TV when I get the chance. As with all days spent chilling they pass all too quickly. All too soon I find myself in a taxi speeding back to the airport and the onward journey of return. On the other side of the trip, Ramadan starts, and with that an extra hour of work without trips to the coffee stand to break the monotony.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2023/04/01/spring-notes/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-1\"\u003e\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ramadan.jpg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/by-the-wey.jpg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/union-square.jpeg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs though in the blink of an eye, winter out here has somehow slipped away, the halcyon days of pleasant twenty-five degree mid-day weather and leisurely late evening walks replaced by mid day temperatures in the low thirties. Whilst not truly hot enough to be unpleasant yet, the days leave one with a sense of borrowed time, a fleeting, finite block of time to be enjoyed before harsh reality hits. To make the most of it, and prepare myself for the long slog ahead, I pack the lightest bag I have and catch a flight back to London. Heathrow seems the same way it has always been - functional, frenetic, and increasingly arranged around minimising human contact. Trying to get cash from the ATMs for my taxi raises the spectre of having to pay a withdrawal fee for my UK debit card. A rude shock, and a first for me, if my memory serves me right. A mix-up with the telephone number they have on file for me means we spend the better part of twenty minutes trying to find each other, the blasts of cold, wet air a reminder of the stark difference between \u003cem\u003ehere\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003ethere.\u003c/em\u003e Several phone calls to the taxi company later, he gets my correct number and we find ourselves for the twenty minute ride home via the M25.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Spring Notes"},{"content":"It’s that time of the year again where I reflect on my reading over the course of the year. For a more wide-ranging review of the year in books, check out the coverage at The Millions here . My previous attempts are linked here.\n**\nAs has been the goal for most of the past few years, at or around two books a month for a total of twenty-four books for the year was the reading target. Unlike previous years, I was open on the subjects, more open than usual to wending my way through the year in books depending on what piqued my fancy at any given time. I\u0026rsquo;d like to think that shows in the range of subjects and authors covered by my reading this year.\nDavid Epstein\u0026rsquo;s Range kicked off the year, a fascinating look at the debate around what correlates (or causes) success between being a generalist or a specialist. Not being the unbiased referee - I am after all a purveyor of a niche engineering discipline - I found it hard to swallow the premise that generalists fare better/ triumph. The nuanced view, if there is any, is that the world needs both generalists and specialists, but even specialists would benefit from a broad base of knowledge, delaying specialization to as late as possible.\nCarlo Rovelli\u0026rsquo;s Helgoland was one of several science based history/ biography books I read this year, the others being Helge Kragh\u0026rsquo;s Simply Dirac and Brian Greene\u0026rsquo;s Light Falls. Dirac\u0026rsquo;s Engineering (and Bristol) connections were an interesting subplot as was revisiting Eisenstein\u0026rsquo;s life as he battled with the theories for which he won a Nobel Prize.\nAnyone who has followed me for any length of time on Twitter knows that I am a Pádraig Ó Tuama/ Poetry Unbound fan boy. Having read the hard copy along with inhaling as much of the podcast as I could get, I probably listened to the audio version of the book two or three times in full and several times for specific poems. This genre, of close reads of poetry almost akin to a spiritual practice, is one I have a lot of time for. In addition to the book above, I listened to the audio version of William Seighart\u0026rsquo;s The Poetry Pharmacy twice at least during the year.\nFrom podcasts I listened to this year came several books from different genres. William Dalrymple and Anita Anand\u0026rsquo;s Empire led me to the fantastic read that was Sathnam Sanghera\u0026rsquo;s Empireland. The Holy Post led me to John Walton\u0026rsquo;s The Lost World of Genesis One which weighed in on the side of a non-literal seven day creation on the origins debate. Football Weekly led me to Calum Jacob\u0026rsquo;s A New Formation, an attempt to chronicle the influence black footballers have had on the British/ English game. Philip Yancey\u0026rsquo;s memoir, Where the Light Fell, was also a delightful read. His gift as a writer of a decidedly evangelical bent seem to be an ability to balance difficult issues which have threatened to tear the church apart.\nAnother blind spot I will admit to have relates to the big oil industrial complex and energy security, seeing as my livelihood depends (for now) on it. Whilst I have gone on record in the past to say that I think the answer lies in nuclear, it was refreshing to read Vaclav Smil\u0026rsquo;s How The World Really Works, a hard nosed, pragmatic view of the world\u0026rsquo;s energy challenges and how they might be solved sensibly.\nAll told it has been yet another interesting year in reading, one in which I think not having a set direction allowed me meander and pivot depending on what was the burning issue in my mind when I sought to pick up a book. Here\u0026rsquo;s hoping 2023 is as interesting a year in books for me.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2022/12/30/the-year-in-reading-2022/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIt’s that time of the year again where I reflect on my reading over the course of the year. For a more wide-ranging review of the year in books, check out the coverage at \u003ca href=\"https://themillions.com/2020/12/a-year-in-reading-2020.html\"\u003eThe Millions here\u003c/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://themillions.com/2019/12/a-year-in-reading-2019.html\"\u003e.\u003c/a\u003e My previous attempts are \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/reading/\"\u003elinked here\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/2022-books.png?w=436\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs has been the goal for most of the past few years, at or around two books a month for a total of twenty-four books for the year was the reading target. Unlike previous years, I was open on the subjects, more open than usual to wending my way through the year in books depending on what piqued my fancy at any given time. I\u0026rsquo;d like to think that shows in the range of subjects and authors covered by my reading this year.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Year in Reading -2022"},{"content":" For the Sunday Muse prompt #235:\n**\nBreath by breath, bead by bead,\nthe prayers of this parched heart rise.\nLips quivering with the yearning of a\nthirsty heart, pursed to take the blood\nand flesh, blessed, transubstantiated.\nKneaded by hands washed seven times-\nstripped of yeast and the things that beguile-\nwe come to take the bread in hope\nto shed our turpitude, arise anew.\nIn the ritual of rest and reset,\nwe speak our words into the world,\nlingering in the liminal space\nbetween asking and accepting\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2022/11/08/prayer/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/hymn-book-in-church.jpg?w=236\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor the \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2022/11/sunday-muse-235.html\"\u003eSunday Muse prompt #235\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBreath by breath, bead by bead,\u003cbr\u003e\nthe prayers of this parched heart rise.\u003cbr\u003e\nLips quivering with the yearning of a\u003cbr\u003e\nthirsty heart, pursed to take the blood\u003cbr\u003e\nand flesh, blessed, transubstantiated.\u003cbr\u003e\nKneaded by hands washed seven times-\u003cbr\u003e\nstripped of yeast and the things that beguile-\u003cbr\u003e\nwe come to take the bread in hope\u003cbr\u003e\nto shed our turpitude, arise anew.\u003cbr\u003e\nIn the ritual of rest and reset,\u003cbr\u003e\nwe speak our words into the world,\u003cbr\u003e\nlingering in the liminal space\u003cbr\u003e\nbetween asking and accepting\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Prayer"},{"content":" For The Sunday Muse Prompt #234. Image source: Rosie Ann Prosser.:\n**\nStill, in the silent solitude of repose,\nI survey the face that peers back at me.\nThree candles flickering in the dark,\na space suffused by a mellow, yellow light\npushing back against the dark.\nThe ghosts of grief, railing against delight\nfight the light, their dissonant sounds\na constant clang. But in light, there is delight\nto know this is to rest, here.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2022/11/03/kneeling-in-the-light/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2d60c3e4-c975-43bb-bb6a-f6b11e74010d.jpeg?w=670\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2022/10/sunday-muse-234.html\"\u003ePrompt #234\u003c/a\u003e. Image source: \u003ca href=\"https://www.bleaq.com/2015/rosie-anne-prosser\"\u003eRosie Ann Prosser\u003c/a\u003e.:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStill, in the silent solitude of repose,\u003cbr\u003e\nI survey the face that peers back at me.\u003cbr\u003e\nThree candles flickering in the dark,\u003cbr\u003e\na space suffused by a mellow, yellow light\u003cbr\u003e\npushing back against the dark.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ghosts of grief, railing against delight\u003cbr\u003e\nfight the light, their dissonant sounds\u003cbr\u003e\na constant clang. But in light, there is delight\u003cbr\u003e\nto know this is to rest, here.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Kneeling in the Light"},{"content":"The Year of Being 42 went reasonably well, all things considered. I survived another swing around the sun out in the corner of the world I am now, with a sense of acceptance beginning to predominate. There are still days on which I ask myself why / how I ended up here but whatever misgivings I have tend to recede at month end. In this regard Re:Think, which was the theme for last year was useful, aided by the status game lens, picked up from reading the book of the same name by Will Storr. His argument, that we are all (created, evolved?) to play social status games has been useful for clarifying things both in a work and relational context. I now know that my primary game is one of success. I used to think that I was driven by the inner prestige bestowed by being a purveyor of niche, technical subjects in the workspace. The reality , as I am finding, is that the raw numbers at the end of the month are intensely motivating, not least if the costs of diapers, baby milk and toys are anything to go by. I am definitely not a player in the (physical) dominance or (spiritual/ moral) virtue status game. A highlight of the year has got to be having L \u0026amp; S out with me for the greater part of eight months or so. For all the late nights, befuddlement at my inability to contextually interpret tears and the feeling of being run into the ground, the appreciation of just how much effort goes into child care is one that I will go away with. Rethinking is not done by any means though, rather it feels like it will be a recurring decimal in my life for a long time yet.\nAs the two or three folk who have known me both online and in real life for most of the last twenty odd years ago will tell you, I was always the guy with the five year rolling plan. I had spreadsheets, charts and dashboards, all ostensibly distilling the essence of what I wanted my life to be about into a few short/sharp bits. The reality of the past few years however has been that whilst I have been long on detailed plans, execution has been somewhat more anaemic, resulting in a growing lag between the plan and reality. True, the overwhelming arc is positive and headed in the right direction but to meet the targets for the next milestone birthday in (shudders) 7 years, some focus on delivery is required.\nThe focus for the year of being 43 is therefore one of Disciplined Execution. The Sean Covey book, The Four Disciplines of Execution, identifies four disciplines; focus on the wildly important, act on the lead measures, keep a compelling scorecard and create a cadence of accountability. Whilst my life plan provides a framework for identifying what is wildly important across three interaction spaces and seven life dimensions, it has not incorporated the other three disciplines or indeed any means of active monitoring. The intent over the next few month is to take time out to revisit the premises of the life plan and flesh out key goals required to progress along over the next two and five year time frame. I suspect a key part of that will be up-skilling for a life outside the wadi I now find myself.\nBring on the year!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2022/08/19/43-disciplined-execution/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/10/30/42-rethink/\"\u003eYear of Being 42\u003c/a\u003e went reasonably well, all things considered. I survived another swing around the sun out in the corner of the world I am now, with a sense of acceptance beginning to predominate. There are still days on which I ask myself why / how I ended up here but whatever misgivings I have tend to recede at month end. In this regard Re:Think, which was the theme for last year was useful, aided by the status game lens, picked up from reading \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Status-Game-Will-Storr/dp/0008354634\"\u003ethe book of the same name by Will Storr\u003c/a\u003e. His argument, that we are all (created, evolved?) to play social status games has been useful for clarifying things both in a work and relational context. I now know that my primary game is one of success. I used to think that I was driven by the inner prestige bestowed by being a purveyor of niche, technical subjects in the workspace. The reality , as I am finding, is that the raw numbers at the end of the month are intensely motivating, not least if the costs of diapers, baby milk and toys are anything to go by. I am definitely not a player in the (physical) dominance or (spiritual/ moral) virtue status game. A highlight of the year has got to be having L \u0026amp; S out with me for the greater part of eight months or so. For all the late nights, befuddlement at my inability to contextually interpret tears and the feeling of being run into the ground, the appreciation of just how much effort goes into child care is one that I will go away with. Rethinking is not done by any means though, rather it feels like it will be a recurring decimal in my life for a long time yet.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"43. Disciplined Execution"},{"content":"Time as a trickster of sorts is a theme I find myself coming back to again and again, the key motif being how in the moment life and time can seem like drudgery, but when viewed from the vantage point of hindsight it can seem compressed, like a video watched at 2x speed. My thoughts as I packed up my bags and began to prepare for the short hop back were very much in that vein, not helped I suspect by the long hard year I had had. Between L, her boundless energy and various work related niggles, I was running on empty for the final few weeks before I left. Awaiting me on the other side - in addition to reintegrating myself back - were a big house move, and the mother of all Nigerian parties on the other side of town. If there was any anticipation, it was hope that I would finally get to sink my teeth into a juicy burger, indulge in all the bacon and sausages I could manage, and hop along to the odd Parkrun. As it turns out, all of my fears - and none of the things I was looking forward to - materialized.As is its wont, Reality and expectation never quite matched up.\nBesides the physical reasons (being in places quite some distance from where I needed to be), the disruption to my routine was a key reason for the sense of disconnect between the expectation and reality. A slightly different time, not being able to escape to work, and having to drive quite a few less miles to the shops all differed from my lived reality of the past fourteen months. That was disconcerting in some way I am yet to fully understand.\nOne of the understated joys of living in this corner of the world where I return to from time to time is the lush greenery, always never more than a few hundred metres away. On previous returns, I have had the time, the space and the energy to take it all in - morning runs, afternoon saunters to the shops and the odd city-centre meet up with a friend. On this occasion however, I found myself perpetually short of time. This is also a theme, I am finding. Life and my time as I know it seems gone away for forever, now permanently centred around S and L and all the things they need to get up to.\nThe year of being forty-two is slowly winding down. Forty-three needs to come with a big reboot switch.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2022/08/12/under-the-surrey-sun/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTime as a trickster \u003cem\u003eof sorts\u003c/em\u003e is a theme I find myself coming back to again and again, the key motif being how in the moment life and time can seem like drudgery, but when viewed from the vantage point of hindsight it can seem compressed, like a video watched at 2x speed. My thoughts as \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2022/05/31/flies-storms-and-the-sense-of-an-ending/\"\u003eI packed up my bags and began to prepare for the short hop back\u003c/a\u003e were very much in that vein, not helped I suspect by the long hard year I had had. Between L, her boundless energy and various work related niggles, I was running on empty for the final few weeks before I left. Awaiting me on the other side - in addition to reintegrating myself back - were a big house move, and the mother of all Nigerian parties on the other side of town. If there was any anticipation, it was hope that I would finally get to sink my teeth into a juicy burger, indulge in all the bacon and sausages I could manage, and hop along to the odd Parkrun. As it turns out, all of my fears - and none of the things I was looking forward to - materialized.As is its wont, Reality and expectation never quite matched up.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Under the Surrey Sun"},{"content":" Photo by Matthieu Joannon on Unsplash\n**\nThe heat hangs heavy on the head, the way a wet blanket only partially wrung dry after being pounded by feet in a washbasin hangs listlessly in a barely-there breeze. The short afternoon walks to the canteen, to grab some combination of a salad, chicken and rice is beginning to feel like a chore, not helped by the sand which has become a permanent fixture it seems. Some days G and I wonder if the haze is from fog or dust but the loud whirl of my air purifier settles it for me; dust it is - that most irritating kind that finds its way through every tiny crinkle in our armour, covering everything with a fine layer of brown. Not far away in their ubiquity are the flies which flit around everything, their persistent buzz the soundtrack to life in these baking summer months. With Ramadan behind us, it is the season of long vacations and every other day it seems someone else in the wider team disappears for a few weeks. My turn to disappear is in about a month, and for the first time in a long time, I am looking forward to kicking back, waking up at my leisure then sticking L in her stroller and grabbing brunch with real bacon. Adding a few more Parkruns to my total - with maybe one push for a new PB - would be a welcome bonus.\nListening to the news on the odd occasion I catch it, it strikes me just how much of it is prattling on about the unserious stuff - Depp and Heard and Rooney and Vardy are a case in point - but out here amongst fellow prodigals abroad the impacts of the Ukraine-Russia conflict loom large. From the Ukrainian family who persists in spamming a WhatsApp group with images from the war to the Russian chap who can’t send money home to his descendants, the abstractions that are the news of sanctions and bombs falling here or there hit home. An unintended consequence is that Europe has finally gotten their finger out and their heads from being bent down navel-gazing to start thinking about energy security again. Companies which let tons of folk go are back on the market trying to recruit; it is very much boom again, and just how long it will last remains to be seen. I remain bullish on nuclear and carbon capture.\nIt seems that along with death and taxes, twists and turns worthy of a Stephen King page-turner in Nigerian politics, gun deaths in America and yet another sexual abuse case in bible-belt America are (unwelcome) facts of life. The less said about these the better I suspect, though my inner complex systems enthusiast can’t help but ponder the social and religious interactions which have resulted in the state of affairs these three (not entirely disparate) events represent. Regardless of what one thinks about the benefits of “thoughts and prayers”, there comes a time when they are functionally the equivalent of burying one’s head in the sand (a less charitable reading would be that they are an excuse for permitting the status quo from which we benefit persist).\nIn reading, a return to catching the bus at a slightly less obscene hour has enabled me to catch up on my plan. In the past month, Atul Gawande’s The Checklist Manifesto and John Walton’s The Lost World of Genesis One have been very good reads. Finally digging into Fola Fagbule and Feyi Fawehinmi’s Formation: has also been an interesting experience; I am finding myself pausing to go google some arcane fact and/or look up a map. I have also reread bits of Julian Barnes’ Booker Prize-winning The Sense of An Ending, from which a very prescient quote jumped out at me:\nTime … give us enough time and our best-supported decisions will seem wobbly, our certainties whimsical\nComing up to the two-year mark out here, I can’t shake the feeling that it very much is the beginning of an ending of sorts. Fingers crossed.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2022/05/31/flies-storms-and-the-sense-of-an-ending/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/https%5F%5F%5Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%5Fpublic%5Fimages%5F29716da5-51c4-44ca-993c-e126759cf012%5F6000x4000.jpeg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@matt_j?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eMatthieu Joannon\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/sand-storm?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe heat hangs heavy on the head, the way a wet blanket only partially wrung dry after being pounded by feet in a washbasin hangs listlessly in a barely-there breeze. The short afternoon walks to the canteen, to grab some combination of a salad, chicken and rice is beginning to feel like a chore, not helped by the sand which has become a permanent fixture it seems. Some days G and I wonder if the haze is from fog or dust but the loud whirl of my air purifier settles it for me; dust it is - that most irritating kind that finds its way through every tiny crinkle in our armour, covering everything with a fine layer of brown. Not far away in their ubiquity are the flies which flit around everything, their persistent buzz the soundtrack to life in these baking summer months. With Ramadan behind us, it is the season of long vacations and every other day it seems someone else in the wider team disappears for a few weeks. My turn to disappear is in about a month, and for the first time in a long time, I am looking forward to kicking back, waking up at my leisure then sticking L in her stroller and grabbing brunch with \u003cem\u003ereal\u003c/em\u003e bacon. Adding a few more Parkruns to my total - with maybe one push for a new PB - would be a welcome bonus.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Flies, Storms and The Sense of An Ending"},{"content":" Photo by Il Vagabiondo on Unsplash\n**\nOne day it was wet, slightly windy and the temperature was below 30 degrees C, the next it wasn’t, which is how seemingly out of the blue the semblance of winter bowed out, being replaced by summer in all its fierceness. To be brutally honest, calling ‘it’ winter would be a stretch by all accounts, but for the context of the prospect of 40+ weather over the next few months. Of more personal importance though is that it is the end of Ramadan, and the lengthened hours with little food that was my lot in the period (a quirk of the shift patterns revised for the period was that my work day started an extra hour early, and the food spots at work were all closed). As with last year, I decided it would be a fantastic time to attempt to shift some of the weight, tacking on three morning runs and reduced carbs to the month. The three kilograms which have somehow slid off into the ether suggests there was some value to all that exertion. Whether it was worth it all remains to be seen though.\nCasting my mind back to this time last year yields little by way of extant memories, although given what came afterwards, I would guess I spent the month up to my ears in work, trying to clear my desk whilst putting finishing touches to my travel plans, 72-hour PCR tests, quarantine and all. It is not much different this time - being a couple of team members light at work means it promises to be a hectic May and June before I and my contingent ship out to the proper summer of South Yorkshire. A trip up to the ‘Deen definitely beckons also, given it will have been two years, four months and a bit since I last passed through. It will have been two years of being a prodigal abroad then, surviving COVID, having to build networks from the scratch again and welcoming L who never ceases to be a fascinating experiment in reinforcement learning (both for us adults and her), amongst all other things.\nPlenty to mull over this summer then; milestones, friends to reconnect with, moments to pause and ponder the directions of the next few years and the odd Parkrun or two, In sha\u0026rsquo;Allah.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2022/05/03/summertime/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/https%5F%5F%5Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%5Fpublic%5Fimages%5Fed128ef8-69da-4079-9b09-4f8a88f4cf01%5F4000x6000.webp?w=683\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@ilvagabiondo?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eIl Vagabiondo\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/desert-sun?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne day it was wet, slightly windy and the temperature was below 30 degrees C, the next it wasn’t, which is how seemingly out of the blue the semblance of winter bowed out, being replaced by summer in all its fierceness. To be brutally honest, calling ‘it’ winter would be a stretch by all accounts, but for the context of the prospect of 40+ weather over the next few months. Of more personal importance though is that it is the end of Ramadan, and the lengthened hours with little food that was my lot in the period (a quirk of the shift patterns revised for the period was that my work day started an extra hour early, and the food spots at work were all closed). As with last year, I decided it would be a fantastic time to attempt to shift some of the weight, tacking on three morning runs and reduced carbs to the month. The three kilograms which have somehow slid off into the ether suggests there was \u003cem\u003esome\u003c/em\u003e value to all that exertion. Whether it was \u003cem\u003eworth\u003c/em\u003e it all remains to be seen though.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Summertime.."},{"content":" For the Day Four prompt, well, kind of. Photo by Abeer Zaki on Unsplash\n**\nit lingers on the edge\nof my tongue, its heft\nhanging heavy, marinating\nin its moistness, each letter,\nalive, each syllable\nyielding to the next,\nthen fading like the morning mists\nwisps, resplendent, gracing the\nverdant green but then\nlosing themselves to the\nrising heat. I count to three\nand then exhale, each breath\na gift from earth, now returned.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2022/04/04/morning-breath/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/abeer-zaki-swfgkosfi0i-unsplash.jpg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor the \u003ca href=\"https://www.napowrimo.net/day-four-10/\"\u003eDay Four prompt\u003c/a\u003e, well, kind of. Photo by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@abeerzaki?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eAbeer Zaki\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/tongue?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eit lingers on the edge\u003cbr\u003e\nof my tongue, its heft\u003cbr\u003e\nhanging heavy, marinating\u003cbr\u003e\nin its moistness, each letter,\u003cbr\u003e\nalive, each syllable\u003cbr\u003e\nyielding to the next,\u003cbr\u003e\nthen fading like the morning mists\u003cbr\u003e\nwisps, resplendent, gracing the\u003cbr\u003e\nverdant green but then\u003cbr\u003e\nlosing themselves to the\u003cbr\u003e\nrising heat. I count to three\u003cbr\u003e\nand then exhale, each breath\u003cbr\u003e\na gift from earth, now returned.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"4. Morning Breath"},{"content":" A prose poem for the NaPoWriMo Day One prompt, Photo by Jared Rice on Unsplash\n**\nSometimes a breath is not just a breath, not just the rising and the falling of the chest, the slow release of the tension of fretting and of wondering, and of wandering. Sometimes a breath is not just the lungs taking and giving, extending life. Sometimes a breath is the sound of battle, the spoils of the war for tomorrow, won moment by moment, because forever is too short and tomorrow is not promised and this moment, fleeting and vanishing is all that is for sure.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2022/04/01/breathing-by-degrees/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/jared-rice-ntybbu66%5Fsi-unsplash.jpg?w=881\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA prose poem for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.napowrimo.net/day-one-4/\"\u003eNaPoWriMo Day One prompt\u003c/a\u003e, Photo by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@jareddrice?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eJared Rice\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/breathing?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSometimes a breath is not \u003cem\u003ejust\u003c/em\u003e a breath, not just the rising and the falling of the chest, the slow release of the tension of fretting and of wondering, and of wandering. Sometimes a breath is not just the lungs taking and giving, extending life. Sometimes a breath is the sound of battle, the spoils of the war for tomorrow, won moment by moment, because forever is too short and tomorrow is not promised and this moment, fleeting and vanishing is all that is for sure.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"1. Breathing By Degrees"},{"content":" Photo by Max van den Oetelaar on Unsplash\n**\nIt feels somewhat trite, given what is afoot in the world, to be riled up about life in my gilded prison corner of the world. The Ukraine and Russia conflict looms large of course, but for all the outpouring of support - and some might say posturing - it feels more like a cause célèbre, than anything else. As others have pointed out thousands more have lost their lives in Yemen,. The Iraq and Afghanistan wars were hardly less gruesome for ordinary civilians. Closer home, it seems like Nigeria teeters more on the edge of imploding, with power, security and the general hardship levels all running away in the wrong direction. Of course, concurrent occurrences of bad things does not make any of them less ‘bad’. One can only hope that the energies expended in mobilizing and blanketing the air waves with the plight of Ukrainians is also extended to other (blacker and browner) bodies.\nEnergy, and energy security, are back in the news again, the chickens of short sighted decisions very much coming home to roost as Russia holds Europe over a barrel with gas. It is good to see common sense coming to the fore again with nuclear energy being an option on the table. Sadly, these things are not magic taps that get turned on and off at the snap of fingers, so long hard periods of weaning ourselves off Russian gas are inevitable. North sea oil and gas is another beneficiary of all these, with the likes of Shell looking to invest 25 billion in the sector.\nIt has been a hectic past five months, on a personal note, my days spent hard at work and at home. High stakes, high profile deliverables at work have meant work weeks stretching into the weekends with extended hours. As I joking remarked to A the other day, it very much feels like I took a huge breath in November and am yet to breathe out, whilst keeping several plates spinning. Burning the candle at both ends is perhaps the best metaphor to describe the current state. The month of Ramadan and the slower pace of life can’t come soon enough for me.\nIf there is a silver lining in being maddeningly busy, it is that the year has sped right by. Somehow it is the end of March, and L is all of 10 months! 2022 was meant to be the year of re-thinking, which I have hardly done any of. To me at least, proper re-thinking requires the luxury of time, and moments of extended quietness, things which I have not had the luxury of over the past year. First order of business though must be to re-think the world of my work, and what I am truly aiming to get out of it. For the complex dynamics involved in it - current states, employer considerations and my future desires - what is obvious is that there I would like to not be doing the same sorts of things in five years time. The Clay Christiansen book, How Will You Measure Your Life, is one that I intend to re-read in April, as a first, tentative step towards re-thinking what work should look like for me in the five+ year time frame. Before all that re-thinking, I think the zeroth step is being intentional again about self care.\nThe phrase/word of the week (or month, or quarter - you decide) is Kaif halak, which means how are you? I hope like me you are in an improving place and are being intentional about self-care.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2022/03/27/coming-up-for-air-3/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/max-van-den-oetelaar-buymym3rq3u-unsplash.jpg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@maxvdo?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eMax van den Oetelaar\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/self-care?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt feels somewhat trite, given what is afoot in the world, to be riled up about life in my gilded prison corner of the world. The Ukraine and Russia conflict looms large of course, but for all the outpouring of support - and some might say posturing - it feels more like a \u003cem\u003ecause célèbre,\u003c/em\u003e than anything else. As others have pointed out thousands more have lost their lives in Yemen,. The Iraq and Afghanistan wars were hardly less gruesome for ordinary civilians. Closer home, it seems like Nigeria teeters more on the edge of imploding, with power, security and the general hardship levels all running away in the wrong direction. Of course, concurrent occurrences of bad things does not make any of them less ‘bad’. One can only hope that the energies expended in mobilizing and blanketing the air waves with the plight of Ukrainians is also extended to other (blacker and browner) bodies.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Coming Up For Air"},{"content":" Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash\n**\nNo sooner than the year begins does it seemingly end, the flight of time - ponderously slow in the moment - somehow seemingly fast when the view is backward, over its long arch. It truly is a trick of time. As 2020 morphed into 2021, what thoughts I had came together around Rebuilding Better, the premise being that 2020 had been a year of significant disruption - and deconstruction - with 2021 a fresh chance to begin again, to put together what was broken in a better way with twelve objectives concretely describing that for me. Now that 2021 has morphed into 2022, it feels like a good time to revisit all that, so here goes.\nIn 12 objectives Attain NACE Corrosion Specialist Certification: Progressed this significantly with the first part of the application done and submitted. I await feedback in late January/ February on the peer review bits which, fingers crossed is positive. This should allow me cross this off in 2022. I\u0026rsquo;ll call this a HIT Change one (specific) deleterious habit: This was an epic fail, which is all I am going to say about it. MISS. Clear credit card debt: Managed this by November, although running the numbers showed me that for the \u0026lsquo;free\u0026rsquo; cash I could generate far superior returns in the stock market so I re-upped this after clearing the backlog. HIT Complete U of T Data Science Course: Completed this with aplomb achieving a 96% average score over all modules. What this showed me is I have a real appetite for this data thing. Bring on the AI/ML apocalypse I say. HIT Develop a daily practice of prayer and bible study: This unfortunately was an epic fail with this happening only on 55% of days. MEH Deliver three value add projects at work: Did ok here I believe as one such project was fully delivered as well as identifying a second opportunity which was progressed through to engaging a third party to execute. I\u0026rsquo;ll call this a HIT Read 25 books: 14 of 25 downed with several half read. I’d call these mixed results. MEH Buy a new house in London: Times and life changed the priorities here but one which is back on the agenda in 2022. MEH Resolve blood pressure issues: Being slightly overweight and genetically disposed to high blood pressure, managing this is one of my key health focus areas. MEH Speak to Dad weekly, siblings monthly: Much improved but hardly stellar performance. I\u0026rsquo;ll this a MEH Weigh 90 kg or less: Epic fail, ended the year at 100+ kg from a low of 93kg in May. MISS Write a blogpost every week: I\u0026rsquo;ll call this a HIT, by the skin of my teeth In the 7 Dimensions Going back to the life plan framework, here is my current status ranked with previous year’s rank in brackets\nSpiritual: 2 (3) Not sure where I stand, christian stuff still pulls me but I feel like my practice does not match my beliefs in anyway, and to quote taleb if the Physical \u0026amp; Health: 2 (3) Financial: 4 (3) Relational: 3 (3) Work \u0026amp; Career: 4 (3) Personal Development: 4 (4) Causes \u0026amp; Charities: 5 (5) In four charts Well, L happened!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2022/01/04/rebuild-better-revisited/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/nick-morrison-fhnnjk1yj7y-unsplash.jpg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@nickmorrison?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eNick Morrison\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/review?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo sooner than the year begins does it seemingly end, the flight of time - ponderously slow in the moment - somehow seemingly fast when the view is backward, over its long arch. It truly is a trick of time. As 2020 morphed into 2021, what thoughts I had came together around \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/01/01/2021-rebuild-better/\"\u003eRebuilding Better\u003c/a\u003e, the premise being that 2020 had been a year of significant disruption - and deconstruction - with 2021 a fresh chance to begin again, to put together what was broken in a better way with twelve objectives concretely describing that for me. Now that 2021 has morphed into 2022, it feels like a good time to revisit all that, so here goes.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Rebuild Better - Revisited"},{"content":"It’s that time of the year again where I reflect on my reading over the course of the year. My previous attempts are linked here.\n\\\\\\*\nI have a litany of reasons to give for the paltry return of fourteen books completed this year, as big a drop as could be from the twenty-three I put way with consummate ease last year, chief of which was the welcome disruption L brought to our lives this year and all that came with it. The chief effect of that was a a significant number of unread books, all the free time I had in the latter part of the year being eighty minutes each day on the bus to and from work on work days. The vast majority were thus audiobooks, the experience of which I tried to improve by taking copious notes in Notion. Of the lot, a few stood out for various reasons. I plan on re-reading a few in hard copy in the near future, real life permitting. So here goes:\nA Thousand Small Sanities - Adam Gopnik: An exercise in exploring so-called Big Liberalism, this was one that I started reading o the cusp of the new year. At times it tried to paint an overly idealistic picture but then I suppose a book defending an idea would look at how it should be not how it actually works in practice. Certainly one I need to re-read in hard copy with time and engage the ideas.\nThe Status Game - Will Storr: Sometimes you read a book whose ideas are so foundational that you come away wondering how you never saw that before. This was one of such for me, the central thesis being that all human systems trade/play in status - whether our currency is virtue, dominance or something else.\nThe Bomber Mafia - Malcolm Gladwell: Another one which prompted much thinking for me , almost akin to an existential crisis of sorts, being the solidly mid-career professional I am who sometimes wonders what direction by future should take.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/12/31/the-year-in-reading-2021/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIt’s that time of the year again where I reflect on my reading over the course of the year. My previous attempts are \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/reading/\"\u003elinked here\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/screenshot-from-2021-12-29-20-24-47.png?w=431\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have a litany of reasons to give for the paltry return of fourteen books completed this year, as big a drop as could be from the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/12/30/the-year-in-reading-2020/\"\u003etwenty-three I put way with consummate ease last year\u003c/a\u003e, chief of which was the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/06/25/world-meet-l/\"\u003ewelcome disruption L\u003c/a\u003e brought to our lives this year and all that came with it. The chief effect of that was a a significant number of unread books, all the free time I had in the latter part of the year being eighty minutes each day on the bus to and from work on work days. The vast majority were thus audiobooks, the experience of which I tried to improve by taking copious notes in Notion. Of the lot, a few stood out for various reasons. I plan on re-reading a few in hard copy in the near future, real life permitting. So here goes:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Year in Reading - 2021"},{"content":" For The Sunday Muse Prompt #188 and the 49 from Northcote to White City:\n**\nOn the 49 from Northcote,\na young woman sits. She\nfolds her hands, hangs her feet,\nand lets the world without slip by\n- grey granite yielding to gleaming glass,\nverdant green disappearing behind the whorls\nof potted plants. Somewhere outside,\nthe river wends its way across the plain.\nAbove, in a fleeting moment a giant\nclanging bird roars. Somewhere\non the corner of Shepherd\u0026rsquo;s Bush and King\u0026rsquo;s\nan old man, wraps his hands around himself\nas his breath draws wisps in the winter wind.\nAs it was in the beginning and now is\nthe river remains. We all like small lights\nflicker, and then are gone.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/11/30/on-the-49-from-northcote/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/people-sit-one-grown-up-seat-underground-muse.jpg?w=639\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2021/11/sunday-muse-188.html\"\u003ePrompt #188\u003c/a\u003e and the \u003ca href=\"https://wikiroutes.info/en/london?routes=35886\"\u003e49 from Northcote to White City\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the 49 from Northcote,\u003cbr\u003e\na young woman sits. She\u003cbr\u003e\nfolds her hands, hangs her feet,\u003cbr\u003e\nand lets the world without slip by\u003cbr\u003e\n- grey granite yielding to gleaming glass,\u003cbr\u003e\nverdant green disappearing behind the whorls\u003cbr\u003e\nof potted plants. Somewhere outside,\u003cbr\u003e\nthe river wends its way across the plain.\u003cbr\u003e\nAbove, in a fleeting moment a giant\u003cbr\u003e\nclanging bird roars. Somewhere\u003cbr\u003e\non the corner of Shepherd\u0026rsquo;s Bush and King\u0026rsquo;s\u003cbr\u003e\nan old man, wraps his hands around himself\u003cbr\u003e\nas his breath draws wisps in the winter wind.\u003cbr\u003e\nAs it was in the beginning and now is\u003cbr\u003e\nthe river remains. We all like small lights\u003cbr\u003e\nflicker, and then are gone.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On the 49 from Northcote"},{"content":" Image Source: Christianity Today\n**\nOver the past four or so months, I have listened with rapt attention, waiting for the next episode drop of the Christianity Today podcast, The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. For the uninitiated, it chronicles the story of Seattle megachurch, Mars Hill and its founder Mark Driscoll. It first came to my attention, if memory serves me right, when its host, Christianity Today\u0026rsquo;s Mike Cosper, popped in to the Holy Post podcast for a conversation with Skye Jethani. That interview, and the end of the first episode, go some way to lay out the team\u0026rsquo;s reasons for exploring this story and what lessons they hope to tease out as they go along. As expected, Mark Driscoll looms large over the series - which has one final episode to go. Alongside him, making appearances and/or being named checked are a slew of other heavyweights in the evangelical space, thanks to his involvement in two organisations like The Gospel Coalition and the Acts 29 network.\nListening to the podcast has been a trip down memory lane for me of sorts, back to the mid 2000s, a time when I was deeply wedded to the Pentecostal cause back in the old country. I was two years into a move to a different city for work, had home internet - even slower than dialup - for the first time and had gotten myself a laptop to boot. At the same time my friend A had just gotten a copy of Joshua Harris\u0026rsquo;I Kissed Dating Goodbye as well as mp3s of the three-part series Harris preached at the Covenant Life Church\u0026rsquo;s singles ministry meetings. The outcome of all of this - and the advent of Apple podcasts - was to open my eyes to the wealth of resources on the internet - SermonAudio \u0026amp; Boundless to name a few. This was my path to coming within the Driscoll orbit, from a distance as it were. With the benefit of hindsight, the folk I listened to a lot then were an interesting bunch - John Piper, CJ Mahaney, Joshua Harris, Al Mohler, Mark Dever, Bruce Ware and the others who turned up regularly to the defunct New Attitude Conference to name a few.\nBy all accounts the failings at Mars Hill were due to a the failure of governance with a hyper powerful central figure whose brand became the focus of everything, or the results of the scheming and conniving of few disgruntled elements seeking power, if the alternative narrative is to be believed. The strong powerful central figure trope though is one that persists, particularly in its exported form in churches in my other country. I have vivid memories of spiritual fathers insisting on \u0026lsquo;seeds\u0026rsquo; and \u0026lsquo;offerings\u0026rsquo; and laying down the law as to what should happen in people\u0026rsquo;s home as part of adjudicating matters. Not too long ago, a certain Nigerian MOG spouted some 5G and COVID conspiracy stuff and got his followers - some of whom are very bright and otherwise intelligent people - deferring to his opinion on the subject. That he did seem to offer a retraction seems to carry less weight with the one or two of those I know, who I have since deleted and blocked off Whatsapp, that cesspool of misinformation.\nAt its peak, Mars Hill attracted close to 15,000 people over five campuses, which perhaps begs the question of what attracted them. If my experience is anything to go by I sense that most people want a strong central authority in their lives, want clarity, and if they are of a religious bent, want access to people who are close to the Divine and who can say with (misplaced?) confidence that God told them some hidden and arcane reason behind something out in the world.\nIt seems to me that Cosper and co went to great lengths to present both sides of the Mars Hill story - the real hurt to people but also the real lives helped. Balancing these two narratives was always going to be a big difficulty with a project such as this though in my view, they did do very well in that regards. I am looking out for the final episode, hopefully it ties all the various strands of the narrative together nicely as well as addresses some of the criticisms others have levelled at.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/11/27/on-that-rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill-pod/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/rise-fall-mars-hill.webp?w=940\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eImage Source: \u003ca href=\"https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill/teaser-trailer-mars-hill-podcast.html\"\u003eChristianity Today\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver the past four or so months, I have listened with rapt attention, waiting for the next episode drop of the Christianity Today podcast, \u003ca href=\"https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill/teaser-trailer-mars-hill-podcast.html\"\u003eThe Rise and Fall of Mars Hill\u003c/a\u003e. For the uninitiated, it chronicles the story of Seattle megachurch, Mars Hill and its founder Mark Driscoll. It first came to my attention, if memory serves me right, when its host, \u003cem\u003eChristianity Today\u003c/em\u003e\u0026rsquo;s Mike Cosper, \u003ca href=\"https://www.holypost.com/post/episode-468-lessons-from-the-rise-fall-of-mars-hill-with-mike-cosper\"\u003epopped in to the Holy Post\u003c/a\u003e podcast for a conversation with Skye Jethani. That interview, and the end of the first episode, go some way to lay out the team\u0026rsquo;s reasons for exploring this story and what lessons they hope to tease out as they go along. As expected, Mark Driscoll looms large over the series - which has one final episode to go. Alongside him, making appearances and/or being named checked are a slew of other heavyweights in the evangelical space, thanks to his involvement in two organisations like \u003ca href=\"https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/\"\u003eThe Gospel Coalition\u003c/a\u003e and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.acts29.com/\"\u003eActs 29\u003c/a\u003e network.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On That Rise and Fall of Mars Hill Pod"},{"content":" For The Sunday Muse Prompt #186:\n**\nBefore you call me by this name\nand shrink the sum of all my days\ndown to this facade, this still-life\nof sepia pixels flickering like daylight\ndisappearing before the force of dusk;\nBefore you place the burdens of\nhistory around my neck, till\nit begins to break beneath the weight\nof expectation, you must know\nthat this name is one of a myriad,\neach bequeathed by the ones\nwho came before, a prayer\nthat we might see, the small lights\nin our being.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/11/14/before-you-call-me-by-this-name/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/mischabartonaslouisebrooks.jpg?w=564\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2021/11/sunday-muse-186-illusion.html\"\u003ePrompt #186:\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBefore you call me by this name\u003cbr\u003e\nand shrink the sum of all my days\u003cbr\u003e\ndown to this facade, this still-life\u003cbr\u003e\nof sepia pixels flickering like daylight\u003cbr\u003e\ndisappearing before the force of dusk;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBefore you place the burdens of\u003cbr\u003e\nhistory around my neck, till\u003cbr\u003e\nit begins to break beneath the weight\u003cbr\u003e\nof expectation, you must know\u003cbr\u003e\nthat this name is one of a myriad,\u003cbr\u003e\neach bequeathed by the ones\u003cbr\u003e\nwho came before, a prayer\u003cbr\u003e\nthat we might see, the small lights\u003cbr\u003e\nin our being.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Before You Call Me By This Name"},{"content":" Photo by Kenza Benaouda on Unsplash\n**\nOf the things that still irk me, more than a year into my Arabian Odyssey, the sheer inefficiencies which seem baked into the system stand out for particular ire. Case in point: this past week to spend ten minutes picking up a letter from my employer and then delivering it at a government office fifteen kilometres away, I had to drive 250+kilometres. To my mind, it is something that can and should dare I say, be managed via an online portal but I found to my pain that this was not the case. It is no wonder then that in the short space of over a month I have driven just shy of three thousand kilometres, mainly between my outpost in the middle of nowhere, work (twice), the big city next door (multiple times) and the occasional trip to the provincial capital for some government thing or the other twice too.\nOne of those trips put into context why choosing not to buy a 4x4 wasn\u0026rsquo;t the brightest of ideas. Having taken a wrong turn off a certain road, I found to my chagrin that it soon dissolved into desert sands and nothing more. It was in trying to turn off it into the other side of the road to retrace my steps that trouble struck. My puny rear wheel drive, 1.6L engine, subcompact got mired in the sands which had accumulated on that section of unused roads. Several attempts only managed to get me firmly stuck with no seeming route to recovery. It didn\u0026rsquo;t help that I had left L and S at home with a view to dashing into the next town to grab some supplies and then return. My salvation came in the shape of two men who spotted me whilst driving their pick up truck across the sand on the other side of the road. After some frantic hand waving on my part to attract their attention, they came to a stop across the divider of the road as we tried to communicate my predicament. My Arabic is nonexistent as was their English but the one word we could both understand was \u0026lsquo;Help?\u0026rsquo;, to wish I nodded frantically. They promptly disappeared for a bit in a cloud of sand only to reappear at the bend where the road turned to sand. The younger of the two was dressed in full regalia, thobe and head gear included whilst his older companion had threadbare jeans and a denim shirt rolled up at the sleeves. Ten or so minutes afterwards, I finally came unstuck thanks to the younger getting into my car and proceeding to attempt to reverse out of the rut i had sunk into whilst his companion and I pushed. Not in a very long time, and I suspect/hope not in a long time in the future, have I felt such relief at seeing a stranger\u0026rsquo;s face.\nDriving out here was one of the things I dreaded the most, given the stories of texting drivers and general disregard for other road users which were drummed into us during our orientation. Bar a couple of near misses where tailgaters have almost forced me off the road at 120km/hr, nothing much of note has happened. That, and the sense of habituation which has made the 60km trek to the next town feel normal are things to be thankful for.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/11/12/500-leagues-under-the-sun/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/kenza-benaouda-b0jyokgjapw-unsplash.jpg?w=820\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@kenzabenaouda?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eKenza Benaouda\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/car-in-sand?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf the things that still irk me, more than a year into my Arabian Odyssey, the sheer inefficiencies which seem baked into the system stand out for particular ire. Case in point: this past week to spend ten minutes picking up a letter from my employer and then delivering it at a government office fifteen kilometres away, I had to drive 250+kilometres. To my mind, it is something that can and should dare I say, be managed via an online portal but I found to my pain that this was not the case. It is no wonder then that in the short space of over a month I have driven just shy of three thousand kilometres, mainly between my outpost in the middle of nowhere, work (twice), the big city next door (multiple times) and the occasional trip to the provincial capital for some government thing or the other twice too.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"500 Leagues under the Sun"},{"content":" Image Source: The Guardian\n**\nEvery waking minute of the past few weeks it seems has been filled with some nursery rhyme or the other, so much so that deep in my less wakeful moments, I have caught myself humming along to some tune or another. Chief of them has to be the ten in a bed one where a particularly bossy kid shoos off the others who end up in a pile beside the bed nursing various bumps and scrapes. Sometimes it has felt like there are an infinite number of ways this can happen, although the mathematics suggest that there is only one way to do that, if that particular order is maintained. All of this is long way to say that L is very much at the centre of things with sleep, if I can go out for a run in the morning and other such mundane things very much dependent on what state she wakes up in.\nI would like to think that being the well adjusted, finely tuned primate that I am makes me the very epitome of a caring parent but the truth is that there are days when all I want with every fibre of my being is to ignore whatever plea for help is emanating from her crib and get some extra precious minutes of sleep, particularly on work days. Most days I don\u0026rsquo;t yield to my internal lazy boy but what I will admit is that I have begun to look forward to my forty-minute commute to work on the bus. That has begun to feel like an island of sanity, keeping the chaos of home away from the madness of work. Small mercies.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/11/05/the-centre-of-things/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/boss-baby.jpeg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eImage Source: \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/apr/03/boss-baby-dreamworks-team-america-donald-trump\"\u003eThe Guardian\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery waking minute of the past few weeks it seems has been filled with some nursery rhyme or the other, so much so that deep in my less wakeful moments, I have caught myself humming along to some tune or another. Chief of them has to be \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZkPYzIKZNc\"\u003ethe ten in a bed\u003c/a\u003e one where a particularly bossy kid shoos off the others who end up in a pile beside the bed nursing various bumps and scrapes. Sometimes it has felt like there are an infinite number of ways this can happen, although the \u003ca href=\"https://www.mathsisfun.com/combinatorics/combinations-permutations.html\"\u003emathematics suggest\u003c/a\u003e that there is only one way to do that, if that particular order is maintained. All of this is long way to say that L is very much at the centre of things with sleep, if I can go out for a run in the morning and other such mundane things very much dependent on what state she wakes up in.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"At the Centre of Things"},{"content":" Rodin’s Le Penseur. Image from the US National Gallery of Art\n**\nWhen I set about thinking about the year of being forty, it seemed a no-brainer that it would be centred around delving deeper. The premise was that as the worst kind of failure is one of depth, actively looking to ensure I had depth in all critical aspects of my life was key as I came into my decade of being forty something. As to why I think failures of depth are the most critical, I think that both the one who fails and the one who is failed are left with the lingering after taste of what might have been. For one, the chance of a lifetime disappears before it even begins. For the other the time and energy expended/ invested ends up being for nothing. Both face the opportunity costs, lost irretrievably. For the year of being forty-one, rebuild better was the key, given COVID and how it had intervened specifically in my life with regards to a new job.\nFrom the vantage point of the present looking back, it seems clear that delving deeper, and rebuilding better took on lives of their own, evolving into a full blown rethink, with no facet of life - from faith, through family and friendships through to work - being exempt from this interrogation. There is a sense in which rethinking follows naturally from delving deeper. For when done right, delving deeper can expose the scaffolding on which our beliefs and behaviours are hung, laying bare the inconsistencies and incongruities there. If intellectual honesty and/or integrity are worth anything to us, we cannot ignore those, hence we rethink. Truly rebuilding on the other hand requires firm and sure foundations, which is how all three themes are linked.\nOf all the things that have been touched so far by my rethinking, I get the sense that faith and work are the most likely to be significantly impacted in the near term. I have always considered myself a prodigal not least because my notions of identity - both spiritual and familial - are conflicted. What has changed in that regard is I think I am finally at a place where I am comfortable calling myself a lapsed Pentecostal. I am by no means ready - or willing - to chuck it all out; the things that tether me to that space still maintain their grip, however tenuous they may be. I have however found that paring faith down to the essentials has led me to a framework of a three legged stool of sorts: right beliefs, right practice and right passions, an articulation I am grateful to Preston Sprinkle for.\nWith work, the tensions are many. On the one hand there is the being an empiricist vs being a theorist, or to slightly rephrase it, being a generalist or a specialist. Moons ago I would have sworn being a specialist was the be all and end all, a nod perhaps to the niche specialty which has fed me all these years. I am however finding that there is a limit to how far an arcane subject, or esoteric knowledge, can take you in the real world. And what use is knowledge if it doesn’t translate into the real world? There is also the small matter of where my future direction lies. There is a ceiling to being a specialist, I feel with more scope for growth in being a generalist. To future-proof my career therefore, it seems to me that broadening rather than deepening is the way to go. Being out here was great for the first year, with all the trappings of the expat life. Now that that is behind me now, the reality of the question of direction now hits home. Is my future inextricably linked to oil? Or are any of the nascent interests grabbing my attention the future for me? I think I would like to have the freedom to work without borders. That and the cachet of the world of data are an attraction that grows increasingly stronger, if I can find a way to make my past years of experience useful in that domain.\nL and S are a consideration that weighs heavy on my mind in this regard. The days when I was free as a bird to pack up sticks and take the risk of beginning again are gone I think. Family has its responsibilities and rewards which one cannot take lightly. Just how much that affects the calculus of the future still seems unclear, or perhaps still evolving, the final shape or form unknown at the moment.\nPlenty to mull over then, with potentially wide-ranging consequences to decisions and directions. Bring on the year of rethinking. It feels like this will be some interesting ride around the sun!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/10/30/rethink/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/the%5Fthinker%5Fle%5Fpenseur%5F1942.5.12.jpg?w=813\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auguste_Rodin\"\u003eRodin’s\u003c/a\u003e Le Penseur. Image from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.1005.html\"\u003eUS National Gallery of Art\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen I set about thinking about \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/01/01/2020-delve-deeper/\"\u003ethe year of being forty\u003c/a\u003e, it seemed a no-brainer that it would be centred around \u003cem\u003edelving deeper.\u003c/em\u003e The premise was that as the worst kind of failure is one of depth, actively looking to ensure I had depth in all critical aspects of my life was key as I came into my decade of being forty something. As to why I think failures of depth are the most critical, I think that both the one who fails and the one who is failed are left with the lingering after taste of what \u003cem\u003emight\u003c/em\u003e have been. For one, the chance of a lifetime disappears before it even begins. For the other the time and energy expended/ invested ends up being for nothing. Both face the opportunity costs, lost irretrievably. For the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/01/01/2021-rebuild-better/\"\u003eyear of being forty-one\u003c/a\u003e, rebuild better was the key, given COVID and how it had intervened specifically in my life with regards to a new job.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"42: Rethink"},{"content":"\nFor The Sunday Muse prompt #180:\n**\nWe come to water to be washed and be reborn, this hand cupping the curvature of the face, the other dipped, drenched in the very fluid from which we come, the space between the fingers of that hand filled with the water, straining against the strictures of the hand.\nWe come to water to lose ourselves in the beauty of the simple things, to see the dirt of our days and the detritus of the night loosen, dissolving until we see ourselves pristine whole again, the way we have imagined in our dreams a lip, an eye, lingering still in the mirror of still water.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/10/04/still-water/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://notesofalostson.files.wordpress.com/2021/10/sunday-muse-180.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2021/10/sunday-muse-180.html\"\u003eprompt #180\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe come to water\nto be washed and be reborn,\nthis hand cupping the curvature\nof the face, the other dipped,\ndrenched in the very fluid\nfrom which we come, the space\nbetween the fingers of that hand\nfilled with the water, straining\nagainst the strictures\nof the hand.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe come to water\nto lose ourselves in the beauty\nof the simple things, to see\nthe dirt of our days and the detritus\nof the night loosen, dissolving\nuntil we see ourselves pristine\nwhole again, the way we\nhave imagined in our dreams\na lip, an eye, lingering still\nin the mirror of still water.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Still Water..."},{"content":"\nFor The Sunday Muse Prompt #179:\n** The scent of life and of living hangs heavy on this place, Here, where the weight of memory and first things lose themselves in the labyrinth of the mind.\nFirst step, first walk, first smile. First words - garbled beyond recognition but finding the connection between the proffered body and sustenance.\nFirst leaving, first returning then leaving - the first steps of a lonesome journey to a far country, of seeking the wily welcome of the open world calling - siren-like - from beyond the walls that time has built.\nThe days have their dangers and the nights their flights of fancy but in moments of respite and clarity I find myself here. Home. Always returning.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/09/26/homecoming/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://notesofalostson.files.wordpress.com/2021/09/179-homecoming.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-sunday-muse-179.html\"\u003ePrompt #179\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\nThe scent of life and of living\nhangs heavy on this place,\nHere, where the weight\nof memory and first things\nlose themselves in the labyrinth\nof the mind.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst step, first walk, first smile.\nFirst  words - garbled beyond\nrecognition but finding\nthe connection between\nthe proffered body\nand sustenance.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst leaving, first returning\n\u003cem\u003ethen\u003c/em\u003e leaving - the first steps\nof a  lonesome journey\nto a far country, of seeking\nthe wily welcome of the open world\ncalling - siren-like - from beyond\nthe walls that time has built.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Homecoming..."},{"content":"In the news this week on the BBC:\nAbattoirs have about a week\u0026rsquo;s supply of gas. It\u0026rsquo;s a chain: We have constantly got pigs coming out of the breeding herd that need to go in homes. Those homes need to be emptied.\nStumbled on this on the news recently which got me thinking of a couple of my interests of late - systems, resilience and [system of system approaches](https://www.incose.org/products-and-publications/sos-primer#:~:text=A%20System%20of%20Systems%20(SoS,a%20topic%20of%20increasing%20interest.) to identifying deep dependencies and potential unintended cascade failures of supply chains. What is a world in which rising gas prices potentially affect the availability of meat via several fertiliser farms having to shut down if not incredibly fragile.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/09/21/system-of-systems/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn the news \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbc.com/news/business-58627325\"\u003ethis week on the BBC:\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbattoirs have about a week\u0026rsquo;s supply of gas. It\u0026rsquo;s a chain: We have constantly got pigs coming out of the breeding herd that need to go in homes. Those homes need to be emptied.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStumbled on this on the news recently which got me thinking of a couple of my interests of late - systems, \u003ca href=\"https://insights.sei.cmu.edu/blog/system-resilience-what-exactly-is-it/\"\u003eresilience\u003c/a\u003e and [system of system approaches](\u003ca href=\"https://www.incose.org/products-and-publications/sos-primer#:~:text=A%20System%20of%20Systems%20(SoS,a%20topic%20of%20increasing%20interest.)\"\u003ehttps://www.incose.org/products-and-publications/sos-primer#:~:text=A%20System%20of%20Systems%20(SoS,a%20topic%20of%20increasing%20interest.)\u003c/a\u003e to identifying deep dependencies and potential unintended cascade failures of supply chains. What is a world in which rising gas prices potentially affect the availability of meat via several fertiliser farms having to shut down if not incredibly fragile.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"System of Systems"},{"content":"\nFor The Sunday Muse #178:\n**\nIn the wisps of the smoke blown in a moment of recalcitrance the man he might yet be lurks. The man he now is and the one he once was yielding in the moment to the future better one. Becoming.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/09/20/becoming-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://notesofalostson.files.wordpress.com/2021/09/the-sunday0muse-178-lakeithstanfield.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2021/09/sunday-muse-178.html\"\u003e#178\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the wisps\nof the smoke blown\nin a moment\nof recalcitrance\nthe man\nhe might yet be\nlurks. The man\nhe now is\nand the one\nhe once was\nyielding in the moment\nto the future\nbetter one.\nBecoming.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Becoming..."},{"content":"\nFor The Sunday Muse Prompt #176:\n** When in the stillness of the night, sleep slips away, slowly - my eyes heavy with the weariness of deferred respite - I remember the road from there to here, how it turns upon itself, snaking this way and then that and then disappears.\nI remember that leaving is for the living - those who have learned to gift the blessing of forgiving and forgetting to the past.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/09/06/leaving/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://notesofalostson.files.wordpress.com/2021/09/sunday-muse-176-2.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-sunday-muse-176.html\"\u003eThe Sunday Muse Prompt #176\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\nWhen in the stillness\nof the night, sleep\nslips away, slowly -\nmy eyes heavy\nwith the weariness\nof deferred respite -\nI remember the road\nfrom there to here,\nhow it turns\nupon itself, snaking\nthis way and then that\nand then disappears.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI remember that leaving\nis for the living -\nthose who have learned\nto gift the blessing\nof forgiving\nand forgetting\nto the past.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Leaving..."},{"content":"Image Source: Caleb Jones on Unsplash\n**\nIt seems to me that the central distinction in Malcolm Gladwell\u0026rsquo;s latest offering - Bomber Mafia - is that between theorists and empiricists. To boil it down to a binary choice is of course an oversimplification, but it is one that helps frame the difference between Hansell and Le May, the two figures from either camp who loom large in the book. At stake here, as it turns out, were the lives of hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians who met a fiery fate in the aftermath of extensive fire bombings, topped off by the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In Hansell, we have the theorist who believed against the evidence - or bad luck - that precision bombing was the way to execute a war that limited deaths. Le May on the other hand comes across as an empiricist who allowed the evidence lead him down the paths it did, albeit with disastrous outcomes for those concerned.\nOutcomes and motivations differ for the theorist and the empiricist. The theorist is wholly concerned with what might be possible - subject to the constraints of his/her field (eg Theoretical Physicists who come up with all sorts of currently unfalsifiable claims ) - as opposed to the empiricist or experimentalist who is concerned with finding evidence to prove or disprove the grand, elegant notions of the theorist.\nIf one accepts that the empiricist follows the evidence down a path that leads to a real world impact and desirable outcomes, there looms the question of what constitutes a good outcome. Is the loss of thousands of lives a good outcome if they are the lives of the enemy/ the other rather than ours? Is a good outcome measured in monetary terms, or is there a way to value non-physical outcomes? These are questions I do not think the theorist worries about too much, existing - at least to me - in that rarefied space of thought.\nAs I plod along, firmly ensconced in mid-career engineering, these distinctions are ones that weigh heavy on my mind, as they have the potential to inform what steps I take next. I am truly at a cross roads of sort - the question being whether I follow the head into theory or the heart into real world applications.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/09/02/between-theorists-and-empiricists/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://notesofalostson.files.wordpress.com/2021/09/fork-in-the-road-unsplash.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eImage Source: \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@gcalebjones?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eCaleb Jones\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/fork-in-the-road?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt seems to me that the central distinction in \u003ca href=\"https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/445/445716/the-bomber-mafia/9780241535004.html\"\u003eMalcolm Gladwell\u0026rsquo;s latest offering - Bomber Mafia\u003c/a\u003e - is that between \u003cem\u003etheorists\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eempiricists.\u003c/em\u003e To boil it down to a binary choice is of course an oversimplification, but it is one that helps frame the difference between \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haywood_S._Hansell\"\u003eHansell\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtis_LeMay\"\u003eLe May\u003c/a\u003e, the two figures from either camp who loom large in the book. At stake here, as it turns out, were the lives of hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians who met a fiery fate in the aftermath of \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_raids_on_Japan\"\u003eextensive fire bombings\u003c/a\u003e, topped off by the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In Hansell, we have the theorist who believed against the evidence - or bad luck - that precision bombing was the way to execute a war that limited deaths. Le May on the other hand comes across as an empiricist who allowed the evidence lead him down the paths it did, albeit with disastrous outcomes for those concerned.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Between Theorists and Empiricists"},{"content":"\nFor The Sunday Muse Prompt #175, and the shades of that garden it reminds me of:\n** I am dreaming again of days gone by, of nights - heavy with the weight of solitude - lightened by the joy of discovery, a light born of tumult in an age of innocence. This is what the glow-worms in their flitting feel, each shimmer of light a whisper into the night to see and be seen.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/08/31/being-seen/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://notesofalostson.files.wordpress.com/2021/08/175-.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-sunday-muse-175.html\"\u003eThe Sunday Muse Prompt #175\u003c/a\u003e, and the shades of \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_of_Eden\"\u003ethat garden\u003c/a\u003e it reminds me of:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\nI am dreaming again\nof days gone by,\nof nights  - heavy\nwith the weight\nof solitude -  lightened\nby the joy of discovery,\na light born of tumult\nin an age of innocence.\nThis is what the\nglow-worms in their\nflitting feel,\neach shimmer\nof light a whisper\ninto the night\nto see and be seen.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Being Seen"},{"content":"Image Copyright Sky News\n**\nHailing, as I do, from a corner of the world in which colonization has left its mark in more ways than one, I cannot help but see the stark similarities between the Afghanistan story and that of my other country. Two podcast episodes from the Rest is History podcast (a general one and one specifically focused on the First Anglo-Afghan War) provided some context to the history of the country, dotted as it has been with inter-tribal frictions and the burden of being prized as a gateway location. The similarities appear to be more than superficial: both countries have had borders drawn on the back of envelopes splitting tribes between countries, have fairly well established Islamic insurgencies and have significant deposits of natural resources. There is also the British (read East India Company / Royal Niger Company) connection too, the tip of the spear by which both regions were economically exploited.\nThe images coming out of Kabul are stark, and speak to a very desperate situation with the Taliban gaining the ascendancy in very short order after the American withdrawal. Inches of paper and columns of ink have been spent on weighing up the pros and the cons, making moral arguments for remaining and framing the withdrawal as effectively ceding control of Afghanistan\u0026rsquo;s rare earth metals to China among other takes. Given its reputation for being the graveyard of empires, linked to all the aforementioned interventions which have never really ended well fore the occupiers, it is interesting that the powers that be have never really seemed to learn from history. The human tragedy is huge and, given the attack on the airport, only likely to increase as the Taliban gain ascendancy, which makes for very worrying times for those left behind, the regular folk who do not have the power of being visible working for them. One hopes that the noises being made by the Taliban have some substance, although given their priors, there seems little real hope for that. The question of just why the US and their allies have the right to appoint themselves the policemen of the world is a different one altogether but needs exploration.\nThe speed at which the Ghani government collapsed would suggest that there is a critical mass that supports the Taliban, for all the noise the public intellectuals make. The irony is that nothing has really changed, not in the last twenty years, and maybe not by much in the last 200 either. Previous Afghan President Hamed Karzai is a direct descendant of the puppet the British installed, Shah Shuja. The Taliban come from the tribe that brought him down. Now and as it was then, deep fissures remain, and only by understanding the history and the local context can these widespread failings be prevented.\nOne take away from the two podcasts I listened to was that current president Ghani was a very different beast from Karzai, one that was seen as rude and snobbish, failing to keep the tribal leaders onside. That and the manifest corruption (case in point that Instagram post) suggests that in the end, failing to make the country work for everyone perhaps made it unlikely that ordinary folk would stick their necks out and fight. A functioning state that cares for the ordinary person and imbues a sense of ownership in the ordinary citizen has a lot more heft than any outside influences propping it up, it seems to me. Given the state of Nigeria at the moment, and the increasingly disconnected ruling class from the ordinary citizen, I can\u0026rsquo;t help but have a niggling worry as to what fate might lie ahead.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/08/27/cautionary-tales/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://notesofalostson.files.wordpress.com/2021/08/skynews-afghanistan-kabul_5487320.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eImage Copyright \u003ca href=\"https://news.sky.com/\"\u003eSky News\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHailing, as I do, from a corner of the world in which colonization has left its mark in more ways than one, I cannot help but see the stark similarities between \u003ca href=\"https://www.britannica.com/event/Afghanistan-War\"\u003ethe Afghanistan story\u003c/a\u003e and that of my \u003cem\u003eother\u003c/em\u003e country. Two podcast episodes from the \u003cem\u003eRest is History\u003c/em\u003e podcast (\u003ca href=\"https://play.acast.com/s/the-rest-is-history-podcast/87.afghanistan-part1\"\u003ea general one\u003c/a\u003e and one \u003ca href=\"https://play.acast.com/s/the-rest-is-history-podcast/88.thefirstanglo-afghanwar\"\u003especifically focused on the First Anglo-Afghan War\u003c/a\u003e) provided some context to the history of the country, dotted as it has been with inter-tribal frictions and the burden of being prized as a gateway location. The similarities appear to be more than superficial: both countries have had \u003ca href=\"https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/09/the-dividing-of-a-continent-africas-separatist-problem/262171/\"\u003eborders drawn on the back of envelopes\u003c/a\u003e splitting tribes between countries, have fairly well established Islamic insurgencies  and have significant deposits of natural resources. There is also the British (read East India Company / Royal Niger Company) connection too, the tip of the spear by which both regions were economically exploited.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Cautionary Tales..."},{"content":"\nFor The Sunday Muse Prompt #174:\n**\nThe empty glass catches the fading light, its pale blandness turned in an instant into a merry band of colours wending their way around its rim.\nIn the still moments of yielding to the night we see, through heavy eyes that in the brilliance of the radiant light, and the shadows too there is beauty, everywhere\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/08/24/beauty/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://notesofalostson.files.wordpress.com/2021/08/174-thirsty-muse.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-sunday-muse-174.html\"\u003eThe Sunday Muse Prompt #174\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe empty glass\ncatches the fading light,\nits pale blandness\nturned in an instant\ninto a merry band of colours\nwending their way\naround its rim.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the still moments\nof yielding to the night\nwe see, through heavy eyes\nthat in the brilliance of\nthe radiant light, and the shadows too\nthere is beauty, everywhere\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Beauty"},{"content":"\nFor The Sunday Muse Prompt # 173: Self Portrait with Accordion, (original image by Guido Vedovato) and How To Paint A Self Portrait by Nicole Tinkham.\n**\nFirst form the silhouette,\npress the mound of wet earth thin\ntill it yields, pliant, to the probing\nof the finger and the thumb.\nPlace the eyes, in the space\nbetween the first and the middle third,\nlet the ears and the eyes align: two eyes, two ears, one mouth\nBecause Light must fill the inward parts,\nand breath is the flimsy thing\nthat turns earth to feeling flesh;\nand the shadows too can be beautiful\nin their strange, shifting symmetry\n.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/08/17/self-potrait/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://notesofalostson.files.wordpress.com/2021/08/173-guido-vedovato.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-sunday-muse-173.html\"\u003eThe Sunday Muse Prompt # 173\u003c/a\u003e: Self Portrait with Accordion, (original image by \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guido_Vedovato\"\u003eGuido Vedovato\u003c/a\u003e) and How To Paint A Self Portrait by \u003ca href=\"https://keetonsonline.wordpress.com/2016/02/25/how-to-paint-a-self-portrait-like-a-pro/\"\u003eNicole Tinkham\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst form the silhouette,\u003cbr\u003e\npress the mound of wet earth thin\u003cbr\u003e\ntill it yields, pliant, to the probing\u003cbr\u003e\nof the finger and the thumb.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlace the eyes, in the space\u003cbr\u003e\nbetween the first and the middle third,\u003cbr\u003e\nlet the ears and the eyes align: \u003cbr\u003e\ntwo eyes, two ears, one mouth\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Self-Potrait"},{"content":" Image Source: Tara\u0026rsquo;s Multicultural Table\n**\nThe difference a few degrees makes never ceases to amaze me, a small mercy I have recently found to my advantage as the morning temperatures, dipping as they have below 30 degrees for the first time since April, have allowed me go for short runs and brisk runs again. Between stress eating in South Yorkshire and not being able to rack up those 10k steps, my weight has ballooned by a cringe worthy amount. In a sudden fit of resolve, I downloaded the NHS Couch to 5k app and have now completed one week. Hopefully, that along with some portion control, gets me back headed in the right direction. Frankly though, I would settle for being able to complete a sub 24 minute 5k again, seeing as the chap who ran Parkruns for fun in the ‘Deen seems like a whole different person now.\nAnother small mercy, or delight really, was making a pit stop at a tea spot a few days ago in the middle of a long journey up north. Between the very short notice to grab my gear and head out - the call came during the morning meeting and I had all of twenty minutes to grab a coffee, defer some other stuff and head out - and the long drive (over three hours and then some of 120km/hr driving each way), making a pit stop to drink in the distinctive flavours and grab some much needed caffeine from a cup of Yemeni tea was a blessing in disguise. Thankfully I didn’t do any of the driving, though I did feel for the guy who did. It must have been shattering to do all those miles!\nThe other thing that came from being cooped up for so long was a deep dive into some conspiracy theories: 9/11, ISIS and the West’s complicity in the travails of the region all came up. Politics and religion are two things I steer well clear of out here, given the different notions of liberty and freedoms that rule the roost out here, so I did most of the listening, throwing in a few questions here and there to appear interested. I am not sure what to make of the Afghanistan debacle, with the Taliban making great gains in the aftermath of the US withdrawal, though the parallels with Northern Nigeria/Chad/ Niger are not lost on me. Sadly hope, which seems to be all we can do for the Nigerian situation, is hardly a recipe for stability or a solution there.\nOn a brighter note, our little adventure up north has nudged me closer towards being open to explore the vast expanse of this country. I do have to buy a car first, but with my first year behind me and a semblance of slowly settling in, I am finally mentally able to see myself out here for more than a year.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/08/14/theories-tea-and-future-10ks/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/shai-adeni-adeni-tea-2-of-3.jpg?w=768\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eImage Source: \u003ca href=\"https://tarasmulticulturaltable.com/shai-adeni-adeni-tea/\"\u003eTara\u0026rsquo;s Multicultural Table\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe difference a few degrees makes never ceases to amaze me, a small mercy I have recently found to my advantage as the morning temperatures, dipping as they have below 30 degrees for the first time since April, have allowed me go for short runs and brisk runs again. Between \u003ca href=\"https://aprodigalabroad.substack.com/p/in-which-we-finally-meet-l\"\u003estress eating in South Yorkshire\u003c/a\u003e and not being able to rack up those 10k steps, my weight has ballooned by a cringe worthy amount. In a sudden fit of resolve, I downloaded the NHS Couch to 5k app and have now completed one week. Hopefully, that along with some portion control, gets me back headed in the right direction. Frankly though, I would settle for being able to complete a sub 24 minute 5k again, seeing as the chap who ran Parkruns for fun in the ‘Deen seems like a whole different person now.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Theories, Tea and (Future) 10ks"},{"content":"\nFor the Sunday Muse prompt #172:\n** When the rain comes breathe in the clarity it brings- savour the stillness you remember from the times it came before, the delights the memories of past days and gone weeks and seasons long disappeared, bring you. Cherish the muscle memory of the steps that draw you along this path to the days of innocence, because drop by drop, the sorrows of the far country are dissolving in the rain.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/08/11/uncaged-a-note-to-self/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://notesofalostson.files.wordpress.com/2021/08/sunday-muse-172.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-sunday-muse-172.html\"\u003eSunday Muse prompt #172\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\nWhen the rain comes\nbreathe in the clarity it brings-\nsavour the stillness you remember\nfrom the times it came before,\nthe delights the memories of\npast days and gone weeks\nand seasons long disappeared,\nbring you. Cherish the muscle memory\nof the steps that draw you along this path\nto the days of innocence, because\ndrop by drop, the sorrows\nof the far country are dissolving\nin the rain.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Un(caged): A Note to Self"},{"content":"It struck me the other day that even after a year out here, there are still work colleagues whose faces I have not seen without masks on. Arriving in the middle of the pandemic, masks were required in all public spaces - and rigorously enforced - with more than a few people cited for either having theirs pulled down or not wearing one as they approached the security gates and barriers that dot the landscape. Only when I then see a face without a mask does it register that I have made up the hidden contours, seeing the mask as an integral part of these faces. This brings with it a mild sense of discomfort, stemming from - I think - the fact that even though I have built relationships and friendships with these people, their uncovered faces scream unknown rather than familiar.\nFaces apart, I have found myself returning again and again to Carlos Andres Gomez’ poem, Father. I first heard it read by Pádraig Ó Tuama on the excellent Poetry Unbound podcast, its second stanza perfectly encapsulating how I felt on many a visit to the ICU in the aftermath of L\u0026rsquo;s arrival. Those moments, in which I grasped at everything that I hoped could provide certainty, come back to me in lines such as:\nI confessed every wrong of my life to an empty, over-lit room of steel and sterile instruments\nand\nI never wanted so badly to have been wrong about anything in my life\nThis, for me, is part of the allure of poetry. Sometimes, amidst the many lines we read, we can feel seen and known in the words of others.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/08/07/faces/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt struck me the other day that even after a year out here, there are still work colleagues whose faces I have not seen \u003cem\u003ewithout\u003c/em\u003e masks on. Arriving in the middle of the pandemic, masks were required in all public spaces - and rigorously enforced - with more than a few people cited for either having theirs pulled down or not wearing one as they approached the security gates and barriers that dot the landscape. Only when I then see a face without a mask does it register that I have made up the hidden contours, seeing the mask as an integral part of these faces. This brings with it a mild sense of discomfort, stemming from - I think - the fact that even though I have built relationships and friendships with these people, their uncovered faces scream \u003cem\u003eunknown\u003c/em\u003e  rather than familiar.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Faces..."},{"content":"The question of God\u0026rsquo;s sovereignty has a different heft when what lies at stake is the health of one\u0026rsquo;s nears and dears as opposed to the navel gazing satisfaction of an academic exercise. Not to say that academic exercises have no point - being able to dispassionately assess a subject on its merits without the cloud of emotion and peril has its place - but when the stakes relate to matters of life and death, hope and desire sometimes trump cold hard facts. Implicit here is the assumption that God exists, that he is reasonably well depicted by the Bible and that some objective truth about his character can be deduced from that book. The orthodox Christian (Calvinist?) position is that God is Sovereign and in control, and that he \u0026quot; freely and unchangeably ordained whatsoever comes to pass\u0026quot;, to quote the Westminster Confession of Faith. Tim Gombis, Professor of New Testament at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, offers a rebuttal of that position in a four part series [ Part 1, 2, 3 \u0026amp; 4] from last year, one that I read in the middle of my season of rethinking. L\u0026rsquo;s arrival and the ICU trips which followed have afforded me the opportunity to re-read the arguments from the perspective of someone with skin in the game. As I understand it, the core of Dr Gombis\u0026rsquo; argument is that there is a distinction between God\u0026rsquo;s identity as sovereign and the manifestation of that in the world today. What guarantees there are, if any therefore, relate to a final transformation of this broken world not control over the minute details of our lives. Until then pain, sorrow, chaos and the likes are part and parcel of our experience this side of the divide.\nIt is not the concept of God being in control that Dr Gombis\u0026rsquo; has a problem with per se, I don\u0026rsquo;t think, but rather the wrong responses, actions/ inaction and decisions it can engender in our lives. The second part of his essay identifies five such responses:\nInaction, in which we fail to consider ways in which we can positively affect outcomes, instead folding our hands waiting for God to act, False hope, in which we conclude that if God is in control then the reality of the pain/ undesired outcome that stares us in the face is somehow not real and that things will work out Discerning a divine logic, ie if God is in control and something manifestly wrong has occurred then there must be a meaning to it A refusal to engage grief and lament, instead focusing on trying to learn the lessons in the pain \u0026lsquo;God\u0026rsquo; has sent our way Speculating on God\u0026rsquo;s purposes in the pain The problems articulated in the article and summarised above are ones I recognise, several of them being core beliefs of the American brand of Charismatic Christianity exported to my native Nigeria many moons ago. In that worldview, if you sow seeds, name things and claim them, life will be all honky-dory with nary a cloud on the horizon. That this is a manifestly warped view of the world is not in doubt - even the most cursory of glances reveals the falsity of that. What we have to hold in tension with this on the other hand though is the question of prayer, and what we hope to achieve by prayer.\nIf God is not in control, then what does prayer seek to achieve? Is it merely preparing and changing us to accept whatever outcomes come our way or does it/ can it materially affect outcomes? Fortunately or unfortunately, I have more questions than answers, a consistent theme I see in these musings of mine.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/08/06/on-god-and-control/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe question of God\u0026rsquo;s sovereignty has a different heft when what lies at stake is the health of one\u0026rsquo;s nears and dears as opposed to the navel gazing satisfaction of an academic exercise. Not to say that academic exercises have no point - being able to dispassionately assess a subject on its merits without the cloud of emotion and peril has its place - but when the stakes relate to matters of life and death, hope and desire sometimes trump cold hard facts. Implicit here is \u003cem\u003ethe assumption\u003c/em\u003e that God exists, that he is reasonably well depicted by the Bible and that \u003cem\u003esome\u003c/em\u003e objective truth about his character can be deduced from that book. The orthodox Christian (Calvinist?) position is that God is Sovereign \u003cem\u003eand in\u003c/em\u003e control, and that he \u0026quot; \u003cem\u003efreely and unchangeably ordained whatsoever comes to pass\u003c/em\u003e\u0026quot;, to quote the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/westminster-confession-faith/\"\u003eWestminster Confession of Faith\u003c/a\u003e. \u003ca href=\"https://www.cornerstone.edu/faculty/timothy-gombis/\"\u003eTim Gombis\u003c/a\u003e, Professor of New Testament at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, offers a rebuttal of that position in a four part series [ \u003ca href=\"https://timgombis.com/2020/03/26/god-is-not-in-control/\"\u003ePart 1\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://timgombis.com/2020/04/04/god-is-not-in-control-pt-2/\"\u003e2\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://timgombis.com/2020/04/13/god-is-not-in-control-pt-3/\"\u003e3\u003c/a\u003e \u0026amp; \u003ca href=\"https://timgombis.com/2020/04/25/god-is-not-in-control-pt-4/\"\u003e4\u003c/a\u003e] from last year, one that I read in \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/07/15/rethinking-faith/\"\u003ethe middle of my season of rethinking\u003c/a\u003e. L\u0026rsquo;s arrival and the ICU trips which followed have afforded me the opportunity to re-read the arguments from the perspective of someone with skin in the game. As I understand it, the core of Dr Gombis\u0026rsquo; argument is that there is a distinction between God\u0026rsquo;s \u003cem\u003eidentity\u003c/em\u003e as sovereign and the \u003cem\u003emanifestation\u003c/em\u003e of that in the world today. What guarantees there are, if any therefore, relate to a final transformation of this broken world not control over the minute details of our lives. Until then pain, sorrow, chaos and the likes are part and parcel of our experience this side of the divide.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On God and Control"},{"content":"\u0026ldquo;Roots\u0026rdquo; 1943 by Frida Kahlo, for the Sunday Muse prompt 171:\n** They say that fiery flames beget cold ash, the certainty of beliefs passed down petering out into the lukewarm ambivalence of doubt and questioning. These roots are the things that hold us still each tendril like a link tethering us to the ones who went before.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/08/03/roots/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://notesofalostson.files.wordpress.com/2021/08/thesundaymuse-roots.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Roots\u0026rdquo; 1943 by \u003ca href=\"https://www.fridakahlo.org/roots.jsp\"\u003eFrida Kahlo\u003c/a\u003e, for the \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2021/07/the-sunday-muse-171.html\"\u003eSunday Muse prompt 171\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\nThey say that fiery flames\nbeget cold ash, the certainty of beliefs\npassed down petering out into the lukewarm\nambivalence of doubt and questioning.\nThese roots are the things that hold us still\neach tendril like a link tethering us\nto the ones who went before.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Roots"},{"content":"For H, and The Sunday Muse prompt #170:\n** She lingers like a ghost in the night, this memory of my mother, framed by a distant light: the stately stillness of her furrowed brow, the slight tilt of her chin catching the light, defiant.\nThe moment when the lone tear hangs - perched impossibly as though straining against the world - comes to me again and again in a vision of the night, its lingering like a thread tethering me in my seasons of incertitude.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/07/26/the-light-in-her-tears/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://notesofalostson.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/broken-doll-crying-concept-abandoned-925970.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor H, and \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2021/07/the-sunday-muse-170.html\"\u003eThe Sunday Muse prompt #170\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\nShe lingers like a ghost in the night,\nthis memory of my mother, framed\nby a distant light: the stately stillness\nof her furrowed brow, the slight tilt\nof her chin catching the light, defiant.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe moment when the lone tear hangs -\nperched impossibly as though straining\nagainst the world - comes to me\nagain and again in a vision of the night,\nits lingering like a thread tethering me\nin my seasons of incertitude.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Light in her Tears"},{"content":" by Austin Nicomedez on Unsplash\n1\nUp until a few years ago, if you asked me if I considered myself a person of faith, I am fairly certain I would have answered in the affirmative. I would have had the receipts too, of faithful observance and community that came with the particular brand I subscribed to, Pentecostalism. Sometime between then and now - and I would say it has really been in the past two years - what I believe has slowly become more fluid, the near iron-clad certitude of those days now replaced by what I can best describe as ambivalence. To riff somewhat on a marital metaphor, it feels like a marriage that has slowly unravelled, ending up in the unwanted woodlands of a divorce of sorts. For what it is worth, it has not been the worst of breakups though; I still retain membership in the church I called home, and continue to contribute to all the good work they do in the community. The songs and thoughts from those days still resonate deeply with me. On the outside therefore, it is not particularly apparent that a deep ambivalence festers. Underneath is where it has been a sea of change, the main symptom being an absence of a desire to partake in the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible study and fasting.\nIn reflecting on the necessary and sufficient conditions which have resulted in this state, three things come to mind. First is the intellectual struggle to square Genesis with the science of origins, and the wider implications of that for original sin and biblical inerrancy. The very public de-conversions of the likes of Marty Simpson and Josh Harris, and the failings of the Ravis and Lentzs of this world have also contributed I think. The death knell though, I think, was the trifecta of lock-downs, remote church and moving cities (to one in which Christianity - or a Judaeo-Christian worldview - is not predominant), which finally severed the tenuous hold the memories of deeply emotional, spiritual experiences held on me. H and her passing also cast a long shadow on all of this, given her long and storied part in my life and her own strong faith journey.\n2\nThe origins of my faith journey go back to 1992, in the year I was 11, although my levels of observance have waxed and waned over the years since then. Not being the particularly emotional type, the enduring memory of the day is me sobbing uncontrollable under the weight of the conviction of the message, and joining forty or so folk at the front of the building when the alter call wall made. Two periods, at least in my memory, come to mind as ones in which I was at full pelt, the undergrad years through to national service and then working in the deep Nigerian South (East), and then the 2012 to 2018 period. Across both spans, my spiritual influences were theologically conservative - read Piper, Mohler and the TGC/ Reformed Theology crowd.\nAlso of note, I must admit is the influence of the prosperity gospel and all its trappings on my conceptions of faith and belief. In my memories, the influences were first from cassette tapes, then reams of Word of Faith magazines from the Kenneth Hagin crowd. That trickle eventually became a firehose, spawning several homegrown versions of that prosperity meets charismatic meets mighty man of god model.\nThe irony that the majority of these folks hold to a high view of predestination is not lost on me. In that view of the world, and how God saves, those who are saved are saved solely at God\u0026rsquo;s discretion which suggests those walk away were perhaps never really saved in the first place. A lack of spiritual fervour in that worldview is a symptom of lost-ness not doubt. To quote John Piper:\nThe greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie.It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world.\nTo those from my old tribe therefore, I am lost in a manner of speaking, and might never really have been saved at all, leaving my soul in peril of eternal conscious torment. There are moments when I tend to agree too, given what the parables of the sower and the wise and foolish builders suggest, that it is the seed which sprouts readily without deep roots - or the house built on sand - that is readily browned out or swept out to sea by adversity.\nThis then is the tension that I struggle with internally, what the head understands to be objective truth and what the heart wants to be true do not appear to be the same thing, or even reconcilable at first blush. The main external effect of this tension is in my relationship with S. Seeing as she remains deeply wedded to the Charismatic life with all its trappings - including an extreme willingness in my view to ascribe everything to the influence of God and/or Satan depending on the outcome - tensions seethe and bubble beneath the surface from time to time amidst the mundane bits of life. Implicit in her beliefs - and my ambivalence - is the unspoken accusation that by not pulling my spiritual weight I am a source of entry for Satan and his roving gang of minions. It is a tempting - if simplistic - lens through which to view the world, only it doesn\u0026rsquo;t add up for me, and adds to the sense of cognitive dissonance I battle daily. What does it matter if Adam was a historical person or not?, she sometimes asks, or if the earth is 6,000 years old or 6 billion? But those are the very things which have wrecked the scaffolding on which my faith experiences have been built, and in the absence of those experiences the whole thing has come crashing down.\n3\nIt is only in the past year that some semblance of coherence and a path forward has come together in my head, and I have the guys at the Voxology Podcast to thank for helping me articulate this state, of spiritual homelessness. For all my grouses, I have never quite managed to chuck everything all out, baby and bath water, a point which registered very strongly with me recently whilst listening to the Nicene Creed being recited. The core beliefs of God as creator, Jesus as his son and all are ones I cannot repudiate and still want to hold to and grapple with in the light of everything else. What is however clear is that the extras from my old tribe are ones I cannot hold on to unequivocally. In thinking about what a stripped back, core version of faith is, I am grateful for the work of the likes of John Walton, the Bible Project and N.T. Wright, which at their core encourage a reading of the biblical texts in their original contexts (both in time and culture). Also of use is a framework described by Preston Sprinkle of the Theology in the Raw pod in which he talks about Orthodoxy, Orthopraxy and Orthopathy as being foundational elements of a real world faith (my emphasis); right beliefs allied to right practice AND right passions.\nWhat is not in doubt though is that this will be a long and challenging journey, and is unlikely to end up in the place things once were.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/07/15/rethinking-faith/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://notesofalostson.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/austin-nicomedez-abca%5F65nvsc-unsplash.jpg?w=676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eby \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@austincmdz?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eAustin Nicomedez\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/walking-away?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUp until a few years ago, if you asked me if I considered myself a person of faith, I am fairly certain I would have answered in the affirmative. I would have had the receipts too, of faithful observance and community that came with the particular brand I subscribed to, Pentecostalism. Sometime between then and now - and I would say it has really been in the past two years - what I believe has slowly become more fluid, the near iron-clad certitude of those days now replaced by what I can best describe as ambivalence.  To riff somewhat on a marital metaphor, it feels like a marriage that has slowly unravelled, ending up in the unwanted woodlands of a divorce of sorts. For what it is worth, it has not been the worst of breakups though; I still retain membership in the church I called home, and continue to contribute to all the good work they do in the community. The songs and thoughts from those days still resonate deeply with me. On the outside therefore, it is not particularly apparent that a deep ambivalence festers. Underneath is where it has been a sea of change, the main symptom being an absence of a desire to partake in the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible study and fasting.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Rethinking Faith.."},{"content":" Photo by Marcel Fagin on Unsplash\n**\nAs I write this I am looking out of my window onto the lush greenery of the park across the road in the tiny corner of South Yorkshire in which I am currently ensconced, as different from the edge of the world in which I have spent the last eleven months as it could be. For 45 degree Celsius and 90% plus humidity, I give you a bone-chilling 14 degrees Celsius with more than the odd spattering of rain; a mild Yorkshire summer by all accounts I am told.\nSomewhere within the transition from the edge of the world to Dee Dah land, we welcomed L into this one, a tiny bundle of joy - and terror - rolled into one. In the interest of full disclosure, my first choice of name was Aoife. Thankfully the other part of the unit is eminently more sensible than yours truly. Her big cousin M thinks she, L, is living the life, being cuddled, fed and cleaned on demand without seemingly a care in the world. Being one of those wrapped tightly around her little finger, I couldn’t agree more!\nNot to say all of this has been smooth sailing. What little sleep I normally get is even more fractured now, being held hostage to the whims of wails for food and cleaning at the most ungodly of hours. That this leaves me less than lucid for the first few hours of the morning until strong cups of coffee begin to work their magic is the predictable outcome. All too soon it is nightfall and we begin the cycle again.\nA couple of ICU trips for S in the middle of all of this set the cat among the pigeons for a bit, further complicating things somewhat. From the vantage point of a clear head from just over five hours sleep, it feels like some breathing space is coming up. The arrival, quite frankly out of the blue, of the calvary, read Grand Ma, only serves to reinforce that belief.\nOne of the few things I recall from the haze of the hardest bits a week or so ago is thinking about how questions about the sovereignty of God have a different heft when what is at stake is the life of your near and dear ones, not merely an academic proposition. This is a thought I think I will return to in the near future when some proper room to breathe (and contemplate) returns. On the evidence of the past few days that may not be any time soon but what is clear is that it truly takes a village, or two.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/06/25/world-meet-l/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/https%5F%5F%5Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%5Fpublic%5Fimages%5Fc295dfc0-641e-4e11-8e9e-317ec6c6ba43%5F6000x4000.jpeg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@fagin?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eMarcel Fagin\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/baby-feet?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs I write this I am looking out of my window onto the lush greenery of the park across the road in the tiny corner of South Yorkshire in which I am currently ensconced, as different from the edge of the world in which I have spent the last eleven months as it could be. For 45 degree Celsius and 90% plus humidity, I give you a bone-chilling 14 degrees Celsius with more than the odd spattering of rain; a \u003cem\u003emild\u003c/em\u003e Yorkshire summer by all accounts I am told.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"World, Meet L"},{"content":" \u0026ndash;\nI trace the beginnings of my faith journey to Easter of 1992, the enduring image of the day being standing alongside forty or so other people at the front of the bare, minimally decorated Assembly Hall of the College of Education Ekiadolor. I was there because I had been dragged there by my parents; there being an Easter conference put on by the student Christian movement my parents spent a lot of their spare time supporting. Besides my irritation at being taken along — and thus losing the few days of freedom from parental supervision - responding to an altar call along with the others whilst sobbing profusely is the only thing I remember from the events of the weekend. That would not be the last time I would respond - or pray a similar prayer for that matter - but the sense of relief, joy and confidence about the future which followed that day is why I come back to that place as the definitive start of my spiritual journey. The sense of elation lasted for all of three weeks as I recall, but the sense that something happened that day is one I have never truly shaken off.\nGrowing up, church life was pervasive, bleeding into every other space I did life in. For all the distinctiveness of the other spaces - home and school - the burden of my recognisable surname meant that in the small town where I lived, certain assumptions were made about my character and behaviour. Academic campus or not, late 90\u0026rsquo;s Southern Nigeria was no bastion of free thought; life and religion (of all sorts) interacted deeply. Even so there was a discernible bubble, one which I fell into deeply. Life in the (Children\u0026rsquo;s Sunday School/ Youth Group/ Singles) bubble had its own versions of things: its own music (Carman, Rebecca St James , Newsboys, DC Talk, Delirious), its own TV shows (re-runs of Another Life, The 700 Club) and books. The strength of the bubble only increased when my father took the plunge and plopped for his collar, swapping the more traditional University Chapel (aligned with the Anglican Communion) with a more fervently Pentecostal one he led. Out went the Book of Common Prayer, in came loud hand clapping, dancing, speaking in tongues, laying on of hands and all the other trappings of Pentecostalism for which we were pressed into service of. The overwhelming sense was of being with the good guys, the true adherents, other variants being compromised.\nIn my experience, self reinforcing certitude is a notoriously difficult thing to preserve, especially once the barriers that protect it from outside scrutiny are removed. Going away to University did that for me, being the first time I would leave the cover of home for distant lands - a mere 80 miles away. Even there, the brand recognition of my name meant I got sucked into the campus fellowship bubble which was probably a good thing given all the stuff which happened on that campus. Various things however chipped away at the armour of my certitude including densely packed undergraduate accommodation which put me in proximity to people from vastly different walks of life. The Waffarians were a particularly influential lot, their brand of Pidgin English the stuff the cool kids spoke coupled with their street-wisdom a world apart from mine. Over the six years (one additional due to a lengthy strike) the brute force attack of those new influences would leave huge chinks in the youth group built armour.\nOut in to the wider world, the engagement was slightly more subtle and intellectual. Wider questions about biblical hermeneutics became the primary abrasive agent bumping up against the sort of literal interpretations espoused by the Left Behind Series. The internet, phones, social media - and podcasts - turned that into a fire hose of information. Well rehearsed views on things like Genesis began to flail, blowing wide a door to drift and doubt. There is only so much one can hold onto when the core of one\u0026rsquo;s beliefs (rightly or wrongly) are blown away. I suppose in a sense I was deconstructing. Years later though, I haven\u0026rsquo;t quite managed to throw the baby out with the bath water so to speak,\nMost days I feel a deep kinship with the younger son in the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, his hightailing it to a far country somewhat akin to how my faith journey evolved in the University years, once I was out of my church bubble. Whilst the emotional response that followed Easter of 1992 suggests a real change happened, my continuing struggle with the simple stuff — a regular practice of prayer and bible study, engaging a discipline of fasting and evangelism amongst others — often leaves me in a state of cognitive dissonance.\nIt is not only in matters of faith that I feel a strong connection to the prodigal. Sometime in the mid 2000\u0026rsquo;s I physically hightailed it to a city on the Tyne, then moved within spitting distance of the North Sea for a long time and then kicked about in the Middle East for a bit. In a few years, it will have been twenty-years of being an immigrant/expat, most of which I have felt reasonably safe and welcome, bar one incident across the Torry Bridge in Aberdeen many years ago. The increasing rhetoric is one which draws out the prodigal connection strongly, particularly the response of the citizens of the land to the young lad who ostensibly slaves away feeding pigs but yet never really becomes one of them. There has been the odd occasion over the past few days when I have pondered what my end game should be, not helped by visits from older relatives who endured racism in Manchester and Liverpool in 1960\u0026rsquo;s Britain. I suppose there is always the prodigal option, packing it up and running back to the arms of a loving father. The small wrinkle is that I do not think the trajectory Nigeria is on is one of welcoming arms.\nBack to the subject of faith - and the vagaries of it - smarter theologians than I such as John Piper make a distinction between justification and sanctification; justification being a more or less instantaneous accounting of righteousness with sanctification being a more gradual growth. Implicit in that — in my layman’s view — is that a propensity for cognitive dissonance exists in all faith journeys, driven by the distance between what one knows to be right and what one does, between being justified and growing into a ‘sufficient’ degree of righteousness.\nThe consensus, as I understand it, is that a measure of discipline, work and effort are required to bridge this gap, God both working in one and through one. That I largely accept, what is less certain is how much of the push to grow and improve is due to a real change as opposed to the remnants of the church bubble/ cultural Christianity I grew up in and live in now. That to me is the fundamental question.\n\\* This updates this original post.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/06/25/being-prodigal-an-origin-story/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/056db-hillsong%5F1-1-1.webp?w=676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI trace the beginnings of my \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Born_again?ref=aprodigalabroad.com\"\u003efaith journey\u003c/a\u003e to Easter of 1992, the enduring image of the day being standing alongside forty or so other people at the front of the bare, minimally decorated Assembly Hall of the College of Education Ekiadolor. I was there because I had been dragged there by my parents; \u003cem\u003ethere\u003c/em\u003e being an Easter conference put on by the student \u003ca href=\"https://nifes.org.ng/?ref=aprodigalabroad.com\"\u003eChristian movement\u003c/a\u003e my parents spent a lot of their spare time supporting. Besides my irritation at being taken along — and thus losing the few days of freedom from parental supervision  - responding to an \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altar_call?ref=aprodigalabroad.com\"\u003ealtar call\u003c/a\u003e along with the others whilst sobbing profusely is the only thing I remember from the events of the weekend. That would not be the last time I would respond - or pray a similar prayer for that matter - but the sense of relief, joy and confidence about the future which followed that day is why I come back to that place as the \u003cem\u003edefinitive\u003c/em\u003e start of my spiritual journey. The sense of elation lasted for all of three weeks as I recall, but the sense that something happened that day is one I have never truly shaken off.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Being Prodigal: An Origin Story"},{"content":"Dinty W. Moore quotes Joan Didon as saying:\nI write to find out what I am thinking, what I\u0026rsquo;m looking at, what I see, and what it means.\nAll of which suggests a certain absence of certitude which only fades when the subject of doubt is engaged through the meandering paths and rabbit holes it leads us through and down.\nThis is what (I hope) this space will be for me, a place where the discordant notes of thoughts often coursing through my mind on faith, life, books and a fair few other things can be engaged, each assay like the blow of a chisel which though insignificant by itself, builds on the past and slowly carves out a thing of exquisite beauty.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/06/15/why/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinty_W._Moore\"\u003eDinty W. Moore\u003c/a\u003e quotes \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Didion\"\u003eJoan Didon\u003c/a\u003e as saying:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI write to find out what I am thinking, what I\u0026rsquo;m looking at, what I see, and what it means.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll of which suggests a certain absence of certitude which only fades when the subject of doubt is engaged through the meandering paths and rabbit holes it leads us through and down.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is what (I hope) this space will be for me, a place where the discordant notes of thoughts often coursing through my mind on faith, life, books and a fair few other things can be engaged, each assay like the blow of a chisel which though insignificant by itself, builds on the past and slowly carves out a thing of exquisite beauty.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Why..."},{"content":"\nMemory is an interesting thing, not least for its triggers, the mechanisms behind what we remember and what we (choose to?) forget and also for how something can simmer beneath the surface in the subconscious layer of the mind, feeding a gnawing sense of restlessness but never being comprehended. The return of the Aria Code podcast for a third season this week was one of those jolts, the exploration of Puccini\u0026rsquo;s Nessun Dorma, the kick which opened up the door to a rabbit hole of memories. A few years ago now, in a season of young-ish love infatuation, HMT in the \u0026lsquo;Deen became the centre of many a late night taking in opera, walking along Union Street to cars parked in side streets (for the free parking) but not much else besides. In retrospect, it was very much a period of unrequited love that went no where in the end, although my memories of the time suggest otherwise. The things one chooses to remember or forget, I guess? The one upside to all that remembering was delving into the rabbit hole that is YouTube for performances of the Aria, one of the more fascinating ones for me being the soulful rendition by Aretha Franklin at the \u0026lsquo;98 Grammys (which she agreed to do at short notice as Pavarotti was ill). The aria\u0026rsquo;s closing sentiment (At dawn, I will win! I will win! I will win!) is apt given our time, as the Aria Code episode so aptly demonstrates.\nI have just completed under a month of walking ten kilometres each day; noise cancelling headphones on and music cranked up to as loud as is comfortable as I do the loop around my house. On most days I have tended to pass other walkers at pace, eyes averted, trying the least to intrude on their space (or more accurately preserve the sacredness of mine). On the odd occasion when it has not been possible, I have waved in response to others waving. A chance conversation on the bus the other day did however remind me that it wouldn\u0026rsquo;t hurt to initiate a greeting now and again as I whizz pass others. That is something I hope to take on board for the next batch of 10k strolls.\nLife is fleeting, things can change, and breath is a fickle thing after all. The word for this week, mashshaa\u0026rsquo;, for walker.\nRecent Finds (x5) The Stats course I\u0026rsquo;m taking online at the moment is raking me over hot coals, so I have been looking for all the help I can get. Hannah Fry and the Stand-up Maths dude\u0026rsquo;s video helped to clarify Bayes Theorem for me somewhat, not out of the woods yet though but I suspect my confidence levels have inched up a wee bit. Tim Harford\u0026rsquo;s Cautionary Tales podcast took in the business of dodgy charts this past week. Nightingale and her rose chart taking centre stage. Tim Keller\u0026rsquo;s battle with cancer continues, and I feel blessed that in the midst of all that he can take time out to reflect on faith in the face of death and dying. Two podcasts on the secret lives of plants. First Mark Spencer on the Life Scientific and Bonnie Bassler on The Joy of X, two podcasts I listen to more or less regularly. Adam Grant and Malcolm Gladwell share a wide ranging conversation which includes failing, accepting you\u0026rsquo;re wrong and a few other interesting bits. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/03/13/arias-young-love-and-rediscovering-the-delights-of-walking/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/20210312_070216.jpg?w=1200\u0026h=900\u0026crop=1\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMemory is an interesting \u003cem\u003ething\u003c/em\u003e, not least for its triggers, the mechanisms behind what we remember and what we (choose to?) forget and also for how something can simmer beneath the surface in the subconscious layer of the mind, feeding a gnawing sense of restlessness but never being comprehended. The return of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/aria-code\"\u003eAria Code podcast\u003c/a\u003e for a third season this week was one of those jolts, the exploration of \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nessun_dorma\"\u003ePuccini\u0026rsquo;s \u003cem\u003eNessun Dorma\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e, the kick which opened up the door to a rabbit hole of memories. \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/12/31/reflections/\"\u003eA few years ago now\u003c/a\u003e, in a season of young-ish love infatuation, HMT in the \u0026lsquo;Deen became the centre of many a late night taking in opera, walking along Union Street to cars parked in side streets (for the free parking) but not much else besides. In retrospect, it was very much a period of unrequited love that went no where in the end, although my memories of the time suggest otherwise. The things one chooses to remember or forget, I guess? The one upside to all that remembering was delving into the rabbit hole that is YouTube for performances of the Aria, one of the more fascinating ones for me being the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k33sINjn9o0\"\u003esoulful rendition by Aretha Franklin at the \u0026lsquo;98 Grammys\u003c/a\u003e (which she agreed to do at short notice as Pavarotti was ill).  The aria\u0026rsquo;s closing sentiment (At dawn, I will win! I will win! I will win!) is apt given our time, as the Aria Code episode so aptly demonstrates.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Arias, Young Love and Rediscovering the Delights of Walking"},{"content":" \\\\\\*\nThe memories of the days are beginning to disappear into a haze, each one a maelstrom of activity that begins with waking with a dull, lingering sense of dread and ending the same way it began, only with a sense of battle weary tiredness layered on. One day it is Sunday, and then suddenly it seems like it is Tuesday and then Thursday - brings respite - only for it all to begin again; wash-rinse-repeat. The good thing is that somehow it is the beginning of March, and each day that passes quickly brings the arrival of that symbol of the worker\u0026rsquo;s Faustian pact, a salary, another day closer. In my more sanguine moments, I remind myself that for all my bellyaching, there are far worse things to moan about in the world than work.\nWith March comes a change of season to spring, if one can call day time temperatures in excess of 30 degrees C spring. December, and my will-I-or-won\u0026rsquo;t-I-wear-a-jacket phase, seem far away now. It is the season for sand storms, as I found out to my pain the other day when I got caught in a sand storm of sorts. As my bare legs stung with the impact of the grit, whipped into a potent weapon of attrition by the wind, I was grateful for the protection my glasses afforded my eyes. That does not happen often.\nThe other thing that March brought was getting a shot of one of the COVID-19 vaccines. Every time an opportunity to register came up, I put my name down, conscious of the seeming inevitability of vaccine passports and what not for travel. I opted to get my shot on a Wednesday evening, my thinking being that the timing would allow me sleep off any side effects. I felt especially tired the next day which might be related to not being able to sleep well the night before. My fitness tracker spotted a 0.4 degree C spike in body temperature for the next two days before returning to normal, but otherwise I had no discernible side-effects. One hopes that vaccine uptakes improves around the world, and a sort of normalcy returns thereafter. It has been a long hard year for most people!\nFor the word of the week, Khamis, for Thursday and respite.\nRecent Finds Teju Cole chats Fernweh amongst other things on the Behind the Covers podcast. Baldwin, race, photography and Switzerland all feature in this wide ranging chat. Apparently, eating fresh mango with gold cutlery is the business, at least so say the experts on The Infinite Monkey Cage. Fun-fact, silver (in spite of its reputation as being the material of choice for posh, rich folks actually tastes the worst. Confirmation that the \u0026lsquo;Deen Market demolition is to go ahead is somewhat bitter-sweet news on a personal level. It was hardly the most salubrious of places to eat in, or do anything else to be honest as O points out, but being starved of Nigerian food in my first few years there, popping in there provided some respite now and again. Jane Goodall \u0026amp; Adam Grant chat Leadership (and chimps), not surprisingly there is stuff to learn in the areas they overlap. And something poetry related of course. Naomi Shihab Nye chats poetry, growing up and a whole lot of other stuff with Krista Tippet at the On Being Podcast. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/03/05/spring-shamals-and-the-aftermaths-of-vaccination/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/shamal-20210205.jpg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe memories of the days are beginning to disappear into a haze, each one a maelstrom of activity that begins with waking with a dull, lingering sense of dread and ending the same way it began, only with a sense of battle weary tiredness layered on. One day it is Sunday, and then suddenly it seems like it is Tuesday and then Thursday - brings respite - only for it all to begin again; \u003cem\u003ewash-rinse-repeat\u003c/em\u003e. The good thing is that somehow it is the beginning of March, and each day that passes quickly brings the arrival of that symbol of the worker\u0026rsquo;s Faustian pact, a salary, another day closer. In my more sanguine moments, I remind myself that for all my bellyaching, there are far worse things to moan about in the world than work.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Spring, Shamals and the Aftermaths of Vaccination"},{"content":" The bare, Spartan space just outside my window - which I can just see if I crane my neck a little just beyond its normal range - is just that, barely noticeable. At least it was until a few days ago when swivelling in my chair, the profusion of reds and yellows it has become caught my eye. So certain was I that the flowers were new that at an opportune moment, when I could pretend it was a casual question, I asked one of the guys to confirm. It turns out that I was right, the flowers had not always been there. The coming of a certain big man in a couple of days had prompted the ground staff into sprucing up our surroundings. I am thankful for the splash of colours which will remain with us for a bit at least, but what I came away with was the sense that big men everywhere carried weight. It is a truism, as an old teacher liked to say.\nThe end of January marked another milestone, six months out here at the edge of the world. Sidebar: there is actually some place called the edge of the world out here I hear, with sunrises which are something to behold. Unfortunately there is an internal lock down again but I have made a mental note to plan for extended weekend outside the province I am in. O\u0026rsquo;s up for it which should marginally increase the likelihood of it happening. So six months out here then which brings with it a slight sense of having weathered a storm of sorts. Finally getting an Abu name helps with that sense of settling in I suppose.\nWith shut borders and all, it doesn\u0026rsquo;t look like I\u0026rsquo;m going anywhere anytime soon which means one must make my seat at the edge of the world home, or as close to it as it can be. Several times over the past few months I\u0026rsquo;ve gone back to Nicky Gumbel\u0026rsquo;s talk from October where he talked about flourishing where you\u0026rsquo;re planted. It is what it is.\nRecent Finds Jim Al-Khalili, one those British Scientists in the public sphere and host of The Life Scientific, came on to Intelligence Squared to chat about his new book, The World According to Physics; read quantum mechanics, relativity and thermodynamics with Helen Czerski. I still haven\u0026rsquo;t finished Quantum though so I\u0026rsquo;ll have to add this to my burgeoning list of things to read someday. Alan Jacobs weighs in on love and death, and takes on the idea that the death of an 85 year old is less troubling than that of a 25 year old. To use that Trumpism, there are good people (ideas) on both sides A head scratcher that touches bitcoin tangentially. I\u0026rsquo;m filing this in the but why? tickler file. Amy Bleeder\u0026rsquo;s Fever, read on the Poetry Foundation podcast, somehow brought memories of malaria induced delirium to my mind vividly. Thank God for prophylactics! The Love Thy Neighbourhood folk (and Skye Jethani) dissect the Evangelical Industrial Complex. Well worth a listen if like me you\u0026rsquo;re left confused by America Finally, a more uplifting export from America as Fred Hammond and Monica Coates chat extensively on Worship Central. Commissioned, Integrity Music\u0026rsquo;s Urban Praise series and the stories behind personal favourites Glory to Glory and Blessed come up. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/02/05/big-man-coming-and-finally-getting-my-abu-name/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2021-04-about-town-letter-4.jpg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe bare, Spartan space just outside my window - which I can just see if I crane my neck a little just beyond its normal range - is just that, barely noticeable. At least it was until a few days ago when swivelling in my chair, the profusion of reds and yellows it has become caught my eye. So certain was I that the flowers were new that at an opportune moment, when I could pretend it was a casual question, I asked one of the guys to confirm. It turns out that I was right, the flowers had not always been there. The coming of a certain big man in a couple of days had prompted the ground staff into sprucing up our surroundings. I am thankful for the splash of colours which will remain with us for a bit at least, but what I came away with was the sense that big men everywhere carried weight. It is a truism, as an old teacher liked to say.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Big' Man coming, and finally getting my Abu Name"},{"content":" \\\\\\*\nThe sparks have quite literally been flying, not for reasons of passion but for the more mundane fact that winter and the very low humidity have resulted in fairly significant amounts of static electricity build up on everything. More times than I care to remember over the past few weeks, I have had the sometimes unexpected displeasure of a substantial shock. I am much more careful now, taking the time to touch walls and other non-metallic objects to dissipate some of the build up. S insists that my refusal to moisturise often, and liberally, is a contributor to this - a google search seems to suggest she is right in some way. The jury is still out on that one I think, but I am leaning towards getting a humidifier, if and when I can sort out travel to the city next door.\nI came face to face with my inner dark side this week, no thanks to what looks like a Bitcoin scam. Some website purporting to be associated with Chamath Palihapitiyia, claimed to be 10x-ing deposited Bitcoin. It seemed too good to be true, as quick google search proves (it was just another iteration of a long running scam) but in the moment all I saw was the potential to quickly turn around a small deposit into something substantial. In my head, it was the perfect opportunity to kick-off dollar cost averaging into Bitcoin. Thankfully, the exchange/wallet I ended up signing up for had a 24 hour cooling off period before one could transfer coins out, by which time the website was down and I had managed to do the google search I should have done at the onset. The silver lining is that I am left with about 1,000 GBP worth of Bitcoin which I suppose is as good as any starting point. The downside is that it puts my inner greed into perspective. There is much to shudder at there, I must admit.\nOn a slightly less troubling note, I found myself stepping into the shower several times this week with my glasses on. Whilst I am not sure what it means for my long term sight, I am willing to speculate. I am taking it as a sign to enjoy the things I still can see now. That, and learning to keep my greed in check, are perhaps the life lessons for this week.\nRecent Finds James Surowiecki, in The Bitcoin Dream is Dead, argues that its volatility makes it unusable as a currency anytime soon. There is though still the \u0026ldquo;Bitcoin as a hedge against gold\u0026rdquo; argument which I think makes sense, and is why I am (belatedly) looking to dollar cost average into it with sums I can afford to lose in the short term (if I can find a way to free the funds which are stuck in a number of Nigerian investments which are going nowhere) Astronaut Tim Peake joins a stellar cast on The Infinite Monkey Cage to talk space, the stars and out relationship with them over millennia. The Open University\u0026rsquo;s podcast, Life on our Terms headlined by BBC Music\u0026rsquo;s Gemma Cairney, is a new weekly listen. Favourite episodes include Brentford\u0026rsquo;s Rasmus Ankersen, Black Curriculum CEO Lavinya Stennett and George The Poet. High praise for that stellar Amanda Gorman spoken word performance. Of course quite a few grumps had contrary views. But who cares, right? ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/01/29/sparks-dark-sides-and-musings-on-sight/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2021-03-rock.jpg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sparks have quite literally been flying, not for reasons of passion but for the more mundane fact that winter and the very low humidity have resulted in fairly significant amounts of static electricity build up on everything. More times than I care to remember over the past few weeks, I have had the sometimes unexpected displeasure of a substantial shock. I am much more careful now, taking the time to touch walls and other non-metallic objects to dissipate some of the build up. S insists that my refusal to moisturise often, and liberally, is a contributor to this - a google search seems to suggest she is right in some way. The jury is still out on that one I think, but I am leaning towards getting a humidifier, if and when I can sort out travel to the city next door.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sparks, Dark sides and Musings on Sight"},{"content":" Photo by Hermes Rivera on Unsplash. For The Poetic Asides prompt #554\n**\nSometimes I think\nthat my sight is leaving me,\nthe common, quotidian comfort\nof seeing the world that touches me\nslowly slipping away, taking flight\nbut not yet gone; only a little less close\nthe next time morning rolls my way.\nMaybe it is my mind forgetting\nwhere the thin discs\nof shimmering glass\nthat bring the light end,\nand where my rods and cones\nravaged by time begin.\nMaybe it is the world reminding me\nto cherish the moments of sight\nwhilst as yet they still linger.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/01/26/what-it-means-when-i-step-into-the-shower-with-my-glasses-on/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/what-it-means-when-i-step-into-the-shower-with-my-glasses-on.jpg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@hermez777?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eHermes Rivera\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/glasses-wet?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e. For The \u003ca href=\"https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/wednesday-poetry-prompts-554\"\u003ePoetic Asides prompt #554\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSometimes I think\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethat my sight is leaving me,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe common, quotidian comfort\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof seeing the world that touches me\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eslowly slipping away, taking flight\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebut not yet gone; only a little less close\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe next time morning rolls my way.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaybe it is my mind forgetting\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewhere the thin discs\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof shimmering glass\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethat bring the light end,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand where my rods and cones\u003c/p\u003e","title":"What It means when I step into the shower with my glasses on..."},{"content":"The other country both enthrals and frustrates me in equal measure, which I’m sure is no news to most others who like me have a foot in both worlds. The events of the past few weeks have left that tension in sharp relief for me in the form of two members of my extended family coming to terms with COVID. That they were in two very different parts of the country only served to underscore how dire the situation could be, the influence and contacts with people of authority in the medical establishments - nay death traps - they spent most of their with time in counting for very little in the overall scheme of things. They are out of the woods now, for which we are all thankful, though the bitter after taste - and light pockets - lingers. One wonders how much hope the common man still has in the event of a medical emergency back there.\nSmarter people than I say, the tide is turning back in Blighty, in spite of the efforts of partiers and revellers it must be said. The surge in numbers put paid to my plan to pop back in for a few weeks to clear my head, so I am glad at this direction. One hopes it continues. Out here I have been offered the chance to take the vaccine, which I have accepted with both hands. As someone who has had to show vaccinations for work travel in the past, it is a small price to pay for the possibility of near trouble free travel I hope.\nRecent Finds (x5) The BBC’s Desert Island Discs is a series I have returned to from time to time, though I now mainly consume the abridged version via the podcast. Most recently enjoyed was David Olusoga’s debut, not least for the selection of an apt and timely Fela song, and an endearing anecdote about Paul Gascoigne. David Epstein’s Range is all the rage it seems, popping up several times on my twitter feed and some of the podcasts I listen to. For a fascinating conversation on its subject (success, specialists and generalists), this Intelligence Squared podcast is a good one to listen to. Of course it earns bonus points for name checking John Urschel who ditched American football for a Maths PhD. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/01/25/covid-days/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/nigeria/\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eother\u003c/em\u003e country\u003c/a\u003e both enthrals and frustrates me in equal measure, which I’m sure is no news to most others who like me have a foot in both worlds. The events of the past few weeks have left that tension in sharp relief for me in the form of two members of my extended family coming to terms with COVID. That they were in two very different parts of the country only served to underscore how dire the situation could be, the influence and contacts with people of authority in the medical establishments - nay death traps - they spent most of their with time in counting for very little in the overall scheme of things. They are out of the woods now, for which we are all thankful, though the bitter after taste - and light pockets - lingers. One wonders how much hope the common man still has in the event of a medical emergency back there.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"COVID Days"},{"content":" Photo by ian dooley on Unsplash\n**\nIn the early hours of the holiday season, it looked like I would spend the bulk of it virtually, the hours a blur of Zoom and WhatsApp video calls. Sometime on the 26th though, my luck changed. I woke up to the persistent sound of my door buzzer. I was half minded to not answer it, given multiple experiences with the gardening folk looking for more work. The door ringer wouldn’t leave and I needed to return to sleep so I dragged myself downstairs to the door. A pleasant surprise greeted me there; the neighbour from a street over stood there with a tub of fried rice and a bottle of wine - of the non-alcoholic kind of course. As it turns out, he remembered there was a lone Nigerian dude across the road with no family nearby and thought to extend some Christmas cheer my way. The rice and meat were wolfed down over the course of the day, saving me the hassle of wondering what to have on the day. Two more invites came my way over the next few days, resulting in my wolfing down some pounded yam and afang soup (the first time since my Eket days) and some pepper soup and snails on the other day. For all my quibbles with being a prodiga l Nigerian, and being around Nigerians, moments like these remind me that redemption lurks in there somewhere. My experiences of fellow prodigals have been overwhelmingly positive. I wonder though, if they are a self-selecting group.\nThe three or so days of downtime ensured my year in reading has gotten off to a steady start. Last year was the first time since 2011 that I cracked the 20 book barrier, most definitely an upside to being out of work for three months, and the lock down. Adam Gopnik’s A Thousand Small Sanities, a stirring defence of big L Liberalism is done whilst I have David Olusoga’s Black \u0026amp;British, A Forgotten History and Bill Bryson’s Notes From A Big Country on the go.\n**\nNothing jolts one back to reality like a 4.30am alarm on the day you return to work though. As I scrambled through my morning routine - a quick 5k, setting up my day in Notion, morning ablutions and then jumping on to the bus, it seemed like I was another person watching me go through the motion. Only when I had reset my password, downed two cups of tea and properly positioned my bag of wipes did it feel like I was properly at home at my own desk again. Who knew that the familiarity or routine could soothe the mind?\nRecent Finds Talking to yourself is not half bad. I knew I was on to something! I’ve been catching up on my Desert Island Disc backlog. I found Cliff Richard’s one particularly interesting The dearth of British Asian footballers in English football is a recurring motif which I suppose prompted the BBC to research the story of Jimmy Carter. This resonated particularly, I suspect, because I have reading David Olusoga’s book which includes stories of the Black British Victorians such as Francis Barber whose descendants may or may not know of their Black heritage. The accompanying BBC Series is on iPlayer for another 5 months it seems. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/01/08/on-a-return-to-the-reassurance-of-routine/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/work-space-ian-dooley-dj7bwa-gwks-unsplash.jpg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@sadswim?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eian dooley\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/work?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the \u003ca href=\"https://aprodigalabroad.substack.com/p/seasons-greetings\"\u003eearly hours of the holiday season\u003c/a\u003e, it looked like I would spend the bulk of it virtually, the hours a blur of Zoom and WhatsApp video calls. Sometime on the 26th though, my luck changed. I woke up to the persistent sound of my door buzzer. I was half minded to not answer it, given multiple experiences with the gardening folk looking for more work. The \u003cem\u003edoor ringer\u003c/em\u003e wouldn’t leave and I needed to return to sleep so I dragged myself downstairs to the door. A pleasant surprise greeted me there; the neighbour from a street over stood there with a tub of fried rice and a bottle of wine - of the non-alcoholic kind of course. As it turns out, he remembered there was a lone Nigerian dude across the road with no family nearby and thought to extend some Christmas cheer my way. The rice and meat were wolfed down over the course of the day, saving me the hassle of wondering what to have on the day. Two more invites came my way over the next few days, resulting in my wolfing down some pounded yam and afang soup (\u003ca href=\"/2009/04/26/on-the-inherent-inefficiencies-of-eating-pounded-yam/\"\u003ethe first time since my Eket days\u003c/a\u003e) and some pepper soup and snails on the other day. For all my quibbles with being \u003cem\u003ea prodiga\u003c/em\u003e l Nigerian, and being around Nigerians, moments like these remind me that redemption lurks in there somewhere. My experiences of fellow prodigals have been overwhelmingly positive. I wonder though, if they are a self-selecting group.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On A Return to the Reassurance of Routine"},{"content":" For The Sunday Muse prompt #141:\n**\nEach whirl of the earth\naround the Sun\u0026rsquo;s well\nof power and of light\nbrings us back here.\nLike a boat\ndragged inexorably\nby the rising tide to shore,\nthe swell of the sea\nbrings us peace,\nto a season of reflecting,\nof contemplating and of pause.\nTime\u0026rsquo;s rhythm\nlike the faint echo\nof a distant drumbeat\nis welcome whisper\nin our ear. Yesterday\nleft the things\nwe held dear cracked.\nToday is a reminder\nto rebuild better.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/01/04/the-sunday-muse-times-and-season/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2021-01-fantasy-3041033%5F1920.jpeg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2021/01/sunday-muse-141.html\"\u003eprompt #141\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach whirl of the earth\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003earound the Sun\u0026rsquo;s well\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof power and of light\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebrings us back here.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike a boat\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edragged inexorably\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eby the rising tide to shore,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe swell of the sea\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebrings us peace,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto a season of reflecting,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof contemplating and of pause.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTime\u0026rsquo;s rhythm\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003elike the faint echo\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof a distant drumbeat\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eis welcome whisper\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ein our ear. Yesterday\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Sunday Muse: Times and Season"},{"content":"Back in May of 2020, Nassim Nicholas Taleb tweeted about the pandemic - and the disruptive forces it brought to bear on the world we knew - being a trigger for one to do a total reset and adapt. For better or for worse, we all have had to reset through 2020. When I started thinking about 2021, the sense of evolving past the reset into something new was hard to shake. As such for me, 2021 feels like a year in which I need to focus on Rebuilding, but doing it Better.\nThe Rebuilding part is self explanatory I think. 2020 was a wrecking ball let free to swing at many of our lives. My 2020 retrospective was a sea of RED with a few AMBERS and GREENs, most assuredly not my best year by any measure. Recovering from that requires finding the useful bits hiding amongst all the broken, scattered bits and using them to fashion a new structure, a new normal. It is a point made by E when I responded to her Instagram prompt about what our word for the year would be. It is something to be thankful for, that one is not beginning from level zero. The lessons, experiences and opportunities in 2020 are there to be leveraged into rebuilding in 2021 and beyond.\nThe Better bit is a little less clear-cut. What is clear though is that inherent in the word is a sense of comparison between two or more states against an ideal standard. The standard in this case is the overarching life plan which has existed in some shape or form since 2011 and has evolved to meet my requirements as my world has changed. Its three interaction spaces and seven life dimensions remain a useful lens through which to look at the world and ask the what and where questions.\nTwo things come to mind about what Better means for me in 2021. First is resilience, or to use the Taleb word anti-fragility. Work \u0026amp; Career and Financially are two life domains where resilience seems particularly required at the moment with the head winds the oil industry is facing and thus the uncertainty it bleeds into my career prospects. Getting data literate is one such objective I intend to pursue fully this year to address this, as well as leveraging my connections in Nigeria to see if some consultancy work could come my way to boost my revenue streams.\nThe second sense of better for me is alignment. An integrated life is one that I\u0026rsquo;ve seen as an ideal for a long time. The idea this year is to ensure that my daily activities feed into that overarching plan, helping me work towards the lifetime goals I have previously identified. For this I have a Notion set up to capture data on a daily basis that should help me, by means of weekly, monthly and quarterly reviews, stay on target and focused.\nBring on the year, The Year of Rebuilding Better.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2021/01/01/2021-rebuild-better/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBack in May of 2020, \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/nntaleb/status/1259972658889973760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003eNassim Nicholas Taleb tweeted\u003c/a\u003e about the pandemic - and the disruptive forces it brought to bear on the world we knew - being a trigger for one to do a total reset and adapt. For better or for worse, we all have had to reset through 2020. When I started thinking about 2021, the sense of evolving past the reset into something new was hard to shake. As such for me, 2021 feels like a year in which I need to focus on \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/TheRustGeek/status/1343171789044776965\"\u003eRebuilding, but doing it Better\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2021: Rebuild, Better"},{"content":"It’s that time of the year again where I reflect on my reading over the course of the year. For a more wide-ranging review of the year in books, check out the coverage at The Millions here . My previous attempts are linked here.\n**\nComing out here dominated my thoughts at the turn of the year, which was how it found me digging into Richard Templar\u0026rsquo;s The Rules of Work . True the overwhelming sense at the time was of anticipation but there was enough uncertainty around how well I would navigate bridging a credibility deficit that looking for help came to mind most readily. In my notes from that first reading, I detect a sense of holding back against what seemed like rules promoting blatant self promotion. With the benefit of hindsight, and a big dollop of reality to boot, my view of the book is a lot more considered. There are certainly gems in there, which is why I intend to return to the book in the new year.\nIf there is a lesson in 2020 it is that the best laid plans are more likely to be ripped to shreds than come to fruition. I learned that in a deeply person way as a two week holiday between jobs turned into a three month hiatus. Steven Strogatz\u0026rsquo; Infinite Powers was a fun and fascinating way to kick off that period, the ease with which it chronicled the history of calculus serving to draw me in. Much later, as there seemed no end to lockdown and the dystopian scenes of toilet paper hoarding and lengthy queues became the norm, I turned to a slew of spiritual books - and Alpha - for comfort. Brendan Manning\u0026rsquo;s The Ragamuffin Gospel, Max Lucado\u0026rsquo;s Come Thirsty (a re-read), Gemma Simmonds\u0026rsquo;The Way of Ignatius, John Starke\u0026rsquo;s The Possibility of Prayer and a modern re-print of the Brother Lawrence classic The Practice of the Presence of God being the main ones in that regard. Esau McCaulley\u0026rsquo;s Reading While Black took a slightly different tack, that of looking to engage scripture from the perspective of being black in America (and speaking truth to power/ protest amongst other themes)\nThis year I finally caved and went seeking to find out what the Jordan B Peterson fuss was all about. 12 Rules For Life was intriguing, not least for how overly reliant on the bible (in my view it was). True there were sections in which he seemed keener to rile the so-called radical left and right, and a few over-simplifications (lobster brains dissolving) but overall I didn\u0026rsquo;t see much there that a middle of the road Nigerian pastor might not preach on a Sunday if all the supernatural stuff and literal interpretations were toned down. The Enneagram was another thing I explored this year, the Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile book, The Road Back To You being the vehicle through which I did that this year. The Heart is the Bottleneck, The School of Life, Removing Your Shame Label and The Circadian Code are other reads which perhaps fall into this \u0026lsquo;self improvement\u0026rsquo; category.\nDan Jones\u0026rsquo;Crusaders, Richard Holloway\u0026rsquo;s A Little History of Religion and Nigel Warburton\u0026rsquo;s A Little History of Philosophy scratched the history itch this year as did Aida Edelmariam\u0026rsquo;s The Wife\u0026rsquo;s Tale. Adam Kucharsk i\u0026rsquo;s The Rules of Contagion, was as well timed a book as could be given its subject and the year 2020 was, both from the perspective of the pandemic but also the contagious conspiracy theories which bloomed this year around the world. Fareed Zakaria\u0026rsquo;s Ten Lessons For A Post Pandemic World was more reflective, in that now distant time when the world breathed a little easier between the first and third waves. It is from this that one of the more compelling lines I\u0026rsquo;ve read this year comes. To paraphrase, What matters more is the quality of government not its quantity.\nLiverpool won the Premiership for the first time in 30 years which I suspect inspired one of my summer reads, Jonathan Wilson and Scott Murray\u0026rsquo;s The Anatomy of Liverpool which highlighted ten definitive matches that defined the club. A few - the UEFA Cup win over Alaves in 2000/2001, The Champions League win in 2005 - are etched in my memories but with no live football I did seek out Liverpool v Nottingham Forest on YouTube.\nI found poetry a calming influence this year, writing, reading and listening to a lot of it, almost like therapy or prayer. To quote from the Poetry Unbound podcast, poetry helps us to: cast your eye on small moments that can give you some fortitude [and] that can help you through. In William Sieghart\u0026rsquo;s anthology, The Poetry Pharmacy, with its stated purpose of pairing a poem to a spiritual or emotional ailment and Padraig O\u0026rsquo; Tuama\u0026rsquo;s In The Shelter I found that this year.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/12/30/the-year-in-reading-2020/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIt’s that time of the year again where I reflect on my reading over the course of the year. For a more wide-ranging review of the year in books, check out the coverage at \u003ca href=\"https://themillions.com/2020/12/a-year-in-reading-2020.html\"\u003eThe Millions here\u003c/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://themillions.com/2019/12/a-year-in-reading-2019.html\"\u003e.\u003c/a\u003e My previous attempts are \u003ca href=\"/reading/\"\u003elinked here\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2020-reading-2.png?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://aprodigalabroad.substack.com/\"\u003eComing out here\u003c/a\u003e dominated my thoughts at the turn of the year, which was how it found me digging into \u003cstrong\u003eRichard Templar\u0026rsquo;s\u003c/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rules-Work-definitive-personal-success/dp/1292088087/\"\u003eThe Rules of Work\u003c/a\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e.\u003c/strong\u003e True the overwhelming sense at the time was of anticipation but there was enough uncertainty around how well I would navigate \u003ca href=\"/2011/04/04/credibility-deficits/\"\u003ebridging a credibility deficit\u003c/a\u003e that looking for help came to mind most readily. In my notes from that first reading, I detect a sense of holding back against what seemed like rules promoting blatant self promotion. With the benefit of hindsight, and a big dollop of reality to boot, my view of the book is a lot more considered. There are certainly gems in there, which is why I intend to return to the book in the new year.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Year in Reading 2020"},{"content":"In keeping with last year, I thought I\u0026rsquo;d go through the list of songs Spotify thought I listened to the most from my 2020 playlist to try to tease out some themes and recollections behind them. Here goes:\n**\nFighting For Us - Anthony Evans: I popped into a church end of year event in Croydon at the behest of my friend O, where Anthony Evans did this song amongst others. It turned out that he\u0026rsquo;d just lost his Mother to cancer which put his turning up at all into perspective. I came back to this song quite a few times over the course of the year.\nYou won\u0026rsquo;t hold back when it comes to Your children\nYou fiercely defend us \u0026rsquo;til we stand delivered\nYou’re fighting for us, always fighting for us\nYou won\u0026rsquo;t back down facing armies of thousands\nYou speak one word and they scatter around us\nYou\u0026rsquo;re fighting for us, always fighting for us\nhttps://youtu.be/lfsD9F19GiE\nBreakthrough - Red Rocks Worship: Although I stumbled on this during my London lock down, the enduring memories of this song for me are having it on repeat during my evening walks in the heat of the Arabian summer in first few weeks out here. My favorite bits are the bridge:\nShake the mountains, break the walls apart\nOpen the Heavens, Almighty God, You are\nOver comer, Defender of my heart, oh-oh, yeah\nAnd by Your power, the oceans open wide\nYour fire falls down, Heaven and Earth collide\nKing Jesus, forever by my side, yeah\nhttps://youtu.be/yhyVW6sbZeA\nLand of The Living - Church of The City: Stumbled on this song during a period of uncertainty which is perhaps why it stuck with me. Something about the reassurance of the lyrics, taken from Psalm 27:13, provided an anchor, and I ended up coming back to it again and again over the course of the year.\nYou\u0026rsquo;ve never made a promise you couldn\u0026rsquo;t keep\nYou don\u0026rsquo;t lie to me, You don\u0026rsquo;t lie to me\nYou\u0026rsquo;ve never made a promise you couldn\u0026rsquo;t keep\nYou don\u0026rsquo;t lie to me, You don\u0026rsquo;t lie to me\nhttps://youtu.be/CtIswun09SY\nThe Blessing - Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes and Elevation Worship: Spawning loads of covers from across the globe (my favorite ones were from the UK and Nigeria for obvious reasons) it is fair to say this song was a global phenomenon. I suppose a prayer that reaches back like a thread to the past and speaks over the future generations is especially powerful.\nMay His favor be upon you\nAnd a thousand generations\nAnd your family and your children\nAnd their children, and their children\nMay His presence go before you\nAnd behind you, and beside you\nAll around you, and within you\nHe is with you, He is with you\nhttps://youtu.be/Zp6aygmvzM4\nSo Will I + Do It Again- Osby Berry: This was another one that I returned to again and again during lock down. The clarity of the voice held me, and I ended up devouring everything he\u0026rsquo;d done I could find on the internet.\nAnd as You speak\nA hundred billion failures disappear\nWhere You lost Your life so I could find it here\nIf You left the grave behind You so will I\nhttps://youtu.be/QdIOaAvvOp8\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/12/27/the-year-in-a-song-or-two/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIn \u003ca href=\"/2019/12/16/life-in-a-song-or-two/\"\u003ekeeping with last year\u003c/a\u003e, I thought I\u0026rsquo;d go through the list of songs Spotify thought I listened to the most from my \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6DhN0VCgOvTXLVAkQn9S48\"\u003e2020 playlist\u003c/a\u003e to try to tease out some themes and recollections behind them. Here goes\u003c/em\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFighting For Us - Anthony Evans:\u003c/strong\u003e I popped into a church end of year event in Croydon at the behest of my friend O, where Anthony Evans did this song amongst others. It turned out that he\u0026rsquo;d just lost his Mother to cancer which put his turning up at all into perspective. I came back to this song quite a few times over the course of the year.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Year In A Song (or Two)"},{"content":" It feels very much like my first Christmas up in the ‘Deen, what with being house bound, friends and family some distance away and there being a decided chill in the air. Now, as with then, I woke up to We Three Kings in my ears with all the rabbit holes of memories it brings with it.\nThe key difference this time is that the lockdown has given everyone practice of staying in touch across the distance. Fortunately or unfortunately, that means I have several family zoom calls to jump on. It is a small inconvenience I guess, given the year we have all had - the best of years and the worst of years to use that oft quoted line from Dickens.\nThere is a lot to be thankful for on all counts, so all I’ll say is give those friends and family members a call over this period and catch up.\nSeason’s Greetings from the Edge of The World!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/12/25/seasons-greetings/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/xmas-2020.jpg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt feels very much like my \u003ca href=\"/2010/12/25/christmas-in-the-city/\"\u003efirst Christmas up in the ‘Deen\u003c/a\u003e, what with being house bound, friends and family some distance away and there being a decided chill in the air. Now, as with then, I woke up to \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Three_Kings\"\u003eWe Three Kings\u003c/a\u003e in my ears with all the rabbit holes of memories it brings with it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe key difference this time is that the lockdown has given everyone practice of staying in touch across the distance. Fortunately or unfortunately, that means I have several family zoom calls to jump on. It is a small inconvenience I guess, given the year we have all had - \u003cem\u003ethe best of years and the worst of years\u003c/em\u003e to use that oft quoted line from Dickens.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Season's Greetings"},{"content":" Photo by Lawless Capture on Unsplash\n**\nIn about as low key a manner as could be, lights - I won’t go so far as to call them Christmas lights - are slowly making their way on to trees around me. That they first turned up in front of the communal lounge and then a few houses here and there complete with inflatable Santas made me think they were put up by individuals. I am no longer so sure of that, given that some lights turned up on the tree in the middle of no man’s land in front of my house. Lights apart, you would have no inkling it was a week to Christmas - work continues apace and the only official holiday is the 3rd of January. For all the sameness that living in the bubble I live in seems to cultivate, it is these little differences that drive home the realities now and again. The positive is that I get to take the days off when I want which, all things being equal, should be soon-ish.\nTwo conversations this week, and one of my favourite podcasts, brought the subject of language to my mind. First was a conversation around learning French which for me remains lost in the dregs of the someday/maybe folder. Three months of lockdown had me diving into Duolingo on a regular basis but in the face of real life since then, the inscrutability of gendered nouns, tricky pronunciations and head scratching verb conjugations have put paid to that desire. Maybe English is far too reductionist - or more likely as a reasonably fluent English speaker I have become lazy with languages - but one wonders what the world-view behind gendered nouns is.\nThe past few episodes of the On Being podcast have focused on the subject of love and loving. In the notes to Ellen Bass’s Bone of My Bone and Flesh of My Flesh, the subject of language and how we refer to the ones we love comes up but perhaps most close to my heart was a conversation with O. O is a distant cousin who insists on speaking to me in our shared mother tongue. In the aftermath of our last conversation I couldn’t shake the thought of how we greet in the morning from my mind. In my mother tongue (and why is it mother tongue?), we say “ mole muude”, which loosely translates as welcome from yesterday. Maybe some distant ancestor realized that life was a hard slog, and making it through a night exposed to the elements and wild beasts deserved a welcome of sorts, or not. Given the multiple theories on the origin of language, I suspect we will never know for certain.\nWhen the morning temperatures first dipped below 10 degrees a few weeks ago, I spurned the use of a jacket as I the one I had was not fire retardant. Fast forward a few weeks now, and every morning when I get off the bus without my jacket, I am invariably asked if I am not cold. My usual response is to say that I’ve seen worse, and that 10 degree weather, sans the bracing Scottish wind - is hardly cold. This is an explanation I have overhead others repeating. I fear this is one of those things that will take on a life of its own, with interest continuing until the day I finally cave in and turn up with a jacket. For now, I am still holding out.\nRecent Finds Michael Curry (he of the rousing homily at Harry \u0026amp; Meghan’s wedding) \u0026amp; Russell Moore (one of the more considered and nuanced voices amidst America’s Southern Baptists) come from widely differing Christian traditions but manage to have a friendly, wide ranging conversation on the On Being podcast. Well worth a listen if conversations around public theology are your thing. On the subject of language and poetry, David Whyte on the Art of Manliness talks poetry, life and the intersections therein. A theme which seems to be popping up a bit amongst friends and acquaintances turns up here too, the need for men to develop friendships that encourage difficult conversations. Somewhat related, the folk from Love Thy Neighbourhood talk about gender on Where The Gospel Meets Manhood. From Math Twitter, Steven Strogatz (The Joy of X, Infinite Powers) posted a link to The Mountains of Pi which delves into the story of the Chudnovsky brothers and their quest to build a super computer to compute the digits of pi, back in the early 90s. They’re still going, incredibly. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/12/19/on-lights-language-and-that-cold-december-weather/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/jacket-lights.jpg?w=683\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@lawlesscapture?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eLawless Capture\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/jacket?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn about as low key a manner as could be, lights - I won’t go so far as to call them \u003cem\u003eChristmas lights\u003c/em\u003e - are slowly making their way on to trees around me. That they first turned up in front of the communal lounge and then a few houses here and there complete with inflatable Santas made me think they were put up by individuals. I am no longer so sure of that, given that some lights turned up on the tree in the middle of no man’s land in front of my house. Lights apart, you would have no inkling it was a week to Christmas - work continues apace and the only \u003cem\u003eofficial\u003c/em\u003e holiday is the 3rd of January. For all the sameness that living in the bubble I live in seems to cultivate, it is \u003ca href=\"/2019/12/02/lights-lines-december/\"\u003ethese little differences\u003c/a\u003e that drive home the realities now and again. The positive is that I get to take the days off when I want which, all things being equal, should be soon-ish.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Lights, Language and that (c)old December Weather"},{"content":" Based on a photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash\n**\nThat doing and not doing are both habits is something that I have come to grudgingly accept over the past month, seeing as the longer I was away from here the harder dragging myself back here seemed. In my defence real life has been manic, the stultifying pressures of time-sensitive deliverables not lending themselves to the pursuit of non-essential, creative pursuits. I have myself to blame for some of that pressure, seeing as I somehow thought fitting a poem a day challenge into everything I had going on would be doable. I made it through fourteen days of that - a minor miracle at least. With some breathing space coming up towards the end of the month, my hope is to go back over the prompts, edit, write some more, and begin the process of pulling some of the pieces together into a chap book for the evaluators in January 2020.\nWinter is very much here, not enough to turn on the heating (I love it cold at night for sleep) but enough to feel the bite in the wind at noon when I make a beeline for the canteen to grab my regular lunch time fare. My evening walks now include a hoodie for some warmth and protection against the chilly weather which, believe it or not, hovered just above 10 deg C the other night. We have had rain a couple of times too, in addition to the occasional heavy fog rolling in like a wet blanket. Rain and fog most assuredly did not cross my mind as weather effects to expect out here. A learning experience if ever there was one I think. The next milestone - six months in the current gig - is just round the corner. I’m hoping that it goes well, bucking the recent trends of lay-offs, hiring freezes and all the other things the headwinds facing my industry seem to have driven every one from small, nimble operator to lumbering erstwhile giants to. Back in Blighty, Boris and his oven-ready deal have proven to be anything but that, with recent briefings suggesting that no-deal - by whatever name it is called - seems to be the most likely option. Surely his days in the hot seat must be numbered with any number of challengers from his ranks waiting in the wings it seems.\nOil, and the head winds facing the industry, are never far away from the conversation. The recent up-tick in oil prices and what seems to be some sense prevailing amongst the sabre rattling big producers and cartels perhaps delays the inevitable but oil has certainly has its day. In conversation with G the other day at work, we concluded that our generation is probably the last one that will benefit from the ‘largesse’ of the oil industry. The latest cuts at one of my previous employers - whilst borrowing to keep up paying dividends - certainly removes any sense of rose tinted glasses. It is a numbers game now, and any notions of pride in esoteric knowledge very much need t be tempered by the realities of life. I am betting on data and porting my skills into adjacent industries.\nProper reading has taken a back seat to everything else with the only real time I’ve had been on the bus to and from work. Audio books and podcasts have come to the rescue in that regard. Here, for your pleasure are a few bits and bobs from what I have managed to consume.\nSeason 2 of perhaps my favourite podcast is still going strong, now standing 22 episodes deep and featuring a wide variety of work from folk such as Lucille Clifton, Chris Abani, Gregory Pardlo and Ada Limon. Next to Roger Robinson’s A Portable Paradise, I am finding Dilruba Ahmed’s Phase One an especially evocative one. Something about learning to forgive oneself is particularly resonant given the year we have all had in which carefully laid plains have been disrupted by things outside our control A thoroughly fascinating and wide ranging conversation between Nanjala Nyabola and Yousra Elbagir over at Intelligence Squared had me nodding and smiling to myself from time to time at how very articulated several of the thought which have been kicking about in my head were made. The power of passports is something that I know only too well. My views on government are shifting, decidedly I think, in the direction of smaller, less bloated forms. Fareed Zakaria certainly makes the argument in Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World that the quality of governance is what matters more than the quantity. Nigeria certainly has a lot of quantity (and bloat) and very little quality, good old Blighty seems to have neither to me. And from Church of the Way, Land of The Living, which has become one of my favourite songs over the past month. It might be the song itself, or its lyrics which soothe a craving for certainty but all told, I think it is well worth a listen. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/12/11/coming-up-for-air-2/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/coming-up-for-air-3.jpg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBased on a photo by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@enginakyurt?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eengin akyurt\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/underwater?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat doing and \u003cem\u003enot\u003c/em\u003e doing are both habits is something that I have come to grudgingly accept over the past month, seeing as the longer I was away from here the harder dragging myself back here seemed. In my defence real life has been manic, the stultifying pressures of time-sensitive deliverables not lending themselves to the pursuit of \u003cem\u003enon-essential\u003c/em\u003e, creative pursuits. I have myself to blame for some of that pressure, seeing as I somehow thought fitting a \u003ca href=\"https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/poetry-prompts/november-pad-chapbook-challenge\"\u003epoem a day challenge\u003c/a\u003e into everything I had going on would be doable. I made it through fourteen days of that - a minor miracle at least. With some breathing space coming up towards the end of the month, my hope is to go back over the prompts, edit, write some more, and begin the process of pulling some of the pieces together into a chap book for the evaluators in January 2020.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Coming Up For Air"},{"content":" Day 3: What I didn\u0026rsquo;t have a year ago. Photo by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash\n**\nA year ago, I was in the middle of waiting to get confirmation of the offer of this job, which has led to me being out here now. Between then and now there have been dark days, thanks to the pandemic and all, but overall a year on, I\u0026rsquo;m out here, largely settled in and have the six-month milestone coming up in a month\u0026rsquo;s time. Being an expat was something on my bucket list many years ago, so finally getting to do that properly is something I am grateful for.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/12/03/days-of-gratitude-day-2/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/3.-what-i-didnt-have-a-year-ago-life-in-the-desert.jpg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDay 3: What I didn\u0026rsquo;t have a year ago. Photo by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@tjump?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eNik Shuliahin\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/desert-landscape?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA year ago, I was in the middle of waiting to get confirmation of the offer of this job, which has led to me being out here now. Between then and now there have been dark days, thanks to the pandemic and all, but overall a year on, I\u0026rsquo;m out here, largely settled in and have the six-month milestone coming up in a month\u0026rsquo;s time. Being an expat was something on my bucket list many years ago, so finally getting to do that properly is something I am grateful for.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"30 Days of Gratitude - Day 3"},{"content":" Day 2: A simple pleasure I am grateful for. Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash.\n\\\\\\*\nGetting to attend a virtual meeting in which I had a presentation to give and it being very well received brought to mind the pleasures I have gotten in the past of being the purveyor of esoteric knowledge at times. Small but welcome pleasures.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/12/02/days-of-gratitude-day-1/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2.-simple-pleasures.jpg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDay 2: A simple pleasure I am grateful for. Photo by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@neonbrand?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eNeONBRAND\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/teaching?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGetting to attend a virtual meeting in which I had a presentation to give and it being very well received brought to mind the pleasures I have gotten in the past of being the purveyor of esoteric knowledge at times. Small but welcome pleasures.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"30 Days of Gratitude - Day 2"},{"content":" Something I am looking forward to:\nBy the time I finally upped sticks and headed out to SA by way of Dubai, I felt fed up to my ears with the corner of Surrey in which I had spent the past three months, looking forward to the journey that lay ahead of me. Now that I have spent four months and counting without being able to go anywhere really, the attractiveness of that place shines through and through. I am grateful to be able to call that city home. For that I am grateful, and look forward to a return there at some stage.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/12/01/days-of-gratitude-day/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/1.-what-i-am-looking-forward-to.jpg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSomething I am looking forward to:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy the time I finally upped sticks and headed out to SA by way of Dubai, I felt fed up to my ears with the corner of Surrey in which I had spent the past three months, looking forward to the journey that lay ahead of me. Now that I have spent four months and counting without being able to go anywhere really, the attractiveness of that place shines through and through. I am grateful to be able to call that city home. For that I am grateful, and look forward to a return there at some stage.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"30 Days of Gratitude: Day 1"},{"content":" For Day 30 of the November Poem-A-Day Challenge. Photo by Marco Ceschi on Unsplash. After Dilruba Ahmed\n\\\\\\*\nAnd I am learning\nto forgive myself,\nto not let the weight\nof the worries of the world\nhang heavy on my head,\nto accept that sometimes\nthe broken things\naround my feet\nare the world being itself,\nthat sometimes beauty slips out\nlike light through a cracked down\nfrom the riven parts of a fragile bowl,\nthat sometimes it is not you\nor me or the distant things between\nbut life, and living\nand being breaking,\nand beginning the cycle\nanew.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/11/30/30-forgiveness/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/30.-for-forgiveness-marco-ceschi-uwrhldvs-ii-unsplash.jpg?w=683\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor Day 30 of the November Poem-A-Day Challenge. Photo by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@spantax?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eMarco Ceschi\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/prayer-hands?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eAfter \u003ca href=\"https://onbeing.org/programs/dilruba-ahmed-phase-one/\"\u003eDilruba Ahmed\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd I am learning\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto forgive myself,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto not let the weight\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof the worries of the world\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehang heavy on my head,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto accept that sometimes\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe broken things\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003earound my feet\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eare the world being itself,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethat sometimes beauty slips out\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003elike light through a cracked down\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efrom the riven parts of a fragile bowl,\u003c/p\u003e","title":"30. Forgiveness"},{"content":" Photo by Hannah Olinger on Unsplash. For Day 14 of the November Poem-A-Day Challenge\n**\nHer voice\nis an echo\nfrom afar,\nthe song one\nthat I remember\nher singing\nover me.\nSleep -\nchild sleep,\nLondon bridge\nis falling down,\nblack sheep\nhave no wool\nfor you.\nThe world\nhas snatched\nher presence\nbut the\nmemories etched\nin the linings\nof my mind linger\nand remain.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/11/15/what-i-remember/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/14.-memory-hannah-olinger-cpanxf0t3v0-unsplash.jpg?w=683\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@hannaholinger?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eHannah Olinger\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/baby-and-mother?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e. For Day 14 of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/poetry-prompts/november-pad-chapbook-challenge\"\u003eNovember Poem-A-Day Challenge\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer voice\u003cbr\u003e\nis an echo\u003cbr\u003e\nfrom afar,\u003cbr\u003e\nthe song one\u003cbr\u003e\nthat I remember\u003cbr\u003e\nher singing\u003cbr\u003e\nover me.\u003cbr\u003e\nSleep -\u003cbr\u003e\nchild sleep,\u003cbr\u003e\nLondon bridge\u003cbr\u003e\nis falling down,\u003cbr\u003e\nblack sheep\u003cbr\u003e\nhave no wool\u003cbr\u003e\nfor you.\u003cbr\u003e\nThe world\u003cbr\u003e\nhas snatched\u003cbr\u003e\nher presence\u003cbr\u003e\nbut the\u003cbr\u003e\nmemories etched\u003cbr\u003e\nin the linings\u003cbr\u003e\nof my mind linger\u003cbr\u003e\nand remain.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"14. What I Remember"},{"content":" Photo by Olesia Misty on Unsplash. For Day 13 of the November Poem-A-Day Challenge\n**\nYou have carried yourself\ninto a far country\nuntethering yourself\nfrom the strings\nof domesticity\nand caring and the hold\nof warm soup bubbling\nover the warm embers\nof Mother\u0026rsquo;s hearth.\nYou have dragged\nyour portion of our things\nover the misty mountains\ninto a strange place where\nthe voice of the Matriarch\nis obscured by the cooing of the birds\nand the singing of the sirens.\nMay you find yourself\nin that strange place,\nmay the luck of the ones\nwho went before not leave\nmay Mother\u0026rsquo;s eyes not see death\nuntil you return\nto your place.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/11/14/a-prayer-for-the-prodigal/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/13.-prodigal-prayer-olesia-misty-ocl349hltk8-unsplash.jpg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@olesia_misty?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eOlesia Misty\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/distant-mountains?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e. For Day 13 of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/poetry-prompts/november-pad-chapbook-challenge\"\u003eNovember Poem-A-Day Challenge\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou have carried yourself\u003cbr\u003e\ninto a far country\u003cbr\u003e\nuntethering yourself\u003cbr\u003e\nfrom the strings\u003cbr\u003e\nof domesticity\u003cbr\u003e\nand caring and the hold\u003cbr\u003e\nof warm soup bubbling\u003cbr\u003e\nover the warm embers\u003cbr\u003e\nof Mother\u0026rsquo;s hearth.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou have dragged\u003cbr\u003e\nyour portion of our things\u003cbr\u003e\nover the misty mountains\u003cbr\u003e\ninto a strange place where\u003cbr\u003e\nthe voice of the Matriarch\u003cbr\u003e\nis obscured by the cooing of the birds\u003cbr\u003e\nand the singing of the sirens.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"13. A Prayer For The Prodigal"},{"content":" Photo by Douglas Bagg on Unsplash. For Day 7 of the November Poem-A-Day Challenge.\n**\nmay the ones\nthat death took\nthis time\nnot have been\nlost in vain.\nmay the scars\netched into our bodies,\nour minds and our skins\nby the daily pressure\nof oppression be\na reminder of what was\nbut no longer is,\nbecause this time\nwe pressed through\nagainst the odds\nand found light\nfor the future ones.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/11/08/this-time/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/7.-this-time.jpg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@nzdoug16?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eDouglas Bagg\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/chain?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e. For Day 7 of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/poetry-prompts/november-pad-chapbook-challenge\"\u003eNovember Poem-A-Day Challenge\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emay the ones\u003cbr\u003e\nthat death took\u003cbr\u003e\nthis time\u003cbr\u003e\nnot have been\u003cbr\u003e\nlost in vain.\u003cbr\u003e\nmay the scars\u003cbr\u003e\netched into our bodies,\u003cbr\u003e\nour minds and our skins\u003cbr\u003e\nby the daily pressure\u003cbr\u003e\nof oppression be\u003cbr\u003e\na reminder of what was\u003cbr\u003e\nbut no longer is,\u003cbr\u003e\nbecause this time\u003cbr\u003e\nwe pressed through\u003cbr\u003e\nagainst the odds\u003cbr\u003e\nand found light\u003cbr\u003e\nfor the future ones.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"7. This Time"},{"content":" Photo by Jr Korpa on Unsplash. For Day 6 of the November Poem-A-Day Challenge.\n\\\\\nand so\nI find myself falling,\narms flailing desperately\ntrying to find solid ground\nclutching at the air\nas though it, perchance, might\nbecome a rock beneath my feet.\nin the moment vertigo wins\nthe battle for my mind,\nI awake with a jolt.\nIt has been\na dream.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/11/07/dreaming/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/6.-dreaming.jpg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@korpa?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eJr Korpa\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/dreaming?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e. For Day 6 of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/poetry-prompts/november-pad-chapbook-challenge\"\u003eNovember Poem-A-Day\u003c/a\u003e Challenge.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand so\u003cbr\u003e\nI find myself falling,\u003cbr\u003e\narms flailing desperately\u003cbr\u003e\ntrying to find solid ground\u003cbr\u003e\nclutching at the air\u003cbr\u003e\nas though it, perchance, might\u003cbr\u003e\nbecome a rock beneath my feet.\u003cbr\u003e\nin the moment vertigo wins\u003cbr\u003e\nthe battle for my mind,\u003cbr\u003e\nI awake with a jolt.\u003cbr\u003e\nIt has been\u003cbr\u003e\na dream.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"6. Dreaming"},{"content":" Dunnottar Castle. For Day 5 of the November Poem-A-Day Challenge, a poem about beautiful ruins.\n**\nYou come from afar\nbearing the gift\nof your open self\nto this place\nfrom whence they say\nthe honours of the land\nonce slipped, hid\nin the hem of a buxom\nlady\u0026rsquo;s dress.\nWhat you see\nare its tired walls straining\nagainst the pressure\nof the wind, clinging\nwith their last lives\nto the cliffs that saved them\nfrom past wars.\nOn the days\nthat the sun\u0026rsquo;s light\ncatches the slight slant\nof her weathered walls,\nyou will realize\nthere is beauty\nin the rugged persistence\nof broken things\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/11/06/5-ruin/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/5.-ruin.jpg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDunnottar Castle. For Day 5 of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/poetry-prompts/november-pad-chapbook-challenge\"\u003eNovember Poem-A-Day\u003c/a\u003e Challenge\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003ea poem about beautiful ruins.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou come from afar\u003cbr\u003e\nbearing the gift\u003cbr\u003e\nof your open self\u003cbr\u003e\nto this place\u003cbr\u003e\nfrom whence they say\u003cbr\u003e\nthe honours of the land\u003cbr\u003e\nonce slipped, hid\u003cbr\u003e\nin the hem of a buxom\u003cbr\u003e\nlady\u0026rsquo;s dress.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat you see\u003cbr\u003e\nare its tired walls straining\u003cbr\u003e\nagainst the pressure\u003cbr\u003e\nof the wind, clinging\u003cbr\u003e\nwith their last lives\u003cbr\u003e\nto the cliffs that saved them\u003cbr\u003e\nfrom past wars.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"5. Ruin"},{"content":" Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash. For Day 4 of the November Poem-A-Day Challenge.\n**\nLearn\nwhich voices\nto let escape\nthe guards\naround your\nears. Accept\nthe things\nwhich return,\ntheir hold\nunyielding.\nBreathe, because\nthe things the\nheart beats for\nare the things\nwhich leave\nit raw.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/11/05/4-self-care/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/4.-self-care-1.jpg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@dsmacinnes?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eDanielle MacInnes\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/self-care?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e. For \u003ca href=\"https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/2020-november-pad-chapbook-challenge-day-4\"\u003eDay 4\u003c/a\u003e of the November Poem-A-Day Challenge.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLearn\u003cbr\u003e\nwhich voices\u003cbr\u003e\nto let escape\u003cbr\u003e\nthe guards\u003cbr\u003e\naround your\u003cbr\u003e\nears. Accept\u003cbr\u003e\nthe things\u003cbr\u003e\nwhich return,\u003cbr\u003e\ntheir hold\u003cbr\u003e\nunyielding.\u003cbr\u003e\nBreathe, because\u003cbr\u003e\nthe things the\u003cbr\u003e\nheart beats for\u003cbr\u003e\nare the things\u003cbr\u003e\nwhich leave\u003cbr\u003e\nit raw.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"4. Self-care"},{"content":" Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash. For Day 3 of the November Poem A Day Challenge. A poem about dreaming.\n**\nAnd still,\nI find myself\nreaching for the\nsolidity of certain\nearth, my feet aching\nfor the cold comfort\nof the morning sand,\nbreaking my free fall.\nThis is a fevered dream\nthat returns each night\nin which i find that home\nthough close, disappears\nin the dim distance.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/11/04/3-dreaming/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/3.-dreaming.jpg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@jplenio?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eJohannes Plenio\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/dream?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e. For \u003ca href=\"https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/2020-november-pad-chapbook-challenge-day3\"\u003eDay 3\u003c/a\u003e of the November Poem A Day Challenge. A poem about dreaming.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd still,\u003cbr\u003e\nI find myself\u003cbr\u003e\nreaching for the\u003cbr\u003e\nsolidity of certain\u003cbr\u003e\nearth, my feet aching\u003cbr\u003e\nfor the cold comfort\u003cbr\u003e\nof the morning sand,\u003cbr\u003e\nbreaking my free fall.\u003cbr\u003e\nThis is a fevered dream\u003cbr\u003e\nthat returns each night\u003cbr\u003e\nin which i find that home\u003cbr\u003e\nthough close, disappears\u003cbr\u003e\nin the dim distance.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"3. Dreaming"},{"content":" Photo by Lea Böhm on Unsplash. For Day 2 of the November Poem A Day Challenge. A Poem for when the unexpected triggers memories of home.\n**\nIt hangs heavy\non the heart, its heft\nnever ever far away it seems,\nalways lurking, always waiting\nalways ready to spring to life\nto the lines of a song suddenly\nborne on the wind, or the whiff\nof mothballs, unlocking the memory\nof the gathering, and of ritual.\nHers is a name that lingers\non your tongue, sometimes forgotten\nbut then remembered\nin the things we least expect.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/11/03/2-home/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/2.-home.jpg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@alleslea?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eLea Böhm\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/home?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e. For \u003ca href=\"https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/2020-november-pad-chapbook-challenge-day-2\"\u003eDay 2\u003c/a\u003e of the November Poem A Day Challenge. A Poem for when the unexpected triggers memories of home.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt hangs heavy\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eon the heart, its heft\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enever ever far away it seems,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ealways lurking, always waiting\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ealways ready to spring to life\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto the lines of a song suddenly\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eborne on the wind, or the whiff\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof mothballs, unlocking the memory\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof the gathering, and of ritual.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2. Home"},{"content":" For the November Poem-A-Day challenge. A poem about Entering, but mainly about leaving\u0026hellip;\n**\nOn the days when I wake\nto a haze hiding the lushness\nof the valley below, its shadow\nhanging heavy like a shroud\non limbs shrivelled by the ravages\nof time, I ponder the bland bleakness\nof air heavy with water, how it smothers\nlife, and the beauty of things.\nEach day where the light yields\nto the pressure of collapsing space,\nand time seems stilled, when the\ntenacity of hope is tested\nby the roiling reality of the things\nwhich seem certain, I reach\nfor the small light of the things\nthat I remember, a thin thread, a tether,\nsomehow holding out against\nthe testing threats of the present,\nguiding me home.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/11/02/1-finding-home/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/1.-finding-home.jpg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor the November Poem-A-Day challenge. A poem about Entering, but mainly about leaving\u0026hellip;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the days when I wake\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto a haze hiding the lushness\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof the valley below, its shadow\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehanging heavy like a shroud\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eon limbs shrivelled by the ravages\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof time, I ponder the bland bleakness\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof air heavy with water, how it smothers\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003elife, and the beauty of things.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach day where the light yields\u003c/p\u003e","title":"1. Finding Home"},{"content":"There is not a lot to say this week except to say that the events in Nigeria with the #EndSARS protests have been particularly encouraging, not least because they prove that the trope about Nigerians being endlessly resilient and willing to accept broken systems is patently false. Beyond the willingness to hit the streets day in day out, the speed with which systems of support and organization have sprung up and have been deployed at scale has been a thing of fascination. Young Nigerians do have the tools, the desire and the nous to make a difference, long may it continue!\nAlso interesting has been seeing quite a few of the popular Pentecostal heavyweights lend their voices, and feet, to the protests. Looking on from the outside, it has often felt like the PFN, and other organizations of its ilk, have previously been far too interested in preserving their access to power than to be effective voices speaking truth to power. Whatever has driven this pivot in certain individuals, it can only be for the better - we all know how closely beholden us Nigerian folk can be to their MOGs (the frothing at the mouth, and general refusal to think in the aftermath of a certain MOG’s 5G revelations not too long are a case in point).\nOne hopes that this marks a real move away from religious leaders being complicit in the pillage of the country, towards a more outspoken state where they take on the mantle to speak truth to power, with their power. Whatever happens, one feels like the Youth have experienced the power of their voice, and they will not be shut down ever again.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/10/18/fighting-for-the-light/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThere is not a lot to say this week except to say that the events in Nigeria with the #EndSARS protests have been particularly encouraging, not least because they prove that the trope about Nigerians being endlessly resilient and willing to accept broken systems is patently false. Beyond the willingness to hit the streets day in day out, the speed with which systems of support and organization have sprung up and have been deployed at scale has been a thing of fascination. Young Nigerians do have the tools, the desire and the nous to make a difference, long may it continue!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Fighting for the Light"},{"content":" Because we really need to #EndSARS #EndSWAT and end whatever silk purse is being made out of the sow\u0026rsquo;s ear that is that organization. I make no claims whatsoever to this image.\n\\\\\\*\nThe shadow of a long, dire night\nhas lingered over us, the weight\nof the might of the ones who swore\nto serve, and to protect, seared into\nthe small of our backs by their whips\nand their boots, the air heavy\nwith the stench of the dread\nwhich drenches everything\nin their wake.\nWe fight for the light, standing strong\nagainst the rowdy reality of reprisal,\nthat the bloated earth, sated by the blood\nof the ones snatched before their time\nmight gain respite. That the ones to come\nmight fly free, dream and be. That home\nmay become a place where their visions\nare not lost to the tyranny of the graveyard.\nThis is why we fight. For the light.\nTo banish the night.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/10/16/for-light/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/endsars-2.jpg?w=710\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBecause we really need to \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/hashtag/EndSARS?src=hashtag_click\"\u003e#EndSARS\u003c/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/search?q=%23EndSWAT\u0026amp;src=typeahead_click\"\u003e#EndSWAT\u003c/a\u003e and end whatever silk purse is being made out of the sow\u0026rsquo;s ear that is that organization.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eI make no claims whatsoever to this image.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe shadow of a long, dire night\u003cbr\u003e\nhas lingered over us, the weight\u003cbr\u003e\nof the might of the ones who swore\u003cbr\u003e\nto serve, and to protect, seared into\u003cbr\u003e\nthe small of our backs by their whips\u003cbr\u003e\nand their boots, the air heavy\u003cbr\u003e\nwith the stench of the dread\u003cbr\u003e\nwhich drenches everything\u003cbr\u003e\nin their wake.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"For Light"},{"content":" \\\\\\*\nWe woke up to a grey, watery mist rolling in the other day, a state of affairs which had me wondering for a few seconds if I had somehow ended up in good old Blighty. That was before the heft of air weighed down by 26-degree heat hit me in the face as I made my way to the bus stop. By the time we rolled into work, everything was shrouded in a thick, soupy, fog with visibility all but gone. It had all boiled away by 10 am though, with things returning to the way they always were: bone dry, warm with clear skies. Fog was not something I expected to encounter out here, although the roadsigns which show a 15km/hr speed limit in fog should have been a clue.\nBack in Blighty, S. is now up to two jumpers for the evening and has given up the battle against the radiator. Out here, it definitely feels different, with the high heat of summer now giving way to a more breezy, cooler fall of sorts. Whilst there are no deciduous trees to turn their leaves into a mosaic of brilliant golds and browns, the date palms seem to be shedding their fruit onto the walking paths more frequently than I recall. Nature is certainly winning the battle of the wills with the grounds people who battle gamely to clean up whatever falls, a Sisyphean task if ever there was one.\nCooler evenings have meant that my evening walks now start earlier, which in turn has enabled me to return to an hour or so of reading before bedtime. The first fruit of that was finally completing Aida Edemariam’s The Wife’s Tale, a detail-heavy depiction of life in Ethiopia from the early 20th century to the beginnings of the 21st as told through the lens of her grandmother’s eyes. Intersecting as it does with a lot of the history of modern Ethiopia, it sheds a personal, intimate light on things like the Italian occupation, the deposing of Emperor Selassie, the civil war and the famine of the early eighties.\nBetween finishing the book and coming across a picture posted by a friend on Instagram, I have been thinking about our personal histories and how we curate them. This brought to mind the3six5 project, a web-based project which ran from 2010 to 2012. It featured a daily slice of life, written on the day by a different person and inspired a number of local versions, including our very own Nigerian one. I also enjoy images curated by the Bumpkin Files account, although it has a decidedly Black British slant.\nToday’s concerts, #EndSARS protests and life under lockdowns are yesterday’s famines, civil wars and momentous election victories. If we’re not curating our personal histories, I wonder what lost personal perspective on today’s events we might rue when we’re old and grey and little Aoife asks what it was like to live in these times.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/10/09/fall-ish/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/fog-ish.jpeg?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe woke up to a grey, watery mist rolling in the other day, a state of affairs which had me wondering for a few seconds if I had somehow ended up in good old Blighty. That was before the heft of air weighed down by 26-degree heat hit me in the face as I made my way to the bus stop. By the time we rolled into work, everything was shrouded in a thick, soupy, fog with visibility all but gone. It had all boiled away by 10 am though, with things returning to the way they always were: bone dry, warm with clear skies. Fog was not something I expected to encounter out here, although the roadsigns which show a 15km/hr speed limit in fog \u003cem\u003eshould\u003c/em\u003e have been a clue.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Fall-ish"},{"content":" For The Sunday Muse Prompt # 128:\n**\nWhen Neil and Buzz\nreached the top of the world\ntheir feet ensconced\nin the very dust\nfrom whence they came they left in awe\nat the fragility of things,\nat how the pale blue dot\nthey left behind hung\nas though by an invisible thread,\nshimmering with the ethereal beauty\nof the light lent it by the sun.\nButterflies fluttered\non their insides, their hearts\nset free by the joy of seeing\nin that place where gravity fades.\n\\\\ Finally posted after hours of fiddling about with WordPress\u0026rsquo; new block editor.. Fair to say I deeply resent being forced to use it\u0026hellip; :(\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/10/07/awe/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/the-sunday-muse-128-muse-image-oct.jpg?w=290\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2020/10/sunday-muse-128.html\"\u003ePrompt # 128:\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Neil and Buzz\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ereached the top of the world\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etheir feet ensconced\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ein the very dust\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efrom whence they came\nthey left in awe\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eat the fragility of things,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eat how the pale blue dot\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethey left behind hung\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eas though by an invisible thread,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eshimmering with the ethereal beauty\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof the light lent it by the sun.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eButterflies fluttered\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eon their insides, their hearts\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Awe"},{"content":"Photo by Jeff Sheldon on Unsplash\n**\nFor all my flirtation with being prodigal, I have never quite managed to untether myself from the Pentecostal faith tradition, especially the hand-clapping, foot-stomping, tongue-blasting, frenzied version that is your typical Nigerian church. There have been times I have felt right at home in a subset of it - my Eket days, and latterly, my sojourn in the ‘Deen come to mind - but for the most part, it has always felt designed for the loud and the intense, to the detriment (and inadvertent?) exclusion of those of us who live on the more introspective side of the spectrum. Not being blessed with the gift of nimble footwork, or being particularly willing to apply myself to acquire the skills involved if I’m being honest, Thanksgiving Sundays in that tradition were a veritable minefield, partaken in with the threat of being stuck behind an overly expressive dancer an ever-present danger.\nWhen I have had the choice, I have gravitated to less exuberant - even orthodox - expressions of worship, thanks to an ongoing fascination with hymns. It is yet another one of the ways H’s long reach continues to colour the present. Many moons ago, she threw herself with great gusto into beating a ragtag group of non-professional singers into a semblance of a choir at the University Chapel we attended growing up. as I recall, whilst there were more than a few hairy moments, their enthusiasm was never in doubt. For all the stirring a clappy, happy, dancy song can bring, I think there is a certain gravitas a hymn can bring to a worship experience that is inherently different, and dare I say useful. The often arcane language surely helps, in the same way the King James’ Version still has its attraction amidst the plethora of more modern translations and paraphrases.\nChoice in worship has been one of the boons of the lockdown for me, as it has for quite a few people if the numbers of people trying Alpha Online are anything to go by. I fear that for all the runction about churches and physical meetings particularly in America, not a lot has been said about the opportunities decoupling worship from place presents. Of course, there is the argument that too much choice perpetuates the idea of worship as something to be consumed rather than participated in, with the ability to hop around online enabling a search for an experience which soothes rather than one which challenges. I am grateful for the choice though, given the restrictions first of disease, and now distance.\nIt is a similar way I feel about poetry, for which I am thankful for the return of the second season of my favourite poetry podcast, Poetry Unbound. I suspect Pádraig Ó Tuama’s Irish lilt contributes to the sense of serious contemplation each episode brings, as does the care and thought clearly given to the selection of each poem. It helps that he is a theologian too.\nIn the introduction to the first episode of this second season which features Ada Limon’s Wonder Woman, Pádraig opines that poetry is “ interested in stopping in small moments and telling the story of that moment”. It is the same way a hymn can hold a present reality and a future expectation in tension without breaking us. In my own pretend poetry practice, I find that the structure of a rigid form can often be what forces some semblance of sanity to arise from the depths of a chaotic emotional experience. Many of the Psalms sound like this, this conflation of poetry and prayer.\nThe other thing which triggered the journey down this path was listening to Steven Furtick’s message from last Sunday, another one of the gifts the lockdown brought. It includes a segment, from about 12:47 in, in which he goes back down memory lane and riffs on a few good oldies, capped off by two of my favourite hymns, including one I haven’t heard in a very long time (Come Ye Disconsolate).\nIn that same introduction to Season 2 of the Poetry Unbound pod, Pádraig says that poetry helps you “ to cast your eye on small moments that can give you some fortitude [and] that can help you through”. That is a real-world definition of faith, isn’t it?\n\\* Originally posted in A Prodigal Abroad , my (usually) Friday evening letter from the edge of the world… You can subscribe here.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/10/02/of-hymns-and-poetry-ing/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/hymns-jeff-sheldon-u3ges0susni-unsplash.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@ugmonk?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eJeff Sheldon\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/hymn?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor all my flirtation with \u003ca href=\"/?s=prodigal\u0026amp;submit=Search\"\u003ebeing prodigal\u003c/a\u003e, I have never quite managed to untether myself from the Pentecostal faith tradition, especially the hand-clapping, foot-stomping, tongue-blasting, frenzied version that is your typical Nigerian church. There have been times I have felt right at home in a \u003cem\u003esubset\u003c/em\u003e of it - my Eket days, and latterly, my sojourn in the ‘Deen come to mind - but for the most part, it has always felt designed for the loud and the intense, to the detriment (and inadvertent?) exclusion of those of us who live on the more introspective side of the spectrum. Not being blessed with the \u003ca href=\"/2009/11/29/strictly-not-dancing/\"\u003egift of nimble footwork\u003c/a\u003e, or being particularly \u003ca href=\"/2010/12/13/swearing-off-dancing/\"\u003ewilling to apply myself\u003c/a\u003e to acquire the skills involved if I’m being honest, Thanksgiving Sundays in that tradition were a veritable minefield, partaken in with the threat of being stuck behind an overly expressive dancer an ever-present danger.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Of Hymns and Poetry-ing"},{"content":"I have now been out here for just over eighty days, days which have sometimes felt like they have been punctuated by starts and stops. There were the two weeks of self-quarantining in which nothing seemed to happen, then a two day week occasioned by the Eid al-Adha holidays, and most recently a three day week for the National Day Holidays. Though somewhat an accident of timing, I have been grateful for the opportunities to break the monotony of work; up by 4 am, on a bus by 6 am, back home by 5 pm wash-rinse-repeat, and the gifts holidays sometimes bring, like a large tray of meat I got during the previous Eid holidays.\nComing from the ‘Deen where what bank holidays we got were added to our annual entitlement, it is a strange feeling for everything work-related to shut down and for everyone to eschew emails and work phone calls completely. It does bring back memories of working in Nigeria many years ago. For what it is worth, I will not be complaining about forced breaks from work, given these are days I would have been loath to take off, being the new guy and all. Unfortunately, the borders are still not open, and all the holidays have meant delays to my paperwork (I still don’t have a drivers licence yet), so the free days are lost on me, although they have helped me catch up with friends and family around the world and reduce my sleep deficit.\nA consequence, surely intended one suspects, of the dawn to dusk routine and the lack of mobility - besides iffy taxis - is that the eighty days have been spent very much in a bubble with little interaction besides the immediate locale. As such I have not had much opportunity to dispel or confirm the notions of the country I have in my head. Speaking of notions, there is a narrative that is often repeated which paints the West as bastions of personal freedoms, opportunities and the rule-of-law and elsewhere as somewhere between a backwater and a shit-hole. Each new revelation of what is at-best underhand, and at worst kleptocratic with regards to the UK’s handling of COVID related contracts makes me wonder if every country is not only a group of bumbling idiots - and failed checks and balances - away from the precipice of self-destruction and avarice.\nAll of this makes me wonder what the trajectory of human existence is. The last few years seem to suggest that perhaps all the gains of the 19th and 20th century - and there have been great gains as the RBG eulogies show - were an aberration and that we are reverting to our darkest, basest means again. An altogether dark view perhaps, but on the evidence of 2020, one that is not inconceivable.\n\\* Originally posted in A Prodigal Abroad , my (usually) Friday evening letter from the edge of the world… You can subscribe here.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/09/25/fits-starts-and-a-dim-view-of-humanity/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI have now been out here for just over eighty days, days which have sometimes felt like they have been punctuated by starts and stops. There were the two weeks of self-quarantining in which nothing seemed to happen, then a two day week occasioned by the \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid_al-Adha\"\u003eEid al-Adha holidays\u003c/a\u003e, and most recently a three day week for the National Day Holidays. Though somewhat an accident of timing, I have been grateful for the opportunities to break the monotony of work; up by 4 am, on a bus by 6 am, back home by 5 pm wash-rinse-repeat, and the gifts holidays sometimes bring, like a large tray of meat I got during the previous Eid holidays.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Fits, Starts and a Dim View (of Humanity)"},{"content":"Photo by Lindsey LaMont on Unsplash\n**\nI finally got round to migrating my contacts to my local phone, the process of downloading them from one account to a new one the last grudging act of acceptance at being here, a signal as it were of the finality of moving. It felt great to be able to do all I use my phone for - WhatsApp, podcasts, ebooks and all - from one device. What I did not bargain for was the trip down the rabbit hole of memory that exercise would be.\nIf you had asked me, I would have said I was great at moving on, never letting the detritus of the past hang around too long - this exercise put the lie to that. There were contacts from my Eket days, from Newcastle and every pit stop in between; with a few very dead people in there. The longer I think about it, the more I suspect that finality is difficult, and keeping phone numbers of lost or atrophied connections is one last stand for hope against hope. It is a false hope of course. Although I haven’t called H’s number in years, P did a few years ago and found out the number had been reassigned to someone else, which given the time that has passed is reasonable.\nOne could argue that with the undead, the situation is much less nuanced. There seems to be little benefit to keeping contacts for people I haven’t spoken to in many years, especially in situations where the spheres and cycles we live in have significantly diverged. Sentimental attachments make the decision less clear cut for some though, not least because there is at least one such person who I have the (fortunate or unfortunate) coincidence of sharing a birthday with.\nI took the opportunity to clean up my contacts and remove a number of these dead and lost connections. H, E and F remain. Ridding my contacts of their numbers - even if those might have been reassigned to someone else - seemed a bridge too far this time. Maybe someday in 2030, I’ll finally bring myself to do that.\nSpeaking of the dead, I found this interview with Fabrice Muamba on the subject of those 78 minutes fascinating, not least for his thoughts on faith and community and how it helped him pull through the dark days after his cardiac event when it became obvious his footballing career was over. Well worth a listen if I say so myself.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/09/17/decluttering/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/phone-calls.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@travelpen?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eLindsey LaMont\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/phone-call?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI finally got round to migrating my contacts to my local phone, the process of downloading them from one account to a new one the last grudging act of acceptance at being here, a signal as it were of the \u003cem\u003efinality\u003c/em\u003e of moving. It felt great to be able to do all I use my phone for - WhatsApp, podcasts, ebooks and all - from one device. What I did not bargain for was the trip down the rabbit hole of memory that exercise would be.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Decluttering"},{"content":"Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash. For Young J who stuttered (and still does now and again in moments of overexcitement)\u0026hellip;\n**\nDon\u0026rsquo;t let this be a big thing. Don\u0026rsquo;t let the tyranny of a lost word hovering just beyond the reach of your tired tongue drag you to the edge of self-immolation.\nCherish the bitten lower lip, the lisp when the words - like a pent up flood breaching the edge of a levee - finally come.\nSome days your teeth may grate with the effort of self-control as your breath meets the ticking seconds but when the count meets nine you will have won a hard-fought victory.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/09/16/what-mother-said-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/what-mother-said-1.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@bruno_nascimento?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eBruno Nascimento\u003c/a\u003e on\u003c/em\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/mother-and-child?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eUnsplash\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e. \u003cem\u003eFor Young J who stuttered (and still does now and again in moments of overexcitement)\u0026hellip;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDon\u0026rsquo;t let this\nbe a big thing.\nDon\u0026rsquo;t let the tyranny\nof a lost word hovering\njust beyond the reach\nof your tired tongue\ndrag you to the edge\nof self-immolation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCherish the bitten\nlower lip, the lisp\nwhen the words - like\na pent up flood\nbreaching the edge\nof a levee - finally come.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"What Mother Said"},{"content":"\nThe less common variant of the “Where are you from” question I get comes from the unconventional way my surname is spelt. Family folklore suggests that my great-grandfather, whether in a fit of pique or an attempt to be contrarian - no one is certain which it is, took his rather mundane Yoruba name, replaced a couple of vowels with consonants, and declared himself unique. To this day when I ‘goggle’ myself, every reference is to someone I know and have met, bar a frankly confusing article that includes TB Joshua, Togo and Canada. Make of that what you will.\nOn this occasion, the question came whilst filling out a form in preparation for getting my ears tested - a hearing conservation test for work. The chap in question, from a South East Asia country I shall not name, wondered where I was from, as he had not seen a name spelt that way before. I gave him the short answer - The UK, but when that clearly did not provide the clarity he required, I explained the Nigerian great-grandfather connection. That put paid to that line of questioning and allowed me to take the test. The good news is I have the hearing of a twenty-five-year-old, whatever that means. I would much rather have the metabolism (and thus the mid-section) of a ripped sixteen-year-old, but then the one about wishes, horse and beggars comes to mind. We revisited the subject of where I was from as he wrote up the test results. From that conversation, it transpired that he was waiting on a response from the High Commission on an application which would enable him to move there. His eyes seemed to light up at the opportunities he looked forward to, ‘ a lot of travelling’ he said in addition to working in a London hospital and potentially offshore in the future.\nA few months ago, the vistas that greeted my eyes were the verdant greenery of the Surrey countryside, a corner of the world crisscrossed by canals, streams and protected forests. At the time, the uncertainty of what direction the future lay clouded my mind, preventing me from truly appreciating all that great nature. Now that I have swapped that for the sterile, over-engineered badlands I am now in, those days seem dim and distant. Until the COVID restrictions get properly lifted, I may not get another opportunity to enjoy them at length. I look back and miss those days, being wary of not falling into the same trap again and failing to appreciate what I have got now (‘til its gone again). The irony in all of that is perhaps that it took going halfway around the world and meeting someone excited about going to the place I left with nary a shed tear to remind me of some of the good things about it.\n\\* Originally posted in A Prodigal Abroad , my (usually) Friday evening letter from the edge of the world\u0026hellip; You can subscribe here.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/09/11/got-til-its-kinda-gone/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/7-got-till-its-gone.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe less common variant of the \u003ca href=\"/2020/08/21/vices-spices-and-a-question-of-identity/\"\u003e“Where are you from” question\u003c/a\u003e I get comes from the unconventional way my surname is spelt. Family folklore suggests that my great-grandfather, whether in a fit of pique or an attempt to be contrarian - no one is certain which it is, took his rather mundane Yoruba name, replaced a couple of vowels with consonants, and declared himself unique. To this day when I ‘goggle’ myself, every reference is to someone I know and have met, bar a \u003ca href=\"https://societycelebration.com/prophet-t-b-joshua-taking-christianity-to-refreshed-global-horizon/\"\u003efrankly confusing article\u003c/a\u003e that includes TB Joshua, Togo and Canada. Make of that what you will.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Got 'Til its (Kinda) Gone"},{"content":"\nFor The Sunday Muse Prompt #124:\n** The King surveys his realm, from his perch high atop a dry, wizened tree.\nThis is what freedom is, to roam without a care and be one with the earth.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/09/07/one-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/sunday-muse-124-lion-in-a-tree.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2020/09/sunday-muse-124.html\"\u003ePrompt #124\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\nThe King surveys his\nrealm, from his perch high atop\na dry, wizened tree.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is what freedom\nis, to roam without a care\nand be one with the\nearth.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"One"},{"content":"Photo by Victor Xok on Unsplash\n**\nOne of the non-perks of living at the edge of the world is that everything has to be ferried in, and even the small matter of activating a registration requires a 60km ride into the nearest town. All of these meant that having finally received a critical piece of documentation, I needed a taxi ride for the third time in a week. As it turns out, I got the same chap as I had on the past two trips, my experiences of which varied from merely irritating to downright terrible. The full story is too long to recount but involved a couple of wrong turns and ending up in a different place, which added thirty minutes to what was already a lengthy forty five minute lunchtime dash into town. That ordeal was compounded by a malfunctioning temperature scanner at the gate which required three tries before I was eventually granted access to the office.\nAll of this came rushing to my mind when I saw him, along with a sinking feeling of despair, especially because the trip was a complicated one involving several stops. He and I had no choice though. Our fates, tossed together that very afternoon, were inextricably linked for all of Time. He needed to earn his pay, I needed to get to the next town, so make do with each other we did.\nAn uncomfortable silence punctuated by the sounds of the road - other passing cars, the clump of going over a bump now and again and the air conditioning on full blast - was all we had for most of the journey, the silence easier than trying to communicate across the language barrier. To my shame, I pretended to poke around on my phone then look thoughtfully out into the distance where there was truly nothing to see.\nI will never know how long that state of affairs could have lasted for because halfway through the journey he asked if I was Nigerian. I answered in the affirmative, which prompted further revelations of other Nigerian folks out here he had worked with. After that, I had to ask where he was from. It turned out he was as local as it could get, being born in the very town we were speeding towards. That helped allay some of my anxiety about the journey and defused the building tension in the car.\nThe journey did not go without any hitches: the aroma of the cigarettes he lit up every time he had to wait for me at a stop never quite left, his meter stopped working three-quarters of the way through the journey which meant I paid an estimated fare (which probably worked out in my favour, to be honest) and he had to take a call from his wife at some stage. It wasn’t the greatest of afternoons but then nothing involving humans, not least two people navigating a new thing, ever goes perfectly. I did come away with a reminder that behind every transactional relationship lies a human: with quirks of character, needs and maybe an irate wife or two. I can - we all can - deal more graciously with others.\nDuly noted, Universe!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/09/04/sometimes-the-third-time-is-a-charm/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/6-taxi-victor-xok-qd-zd2moee8-unsplash.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@xokvictor?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eVictor Xok\u003c/a\u003e on\u003c/em\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/taxi?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eUnsplash\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the \u003cem\u003enon-perks\u003c/em\u003e of living at the edge of the world is that \u003cem\u003eeverything\u003c/em\u003e has to be ferried in, and even the small matter of activating a registration requires a 60km ride into the nearest town. All of these meant that having finally received a critical piece of documentation, I needed a taxi ride for the third time in a week. As it turns out, I got the same chap as I had on the past two trips, my experiences of which varied from merely irritating to downright terrible. The full story is too long to recount but involved a couple of wrong turns and ending up in a different place, which added thirty minutes to what was already a lengthy forty five minute lunchtime dash into town. That ordeal was compounded by a malfunctioning temperature scanner at the gate which required three tries before I was eventually granted access to the office.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sometimes The Third Time Is A Charm"},{"content":"\nFor The Sunday Muse prompt #123:\n**\nEven in the darkness the beauty of lent light shines through, the golden petals of the sunflowers magnificent as they follow the sun. Beauty, hitherto hidden, is called out by the sharing of the light, the sum of its parts many times more brilliant than when it hides alone.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/08/30/light/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/the-sunday-muse-123.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2020/08/sunday-muse-123.html\"\u003eprompt #123\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven in the darkness\nthe beauty of lent light\nshines through, the golden\npetals of the sunflowers\nmagnificent as they follow\nthe sun. Beauty, hitherto\nhidden, is called out\nby the sharing of the light,\nthe sum of its parts\nmany times more brilliant\nthan when it hides alone.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Light"},{"content":"Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash\n**\nIt was my birthday the other day, and in keeping with what is becoming a tradition of sorts, I spent the morning wading through a flurry of WhatsApp and text messages before a fairly lengthy video call with the niece who I almost share a birthday with. The rest of the day was spent off-grid, which has become one of the more enjoyable parts of the day. I don’t remember when the need to unplug on the day first came to the fore but I am finding that in the aftermath of all of that mental stimulation, some downtime is helpful. As I have reflected on here before, the five weeks between the 8th of July and the 15th of August tend to be emotionally draining ones. Dealing with a move - which is quite frankly a culture shock of sorts - has only added to that this year.\nTurning forty seems significant, to be the onset of an important phase of life and a milestone (never mind it also being a magnet for slander on the interwebs :)). Forty-one, on the other hand, seems like an afterthought, just another notch on the pole of life occasioned by yet another spin around the sun of the earth. Having spent the first twenty and some in the Nigerian state of my birth, the next ten making my way in the world in Nigeria and the next eleven in the UK, it very much feels like a third phase of life. Interestingly, each move has taken me away from the safety of the cocoon in which I grew up, complete with all the trappings of the evangelical industrial complex. My focus this year is Delve Deeper, I suppose there is no better place to test one\u0026rsquo;s depths and roots than in a far country - to use the metaphor of the prodigal - with all the trappings of having to build credibility all over again. There is certainly no room for coasting. There are also the challenges of living and thriving in a post-oil world which, given the current source of my livelihood, I need to focus on, using today\u0026rsquo;s opportunities to create the tomorrow\u0026rsquo;s ones.\nIn all of that, I am finding the lyrics of NEEDTOBREATHE\u0026rsquo;s Hang On particularly fitting:\nSo hang on to the light in your eyes and the feeling Hang on to your love drunk original reason So hang on to the small town you love but you\u0026rsquo;re leaving \u0026lsquo;Cause you won\u0026rsquo;t be a fool for so long\nEconomists suggest I am a few years from hitting the bottom of my happiness u-curve. An uptick in happiness is at least something to look forward to, and the enduring tension of leaving the small town I love but which I\u0026rsquo;m leaving\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/08/28/forty-one/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/5-birthday.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@jannerboy62?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eNick Fewings\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/birthday?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was my birthday the other day, and in keeping with what is becoming a tradition of sorts, I spent the morning wading through a flurry of WhatsApp and text messages before a fairly lengthy video call with the niece who I \u003cem\u003ealmost\u003c/em\u003e share a birthday with. The rest of the day was spent off-grid, which has become one of the more enjoyable parts of the day. I don’t remember when the need to unplug on the day first came to the fore but I am finding that in the aftermath of all of that mental stimulation, some downtime is helpful. As I have reflected on \u003ca href=\"/2016/11/11/the-burden-of-grief/\"\u003ehere before\u003c/a\u003e, the five weeks between the 8th of July and the 15th of August tend to be emotionally draining ones. Dealing with a move - which is quite frankly a culture shock of sorts - has only added to that this year.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Forty-One"},{"content":"\nFor The Sunday Muse prompt #122:\n** We have carried our bodies to a far country, the weight of the burden of the duty of sons driving us like a ship heave-hoing in a stormy gale to the place where our kin were brought before.\nEach day we toil amongst the living to save the ones we hurt by leaving, the labour of our bent backs a libation poured on dry earth, to appease the spirits of the old ones. This is our penance, a prayer sung to the tune of the songs handed down.\nWe the born, and those who were borne will someday shake the shackles of shiny things and like prodigals find our way home.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/08/25/prodigality/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/the-sunday-muse-122.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2020/08/sunday-muse-122.html\"\u003eprompt #122\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\nWe have carried\nour bodies to a far country,\nthe weight of the burden\nof the duty of sons\ndriving us like a ship\nheave-hoing in a stormy gale\nto the place where our kin\nwere brought before.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach day we toil\namongst the living\nto save the ones\nwe hurt by leaving,\nthe labour of our bent backs\na libation poured on dry earth,\nto appease the spirits\nof the old ones. This\nis our penance, a prayer\nsung to the tune\nof the songs handed down.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Prodigality"},{"content":"\nPhoto by Timothy L Brock on Unsplash\n**\nFor all S\u0026rsquo;s protestations to the contrary, it is my contention that there are far worse vices than playing Football Manager. On the odd occasion, when I am caught off-guard, I’ll admit the arguments for this can be tenuous at best but I sincerely believe there is a cachet attached to being this particular brand of a connoisseur.\nHome, families and when spouses and children will get moved out here are typical subjects of conversation whilst waiting for the bus, which was how I ended up having such a conversation with a fellow commuter a few days ago. Time zones and staying in touch were the twin topics of interest on the day. My two-hour difference is hardly the sort of stuff to sweat over but in his early days, he had an eight-hour time difference to manage, difficult given the need to balance that with getting enough sleep and waking up in time to be on the bus at 6.00 am. Things were a lot simpler for him now he said, thanks to his family’s move back to their home town of Plovdiv. Perhaps my eyes lit up with recognition at the name, but somehow he figured out I recognised the name. I did, of course, thanks to some obscure Football Manager save, in which I ended up taking Brentford from the English Championship to the Champions League group stage via a two-leg qualifier against Botev. Inspired by all the football kicking about of late, I thought I’d reinstall it and have a few turns. The 821 hours I have apparently spent playing the 2015 version was an awakening of sorts (refusing to upgrade is the one act of self-discipline I have allowed myself in this regard). 821 hours seems like a lot of time to spend in a make-believe world of pretending to be Klopp, Nagelsmann or whoever is the latest managerial wunderkind, but on this evidence, some real-world value is there to be had, the geography of weird and wonderful places.\nOne question I get asked a lot is where I am from. The most obvious answer is the United Kingdom, but quite a few people out here know enough about its structure to want to delve deeper. Therein lies my conundrum. I feel a real kinship to Newcastle and consider myself a Geordie at heart, never missing opportunities to hop on the train, going back at least once a year in all my time up in the ‘Deen. I did spend most of my time up in the ‘Deen though, and the oil industry being what it is, there are several connections and connections of connections out here which has sometimes made it expedient to flout my ‘Aberdeen links. The three months I spent down in Surrey during the lockdown endeared that part of the country to me, its shaded forest paths, canals and running spaces all adding up to a very pleasurable, becalming experience. I am from there, therefore, in a manner of speaking.\nMost people default to asking if I am Nigerian, aided I suspect by the reasonably large number, and visibility, of Nigerians everywhere. I am that too of course, even though my relationship with the country is very much that of an errant prodigal. Being fortunate or unfortunate to have grown up in the corner of the country that I did, I have come away with the sense of being a minority in a minority state, and therefore feel no real kinship or connection to it. What news that filters through hardly fills me with any real confidence that my relationship with it, fraught as it is, is heading anywhere good anytime soon.\nTwice, whilst self-isolating when I arrived here, bowls of extra spicy rice and meat turned up at my door from people with Nigerian connections who very kindly took it upon themselves to help the new guy settle in. It was a relief to take a break from sandwiches and all the other bland fare my Whatsapp tennis with the local diner delivered. One of my first acts, when I was finally free to go out was to head to the local shop and buy as much pepper as I could lay my hands on, without looking like someone who had lost their mind. I may or may not be many things, but I am learning that one thing is incontrovertible, I am an eater of pepper.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/08/21/vices-spices-and-a-question-of-identity/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/peppers-2.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@timothylbrock?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eTimothy L Brock\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor all S\u0026rsquo;s protestations to the contrary, it is my contention that there are \u003cem\u003efar worse\u003c/em\u003e vices than playing \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_Manager\"\u003eFootball Manager\u003c/a\u003e. On the odd occasion, when I am caught off-guard, I’ll admit the arguments for this can be tenuous at best but I sincerely believe there is a cachet attached to being this particular brand of a connoisseur.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHome, families and when spouses and children will get moved out here are typical subjects of conversation whilst waiting for the bus, which was how I ended up having such a conversation with a fellow commuter a few days ago. Time zones and staying in touch were the twin topics of interest on the day. My two-hour difference is hardly the sort of stuff to sweat over but in his early days, he had an eight-hour time difference to manage, difficult given the need to balance that with getting enough sleep and waking up in time to be on the bus at 6.00 am. Things were a lot simpler for him now he said, thanks to his family’s move back to their home town of \u003cem\u003ePlovdiv.\u003c/em\u003e Perhaps my eyes lit up with recognition at the name, but somehow he figured out I recognised the name. I did, of course, thanks to some obscure Football Manager save, in which I ended up taking Brentford from the English Championship to the Champions League group stage via a two-leg qualifier against \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PFC_Botev_Plovdiv\"\u003eBotev\u003c/a\u003e. Inspired by all the football kicking about of late, I thought I’d reinstall it and have a few turns. The 821 hours I have \u003cem\u003eapparently\u003c/em\u003e spent playing the 2015 version was an awakening of sorts (refusing to upgrade is the one act of self-discipline I have allowed myself in this regard). 821 hours seems like a lot of time to spend in a make-believe world of pretending to be Klopp, Nagelsmann or whoever is the latest managerial \u003cem\u003ewunderkind,\u003c/em\u003e but on this evidence, \u003cem\u003esome real-world\u003c/em\u003e value is there to be had, the geography of weird and wonderful places.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Vices, Spices and A Question of Identity"},{"content":"\nFor The Sunday Muse prompt #121. After Emily Dickinson.\n** Hope is the thing that shimmers in the distance the faint light flickering in the brooding stillness of the afternoon heat, the persistent promise that this thirst, this longing for restoring will be sated by rain. It is the pulse quickening with the lengthening shadows of evening and the return of familiar sights to the eyes. It is home calling the lost son to return to the dangerous duty of tending.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/08/17/hope/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/the-sunday-muse-121.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2020/08/sunday-muse-121.html\"\u003eprompt #121\u003c/a\u003e. After \u003ca href=\"https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42889/hope-is-the-thing-with-feathers-314\"\u003eEmily Dickinson\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\nHope is the thing\nthat shimmers\nin the distance\nthe faint light\nflickering in the\nbrooding stillness\nof the afternoon heat,\nthe persistent promise\nthat this thirst, this\nlonging for restoring\nwill be sated by rain.\nIt is the pulse\nquickening with the\nlengthening shadows\nof evening and the\nreturn of familiar\nsights to the eyes.\nIt is home\ncalling the lost son\nto return to the\ndangerous duty\nof tending.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Hope"},{"content":"\nNot a day seems to pass without my having a staring contest with a cat. What has been most intriguing about this is all the very different places I find them: the bus stop at 6 am, outside the main shop at 4 pm, during my evening walk at 9 pm and most recently out in the plant, in the middle of nowhere. Their languid, fearless manner suggests they are as much at home in these spaces as I am, and have probably been for quite some time. There must be a story I am oblivious of, of abandonment perhaps (the French are top of the charts for that apparently), of having outlived their usefulness as rodent control or maybe they are just being cats out and about enjoying the warmth like I am. No doubt with time I’ll get to know the reasons why, but in the interim - cats apart - I have been grateful for the brisk breezes in the morning and the cloud cover that means that the day starts and ends in the low thirties, not the high forties which cause the heat to hang like a wet blanket around one’s head.\nBesides cats, masks are also ubiquitous out here. Mandated since the early days of the COVID pandemic - with none of the pussyfooting and political posturing that has plagued their adoption back in the ‘West’ - everyone has been required to have one outside the confines of your own home. Gloves and temperature checks have also been required when going into shops and other closed spaces. Their usefulness or otherwise is a rabbit hole I would rather not go down (isn’t it interesting how folks end up for or against them depending on their ideologies?) but the biggest discomfort for me is how my glasses steam up, making things rather interesting given my less than adequate unaided eyesight.\nMore importantly perhaps is a point my friend U, who by the way is most certainly not socially awkward, makes as to how the eyes seem to be working double-time to compensate for the lack of facial expression. It is something that has been on my mind a lot over these past few weeks of work, particularly the lack of a facial frame of reference for the new people I’ve met. Being one of only two black chaps in the building - of similar build and both needing help to see properly - has made for some interesting conversations where I have been confused for the other person as he has for me. All of this rather leaves us semi-blind people facing the double jeopardy of losing even what little help we could get from our eyes. I can only hope the peculiarities of the situation are not held against me when my inability to connect names to body shapes shows up now and again.\nOn a sadder note, I had the opportunity to join in an online service to bid W* farewell recently. I first ‘met’ him virtually at the beginning of April thanks to Alpha which had gone online largely because of the COVID-19 lockdown. Having recently moved down South from the ‘Deen it was an interesting coincidence to be added to a group that featured a large contingent of folk from north of the border. I got to hear dribs and drabs of his fascinating story over the course of ten weeks and some, as the pandemic raged outside and I wrestled with the weight of wondering if this move would happen at all. I remember one of the early nights in which we mulled over the question of what we would ask God if we met Him face to face. H was very much on my mind at the time, as was the question of why bad things happened to good people which made for a very entitled spiel from me. With the benefit now of knowing a little about his story and how much pain he was in at the time, the scale of the sacrifice he made to share so much of his final days with the group is now apparent. My gripes at the way the world is seem fickle by comparison. I didn’t come away with any epiphanies from the course but the personal stories I heard underscored for me that perhaps the most incontrovertible evidence for faith is the changed lives of people who truly believe. In many ways W epitomised that: someone who believed, was genuinely grateful for prevenient grace and was ready for the end when it came. I can only hope my Prodigal journey reaches as satisfying an end…\n*I hope it is obvious W was not his real name…\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/08/14/the-other-things-that-covid-brought/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cats-2.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot a day seems to pass without my having a staring contest with a cat. What has been most intriguing about this is all the very different places I find them: the bus stop at 6 am, outside the main shop at 4 pm, during my evening walk at 9 pm and most recently out in the plant, \u003cem\u003ein the middle of nowhere\u003c/em\u003e. Their languid, fearless manner suggests they are as much at home in these spaces as I am, and have probably been for quite some time. There must be a story I am oblivious of, of abandonment perhaps (the \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53677571\"\u003eFrench are top of the charts for that apparently\u003c/a\u003e), of having outlived their usefulness as rodent control or maybe they are just being cats out and about enjoying the warmth like I am. No doubt with time I’ll get to know the reasons why, but in the interim - cats apart - I have been grateful for the brisk breezes in the morning and the cloud cover that means that the day starts and ends in the low thirties, not the high forties which cause the heat to hang like a wet blanket around one’s head.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Other Things That COVID brought..."},{"content":"For The Sunday Muse prompt #120, and B who in (wo)manfully wrestling pain to a standstill reminds us to hope again\u0026hellip;\n** Remember, in the failing light of falling night, when the weight of the world feels like a thing around your neck, that we see you, proud against the night- feet planted firmly in the mushy earth, unflinching in the maelstrom. Like the North Star sometimes hidden, sometimes peering out from behind the clouds, a beacon showing home we see you and believe again.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/08/10/weight/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/sunday-muse-120.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2020/08/sunday-muse-120.html\"\u003eprompt #120\u003c/a\u003e,  and B who in (wo)manfully wrestling pain to a standstill reminds us to hope again\u0026hellip;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\nRemember, in\nthe failing light\nof falling night,\nwhen the weight\nof the world feels\nlike a thing around\nyour neck, that\nwe see you, proud\nagainst the night-\nfeet planted firmly\nin the mushy earth,\nunflinching\nin the maelstrom.\nLike the North Star\nsometimes hidden,\nsometimes peering out\nfrom behind the clouds,\na beacon showing home\nwe see you and believe\nagain.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weight"},{"content":"\nPhoto by Reiseuhu on Unsplash\n**\nI am finding myself drawn again to the radio and to the BBC World Service- not the physical box itself but the BBC Sounds app which my VPN allows me access - and in doing so, all sorts of memories come flooding back. Many moons ago, when I was nearer ten than thirty, the World Service was my companion on many a hot, humid day with not a lot to do. Programs such as Off The Shelf, Wright Around The World, various radio dramas and the bumper Saturday sports package which sated my Liverpool fixation in the days before colour TV (never mind satellite TV) came to my corner of the world, all came to define that era for me.\nThe offerings have changed since then, time and ratings conspiring to sound the death knell for some of those programs, as has the advent of the internet. Death itself has claimed a favourite of mine from those days, Alistair Cooke’s Letter From America. There are new favourites to be discovered I suspect but whilst the new offerings warm their way into my heart the sound of the World Service in the background as I putter around my house brings back memories, and some comfort, if I’m willing to admit it.\nThe World Service is not the only thing that has become a staple in my life. Between the peculiar timing of work and travel to work, I have now taken to waking up at 4.00 am, doing a little bit of indoor exercising (in a bid to exorcise the fruit of three months of lockdown, two weeks of quarantine and good neighbours who plied me with salah meat and rice) and then preparing for work. Podcasts keep me company on the bus into work and after dinner, a 5k walk helps me get the heart rate pumping. Ideally, I would like to get back to running 10k three times a week but given temperatures in the mid-forties even at night, I suspect that will be a jaunt for winter. At work, a cup of green tea with some mint leaves has become my after lunch pick-me-up.\nWhen I first toyed with the idea of sending missives chronicling my time out here, the aspiration was for them to come out every week. In conversation with someone the other day, the difficulty of building a discipline of writing amidst all that life throws one’s way came up. Part of the issue for me has been trying to settle on where (Medium, here, a substack newsletter), when and what to write about. On far too many Friday evenings than I would care to admit, I have faffed about, worrying over one or all of the above rather than just writing.\nSo in the interest of getting on with it, here goes:\nWhat: Thoughts, a diary of sorts, anything from the mundane to the otherworldly. For inspiration, I will revisit my copy of Cooke’s Letter from America collection and one of my favourite expat blog from ages ago. Obviously, I’ll be trying to learn Arabic in 1,000 lessons (if I last that long given oil and all that stuff) When: On or before 10pm my time on Friday evening. Here! Sorted\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/08/07/getting-my-finger-out/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/desert.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@reiseuhu?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eReiseuhu\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/wadi?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI am finding myself drawn again to the radio and to the BBC World Service- not the physical box itself but the \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds\"\u003eBBC Sounds app\u003c/a\u003e which my VPN allows me access - and in doing so, all sorts of memories come flooding back. Many moons ago, when I was nearer ten than thirty, the World Service was my companion on many a hot, humid day with not a lot to do. Programs such as Off The Shelf, Wright Around The World, various radio dramas and the bumper Saturday sports package which sated my Liverpool fixation in the days before colour TV (never mind satellite TV) came to my corner of the world, all came to define that era for me.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Getting My Finger Out"},{"content":"Image Source: Rajab Guga on Unsplash\n**\nAccording to the Book of Proverbs King Solomon, who knew a thing or two about hope and despair once said - whether in despair or merely noting in a manner of fact way - that Hope deferred makes the heart sick, and for the last three months and some I feel like I have known just that; lurching — sometimes several times a day — between the delirious joy of looking forward to an adventure and the deep depths of despair. COVID-19 was the culprit, as were the not entirely unconnected issues of an oil supply glut and oil price wars leading to sub-zero oil futures pricing. That there was a clear cause-effect relationship did little to tame the perennial desire to find wider meanings in things that is our forte as Nigerians, cue warfare prayers from my near and dear ones, a la Mountain of Fire and all.\nThe call to suit up and boot up came out of the blue late one Thursday, which set off a series of throat swabs, trips into central London to hand in passports and pick them up and all the not entirely fun stuff of packing up a life and moving continents in a week. Part of me wondered if it was entirely sensible to be jumping onto a flight, cooped up with others for six hours and some, but given I had waited three months for this chance, I was not about to let it slide over the small matter of a lengthy flight. I felt like a guinea pig through it all - one way systems at the airport and all the rigmarole that came with those, unseasonably warm weather, and lengthy queues. Thankfully, I had my friend O for company, and copious amounts of hand sanitizer to slather my hands in. It might have been the weather, or plain old tiredness, which made someone drop in a faint was our queue slowly inched its way towards the check-in desk. We all had to physically check in our bags, which made for an interminably slow and painful process, exacerbated by the fact that people were flying with tons of bags, returning home after being stuck away from home I guess. Once through security and on to flights, it seemed like the plan was to send us through as quickly as possible - a quick turn around in Dubai and then onwards to our final destination being the plan. On arrival, we were whisked through security, on to the meet and greet folks and then in a taxi towards my final destination, reached at the ungodly hour of 3.30am, at which time I was barely lucid.\nThe price to pay for moving to the edge of the world in these difficult times has been to self-quarantine for 14 days, days which alternate between speeding past and dragging on interminably. The glorious gift of the internet is not something that is bestowed on us out here without any strings, so one has had to make do with a mobile wifi device and a pre-paid plan, a far cry from the unlimited fibre-optic broadband I enjoyed for the past three months. As such mindlessly watching Netflix or Amazon Prime has not been an option. Shades of living in Nigeria in the dark days before proper internet arrives you could say.\nFor food, I have had to ping WhatsApp messages back and forth with the chap who manages the camp diner, iteratively arriving - via pictures and explanatory texts - on a semblance of dinner. Bread and eggs have been a salvation of sorts. The downside to all of that though is the blandness of everything which led to me retching over a toilet bowl one afternoon after one too many meals comprising of bread and eggs. The small Nigerian community did come through several times though, bowls of soup turning up one weekend, rice on an another and then two trays of salah meat to cap it all off. Weight is something I am refusing to look at at the moment, not helped by the heat discouraging any attempts to running outdoors.\nNew routines are needed for this new life. One had best get going.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/08/04/the-diary-lift-off-lounge-laps-and-a-scent-of-freedom/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/1.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eImage Source: \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@rajabbarack?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eRajab Guga\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/dubai-airport?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAccording to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+13%3A12\u0026amp;version=NIV\"\u003eBook of Proverbs\u003c/a\u003e King Solomon, who knew a thing or two about hope and despair once said - whether in despair or merely noting in a manner of fact way - that \u003cem\u003eHope deferred makes the heart sick\u003c/em\u003e, and for the last three months and some I feel like I have known just that; lurching — sometimes several times a day — between the delirious joy of looking forward to an adventure and the deep depths of despair. COVID-19 was the culprit, as were the not entirely unconnected issues of an oil supply glut and oil price wars leading to \u003ca href=\"https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-20/negative-prices-for-oil-here-s-what-that-means-quicktake\"\u003esub-zero oil futures pricing\u003c/a\u003e. That there was a \u003cem\u003eclear\u003c/em\u003e cause-effect relationship did little to tame the perennial desire to find wider meanings in things that is our forte as Nigerians, cue \u003cem\u003ewarfare prayers\u003c/em\u003e from my near and dear ones, a la Mountain of Fire and all.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Lift off of sorts..."},{"content":"\nFor The Sunday Muse Prompt #119, Artistic Photography Dreamlike Portrait Photography by Damien Casals:\n** You and I are becoming one, our unspoken words a voice, mellow in its timbre, its echo light like a soft hand yet firm, kneading out the noise from the silence that we share. In that silence of being and being present, of returning and reforming, of holding out against the pressure of the world, are broken things becoming whole again, each breath a small victory won by persistence, a fresh shoot pushing its way through the things that rage has razed.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/08/03/one/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/the-sunday-muse-119.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2020/08/sunday-muse-119.html\"\u003ePrompt #119\u003c/a\u003e, Artistic Photography Dreamlike Portrait Photography by Damien Casals:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\nYou and I\nare becoming one,\nour unspoken words\na voice, mellow\nin its timbre,\nits echo light\nlike a soft hand\nyet firm, kneading out\nthe noise from\nthe silence that we share.\nIn that silence\nof being and being present,\nof returning and reforming,\nof holding out against\nthe pressure of the world,\nare broken things\nbecoming whole again,\neach breath a small victory\nwon by persistence,\na fresh shoot\npushing its way\nthrough the things\nthat rage has razed.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"One"},{"content":"\nFor The Sunday Muse prompt #118:\n** In the chaos of water meeting water and breaking free, each splash\na hop of joy freed to twirl and twist and kick and be, a body bent\nfluidly flowing like a shout of delirious joy, life echoes.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/07/28/water/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/the-sunday-muse-118.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2020/07/sunday-muse-118.html\"\u003eprompt #118\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\nIn the chaos of\nwater meeting water and\nbreaking free, each splash\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ea hop of joy freed\nto twirl and twist and kick and\nbe, a body bent\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efluidly flowing\nlike a shout of delirious\njoy, life echoes.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Water"},{"content":"A Poets \u0026amp; Writers prompt from a few months ago asked us to explore ourselves by using the ten questions guests on the TV show, Inside the Actor\u0026rsquo;s studio, are asked. A few months late here goes my response:\nWhat is your favourite word? This would have to be \u0026lsquo;Quotidian\u0026rsquo;, a word I\u0026rsquo;ll admit to first hearing from Chris Abani\u0026rsquo;s 2008 TED Talk. Between the man, his work and the heft of the word, it is my favourite word, one I once made the theme of an entire blog. ) What is your least favourite word? Like, when it is used as an immensely irritating filler word. What turns you on? Boobs and brains. I\u0026rsquo;m partial to a well-spoken, well-read damsel with a great rack, cload in something just slingy enough to highlight the cleavage a wee bit. :) I\u0026rsquo;ve clearly thought too much about this\u0026hellip;. Like this, which I\u0026rsquo;ll have to admit is disturbingly specific.. :) What turns you off? A nag.. What sound or noise do you love? I love the sound of rain on a tin roof, maybe a throwback to growing up in Nigeria and the freshness that a thunderstorm brings, washing dust and dirt away. A tin roof speaks of solidity and shelter I think, and the sound of hearing the rain rage outside whilst I\u0026rsquo;m safe within is one I love. What sound or noise do you hate? Dripping water. I suppose it is a counterpoint to rain, not least because dripping water drips in that annoying way, never quite making up its mind whether to be unleashed in a torrent or to just stop. Neither hot nor cold in a manner of speaking to use a Revelations metaphor. What is your favourite curse word? Fecking, like fucking but maybe less in your face? What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Medicine, psychiatry or family medicine. How close I came I\u0026rsquo;d never know but both my sisters ended up towing that path and have quite succeeded at it I\u0026rsquo;d say. What profession would you not like to do? Policing, politics, and the pulpit\u0026hellip; If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? Could you have made your existence a little bit clearer and helped us understand our origins? What was all that cloak-and-dagger stuff about? ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/07/27/ten-questions-an-inner-interrogation/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA \u003ca href=\"https://www.pw.org/content/inner_interrogation\"\u003ePoets \u0026amp; Writers prompt\u003c/a\u003e from a few months ago asked us to explore ourselves by using the ten questions guests on the TV show, \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_the_Actors_Studio\"\u003eInside the Actor\u0026rsquo;s studio\u003c/a\u003e, are asked. A few months late here goes my response:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is your favourite word?\u003c/strong\u003e This would have to be \u0026lsquo;Quotidian\u0026rsquo;, a word I\u0026rsquo;ll admit to \u003ca href=\"/2015/06/09/of-titles-and-taglines/\"\u003efirst hearing from Chris Abani\u0026rsquo;s 2008 TED Talk\u003c/a\u003e. Between the man, his work and the heft of the word, it is my favourite word, one I once made the theme of an entire blog. )\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is your least favourite word?\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eLike\u003c/em\u003e,  when it is used as an immensely irritating filler word.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat turns you on?\u003c/strong\u003e Boobs and brains. I\u0026rsquo;m partial to a well-spoken, well-read damsel with a great rack, cload in something just slingy enough to highlight the cleavage a wee bit. :) I\u0026rsquo;ve clearly thought too much about this\u0026hellip;.  \u003ca href=\"https://images.app.goo.gl/1trdKPEsCUhrbPC66\"\u003eLike this\u003c/a\u003e, which I\u0026rsquo;ll have to admit is disturbingly specific.. :)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat turns you off?\u003c/strong\u003e A nag..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat sound or noise do you love?\u003c/strong\u003e I love the sound of rain on a tin roof, maybe a throwback to growing up in Nigeria and the freshness that a thunderstorm brings, washing dust and dirt away. A tin roof speaks of solidity and shelter I think, and the sound of hearing the rain rage outside whilst I\u0026rsquo;m safe within is one I love.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat sound or noise do you hate?\u003c/strong\u003e Dripping water. I suppose it is a counterpoint to rain, not least because dripping water drips in that annoying way, never quite making up its mind whether to be unleashed in a torrent or to just stop. Neither hot nor cold in a manner of speaking to use a Revelations metaphor.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is your favourite curse word?\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eFecking\u003c/em\u003e, like \u003cem\u003efucking\u003c/em\u003e but maybe less in your face?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat profession other than your own would you like to attempt?\u003c/strong\u003e Medicine, psychiatry or family medicine. How close I came I\u0026rsquo;d never know but both my sisters ended up towing that path and have quite succeeded at it I\u0026rsquo;d say.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat profession would you not like to do?\u003c/strong\u003e Policing, politics, and the pulpit\u0026hellip;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIf heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?\u003c/strong\u003e Could you have made your existence a little bit clearer and helped us understand our origins? What was all that cloak-and-dagger stuff about?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"Ten Questions: An Inner Interrogation"},{"content":"For The Sunday Muse prompt #117:\n** Breathe, in spite of beauty, in spite of the frailty of the blue orb floating free beneath your feet, stunning you.\nBreathe, because of beauty because the earth hugs you like a mother tethers her unborn child fragile in its parts guiding, calling, growing feeding.\nBreathe, because home centres you because wherever you are times and seasons are locked in an eternal dance\nBreathe, because.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/07/20/breathe/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/the-sunday-muse-117.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2020/07/sunday-muse-117.html\"\u003eprompt #117\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\nBreathe,\n\u003cem\u003ein spite\u003c/em\u003e of beauty,\nin spite of the frailty\nof the blue orb floating free\nbeneath your feet,\nstunning you.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBreathe,\n\u003cem\u003ebecause\u003c/em\u003e of beauty\nbecause the earth hugs you\nlike a mother tethers\nher unborn child\nfragile in its parts\nguiding, calling, growing\nfeeding.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBreathe,\nbecause home centres you\nbecause wherever you are\ntimes and seasons are locked\nin an eternal dance\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBreathe,\nbecause.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Breathe"},{"content":"\nGoing Deeper: How the Inner Child Impacts Your Sexual Addiction by Eddie Capparucci **\nThe Premise: We act out sexually when our inner child, scarred and taught to cope during childhood, is activated. Acting out is subconscious to some extent. To break the cycle, we need to step in and enforce a time out so our rational thining side can assert itself. Nine inner child types are explored: the bored, the unnoticed, the un-affirmed, the emotionally voided, the controlling, the entitled, the inferior/weak, the stressed and the sexually stimulated. Each description follows a similar format, a discussion of how this type manifests in the adult, likely triggers during childhood and how it triggers uncontrolled sexual behaviour.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s all well and good understanding one\u0026rsquo;s state but the real value is in finding a way out for which a few key actions are identified:\nIdentify your core emotional triggers Recognize negative events, evaluate them against the core emotional triggers identified and learn to become mindful Recognize the collision of past and present in driving your current behaviours Process the kid\u0026rsquo;s emotional pain Employ rational thinking, take control. Favourite Quote (albeit borrowed from another author):\nThe two enemies of human happiness are pain and boredom - Arthur Schopenhauer\nRating 4/5\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/07/19/reading-going-deeper-how-the-inner-child-impacts-your-sexual-addiction/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/going-deeper.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Deeper-Impacts-Sexual-Addiction-ebook/dp/B084Z4L6YP/\"\u003eGoing Deeper: How the Inner Child Impacts Your Sexual Addiction\u003c/a\u003e by Eddie Capparucci\u003c/em\u003e\n**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Premise: We act out sexually when our inner child, scarred and taught to cope during childhood, is activated. Acting out is subconscious to some extent. To break the cycle, we need to step in and enforce a time out so our rational thining side can assert itself. Nine inner child types are explored: the bored, the unnoticed, the un-affirmed, the emotionally voided, the controlling, the entitled, the inferior/weak, the stressed and the sexually stimulated. Each description follows a similar format, a discussion of how this type manifests in the adult, likely triggers during childhood and how it triggers uncontrolled sexual behaviour.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2020 Reading #2: Going Deeper: How the Inner Child Impacts Your Sexual Addiction"},{"content":"The Practice of The Presence of God (In Modern English) by Brother Lawrence (Author) and Marshall Davis (Translator)\n**\nA classic which dates back to the late 1600s, this is a book that regularly makes it on to lists of great devotional books. This (newish) translation is by Marshall Davis, who has form for this sort of reimagining. Between this year being my year of delving deeper and plenty of time thanks to COVID-19, I finally got round to reading this! to read has ended up on my pile for years. The central characters are a French lay brother, born Nicholas Herman but better known as Brother Lawrence, and Father Joseph de Beaufort, the vicar general to the Archbishop of Paris. A perhaps unlikely friendship given their different stations in life, we have it to thank for the letters and conversations recorded here.\nA key theme is developing a practice for the presence of God in one’s life, through the mundane and the spiritual, particularly apt given Brother Lawrence served in the kitchen of the Order of Discalced Carmelites. The difficulties of going from normal life to a state of authentic union are not shirked. Rather, several times in the book Brother Lawrence refers to the need for ‘ faithfulness in the dry seasons of the spiritual life’, ‘ make[ing] a special effort’ and using the will to constrain wandering thoughts.\nThe path described here is not merely hard, disciplined work though, a love for God, instigated by Him, must be the reason why we go through the process and practice so that ‘ after a little care we should find His love inwardly excite us to it without any difficulty’. Elsewhere, \u0026rsquo; All kinds of spiritual disciplines, if they are void of God cannot remove a single sin from our lives.'\nMy favourite quote:\nThe spiritual life is neither an art nor a science. To arrive at union with God all one needs is a heart resolutely determined to apply itself to nothing but Him, do nothing but for His sake, and to love Him only\nCertainly one to come back to again and again. Rating 5/5\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/07/16/the-practice-of-the-presence-of-god-in-modern-english/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/practice-of-the-presence.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Practice-Presence-God-Modern-English-ebook/dp/B00FZ40L9G/\"\u003eThe Practice of The Presence of God (In Modern English)\u003c/a\u003e by Brother Lawrence (Author) and Marshall Davis (Translator)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Practice-Presence-God-Modern-English/dp/1521299757\"\u003eA classic\u003c/a\u003e which dates back to the late 1600s, this is a book that regularly makes it on to lists of great devotional books. This (newish) translation is by \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Marshall-Davis/e/B001K8Y0RU/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_2\"\u003eMarshall Davis\u003c/a\u003e, who has form for this sort of reimagining. Between this year being \u003ca href=\"/2020/01/01/2020-delve-deeper/\"\u003emy year of delving deeper\u003c/a\u003e and plenty of time thanks to COVID-19, I finally got round to reading this!  to read has ended up on my pile for years. The central characters are a French lay brother, born Nicholas Herman but better known as Brother Lawrence, and Father Joseph de Beaufort, the vicar general to the Archbishop of Paris. A perhaps unlikely friendship given their different stations in life, we have it to thank for the letters and conversations recorded here.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2020 Reading: #1 - The Practice of The Presence of God"},{"content":"This has been sitting in my drafts for several months, so I thought I\u0026rsquo;d try to finish it off and post it here as a means to making use of the time I have on my hands.\n**\nIf there is a silver lining to being a terrible sleeper it is that I usually manage to wake up in time for things, typically before my alarm rings. The blips on that record are increasingly regular - and spectacular - like this past weekend when I slept through multiple alarms. When I finally woke up (having failed to do so to the alarm on my phone and on my watch), it was ten minutes before my taxi was due, cue half-brained rushing about to splash some water on my face, brush my teeth and grab my travel bags. By the time that was done, there were already two missed calls from the taxi driver and the company on my phone. There was, I thought, a hint of irritation on the driver\u0026rsquo;s face when I finally emerged. All of that disappeared once we were on the way, and speeding, to the airport. The usual chit-chat revealed he had passed through the corner of West Africa I was headed for many years ago, and that he was Latvian, not that anyone could have guessed from his near-perfect Aberdonian accent. Scrambling for change at the airport, he waived the additional £1.20, helped me with getting my bags out of the car trunk and then promptly disappeared for the next gig. Bag drop and security took ten minutes at that time of the morning, by which time I was barely lucid and grateful for the cup of black coffee I poured myself once I was into the lounge. I was the first of my work party to arrive, which gave me some time to settle in and breathe a little, before the incessant chit-chat and mindless prattle began. It was a good thing I managed to catch my breath because the chit-chat, when it began, focused on the prospect of my leaving for greener pastures - being a traitor to the cause was the good-natured accusation thrown about. In those days before the oil price tanked, there were stirrings of growth and opportunities and I was only the latest in a long line of folk who had either left or were in the process of leaving. To cut costs, we had somehow engineered a tight connection at Charles de Gaulle, our turn around time being a grand total of ninety minutes plane to plane which left us hands full, running almost full pelt through the airport. We made it with some time to spare in the end and were delayed by a further hour for reasons unknown to us, all of which left me internally cursing the necessity of the awfully early start. We found out in the end that the delay was due to a deportation order being served on someone, cue police and immigration and all the malarkey that comes with those.\nThe flight itself was unremarkable, except perhaps for the opportunity it provided to catch up on some sleep and a small moment of which I am ashamed in which I relocated a very pregnant woman\u0026rsquo;s bags to ensure I\u0026rsquo;d have access to mine during the flight. Not my finest hour I\u0026rsquo;ll admit, though I\u0026rsquo;d point to my being less than mentally optimal from the loss of sleep. There was food, some movie of some description to pass the time and then podcasts to drown out the noise around. The Bamako pitstop was just that, though it added an extra hour to our travel, meaning we arrived at Abidjan just after 5.30pm local time. Customs was a breeze, the one advantage of arriving on a flight that disgorged the majority of its passengers in Bamako, which meant in just under an hour we were through customs bags in hand searching the gathered crowds for our assigned driver. H and I were at our hotel by 7pm and having dinner by 7.30pm, before turning in for our early morning helicopter flight offshore. That set the tone for the week: early starts, late nights and plenty of helicopter flights, meetings, getting frogged on and off remote platforms, and largely being visible. By the time Thursday came around, the days had begun to blur into each other, the situation not helped by terribly slow internet which was the result of issues with undersea cables off the West African coast.\nThese trips take me down memory lane, to a time and place in which I was the young, exuberant national engineer with expatriate advisors doling out dollops from their vats of wisdom. Back then, I felt like I was kicking against a glass ceiling and would never really hit the heights I wanted to. There is after all, a perverse incentive structure here; the expatriate is by definition highly paid - better remunerated than in his (and it typically is a he in these parts) own country, waited on hand and foot and holds a lot of power by virtue of his perceived expertise. His approval is thus something of great significance in the local power structure, and when given sparingly can drive behaviours of subservience in the local engineer. There is also the small matter of the expat boys club and the propensity to err on the side of supporting the hegemony in the event of a potential threat to that power. After all, every member of the club benefits, and the more the perceived requirements for their expert service persists, the more the local engineers are made to feel and look incompetent. Nationalisation schemes attempt to address the skills gap by demanding quotas for nationals in these companies - whether they work is a different matter altogether. The irony is not lost on me though, I too am out here because of a perceived superiority of expertise - I too have become part of the White-Saviour industrial complex, to borrow a construct from Teju Cole. I can only hope that with time, at least some of the bright, young people I meet on these trips can hit the heights their exuberance and energy deserve, and opportunities to grow and learn come their way.\nWe spend the last day back on land, a day visit to Jacqueville being the objective. It is one of those little outposts big (or medium-sized oil in this case) manages to find, the small pump station on the edge of the town being the most important thing of economic significance in the area. The road there, usually impassable in the heights of the rainy season, has recently been graded and is thus somewhat passable. Graded or not, it is a bumpy ride, our convoy of 4x4\u0026rsquo;s leaving dust in our wake as we bounce along the final stretch of earth road. Palm trees line the earth road, tricycles dot the roads and in the distance, boats bob about on the sea as fishermen go about their daily business. At our final destination, we carry out an impromptu inspection of some work which is planned for completion in early March with several strong words exchanged at the state of preparedness (or not). Part of it is a manifestation of that industrial complex, and the resultant lack of agency of the national engineer in charge. Lurking beneath the surface for me is that it is my last time out here. Although, I have been involved in this place for all of three years. I\u0026rsquo;d like to think I\u0026rsquo;m leaving it in a better state than I met it. Even out here, in the middle of nowhere, plastic shrouds the roots of the trees.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/07/15/the-diary-jacqueville-by-the-sea/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/img_20200123_102628.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis has been sitting in my drafts for several months, so I thought I\u0026rsquo;d try to finish it off and post it here as a means to making use of the time I have on my hands.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIf\u003c/em\u003e there is a silver lining to being a terrible sleeper it is that I usually manage to wake up in time for things, typically before my alarm rings. The blips on that record are increasingly regular -  and spectacular - like this past weekend when I slept through multiple alarms. When I finally woke up (having failed to do so to the alarm on my phone and on my watch), it was ten minutes before my taxi was due, cue half-brained rushing about to splash some water on my face, brush my teeth and grab my travel bags. By the time that was done, there were already two missed calls from the taxi driver and the company on my phone. There was, I thought, a hint of irritation on the driver\u0026rsquo;s face when I finally emerged. All of that disappeared once we were on the way, and speeding, to the airport.  The usual chit-chat revealed he had passed through the corner of West Africa I was headed for many years ago, and that he was Latvian, not that anyone could have guessed from his near-perfect Aberdonian accent. Scrambling for change at the airport, he waived the additional £1.20, helped me with getting my bags out of the car trunk and then promptly disappeared for the next gig. Bag drop and security took ten minutes at that time of the morning, by which time I was barely lucid and grateful for the cup of black coffee I poured myself once I was into the lounge. I was the first of my work party to arrive, which gave me some time to settle in and breathe a little, before the incessant chit-chat and mindless prattle began. It was a good thing I managed to catch my breath because the chit-chat, when it began, focused on the prospect of my leaving for greener pastures - being a traitor to the cause was the good-natured accusation thrown about. In those days before the oil price tanked, there were stirrings of growth and opportunities and I was only the latest in a long line of folk who had either left or were in the process of leaving. To cut costs, we had somehow engineered a tight connection at Charles de Gaulle, our turn around time being a grand total of ninety minutes plane to plane which left us hands full, running almost full pelt through the airport. We made it with some time to spare in the end and were delayed by a further hour for reasons unknown to us, all of which left me internally cursing the necessity of the awfully early start. We found out in the end that the delay was due to a deportation order being served on someone, cue police and immigration and all the malarkey that comes with those.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Diary: Jacqueville By The Sea"},{"content":"For The Sunday Muse Prompt #116. Image \u0026ldquo;Seeing Black \u0026amp; White\u0026rdquo; photography by Susie Clevenger\n** Yesterday\u0026rsquo;s ghouls are slowly disappearing, fading like the night light once bright but now dappled, wisps of grey carried away in our slipstream, lingering like the dust a knight\u0026rsquo;s steed leaves in the frenzy of flight.\nBut the promise is a mirage, objects in a mirror are closer than they appear and though we run as though the wind bears us, yesterday\u0026rsquo;s shadow lurks in the space between the things we leave and the things that disappear\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/07/13/disappearing/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/sunday-muse-116.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2020/07/sunday-muse-116.html\"\u003ePrompt #116\u003c/a\u003e. Image \u0026ldquo;Seeing Black \u0026amp; White\u0026rdquo; photography by \u003ca href=\"https://susie-clevengerphotography.blogspot.com/\"\u003eSusie Clevenger\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\nYesterday\u0026rsquo;s ghouls\nare slowly disappearing,\nfading like the night light\nonce bright but now dappled,\nwisps of grey carried away\nin our slipstream,\nlingering like the dust\na knight\u0026rsquo;s steed leaves\nin the frenzy of flight.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut the promise is a mirage,\nobjects in a mirror\nare closer than they appear\nand though we run\nas though the wind bears us,\nyesterday\u0026rsquo;s shadow lurks\nin the space between\nthe things we leave\nand the things that\ndisappear\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Disappearing"},{"content":"For the Poetic Asides prompt 530 Where You Are, Photo by Reiseuhu on Unsplash\n** Here the sun hangs like a weight its heat like a curtain, dense, wrapped around itself like thick clouds keeping out the light.\nDust clouds swirl around hardy rocks, each peak a monument to defiance, to aeons of resistance, to heads held high against the ravages of earth, sand and time.\nFor a season this, this barren space which survives against the odds is home, reluctant as it may be\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/07/10/where-i-am/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/header.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor the Poetic Asides prompt 530 \u003ca href=\"https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/wednesday-poetry-prompts-530\"\u003eWhere You Are\u003c/a\u003e, Photo by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@reiseuhu?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eReiseuhu\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/wadi?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\nHere the sun\nhangs like a weight\nits heat like a curtain,\ndense, wrapped around itself\nlike thick clouds\nkeeping out the light.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDust clouds swirl\naround hardy rocks,\neach peak a monument\nto defiance, to aeons\nof resistance,\nto heads held high against\nthe ravages of earth,\nsand and time.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor a season this,\nthis barren space\nwhich survives\nagainst the odds\nis home, reluctant\nas it may be\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Where I Am"},{"content":"\nFor The Sunday Muse prompt #115:\n** Let the first sniff hit you, let the faint hint of the juice pressed and aged be like incense wafting up, a prayer to Dionysius for a blessing on this rich red liquid, chilled, swirled and sipped.\nLet the low heat linger, let its essence slowly spread, warming the insides of your mouth let its heft spread like a warm embrace across your tongue. Let it rise Let it rise.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/07/09/how-to-taste-wine/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/how-to-taste-wine.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2020/07/sunday-muse-115.html\"\u003eprompt #115\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\nLet the first sniff\nhit you, let the faint\nhint of the juice pressed\nand aged be like incense\nwafting up, a prayer\nto Dionysius for a blessing\non this rich red liquid,\nchilled, swirled and sipped.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLet the low heat\nlinger, let its essence\nslowly spread, warming\nthe insides of your mouth\nlet its heft spread\nlike a warm embrace\nacross your tongue.\nLet it rise\nLet it rise.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"How To Taste Wine"},{"content":"Photo by Jose Antonio Gallego Vázquez on Unsplash\n** When I reflected on life at the turn of the year, and wondered what the year would be for me, Delve Deeper came to mind. Behind that was the understanding, inspired in part by the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders, that everything worth its salt is tested, and only those which had roots sunk deep would survive. I was also on the cusp of quitting my job up north with the prospect of the move of a lifetime looming. Whatever your particular take on COVID-19 is — elaborate hoax, a pretext for instituting a new world order or a symptom of a broken world — what is incontrovertible is that in its wake has come a seismic change to the world and what we know of it. For all the preening, posturing and the facade of strength the world economies have presented, 2020 has shown it all up like an edifice built on shifting sands to use a biblical metaphor. The Emperor’s new clothes, for all we can see, are anything but a covering.\nWithin the wider context of the shutdown of the world’s systems, the latest iteration of oil’s boom and bust cycle hit close to home, the precipitous dive in the price of oil, particularly the Brent benchmark, from just under $70 to a low of $18 and change the latest trigger in the latest race to trim the fat by companies all along the oil supply and value chain. To be fair, COVID-19, the global shutdowns and the resulting supply glut were only the straw that broke the back of camel increasingly hassled by headwinds such as the continued rise of green energy and their activists, US shale and players (read Russia and Saudi Arabia) only too happy to throw their weight around in an attempt to eke out more market share. A perfect storm perhaps, but all told it is a sequence of events which leaves some (full disclosure like me) who are invested in the industry for their livelihood concerned about the future and what it portends.\nWith projects no longer economic at current pricing levels, job cuts at majors and their key suppliers are inevitable with BP looking to trim up 10,000 job globally and Saudi Aramco looking to do the same for about 8,000 jobs. Job losses in my old stomping ground in the North Sea were estimated to be in excess of 4,500 in June. Across the pond in America, the first bankruptcies have occurred with surely more to come, all symptoms of the highly leveraged low margin environment the oil patch, at least in the West, has become. Of course, one has to take the good with the bad, and roll with the punches, although it does significantly impact the prospects for attracting future talent into the industry. That, and improving the gender balance and the average age of those in the industry, have been stated objectives for the UK sector of the North Sea with various diversity and inclusion initiatives been fronted as recently as last week. There is also the slight worry that the boom periods between bust (and slash and burn) are getting shorter. Change is afoot in many ways than one.\nChange they say is inevitable, it is those who are able to adapt who survive and thrive though, all of which has left me thinking long and hard about the future, and what it portends. The obvious response is to consider a career reinvention, one which untethers me from the tentacles of big oil. Three criteria come to mind in determining what sort of direction such a move might take: the development of domain agnostic skills (to ensure I don\u0026rsquo;t get stuck in a different version of the big-oil problem), a non-zero entry point( to ensure some or all of my current skills are transferable) and a high ceiling (to ensure there is scope for growth). My oil and gas niche, with some retooling, lends itself to some level of cross-domain application, being relevant across a number of high hazard industries where corrosion and asset integrity is a concern (nuclear, wind, buildings/ infrastructure and even automobiles) as do the quantitative and analytical skills which practising as an engineer have also developed. Risk analysis and management skills are also useful, as are project management and coordination skills.\nI am betting on data, as it ticks all three of the criteria above with the added bonus of enabling remote/ flexible working practices and being applicable in my current role. It will take some retooling - for all my flirting with Python, there is a knowledge gap to be plugged there, as well as a time requirement to build the confidence and skills that deliberate practice brings. I may have missed planting this tree 20 years ago, the bigger mistake would be failing to plant it today.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/07/06/hitting-reset-some-thoughts-on-adapting-for-a-post-oil-world/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/unsplash-reset.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@joseantoniogall?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eJose Antonio Gallego Vázquez\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"/s/photos/reset?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\nWhen I reflected on life at the turn of the year, and wondered what the year would be for me, \u003ca href=\"/2020/01/01/2020-delve-deeper/\"\u003eDelve Deeper came to mind.\u003c/a\u003e Behind that was the understanding, inspired in part by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+7%3A24-27\u0026amp;version=ESV\"\u003eParable of the Wise and Foolish Builders\u003c/a\u003e, that everything worth its salt is tested, and only those which had roots sunk deep would survive. I was also on the cusp of quitting my job up north with the prospect of the move of a lifetime looming. Whatever your particular take on COVID-19 is — elaborate hoax, a pretext for instituting a new world order or a symptom of a broken world — what is incontrovertible is that in its wake has come a seismic change to the world and what we know of it. For all the preening, posturing and the facade of strength the world economies have presented, 2020 has shown it all up like an edifice \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_Wise_and_the_Foolish_Builders\"\u003ebuilt on shifting sands\u003c/a\u003e to use a biblical metaphor. The Emperor’s new clothes, for all we can see, are anything but a covering.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Hitting Reset: Some thoughts on adapting for a post-oil world"},{"content":"For C, and the others 2020 has taken. A response to the Poetic Asides prompt, Pandemic. Photo by Marina Reich on Unsplash ** Where the patter of your footsteps once roamed silence reigns, the joy of breath and thought and sonorous song subsumed by the frailty of things.\nDeath lingered at your door, too long and then snatched you. In the silence that you leave we remember the things we planned tomorrow.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/07/03/silence-for-c/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/poetic-asides-1.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor C, and the others 2020 has taken. A response to the Poetic Asides prompt, \u003ca href=\"https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/wednesday-poetry-prompts-529\"\u003ePandemic\u003c/a\u003e. Photo by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@marinareich?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eMarina Reich\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/empty-room?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\n**\nWhere the patter\nof your footsteps\nonce roamed\nsilence reigns,\nthe joy of breath\nand thought\nand sonorous song\nsubsumed by the\nfrailty of things.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeath lingered\nat your door, too long\nand then snatched you.\nIn the silence that you leave\nwe remember the things\nwe planned tomorrow.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Silence, For C..."},{"content":"\nFor The Sunday Muse prompt #114:\n\\\\\\* May the pains of today\u0026rsquo;s desires lose themselves in the fragrance of a love reborn, the pained passion of unrequited love find itself returned in time like a blossom that speaks, a sacred whisper to the soul colouring everything in the light of a rose, beautiful in its bleeding yet whole, because the Lover and the Loved like thorn and rose find themselves entwined, from past pain and tortured paths, delirious joy arising.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/06/29/a-prayer-for-lost-loves/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/sunday-muse-roses.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-sunday-muse-114.html\"\u003eprompt #114\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nMay the pains\nof today\u0026rsquo;s desires\nlose themselves in\nthe fragrance of\na love reborn,\nthe pained passion of\nunrequited love find itself\nreturned in time\nlike a blossom that speaks,\na sacred whisper to the soul\ncolouring everything in\nthe light of a rose,\nbeautiful in its bleeding\nyet whole, because the Lover\nand the Loved like thorn and rose\nfind themselves entwined,\nfrom past pain and tortured paths,\ndelirious joy arising.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Prayer for Lost Loves"},{"content":"\nAt the end of the storm, there\u0026rsquo;s a golden sky\u0026hellip; False starts and disappointments notwithstanding\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/06/26/champions/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/lfc-champions-19-20.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the end of the storm, there\u0026rsquo;s a golden sky\u0026hellip;  \u003ca href=\"/2008/10/30/loving-liverpool-fc/\"\u003eFalse starts\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"/2009/01/31/on-liverpool-and-a-contentious-super-bowl-ad/\"\u003edisappointments\u003c/a\u003e notwithstanding\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Champions!!!"},{"content":"\nFor The Sunday Muse prompt #113: \\\\\\* The light in her eyes mirrors the mirth, in the wry smile that still, some days, wraps itself around her lips, a bird, free, born of the wild borne by the wind.\nThe heavy scent of summer, of flowers blooming and of squirrels flitting between the trees, reaches down into the depth of the memories she bears within, the delight of summers past simmering, then bubbling to the fore though her fingers can no longer coax life from the dry earth or press pleasure into a cone.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/06/22/summertime-for-g/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/first-color-photos-vintage-old-autochrome-lumiere-auguste-louis-20.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-sunday-muse-113.html\"\u003eprompt #113\u003c/a\u003e:\n\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nThe light in her eyes\nmirrors the mirth,\nin the wry smile\nthat still, some days,\nwraps itself\naround her lips,\na bird, free,\nborn of the wild\nborne by the wind.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe heavy scent of summer,\nof flowers blooming and\nof squirrels flitting\nbetween the trees,\nreaches down into\nthe depth of the memories\nshe bears within, the\ndelight of summers past\nsimmering, then bubbling\nto the fore though\nher fingers can no longer\ncoax life from the dry earth\nor press pleasure\ninto a cone.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Summertime, for G"},{"content":"For the Sunday Muse prompt # 112: \\\\\\* Sometimes I carry the weight of the world upon my head, its heft held between the twin peaks of forgotten and accepted things, a history curated not by those who waver at the threat of war but those who embrace its vagaries, who daily pour out a libation to destruction.\nWhat seems like the stillness of a boat in quiet waters only hides the furious paddling of a mind being torn apart as it wrestles with the tension between conforming and desire.\nThis is how one keeps dismay at bay, until someday in a moment, unexpected in its coming and ferocity, it ignites.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/06/15/ignition/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/sunday-muse-112.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor the Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2020/06/sunday-muse-112.html\"\u003eprompt # 112\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/em\u003e\n\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nSometimes I carry\nthe weight of the world\nupon my head, its heft\nheld between the twin peaks\nof forgotten and accepted things,\na history curated not\nby those who waver\nat the threat of war\nbut those who embrace\nits vagaries, who daily\npour out a libation\nto destruction.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat seems like\nthe stillness of a boat\nin quiet waters only hides\nthe furious paddling\nof a mind being torn apart\nas it wrestles with the tension\nbetween conforming and desire.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Ignition..."},{"content":"\nFor The Sunday Muse prompt #111:\n\\\\\\* what we remember of the past are the things the mind allows, the harshness of being hacked into a thousand tiny pieces assuaged by the desire to forget, to not let the horror of the past hold the present hostage, to find a path that winds through the remains of pillage to a coherent whole.\nwhat we learn in the end is that skirting the hole where our kin should be is akin to yielding to the pressure of a hand pressed against our throat, to feed the pleasure of the ghouls hovering over our history.\nto begin afresh we must yield to the call of the things we half-remember and wander into light.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/06/11/half-remembered/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/sunday-muse-110-1.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2020/06/sunday-muse-111.html\"\u003eprompt #111:\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nwhat we remember\nof the past are the things\nthe mind allows, the\nharshness of being hacked\ninto a thousand tiny pieces\nassuaged by the desire\nto forget, to not let\nthe horror of the past\nhold the present hostage,\nto find a path that winds\nthrough the remains\nof pillage to\na coherent whole.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewhat we learn\nin the end is that\nskirting the hole where\nour kin should be is akin\nto yielding to the\npressure of a hand pressed\nagainst our throat, to feed\nthe pleasure of the ghouls\nhovering over our history.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Half Remembered"},{"content":"\nFor The Sunday Muse Prompt #110,\n\\\\\\* The heart ponders what lies beyond the realm of sight, what hides in the place where dreams come from, where the beauty of a still night twinkles in the soft light. From afar it tugs at the strings of the curious heart, in its distance, a promise of salvation from the fires below.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/06/01/quest/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/sunday-muse-110.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2020/05/sunday-muse-110.html\"\u003ePrompt #110\u003c/a\u003e,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nThe heart ponders\nwhat lies beyond\nthe realm of sight,\nwhat hides in the place\nwhere dreams come from,\nwhere the beauty\nof a still night\ntwinkles in the\nsoft light.\nFrom afar it tugs\nat the strings\nof the curious heart,\nin its distance,\na promise of salvation\nfrom the fires below.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Quest"},{"content":"\n\\\\\\* Seemingly like in the blink of an eye – like play like play in the pidgin English of my youth – we are somehow at the end of May! Summer is finally here, bringing in its wake the realisation that if I had stayed up North, the first of my Nine Fridays of Summer would have just gone past. As it is though, I find myself in an intermission of sorts, loitering in the space between a past life and the future in which an adventure in the sun hovers just out of reach, 70 days late. There are of course worse things than swapping grey granite for verdant green or being cooped up with family, like dying or very nearly dying like so many people, including a few closer to home for me, have over the past few months of this pandemic.\nThe reality of the lockdown first hit on a personal level sometime in late March, when my flight out was cancelled. My initial reaction is to take it as an extended holiday of sorts, cue extended hours of Football Manager but as time passes, each day blurring into the next, I find life without the tether of routine somewhat disconcerting. Its the first time since the autumn of 2009 that I have been in this place where there is plenty of time on my hands. Six weeks of a creative non-fiction writing course and National Poetry Writing Month do provide some structure and help mitigate the sense of floundering, the result of decisions taken earlier in the year as part of fleshing out what My Year of Delving Deeper would look like. It is thus only in May that the desire to stay creative and productive kicks in, no thanks to the reminders of the supreme productivity of Newton and Shakespeare in similar times from the Twitter productivity gurus.\nOne of the bigger impacts of all the time everyone suddenly has is a significant regression in the quality of my Whatsapp messages. Being Nigerian, with loads of older, Christian folk in my contacts, I find my inbox something of a ground zero for conspiracy theories of all flavours, from the 5G one peddled by a certain Nigerian MOG through a raft of others suggesting it is all a ploy to foist some religious or moral imperative on the rest of us. Elsewhere in my wider (Pentecostals) network, the miracle of hindsight manifests itself in various names - both well known and lesser-known lights - claiming some sort of prescience or other in having prophesied that a pandemic of such a nature was coming. What those who forward those messages on to me fail to answer is why, if these prophets were that certain, they didn\u0026rsquo;t shout louder for those of us at the back as Nigerian Twitter likes to put it. Those who cling to conspiracy theories do so as an attempt to find certitude and assert control of what is fundamentally an uncertain state, at least so says Skye Jethani who is a lot more clued into the Christian sub-culture than I am.\nIn retrospect, the things that stand out from the past 70 days - and some - are the little unplanned things; a picture from 2016 which brings back memories of Lagos and hanging with the old gang, an impromptu WhatsApp video call which segues into a three-way call that drags in A, I and C and dredges up fantastic memories of life, youth and friends that have become closer than brothers as it were. I find myself measuring time in the small things and new routines, Mondays as bin days, Wednesdays as my Alpha Online days, Thursdays for joining the line that snakes around my local Tesco to stock up on food and water and Sundays for lengthy phone calls to friends and family around the world. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays have become portals of exploration, as my runs take me along paths which weave their way around the River Wey navigation paths. The bucolic sights that greet one\u0026rsquo;s eyes these days belie the fact that as recently as the 1960\u0026rsquo;s these were functional navigation routes. Private boats and yachts now line the waterway in places, a nod to the relatively well off folk who are our neighbours out here. Even those lie quietly, all furloughed in their own way, more than a few clearly showing signs of age and disuse, a metaphor for pausing to smell the roses and to enjoy the whispers of nature the world would otherwise have drowned out.\nThis is what my days have boiled down to; Reading, Writing and Running, and finding Joy in small things.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/05/29/the-diary-the-joy-in-small-things/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/the-diary-joy.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nSeemingly like in the blink of an eye – \u003cem\u003elike play like play\u003c/em\u003e in the pidgin English of my youth –  we are somehow at the end of May!  Summer is finally here, bringing in its wake the realisation that \u003ca href=\"/2020/05/11/on-leaving/\"\u003eif I had stayed up North\u003c/a\u003e, the first of my \u003ca href=\"/tag/nine-fridays-of-summer/\"\u003eNine Fridays of Summer\u003c/a\u003e would have just gone past. As it is though, I find myself in an intermission of sorts, loitering in the space between a past life and the future in which an adventure in the sun hovers just out of reach, 70 days late. There are of course worse things than swapping grey granite for verdant green or being cooped up with family, like dying or \u003cem\u003every nearly dying\u003c/em\u003e like so many people, including a few closer to home for me, have over the past few months of this pandemic.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Diary: The Joy In Small Things"},{"content":"For The Sunday Muse Prompt #109, Image \u0026ldquo;Snow White \u0026amp; Rose Red\u0026rdquo; by Kerry Darlington\n\\\\\\* The kind hearts of the shy and the cheerful make space for the stranger, a traveller quivering in the winter wind, lost, for a moment.\nWhat lies hidden in the dream is that sometimes a good deed travels the world for a season and then returns twice revived, the shy and the cheerful ones saved in return by the stranger who once wandered by.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/05/25/the-return-of-a-deed/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/muse-photo-for-gemini-may.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2020/05/sunday-muse-109.html\"\u003ePrompt #109\u003c/a\u003e, Image \u0026ldquo;Snow White \u0026amp; Rose Red\u0026rdquo; by Kerry Darlington\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nThe kind hearts\nof the shy\nand the cheerful\nmake space\nfor the stranger,\na traveller quivering\nin the winter wind,\nlost, for a moment.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat lies hidden\nin the dream\nis that sometimes\na good deed\ntravels the world\nfor a season\nand then returns\ntwice revived,\nthe shy\nand the cheerful ones\nsaved in return\nby the stranger\nwho once wandered by.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"When A Deed Returns"},{"content":"For The Sunday Muse prompt #108:\n\\\\\\* Bound up in its faux pillars and its dangling chandeliers are the memories of stolen things, the tears shed here by the lost ones reverberating in our ears. Time disappears here, subsumed by the delight of truly feeling and of seeing, the art of each act a tribute to the ones who\u0026rsquo;ve come before.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/05/18/place/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/sunday-muse-aztec3.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2020/05/sunday-muse-108.html\"\u003eprompt #108\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nBound up\nin its faux pillars\nand its dangling\nchandeliers are\nthe memories\nof stolen things,\nthe tears shed\nhere by the lost ones\nreverberating in our ears.\nTime disappears here,\nsubsumed by the delight\nof truly feeling\nand of seeing,\nthe art of each act\na tribute to the\nones who\u0026rsquo;ve come\nbefore.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Place"},{"content":"\nOf the many conversations I have had over the past few years, one sticks out in my mind, not for its length or its importance but for how odd it felt at the time. As I recall it, a travelling salesman and I had just finished a meeting and were heading to the kitchenette at work to drop our coffee mugs off when he asked: “How did you end up here?”.\nGiven he was white, and I am very much on the darker side of brown, it seemed at least to be somewhere between insensitive and provocative. That he needed my say-so to get his product approved only made the question, and its timing, even more interesting. Years later I would find out that he was Zimbabwean born, and that he took every opportunity to return there especially over the winter months. His question thus reflected more on the city than it did on me and my ‘rights’ to be there. As I sit here now with the benefit of time and some distance from my sojourn in that city, it seems like an appropriate time to revisit that question.\nTo begin, I have to return to my first days there, the enduring memories of which are of stiff upper lips, heavy overcoats and bitterly cold evenings with winds so ferocious they seemed to find their way through multiplied layers of clothing to torment my skin. What daylight that managed to penetrate the thick fog which sometimes rolled in from the sea overnight fell on dour, grey buildings, built in the main from the granite which was plentiful in the area.\nAfter sharing a flat with a colleague for a month, I moved into the 13th floor of a council tower block, Spartan lodgings shared with a graduate student from the University a mile away, one of two which made the city a destination for students from all over the United Kingdom. Council tower blocks being what they were, it was not uncommon for the lifts to stink of stale cigarettes, for fights to break out in any one of the flats which often required the police to attend and for there to be someone stationed, permanently it seemed, on the benches next to the smoking area asking for spare change. There was a stabbing somewhere in the area, which prompted the police to visit with flyers appealing for information. Even the Receptionist at the Medical Practice I registered at made a point of warning me to be careful, once she’d seen my forms indicating I lived there.\nOn the plus side, on the days when the fog lifted, I could just about make out the sea in the distance, the number 13 bus stopped a few feet away from the entrance to the block which made getting about easy, and there was a football stadium a short distance away. They used to be good and counted themselves as one of a select few Scottish football clubs to have won a European Cup, thanks to the stellar talents of future Manchester United legend Alex Ferguson in the early 1980s.\nI told everyone who cared to listen that this was merely a pit stop on my journey elsewhere. I was here for work and work only. “A year or two at most” was what I told The American when she DTRed our budding romance.\n\\\\\\*\nTethered as it were to the sea, water and war have shaped the City\u0026rsquo;s identity over its more than 8,000 years of existence, enabling it to evolve from two tiny burghs at the mouths of the Dee and the Don Rivers, into its current status as Scotland’s third-largest city. Picts, Scots and the English all held sway over the city at various times and fought for it. Even the German Luftwaffe came visiting during World War Two, with unexploded ordinance being retrieved from its international airport as recently as 2018.\nThe sea though is not especially forgiving to those who depend on it for sustenance, the vagaries of weather and fish stocks sometimes combining to create extended periods where the catch is poor and thus food less plentiful. That and long, harsh winters which are not conducive to non-essential, frivolous activity perhaps place into context the people’s reputation for being grim and miserable.\nOil – also inextricably linked to the sea - has come to define the city to outsiders more than anything, as does its reputation for terrible weather, stark, grey granite city centre buildings and gruff people. All of this makes for interesting conversations with outsiders, who are wont to consider it a backwater of sorts saved only by oil revenue, the nouveau riche of cities perhaps.\nTo reduce the city to oil though is to do it a great disservice and minimise the tension between the old and the new which are visible beneath its façade. Wandering through the city centre, it is difficult to miss this in the smell of processed fish and the old derelict processing plants towered over by gleaming office blocks along Palmerston and Poynernook streets. Even the Torry suburb across the Victoria Bridge with a reputation for being rough has ceded significant swathes to the new, most recently a new housing development which replaced Craiginches, the now-closed, notoriously overcrowded prison. In pivoting to oil and gas the city has merely traded one fickle source of sustenance for another, big oil’s boom and bust cycles meaning periods of significant purse-string tightening and job losses are always around the corner.\nTo sense and understand these tensions is to take the first tentative steps in falling in love with the City for which I had The American to thank. We split up in April of my second year there, which made me accept that my lot was firmly tied to the city for the foreseeable future and opened my eyes to all the ways the City had been reaching out to me. I discovered a church family through the one person I knew in town and met a few others from work. We still only grabbed lunch somewhere in the only decent mall we had, Union Square, or went out for evening drinks at Malone’s, an Irish bar just down the road from the office but what was clear was that a sense of being in it together was slowly building.\nI learned to make small talk: gripe about the weather, the latest failing of the local football team and the ineptitude of the city council. I learnt to enjoy a full Scottish breakfast, dig into haggis with gusto, down a neat Scotch and to ken the difference atween smirr, dreich and drookit. Even the sea and the fog it brought was useful, lengthy runs by the beach became a staple of my exercise regimen.\n\\\\\\*\nIn the days before I leave the city for the last time, it seems only fitting to revisit the people and the places it brought my way in my time there.\nV, the precocious six-year-old who I have claimed as a God-daughter, bursts into tears when her father tells her I’m leaving town. I met them when I lived in the flat after the squalid council block in a season of loneliness and enjoyed their hospitality on many a Christmas day. The entire family and I spend a leisurely Saturday at the only amusement park in town. We have dinner together after which I get a handmade card as a memento. There are more tears and then a group hug and picture.\nR, with whom I shared an office for six years, and I meet up for lunch the day before I’m due to fly. Between handling vendors and packing up my life into boxes, I arrive two minutes late just after he has fired off a typically acerbic text message wondering where I am on my phone. It’s our first face to face meeting in over a year but slightly more grey hair and slower movement apart, not a lot has changed for him. In many ways, he embodies my relationship with the city; simmering not sizzling, steady but close, more curmudgeonly grandfather than delectable damsel of interest.\nBetween sips of Turkish beer and bites from the koftes we order, we muse over the past ten years and our lives before that. “It’s the longest I’ve been in one place,” he says and then proceeds to reminisce on his life before coming up to Aberdeen. Madras, Delhi, Goa, Aden, Perth in Australia, London, Perth in Scotland all come up, and it shows in his accent which I imagine is a unique amalgam of all these places. Although retired, he’s opted to remain in the city even though somewhere warmer is ostensibly an option. “Aberdeen feels like home now”, is his explanation for not exploring other more exotic locations. Elsewhere for him, there are only vague, tenuous links to extended family to cling on to.\nThere is a faint nostalgia in his voice that I can relate to, seeing as I have now spent just over a quarter of my life there. This is a city that grows on you. At first brush, there is little of note to see but with time the city clasps you in a tight embrace. You get to know the city, delve into its innards and fall in love. It becomes home. And in leaving I find myself feeling like a prodigal turning his back on home, trading it for the lures of a far country.\nI’ll be back.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/05/11/on-leaving/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/bruce-robert.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf the many conversations I have had over the past few years, one sticks out in my mind, not for its length or its importance but for how odd it felt at the time. As I recall it, a travelling salesman and I had just finished a meeting and were heading to the kitchenette at work to drop our coffee mugs off when he asked: “How did you end up here?”.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Leaving"},{"content":"With NaPoWriMo done and dusted for this year, I\u0026rsquo;m getting the chance to catch up on other stuff. The fifth (and penultimate) assignment for the Creative Non-Fiction Course I started in February was to describe a city and the feelings it engendered in us during our last visit. Here goes:\n\\\\\\*\nIn my more nostalgic moments, I call her the City of Red Earth, but that is as far away as possible from what I feel as I drag my bags towards the check-in desk ahead of heading back out there. The last time, H had just passed, and the three weeks which followed were consumed by the busyness of dealing with the dead. Everyone I tell about this upcoming trip shares cautionary tales; of the power industry grinding to a halt, the spiralling crime rates, and the rapidly disintegrating roads. Not to seem too dismissive, I smile and nod at their concerns whilst inwardly telling myself I’ll do a good job of passing; after all my pidgin English – lightly accented as it is – is passable.\nThe first few days after I arrive pass in a blur: taxi rides on congested roads, visits to the local malls to indulge in local delicacies and the odd phone call with the groom-to-be filling my days. With the weekend comes the wedding, and the chance to finally catch my breath. Afterwards, we head East.\nWhat first hits me when we arrive is how little the city of red earth has changed. A layer of red dust covers everything, the remains of the clouds that trail the steady stream of old creaking vehicles sagging beneath the weight of humanity as they head to the local market. The old woman who hawks her wares at the side of the road – still ensconced in the makeshift stall she has for the past four years – waves excitedly when she recognises my brother. That she can spot him at the distance is not the only miracle of sorts; her stall, with a sheet of tarpaulin wrapped around four bamboo stems to form three sides and roof, is still standing.\nEveryone who spots us, waves and stops us for a few minutes of commiseration, a small human gauntlet of sorts. Mild irritation apart, I suppose it is refreshing to see the small community in which everyone knows everyone – and in which you were as likely to get a reprimand from the neighbour two houses down as your mother for a public indiscretion – has stayed the same, whatever pressures of globalisation there are all around.\nThe house on the corner of 39th street also looks the same, only dustier, which perhaps is the clearest indication of H’s absence. Some of my clearest memories of her are with a duster in hand driving clouds of dust off the furniture. That is something we’ll never see again.\nOtherwise, it is clear there is a new normal slowly settling in. Thankfully none of the feared things materialises – we survive without any incidents – and leave just in time to be on the right side of the line between being August visitors and ones who have overstayed their welcome. Three days are all it is this time. There will be a time for lengthy swims in these waters, but for now, a dip seems sensible.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/05/04/on-returning-to-the-city-of-red-earth/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/city-of-red-earth.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eWith \u003ca href=\"/tag/napowrimo2020/\"\u003eNaPoWriMo\u003c/a\u003e done and dusted for this year, I\u0026rsquo;m getting the chance to catch up on other stuff. The fifth (and penultimate) assignment for the \u003ca href=\"/category/prompts-challenges/write2020/\"\u003eCreative Non-Fiction Course\u003c/a\u003e I started in February was to describe a city and the feelings it engendered in us during our last visit. Here goes:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn my more nostalgic moments, I call her the City of Red Earth, but that is as far away as possible from what I feel as I drag my bags towards the check-in desk ahead of heading back out there. The last time, \u003ca href=\"/2014/08/13/the-way-the-world-ends-on-loss-and-lostness/\"\u003eH had just passed\u003c/a\u003e, and the three weeks which followed were consumed by the busyness of dealing with the dead. Everyone I tell about this upcoming trip shares cautionary tales; of the power industry grinding to a halt, the spiralling crime rates, and the rapidly disintegrating roads. Not to seem too dismissive, I smile and nod at their concerns whilst inwardly telling myself I’ll do a good job of passing; after all my pidgin English – lightly accented as it is – is passable.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Returning to the City of Red Earth"},{"content":"Last day, Yay!!! The prompt for today as this season of NaPoWriMo comes to an end is to write a poem about something that returns. Photo by Zane Lee on Unsplash \\\\\\* The songs the birds bring each spring remind us of the stirring of life, darkness yielding to the lengthening light and cherry blossoms blooming again. Hope is the thing that birds bring that after death comes life, and rebirth.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/30/napowrimo-2020-day-30-the-thing-the-birds-bring/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/zane-lee-p5brngfi7ws-unsplash.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eLast day, Yay!!! \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-thirty-6/\"\u003eThe prompt for today\u003c/a\u003e as this season of NaPoWriMo comes to an end is to write a poem about something that returns. Photo by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@zane4004?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eZane Lee\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/bird-spring?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\n\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nThe songs\nthe birds bring\neach spring\nremind us\nof the stirring\nof life, darkness\nyielding to the\nlengthening light\nand cherry blossoms\nblooming again.\nHope is the thing\nthat birds bring\nthat after death\ncomes life,\nand rebirth.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 - Day 30: The Thing The Birds Bring"},{"content":"Off prompt today:\n\\\\\\* After the rising and the falling of the things that surround, after the letting off of blood for forgiveness, after the release of the pressure building up, Breathe\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/29/napowrimo-2020-day-29/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOff prompt today:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nAfter the rising\nand the falling\nof the things\nthat surround,\nafter the letting\noff of blood\nfor forgiveness,\nafter the release of\nthe pressure building up,\nBreathe\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 - Day 29:"},{"content":"Today\u0026rsquo;s prompt asks us to describe a bedroom from our past, inspired by Martha Dickinson Bianchi’s description of her aunt’s (Emily Dickinson) cozy room. My room in the house on 39th street came to mind. \\\\\\* Long days longer nights rubber balls bounced off walls till smudged, comics snuck under the covers, childhood fantasies of meeting George and the other four of being Super Man and Captain America. Behind all the smell of things lived in. These are the things we can never forget.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/28/napowrimo-2020-day-28-bedroom/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-twenty-eight-6/\"\u003eToday\u0026rsquo;s prompt\u003c/a\u003e asks us to describe a bedroom from our past, inspired by Martha Dickinson Bianchi’s description of her aunt’s (Emily Dickinson) cozy room. My room in the house on 39th street came to mind.\u003c/em\u003e\n\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nLong days\nlonger nights\nrubber balls\nbounced off walls\ntill smudged,\ncomics snuck\nunder the covers,\nchildhood fantasies\nof meeting George\nand the other four\nof being Super Man\nand Captain America.\nBehind all the smell\nof things lived in.\nThese are the things\nwe can never forget.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 Day 28: Bedroom"},{"content":"For Day 27, the prompt is to write a poem in the form of a review of something not normally reviewed such as a mother-in-law, the moon, or the year 2020\u0026hellip;I went for me, the prodigal in need of forgiveness :) \\\\\\* Offends seventy times seven times but returns for forgiveness. Me\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/27/napowrimo-2020-day-27-a-haiku-for-a-prodigal/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-twenty-seven-6/\"\u003eDay 27, the prompt\u003c/a\u003e is to write a poem in the form of a review of something not normally reviewed such as a mother-in-law, the moon, or the year 2020\u0026hellip;I went for me, the prodigal in need of forgiveness :)\n\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nOffends seventy\ntimes seven times but returns\nfor forgiveness. Me\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 - Day 27: A Haiku For A Prodigal"},{"content":"For Day 26, on which the prompt is to write a poem based on your answers to an \u0026lsquo;almanac questionnaire\u0026rsquo;. \\\\\\* I reach out to the sun to quell this longing to be free to feel its warmth on my face like the trees do, stark against the blue skies. The same way the grape hyacinths, teased out by the sense of spring grow out, adding colour to the gaudy box I now call home. The childhood dream was to run free to revel in the clouds of red earth my feet stirred, but fear has me penned in. Hope lingers here. and freedom too.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/26/napowrimo-2020-day-26-questions/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor Day 26, on which \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-twenty-six-6/\"\u003ethe prompt\u003c/a\u003e is to write a poem based on your answers to an \u0026lsquo;almanac questionnaire\u0026rsquo;.\n\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nI reach out to the sun\nto quell this longing to be free\nto feel its warmth on my face\nlike the trees do, stark against\nthe blue skies. The same way the\ngrape hyacinths, teased out\nby the sense of spring\ngrow out, adding colour\nto the gaudy box I now call home.\nThe childhood dream was to run free\nto revel in the clouds of\nred earth my feet stirred,\nbut fear has me penned in.\nHope lingers here.\nand freedom too.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 - Day 26: Questions"},{"content":"Off prompt today: \\\\\\* Each night when the day begins to fade into the next I find myself slipping into the haziness of sleep. But the remains to the day fester, rising up from the innards of my mind into the reality of dreams.I reach for rest but find I am worn.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/25/napowrimo-2020-day-25-worn/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOff prompt today:\n\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nEach night\nwhen the day\nbegins to fade\ninto the next\nI find myself\nslipping into the\nhaziness of sleep.\nBut the remains\nto the day fester,\nrising up from\nthe innards of my mind\ninto the reality\nof dreams.I reach\nfor rest but find\nI am worn.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 Day 25: Worn"},{"content":"The NaPoWriMo prompt for Day 24 is to write about a particular fruit, describing it as closely as possible. Here goes, for the delights of a banana.\n\\\\\\* Nothing delights a tired tongue on a hot summer day like a banana, the rush of sugar it gifts to the blood like salve on burnt skin. Joy hides beneath its skin and in each bite salvation.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/24/napowrimo-2020-day-24-in-praise-of-a-banana/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-twenty-four-6/\"\u003eNaPoWriMo prompt for Day 24\u003c/a\u003e is to write about a particular fruit, describing it as closely as possible. Here goes, for the delights of a banana.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nNothing delights\na tired tongue\non a hot summer day\nlike a banana,\nthe rush of sugar\nit gifts to the blood\nlike salve on burnt skin.\nJoy hides beneath its skin\nand in each bite salvation.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 - Day 24: In Praise of a Banana"},{"content":"For Day 23 of NaPoWriMo 2020, the challenge is to write a poem about a particular letter of the alphabet, or perhaps, the letters that form a short word. Y(Why) comes to mind. \\\\\\* He rests in the shadows of the night his hands like a \u0026ldquo;Y\u0026rdquo;, raised in the exasperation of not knowing. Why? Why does day follow night? Why is the quiet of first light ripped to shreds by the blinding light of the noon day sun? Why does pain persist? Is it the messenger of healing or its foe which we feel as it is driven off?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/23/napowrimo-day-2020-day-23-why/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-twenty-three-6/\"\u003eDay 23 of NaPoWriMo 2020\u003c/a\u003e, the challenge is to write a poem about a particular letter of the alphabet, or perhaps, the letters that form a short word. Y(Why) comes to mind.\n\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nHe rests\nin the shadows\nof the night\nhis hands\nlike a \u0026ldquo;Y\u0026rdquo;, raised\nin the exasperation\nof not knowing.\nWhy?\nWhy does day\nfollow night?\nWhy is the quiet\nof first light ripped\nto shreds by the\nblinding light\nof the noon day sun?\nWhy does pain persist?\nIs it the messenger\nof healing or its foe\nwhich we feel as\nit is driven off?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 2020 - Day 23: Why"},{"content":"Day Twenty-Two, for which the NaPoWriMo.net prompt is to find an idiomatic phrase from a different language or culture, and use it as the jumping-off point for your poem. Something about the Kazakh idiom Сенің арқаңда күн көріп жүрмін (I see the sun on your back) which means \u0026ldquo;Thank you for being you. I am alive because of your help\u0026rdquo; seemed particularly apt for the times in which we live. Sourced from this list on the TED Blog.\n\\\\\\* When we - like two stars whose arcs just escape the gentle tug of gravity - nod as the path squeezes the distance between us, I see the sun on your back, and remember to be grateful for the things that distance preserves.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/22/napowrimo-2020-day-22-distanced/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDay Twenty-Two, for which the NaPoWriMo.net prompt is to find an idiomatic phrase from a different language or culture, and use it as the jumping-off point for your poem. Something about the Kazakh idiom Сенің арқаңда күн көріп жүрмін (I see the sun on your back) which means \u0026ldquo;Thank you for being you. I am alive because of your help\u0026rdquo; seemed particularly apt for the times in which we live. Sourced from \u003ca href=\"https://blog.ted.com/40-idioms-that-cant-be-translated-literally/\"\u003ethis list\u003c/a\u003e on the TED Blog.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 - Day 22: Distanced"},{"content":"The Day 21 prompt is to find a poem in a language that you don’t know and perform a “homophonic translation” on it. I\u0026rsquo;ve chosen the first stanza of Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali\u0026rsquo;s Umalasi Nomhlambi Wakhe (The Shepherd and His Flock). Doesn\u0026rsquo;t make sense but.. *insert shrug*\n\\\\\\*\nI miss being yellow with anger if Anna never sends chillies. I am callow, seasick with a broken mala. My scent attacked Ursa; I see from back here.\nImisebe yelanga ifana nembaxambili yesikelo sisika isibhalala sentathakusa esibhakabhakeni.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/21/napowrimo-2020-day-21-mistranslated/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-twenty-one-5/\"\u003eDay 21 prompt\u003c/a\u003e is to find a poem in a language that you don’t know and perform a “homophonic translation” on it. I\u0026rsquo;ve chosen the first stanza of \u003ca href=\"https://www.poetryinternational.org/pi/poem/23510/auto/0/0/Mbuyiseni-Oswald-Mtshali/THE-SHEPHERD-AND-HIS-FLOCK/en/tile\"\u003eMbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali\u0026rsquo;s Umalasi Nomhlambi Wakhe (The Shepherd and His Flock)\u003c/a\u003e. Doesn\u0026rsquo;t  make sense but.. *insert shrug*\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI miss being yellow with anger\nif Anna never sends chillies. I am callow,\nseasick with a broken mala.\nMy scent attacked Ursa; I see from back here.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 - Day 21: Mistranslated"},{"content":"Today\u0026rsquo;s theme is gratitude, with the prompt being to write a poem about a handmade or homemade gift that you have received. Whilst out on a run today I noticed an artist had painted a thank you to the NHS. Here goes:\n\\\\\\* For the things the few give the many: Life, Time, Breath. Heartfelt gratitude.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/20/napowrimo-2020-day-20-gratitude/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/gift.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eToday\u0026rsquo;s theme is gratitude, with \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-twenty-7/\"\u003ethe prompt being\u003c/a\u003e to write a poem about a handmade or homemade gift that you have received. Whilst out on a run today I noticed an artist had painted a thank you to the NHS. Here goes:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nFor the things the few\ngive the many: Life, Time, Breath.\nHeartfelt gratitude.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 - Day 20: Gratitude"},{"content":"Today\u0026rsquo;s prompt is to write a poem based on collected things which reminded me of a picture I took a few weeks ago in the middle of packing up my house ahead of a move abroad which is now on hold thanks to the CV-19 induced shutdown.\n\\\\\\* I am finding lost joy in found things, each object saved from the detritus of a past life, a reminder to remember, to imagine again past seasons of loving and of losing. Of losing oneself in the delight of being, and feeling. Each page revisited is a present from the past to the present, a tribute to the loves that once lived here.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/19/napowrimo-2020-day-19-found-things/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/found-things.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eToday\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-nineteen-5/\"\u003eprompt\u003c/a\u003e is to write a poem based on collected things which reminded me of a picture I took a few weeks ago in the middle of packing up my house ahead of a move abroad which is now on hold thanks to the CV-19 induced shutdown.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nI am finding\nlost joy in found things,\neach object saved\nfrom the detritus\nof a past life,\na reminder to remember,\nto imagine again\npast seasons of loving\nand of losing. Of losing\noneself in the delight\nof being, and feeling.\nEach page revisited\nis a present from the past\nto the present, a tribute\nto the loves that\nonce lived here.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 - Day 19 - Found Things"},{"content":"For Day 18 of NaPoWriMo this year, the prompt is to write an ode to life’s small pleasures. My first cup of coffee of the day is one of those for me. Loosely inspired by what is becoming one of my favourite poems, Wendell Berry\u0026rsquo;s The Peace of Wild Things.\n\\\\\\* When the darkness of night lifts and I awake to the dreariness of existing in this place, forgetting where Yesterday ends and Today begins to slip into Tomorrow, I reach for this worn mug, its stained sides and chipped edges reassuring in their durability. At first light I lose myself to the muscle memory of returning and find joy in small sips.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/18/napowrimo-2020-day-18-the-joy-in-small-sips/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor Day 18 of NaPoWriMo this year, \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-eighteen-6/\"\u003ethe prompt\u003c/a\u003e is to write an ode to life’s small pleasures. My first cup of coffee of the day is one of those for me. Loosely inspired by what is becoming one of my favourite poems, Wendell Berry\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"https://onbeing.org/poetry/the-peace-of-wild-things/\"\u003eThe Peace of Wild Things.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nWhen the darkness of night lifts\nand I awake to the dreariness\nof existing in this place,\nforgetting where Yesterday ends\nand Today begins to slip into Tomorrow,\nI reach for this worn mug,\nits stained sides and chipped edges\nreassuring in their durability.\nAt first light I lose myself\nto the muscle memory of returning\nand find joy in small sips.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 - Day 18: The Joy In Small Sips"},{"content":"Today\u0026rsquo;s NaPoWriMo prompt is to move backwards in time away.. to write a poem that features forgotten technology. For me, it was my first Walkman.\n\\\\\\* Farewell, Walkman protector of my ears and overcomer of my fears with soothing sounds. Farewell, Walkman the opener of my eyes to worlds unknown, translator of songs, from thin tape to all engulfing sound. You may have gone the way of all frail things but you live on in the soundtracks of my life.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/17/napowrimo-2020-day-17-a-farewell-for-my-walkman/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eToday\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-seventeen-6/\"\u003eNaPoWriMo prompt\u003c/a\u003e is to move backwards in time away.. to write a poem that features forgotten technology. For me, it was my first Walkman.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nFarewell, Walkman\nprotector of my ears\nand overcomer of my fears\nwith soothing sounds.\nFarewell, Walkman\nthe opener of my eyes\nto worlds unknown,\ntranslator of songs,\nfrom thin tape\nto all engulfing sound.\nYou may have gone\nthe way of all\nfrail things\nbut you live on\nin the soundtracks\nof my life.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 - Day 17: A Farewell for My Walkman"},{"content":"Today\u0026rsquo;s NaPoWriMo prompt is to write a poem of over-the-top compliments. Pick a person, place, or thing you love, and praise it in the most effusive way you can. Here goes: \\\\\\* You smile. Your eyes dance. Morning breaks with glorious light. Forgotten, Night\u0026rsquo;s fears.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/16/napowrimo-2020-day-16/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eToday\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-sixteen-7/\"\u003eNaPoWriMo prompt\u003c/a\u003e is to write a poem of over-the-top compliments. Pick a person, place, or thing you love, and praise it in the most effusive way you can. Here goes:\n\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nYou smile. Your eyes dance.\nMorning breaks with glorious light.\nForgotten, Night\u0026rsquo;s fears.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 - Day 16"},{"content":"Today\u0026rsquo;s prompt is to write a poem inspired by your favourite kind of music. Here goes, very loosely interpreted as always: \\\\\\* Breathe in with the clash of the cymbals and then out as the drums begin. Let the patter of your feet lose themselves in the patterns of the music of the rain as they rise and fall, pausing like a runner at the crest of a seventh hill. Let the patina of red earth be washed away. Breathe in and out, and dance, Begin again.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/15/napowrimo-2020-day-15-dancing-in-the-rain/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-fifteen-6/\"\u003eToday\u0026rsquo;s prompt\u003c/a\u003e is to write a poem inspired by your favourite kind of music. Here goes, very loosely interpreted as always:\u003c/em\u003e\n\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nBreathe in\nwith the clash\nof the cymbals\nand then out\nas the drums begin.\nLet the patter\nof your feet\nlose themselves\nin the patterns\nof the music\nof the rain\nas they rise\nand fall, pausing\nlike a runner\nat the crest\nof a seventh hill.\nLet the patina\nof red earth\nbe washed away.\nBreathe in\nand out, and dance,\nBegin again.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 - Day 15: Dancing In The Rain"},{"content":"Day 14, off prompt: \\\\\\* Nothing hides yesterday\u0026rsquo;s sins like nostalgia. Nothing rewrites the memories of things seen like the desire to forget, the ineluctable wish to untether oneself from the burdens of grief, and the weight of things lost. For the daughter kneeling here, oblivious of the paths that we have trod we wish peace, that the things which weigh us down may cease.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/14/napowrimo-2020-day-14-noslatgia/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDay 14, off prompt:\n\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nNothing hides\nyesterday\u0026rsquo;s sins like\nnostalgia. Nothing\nrewrites the memories\nof things seen\nlike the desire to\nforget, the ineluctable wish\nto untether oneself\nfrom the burdens of grief,\nand the weight of things lost.\nFor the daughter\nkneeling here, oblivious\nof the paths that we have trod\nwe wish peace, that the things\nwhich weigh us down may cease.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPowriMo 2020 - Day 14: Nostalgia"},{"content":"Today\u0026rsquo;s NaPoWriMo prompt focuses on stealing, a challenge to write a non-apology for the things you’ve stolen. Here goes:\n\\\\\\* The dog-eared book with your name scratched in its tired cover, the familiarity of its worn pages like the scent of home, a welcome. The picture, battered by the sunlight until it begins to age into a sepia blur, reviving memories of a distant time. The song, your song, repeated until its notes invoke the memories of stolen times and places, Lost but not forgotten.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/13/napowrimo-2020-day-13-stolen-things/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eToday\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-thirteen-6/\"\u003eNaPoWriMo prompt\u003c/a\u003e focuses on stealing, a challenge to write a non-apology for the things you’ve stolen. Here goes:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nThe dog-eared book with your name scratched\nin its tired cover, the familiarity of\nits worn pages like the scent of home,\na welcome. The picture, battered\nby the sunlight until it begins to age\ninto a sepia blur, reviving memories\nof a distant time. The song, your song,\nrepeated until its notes invoke the\nmemories of stolen times and places,\nLost but not forgotten.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 - Day 13: Stolen Things"},{"content":"For Day 12, the challenge is to write a triolet. Not a form I\u0026rsquo;m overly familiar with but given the Easter season and the influence of Patrick Carey on the form in English (who used it for his devotional writing), it seemed only fitting to attempt something with a faith tilt. Here goes:\n\\\\\\*\nAt first light, she comes to bless\nthe broken body but finds Light\nin the space where his head should be: discarded dress.\nAt first light, she comes to bless\na broken body but finds it whole, her tears\nof grief in the moment of discerning becoming delight.\nAt first light, she comes to bless\nthe broken body but finds true Light.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/12/napowrimo-2020-day-12-a-triolet-for-ressurection/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor Day 12, the challenge is to write \u003ca href=\"https://poets.org/glossary/triolet\"\u003ea triolet\u003c/a\u003e. Not a form I\u0026rsquo;m overly familiar with but given the Easter season and the influence of \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Cary\"\u003ePatrick Carey\u003c/a\u003e on the form in English (who used it for his devotional writing), it seemed only fitting to attempt something with a faith tilt. Here goes:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt first light, she comes to bless\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe broken body but finds Light\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ein the space where his head should be: discarded dress.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 - Day 12: A Triolet for Resurrection"},{"content":"The prompt for NaPoWriMo Day 11 is to write a poem in which one or more flowers take on specific meanings. I went off prompt for this one though\u0026hellip;\n\\\\\\* They say in the brightness of the right light everything is beautiful, the cuts and scrapes that things bear all birthing beauty in the intricate interplay of flickering light and flitting shadow. So catch the light shine, be beautiful.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/11/napowrimo-2020-day-11-catching-light/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe prompt for \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-eleven-8/\"\u003eNaPoWriMo Day 11\u003c/a\u003e is to write a poem in which one or more flowers take on specific meanings. I went off prompt for this one though\u0026hellip;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nThey say\nin the brightness\nof the right light\neverything is beautiful,\nthe cuts and scrapes\nthat things bear\nall birthing beauty in\nthe intricate interplay\nof flickering light\nand flitting shadow.\nSo catch the light\nshine, be beautiful.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 - Day 11: Catching Light"},{"content":"Today\u0026rsquo;s NaPoWriMo prompt is to write a hay(na)ku, a riff on the haiku created by the poet Eileen Tabios . A hay(na)ku consists of a three-line stanza, where the first line has one word, the second line has two words, and the third line has three words. My mind went to self isolation as a metaphor for exile: in both cases we have memories of happier times but are restricted in the present to what we remember, not what we can experience. Here goes:\n\\\\\\* Cherish the things you still remember\nFight the inclination to forget, to\nlose the scent of simple things,\nthe delight of being held close,\nthe joy of night time dancing.\nthis is exile remembering, hoping, (maybe) returning.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/10/napowrimo-2020-day-10-exile/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eToday\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-ten-8/\"\u003eNaPoWriMo prompt\u003c/a\u003e is to write a hay(na)ku, a riff on the haiku created by the poet \u003ca href=\"http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/eileen-r-tabios\"\u003eEileen Tabios\u003c/a\u003e . A hay(na)ku consists of a three-line stanza, where the first line has one word, the second line has two words, and the third line has three words. My mind went to self isolation as a metaphor for exile: in both cases we have memories of happier times but are restricted in the present to what we remember, not what we can experience. Here goes:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 - Day 10: Exile"},{"content":"As part of refreshing my Life Plan at the end of last year, I took the Enneagram Personality test, which suggested I am a Type 5 with a 6 Wing. The Enneagram is a personality categorising methodology of unknown (but ancient, possibly some Catholic mystic) provenance which was brought to the US by G.I. Gurdjieff and and eventually to pop culture by the likes of Richard Rohr. I owe my introduction to it to Ian Morgan Cron and his various appearances on podcasts I listen to regularly, as part of his book tour. More information is available here. With the benefit of time on my hand, I decided it would be a good time to re-read the book (The Road Back To You) and reflect on what I\u0026rsquo;ve learned about myself in the process.\nThe Enneagram 5 is part of the head triad (along with\nSummary of Enneagram history and notes\nType 5 characteristics:\nliving in my head, can take care of myself, awkward around people\nwilling to answer a few personal questions, require time alone (introverted?)\nthoughts trump feelings?\nneed to process things internally\nobserve rather than participate\nfocused interactions\nlistener,\ncareful with time and energy\nfelt invisible as a child, choose to be as an adult\nwants knowledge and information\nintroverted and analytical\nHealthy 5s\nbalance participation and observations\nneutral\ndepth in knowledge in multiple domains\nAverage\nscarcity - hoard time, space, affection\nthinking replaces feeling (inTj)\nrely on self rather than faith\nPoor\ndon\u0026rsquo;t depend on anyone\ndefensive focused on privacy\nstay seprate from family and other gatherings\n5\u0026rsquo;s deadly sins\nsee the world as intrusive and overwhelming/ draining\ndemand outpaces supply of energy\ndeadky sin = avarice: a desire to retain , clench and protect what they already have\nhoard to ensure self sufficient existence\nwithold resources, time, information, space, solitude\nexcessive desire for acquiring knlwedge and understanding of how things works\nlook to knowledge to provide what others find from relationships - love, comfort, support\n5\u0026rsquo;s are minimalists: aim to keep life simple and\ncan be isolated in life, skimp on love and affection particularly with those around them.\nappear to be loners, emotiolnally distance, intellectually arogant, aloof.\ncan enjoy being with other intellctually curious people\nbenefit is they can be objective and neutral.\ncollect knowledge, information provides validation for 5\u0026rsquo;s, keen to not seem incapable, inept or unknowledgable.\ncomputers and internet help to limit interactions with others\ncan compartmentalise well between work, family etc\n5\u0026rsquo;s like to have control over their emotions, have emotions and let them go\nfancy themselves as rational thinkers\n5\u0026rsquo;s as children\npossibly had childhood with little affection?\nintrusive parents, no deep meaningful attraction\nas kids retreated to the delights of their minds and work out feelings out of sight.\nvoracious readers, collectors of things, good around coding and computers,\nusually make good grades, appear more serious than they are but deep down are tender and compassionate\nfear vulnerability? - i feel shook!!!\nIn relationships\ncan be misunderstood\ndon\u0026rsquo;t want to be sucked into your emotional dramas\nexpect you to take responsibility for your emotions\nhave to be independent and have me time.\nneed time for privacy and solitude\nkeep cards close to check, rarely initiate social interaction\ndeal with people on a need to know basis\nunlikely to share emotions like love etc\nPositives\nstay calm\nlow maintenance\ncan share your secrets and keep them under the seal of the confessional\nunderstand confidentiality\nRequired to\nGive up security of independence and privacy\nidentify and express feelings\nBe the guardian of your solitude - Rainer maria Rilke\nAt work\nvalued for pioneering, analytical mind eg gates, hawkins, bonhoeffer etc\ninnovators and thinkers\ntypical careers eg engineers, programmers,\nemergency room doctors,\nartists, creators, due t powers of observation\nNeed predictability so they can plan and apportion resources\nPrefer to be given a project and autonomy to work on it to completion withour inteference\nreal reward is more autonomy and independence.\nnot big fans of group decisions, can make speeches as long as they can prepare.\nWings\nBetween passionate 4\u0026rsquo;s and loyal 6\u0026rsquo;s\n5w4 - more creative, emphatetic and self absorbed, sensitive. Independent, eccentric, prefer to process by self not in a group. More likely to experience melancholy, can communicate feelings to people they love\n5w6 - more sceptical, social \u0026amp; loyal, live more in their mind, will question authority, more relational, and more aware of their own fear, socially awkward,\nstress \u0026amp; security\nstress = unhealthy 7: focus on own needs, frivolous, distracted, still live in head but unable to think through clutter\nsecurity = healthy 8: infinitelymore spontaneous and outspoken,\nspiritual\nnaturally contemplative, attracted to simplicity\ninner calm and detachment\ncan risk disconnection from spiritual life and feeling,\nneed to learn pattern of detaching in order to enagage\nneed to be able to connect to emotions in real time\ncan teach others\nrecognise when action is driven by fear - become more self aware.\nembarce abundance\nlearn to trust more, become comfortable with dependence/ interdependence\n10 paths\nallow feeling to arise naturally,\nrecognise when hoarding affection, etc\ntry to feel others emotions in the moment\ntry sharing more of life with others\nventure out of comfort zone, share with others\nremember you don\u0026rsquo;t have to have the answers for everything\ncall a friend and offer to hang out -\nallow yourself to experince luxury\ntake up yoga, or other thing that will connect you with your body\neven when unsure jump into a conversatoin rather than withdrawing.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/09/on-being-an-enneagram/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAs part of refreshing my \u003ca href=\"/the-life-plan/\"\u003eLife Plan\u003c/a\u003e at the end of last year, I took the \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enneagram_of_Personality\"\u003eEnneagram Personality\u003c/a\u003e test, which suggested I am a Type 5 with a 6 Wing. The Enneagram is a personality categorising methodology of unknown (but ancient, possibly some Catholic mystic) provenance which was brought to the US by G.I. Gurdjieff and and eventually to pop culture by the likes of Richard Rohr. I owe my introduction to it to Ian Morgan Cron and his various appearances on podcasts I listen to regularly, as part of his book tour. More information is available \u003ca href=\"https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/\"\u003ehere.\u003c/a\u003e With the benefit of time on my hand, I decided it would be a good time to re-read the book (\u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Road-Back-You-Morgan-Cron/dp/083084628X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1586464127\u0026amp;sr=8-1\"\u003eThe Road Back To You\u003c/a\u003e) and reflect on what I\u0026rsquo;ve learned about myself in the process.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Being An Enneagram 5"},{"content":"The prompt for today is to write a \u0026lsquo;concrete\u0026rsquo; poem, one whose words and space are organised to reflect the theme of the poem. I went with the theme of a prayer and a perfect day. If you squint hard enough, you\u0026rsquo;ll see the shape is reminiscent of hands folded in prayer :)\n\\\\\\*\nFirst, awake to the sounds of birds chirping, the lilt of their spring song reminding you of rebirth. Kneel in quiet contemplation- yield to the embrace of the rising sun, let its light call out to the prayer lurking in the dark places of your tired heart. When morning morphs into the heat of high noon, cherish the beauty of the cherry blossoms pink against the skies, and when the day slowly slides into the bosom of the night, offer up a libation of red wine for deliverance from today\u0026rsquo;s troubles. Tomorrow comes tomorrow but till then revel in your perfect day.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/09/napowrimo-2020-day-9-perfect-day/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-nine-6/\"\u003eprompt for today\u003c/a\u003e is to write a \u0026lsquo;concrete\u0026rsquo; poem, one whose words and space are organised to reflect the theme of the poem. I went with the theme of a prayer and a perfect day. If you squint hard enough, you\u0026rsquo;ll see the shape is reminiscent of hands folded in prayer :)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst, awake\nto the sounds of\nbirds chirping, the lilt\nof their spring song reminding\nyou of rebirth. Kneel in quiet contemplation-\nyield to the embrace of the rising sun, let its light\ncall out to the prayer lurking in the dark places of your tired heart.\nWhen morning morphs into the heat of high noon, cherish the beauty of the\ncherry blossoms pink against the skies, and when the day slowly slides\ninto the bosom of the night, offer up a libation of red wine\nfor deliverance from today\u0026rsquo;s troubles. Tomorrow comes\ntomorrow but till then revel in your perfect day.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 - Day 9: Perfect Day"},{"content":"The prompt for today is to utilise a line or phrase from a twitter poetry bot as a jumping off point for a poem. I went with this from a Richard Siken poetry bot. Here goes:\n\\\\\\* We know who our enemies are - they are us. They are the memories of yesterdays bubbling up, straining against the resolve of today to begin again.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/08/napowrimo-2020-day-8/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-eight-7/\"\u003eprompt for today\u003c/a\u003e is to utilise a line or phrase from a twitter poetry bot as a jumping off point for a poem. I went with \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/sikenpoems/status/1247830933673312256?s=20\"\u003ethis\u003c/a\u003e from a Richard Siken poetry bot. Here goes:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nWe know\nwho our enemies are -\nthey are us. They are\nthe memories of yesterdays\nbubbling up, straining\nagainst the resolve of\ntoday to begin again.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 - Day 8"},{"content":"Today\u0026rsquo;s National Poetry Writing Month prompt asks us to use a news headline as a jumping off point. I chose to go with the one about the chap giving up solid food (and subsisting on beer only) for Lent this year. Enjoy:\n** The body aches for absolution, for forgiveness and release from the weight around my waist, this man born by past seasons of surfeiting. So I offer this, a libation of liquid to quell the sounds of my inner monologue.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/07/napowrimo-2020-day-7-lenting/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eToday\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-seven-6/\"\u003eNational Poetry Writing Month prompt\u003c/a\u003e asks us to use a news headline as a jumping off point. I chose to go with the one about the chap \u003ca href=\"https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2020/02/28/Ohio-man-seeks-world-record-with-beer-only-Lent-diet/1621582911029/?sl=5\"\u003egiving up solid food (and subsisting on beer only) for Lent\u003c/a\u003e this year. Enjoy:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\nThe body aches\nfor absolution,\nfor forgiveness\nand release from\nthe weight\naround my waist,\nthis man born\nby past seasons\nof surfeiting.\nSo I offer this,\na libation of liquid\nto quell the sounds\nof my inner monologue.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 - Day 7: Lenting"},{"content":"Off prompt today\u0026hellip; \\\\\\* You have taken seven years to get here each one a memory lodged deep in the space between the hunger of anticipation and the malaise of hope deferred. Now as I hold you in my hands, and see you, frail yet strong, you are Mother returned. I call you Aoife, for you have brought beauty to our broken places\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/06/napowrimo-2020-day-6-calling-my-daughter-aoife/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOff prompt today\u0026hellip;\n\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nYou have taken\nseven years to get here\neach one a memory\nlodged deep in the space\nbetween the hunger\nof anticipation and\nthe malaise of hope deferred.\nNow as I hold you\nin my hands, and see\nyou, frail yet strong,\nyou are Mother returned.\nI call you Aoife,\nfor you have brought beauty\nto our broken places\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 - Day 6: Calling My Daughter Aoife"},{"content":"My grand plan for Lent this year was to post a poem a day using the Church of England\u0026rsquo;s #LiveLent reflections as a jumping-off point, but life happened (we lost G and then went into a full COVID-19 related shutdown) and I ended up stuck on 17 days. Poetry as prayer seemed like a good idea given the difficult season of faith I was in, in which prayer felt alien. It is not an entirely novel idea as I found out with more than a few essays reflecting on the subject, two examples being these excellent pieces at Talking Writing and The Millions. There is a rich history of the poetic form in various religious writing and in their associated rites; some might even argue that the enduring allure of the King James Version of the Bible has more to do with the cadence of its words than anything else. Come to think of it, the Psalms sometimes read like the brain dumps of a conflicted person, like transcripts of therapy sessions.\nWhatever arguments for or against prayer one might make, anything which helps us wrestle with our deepest darkest pains and the weight of life has its merits and given what the world is dealing with at the moment, we all need that in some shape or form. In a sense it is therapy.\nFortuitously, April is National Poetry Writing Month, and the daily prompts from NaPoWriMo.net have helped me get back to writing again which has led me down the rabbit hole of finding (and revisiting) various projects related to poetry as therapy. A brief list though, so feel free to point me in the direction of any others in this vein. Enjoy.\nPoetry Unbound (Pádraig Ó Tuama/ On Being): From the podcast description - \u0026ldquo;Immerse yourself in a single poem, guided by Pádraig Ó Tuama. Short and unhurried; contemplative and energizing\u0026rdquo;. My personal favourites include episodes featuring Joy Harjo, Faisal Mohyuddin and Leanne O’Sullivan. Pádraig Ó Tuama\u0026rsquo;s Poets.org archive is also worth a read. Lifelines (Malcolm Doney and Martin Wroe): From the podcast description - \u0026ldquo;A poem a day through Lent. A poem read by the poet and followed with a moments reflection on where the poem came from … and where it\u0026rsquo;s going.\u0026rdquo; It all began from a book which is also worth a read. The Poetry Pharmacy (William Sieghart): The book and the I ntelligence Squared conversation are worth every dime and every second spent not least for the range of emotions they cover and the stellar cast that discussed the book on the Intelligence Squared conversation. A second edition of the book is in print, as is an actual (physical) store. Steph Burt\u0026rsquo;s TED Talk Why People Need Poetry: \u0026ldquo;We\u0026rsquo;re all going to die \u0026ndash; and poems can help us live with that.\u0026rdquo; ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/06/poetry-as-therapy-a-brief-listening-and-reading-list/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMy \u003ca href=\"/2020/02/26/1-a-poem-for-remembering-we-are-dust/\"\u003egrand plan for Lent\u003c/a\u003e this year was to post a poem a day using the Church of England\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"https://www.churchofengland.org/our-faith/living-out-our-faith/lent-holy-week-and-easter/livelent-care-gods-creation\"\u003e#LiveLent reflections\u003c/a\u003e as a jumping-off point,  but life happened (we lost G and then went into a full COVID-19 related shutdown) and I ended up stuck on 17 days. Poetry as prayer seemed like a good idea given the difficult season of faith I was in, in which prayer felt alien. It is not an entirely novel idea as I found out with more than a few essays reflecting on the subject, two examples being these excellent pieces at \u003ca href=\"http://talkingwriting.com/poetry-prayer\"\u003eTalking Writing\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://themillions.com/2020/01/prayer-is-poetry.html\"\u003eThe Millions\u003c/a\u003e. There is a rich history of the poetic form in various religious writing and in their associated rites; some might even argue that the enduring allure of the King James Version of the Bible has more to do with the cadence of its words than anything else. Come to think of it, the Psalms sometimes read like the brain dumps of a conflicted person, like transcripts of therapy sessions.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Poetry As Therapy: A Brief Listening (and Reading) List"},{"content":"For Day 5 of National Poetry Writing Month, the prompt is to write something aligned with “Twenty Little Poetry Projects,” originally developed by Jim Simmerman. Here goes (very loosely interpreted):\n\\\\\\* The sun parts the curtain of the night its light like a knife cutting through the crust of bleary eyes.\nIn its wake comes the sound of birds waking - a mellifluous melody and tribute to the muscle memory of the cycle of life and time.\nA reminder that as day follows night you\u0026rsquo;ll get through.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/05/napowrimo-2020-day-5-morning/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-five-7/\"\u003eDay 5 of National Poetry Writing Month\u003c/a\u003e, the prompt is to write something aligned with “Twenty Little Poetry Projects,” originally developed by Jim Simmerman. Here goes (very loosely interpreted):\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nThe sun parts\nthe curtain of the night\nits light like a knife\ncutting through the crust\nof bleary eyes.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn its wake comes\nthe sound of birds waking -\na mellifluous melody\nand tribute to the\nmuscle memory of\nthe cycle of life\nand time.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 Day 5 - Morning"},{"content":"For national Poetry Month day 4. The prompt for the day asked to write a poem based on an image from a dream. I chose to go with dreams as a genre of mental experience.. Here goes.\n\\\\\\* What if a dream is the whisper of God, his touch, light on the shoulder feather-like, a word in the ear of the worn and the weary: Come drink, fill yourself with this water?\nWhat if..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/04/napowrimo-2020-day-4-dream/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor national Poetry Month day 4. The \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-four-8/\"\u003eprompt for the day\u003c/a\u003e asked to write a poem based on an image from a dream. I chose to go with dreams as a genre of mental experience.. Here goes.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nWhat if a dream\nis the whisper of God,\nhis touch, light\non the shoulder\nfeather-like,\na word in the ear\nof the worn and the weary:\nCome drink, fill yourself\nwith this water?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPowriMo 2020 - Day 4: Dream"},{"content":"For Day 3 of National Poetry Writing Month. Today\u0026rsquo;s prompt is to make a list of ten words, and use Rhymezone to build a bank of words for use in a poem.. Here goes.\n\\\\\\* Without a care the sparrow flits between the trees oblivious of the need to fret for bread or bed but returns each day to its nest, its place of rest from the coming and the going - from first light to the gloaming - and the cycling of the seasons as they decay; birth and death, being and becoming.\nThe heart bears the weight of anxiety, the pressure of the need to sate the thirsts of the body and the soul for touch and for knowing and the gnawing pain of failing and falling and doubting.\nIn the end we trade the caul first for a shawl and then the shroud of dissolution. So live anyway.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/03/napowrimo-2020-day-3-live-anyway/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/napowrimo2020-header.png\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-three-6/\"\u003eDay 3 of National Poetry Writing Month.\u003c/a\u003e Today\u0026rsquo;s prompt is to make a list of ten words, and use \u003ca href=\"https://www.rhymezone.com/\"\u003eRhymezone\u003c/a\u003e to build a bank of words for use in a poem.. Here goes.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nWithout a care\nthe sparrow flits\nbetween the trees\noblivious of the need\nto fret for bread\nor bed but returns\neach day to its nest,\nits place of rest\nfrom the coming\nand the going -\nfrom first light\nto the gloaming -\nand the cycling\nof the seasons\nas they decay;\nbirth and death,\nbeing and becoming.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo 2020 - Day 3: Live Anyway.."},{"content":"Place, for NaPoWriMo2020 Day 2, the prompt being to write a poem about a place. My old house on the corner of 3rd and 39th with its stubborn grass and red earth came to mind. I miss it!\n\\\\\\* I carry your memories in my heart, the bright tint of your red earth whipped to fine dust by the Harmattan wind, the whistle of your tall pines, the smell of your freshly cut grass in the aftermath of mowing. I remember the sound of cocks crowing the call of the muezzin, piercing the morning air like a knife and cherish the memories of small things, of peace, of beauty and of simple days.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/02/napowrimo2020-day-2-place/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePlace, for \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-two-7/\"\u003eNaPoWriMo2020 Day 2\u003c/a\u003e, the prompt being to write a poem about a place. My old house on the corner of 3rd and 39th with its stubborn grass and red earth came to mind. I miss it!\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nI carry your memories in my heart,\nthe bright tint of your red earth\nwhipped to fine dust\nby the Harmattan wind,\nthe whistle of your tall pines,\nthe smell of your freshly cut grass\nin the aftermath of mowing.\nI remember the sound of cocks crowing\nthe call of the muezzin, piercing\nthe morning air like a knife\nand cherish the memories\nof small things, of peace,\nof beauty and of simple days.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo2020 - Day 2: Place"},{"content":"And so in the midst of all that\u0026rsquo;s broken in the world, its Day One of National Poetry Writing Month for 2020. Today\u0026rsquo;s prompt is to write a self-portrait poem in which you make a specific action a metaphor for your life. My choice is life as peeling onions.\n\\\\\\* When it all falls apart, like a ball of yarn slowly unravelling, the wind whispers in my ear: this is how life is, an onion, complex in its layers each hiding and being hidden, drawing tears as its juices released in a flash rise. In the stinging we remember the promise of savoury things where in the present bland things lie.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/04/01/napowrimo2020-day-1-peeling/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAnd so in the midst of all that\u0026rsquo;s broken in the world, its Day One of National Poetry Writing Month for 2020. Today\u0026rsquo;s prompt is to \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-one-2/\"\u003ewrite a self-portrait poem\u003c/a\u003e in which you make a specific action a metaphor for your life. My choice is life as peeling onions.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nWhen it all\nfalls apart,\nlike a ball\nof yarn\nslowly unravelling,\nthe wind whispers\nin my ear: this is\nhow life is,\nan onion, complex\nin its layers\neach hiding and\nbeing hidden,\ndrawing tears\nas its juices\nreleased in\na flash rise.\nIn the stinging\nwe remember\nthe promise\nof savoury things\nwhere in the present\nbland things lie.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo2020 - Day 1: Peeling"},{"content":"For Lent Week 5, Monday. A response to the CoE\u0026rsquo;s #LiveLent reflection for the day. Photo by A Perry on Unsplash\n\\\\\\* Without a care the birds flit blithely between the trees, their bare branches lit briefly as though by the light of exploding stars, bright colours and persistent chirps in their own ways declaring this is good.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/03/30/flitting/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/34-bird-song.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"https://mailchi.mp/churchofengland/livelent-2020-daily-reflections-day-twentynine?e=7a19000640\"\u003eLent Week 5, Monday\u003c/a\u003e. A response to the CoE\u0026rsquo;s #LiveLent reflection for the day. Photo by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@famouswebsites?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eA Perry\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/bird-in-trees?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nWithout a care\nthe birds flit blithely\nbetween the trees,\ntheir bare branches\nlit briefly as though\nby the light\nof exploding stars,\nbright colours\nand persistent chirps\nin their own ways\ndeclaring this is good.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"34. Flitting"},{"content":"For the start of Week 5 of the CoE\u0026rsquo;s #LiveLent Devotional for Lent 2020. Photo by Dane Deaner on Unsplash\n\\\\\\* In the swoosh of the wings of the bald eagle diving to snatch fish from the sea - its sustenance elegantly eked by dint of labour day by day - and the quiet resplendence of the colourful coral, goodness resides; each in its way declaring, this is good, this birthing on the fifth.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/03/29/fifth-day/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/33-eagle.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor the start of \u003ca href=\"https://mailchi.mp/churchofengland/livelent-2020-week-six?e=7a19000640\"\u003eWeek 5\u003c/a\u003e of the CoE\u0026rsquo;s #LiveLent Devotional for Lent 2020.  Photo by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@danedeaner?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eDane Deaner\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/eagle?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nIn the swoosh\nof the wings\nof the bald eagle\ndiving to snatch fish\nfrom the sea -\nits sustenance\nelegantly eked\nby dint of labour\nday by day -\nand the quiet\nresplendence of\nthe colourful coral,\ngoodness resides;\neach in its way\ndeclaring, this\nis good, this\nbirthing on the\nfifth.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"33. Fifth Day"},{"content":"This week\u0026rsquo;s assignment offered a choice of character depictions. I opted to go with reviewing Virginia Woolf\u0026rsquo;s 1925 essay, The Duchess of Newcastle , from The Common Reader First Series . Its subject is Margaret Cavendish the Duchess of Newcastle. I very much enjoyed getting to learn about her. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons\n\\\\\\*\nIt is difficult to come away from Virginia Woolf’s essay on the life of Margaret Cavendish with anything but a sense of admiration for the person the Duchess of Newcastle was: a libertarian who lived life on her own terms, a prodigious thinker, prolific writer and designer, all-round force of nature and perhaps proto-feminist. What is even more remarkable about her life is the context within which it was lived, times which seen from the lofty, enlightened heights of our 21st-century sofas seem like the dark ages. Given the latitude to explore and later express a non traditional interpretation of the roles of daughter and wife by both her mother and husband, we get the sense that virtually every thought she had was encouraged and articulated in some shape or form with no attempt to self-censure. It helped perhaps that there were no children to encumber her free spirit. Given Virginia Woolf’s own life and character – and reputation for being a free spirit of sorts too - the largely positive portrayal here does beg the question of objectivity given the tendency in all of us to eulogise those who inspire us and worship them as heroes.\nHow then could one look to build a balanced, more nuanced view of her life and work? As a starting point, one could perhaps look to see what the opinions of her contemporaries were. The consensus appears to be that she was considered a maverick of sorts, an assessment which lives on in her ‘Mad Madge’ nickname. What we know of the societal context and the social mores of the time suggest that this assessment errs on the more negative side of Virginia Woolf’s. No surprise there as even in our day those who benefit from societal power structures tend to take a dim view of non-conformists as mavericks and upstarts. That this is the view which survives is thus a backhanded compliment of sorts and casts a positive light on her legacy.\nA second task would be to ascertain how much of her work survives in the various archives. A search in the national archives website identifies over 700 items which suggest that there was enough interest in her work to preserve it. Tracking down a few of these works and where they are stored would constitute a valuable activity, both for the works themselves but also the prestige of the collections which house them. That her life and legacy are the subject of a number of ‘serious’ academic investigations is also another indicator of the heft of the ideas which she espoused.\nA third prong to the investigation would be to attempt to assess what debt current thinkers and philosophers owe to her by how much she is referenced and how ideas she raised have been incorporated into their works.\nMy belief is that each of these prongs taken together would help build a composite picture of the life of the Duchess of Newcastle. From the little I have seen already, I am beginning to side with Virginia Woolf.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/03/29/writing-creative-non-fiction-assignment-4-on-woolf-on-cavendish/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/marg-cavendish.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis week\u0026rsquo;s assignment offered a choice of character depictions. I opted to go with reviewing Virginia Woolf\u0026rsquo;s 1925 essay,\u003c/em\u003e The Duchess of Newcastle \u003cem\u003e, from\u003c/em\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Common-Reader-First-Second-One/dp/1727405595/\"\u003eThe Common Reader First Series\u003c/a\u003e \u003cem\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eIts subject is \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Cavendish,_Duchess_of_Newcastle-upon-Tyne\"\u003eMargaret Cavendish the Duchess of Newcastle\u003c/a\u003e. I very much enjoyed getting to learn about her. Image Source: \u003ca href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Margaret_Cavendish,_Duchess_of_Newcastle,_by_Peter_Lely.jpg\"\u003eWikimedia Commons\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is difficult to come away from Virginia Woolf’s essay on the life of Margaret Cavendish with anything but a sense of admiration for the person the Duchess of Newcastle was: a libertarian who lived life on her own terms, a prodigious thinker, prolific writer and designer, all-round force of nature and perhaps proto-feminist. What is even more remarkable about her life is the context within which it was lived, times which seen from the lofty, enlightened heights of our 21st-century sofas seem like the dark ages. Given the latitude to explore and later express a non traditional interpretation of the roles of daughter and wife by both her mother and husband, we get the sense that virtually every thought she had was encouraged and articulated in some shape or form with no attempt to self-censure. It helped perhaps that there were no children to encumber her free spirit. Given Virginia Woolf’s own life and character – and reputation for being a free spirit of sorts too  - the largely positive portrayal here does beg the question of objectivity given the tendency in all of us to eulogise those who inspire us and worship them as heroes.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Writing Creative Non-Fiction - Assignment #4: On Woolf on Cavendish"},{"content":"What if disease is the earth groaning, these bodies daily breaking its cry for relief from our feet pressed hard against its throat? What if\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/03/26/3-what-if/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWhat if\ndisease is\nthe earth\ngroaning,\nthese bodies\ndaily breaking\nits cry\nfor relief\nfrom our feet\npressed hard\nagainst its throat?\nWhat if\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"30. What If..."},{"content":" For Week 3, Weekend of the CoE\u0026rsquo;s #LiveLent Devotional:\n\\\\\\* The curse on the slithering snake is to toil ceaselessly, to eke each day\u0026rsquo;s living from the benighted earth. The promise we hold to is the blessing of the seventh, that after six summers of toil, the seventh brings rest and healing.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/03/21/rest/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/25-apple.jpg\" width=\"676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"https://mailchi.mp/churchofengland/livelent-2020-daily-reflections-day-twentytwo?e=7a19000640\"\u003eWeek 3, Weekend\u003c/a\u003e of the CoE\u0026rsquo;s #LiveLent Devotional:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nThe curse\non the slithering snake\nis to toil ceaselessly,\nto eke each day\u0026rsquo;s living\nfrom the benighted earth.\nThe promise we hold to\nis the blessing of the seventh,\nthat after six summers\nof toil, the seventh brings rest\nand healing.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"25. Rest"},{"content":" For Week 3, Thursday:\n\\\\\\* The rush of locusts leaves the trees - once lush and green - bare, each fading away in the impermanence, of fields destroyed; the ground mourning the demise of a raw and an exquisite beauty. This is how the earth groans, curled up in pain at the wilfulness of wanton waste, a silent witness to the marks we\u0026rsquo;ve missed. We bring our clay, our bodies and and our burdens to this place to this aftermath of loss, and hope for redemption, that this place broken in the moment can be whole and holy once again.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/03/19/impermanence/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/23-dried-earth.jpg\" width=\"676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"https://mailchi.mp/churchofengland/livelent-2020-daily-reflections-day-twenty?e=7a19000640\"\u003eWeek 3, Thursday\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nThe rush\nof locusts\nleaves the trees\n- once lush\nand green - bare,\neach fading away\nin the impermanence,\nof fields destroyed;\nthe ground mourning\nthe demise of a raw\nand an exquisite\nbeauty.\nThis is how\nthe earth groans,\ncurled up in pain\nat the wilfulness\nof wanton waste,\na silent witness\nto the marks\nwe\u0026rsquo;ve missed.\nWe bring our clay,\nour bodies and\nand our burdens\nto this place\nto this aftermath\nof loss, and hope\nfor redemption,\nthat this place\nbroken in the moment\ncan be whole\nand holy\nonce again.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"23. Impermanence"},{"content":" For Week 3, Wednesday:\n\\\\\\* Drop by drop flake by flake the seeds of life are coming and going a stairway between heaven and earth, words watering it with life, calling a harvest from dry things. Each seed is becoming a harvest; of redemption and salvation - joy returning where sadness once reigned.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/03/18/salvation/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/22-salvation.jpg\" width=\"676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"https://mailchi.mp/churchofengland/livelent-2020-daily-reflections-day-nineteen?e=7a19000640\"\u003eWeek 3, Wednesday\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nDrop by drop\nflake by flake\nthe seeds of life\nare coming and going\na stairway between\nheaven and earth,\nwords watering it\nwith life, calling\na harvest from\ndry things.\nEach seed\nis becoming\na harvest;\nof redemption\nand salvation -\njoy returning\nwhere sadness\nonce reigned.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"22. Salvation"},{"content":"For the Week 3, Tuesday reflection in the CoE\u0026rsquo;s #LiveLent Devotional:\n\\\\\\* Trees planted by the river are blessed with the fortitude to resist the howling of the wind the pounding of the waves and the dying the heat and drying bring. Their roots hold together the soil, their leaves stay green even in the season of forgetting. So hold me, tell my heart to trust, to not waver in this season of distress.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/03/17/river-side/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/21-tree-river-side.jpeg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor the \u003ca href=\"https://mailchi.mp/churchofengland/livelent-2020-daily-reflections-day-eighteen?e=7a19000640\"\u003eWeek 3, Tuesday\u003c/a\u003e reflection in the CoE\u0026rsquo;s #LiveLent Devotional:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nTrees planted\nby the river\nare blessed\nwith the\nfortitude\nto resist\nthe howling\nof the wind\nthe pounding\nof the waves\nand the dying\nthe heat\nand drying bring.\nTheir roots\nhold together\nthe soil, their\nleaves stay green\neven in the season\nof forgetting.\nSo hold me,\ntell my heart\nto trust,\nto not waver\nin this season\nof distress.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"21. River side"},{"content":" A response to the Week 3, Monday reflection in the CoE\u0026rsquo;s #LiveLent series\n\\\\\\* Land and plants the Lord God made each one, called forth by the thundering of His voice. First dry land carved from the gathering of the waters then seeds, each taught to yield it\u0026rsquo;s kind. And everything- the red earth, white beach lush plain and rugged hill sings as one. My God, how great Thou art.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/03/16/earth-song/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/20-garden.jpg\" width=\"676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA response to the \u003ca href=\"https://mailchi.mp/churchofengland/livelent-2020-daily-reflections-day-seventeen?e=7a19000640\"\u003eWeek 3, Monday\u003c/a\u003e reflection in the CoE\u0026rsquo;s #LiveLent series\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nLand and plants\nthe Lord God made\neach one, called forth\nby the thundering\nof His voice.\nFirst dry land\ncarved from the\ngathering of\nthe waters\nthen seeds, each\ntaught to yield\nit\u0026rsquo;s kind.\nAnd everything-\nthe red earth,\nwhite beach\nlush plain\nand rugged hill\nsings as one.\nMy God, how great\nThou art.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"20. Earth Song"},{"content":" 19-tree\nFor the start of Week 3 of the CoE\u0026rsquo;s #LiveLent Reflections.\nThe wet grass catches the faint light of the rising sun, each blade resplendent in its very present beauty. Here today but gone tomorrow each clump is a promise of provision, a gift of remembering that tomorrow, and the rising sun will come.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/03/15/19-third-day/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/19-tree.jpg\"\n         alt=\"19-tree\" width=\"3264\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            \u003cp\u003e19-tree\u003c/p\u003e\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor the \u003ca href=\"https://mailchi.mp/churchofengland/livelent-2020-week-four?e=7a19000640\"\u003estart of Week 3\u003c/a\u003e of the CoE\u0026rsquo;s #LiveLent  Reflections.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe wet grass catches\nthe faint light\nof the rising sun,\neach blade resplendent\nin its very present beauty.\nHere today\nbut gone tomorrow\neach clump is a promise\nof provision,\na gift of remembering\nthat tomorrow,\nand the rising sun\nwill come.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"19. Third Day"},{"content":"This week\u0026rsquo;s assignment was to interview someone, summarizing what we learned about them in 300 to 500 words. Here goes.. Image by Clint McKoy on Unsplash\n\\\\\\* R was hunched over his phone typing furiously when I pushed the door open and walked into the restaurant, one of the many that dot the roadside on this corner of the seaside boulevard. I was three minutes late but he, ever the most punctual of people, had arrived early and was in the middle of typing an acerbic note to me.\nIn the 11 years since I first met him, six of which were spent cooped up in the same office space, memories of questionable banter and several meals and evenings out; a veritable tour of brews – and the uninhibited honesty that comes with having those - and cuisines are a large part of what remains. That we opted to do this over food was entirely in keeping with that shared history, particularly given the reasons: he opted to retire a year ago, I am on the cusp of moving on from the organisation that was part of our lives for all those years. It thus felt right to catch up properly before I headed out.\nSelecting a main took more time than usual as it was our first time in a Turkish restaurant, the choice between the varieties of kebabs, casseroles and koftes somewhat overwhelming. For drinks, though it was more clear cut, ‘an EFES* for the young man’ he declared as he waved his hand in the manner of one holding court. Over food, our conversation turned to the subject of our time out here in this grey corner of Scotland, more than 30 in his case.\n‘It’s the longest I’ve been in one place’ he said and then proceeded to reminisce on his life before the \u0026lsquo;Deen. Madras, Delhi, Goa, Aden, Perth in Australia, London, Perth in Scotland were a few of the places he mentioned, all of which he’d spent five or less years in, thanks to the somewhat itinerant lifestyle of a father who was in the diplomatic corps. I was curious as to why he hadn’t taken the opportunity of being retired to move somewhere else, warmer perhaps. ‘Aberdeen feels like home now’, was his response. All that is left elsewhere are tenuous links to vaguely familiar extended family members - \u0026ldquo;Our fathers have all died\u0026rdquo;, he said. \u0026ldquo;Us kids didn’t bother to stay in touch, we’ve all made other connections.\u0026rdquo;\nIn the tone of his voice, I sensed a faint nostalgia, once I know only too well. It is the burden of the prodigal to go out into the world - to a far country - to seek his fortune. At the best of times, that home can become a distant memory, at its worst home can become nowhere.\n\\* a Turkish beer, settled on because in a few weeks time I’ll be working out of a ‘dry’ country\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/03/14/writing-creative-non-fiction-assignment-3-an-interview-of-sorts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/assignment-3-drinking.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis week\u0026rsquo;s assignment was to interview someone, summarizing what we learned about them in 300 to 500 words. Here goes.. Image by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@clintmckoy?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eClint McKoy\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/beer-drinking?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nR was hunched over his phone typing furiously when I pushed the door open and walked into the restaurant, one of the many that dot the roadside on this corner of the seaside boulevard. I was three minutes late but he, ever the most punctual of people, had arrived early and was in the middle of typing an acerbic note to me.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Writing Creative Non-Fiction - Assignment #3: An Interview of Sorts"},{"content":" For the Week 2, Weekend reflection in the CoE\u0026rsquo;s #LiveLent series for 2020.\n\\\\\\* I come at noon the burden of shame around my neck like a shawl hiding me. I come to find water, to sate my thirst to soak my face in its cooling and wash the dust away. But here I find you offering living water. I drink for cleansing for my scarlet to be white and to never thirst again.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/03/14/living-water/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/18-living-water.jpg\" width=\"676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor the \u003ca href=\"https://mailchi.mp/churchofengland/livelent-2020-daily-reflections-day-sixteen?e=7a19000640\"\u003eWeek 2, Weekend\u003c/a\u003e reflection in the CoE\u0026rsquo;s #LiveLent series for 2020.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nI come\nat noon\nthe burden\nof shame\naround my neck\nlike a shawl\nhiding me.\nI come\nto find water,\nto sate my thirst\nto soak my face\nin its cooling\nand wash\nthe dust\naway.\nBut here\nI find you\noffering\nliving water.\nI drink\nfor cleansing\nfor my scarlet\nto be white\nand to never\nthirst again.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"18. Living Water"},{"content":" For the Week 2, Friday\u0026rsquo;s #LiveLent Devotional, particularly apt given the state of play of the coronavirus pandemic.\n\\\\\\* Worn and weary from the tears of fitful crying I find myself stretched straining like a string to hold together; one hand sinking into a slushy earth and the other tottering like a tree listing in a storm. As these waters reach my neck as breath begins to slip and my body begins to yield to these dark depths Abba be a rock be a shelter from the storm be my anchor.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/03/13/17-a-prayer-for-a-season-of-overwhelm/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/17-sinking.jpg\" width=\"676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor the \u003ca href=\"https://mailchi.mp/churchofengland/livelent-2020-daily-reflections-day-fifteen?e=7a19000640\"\u003eWeek 2, Friday\u0026rsquo;s #LiveLent Devotional\u003c/a\u003e, particularly apt given the state of play of the coronavirus pandemic.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nWorn and weary\nfrom the tears\nof fitful crying\nI find myself\nstretched straining\nlike a string\nto hold together;\none hand sinking\ninto a slushy earth\nand the other\ntottering like a tree\nlisting in a storm.\nAs these waters\nreach my neck\nas breath begins\nto slip and my body\nbegins to yield\nto these dark depths\nAbba be a rock\nbe a shelter\nfrom the storm\nbe my anchor.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"17. A Prayer for A Season of Overwhelm"},{"content":" Today\u0026rsquo;s CoE #LiveLent Devotional invites us to reflect on baptism, and how it is a symbol of our death and resurrection with Christ. Here goes:\n\\\\\\* I come to this water, let me go beneath its flood and die, and then arise reborn, raised to freedom and new desires. Let me sense your welcome, your voice speaking once but echoing across the hills and the valleys telling me, welcome lost son, my prodigal returned.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/03/11/15-baptism/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/13-baptism.jpg\" width=\"676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eToday\u0026rsquo;s CoE \u003ca href=\"https://mailchi.mp/churchofengland/livelent-2020-daily-reflections-daythirteen?e=7a19000640\"\u003e#LiveLent Devotional\u003c/a\u003e invites us to reflect on baptism, and how it is a symbol of our death and resurrection with Christ. Here goes:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nI come\nto this water,\nlet me go\nbeneath its flood\nand die, and then\narise reborn,\nraised to freedom\nand new desires.\nLet me sense\nyour welcome,\nyour voice\nspeaking once\nbut echoing\nacross the hills\nand the valleys\ntelling me, welcome\nlost son, my prodigal\nreturned.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"15. Baptism"},{"content":" For Day 11 of the CoE\u0026rsquo;s Lent 2020 Devotional.\n\\\\\\* I come thirsty for your water, for its wetting and its washing for how it revivifies my dead and dying places making their hard, worn edges into soft and pliant spaes. I come thirsty, head bowed in quiet supplication, to live again.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/03/09/13-water-again/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/11-water.jpeg\" width=\"676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"https://mailchi.mp/churchofengland/livelent-2020-daily-reflections-day-eleven?e=7a19000640\"\u003eDay 11\u003c/a\u003e of the CoE\u0026rsquo;s Lent 2020 Devotional.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nI come thirsty\nfor your water,\nfor its wetting\nand its washing\nfor how it\nrevivifies my\ndead and dying places\nmaking their hard,\nworn edges into\nsoft and pliant spaes.\nI come thirsty,\nhead bowed\nin quiet supplication,\nto live again.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"13. Water, Again"},{"content":" For Day 10 of the CoE #Livelent Devotional, the focus being the second day of creation with water being brought forth\u0026hellip;\n\\\\\\* First comes light, making lost things found, dark places bright and clear and beautiful again, and then comes water to wash and clean and bring life to all the dead and dying things. May the dark places of our hearts be lit and whole again and our hands clean.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/03/08/12-water/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/10-water.jpg\" width=\"676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"https://mailchi.mp/churchofengland/livelent-2020-week-three?e=7a19000640\"\u003eDay 10 of the CoE #Livelent Devotional\u003c/a\u003e, the focus being the second day of creation with water being brought forth\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nFirst comes light,\nmaking lost things\nfound, dark places\nbright and clear\nand beautiful again,\nand then comes water\nto wash and clean\nand bring life\nto all the dead\nand dying things.\nMay the dark places\nof our hearts be lit\nand whole again\nand our hands clean.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"12. Water"},{"content":" For Week 1, Weekend of the CoE\u0026rsquo;s #LiveLent Devotional\n\\\\\\* Into the dark night light shines, bit by bit driving fear away\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/03/07/light-and-darkness/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/11-light.jpg\" width=\"676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"https://mailchi.mp/churchofengland/livelent-2020-daily-reflections-day-ten?e=7a19000640\"\u003eWeek 1, Weekend\u003c/a\u003e of the CoE\u0026rsquo;s #LiveLent Devotional\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nInto the dark night\nlight shines, bit by bit\ndriving fear away\u003c/p\u003e","title":"11. Light and Darkness"},{"content":" For Day Nine, the invitation is to reflect on light and heat and the benefits access to electricity brings to people around the world. That immediately brought to mind the Parable of the Lost Coin, and how for all the sweeping and cleaning, the lost coin is found because of the illumination light brings. Here goes then:\n\\\\\\* You realise that light is good when the thing you lost is found, wedged between the corner of your bed and the cold wall, that tiny space worn beige by the tyranny of time. When in the shiver of a winter night you wrap your hands around a cup of warm tea, its chipped edge and faded art a reminder of all its seasons of use, you realise that light is good, and the darkness all around fades.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/03/06/10-light/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/milada-vigerova-x7mqpoxujnw-unsplash.jpg\" width=\"676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"https://mailchi.mp/churchofengland/livelent-2020-daily-reflections-day-nine?e=7a19000640\"\u003eDay Nine\u003c/a\u003e, the invitation is to reflect on light and heat and the benefits access to electricity brings to people around the world. That immediately brought to mind the \u003ca href=\"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+15%3A8-10\u0026amp;version=NIV\"\u003eParable of the Lost Coin\u003c/a\u003e, and how for all the sweeping and cleaning, the lost coin is found because of the illumination light brings. Here goes then:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nYou realise\nthat light is good\nwhen the thing you lost\nis found, wedged between\nthe corner of your bed\nand the cold wall,\nthat tiny space\nworn beige by\nthe tyranny of time.\nWhen in the shiver\nof a winter night\nyou wrap your hands around\na cup of warm tea,\nits chipped edge and faded art\na reminder of all its seasons of use,\nyou realise that light is good,\nand the darkness all around fades.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"10. Light..."},{"content":" For Day 8 of the Church of England\u0026rsquo;s LiveLent devotional for Lent. \\\\\\* Tell the darkness there is no room here, that though small and weak and flickering in the wind, your light will be a bulwark, a hedge against the pressure closing in. You\u0026rsquo;re a city on a hill a light raised high for all to see. Shine.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/03/05/9-song-of-the-light/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/8-light.jpg\" width=\"676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"https://mailchi.mp/churchofengland/livelent-2020-daily-reflections-day-eight?e=7a19000640\"\u003eDay 8\u003c/a\u003e of the Church of England\u0026rsquo;s LiveLent devotional for Lent.\n\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nTell\nthe darkness\nthere is no room here,\nthat though small\nand weak and flickering\nin the wind, your light\nwill be a bulwark, a\nhedge against the\npressure closing in.\nYou\u0026rsquo;re a city on a hill\na light raised high\nfor all to see.\nShine.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"9. Song of The Light"},{"content":"\nImage Source\n\\\\\\* Yield your swords, pound them into ploughshares, and your spears into pruning hooks\nfrom instruments of harm, life begins to spring up when we walk in Light\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/03/04/8-swords-spears-ploughshares/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/6-swords.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImage \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Image-UN_Swords_into_Plowshares_Statue.JPG\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nYield your swords, pound them\ninto ploughshares, and your spears\ninto pruning hooks\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efrom instruments of\nharm, life begins to spring up\nwhen we walk in Light\u003c/p\u003e","title":"8. Swords, Spears, Ploughshares"},{"content":" \\\\\\* It lingers in the air- this faint scent of things stirring, fair and comely things in all their colour beginning to rear their head in the light of the lengthening days. here, earth heeds the call to birth again from death and dying life begins to spring again.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/03/03/5-springing/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/5.springing.jpg\" width=\"676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nIt lingers in the air-\nthis faint scent of things\nstirring, fair and\ncomely things\nin all their colour\nbeginning to rear\ntheir head in the light\nof the lengthening days.\nhere, earth heeds\nthe call to birth again\nfrom death and dying life\nbegins to spring again.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"7. Springing"},{"content":" Last week\u0026rsquo;s assignment was to take a look at an image and attempt to deduce and interpret what it is about from the details one can see. I went for the image above, Jan van Eyck\u0026rsquo;s Portrait of Arnolfini. Here goes.\n\\\\\\* What strikes me the first time I look at the picture is how young and frail she looks. With eyes looking downwards and away from his face, as though in deference, one gets the impression that she feels entirely in his power, her demeanour almost apologising for intruding into his space. He, on the other hand, has that stance that screams importance, eyes forward, looking towards the one who has crafted the scene, seeming to declare that he owns everything in sight. I am here and in charge. All this is mine, notice me!\nFrom the rich green of her thick dress, and the fur that lines its neck, hem and sleeves, I imagine they are well off. The pet resting in the foreground of the image suggests daily sustenance is not a problem, as do the finely decorated bed, the ornate chandelier,an exquisite rug and what seems to be solid oak floors; all trappings of luxury. The folds of her dress bunch together, held by her hand which seems to protect what looks like the beginnings of a baby bump. In the mirror behind them a woman lurks, her gaze matronly, a hint perhaps of motherly pride in her eyes at the scene which unfolds before her. She is not the only one looking on, various religious inscriptions adorn the rim of the mirror, suggesting this is a devout house, perhaps one that has unfettered access to the parish priest and is a patron of the local assembly.\nI imagine all of this is the crafting of the man who hides in the shadows in the mirror behind everyone else, the signature on the wall the only thing that identifies him. If The Man is his patron, perhaps this is the artist’s gift, his art offered up to the service of the one who gives him sustenance.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/03/03/writing-creative-non-fiction-assignment-2-on-detail-and-deduction/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/n-0186-00-000175-wpu.jpg\" width=\"580\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLast week\u0026rsquo;s assignment was to take a look at an image and attempt to deduce and interpret what it is about from the details one can see. I went for the image above, Jan van Eyck\u0026rsquo;s Portrait of Arnolfini. Here goes.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nWhat strikes me the first time I look at the picture is how young and frail she looks. With eyes looking downwards and away from his face, as though in deference, one gets the impression that she feels entirely in his power, her demeanour almost apologising for intruding into his space. He, on the other hand, has that stance that screams importance, eyes forward, looking towards the one who has crafted the scene, seeming to declare that he owns everything in sight. I am here and in charge. All this is mine, notice me!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Writing Creative Non-Fiction - Assignment #2: On Detail and Deduction"},{"content":" For Day 1 of Week 1 of the #LiveLent devotional for Lent.\n\\\\\\* Bless our broken and our breaking, these bodies creaking beneath the pressure of a living daily eked out. Bless our riven hearts in all their parts, strewn as it were along the paths we once trod in hope. Let light, by your speaking bring peace Let our shattered things be whole again let hope with light spring, again.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/03/02/4-light/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/casey-horner-2cxz6dz7jve-unsplash.jpg\" width=\"676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"https://mailchi.mp/churchofengland/livelent-2020-daily-reflections-day-five?e=7a19000640\"\u003eDay 1 of Week 1\u003c/a\u003e of the #LiveLent devotional for Lent.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nBless our broken\nand our breaking,\nthese bodies creaking\nbeneath the pressure\nof a living daily eked out.\nBless our riven hearts\nin all their parts, strewn\nas it were along the paths\nwe once trod in hope.\nLet light,\nby your speaking\nbring peace\nLet our shattered things\nbe whole again\nlet hope with light\nspring, again.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"6. Light"},{"content":" For Week 1, Sunday of the CoE\u0026rsquo;s #LiveLent Devotional \\\\\\* Over the cold dark swirling mists, the Spirit breathes then speaks: Light, come forth.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/03/01/first-day/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/5-light.jpg\" width=\"676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"https://mailchi.mp/churchofengland/livelent-2020-week-two?e=7a19000640\"\u003eWeek 1, Sunday\u003c/a\u003e of the CoE\u0026rsquo;s #LiveLent Devotional\u003c/em\u003e\n\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nOver the cold dark\nswirling mists, the Spirit breathes\nthen speaks: Light, come forth.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"5. First Day"},{"content":" For Day 4 of the CoE #LiveLent Devotional. \\\\\\* All things - the frail and the sturdy, the weak and the strong- hold together, and consist in You Who leaves the saved ninety-nine to find the one; lost sheep who slips into the dark and unclear paths where fear thrives. You offer redemption and finding and saving from the miry clay. Save me.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/02/29/4-reconciliation/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/4-reconciliation.jpg\" width=\"676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor Day 4 of the \u003ca href=\"https://mailchi.mp/churchofengland/livelent-2020-daily-reflections-day-four?e=7a19000640\"\u003eCoE #LiveLent Devotional\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\n\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nAll things -\nthe frail\nand the sturdy,\nthe weak\nand the strong-\nhold together,\nand consist in You\nWho leaves\nthe saved\nninety-nine\nto find the one;\nlost sheep\nwho slips\ninto the dark\nand unclear paths\nwhere fear thrives.\nYou offer\nredemption\nand finding\nand saving\nfrom the miry clay.\nSave me.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"4. Reconciliation"},{"content":" \\\\\\* May laughter linger here, ring loud in this place where the weight of the burden of living once reigned.\nMay the promise of good news, of sight and freedom come true, bringing life to this thirsty earth.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/02/28/3-that-laughter-may-return/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/jon-tyson-xmmsdtigsfo-unsplash.jpg\" width=\"676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nMay laughter\nlinger here,\nring loud\nin this place\nwhere the weight\nof the burden\nof living\nonce reigned.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMay the promise\nof good news,\nof sight\nand freedom\ncome true,\nbringing life\nto this\nthirsty earth.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"3. That Laughter May Return"},{"content":" \\\\\\* I come to lose myself in the brightness of the King, to join the crashing waves the whistling winds and glistening leaves in joyful adoration, to raise a song, like a string quivering at the strumming of the maestro, a tune pregnant with desire its purpose revealed in the reveling of those who hear, many voices, all together resounding as one.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/02/27/2-dance/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/2.the-earth-is-the-lords.jpg\" width=\"676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nI come\nto lose myself\nin the brightness\nof the King, to\njoin the crashing waves\nthe whistling winds\nand glistening leaves\nin joyful adoration,\nto raise a song,\nlike a string quivering\nat the strumming\nof the maestro,\na tune pregnant\nwith desire\nits purpose revealed\nin the reveling\nof those who hear,\nmany voices,\nall together\nresounding\nas one.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2. Dance"},{"content":" For Lent this year, I\u0026rsquo;m choosing to reflect via the medium of poetry, inspired in part by Pádraig Ó Tuama\u0026rsquo;s Poetry Unbound podcast and an inability to pray, in any formal sense of the word. What started as a season of uncertainty has evolved into something bigger, hence this, an attempt to use poetry as prayer. These will be a response to the daily reflection from the Church of England\u0026rsquo;s LiveLent app which this year encourages us to reflect on creation and how we can be better stewards of it. Here goes! NB for a version in which I attempt to read, visit the anchor.fm page. \\\\\\* The bright gleam of sunlight reflecting in the glass and the steel of the hills we have built lull me into forgetting, that this - these monuments to our power and resolve which wrap themselves like a shroud around the horizon, a scar from a wound revived in the present, tethering us to the certainty of the things we think we know- is but a moment, fleeting in its existence.\nThe beauty of things which are unseen is their intricacy, how closely knit together they can appear, how easy it is for them to unravel like a slip of fine cashmere, once a string begins to slip. This is what beauty is, observed in the frail, reminding us that we are dust and from dust to which we must return when time untethers us from this rock to which we cling.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/02/26/1-a-poem-for-remembering-we-are-dust/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/kelly-kiernan-nbkvpoqulwm-unsplash.jpg\" width=\"676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor Lent this year, I\u0026rsquo;m choosing to reflect via the medium of poetry, inspired in part by Pádraig Ó Tuama\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"https://onbeing.org/series/poetry-unbound/\"\u003ePoetry Unbound\u003c/a\u003e podcast and an inability to pray, in any formal sense of the word. What started as a season of uncertainty has evolved into something bigger, hence this, an attempt to use poetry as prayer. These will be a response to the daily reflection from the Church of England\u0026rsquo;s LiveLent app which this year encourages us to reflect on creation and how we can be better stewards of it. Here goes! NB for a version in which I attempt to read, visit the \u003ca href=\"https://anchor.fm/recoveringprodigal/episodes/A-Poem-For-Remembering-That-We-Are-Dust-eb35et/a-a1j48th\"\u003eanchor.fm page\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\n\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nThe bright gleam\nof sunlight reflecting\nin the glass and the steel\nof the hills we have built\nlull me into forgetting,\nthat this - these monuments\nto our power and resolve\nwhich wrap themselves\nlike a shroud around\nthe horizon, a scar from\na wound revived in the present,\ntethering us to the certainty\nof the things we think we know-\nis but a moment,\nfleeting in its existence.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"1. A Poem For Remembering We Are Dust"},{"content":" For the Poetic Aside Prompt #516 and the Novem poetic form. Not strictly interpreted though\u0026hellip; \\\\\\* Come bask beneath the starlight. Yield yourself to Time\u0026rsquo;s\ngift of colour splashed across night\u0026rsquo;s canvas. Come here,\nHear the whisper of nature\u0026rsquo;s song. Ponder in awe.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/02/23/a-novem-for-starlight/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/max-saeling-ef0sxqtncyu-unsplash.jpg\" width=\"676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor the Poetic Aside \u003ca href=\"https://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/poetic-asides/wednesday-poetry-prompts-516\"\u003ePrompt #516\u003c/a\u003e and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/poetic-asides/novem-poetic-forms\"\u003eNovem poetic form\u003c/a\u003e. Not strictly interpreted though\u0026hellip;\u003c/em\u003e\n\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nCome bask beneath\nthe starlight. Yield\nyourself to Time\u0026rsquo;s\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003egift of colour\nsplashed across night\u0026rsquo;s\ncanvas. Come here,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHear the whisper\nof nature\u0026rsquo;s song.\nPonder in awe.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Novem For Starlight"},{"content":"Between a super busy week at work and beginning to pack up my life for an upcoming move, I made slow going of studying this week, hence the lateness of this week\u0026rsquo;s wrap-up. A highlight was receiving largely positive feedback on my first assignment, an exercise in people-watching which took me to a city centre Burger King.\nThis week\u0026rsquo;s learning focus was research; tips and tricks for getting beneath the skin of a place to understand the wider context behind the story we\u0026rsquo;re trying to tell and to ground it in facts and truths. Memory being as fickle as it can be, there was rightly a focus on building systems for capturing details about the people, places and things we write about. Upon reflection, some of the great essayists who have inspired me on this journey have documented their own systems for doing just this including David Sedaris and Ryan Holiday (both of whom have inspired Austin Kleon) to name a few. Also introduced this week were a number of tools: brainstorming (a la mind maps of ideas around a central topic) and foot stepping, physically visiting the area one wishes to write about to absorb its very essence into one\u0026rsquo;s mind. That I suspect will be very useful over the next few years as I travel more.\nMore imminently though is the small matter of the next assignment, to apply the tools discussed over the course of the week to observe an object in great detail to see what deductions one could make about it from that\u0026hellip; Hopefully, I find enough time in these last few weeks to deliver on that\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/02/21/week-two/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBetween a super busy week at work and beginning to pack up my life for an upcoming move, I made slow going of studying this week, hence the lateness of this week\u0026rsquo;s wrap-up. A highlight was receiving largely positive feedback on my \u003ca href=\"/2020/02/14/people-watching/\"\u003efirst assignment\u003c/a\u003e, an exercise in people-watching which took me to a city centre Burger King.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis week\u0026rsquo;s learning focus was research; tips and tricks for getting beneath the skin of a place to understand the wider context behind the story we\u0026rsquo;re trying to tell and to ground it in facts and truths. Memory being as fickle as it can be, there was rightly a focus on building systems for capturing details about the people, places and things we write about. Upon reflection, some of the great essayists who have inspired me on this journey have documented their own systems for doing just this including David Sedaris and Ryan Holiday (both of whom have inspired Austin Kleon) to name a few. Also introduced this week were a number of tools: brainstorming (a la mind maps of ideas around a central topic) and foot stepping, physically visiting the area one wishes to write about to absorb its very essence into one\u0026rsquo;s mind. That I suspect will be very useful over the next few years as I travel more.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Week Two"},{"content":"For The Sunday Muse Prompt #95.\n\\\\\\* It thunders, and then it wafts, its wispy tendrils slowly rising like the white smoke of incense from a censer, held aloft by a priest intoning a muttered prayer. Behind, a bridge to the past hides, disappearing, as it were, into the haze of memory; ahead, the future - not yet glimpsed but in the moment frozen - and enjoyed.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/02/17/wafting/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/smokyphotog.jpeg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2020/02/sunday-muse-95.html\"\u003ePrompt #95\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nIt thunders,\nand then it wafts,\nits wispy tendrils\nslowly rising like\nthe white smoke\nof incense from a censer,\nheld aloft by a priest\nintoning a muttered\nprayer. Behind,\na bridge to the past\nhides, disappearing,\nas it were, into\nthe haze of memory;\nahead, the future -\nnot yet glimpsed\nbut in the moment\nfrozen - and enjoyed.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Wafting"},{"content":" Last week was about thinking about the underlying reasons for writing, this week was starting off on the journey towards sharpening our powers of observation, the idea being to hone our ability to find stories in the quotidian. A city-centre eatery late one night was my muse.\n\\\\\\* It is a little after 8.30pm when the smell of French fries wafting in through the door draws me in. The first thing that strikes me as I stride through the door is how empty it looks, the bulk of the two-storied structure being cordoned off, with only the small section to the right of the counter open for use. I find the emptiness surprising given it is next to a major bus station and right in the centre of town. As I wait for the chance to order, I find myself behind three people, all decked out in the garb of people dressed to brace the cold, with the brightly coloured logo of a food delivery service gracing the insulated bags they hold.\nA few feet away from the space I find for myself and my tray are three men with youthful faces, chattering away in a language which is not English, possible South East Asian if I were to hazard a guess. Their half-eaten burgers suggest they’ve been here a while, given how much of their time is spent in conversation interspersed with raucous laughter. When they are finally done, one of the three gathers up their trays and proceeds to empty them into the bin and then they leave, taking their mirth with them. Clearly close friends, or people connected by a shared lived experience I suspect.\nApart from them, the only other people in the room are a group of much older people – 2 men and 2 women occupying the central tables and someone sitting alone, sipping from a cup looking out onto the streets. Of the four, the woman who looks the oldest is slouched in her seat, hands folded together in her lap, two shopping bags beside her, listening it seems. Across from her a younger man with hair the same ginger colour as hers sits, leaning in, several discarded sachets of milk at his elbows, gesturing wildly. Between the accent and my hunger, I can barely make out what the subject of their conversation is but the name of the suburb to the south of the river comes up several times. Maybe a family squabble then, or given the reputation the small town has for being a difficult place, maybe an appeal to the matriarch of the clan for an intervention. All I can see of the fourth person are feet clad in streaked sneakers, the upper body obscured by a heater.\nWhen I steal a glance at the group on my way out, I find the fourth person is fast asleep. Maybe, I have misread the situation after all.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/02/14/writing-creative-non-fiction-assignment-1-people-watching/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/eating-out.jpg\" width=\"676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2020/02/07/lift-off/\"\u003eLast week\u003c/a\u003e was about thinking about the underlying reasons for writing, this week was starting off on the journey towards sharpening our powers of observation, the idea being to hone our ability to find stories in the quotidian.  A city-centre eatery late one night was my muse.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nIt is a little after 8.30pm when the smell of French fries wafting in through the door draws me in. The first thing that strikes me as I stride through the door is how empty it looks, the bulk of the two-storied structure being cordoned off, with only the small section to the right of the counter open for use. I find the emptiness surprising given it is next to a major bus station and right in the centre of town. As I wait for the chance to order, I find myself behind three people, all decked out in the garb of people dressed to brace the cold, with the brightly coloured logo of a food delivery service gracing the insulated bags they hold.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Writing Creative Non-Fiction - Assignment #1: People Watching"},{"content":" One of my objectives for 2020 is to complete a Creative Non-Fiction course, which is how I signed up for the National Centre for Writing\u0026rsquo;s Start Writing Creative Non-Fiction course. Once a week, or so, I\u0026rsquo;ll drop a few thoughts on exercises completed, thoughts and progress on here. Here goes the first one.\n\\\\\\* The focus of this first week has been pondering the question \u0026lsquo;why?\u0026rsquo;, exploring the motivations for taking on the course, and perhaps the underlying book project which it is assumed one is working on. For me, the course is an attempt to go beneath the surface and understand the techniques behind good writing, in keeping with the theme for this year of Delving Deeper. Progress on that elusive memoir, The Small Light in Things. will be a very welcome bonus.\nIn my head, The Small Light in Things will focus on the last ten years of my life, ones in which I upped sticks on the cusp of turning thirty and began life anew on a new continent along with all the change that instigated. It will be a story of surviving - of navigating a culture shock, the first tentative steps on a journey of evolving faith and changing, by degrees as it were. It might be cathartic, or not, but my hope is that I get to properly process all of this with hopefully the benefit of some distance and detachment.\nThree books come to mind as exemplars of what I am trying to achieve here: Teju Cole\u0026rsquo;s Every Day Is For The Thief, Richard Rodriguez\u0026rsquo;s Hunger of Memory and Etgar Keret\u0026rsquo;s The Seven Good Years, all of which reflect on times of change and evolution with the benefit of some distance. What resonates with me in these books, particularly Every Day is For The Thief and Hunger of Memory, is the lived immigrant experience -both in the other country and in the country of birth. Time, life and the experience change us in ways which are not immediately obvious, that is what I\u0026rsquo;m hoping to tease out from the past ten years of my life.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/02/07/lift-off/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/green-chameleon-s9cc2skysjm-unsplash.jpg\" width=\"676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOne of my \u003ca href=\"/2020/01/10/2020-delve-deeper-the-plan/\"\u003eobjectives for 2020\u003c/a\u003e is to complete a Creative Non-Fiction course, which is how I signed up for the National Centre for Writing\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/whats-on/start-writing-narrative-non-fiction/\"\u003eStart Writing Creative Non-Fiction course\u003c/a\u003e. Once a week, or so, I\u0026rsquo;ll drop a few thoughts on exercises completed, thoughts and progress on here. Here goes the first one.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nThe focus of this first week has been pondering the question \u0026lsquo;why?\u0026rsquo;, exploring the motivations for taking on the course, and perhaps the underlying book project which it is assumed one is working on. For me, the course is an attempt to go beneath the surface and understand the techniques behind good writing, in keeping with the theme for this year of Delving Deeper. Progress on that elusive memoir, \u003ca href=\"/2017/03/07/the-small-light-in-things/\"\u003eThe Small Light in Things\u003c/a\u003e. will be a very welcome bonus.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Lift Off"},{"content":"For The Sunday Muse Prompt 93:\n\\\\\\* Here, prone beneath the weight of things unseen, the vision has begun to fade, the dream once resplendent in its colour, now faint and grey, Between the leaving and the grieving a messenger appears, a key in its wings, a gift of redemption and rebirth.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/02/05/gift-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/the-sunday-muse-93.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2020/02/sunday-muse-93.html\"\u003ePrompt 93\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nHere, prone\nbeneath the weight\nof things unseen,\nthe vision has begun\nto fade, the dream\nonce resplendent\nin its colour,\nnow faint and grey,\nBetween the leaving\nand the grieving\na messenger appears,\na key in its wings,\na gift of redemption\nand rebirth.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Gift"},{"content":"For The Sunday Muse Prompt #92 and Matthew 11:28-30.\n\\\\\\* Beyond the drying and the dying salvation calls; the distant shimmer of light cast by the morning sun a whisper to the weary; Come, draw nigh all ye who are heavy laden, who bear the burden of a common life around their neck. Hope and Haven is the promise, if we dare go through the door into the way.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/01/29/oasis/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/oasis-2335767_1280.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Sunday Muse\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2020/01/sunday-muse-92.html\"\u003ePrompt #92\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+11%3A28-30\u0026amp;version=NIV\"\u003eMatthew 11:28-30\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nBeyond the drying\nand the dying\nsalvation calls;\nthe distant shimmer\nof light cast\nby the morning sun\na whisper to the weary;\nCome, draw nigh\nall ye who are heavy laden,\nwho bear the burden\nof a common life\naround their neck.\nHope and Haven\nis the promise,\nif we dare\ngo through the door\ninto the way.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Oasis"},{"content":"For The Sunday Muse Prompt #90 .\n\\\\\\* The brilliance of her luminescent eyes lights the darkness all around, twin pricks of desire shining bright, like stars, stark against the tapestry of a night sky. Fire and ice, both together and apart lie here, the wild and the quiet as one.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/01/16/arctic-eyes/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/arctic-fox-4153630_1920.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Sunday Muse\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2020/01/sunday-muse-90.html\"\u003ePrompt #90\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nThe brilliance of\nher luminescent eyes\nlights the darkness\nall around, twin pricks\nof desire shining bright,\nlike stars, stark against\nthe tapestry of a night sky.\nFire and ice, both\ntogether and apart\nlie here, the wild\nand the quiet as one.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Arctic Eyes"},{"content":" \\\\\\* 4 am on a weekend is far too early to wake up, particularly when it is the next day after a late-night flight, but given my flight the next day is a 7.30am one I have to suck it up. The next day, having rushed through a shower, completed final bag checks and double-checked I have my passport, we find ourselves in a taxi speeding away on the A3 a little after 5am, barely lucid but glad I don\u0026rsquo;t have to do the driving. At Gatwick, we find lengthy lines bent double on themselves with baggage handlers thin on the ground. That EasyJet, that famously lean airline, deigns to apologise over the state of affairs is perhaps all one needs to know about just how dire the situation is. Thankfully, we make it through baggage drop and security just before 7am; just enough time to grab a Shake Shack breakfast bun and start frantically eyeing the departure boards for signs of our flight. It ends up delayed, no surprise there.\nIt is almost mid-day UK time when we catch our first glimpse of the islands as we begin our final descent. The first thing that strikes me is just how small it looks, bringing to mind memories of our last jaunt a few months ago, Madeira. Passport control is a breeze (not for much longer given Brexit I suspect), finding our coach to the hotel takes a little longer but all told we\u0026rsquo;re at reception checking in to our hotel in Qawra just over an hour after our flight lands. The rest of the day is spent catching up on sleep and getting our bearings in the positively baking 17 deg C heat, a shock to the system given the London temperatures we\u0026rsquo;ve just escaped.\nWith time - three years and counting - a method has evolved around these holidays: a catch up with the official tour representative to get the lay of the land, followed by a hop-on/ hop-off tour of the city and then a few official tours with free days in which we do our own thing as we feel like. At our travel agency briefing we find out about shared connections – M is part Maltese and grew up in North London before upping sticks and relocating to this corner of the world. As for tours, we sign up for a day trip to Gozo, a guided tour that takes in the old capital Mdina, Mosta, a craft village and Valletta and the Christmas day special. We also sign up for the hop-on/hop-off tour of the south of the island to take advantage of the 3 euro discount.\nThere is a certain symmetry to the beauty of quaint European cities: narrow cobbled streets, old buildings and magnificent cathedrals around which each village/city is centred which, after you\u0026rsquo;ve been to a few, can begin to blend into each other. Undergirding what we see though is how the intersecting interests and intrigue over millennia have shaped the present. Thanks to its location, and perhaps climate, Malta has seen more than its fair share of conquest with imprints of pre-historic peoples, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, The Aragonese, Sicilians, Knights of Saint John and the British all there to see. These were all sights we took in in bits and pieces over the 8 days we spent out there. Most surprising for me though is how the Arabic influence has persisted, most notably in the spoken language. That tension between the past and the present remains visible in the form of cranes and spruced up facades sitting often next to the tired and worn limestone ones of other buildings.\nWe had the pleasure of experiencing two power cuts during the period of our stay, the causes of which we never managed to understand. That, and the chaos we seemed to just manage to avoid (read late departures for tours/ frantic phone calls by our travel agency rep to confirm tours were still on), brought shades of Lagos to mind. Back to the power situation: at the fishing village of Marsaxlokk we spotted a tanker delivering LNG to the power station visible across the bay and not very many wind turbines. Given the high winds we experienced - which threatened to toss someone\u0026rsquo;s weave into the sea as we waited to board the ferry at Sliema - the absence of wind turbines was interesting.\nThe ornately decorated insides of St John\u0026rsquo;s Co-Cathedral in Valletta and St Phillips in Zebbug caused me to cast my mind to sacred spaces and how their design can inspire a sense of wonder in the worshipping faithful. This is something our Pentecostal spaces would do well to learn from I think, given their typically more spartan outlook.\nBeing able to wander the streets, thanks to long paved promenades at St Julian\u0026rsquo;s, between Qawra and St Paul\u0026rsquo;s bay amongst others was a positive, particularly given the temperatures which were just warm enough, staying mainly in the 15 to 17 deg C range for most of the time out there. On one of those walks, we came across a game of bocce and stayed a few minutes to watch. Given it was our first time we had no clue what the objective was besides, as a German tourist who also stopped to watch put it, old people passing time 😊\nOne of the reasons for sticking with Europe this time was to try to get into the Christmas spirit. Nativity scenes and colourful night-time displays dotted the landscape. Running into several other black faces was a welcome change from our previous travels - even as it included running into friends of friends.\nFor all the things we planned and did, two things defined this holiday for me, both unexpected. A wander into St Paul\u0026rsquo;s Bay on which we chanced upon a tiny church which supposedly marks the location of Paul\u0026rsquo;s shipwreck and the introduction of Christianity, and a boy who took to the piano in the airport and proceeded to delight us all, to sporadic applause now again - the perfect, unscripted ending to a season of chilling if ever there was one.\nP.S: More pictures here (on Google Photos), if those are your bag.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/01/13/the-diary-malta/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\n4 am on a weekend is far too early to wake up, particularly when it is the next day after a late-night flight, but given my flight the next day is a 7.30am one I have to suck it up. The next day, having rushed through a shower, completed final bag checks and double-checked I have my passport, we find ourselves in a taxi speeding away on the A3 a little after 5am, barely lucid but glad I don\u0026rsquo;t have to do the driving. At Gatwick, we find lengthy lines bent double on themselves with baggage handlers thin on the ground. That EasyJet, that famously lean airline, deigns to apologise over the state of affairs is perhaps all one needs to know about just how dire the situation is. Thankfully, we make it through baggage drop and security just before 7am; just enough time to grab a Shake Shack breakfast bun and start frantically eyeing the departure boards for signs of our flight. It ends up delayed, no surprise there.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Diary: Malta"},{"content":"One of the unintended outcomes of my year of living intentionally was revisiting my life plan and rejigging it to incorporate a Codex Vitae and annual (Life) plans. The framework remains the same: three interaction spaces (personal, professional, and public) and seven life domains (spiritual, physical, relational, financial, vocational, mental, causes and charities) across which the health of my life is measured. The idea is to, on an annual basis, review the health of my life using the seven domains to identify ones that need focus in addition to the three interaction spaces. The output of this exercise then is 10-12 goals which form the main objectives for the year.\nHaving gone through the process for YE 2019 then, a few areas stand out as needing focus:\nSpiritual and Financial domains which are in a terrible state Physical (and Health), Vocational and Relational which require improvement To address key domain issues and interaction space concerns, goals for 2020 are:\nHabit change: Success being measured as completing 100 days free Build a daily practice of prayer and Bible study: Measured by completing 100 consecutive days, and then weekdays thereafter Lose 14kg of weight by December 2020, key supporting actions being: Intermittent fasting: 8pm to 12noon \u0026lt;100g of carbs daily Run 3x a week Fast once a week till 6pm (target Wednesdays) Increase daily sleep to \u0026gt;7hrs by December 31st 2020 Stay off coffee (max 1 cup per day) In bed by 10am No screens after 9pm (except for MOTD?) daily Grow NetWorth by \u0026gt;10% by 31st December 2020 Improve relationship with Seun Complete baseline survey and record current status Identify key action to address over 2020 Speak daily for ~1 hr Read 25 books Build list of books to read Read a chapter each weekday Post here three times a week Read an M\u0026amp;C topic 3x a week (after work) Clear credit card debt by end of March 2020 Run a half marathon by 31st Aug 2020 Complete udacity data science course ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/01/10/delve-deeper-the-plan/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOne of the unintended outcomes of my \u003ca href=\"/2019/01/01/the-year-of-living-intentionally/\"\u003eyear of living intentionally\u003c/a\u003e was revisiting my life plan and rejigging it to incorporate a \u003ca href=\"/codex-vitae/\"\u003eCodex Vitae\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"/annual-plans-and-reviews/\"\u003eannual (Life) plans\u003c/a\u003e. The framework remains the same: three interaction spaces (personal, professional, and public) and seven life domains (spiritual, physical, relational, financial, vocational, mental, causes and charities) across which the health of my life is measured. The idea is to, on an annual basis, review the health of my life using the seven domains to identify ones that need focus in addition to the three interaction spaces. The output of this exercise then is 10-12 goals which form the main objectives for the year.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2020: Delve Deeper - The Plan"},{"content":"One of the biggest disappointments of 2019 for me was interviewing at a company across town and failing to land a job there. It was a company I had admired for some time, the role itself was to be the team leader for a small group of technical specialists overseeing a North sea portfolio and the pay was better; an added incentive. The interview itself started off well I thought but somewhere around three-quarters of the way through, it delved into territory I wasn\u0026rsquo;t overly familiar with. Part of it was a failure of preparation; I hadn\u0026rsquo;t taken the time to get intimately familiar with the company\u0026rsquo;s portfolio and thus prepare for any potential curveballs. The more I mulled over the disappointment, and let time do its thing, the clearer it became to me that this had ultimately been a failure of depth. I knew enough about my subject, had built a reputation in my locality and knew enough about the company to give the perception of competence and suitability on the surface. It was when the screws were turned and the veneer was stripped back, that a lack of depth - somewhat dodgy foundations if you like - proved my undoing.\nIn the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders, Jesus tells a story of two folks who build houses, one on the sands and the other on rock. When the winds, rains and storms come, the house on the sand - without depth - falls flat whilst the one on the rock survives. The parable\u0026rsquo;s primary purpose is to exhort listeners to hear and do the words of Christ. There is however a wider principle at play here I believe, everything worth its salt will be tested, the only ones which survive are those which have depth and are inherently resilient. It is an idea not too dissimilar to ones raised by Nassim Taleb in Skin In The Game when it comes to assessing the credibility of others.\nAll of the above is why my focus for 2020 is Delve Deeper. To delve is to reach inside hidden spaces and search for and extricate something. Implicit in this is the expending of energy, which has opportunity costs. For this to not be an exercise in futility therefore, these hidden spaces have to contain something of value which is the focus of the search. For 2020 the search will be for deep knowledge in the various domains across which my life intersects. The wider objective is not knowledge for knowledge sake, it is using that knowledge to build systems and routines that can stand the tests and ravages of time and life and can deliver lasting value in my various interactions. It is not a focus I expect to be fully developed and understood in 2020 alone but one that might just guide me through the 2020s (coincidentally my forties).\nFor all its warts, 2019 wasn\u0026rsquo;t the worst of years, not least because the biggest disappointment of 2019 is mitigated by a work opportunity at the end of Q1 this year to look forward to. That said, being intentional and tracking a host of data points over the course of the year helped identify a number of life domains which are good areas to kick off this process of delving deeper with. 2019 was the year I finally managed to put words to the feeling of spiritual malaise I have wrestled with over the past few years, spiritual homelessness. My finances are another area where I need to build a level of robustness in. Several big projects over the last decade, and a few failed (Nigerian) investments, meant I haven\u0026rsquo;t derived as much value as I could from my earnings over the past year. That is something that needs to change, particularly given I am now ten years closer to retiring. The third domain I believe needs focus in the near term is my relationships. Most of the past decade was spent insulating myself from people, focusing on myself sometimes to the detriment of real-world relationships and friendships. In continuance of one of my themes from last year, engaging the friends and people in my life better is something that needs focus this year.\nHow does this translate into real-world action? Three main behaviours to change/implement:\nQuestion my answers: My existing outcomes in the domains I have identified for focus are the result of years of learning (both positive and negative) and ingrained habits. Real change can only begin by identifying what those underlying answers are, questioning them and then looking to arrive at better answers, iteratively. I started a Codex Vitae, a book of life, inspired by Buster Benson. This is something I hope to return to again and keep updated over the course of the year. Build Systems: Two of the books which influenced me the most in 2019 (James Clear\u0026rsquo;s Atomic Habits and Drew Dyck\u0026rsquo;s Your Future Self Will Thank You) highlighted the criticality of systems (things broken down into repeatable, routine activities) for effecting change. As knowledge from digging deeper comes to the fore, the focus would be to break down any required actions into daily routines to ensure they get properly embedded into my life going forward. Implement a Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle: One of the changes implemented in 2019 was to build a dashboard which tracked my performance against a few key metrics in each life domain. Its usefulness became abundantly clearer as I pulled my year-end review together. I plan to implement this fully in 2020, incorporating a weekly review process into the system to ensure learnings and opportunities to tweak things are picked up as early as I can. To a Year of Delving Deeper then! Happy New Year friends and readers.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2020/01/01/2020-delve-deeper/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOne of the biggest disappointments of 2019 for me was interviewing at a company across town and failing to land a job there. It was a company I had admired for some time, the role itself was to be the team leader for a small group of technical specialists overseeing a North sea portfolio and the pay was better; an added incentive. The interview itself started off well I thought but somewhere around three-quarters of the way through, it delved into territory I wasn\u0026rsquo;t overly familiar with. Part of it was a failure of preparation; I hadn\u0026rsquo;t taken the time to get intimately familiar with the company\u0026rsquo;s portfolio and thus prepare for any potential curveballs. The more I mulled over the disappointment, and let time do its thing, the clearer it became to me that this had ultimately been a failure of depth. I knew enough about my subject, had built a reputation in my locality and knew enough about the company to give the perception of competence and suitability on the surface. It was when the screws were turned and the veneer was stripped back, that a lack of depth - somewhat dodgy foundations if you like - proved my undoing.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2020: Delve Deeper"},{"content":"\n\\\\\\* 2019 was my Year of Living Intentionally; the central idea being to stop living life on the huff but instead to define a plan and live by it. Five key themes came out from that period of reflection; Learn, Prepare, Engage, Diversify and Measure, with fifteen discrete actions identified across those themes. The screenshot above is of the dashboard that tracked the key metrics from the year. All told, a few great ones, several meh ones and a few epic fails. Data apart, I think the big benefit from this for the year is the visibility of my performance. I now need to build a practice of regular assessments and reviews to enable the Act-Check portion of the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle.\nThose fifteen things? Here\u0026rsquo;s a more detailed assessment of where I ended up.\nComplete my Dataquest Data Scientist path whilst studying for 5 hours a week. [Miss, started but not completed, need to decide how Data Science and ML intersect with my current and future life paths and update my Materials \u0026amp; Corrosion Roadmap to suit] Spend 5 hours per week studying Materials, Corrosion, Inspection and Welding related topics [Hit, Progressed in Q3, culminating in getting a Welding related certification] Identify and complete a creative non-fiction writing course [Miss - not progressed, have however registered for one commencing in February 2020] Developing a daily practice of prayer and bible study [Hit. A few ups and downs but generally managed in the end. 263 completions for the year!] Save at least 10% of net monthly earnings [Hit, although several unplanned for projects meant this was used up by the end of the year] Reduce weight to 80 kg [Epic fail, ended the year at 96kg] Run 3x a week (\u0026gt;20km overall) [Meh, great in the summer, terrible in the winter months] Improve average sleep to \u0026gt;6.5 hours per day [Hit, improved overall sleep particularly in Q3 \u0026amp; Q4, thanks to restricting coffee to a maximum of 1 cup per day] Relocate to the Greater London Area. [Miss, not for lack of effort though. I did learn this year that desires sometimes require real-world opportunity which can be outside our control] Read 25 books, covering Creative Non-Fiction, Fiction, Popular science, The Church Fathers/ Church History, Personal Development [Neither Hit nor Miss, ended up having read 15 books which was an increase from last year but below target. I learned in Q3 that scheduling an hour each day was the key to getting to read more.] Speak to my father weekly [Hit, managed to speak to my father every week this year which is a first for me as far as I can remember. Next focus is to attempt to turn that into deeper, more meaningful conversations] Speak to my siblings monthly (one each week), in-laws once a quarter [More hit than miss, a WhatsApp group helped as did scheduling monthly follows up as required] Write to my sponsored (Compassion) children at least once a quarter also[Meh, managed two letters, although I did add a second compassion kid in Q1.] Meet up with one close friend each month [Hit. U Square\u0026rsquo;s Handmade Burger Co store became my go-to place this year with meet-ups with A, O and I being highlights from a conscious decision to engage the people in my life better this year] Earn \u0026gt;£1,000 from a side gig by year-end [Miss, didn\u0026rsquo;t progress this actively over the course of the year although I did get a tax refund for just under £500 for my charitable giving over the course of the year] ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/12/30/the-year-of-living-intentionally-revisited/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ye2019-dashboard.png\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ye2019-dashboard.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\n2019 was my \u003ca href=\"/2019/01/01/the-year-of-living-intentionally/\"\u003eYear of Living Intentionally\u003c/a\u003e; the central idea being to stop living life on the huff but instead to define a plan and live by it. Five key themes came out from that period of reflection; Learn, Prepare, Engage, Diversify and Measure, with fifteen discrete actions identified across those themes. The screenshot above is of the dashboard that tracked the key metrics from the year. All told, a few great ones, several meh ones and a few epic fails. Data apart, I think the big benefit from this for the year is the visibility of my performance. I now need to build a practice of regular assessments and reviews to enable the Act-Check portion of the \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDCA\"\u003ePlan-Do-Check-Act cycle\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Year of Living Intentionally - Revisited"},{"content":"It\u0026rsquo;s that time of the year again where I reflect on my reading over the course of the year. It wasn\u0026rsquo;t the most productive year of reading proper books (the web has cannibalised that for good for me I\u0026rsquo;m afraid) but a late spurt in November and December brought some redemption. For a more wide-ranging review of the year in books, check out the coverage at The Millions here. My previous attempts are linked here .\n\\\\\\*\nI have Justin Brierley to thank for turning me on to N.T. (Tom) Wright, his (Justin\u0026rsquo;s) two excellent podcasts - Unbelievable and Ask NT Wright growing into staples in my weekly media consumption, as well as becoming important voices in my ongoing journey of evolving faith. Thanks to this I had N.T. Wright\u0026rsquo;s Paul: A Biography in my hands as 2018 became 2019, its weight something that I found both comforting and grounding. A lot of the ideas in the book are ones that have been reiterated on the Ask N.T. Wright podcast - Paul\u0026rsquo;s Christianity as an expansion on and culmination of his Judaism rather than a tearing up and beginning again, the focus of his ministry as being the establishment of a new way of doing community to bring heaven to earth rather than a desire to insulate oneself from the real world and hope to be taken away to name a few - as such it is a book I intend to revisit again, this time with pen, paper and time.\nA desire to evolve a productivity system that works for me drew me to a number of books on the subject of habits and behaviour change. Drew Dyck\u0026rsquo;s Your Future Self Will Thank You, a more \u0026lsquo;spiritual\u0026rsquo; take on the subject and James Clear\u0026rsquo;s Atomic Habits both boiled down to the same ideas, ie that change happens in the (small, daily) details and no amount of posturing and signalling of intent will lead to change. Only by building systems and routines will our larger goals be actualised. These were themes also reinforced to some extent by the other book in a similar genre I read this year, Mark Manson\u0026rsquo;s The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck.\nRediscovering my local library had the unintended consequence of enabling me to reacquaint myself with Zadie Smith via three books this year. I found Grand Union a difficult read, one that I was unable to get fully into (which given how much of a fanboy I tell myself I am was surprising). Thankfully, The Embassy of Cambodia and Feel Free brought redemption which suggests to me that it was the problem was the short story format of Grand Union not Zadie\u0026rsquo;s preternatural brilliance.\nBesides Zadie Smith\u0026rsquo;s Grand Union, the only other piece of fiction I read was Elif Shafak\u0026rsquo;s 10 Minutes 38Seconds in This Strange World, which I found fascinating both for its subject - the hidden lives of people on the outskirts of society - and its narrative perspective, the final memories that course through a brain in the final throes of death.\nOne of my goals for the year was to become proficient with Python, for which I couldn\u0026rsquo;t think of a better project than to apply machine learning techniques to predict the outcome of football matches. The Numbers Game and Football Hackers were two books I read along the way to aid my understanding of the current state of play of football stats. Though great reads, they were unable to help me towards my expected outcome. Real life didn\u0026rsquo;t help either, which leaves me still far away from developing that killer algorithm.\nAlongside machine learning, Chaos Theory was an interest which bubbled to the fore for me this year. James Gleick\u0026rsquo;s Chaos: The Making of A Science was my attempt to wrap my head around the basics of the subject. A good if sometimes dense read, it left me fascinated enough by the subject to listen to several hours worth of Steven Strogatz lectures on YouTube. Alan Jacob\u0026rsquo;s How To Think and Nassim Taleb\u0026rsquo;s Skin In The Game, read at different times during the year, also challenged me mentally, particularly given my love-hate relationship with Twitter.\nQuestions for Ada, I\u0026rsquo;m Lying But I\u0026rsquo;m Telling The Truth and the 2018 iteration of the Best American Essays made up the rest of my 2019 reading and precipitated one uncomfortable conversation on a flight to Heathrow. If there is any value to reading, it should be in its real world impacts, on the basis of the uncomfortable conversations and soul searching my year of reading spawned, it has been a good year of sorts.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/12/23/the-year-in-reading-2019/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s that time of the year again where I reflect on my reading over the course of the year. It wasn\u0026rsquo;t the most productive year of reading proper books (the web has cannibalised that for good for me I\u0026rsquo;m afraid) but a late spurt in November and December brought some redemption. For a more wide-ranging review of the year in books, check out the coverage at\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://themillions.com/2019/12/a-year-in-reading-2019.html\"\u003eThe Millions here.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eMy previous attempts are\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"/reading/\"\u003elinked here\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Year in Reading 2019"},{"content":"\n\\\\\\* The data is in, Planetshakers were both my artiste of the year and of the decade if Spotify’s number-crunching can be believed. Compared to 2018, I listened to 36% less music, although I suspect that had more to do with listening to a lot more podcasts than I did last year (thanks to switching to an Android phone and Pocket Casts), streaming more radio and the occasional YouTube binge. What would be fantastic would be a service that aggregated my listening across all these platforms and thus enabled me to delve deeper into the underlying trends to my listening.\nOne positive from spreading my music listening across all these platforms is the cross-fertilisation that occurs between them. Several times over the course of the year, I\u0026rsquo;d hear a song on Air1 then pop into Spotify and descend into a rabbit hole for several hours, discovering a new favourite in the process. YouTube was also a useful source of inspiration for Spotify streaming; chief of which has to be finding Osby Berry (and Cross Worship) as well as People and Songs. Even podcasts chipped in, Malcolm Gladwell\u0026rsquo;s Broken Records turning me on to Pentatonix (and in turn Naturally Seven) and Rhiannon Gidden\u0026rsquo;s Aria Code bringing the Queen of The Night aria to my attention. That cross-fertilisation is something I could use more of, particularly as it leads to discovering more music I might like. That discovery market just might be the next frontier for a streaming service to crack and get me to hand over my money.\nA warning of sorts, this list is decidedly Christian as is a lot of my music listening. Here goes then, 10 of the songs which defined my year.\nDo It Again (Elevation Collective feat Travis Greene \u0026amp; Kierra Sheard): This was one of those songs I loved so much three versions of it made its way onto my Songs for the Dark Places playlist. This version was my favourite one, honourable mention for the Cross Worship/Osby Berry version too. Made A Way (Travis Greene): Although an older song, this was one that came to my attention first in 2018. It will forever be inextricably linked to A\u0026rsquo;s rendition of this in my Aberdeen church from what was a deeply fraught place for her. So Will I (Osby Berry): One of those songs I stumbled upon on YouTube, it ended up becoming a portal to discovering other music including Victoria Tunde. Another one of those songs I ended up liking more than the original. Control (Tenth Avenue North): Church hopping earlier this year brought us to Welcome Church in Woking during their Why I Follow Jesus series and a message by Pete Hewlett which took in open-heart surgery amongst other things. This was one of the songs he had on repeat in those dark days, which brought it back to mind for me and on repeat several times during my year. YHWH (The Sound of My Breathing)[Donald Lawrence and The Tri-City Singers feat Jekalyn Carr]: Another one which made its way on to my dark places playlist. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/12/16/life-in-a-song-or-two/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/spotify-2.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nThe data is in, \u003ca href=\"https://www.planetshakers.com/music/\"\u003ePlanetshakers\u003c/a\u003e were both my artiste of the year and of the decade if \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/user/jdrambler?si=DLVzudf5QCq6M2DFhBA3ZA\"\u003eSpotify’s\u003c/a\u003e number-crunching can be believed. Compared to 2018, I listened to 36% less music, although I suspect that had more to do with listening to a lot more podcasts than I did last year (thanks to switching to an Android phone and Pocket Casts), streaming more radio and the occasional YouTube binge.  What would be fantastic would be a service that aggregated my listening across all these platforms and thus enabled me to delve deeper into the underlying trends to my listening.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Life In A Song (Or Two)"},{"content":"A collection of my annual plans and reviews going forward\n45 - Re Engage 43 - Disciplined Execution 42 - Rethink 41 - Rebuild Better 40 - Delve Deeper 39 - Live Intentionally ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/annual-plans-and-reviews/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA collection of my annual plans and reviews going forward\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/year.png?w=1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2024/09/18/45-re-engage/\"\u003e45 - Re Engage\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2022/08/19/43-disciplined-execution/\"\u003e43 - Disciplined Execution\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2021/10/30/42-rethink/\"\u003e42 - Rethink\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2021/01/01/2021-rebuild-better/\"\u003e41 - Rebuild Better\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2020/01/01/2020-delve-deeper/\"\u003e40 - Delve Deeper\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2019/01/01/the-year-of-living-intentionally/\"\u003e39 - Live Intentionally\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Year in Review"},{"content":"Background Over the past few years, I have taken several stabs at building a Life Plan, inspired primarily by The Art of Manliness and the precursor to Michael Hyatt’s book, Living Forward. With the milestone age of 40 just over the horizon, it feels like a good time to reflect on where I am and refresh my plan for the next 10+ years. To do this, I am asking myself three questions:\nWho am I? Where do I want to be? What does success look like? In addition to the two above, each year I will be asking myself two additional questions:\nWhere am I now versus where I want to be? How can I close the gap? The latter two questions will form the basis of an annual life plan with delivery dates and dashboards to track progress, guided by whatever I settle on for a theme for the year. As of Q4 2020, I have chosen to make my birth month, August, the focus of these with my \u0026lsquo;years\u0026rsquo; running from August to July.\nThe Premise Life does not occur in vacuo but is lived in the context of community, with different elements (individuals, groups and/or organisations) interacting together. Sociologists capture these interactions – actions and qualities – as ‘ roles‘. If life consists of these interactions, it is not a huge stretch to then suggest that success in life consists of excelling in the various roles an individual has to fill; little daily, weekly, monthly and yearly successes adding up into a life well-lived. One’s roles are necessarily multiplied, which is why for simplification I have grouped mine into what I call Interaction Clusters. The idea of concentric circles seems intuitive for describing this, the radius of the circle being both an indicator of distance from the central self and a measure of the amount of influence/ number of people affected by the roles in that circle. I choose to call these circles then:\nPersonal: High proximity, Small Sphere of Influence (~1 to 20) – mainly family and close friends Professional: Medium proximity, a Medium sphere of influence (~20 to 1000) – mainly work colleagues and fellow members of professional associations Public: Low proximity, Large sphere of influence (\u0026gt;1000) – mainly the wider society, church and remote acquaintances. Separate from these extrinsic expectations of behaviour, there are also seven dimensions to life which I believe can provide an indication of its health: Spiritual, Physical, People, Mental, Work \u0026amp; Career, Financial and Causes/Charities.\nTaken together these (interaction spaces and life domains) will constitute the basis of defining my annual life plans.\nWho Am I? Two main categories come to mind when I reflect on this question: personality and interests. The Oxford English dictionary defines personalit y as the “combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character”. Of the various personality tests kicking about – most of which renowned psychologist Adam Grant considers dubious at best – the Big Five is perhaps the best. A summary of the results of the various tests I have taken are:\nINTJ, although I did once also test out as an ISTJ on the MBTI, Low on Extroversion, Average on Emotional stability, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness and High on Intellect/Imagination per the Big Five A Type 5 on the Enneagram These all seem to suggest I am relatively introverted (some would say shy), stable/ no-frills and chilled which matches up very closely with what people say about me. Feedback from at least one work performance review suggests I can be tentative at times, and prone to looking to deliver perfection rather than a good enough solution from which one can iterate.\nMy interests are varied but coalesce around:\nCreative writing: particularly creative nonfiction and poetry, Technology, particularly open source technology and tinkering with tech, Data-centric decision making, decision making under uncertainty Quantified Self, tracking, etc Music, particularly worship/ CCM Running, physical fitness Esoteric knowledge, my current interests being Chaos Theory, Complex Systems amongst others. What I believe Inspired by Buster Benson and co, I\u0026rsquo;m working on a Codex Vitae. Latest version of the work in progress can be found here.\nWhat Does Success Look Like? Success for me has to both cover both things I am personally invested in (intrinsic) and things others expect of me (extrinsic). For the purpose of defining this life plan, I am considering the context of my interaction clusters (Personal, Professional, Public) and then seven categories which in my view cover all of life: Spiritual, Physical \u0026amp; Health, People, Personal \u0026amp; Mental Development, Financial, Work \u0026amp; Career and Causes \u0026amp; Charities.\nFor my Personal interaction cluster, I consider success as being the best husband, father, brother, son and friend that I can be:\nA husband (of one wife) and father (ideally twin boys and a daughter) whom I provide for, protect, lead, love and model life for/with. In my role as a son to my parents, I respect, honour and provide for them as well as constructively engage and communicate with them, keeping them in the loop as I plan and do life. As a brother to my siblings, I provide leadership and stability, contributing to family life and ensuring we exist as a close-knit community of upwardly mobile siblings, each successful in our own right both professionally and in personal life. As a friend, I participate in mutually beneficial, sharpening relationships with my close friends, cherishing their time and companionship and prioritising them over the wider connections I may have. Undergirding all of this is a commitment to living and eating healthily to minimise the burden of care my latter life will place on these people.\nFor my Professional interaction cluster, I see success as excelling in my chosen (Corrosion, Materials and Inspection) discipline:\nBeing the peer or colleague who delivers work of the highest standard, both as part of a team and when required to deliver as an Individual Technical Specialist. When working with others, as a boss (or team leader), in addition to leading by example in delivering work of extremely high quality, I treat everyone else with respect and value, taking time out to know them as individuals and ensuring the right atmosphere for them to flourish is created. Within the context of work I provide mentorship to other less competent members of the team and seek and receive mentorship for myself as required. As a Technical Specialist, I am dedicated to keeping myself on the cutting edge of knowledge in my (Corrosion, Materials and Inspection) discipline and delivering simple, practical, cost-effective solutions to complex problems\nFor my Public interaction space, success for me is living in and contributing to life in a great church and a great city:\nBecoming a global citizen to access to multiple locations and geographies around the world. As such a one, I will have settled long term into life in a great city. There, I live a life that is above board, in keeping with the laws of the land and the socio-political context in so far as it doesn’t go against my Judeo-Christian worldview. In the wider community, as a Responsible Social Citizen, I contribute to life, supporting worthy causes, engaging the less privileged as appropriate and contributing to a vibrant conversation in the social sphere by voting and engaging with the wider social issues in my community. Beyond that, as a committed member of a local church, I contribute to life within that context and serve in some capacity. The overarching desire is to leave something of value in the lives of all I am acquainted with.\nFor the Seven Life Health categories, success for me is:\nSpiritual\nLiving a life that is congruent with my Judeo-Christian beliefs A devoted practitioner of the spiritual disciplines, particularly prayer, bible study/ meditation, fasting and community Physical \u0026amp; Health\nWeighing 82kg or less with a body fat percentage of 20% or less Regular practice of running: 3x a week for a total of 30k or more Blood pressure properly managed (130/90 or less) Sleep \u0026gt;7 hours average People \u0026amp; Social\nA strong core of close friends and brothers I can depend on and who can depend on me Regular (at least quarterly) meetings with a mentor (work and personal related) Strong, robust relationship with my wife, siblings and father Personal \u0026amp; Mental Development\nLearning: Proficient in data science/analytics/ML tools and utilising them on a regular basis to improve life and work decisions/ productivity outcomes, Technology: Enough knowledge to utilise Linux as my daily driver, contribute to the development and delivery of computing projects for kids and teens Creative writing: Published with a collection of poems and essays. Regular (twice a month at least) blogger. Music, particularly worship/ CCM: Ability to play a musical instrument and being part of a worship and creative arts team in a local church Financial\n3 month’s expenses in accessible funds Personal networth in excess of £1M/ equivalent to an accredited investor as laid out in this medium article Work \u0026amp; Career\nRecognised Corrosion, Materials and Asset Integrity discipline leader in the (oil \u0026amp; gas) industry, equivalent to a regional TA/ SME at a global O\u0026amp;G producer Causes \u0026amp; Charities\nSupport two or more children via a reputable organisation Get involved in at least one charity at board level/ significant contributor Ideas for Life Systems trump signals and are what help us deliver improvements and change as discussed in detail in various studies and books by James Clear, Martin Grundberg, Drew Dyck, BJ Fogg and others Value begets value. By virtue of living life, one has to interact with others. Only if those interactions beget value will the interaction by memorable and deliver value to me. Only take advice from people with skin in the game: People across all spectra of life, religion, politics, work and relationships amongst others all have opinions on life and what one should do. The only advice worth following is that which comes from those who have either proven their relevance by surviving over long amounts of time or those who are exposed to the consequences of the failure of whatever advice they provide (Hat tip to Nassim Taleb) Money earned is a seed, invest it: Work is currently the mechanism by which I exchange my time and talent for that resource. Given its fungibility, it can easily be converted to almost any other good/ need. To derive maximum value from it, it has to be invested not spent. Move fast, break things: This quip, made famous as Facebook\u0026rsquo;s motto is perhaps the perfect riposte to one of my natural negative proclivities, a desire to deliver the perfect correct product. This is a reminder to work towards delivering minimum viable products and take the opportunity to get feedback and iterate towards a better product. I am responsible: The one constant in all that happens to and around me is ME. Learning to accept that I have personal responsibility for the bulk of that is key to moving forward, I think. For the things I can\u0026rsquo;t change, I do still have agency - the ability to decide to walk away from it. Personal responsibility then! In the end, Whole Life Integrity is what matters most: When the chickens come home to roost, whole life integrity is what counts: History is replete with a plethora of folks whose insides didn\u0026rsquo;t match the image of being scrupulously clean their outsides projected. My aspiration is for whole life integrity to be the watchword of my life. As Nassim Taleb puts it, if your private life conflicts with your intellectual life, it cancels your intellectual opinion not your private life. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/the-life-plan/","summary":"\u003ch1 id=\"background\"\u003eBackground\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver the past few years, I have taken several stabs at building a Life Plan, inspired primarily by \u003ca href=\"https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/create-a-life-plan/\"\u003eThe Art of Manliness\u003c/a\u003e and the \u003ca href=\"https://livingforwardbook.com/\"\u003eprecursor to Michael Hyatt’s book, Living Forward\u003c/a\u003e. With the \u003ca href=\"/2019/01/01/the-year-of-living-intentionally/\"\u003emilestone age of 40\u003c/a\u003e just over the horizon, it feels like a good time to reflect on where I am and refresh my plan for the next 10+ years. To do this, I am asking myself three questions:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWho am I?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhere do I want to be?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat does success look like?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition to the two above, each year I will be asking myself two additional questions:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Life Plan"},{"content":"My Codex Vitae. Inspired by Buster Benson, amongst others. I expect to update this annually at or around the end of the year following which a theme, objectives and metrics to track for the following year will be identified. My Life Plan document is linked here.\nBeliefs Beliefs about Origins Life was placed on earth by an intelligent designer. This does not preclude the existence of life on other planets/ star systems A young earth is not congruous with the scientific evidence, the Genesis account is best understood as a parable about origins not scientific fact. Beliefs about Faith \u0026amp; Religion Calvinism Vs Arminianism, About Jesus: a real person, Actions and motives trump beliefs up to a certain extent. Inclusion in the in-group is contingent upon holding to a relatively small number of core/essential beliefs (the apostles creed?) Beliefs about Reality Beliefs about the Future ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/codex-vitae/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMy Codex Vitae. Inspired by \u003ca href=\"https://busterbenson.com/beliefs/\"\u003eBuster Benson\u003c/a\u003e, amongst others. I expect to update this annually at or around the end of the year following which a theme, objectives and metrics to track for the following year will be identified. My Life Plan document is \u003ca href=\"/the-life-plan/\"\u003elinked here\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"beliefs\"\u003eBeliefs\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"beliefs-about-origins\"\u003eBeliefs about Origins\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLife was placed on earth by an intelligent designer. This does not preclude the existence of life on other planets/ star systems\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA young earth is not congruous with the scientific evidence, the Genesis account is best understood as a parable about origins not scientific fact.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"beliefs-about-faith--religion\"\u003eBeliefs about Faith \u0026amp; Religion\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCalvinism Vs Arminianism,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbout Jesus: a real person,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eActions and motives trump beliefs up to a certain extent. Inclusion in the in-group is contingent upon holding to a relatively small number of core/essential beliefs (the apostles creed?)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"beliefs-about-reality\"\u003eBeliefs about Reality\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"beliefs-about-the-future\"\u003eBeliefs about the Future\u003c/h2\u003e","title":"Codex Vitae"},{"content":"For The Sunday Muse Prompt #84. Image Source. \\\\\\* Behind the grime, and the ravages of time the remains of living now lie, each layer of dirt a sigh, a dirge for the mystery of abandonment, for how easy it is for things once woven into the fabric of the present to slip beneath the shroud of the memories we lose. Maybe this is what leaving is, things returning to the way they always were.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/12/04/abandonment/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/abandoned-kitchen.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/11/muse-84.html\"\u003ePrompt #84\u003c/a\u003e. Image \u003ca href=\"https://www.artphotolimited.com/en/fine-art-photography/architecture-and-monuments/architecture/styles-architectural/photo/roman-robroek/abandoned-kitchen\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\n\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nBehind the grime,\nand the ravages\nof time the remains\nof living now lie,\neach layer of dirt\na sigh, a dirge\nfor the mystery\nof abandonment,\nfor how easy\nit is for things\nonce woven into\nthe fabric of the\npresent to slip\nbeneath the shroud\nof the memories\nwe lose. Maybe this\nis what leaving is,\nthings returning\nto the way they\nalways were.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Abandonment"},{"content":"\n\\\\\\*\nIt\u0026rsquo;s that time of the year again in which light, or more correctly it\u0026rsquo;s absence, defines everything out here; the wet, cold, barely light mornings morphing into grey overcast afternoons which in turn become dark evenings just in time for the trek back home. I, like everyone else out here, am finding that I have little energy to be out and about, the lure of spending time indoors, bar dragging myself out to church and back, proving too strong. The lethargy extends to my running, as it has for each of the last three years according to Strava, the 30km I clocked in November being a far cry from the 100km+ highs of the summer months. From the comfort of my duvet, I wonder how folk out here survived back in the day. I suppose that is why there is a rich tradition of the literature of immigrants, those who bear the shadow of elsewhere - to borrow a turn of phrase from Elif Shafak\u0026rsquo;s 10 minutes 38 seconds in This Strange World.\nThe opportunity to catch up on reading is one of the silver linings from this season of being a couch potato. Over the past month, I have managed to get through Zadie Smith\u0026rsquo;s Grand Union (which at the risk of sacrilege I didn\u0026rsquo;t like) and the afore-mentioned Elif Shafak book. I am also halfway through Nassim Taleb\u0026rsquo;s Skin in The Game. Interestingly, all three books are ones I borrowed from my local library, thanks to it being a relatively short brisk lunchtime walk away. The other silver lining to the dark evenings is that they are a good backdrop to the other lights, the reds, whites and green lights stretched across the streets celebrating the upcoming Christmas season. Given how grey everything is out here, colour is a sight for one\u0026rsquo;s sore eyes.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/12/02/lights-lines-december/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/lights.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s that time of the year \u003cem\u003eagain\u003c/em\u003e in which light, or more correctly it\u0026rsquo;s absence, defines everything out here; the wet, cold, barely light mornings morphing into grey overcast afternoons which in turn become dark evenings just in time for the trek back home. I, like everyone else out here, am finding that I have little energy to be out and about, the lure of spending time indoors, bar dragging myself out to church and back, proving too strong. The lethargy extends to my running, as it has for each of the last three years according to Strava, the 30km I clocked in November being a far cry from the 100km+ highs of the summer months. From the comfort of my duvet, I wonder how folk out here survived back in the day. I suppose that is why there is a rich tradition of the literature of immigrants, those who bear the shadow of elsewhere  - to borrow a turn of phrase from \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Minutes-Seconds-this-Strange-World/dp/0241293863/\"\u003eElif Shafak\u0026rsquo;s  10 minutes 38 seconds in This Strange World\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Lights, Lines, December"},{"content":"\nThankful for:\nPayday on the 25th, I had come close to scrapping the bottom of the barrel, if I say so myself! A good return to Instagram, my post got liked a fair bit which is perhaps a tad shallow of me but whatever :) My Freetrade investment turned into positive territory for the first time ever it seems. Progress. Have a work-related query which seemed like it would be a hassle to resolve which has now been resolved. Grateful for supportive work mates! ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/11/28/thankful-thursdays-7/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/thankful-thursdays-1.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThankful for:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePayday on the 25th, I had come close to scrapping the bottom of the barrel, if I say so myself!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA good return to Instagram, my post got liked a fair bit which is perhaps a tad shallow of me but whatever :)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMy \u003ca href=\"https://freetrade.io/\"\u003eFreetrade\u003c/a\u003e investment turned into positive territory for the first time ever it seems. Progress.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHave a work-related query which seemed like it would be a hassle to resolve which has now been resolved. Grateful for supportive work mates!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Thankful Thursdays 48/2019"},{"content":"\nFor The Sunday Muse Prompt #83 . Image \u0026ldquo;After The Rain\u0026rdquo; by Cyril Rolando\n\\\\\\*\nI tremble\nat the echo of\nthe booming thunder,\nthe resounding\nof its clap like\nthe roar of a lion\nstirred, a brilliance\nincandescent in its majesty\nas it splits the night sky\nlike a warm knife\nshears butter.\nI have shivered\nin the embrace\nof a light rain\nits fluid fingers,\nby persistence finding\ntheir way through\nmy garments till\nthey meet my\nbare skin.\nWhere streams\nonce wrestled\nagainst the heat,\nagainst the dust,\nthe wind and the\nthirsty earth,\na raging river\nnow reigns.\nAfter the rain\ncomes surrender,\nnew life and\nbreathing again.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/11/26/after-the-rain/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/surreal-paintings.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Sunday Muse\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/11/sunday-muse-83.html\"\u003ePrompt #83\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e. Image \u0026ldquo;After The Rain\u0026rdquo; by Cyril Rolando\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003cbr\u003e\nI tremble\u003cbr\u003e\nat the echo of\u003cbr\u003e\nthe booming thunder,\u003cbr\u003e\nthe resounding\u003cbr\u003e\nof its clap like\u003cbr\u003e\nthe roar of a lion\u003cbr\u003e\nstirred, a brilliance\u003cbr\u003e\nincandescent in its majesty\u003cbr\u003e\nas it splits the night sky\u003cbr\u003e\nlike a warm knife\u003cbr\u003e\nshears butter.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have shivered\u003cbr\u003e\nin the embrace\u003cbr\u003e\nof a light rain\u003cbr\u003e\nits fluid fingers,\u003cbr\u003e\nby persistence finding\u003cbr\u003e\ntheir way through\u003cbr\u003e\nmy garments till\u003cbr\u003e\nthey meet my\u003cbr\u003e\nbare skin.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"After The Rain"},{"content":"\n\\\\\\*\nGrateful for:\nFriends and great conversations: Church finished a little early on Sunday, following which we were all encouraged to catch up with folk we hadn\u0026rsquo;t spoken to in a while. It was a delight to have a lengthy chat with U and O. Delighted Good news on the job front, with significant progress towards getting a visa for my move to the Middle East. Thankful. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/11/21/thankful-thursday-1/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/thankful-thursdays-1.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGrateful for:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFriends and great conversations: Church finished a little early on Sunday, following which we were all encouraged to catch up with folk we hadn\u0026rsquo;t spoken to in a while. It was a delight to have a lengthy chat with U and O. Delighted\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGood news on the job front, with significant progress towards getting a visa for my move to the Middle East. Thankful.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Thankful Thursday 47/2019"},{"content":"\nFor The Sunday Muse Prompt #82.\n\\\\\\* Though quiet in their noon day repose, strength hides within their supple limbs, the power of the one - unfettered in its reach - melded to the quiet guile of the other; together - a Whole stronger than its parts - freely, wildly going.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/11/19/wildlings/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/cowgirl-and-horse-photos.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/11/sunday-muse-82.html\"\u003ePrompt #82\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nThough quiet\nin their noon day\nrepose, strength hides\nwithin their supple limbs,\nthe power of the one -\nunfettered in its reach -\nmelded to the quiet guile\nof the other; together -\na Whole stronger than its parts -\nfreely, wildly going.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Wildlings"},{"content":"\nOver the past few weeks, temperatures have slowly crept lower and lower, dipping below zero on occasion and leaving the city centre sidewalks crunchy and slippery underfoot at times. The leaves that the trees - once leafy and full but now stark against the light of the reluctant mornings - shed haven\u0026rsquo;t helped the state of affairs, trapping moisture which turns into treacherous ice once the temperatures dip below zero. All of that, and being this side of Halloween, means that it is the beginning of the Christmas Party silly season. This year, I have just the two to attend, a far cry from the halcyon days of $100 oil. I suppose this belt-tightening regime can only be a good thing, given it underscores a more prudent, sustainability-focused outlook for the industry. Tight belts or not, there is a certain bluntness which alcohol engenders, that is one of the things I am looking forward to witnessing.\nSpeaking of uninhibited truth-telling, I had the fortune (or misfortune, depending on how you look at it) of sitting next to a somewhat inebriated gentleman a few days ago on one of my recent flights down south. Very clearly in the mood for a natter - in spite of the fact I had headphones on and had a book in hand - he proceeded to interrogate me for most of the flight, all whilst being apologetic about intruding on me. Questions about where my parents were originally from ( I am visibly black), if I had been subjected to racism in the past, Brexit and what I did for work were a few of the potential banana skins our conversation navigated. A few years ago, I might have taken umbrage at his line of conversation but I am learning that context is everything. In this case, it turned out that his wife is a black South African. It also turned out that the book I had in hand, Bassey Ikpi\u0026rsquo;s I\u0026rsquo;m telling the truth but I\u0026rsquo;m lying, had played a part in encouraging him to engage, particularly the essay I was on provocatively titled \u0026lsquo;Becoming A Liar\u0026rsquo;. Slippery grounds apart, our conversation eventually turned to mental illness, which is part of the focus of the book. Given the stigma around mental health issues, particularly amongst men, I suppose anything that prompts conversations about it is a good thing. Silver linings then I guess.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/11/17/kicking-off-the-christmas-silly-season-and-a-difficult-conversation-of-sorts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/dinner.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver the past few weeks, temperatures have slowly crept lower and lower, dipping below zero on occasion and leaving the city centre sidewalks crunchy and slippery underfoot at times. The leaves that the trees - once leafy and full but now stark against the light of the reluctant mornings - shed haven\u0026rsquo;t helped the state of affairs, trapping moisture which turns into treacherous ice once the temperatures dip below zero. All of that, and being this side of Halloween, means that it is the beginning of the \u003ca href=\"/2015/01/08/wrapping-up-the-christmas-party-silly-season/\"\u003eChristmas Party silly season\u003c/a\u003e.  This year, I have just the two to attend, a far cry from the halcyon days of $100 oil. I suppose this belt-tightening regime can only be a good thing, given it underscores a more prudent, sustainability-focused outlook for the industry. Tight belts or not, there is a certain bluntness which alcohol engenders, that is one of the things I am looking forward to witnessing.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Kicking off the Christmas Silly Season and a difficult conversation of sorts"},{"content":"\n\\\\\\*\nGrateful for:\nOpportunities to give back by giving a presentation at an AFBE school engagement session. It helped that there were friendly faces there, M included. Catching up with old friends via lengthy phone calls during which it feels like we never stopped talking, everything running seamlessly into each other Brunch at Bell D\u0026rsquo;Amico after several months away down south. Sunday brunch is becoming a thing! Survived another week at work - waiting can be a pain! Participated in a health challenge at work which shows my underlying numbers - blood pressure, cholesterol etc are in a good place. :) ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/11/14/thankful-thursdays-6/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/thankful-thursdays-1.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGrateful for:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpportunities to give back by giving a presentation at an AFBE school engagement session. It helped that there were friendly faces there, M included.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCatching up with old friends via lengthy phone calls during which it feels like we never stopped talking, everything running seamlessly into each other\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrunch at Bell D\u0026rsquo;Amico after several months away down south. Sunday brunch is becoming a thing!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSurvived another week at work - waiting can be a pain!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eParticipated in a health challenge at work which shows my underlying numbers - blood pressure, cholesterol etc are in a good place. :)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Thankful Thursdays - 46/2019"},{"content":"Links to my Year in Reading Posts over the years\n2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/reading/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLinks to my Year in Reading Posts over the years\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.goodreads.com/readingchallenges/gr/annual/2023\"\u003e2023\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2022/12/30/the-year-in-reading-2022/\"\u003e2022\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2021/12/31/the-year-in-reading-2021/\"\u003e2021\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2020/12/30/the-year-in-reading-2020/\"\u003e2020\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2019/12/23/the-year-in-reading-2019/\"\u003e2019\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2018/12/18/my-year-in-reading/\"\u003e2018\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2017/12/26/the-year-in-reading/\"\u003e2017\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2016\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2015/12/31/the-year-in-reading-2015/\"\u003e2015\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2014/12/31/the-year-in-reading-2014/\"\u003e2014\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2013/12/31/the-year-in-reading-2013/\"\u003e2013\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5658606-aj?shelf=2012-reading-list\"\u003e2012\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5658606-aj?shelf=2011-reads\"\u003e2011\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Reading"},{"content":"\nFor The Sunday Muse Prompt #81 . Photography by Sarolta Ban (Website HERE )\n\\\\\\*\nThe lure of the lyre -\nalive in its reverb - calls out,\ninviting beauty and the beast\nto dance, to yield to the rhythm\nof the wind, as it rustles\nin the leaves, swaying the trees.\nWe all - boar and deer-\nof earth born and saved,\ngather here, to dance\nthe gentle dance\nof the dark.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/11/13/dancing-in-the-dark/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/sarolta-ban.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Sunday Muse\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/11/sunday-muse-81.html\"\u003ePrompt #81\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e. Photography by Sarolta Ban (Website\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.saroltaban.com/\"\u003eHERE\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e)\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003cbr\u003e\nThe lure of the lyre -\u003cbr\u003e\nalive in its reverb - calls out,\u003cbr\u003e\ninviting beauty and the beast\u003cbr\u003e\nto dance, to yield to the rhythm\u003cbr\u003e\nof the wind, as it rustles\u003cbr\u003e\nin the leaves, swaying the trees.\u003cbr\u003e\nWe all - boar and deer-\u003cbr\u003e\nof earth born and saved,\u003cbr\u003e\ngather here, to dance\u003cbr\u003e\nthe gentle dance\u003cbr\u003e\nof the dark.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Dancing In The Dark"},{"content":"Image Source: Lachlan Donald on Unsplash\nLately, I have been thinking a lot about crossroads - the metaphorical kind of course - points in one\u0026rsquo;s life where decisions with the potential to change the trajectory of one\u0026rsquo;s life are foisted upon one. The triggers for this latest bout of thinking are varied but the one common thread is a sense of dissatisfaction which has simmered below the surface for most of the year. Turning forty is certainly part of that, particularly as in its immediate aftermath, it felt like I had reached the top of a mountain only to find there was nothing to be seen there. There is also the desire to head down south for good for family reasons, which perhaps has declared open season on everything I have done for work over the past fifteen-ish years. In the rarefied atmosphere in which my thought experiments exist, everything is an option: from a complete pivot away from oil and gas into something more tech-related, through a less severe move away from being the (siloed) technical specialist I have spent the past few years evolving into becoming more of a generalist to a gap year, travelling the world.\n10 years ago if you asked me, I would have sworn off getting into the world of managing people and the (in my opinion) the murky world of office politics but I am finding my revulsion for that less iron-clad than it once was. Truth is when it all comes down to the brass tacks, the things which drive my decisions are the things which drive us all: family, financial security, flexibility and opportunities to get ahead not some rose-tinted version of reality.\nOf course, desires are one thing, but they only materialise when desire meets real-world opportunity. Time is also a factor, which is where I find myself now with irons in the fire taking however long they will take whilst I ponder what viable options remain. The option to cut ties and sail off into a different vista is one my friends M and O have taken over the past few months, as have a steady stream of people in my wider cycle. If all goes to plan, I may not be far behind them. Fingers crossed.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/11/10/of-cross-roads/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/lachlan-donald-eathxniusym-unsplash.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eImage Source:  \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@lox?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eLachlan Donald\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/cross-roads?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLately, I have been thinking a lot about crossroads  - the metaphorical kind of course - points in one\u0026rsquo;s life where decisions with the potential to change the trajectory of one\u0026rsquo;s life are foisted upon one.  The triggers for this latest bout of thinking are varied but the one common thread is a sense of dissatisfaction which has simmered below the surface for most of the year. \u003ca href=\"/2019/08/31/by-degrees-lessons-from-my-decade-of-being-thirty-something/\"\u003eTurning forty\u003c/a\u003e is certainly part of that, particularly as in its immediate aftermath, it felt like I had reached the top of a mountain only to find there was nothing to be seen there. There is also the desire to head down south for good for family reasons, which perhaps has declared open season on everything I have done for work over the past fifteen-ish years. In the rarefied atmosphere in which my thought experiments exist,  everything is an option: from a complete pivot away from oil and gas into something more tech-related, through a less severe move away from being the (siloed) technical specialist I have spent the past few years evolving into becoming more of a generalist to a gap year, travelling the world.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Of Cross roads..."},{"content":"\n\\\\\\** Thankful for:\nFriendly faces: Out and about during my lunch hour, it was a breath of fresh air to run into T around U Square. A friendly face in the midst of the day\u0026rsquo;s battle is always a welcome sight, dare I say Came through a difficult presentation to Senior Management at work, it feels like I am settling in more and more to this new role at work. I still want/ wish my next move is wrapped up ASAP though. The future beckons. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/11/07/thankful-thursdays-5/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/thankful-thursdays-1.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\**\nThankful for:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFriendly faces: Out and about during my lunch hour, it was a breath of fresh air to run into T around U Square. A friendly face in the midst of the day\u0026rsquo;s battle is always a welcome sight, dare I say\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCame through a difficult presentation to Senior Management at work, it feels like I am settling in more and more to this new role at work. I still want/ wish my next move is wrapped up ASAP though. The future beckons.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Thankful Thursdays 45/2019"},{"content":"For the Sunday Muse prompt #80 and Wordle 428. Image source.\n\\\\\\* I carry a heavy silence in my missing parts, each breath a prayer for resolve to fight the desire to resign myself to the ache of a festering disgust spawned by the echoes of a lie borne up on the winds from the hills into the valley\u0026rsquo;s depths.\nOutside a crisis looms - our house of cards built up brick by brick with the things we want to believe slowly yields to the probing of the truth, until in the way things really are I find myself covered, whole again.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/11/06/missing-parts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/screenshot-from-2019-11-05-18-26-15.png\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor the Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/11/sunday-muse-80.html\"\u003eprompt #80\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://sundaywhirl.wordpress.com/2019/11/03/wordle-428/\"\u003eWordle 428\u003c/a\u003e. Image \u003ca href=\"https://www.flickr.com/photos/oladios/2283721924/in/photostream/\"\u003esource\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nI carry a heavy \u003cstrong\u003esilence\u003c/strong\u003e\nin my missing parts, each breath\na prayer for resolve to fight\nthe desire to \u003cstrong\u003eresign\u003c/strong\u003e myself\nto the ache of a festering \u003cstrong\u003edisgust\u003c/strong\u003e\nspawned by the echoes of a \u003cstrong\u003elie\u003c/strong\u003e\nborne \u003cstrong\u003eup\u003c/strong\u003e on the winds from the hills\ninto the valley\u0026rsquo;s depths.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOutside a \u003cstrong\u003ecrisis\u003c/strong\u003e looms -\nour house of \u003cstrong\u003ecards\u003c/strong\u003e built\nup brick by brick with the things\nwe want to believe slowly yields\nto the \u003cstrong\u003eprobing\u003c/strong\u003e of the truth,\nuntil in the way things really are\nI find myself \u003cstrong\u003ecovered\u003c/strong\u003e, whole again.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Missing Parts"},{"content":"For The Sunday Muse prompt #79 and Wordle 472\n\\\\\\* Sometimes beautiful things can dance in the light - the dainty and the dense chiming together, their hum heavy with intent as it probes the edge between the steady and the sublime. In washing the raw hide of of a dead gazelle with salt there is a saving from its struggle with putrefaction, a prayer for forgiveness, for absolution for the crime of taking by brute force. Here on the edge of the things we think we know the dainty and the dense become as one, both reduced to subsisting at the mercy of the things which hold everything together.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/10/31/together/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/surreal-butterfly-and-astronaut.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/10/sunday-muse-79.html\"\u003eprompt #79\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://sundaywhirl.wordpress.com/2019/10/27/wordle-427/\"\u003eWordle 472\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nSometimes beautiful things\ncan dance in the light -\nthe dainty and the dense\nchiming together, their hum\nheavy with intent as it probes\nthe edge between the steady\nand the sublime.\nIn washing the raw hide of\nof a dead gazelle with salt\nthere is a saving from its struggle\nwith putrefaction, a prayer\nfor forgiveness, for absolution\nfor the crime of taking by brute force.\nHere on the edge\nof the things we think we know\nthe dainty and the dense become as one,\nboth reduced to subsisting\nat the mercy of the things which hold\neverything together.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Together..."},{"content":"For The Sunday Muse prompt #78. Image copyright Erik Johansson.\n\\\\\\* Stroke by stroke these words, hewn by force, as though from resistant rock are building a shelter, each one a link to a thought and then a world beating back the clouds which loom, a slowly growing splash of colour holding out against the ashen night without. These words are calling the trees, to stand in defiance against the howling wind and the ground, now covered with frost, to cling to life, through the night, because tomorrow comes, and with beginning again.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/10/30/shelter/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/surreal.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/10/sunday-muse-78.html\"\u003eprompt #78\u003c/a\u003e. Image copyright \u003ca href=\"https://www.erikjo.com/\"\u003eErik Johansson\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nStroke by stroke these\nwords, hewn by force, as though from\nresistant rock are building a shelter,\neach one a link to a thought and then\na world beating back the clouds which loom,\na slowly growing splash of colour\nholding out against the ashen night without.\nThese words are calling the trees,\nto stand in defiance against the howling wind\nand the ground, now covered with frost, to cling\nto life, through the night, because\ntomorrow comes, and with beginning again.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Shelter"},{"content":"\nMore job opportunities - both abroad and in the UK - which I\u0026rsquo;m being considered for. Clear the air talks with S Friends, who at short notice modified their programs to assist me with signing off on paper work. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/10/17/thankful-thursdays-week-4/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/thankful-thursdays-1.png\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"thankful-thursdays-1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/thankful-thursdays-1.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMore job opportunities - both abroad and in the UK - which I\u0026rsquo;m being considered for.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClear the air talks with S\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFriends, who at short notice modified their programs to assist me with signing off on paper work.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Thankful Thursdays 2019 : Week 42"},{"content":"\nCame through what could have been a tricky presentation at work. The reward of good work is more work as they say, so more work is on the horizon. Great news from an interview I attended in early August, an offer has been extended I now need to make a decision! ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/10/10/thankful-thursdays-week-3/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"thankful-thursdays-1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/thankful-thursdays-1.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCame through what could have been a tricky presentation at work. The reward of good work is more work as they say, so more work is on the horizon.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGreat news from an interview I attended in early August, an offer has been extended I now need to make a decision!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Thankful Thursdays 2019: Week 41"},{"content":"\n\\\\\\*\nA lot has happened over the last week: travelling for work in West Africa, juggling tight deadlines at work and interviewing for a new role I\u0026rsquo;d really like to get. All told, it\u0026rsquo;s a week I have survived, specific things I\u0026rsquo;m grateful for include:\nReturning safely to firm land following my four or so days offshore in the Ivory Coast. Resolution of a minor snafu at entry in which I failed to turn in my passport for a new visa stamp but managed to do so on my way out without any issues For pepper, and how it makes everything taste great again, especially fried plantains which are a staple out here. For friendly faces: people I\u0026rsquo;ve worked with in a different office who it was great to meet and get help settling in from. For good early opportunities: I spent a day sat next to a guy who had spent time working in Nigeria as an expat for the company I started off with. Being able to swap stories of that was great! The opportunity to interview at a much bigger company than mine across town.Apparently mine was one of four CVs selected from 60+ applicants. Good to know my CV was of interest in what was a competitive field. I hope I get the job, but if not some constructive feedback would be great! ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/10/03/thankful-thursday-week/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"thankful-thursdays-1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/thankful-thursdays-1.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA lot has happened over the last week: travelling for work in West Africa, juggling tight deadlines at work and interviewing for a new role I\u0026rsquo;d really like to get. All told, it\u0026rsquo;s a week I have survived, specific things I\u0026rsquo;m grateful for include:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReturning safely to firm land following my four or so days offshore in the Ivory Coast.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eResolution of a minor snafu at entry in which I failed to turn in my passport for a new visa stamp but managed to do so on my way out without any issues\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor pepper, and how it makes everything taste great again, especially fried plantains which are a staple out here.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor friendly faces: people I\u0026rsquo;ve worked with in a different office who it was great to meet and get help settling in from.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor good early opportunities: I spent a day sat next to a guy who had spent time working in Nigeria as an expat for the company I started off with. Being able to swap stories of that was great!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe opportunity to interview at a much bigger company than mine across town.Apparently mine was one of four CVs selected from 60+ applicants. Good to know my CV was of interest in what was a competitive field. I hope I get the job, but if not some constructive feedback would be great!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Thankful Thursday: 2019 Week 40"},{"content":"For The Sunday Muse Prompt #75. Image Source .\n\\\\\\* A yellow orb,tethered to the earth by slender strings descends, its yellow light a hue cast over this dream in which I find myself looking at my selves; the past and the future holding the hands of the present, tiny figures scurrying up ladders which seem to reach for the sky, reinventing what is seen. Darkness lingers in the corners of this vista but stroke by stroke pixel by pixel, the dream and reality are slowly melding into one.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/10/01/yellow-dream/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/fotografias_surreais_1.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Sunday Muse\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/09/sunday-muse-75.html\"\u003ePrompt #75.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eImage\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.yellowkorner.com/id-en/p/les-taches-solaires/619.html\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nA yellow orb,tethered\nto the earth by slender strings\ndescends, its yellow light\na hue cast over this dream\nin which I find myself looking\nat my selves; the past and the future\nholding the hands of the present,\ntiny figures scurrying up\nladders which seem to reach\nfor the sky, reinventing\nwhat is seen. Darkness lingers\nin the corners of this vista\nbut stroke by stroke\npixel by pixel, the dream\nand reality are slowly\nmelding into one.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Yellow Dream"},{"content":" Went Well Transition to new role at work Restarted a weekly Thankful Thursdays feature on here, in a bid to build an attitude of gratitude Significantly increased my monthly run distance peaking at over 100km for July \u0026amp; August Came through my regular BP checks in August without any need to adjust meds etc Interviewed for AOC role, waiting to hear back on a potential offer, also waiting to interview for a senior M\u0026amp;C role at an oil major in the next few days. Didn\u0026rsquo;t Go Well Spiritual life is still out of sorts, Suffered occasional bouts of panic, negative self talk and lack of self confidence both at work and my personal life. Need to get a regular meetup and support set up with an older wiser head/ mentor (eg Pastor W?) Didn\u0026rsquo;t write as much as I thought I would. Need to establish a series of rituals to make this happen semi-automatically Relationship with S appears stalled, with us both living our separate lives and not bonding as well as we should, current living arrangements being the primary cause I believe. Year Objectives and Status The 11 things:\nDaily Practice of Prayer and Bible Study: AMBER Reduce weight to \u0026lt;85kg: RED Read 25 books: RED, significantly behind, currently averaging 1 book a month only Improve sleep to \u0026gt; 7 hours: AMBER, increased over previous quarter but still shy of 7 hour target Become proficient in Data Science, analytics and machine learning Reduce blood pressure to \u0026lt; 130/90: GREY, not currently tracked. Meet up with a male friend at least once a quarter: GREEN, met up with D.A in U-Square in September Speak to Dad weekly and siblings at least monthly: GREEN, met targets Write sponsored kids once a quarter: RED, failed to write the kids, needs focus in Q4 + give a gift to address Attend mid-week church at least twice a month: RED, church attendance in general hasn\u0026rsquo;t been the greatest for me. Acquire a CP or Welding certification: GREEN, achieved the API 577 certification in August 2019 Q4 Focus Areas/ Key Actions Focus on trying to complete hard mode reboot for all of Q4 (90+ days) Aggressively begin to explore London/Greater London area M\u0026amp;C jobs Restart my Data science studies (Dataquest or Udacity Nanodegree) Make daily reading a habit (at least a chapter daily) Have a detailed chat with S and agree joint objectives for the next year of being married. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/09/30/quarterly-review-q/","summary":"\u003ch1 id=\"the-year-of-living-intentionally\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"the-year-of-living-intentionally\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/the-year-of-living-intentionally.png\"\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"went-well\"\u003eWent Well\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTransition to new role at work\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRestarted a weekly \u003ca href=\"/category/personal/thankful-thursdays/\"\u003eThankful Thursdays feature\u003c/a\u003e on here, in a bid to build an attitude of gratitude\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSignificantly increased my monthly run distance peaking at over 100km for July \u0026amp; August\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCame through my regular BP checks in August without any need to adjust meds etc\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInterviewed for AOC role, waiting to hear back on a potential offer, also waiting to interview for a senior M\u0026amp;C role at an oil major in the next few days.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"didnt-go-well\"\u003eDidn\u0026rsquo;t Go Well\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSpiritual life is still out of sorts,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSuffered occasional bouts of panic, negative self talk and lack of self confidence both at work and my personal life. Need to get a regular meetup and support set up with an older wiser head/ mentor (eg Pastor W?)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDidn\u0026rsquo;t write as much as I thought I would. Need to establish a series of rituals to make this happen semi-automatically\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRelationship with S appears stalled, with us both living our separate lives and not bonding as well as we should, current living arrangements being the primary cause I believe.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"year-objectives-and-status\"\u003eYear Objectives and Status\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 11 things:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Quarterly Review - Q3 2019"},{"content":"\n\\\\\\*\nThis week I am thankful for:\nThe opportunity to travel for work, the starting point of which was a 3.00am wake up, final bag checks and then dragging myself into a taxi by 4.00am. For what it\u0026rsquo;s worth, taxi\u0026rsquo;s out here can be a bit hit or miss, thankfully this one was a big hit; a Sri Lankan national who had lived and worked in most of West Africa in the early 2,000s and had an opinion on the Jollof rice wars. All of that made for a very pleasurable, if slightly woozy 20 minute ride to the airport. Bliss. The flight itself - business class via work - reminded me of all the delights of not travelling cattle class. All told - from leaving my house and arriving at my hotel at the other side - it was the better part of 16 hours, including a lengthy wait in Bamako for the President of Mali to fly off. The relative ease in which I travelled was something to be grateful for, as was what appeared to be a deportation, a reminder that just over 10 years ago, I arrived in my current country as an intrepid student but now have the luxury of belonging to another country. Friendly faces on one of the assets I stopped over at which made my easing into that work day the easiest it could be, given the circumstances Although my room on the first FPSO was iffy, I am thankful for the comparatively plush lodgings I ended up in, on day 3. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/09/26/thankful-thursdays-week-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"thankful-thursdays-1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/thankful-thursdays-1.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis week I am thankful for:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe opportunity to travel for work, the starting point of which was a 3.00am wake up, final bag checks and then dragging myself into a taxi by 4.00am. For what it\u0026rsquo;s worth, taxi\u0026rsquo;s out here can be a bit hit or miss, thankfully this one was a big hit; a Sri Lankan national who had lived and worked in most of West Africa in the early 2,000s and had an opinion on the Jollof rice wars. All of that made for a very pleasurable, if slightly woozy 20 minute ride to the airport. Bliss.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe flight itself - business class via work - reminded me of all the delights of \u003cem\u003enot\u003c/em\u003e travelling cattle class. All told - from leaving my house and arriving at my hotel at the other side - it was the better part of 16 hours, including a lengthy wait in Bamako for the President of Mali to fly off. The relative ease in which I travelled was something to be grateful for, as was what appeared to be a deportation, a reminder that just over 10 years ago, I arrived in my current country as an intrepid student but now have the luxury of belonging to another country.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFriendly faces on one of the assets I stopped over at which made my easing into that work day the easiest it could be, given the circumstances\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlthough my room on the first FPSO was iffy, I am thankful for the comparatively plush lodgings I ended up in, on day 3.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Thankful Thursdays: 2019 Week 39"},{"content":"Image source, for The Sunday Muse prompt #74\n\\\\\\* Like the slowly louder clunks a train’s wheels send ahead, as it wends its way along ancient tracks, the old man\u0026rsquo;s memories float slowly to the fore, the streaks of dappled light dancing on the walls behind his face a spotlight, falling on him the same way it falls on a minstrel at a cabaret, drawing a hush out of the muted mumblings of the gathered. Though his wrinkled skin, once soft now lies wrinkled, warped and folded and his fingers once supple now lack dexterity, like a seagull resplendent in its freedom the memories of past songs return, the track and the piano fusing in a crescendo refusing to be silenced.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/09/25/remembering/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"seasgull prompt\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/seasgull-prompt.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://hiveminer.com/Tags/surreal%2Ctraintracks\"\u003eImage source\u003c/a\u003e, for The Sunday Muse\u003c/em\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/09/sunday-muse-74.html\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eprompt #74\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nLike the slowly louder clunks\na train’s wheels send ahead,\nas it wends its way along ancient tracks,\nthe old man\u0026rsquo;s memories float\nslowly to the fore, the streaks\nof dappled light dancing\non the walls behind his face\na spotlight, falling on him\nthe same way it falls on\na minstrel at a cabaret, drawing a hush\nout of the muted mumblings of the gathered.\nThough his wrinkled skin, once soft\nnow lies wrinkled, warped and folded\nand his fingers once supple now lack dexterity,\nlike a seagull resplendent in its freedom\nthe memories of past songs return,\nthe track and the piano fusing in\na crescendo refusing to be silenced.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Remembering"},{"content":"\n\\\\\\*\nSecond week since I\u0026rsquo;ve restarted these, and the first in which I have been trying to keep a log in my notebook through the week. Here goes:\nSeveral times over the last seven days I\u0026rsquo;ve managed to bust out several good runs ranging from 5 to 10km. Given a mere three years ago, I could hardly complete 2.5km in a go, going the distances I now can is something to be grateful for. Meetups with people I have known through work dominated my social life this past week. First off was a catch up with R who I shared an office with when I first joined my current company back in 2011 and who I have stayed friends with. I have him to thank for making the effort to draw me out from the shy, reserved, headphones-in-my-ears-all-the-time guy I was when I joined. The other meetup was with M, at a Nigerian eatery in town. He managed the pepper OK, and we have notionally agreed to do this every quarter, if we can. The other big catchup was with S, whom I hadn\u0026rsquo;t spoken to in quite some time. It is always amazing to catch up with someone I haven\u0026rsquo;t in a while and then the conversation just seems to continue from where it stops. Grateful for friends! My relationship with my local church (and the big C church to be honest) isn\u0026rsquo;t the greatest at all. Having managed to drag myself there last Sunday, quite a few things said seem to hit right home and capture the moment where I am at the moment. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/09/19/thankful-thursdays-week-1/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"thankful-thursdays-1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/thankful-thursdays-1.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSecond week since I\u0026rsquo;ve restarted these, and the first in which I have been trying to keep a log in my notebook through the week. Here goes:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSeveral times over the last seven days I\u0026rsquo;ve managed to bust out several good runs ranging from 5 to 10km. Given a mere three years ago, I could hardly complete 2.5km in a go, going the distances I now can is something to be grateful for.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMeetups with people I have known through work dominated my social life this past week. First off was a catch up with R who I shared an office with when I first joined my current company back in 2011 and who I have stayed friends with. I have him to thank for making the effort to draw me out from the shy, reserved, headphones-in-my-ears-all-the-time guy I was when I joined. The other meetup was with M, at a Nigerian eatery in town. He managed the pepper OK, and we have notionally agreed to do this every quarter, if we can.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe other big catchup was with S, whom I hadn\u0026rsquo;t spoken to in quite some time. It is always amazing to catch up with someone I haven\u0026rsquo;t in a while and then the conversation just seems to continue from where it stops. Grateful for friends!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMy relationship with my local church (and the big C church to be honest) isn\u0026rsquo;t the greatest at all. Having managed to drag myself there last Sunday, quite a few things said seem to hit right home and capture the moment where I am at the moment.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Thankful Thursdays: 2019 Week 38"},{"content":"\nFor the Sunday Muse prompt #73.\n\\\\\\** Beneath the garb of Prudence and propriety deep delight can lurk.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/09/17/stolen/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"stolen from lydia\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/stolen-from-lydia.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the Sunday \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/09/sunday-muse-73.html\"\u003eMuse prompt #73\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\**\nBeneath the garb of\nPrudence and propriety\ndeep delight can lurk.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Stolen"},{"content":"\nIt has been a while I did one of these, life happened I guess, but recently I have come back to a place where mental health has come front and centre in the circles I roll in again. I suspect if you asked S, she would say I have been a terrible old git for most of the past year, which is where actively cultivating an attitude of gratitude comes in. The idea would be to document one thing per day that I am grateful for, and share on here on a Thursday. So here goes:\nThankful for friends who are available for a meet up at short notice. It helps if they are in the same industry and one can swap war stories with them Thankful for good neighbours: Over the weekend I was down South, the timing being driven by the need to be part of a small birthday celebration for P, one of the very friendly neighbours we\u0026rsquo;ve had since we moved into the area we are now. Watching them and the talented amateur operatic society they are part of was a big bonus to everything, and something to be grateful for. Thankful for suitably timed words of admonishment: Listen to Chuck Swindoll, a week out of sync and his current series is about this very topic and how pride is often at the root of ingratitude ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/09/12/thankful-thursdays-week/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"thankful-thursdays-1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/thankful-thursdays-1.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt has been a while I did one of these, life happened I guess, but recently I have come back to a place where mental health has come front and centre in the circles I roll in again. I suspect if you asked S, she would say I have been a terrible old git for most of the past year, which is where actively cultivating an attitude of gratitude comes in. The idea would be to document one thing per day that I am grateful for, and share on here on a Thursday. So here goes:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Thankful Thursdays: 2019 Week 37"},{"content":"Photography by Svetlana Belyaeva click HERE for website. For the Sunday Muse Prompt #71\n\\\\\\* Where fear once threaded its tiny tendrils through our feet, and captive hearts\nWe choose to fly free leaving behind the safety of this confined space.\nBecause though freedom only is a promise, it trumps certain defeat.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/09/03/free/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"muse photo\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/muse-photo.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhotography by Svetlana Belyaeva click\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://35photo.pro/belyaevasveta/user_profile/\"\u003eHERE\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003efor website. For the\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/08/sunday-muse-71.html\"\u003eSunday Muse Prompt #71\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nWhere fear once threaded\nits tiny tendrils through our\nfeet, and captive hearts\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe choose to fly free\nleaving behind the safety\nof this confined space.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBecause though freedom\nonly is a promise, it\ntrumps certain defeat.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Free"},{"content":"The year I turned thirty, I was a student battling to put finishing touches to my master’s degree dissertation and pondering what the future had in store for me. That the success or failure of that year, and the year before that, came down to that singular task was the result of an unanticipated turn of events which turned what was a leave of absence to return to full-time study into having to leave my Nigerian job. Grad school, my response to the year before that, had made sense in my head largely because it seemed a low risk, given there was a reasonably high likelihood of returning. I, as it would turn out was ultimately mistaken.\nFor the first few months after, I was certain I would be up and running in no time - there was still the path to a post-study visa and I was certain my previous experience of pretending to know about rust at an oil major would be more than enough to get my foot in the door at any number of similar companies. A conversation with my Uncle C during this period comes to mind in which, talking post-study plans, I quoted a salary expectation which in hindsight was wildly optimistic. Months later, with comparatively few responses to the various applications I had sent out, and my expectations a lot more realistic as a result, bitterly cold mornings at train stations waiting for connections between Newcastle and the \u0026lsquo;Deen were the sum of my life, broken only by the pleasures of BBM chats with O and F that helped the time pass. Thankfully, things would eventually improve, culminating in a successful interview in the middle of winter and a relocation to the \u0026lsquo;Deen in time to return to full-time work by the first week of January of the next year.\nTen years down the road, it feels - at first glance - that I am in the same space again; wrestling with a desire for more seething beneath the surface and wondering what the big gains of the last ten years have been.The longer I look though, the clearer it becomes to me that the sense of being stuck and stale is the glass half empty version of events. The glass half full version is that there have been lessons learned and victories won over the past ten years. For one, now and again I stumble into conversations with the workmates I left behind back in \u0026lsquo;09. These conversations typically segue into catching up on who has left the company (or been pushed out) or which high-flier has earned a move to Houston. Whilst on the level of financial gain and success I have most definitely been left behind by them, the one silver lining tends to be that I have had grown into more positions of authority and influence than they have. I won\u0026rsquo;t presume to imagine I have done as well as I could have but was is undeniable is that I have grown from the ultra reserved, tentative person that I was then into a more confident person thanks to the various work situations I have been thrown in. That is one of the lessons I have learned from the past ten years - only by letting go and stretching can one grow. It helps if the letting go is by choice of course.\nMy default setting, no thanks I suspect to growing up a Nigerian PK, is an intensely private one, the general sense whilst growing up that what happened in the house should be kept in the house; keeping up appearances and what not. Allied to that has been a strong sense of independence - if striving to do things by myself for myself counts as independence. Several times over the past ten years, people have come through for me and surprised me. A., who several times has insisted I spend my Lagos nights at his rather than in a hotel even on one occasion he was out of town, O who dropped everything to offer support when H passed and others too many to enumerate have been high points, underscoring for me a lesson that has been difficult to learn, it is OK to lean on people. I can only hope that I can be as a good a friend to others as these and more have been to me.\nIn the aftermath of H\u0026rsquo;s passing, and several times over the intervening years, it has felt like grief has acquired a life of its own festering deep within. There have also been several seasons of heartbreak occasioned by unrequited love amongst other things. My memories of the immediate aftermath of these events - thankfully now dim and distant - are of being brought low and unable to properly function. Time though has worked its magic and in the main whilst the memories still linger, the pain and hurt from them have faded into acceptance. That is something I try to remind myself of in the aftermath of disappointment, time usually brings healing in its wings.\nMy Myers-Briggs type is INTJ - if unlike Adam Grant you don\u0026rsquo;t think it\u0026rsquo;s hogwash - which perhaps explains my occasional bouts with analysis paralysis. Seemingly big decisions have often left me crippled with indecision from weighing all the pros and cons to minute levels of detail. A few come to mind from the past ten years - the Azerbaijan question, my Bachelor\u0026rsquo;s Conundrum to list a few - but with benefit of hindsight, in most of the instances, the individual decision would have made little difference in the end; sometimes the process of deciding is more important than the decision itself.\nFor all the high points from work there have been low spots too; not least the sense I have had more recently of being left behind. I suppose spending 8 years in the same building will do that to you, particularly when it feels like remuneration hasn\u0026rsquo;t been the greatest. A reticence to toot my own horn at times has contributed to this I suspect, as has my work visa-related restrictions which were only fully lifted in January of 2017. What key inflection points in my career over the past ten years there are have occurred because I have taken the bull by the horns turning offers from elsewhere into significant upgrades or being very clear about what direction I want my career to go next. Learning to sell myself better is something I suspect I will continue to struggle with but struggle I will until I gain ascendancy.\nOf all the faith-based monikers kicking about, I suspect charismatic - with all its trappings - would probably have best described me ten years ago. These days, I self classify as a recovering prodigal, my attempt to describe the evolution in my beliefs on the big issues such as faith, origins and the fate of humanity. Given what we know about the age of the earth, the likelihood of there being a single Adam and all, I have increasingly found it difficult to hold on to a young earth, literal interpretation of Genesis and by extension the doctrine of original sin. Dark matter and dark energy however suggest to me that there remains a huge gap in our understanding of the workings of the Universe, a gap which means that I can completely discount the spiritual dimension with any degree of intellectual honesty. It is perhaps a poorly articulated God of The Gaps argument, but in conjunction with the subjective evidence of the answers to prayers I still get (or the coincidences that occur when I pray), I have to say I still believe, however tenuous that might yet be.\nAs I write this now with the emotions of the big day now long past - and all the cake and doughnuts well and truly digested - it very much feels like a time in which to draw a line in the sand and begin again, something I suspect I have been too eager to do many times in the past. Much as it was back in \u0026lsquo;09, the question of how the next ten years will shape up is front and centre in my mind. What is incontrovertible though is that time marches on, and whether by action or inaction, every passing second is a step in a sequence of movements that will result either in a masterpiece or a very well polished turd. That is the way of the world.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/08/31/by-degrees-lessons-from-my-decade-of-being-thirty-something/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/img_20190815_115109.jpg\"\u003eThe year I turned thirty, I was a student battling to put \u003ca href=\"/2009/08/13/business-as-usual/\"\u003efinishing touches to my master’s degree dissertation\u003c/a\u003e and pondering what the future had in store for me. That the success or failure of that year, \u003cem\u003eand the year before that\u003c/em\u003e, came down to that singular task was the result of an unanticipated turn of events which turned what was a leave of absence to return to full-time study into having to leave my Nigerian job. Grad school, my response to the year before that, had made sense in my head \u003cem\u003elargely\u003c/em\u003e because it seemed a low risk, given there was a reasonably high likelihood of returning. I, \u003ca href=\"/2009/08/a-lost-son/\"\u003eas it would turn out\u003c/a\u003e was ultimately mistaken.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"By Degrees: Lessons from My Decade of Being Thirty Something"},{"content":"Gift, for The Sunday Muse prompt #68. Photography by Edouard Boubat.\n\\\\\\* Against the pressure of the sea and the darkness of the depths, the gift has been formed, layer by layer each crystal a prayer offered up for protection from the predation of the boring sponge, the oyster worm and the scurrying crab.\nEach day that water has washed over it - wearing tiny paths across its stubborn skin - a battle has been won; of survival, and quiet reassurance. And when someday, bequeathed by the sea, it lies in the hands of a grateful child, its hardy brilliance will yet still speak, more loudly in its silence than all the things it has survived.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/08/12/gift/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"sea shell for post\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/sea-shell-for-post.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eGift, for The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/08/sunday-muse-68.html\"\u003eprompt #68\u003c/a\u003e. Photography by Edouard Boubat.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nAgainst the pressure of the sea\nand the darkness of the depths,\nthe gift has been formed, layer by layer\neach crystal a prayer offered up\nfor protection from the predation\nof the boring sponge, the oyster worm\nand the scurrying crab.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach day that water has washed over it -\nwearing tiny paths across its stubborn skin -\na battle has been won; of survival,\nand quiet reassurance. And when someday,\nbequeathed by the sea, it lies\nin the hands of a grateful child,\nits hardy brilliance will yet still speak,\nmore loudly in its silence than all the things\nit has survived.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Gift"},{"content":"Photo by Thiago Matos from Pexels. For the Sunday Muse prompt #67\n\\\\\\*\nEven broken things can sometimes find a use: jagged edges catching light,\na half-face teasing memory, and imagination. Life, reinvented.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/08/08/broken-things/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"beautiful-woman-broken-glass-face-2198524\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/beautiful-woman-broken-glass-face-2198524.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://www.pexels.com/@thiagomobile?utm_content=attributionCopyText\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_source=pexels\"\u003eThiago Matos\u003c/a\u003e from \u003ca href=\"https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-holding-broken-mirror-2198524/?utm_content=attributionCopyText\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_source=pexels\"\u003ePexels\u003c/a\u003e. For the Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/08/sunday-muse-67.html?m=1\"\u003eprompt #67\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven broken things can\nsometimes find a use: jagged\nedges catching light,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ea half-face teasing\nmemory, and imagination.\nLife, reinvented.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Broken Things"},{"content":"\nBy some unexpected twist of fate, I found myself heading into Central London on the hottest day of the year, a fairly tropical 37 degrees Celsius, and that for the first time since last December. The destination was the Nigeria High Commission on Northumberland Avenue, the plan to get my expired Nigerian passport renewed. To get here I had had to jump through several tortuous loops, not helped by the fact that my trips down to England are scheduled months in advance with impromptu trips being aggressively minimised due to the costs. My takeaway from my dealings with the appointment\u0026rsquo;s system was that the (re)scheduling system could be significantly improved - first, you sign up via a third party web service, pay the booking fees and then get randomly assigned a date, one you can only change to a more suitable one by emailing back and forth, no less than six in my case – which meant in addition to the heat I very much had my mind prepared for a terrible experience which could potentially take the whole day. It might have been my low expectations, but the experience was far less stressful than I expected, sans the slow pace at which things trundled along from picking a ticket to getting called for an initial review and then submitting my biometric details. If there was a silver lining, it was that the slow pace of things – and the very many other Nigerians there for similar purposes – increased the likelihood of running into people I had not seen in a long time; 20 plus years and two kids in one case. That the most unsettling thing from all of that was wondering what the scrawny lad I ended up sitting across from on the tube from Charing Cross to Waterloo was up - to whilst reading from 2nd Corinthians 1 in a huge bible - is a miracle of sorts (events at the High Commission didn\u0026rsquo;t leave me mentally drained as they have in the past) or perhaps only the symptom of my low expectations.\nA lot of my free time over the past month has been spent catching up on TV which, admittedly, is hardly the stuff of living intentionally Be that as it may, all that TV watching did manage to throw up something to relish. The movie was The Upside, a comedic look at the relationship between a wealthy quadriplegic (played by Bryan Cranston) and his ex-convict Life Assistant (played by Kevin Hart) with the sub-text of his relationship with his devoted assistant who it would appear hs feelings for him (played by Nicole Kidman). In one of the surprise birthday scenes, the opera assembled for a private performance began to sing a tune which I thought was very familiar. My first thought - borne out by events in the end - was that I had heard it on an episode of Rhiannon Giddens\u0026rsquo;Aria Code. one of my favourite podcasts from earlier in the year. It was indeed, a portion of the Queen of The Night Aria from Mozart\u0026rsquo;s Magic Flute. The downside was that it led me down a YouTube rabbit hole which swallowed up the rest of that Saturday.\nThe one book I managed to finish in July, Alan Jacobs\u0026rsquo;How To Think, is increasingly beginning to seem like an inspired choice not least for how often my Twitter timeline has tottered on the edge of a complete meltdown over the past few weeks. Existing online as I do at the intersection of being Nigerian (with all its spiritual, cultural and political baggage) and being an active seeker of intellectual complexity at times my Twitter feed has seemed like a frothing mess of controversial tweets and retweets, 140 character takes and counter takes and the occasional link to a think piece published so soon after the event it seeks to analyse that any claim to thoroughness could only be wishful at best. Many a time, I have started typing a furious response to a tweet only to catch myself mid tweet, sigh and walk away. I would like to think that the overriding driver behind my choice to not add to the noise has been noble but the longer I think about it, the more I see that most times it has been due to a fear of sorts - that the views I am about to share might get ripped to shreds by the collective wisdom of the frothing masses - or at other times fatigue from all the digesting and engagement I am having to do. A recurring thread in the book is how our perspectives, views and memberships colour our understanding of facts and (naturally?) drive us towards thinking in herds. Social Media and its engagement algorithms drive us further into the depths of our herds, our Inner Rings (to borrow from CS Lewis) and our echo chambers. The final chapter ends with an offering of 12 ideas - a thinking person\u0026rsquo;s checklist - which are well worth a read. A few key ones for me not in as many words: Take 5 minutes, value learning over debating, eschew virtue signalling, gravitate towards communities that can handle disagreements with equanimity, assess your repugnances and be brave, one I can certainly use more of I suspect.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/08/05/stripping-tv-binges-and-thinking-about-thinking/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"dav\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/img_20190725_140124.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy some unexpected twist of fate, I found myself heading into Central London on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jul/24/uk-records-hottest-day-of-year-and-could-hit-new-high-of-39c\"\u003ehottest day of the year\u003c/a\u003e, a fairly tropical 37 degrees Celsius, and that for the first time since last December. The destination was the Nigeria High Commission on Northumberland Avenue, the plan to get my expired Nigerian passport renewed. To get here I had had to jump through several tortuous loops, not helped by the fact that my trips down to England are scheduled months in advance with impromptu trips being aggressively minimised due to the costs. My takeaway from my dealings with the appointment\u0026rsquo;s system was that the (re)scheduling system could be significantly improved  - first, you sign up via a third party web service, pay the booking fees and then get randomly assigned a date, one you can only change to a more suitable one by emailing back and forth, no less than six in my case – which meant in addition to the heat I very much had my mind prepared for a terrible experience which could potentially take the whole day. It might have been my low expectations, but the experience was far less stressful than I expected, sans the slow pace at which things trundled along from picking a ticket to getting called for an initial review and then submitting my biometric details. If there was a silver lining, it was that the slow pace of things – and the very many other Nigerians there for similar purposes – increased the likelihood of running into people I had not seen in a long time; 20 plus years and two kids in one case. That the most unsettling thing from all of that was wondering what the scrawny lad I ended up sitting across from on the tube from Charing Cross to Waterloo was up - to whilst reading from \u003ca href=\"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians+1\u0026amp;version=nkjv\"\u003e2nd Corinthians 1\u003c/a\u003e in a huge bible - is a miracle of sorts (events at the High Commission didn\u0026rsquo;t leave me mentally drained as they have in the past) or perhaps only the symptom of my low expectations.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Stripping, (TV) Binges and Thinking About Thinking"},{"content":"For The Wednesday Muse Prompt, Summer Rain.\n\\\\\\*\nIt hangs in the air like a shroud, this heavy, brooding cloud of dust through which the sun tries to force its way; the same way a frail old man, bent double at the waist, tries to hack his way through dense undergrowth, by dint of will power and persistence.\nSuddenly, like a giant oak falling, squashing dense foliage with its weight, the heavens are torn by rain, and relief. Peals of thunder, flashes of lightning birth many miracles of tiny rivers suddenly sprung, washing away the dust of earth baked dry, after which comes the smell of new, clean things, of rebirth and things made whole again.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/08/02/harmattan-rain/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"art-artistic-background-459301\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/art-artistic-background-459301.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Wednesday Muse Prompt, \u003ca href=\"https://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/07/wednesday-muse-summer-rain.html\"\u003eSummer Rain\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt hangs in the air like a shroud,\nthis heavy, brooding cloud of dust\nthrough which the sun tries\nto force its way; the same way\na frail old man, bent double at the waist,\ntries to hack his way through dense undergrowth,\nby dint of will power and persistence.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuddenly, like a giant oak falling,\nsquashing dense foliage with its weight,\nthe heavens are torn by rain, and relief.\nPeals of thunder, flashes of lightning birth\nmany miracles of tiny rivers suddenly sprung,\nwashing away the dust of earth baked dry,\nafter which comes the smell of new, clean things,\nof rebirth and things made whole again.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Harmattan Rain"},{"content":"One Day I\u0026rsquo;ll Fly Away. Photo by Hayley Roberts. For The Sunday Muse Prompt #66.\n\\\\\\*\nWaiting here before this wall of burnt brick reaching high above my head\nfreedom seems distant a mirage shimmering in the distance; promised.\nHope deferred makes sick the longing heart, but in this sliver of breaking light,\nthe echo of the promise rings, one day I\u0026rsquo;ll spread my wings and fly away.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/07/24/waiting-one-day-ill-fly-away/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"girl-fly\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/girl-fly.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eOne Day I\u0026rsquo;ll Fly Away. Photo by \u003ca href=\"https://hayleyrobertsphoto.com/\"\u003eHayley Roberts\u003c/a\u003e. For The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/07/sunday-muse-66.html\"\u003ePrompt #66\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWaiting here before\nthis wall of burnt brick reaching\nhigh above my head\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efreedom seems distant\na mirage shimmering in\nthe distance; promised.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHope deferred makes sick\nthe longing heart, but in this\nsliver of breaking light,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe echo of the\npromise rings, one day I\u0026rsquo;ll spread\nmy wings and fly away.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Waiting: One Day I'll Fly Away"},{"content":"\nFor The Sunday Muse prompt #63. Image: the butterfly jar by lostinthisphotograph\n\\\\\\* The beauty of these golden wings wrestled free, breath by breath, from the confines of a cocoon, finds itself entombed again, the memory of its flitting flight a distant echo now far removed from the frozen present, a life stilled.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/07/10/still-life/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"still-life-photography-023\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/still-life-photography-023.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-sunday-muse-63.html\"\u003eprompt #63.\u003c/a\u003e Image: \u003cem\u003ethe butterfly jar\u003c/em\u003e by \u003ca href=\"https://www.deviantart.com/lostinthisphotograph/art/the-butterfly-jar-172178633\"\u003elostinthisphotograph\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nThe beauty of these golden wings\nwrestled free, breath by breath,\nfrom the confines of a cocoon,\nfinds itself entombed again,\nthe memory of its flitting\nflight a distant echo now far\nremoved from the frozen present,\na life stilled.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Still Life"},{"content":"For The Sunday Muse Prompt, #61. Photo Artistry by Erik Johansson Master Photo-manipulation Artist.\n\\\\\\* Slat by slat, dab by dab this dream in grey is being remade into a sea of blue, its quiescent skin stretched tight like a canvas between the present and the past where the sky meets the earth\u0026rsquo;s lie. Each slat was once alive, each cell once bursting with the pressure of rich water, drawn by breathing; air and sunlight entwined in a dance whose beat is borne in the body, from seed to fruit to seed by rebirthing. Now this dream of grey, frozen still, is reawakening each dab of colour returning life to where it once was.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/06/26/revivifying/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"revivify\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/revivify.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/06/sunday-muse-61.html\"\u003ePrompt, #61\u003c/a\u003e. Photo Artistry by Erik Johansson Master Photo-manipulation Artist.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nSlat by slat,\ndab by dab this\ndream in grey is\nbeing remade into\na sea of blue, its\nquiescent skin stretched\ntight like a canvas\nbetween the present and\nthe past where the sky\nmeets the earth\u0026rsquo;s lie.\nEach slat was once alive,\neach cell once bursting\nwith the pressure of rich\nwater, drawn by breathing;\nair and sunlight entwined\nin a dance whose beat\nis borne in the body,\nfrom seed to fruit\nto seed by rebirthing.\nNow this dream of grey,\nfrozen still, is reawakening\neach dab of colour returning\nlife to where it once was.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Revivifying"},{"content":"For The Sunday Muse, Prompt #60. In which I wonder what the reality of what a cat feels is.\n\\\\\\* What if what we are Are mere playthings, pawns roughly hewn from stunted dogwood, clinging to life in a season of dearth. What if the feeling of contentment is a mirage, a vision of delusion far removed from the way things really are. What if what we think is the beauty of a garland really is a chain binding us to a different reality, what if.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/06/18/alternate-reality/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"cat\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/cat.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Sunday Muse, \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/06/sunday-muse-60.html\"\u003ePrompt #60\u003c/a\u003e. In which I wonder what the reality of what a cat feels is.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nWhat if what we are\nAre mere playthings, pawns\nroughly hewn from stunted dogwood,\nclinging to life in a season\nof dearth. What if the feeling\nof contentment is a mirage,\na vision of delusion far removed\nfrom the way things really are.\nWhat if what we think\nis the beauty of a garland\nreally is a chain binding us\nto a different reality, what if.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Alternate Reality"},{"content":"\nPhoto by Thanun Buranapong on Unsplash\n\\\\\\* Bar a few days here and there it has been, as we say out here, dingin doon; read wet, cold and windy, emphasis on the wet part. That is is mid-June adds to the slight sense of gloominess that comes with it, a mood which I see replicated in the faces of the people I run into about town, in my view at least. All of that has left me with quite a lot more time on my hands than usual, which for better or for worse has ended up exploring various reddit rabbit holes, chief of which have been the Thinkpad, ChromeOS and SurfaceLinux ones. They have provided the welcome of distraction of providing the inspiration for me trying to replace Windows on my old Thinkpad Tablet 10 with either Linux or ChromeOS. Both have been qualified fails - a debloated version of windows currently serves me passably on the device -but the ultimate goal would be to replace it with something zipper and functional, à la this attempt. I suspect the search will continue, albeit at a hopefully less time intensive pace. In between all of this, I managed to fit in some time out with the guys from work, a decent enough evening the only black mark against it being the aforementioned bucket loads of rain.\nRecently read or heard\nFrom The Ted Interview series, Susan Cain offers a fascinating look into the mind of introverts, including perhaps the most succinct definition of the difference between introversion and shyness: shyness is the fear of social judgement whilst introversion relates to how one derives energy from social situations Chernobyl, the TV series and the podcast have been fascinating both for their peek behind the iron curtain into Soviet-era disaster management and perhaps the cost of lies. Find them and catch up if you can, highly recommended The Sports rich list has Messi at its apex, deservedly so perhaps but surely that the top-ranked woman is at #64 is a travesty of sorts? Norway\u0026rsquo;s Ada Hegerberg is boycotting this year\u0026rsquo;s female world cup to push for pay parity. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/06/16/dingin-doon/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"thanun-buranapong-JbeBraLha7U-unsplash\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/thanun-buranapong-jbebralha7u-unsplash.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@thanunburanapong?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eThanun Buranapong\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/search/photos/rain-on-window?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nBar a few days here and there it has been, as we say out here, \u003cem\u003edingin doon;\u003c/em\u003e read wet, cold and windy, \u003cem\u003eemphasis\u003c/em\u003e on the wet part. That is is mid-June adds to the slight sense of gloominess that comes with it, a mood which I see replicated in the faces of the people I run into about town, in my view at least. All of that has left me with quite a lot more time on my hands than usual, which for better or for worse has ended up exploring various reddit rabbit holes,  chief of which have been the \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/\"\u003eThinkpad\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/chromeos/\"\u003eChromeOS\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/SurfaceLinux/\"\u003eSurfaceLinux\u003c/a\u003e ones. They have provided the welcome of distraction of providing the inspiration for me trying to replace Windows on my old Thinkpad Tablet 10 with either Linux or ChromeOS. Both have been qualified fails - a debloated version of windows currently serves me passably on the device -but the ultimate goal would be to replace it with something zipper and functional, à la \u003ca href=\"https://www.simonwenkel.com/2018/11/16/Linux-on-ThinkPad-Tablet-10-2nd-gen.html\"\u003ethis attempt\u003c/a\u003e. I suspect the search will continue, albeit at a \u003cem\u003ehopefully\u003c/em\u003e less time intensive pace.  In between all of this, I managed to fit in some time out with the guys from work, a decent enough evening the only black mark against it being the aforementioned bucket loads of rain.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Dingin Doon"},{"content":"For The Sunday Muse prompt #59, Photography by Carlo Pautasso.\n\\\\\\* Plucked by its roots from a place where it once was whole, it lies now alone, the brightness of its petals a splash of hope stark against the blandness of everything.\nThe shadow of an impending end stretches from the future into this space between The Living and the bleeding out of life but till it comes, life lingers still.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/06/12/by-degrees/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"flower\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/flower.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/06/sunday-muse-59.html\"\u003eThe Sunday Muse prompt #59\u003c/a\u003e, Photography by Carlo Pautasso.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nPlucked by its roots\nfrom a place where it once\nwas whole, it lies now alone,\nthe brightness of its petals\na splash of hope stark against\nthe blandness of everything.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe shadow of an impending end\nstretches from the future into\nthis space between The Living\nand the bleeding out of life\nbut till it comes, life lingers still.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"By Degrees"},{"content":"\nFreedom, for The Sunday Muse Prompt #56.\n\\\\\\* It hovers in the distance in the space where the edge of consciousness meets the taste of remembering. Where air meets skin, and the sound of living is squeezed into a high pitched wail and then regains length, and afterwards dies as they recede into the distance. Each bump on the road, is like a firm word tossed into the wind, each jar as like a current shared between melded parts. From the distance joy, delirious in its appearance calls but here in the lull before the storm lies a fleeting pleasure, a moment of peace before the whirlwinds return\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/05/22/freedom-3/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"you bring out the biker in me\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/you-bring-out-the-biker-in-me.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFreedom, for The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/05/sunday-muse-56.html\"\u003ePrompt #56\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nIt hovers in the distance\nin the space where the edge\nof consciousness meets the taste\nof remembering. Where air meets skin,\nand the sound of living is squeezed\ninto a high pitched wail\nand then regains length, and afterwards\ndies as they recede into the distance.\nEach bump on the road,\nis like a firm word tossed\ninto the wind, each jar\nas like a current shared\nbetween melded parts.\nFrom the distance joy,\ndelirious in its appearance calls\nbut here in the lull before the storm\nlies a fleeting pleasure, a moment of peace\nbefore the whirlwinds return\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Freedom"},{"content":"For The Sunday Wednesday Muse Prompt, Garden Spot. Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash. A nod to the still vivid memories I have of being dragged off to our family farm by my parents in those dire, dark SAP days.\n** First comes the rain, and then the wakened worms which turn the hard, sun-baked soil into compliant mulch. Grain by grain, leaf by leaf the beauty of Symbiosis begins to rear its head, the cycle of death begetting life and sustenance for the things we must ingest, for which with backs bent beneath the blazing sun we labour; the reward of another day survived eked out from the hard, earth.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/05/16/garden-spot/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"annie-spratt-QTp2mbvQI60-unsplash\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/annie-spratt-qtp2mbvqi60-unsplash.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Sunday Wednesday Muse Prompt, \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/05/sunday-muse-wednesday-muse-8-garden-spot.html\"\u003eGarden Spot\u003c/a\u003e. Photo by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/QTp2mbvQI60?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eAnnie Spratt\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/search/photos/garden?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash.\u003c/a\u003e A nod to the still vivid memories I have of being dragged off to our family farm by my parents in those \u003ca href=\"http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/959091468775569769/Nigeria-Structural-adjustment-program-policies-implementation-and-impact\"\u003edire, dark SAP days\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\nFirst comes the rain,\nand then the wakened worms which turn the\nhard, sun-baked soil into compliant mulch.\nGrain by grain, leaf by leaf\nthe beauty of Symbiosis begins\nto rear its head, the cycle of death\nbegetting life and sustenance for the things\nwe must ingest, for which with backs bent\nbeneath the blazing sun we labour;\nthe reward of another day survived eked out\nfrom the hard, earth.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Garden Spot"},{"content":"\nFor The Sunday Muse prompt, Night Sky\n\\\\\\* The starlight sprinkled like tiny slivers of silver splashed against a dark canvas peels back the curtain on a tumultuous past- birth, death, dust clouds swirling, mists of primordial molecules accreting, then Becoming - a message to the future from the past echoing down the aeons like a strummed string. I was here before you were; before your father was, and his father\u0026rsquo;s father too Now you see me as I was. Ponder.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/05/02/night-sky/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"night sky2\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/night-sky2.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor The Sunday Muse prompt, \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-night-sky.html\"\u003eNight Sky\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nThe starlight sprinkled\nlike tiny slivers of silver\nsplashed against a dark canvas\npeels back the curtain\non a tumultuous past-\nbirth, death, dust clouds swirling,\nmists of primordial molecules\naccreting, then Becoming -\na message to the future from the past\nechoing down the aeons like a strummed string.\nI was here before you were; before\nyour father was, and his father\u0026rsquo;s father too\nNow you see me as I was. Ponder.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Night Sky"},{"content":"\nPhoto by Josiel Miranda from Pexels, for The Sunday Muse prompt #53\n\\\\\\* You have wandered through the wilds, labouring in the shadows of seven hills through caverns carved by seven rivers to a far place, a distant country. Hurtful words tossed into the wind hang like a broken shroud flapping in the wind, heavy with intention, a reminder of the way things were but now are not. But as you linger on the edge of the sea wondering if you have wandered too far this time I see you and call your name. Come Home.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/04/29/53-prodigality/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"blur-close-up-depth-of-field-1786769\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/blur-close-up-depth-of-field-1786769.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://www.pexels.com/@josiel-miranda-873751?utm_content=attributionCopyText\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_source=pexels\"\u003eJosiel Miranda\u003c/a\u003e from \u003ca href=\"https://www.pexels.com/photo/macro-photography-of-eye-1786769/?utm_content=attributionCopyText\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_source=pexels\"\u003ePexels\u003c/a\u003e, for The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-muse-53.html\"\u003eprompt #53\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nYou have wandered through the wilds,\nlabouring in the shadows of seven hills\nthrough caverns carved by seven rivers\nto a far place, a distant country.\nHurtful words tossed into the wind\nhang like a broken shroud flapping in the wind,\nheavy with intention, a reminder of the way\nthings were but now are not.\nBut as you linger on the edge of the sea\nwondering if you have wandered too far this time\nI see you and call your name.\nCome Home.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"53 - Prodigality"},{"content":"Highlights\nBroke 50km distance for the first time in 2019 Kept up my daily devotional streak, thanks to the CoE\u0026rsquo;s Lent Pilgrim app Completed a book! (James Clear\u0026rsquo;s Atomic Habits). Still behind on the year plan though Lowlights\nHabit streak tracking still patchy at best Finances ended up a mess - home improvements were unbudgeted for but perhaps add value to the house (not quantified though) Next Month Focus Area\nPrep for Nigeria trip – order gifts for nephew and nieces Ola meetup Run a mile every day (except Sunday) It is mid-March when I first notice the signs of spring looming, the trees behind my house once stark against the night sky now clearly visible and flowering. That they are visible has to do with both spring coming and the days getting long enough for the ambient light to make them visible by the time I set off on my morning runs. Rabbits also now dot the route I usually take, with the odd fox now and again, proof if any needed it that spring is truly here. At any other time spring would herald joy but this time it is a reminder of the ineluctable passing of time - the circle of life perhaps.\nA trip from the airport reminds me about how I feel about taxi drivers. In summary, it depends on what direction the trip is (towards or away from home) and how tired I am. All that said, the conversations that ensue are infinitely more intriguing when it is a taxi driver who can tell his Benin from his Lagos. I had one of those on my trip from the airport this last time which made the trip that bit more tolerable.\nBesides work (and an offshore trip I jokingly referred to as a return to the gulag on Instagram), things have been steady. There were no books finished this month, the downside of the tons of media I consumed including the entire Jesus and Jollof first season, Chimamanda\u0026rsquo;s seminal feminism TED Talk and Martin Freeman\u0026rsquo;s appearance on desert island disc.\nSteady, steady then. Marginal progress for the win.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/04/03/the-monthly-wrap-march-much-ado-about-nothing-much/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/dashboard.png\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/dashboard.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/radar.png\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/radar.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHighlights\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBroke 50km distance for the first time in 2019\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKept up my daily devotional streak, thanks to the CoE\u0026rsquo;s Lent Pilgrim app\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCompleted a book! (James Clear\u0026rsquo;s Atomic Habits). Still behind on the year plan though\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLowlights\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHabit streak tracking still patchy at best\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFinances ended up a mess - home improvements were unbudgeted for but perhaps add value to the house (not quantified though)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNext Month Focus Area\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Monthly Wrap: March, Much Ado About Nothing (Much)"},{"content":"For the Day 2 prompt, a poem about questions.\n\\\\\\* What is this which zips around my ears, its sound like the deep hum of an old man hunched down, stirring up the sand. It shimmers in the morning light its back a splash of gold splayed across the sky, against which stand the silhouettes of great metal tubes bending to its will. What is this but the wind, which goes wherever it wills.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/04/02/napowrimo-day-2-morning/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"dav\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/img_20190328_051712.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor the Day 2 prompt, \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-two-6/\"\u003ea poem about questions\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nWhat is this which zips\naround my ears, its sound\nlike the deep hum of an old man\nhunched down, stirring up the sand.\nIt shimmers in the morning light\nits back a splash of gold splayed\nacross the sky, against which stand\nthe silhouettes of great metal tubes\nbending to its will. What is this\nbut the wind, which goes wherever\nit wills.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 2: Morning"},{"content":"Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash. For NaPoWriMo Day 1.\n\\\\\\* Fold your hands in quiet contemplation, eyelids shut, pressed tightly together, a wall standing tall between the harsh light outside and the quiet darkness within. Breathe, inhale the scent of home, bread and wine, blended into the memories of your youth, when Faith, child-like, bubbled free. You who have wandered seven hills and seven rivers into a far country, drawn by the lure of freedom but now have had your eyes awakened seek redemption. This is what prayer is, quietly heeding the call of the divine\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/04/01/napowrimo-day-prayer/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"prayer\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/prayer.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/k-oS0iKn0Qg?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eNathan Dumlao\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/search/photos/prayer?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e. For NaPoWriMo \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/it-begins-2/\"\u003eDay 1\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nFold your hands in quiet contemplation,\neyelids shut, pressed tightly together,\na wall standing tall between the harsh light\noutside and the quiet darkness within.\nBreathe, inhale the scent of home,\nbread and wine, blended into the memories\nof your youth, when Faith, child-like, bubbled free.\nYou who have wandered seven hills and seven rivers\ninto a far country, drawn by the lure of freedom\nbut now have had your eyes awakened seek redemption.\nThis is what prayer is, quietly heeding the call\nof the divine\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 1: Prayer"},{"content":"Photo by Skitterphoto from Pexels, for The Sunday Muse Prompt #48.\n\\\\\\* Maybe it was the slant of the light streaming in, slicing through, as it were, the haze of yester-year\u0026rsquo;s detritus; the half-drawn blind like a mind stretched thin between leaving and returning, a face half-turned towards the memory of lost songs hovering just beyond the reach of a quivering tongue, and this present brooding. Maybe this is what the burden of life is. To carry, buried deep within one\u0026rsquo;s heart, the remains of the songs of one\u0026rsquo;s youth; until in a season of re-memory, they all come back.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/03/27/48-rememory/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"antique-audio-chair-594388\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/antique-audio-chair-594388.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://www.pexels.com/@skitterphoto?utm_content=attributionCopyText\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_source=pexels\"\u003eSkitterphoto\u003c/a\u003e from \u003ca href=\"https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-and-black-gramophone-594388/?utm_content=attributionCopyText\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_source=pexels\"\u003ePexels\u003c/a\u003e, for The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-muse-48.html\"\u003ePrompt #48\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nMaybe it was the slant\nof the light streaming in,\nslicing through, as it were,\nthe haze of yester-year\u0026rsquo;s detritus;\nthe half-drawn blind like a mind\nstretched thin between leaving\nand returning, a face half-turned\ntowards the memory of lost songs\nhovering just beyond the reach\nof a quivering tongue, and this\npresent brooding.\nMaybe this is what the\nburden of life is. To carry,\nburied deep within one\u0026rsquo;s heart,\nthe remains of the songs\nof one\u0026rsquo;s youth; until\nin a season of re-memory,\nthey all come back.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#48. Rememory"},{"content":"\nThe next Beatitude begs the question what is righteousness, and how can we hunger and thirst after it? The Lent Pilgrim devotionals over the past few days have highlighted a few dimensions of this.\nFirst off from Romans 12:9-21 comes the idea of right behaviour, attitudes and actions which are in keeping with our Christian worldview. The implication here is that righteousness involves swimming against the flow, being truly counter-cultural in demonstrating love in spite of what moulds the wider world with its focus on personal attainment and looking out for number one seeks to press us in. The takeaway here is that we are to \u0026ldquo;overcome evil with good\u0026rdquo;(v21).\nThere is also a sense in which righteousness involves standing up for social justice. The context of Matthew 25:31-45 is the Final Judgement, at which some of the things we will be judged on will be the things we did (or didn\u0026rsquo;t do) - feed the hungry, water the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick and the imprisoned - for the least of these.\nTwo other dimensions relate to restoring order - as created (Luke 4:16-22) and in the affairs of men (Mark11:15-19) - even if some aggression is required.\nBehind all of that is hope - if we hunger and thirst after righteousness, we will be filled.\nCurrently listening to: So Good (Covenant Worship)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/03/25/blessed-are-those-who-hunger-and-thirst-after-righteousness/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/lent-pilgrim-4.png\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/lent-pilgrim-4.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe next Beatitude begs the question \u003cem\u003ewhat\u003c/em\u003e is righteousness, and how can we hunger and thirst after it? The Lent Pilgrim devotionals over the past few days have highlighted a few dimensions of this.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst off from \u003ca href=\"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+12%3A9-21\u0026amp;version=ESV\"\u003eRomans 12:9-21\u003c/a\u003e comes the idea of right behaviour, attitudes and actions which are in keeping with our Christian worldview. The implication here is that righteousness involves swimming against the flow, being truly counter-cultural in demonstrating love in spite of what moulds the wider world with its focus on personal attainment and looking out for number one seeks to press us in. The takeaway here is that we are to \u0026ldquo;overcome evil with good\u0026rdquo;(v21).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"4. Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst After Righteousness"},{"content":"\nThe focus for the last five days has been the Third Beatitude, Blessed are the Meek. Of the many definitions the Strong’s bible dictionary gives to the Greek ‘ praus’, two stand out - a disposition of spirit in which we accept His[God’s] dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting and wholly relying on God rather than their own strength to defend them against injustice – which both speak to an acceptance of his Sovereignty. The Lent Pilgrim devotional chose to highlight other elements of this in the life of Jesus the quintessential meek one; his humility in not grasping equality with God (Phil 2:7) and playing the servant, washing his disciple’s feet (Jn 13:1-15).\nEven those who have been around him for a while such as the sons of Zebedee find it difficult too, not helped by their mother\u0026rsquo;s attempt to game Jesus into giving up the choice seats in the kingdom (Matt 20:20-27). Jesus’ response is swift and quick, morphing into the perfect teachable moment.\nSo then blessed are the meek - the ones who lead by serving, the ones who rely on God for strength, the ones who recognise his overarching sovereignty. Food for thought.\nCurrently listening to: You’re Gonna Be Ok – Jenn Johnson\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/03/20/blessed-are-the-meek/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/3-Blessed-Are-The-Meek.png\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/3-Blessed-Are-The-Meek.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe focus for the last five days has been the Third Beatitude, \u003cem\u003eBlessed are the Meek\u003c/em\u003e. Of the many definitions the Strong’s bible dictionary gives to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/kjv/praus.html\"\u003eGreek ‘ \u003cem\u003epraus\u003c/em\u003e’\u003c/a\u003e, two stand out - a disposition of spirit in which we accept His[God’s] dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting and wholly relying on God rather than their own strength to defend them against injustice – which both speak to an acceptance of his Sovereignty. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.churchofengland.org/lent\"\u003eLent Pilgrim devotional\u003c/a\u003e chose to highlight other elements of this in the life of Jesus the quintessential meek one; his humility in not grasping equality with God (\u003ca href=\"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+2%3A7\u0026amp;version=ESV\"\u003ePhil 2:7\u003c/a\u003e) and playing the servant, washing his disciple’s feet (\u003ca href=\"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john+13%3A1-5\u0026amp;version=ESV\"\u003eJn 13:1-15\u003c/a\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"3. Blessed Are The Meek"},{"content":"For Day 10 of The Church of England\u0026rsquo;s 40 Day Lent Pilgrim Journey\nRead: Romans 8:35-39\nThis week, the focus has been on the second beatitude: Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. Today\u0026rsquo;s reading sets out the wider framework within which we ought to view mourning (and all the things that can precipitate it in our lives). Nothing can separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus.\nComforting.\nCurrently listening to: Unstoppable Love (Kim Walker-Smith/ Jesus Culture)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/03/15/blessed-are-those-who-mourn/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/lent-pilgrim-10-2.png\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/lent-pilgrim-10-2.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor Day 10 of The Church of England\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"https://www.churchofengland.org/lent\"\u003e40 Day Lent Pilgrim Journey\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead: \u003ca href=\"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+8%3A35-39\u0026amp;version=ESV\"\u003eRomans 8:35-39\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis week, the focus has been on the second beatitude: \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5%3A4\u0026amp;version=ESV\"\u003eBlessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e Today\u0026rsquo;s reading sets out the wider framework within which we ought to view mourning (and all the things that can precipitate it in our lives). \u003cem\u003eNothing\u003c/em\u003e can separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2. Blessed Are Those Who Mourn"},{"content":"\nImage Source, For The Sunday Muse Prompt #46.\n\\\\\\* Petal by petal, life returns to this frigid vista each one a delicate splash of colour against a canvas, bringing life, the way blood revivifies a face just in from the cold. From things once dead, life springs again, reborn.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/03/14/rebirth/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"fruit\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/fruit.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImage \u003ca href=\"https://shop.floretflowers.com/products/print-farm-truck-filled-with-flowers?fbclid=IwAR2ANYahKffRCJhq3dpzJo2Vu1xiVf5WWlRLexd5fvQ66hhNFcmQKff22-Y\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e, For The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-muse-46.html\"\u003ePrompt #46\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nPetal by petal,\nlife returns to this frigid vista\neach one a delicate splash of\ncolour against a canvas,\nbringing life, the way blood\nrevivifies a face\njust in from the cold.\nFrom things once dead,\nlife springs again, reborn.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Rebirth"},{"content":"For Day 1 of The Church of England’s 40 Day Lent Pilgrim Journey Read: Matthew 5:1-10\nMatthew 5: 1-10, or as more popularly known - The Sermon on the Mount - represents Jesus thoughts on eight ideas for an uncommon life. Thanks to the CoE\u0026rsquo;s Lent Pilgrim journey for Lent this year, I\u0026rsquo;ll be reading along and making notes on here as I can.\nFor the (like me) unobservant, Lent is the six week period leading to Easter celebrated by Christians of a more traditional bent, with the focus being a time of solemn reflection and preparation for marking the death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter.\nToday\u0026rsquo;s focus is the first beatitude: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. From my Strong\u0026rsquo;s dictionary, in addition to its regular meanings, the Greek word translated \u0026lsquo;poor\u0026rsquo; also means one who is \u0026lsquo;helpless and powerless to accomplish an end\u0026rsquo;. I suspect that is the more germane meaning here - it is the one who recognises a deep and unending need for God\u0026rsquo;s help in matters of the spirit who inherits the kingdom of heaven.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/03/06/lent-pilgrim-day-begin-here/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/LENT-PILGRIM-1.png\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/LENT-PILGRIM-1.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor Day 1 of The Church of England’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.churchofengland.org/lent\"\u003e40 Day Lent Pilgrim Journey\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eRead\u003c/strong\u003e: \u003ca href=\"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5%3A1-10\u0026amp;version=NIV\"\u003eMatthew 5:1-10\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMatthew 5: 1-10, or as more popularly known - The Sermon on the Mount - represents Jesus thoughts on eight ideas for an uncommon life. Thanks to the CoE\u0026rsquo;s Lent Pilgrim journey for Lent this year, I\u0026rsquo;ll be reading along and making notes on here as I can.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the (like me) unobservant, \u003ca href=\"https://40acts.org.uk/about/what-is-lent/\"\u003eLent is the six week period leading to Easter\u003c/a\u003e celebrated by Christians of a more traditional bent, with the focus being a time of solemn reflection and preparation for marking the death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Lent Pilgrim, Day 1: Begin Here"},{"content":"\nFor Prompt #45 at The Sunday Muse. Image \u0026ldquo;Be Free\u0026rdquo; by Magic Love Crow.\n\\\\\\* Line by line the silhouette of an angel rises up, phoenix-like, in the space where the prophet\u0026rsquo;s finger parts the sand. This is what freedom is- the delirious joy of walking away from the baying crowd, the space between the lines as alive as the lines.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/03/05/freedom-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"black-art\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/black-art.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-muse-45.html\"\u003ePrompt #45\u003c/a\u003e at The Sunday Muse. Image \u0026ldquo;Be Free\u0026rdquo; by \u003ca href=\"https://magiclovecrow.blogspot.com/\"\u003eMagic Love Crow\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nLine by line the silhouette\nof an angel rises up,\nphoenix-like, in the space\nwhere the prophet\u0026rsquo;s finger\nparts the sand.\nThis is what freedom is-\nthe delirious joy\nof walking away\nfrom the baying crowd,\nthe space between the lines\nas alive as the lines.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Freedom"},{"content":"For The Sunday Muse Prompt #44 and some words from The Sunday Whirl Wordle #392. Image \u0026ldquo;Ireland\u0026rdquo; by Emily Soto, fashion photographer\n\\\\\\* Maybe it was the scent of roses- freshly cut, wafting in on the evening breeze that stole my attention; the jolt intruding the same way the reverb of a gentle tap interrupts a deep reverie, a dream receding as though it were a distant vista seen through the lens of a collapsing wormhole. Where cold, hard, and grey once reigned, a wreath of red leaves begins to spring, its colours a bright tide more alive now than it ever was.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/02/27/44/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"woman\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/woman.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-muse-44.html\"\u003eThe Sunday Muse Prompt #44\u003c/a\u003e and some words from \u003ca href=\"https://sundaywhirl.wordpress.com/2019/02/24/wordle-392/\"\u003eThe Sunday Whirl Wordle #392\u003c/a\u003e. Image \u0026ldquo;Ireland\u0026rdquo; by Emily Soto, fashion photographer\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nMaybe it was the scent\nof roses- freshly cut,\nwafting in on the evening breeze\nthat stole my attention;\nthe jolt intruding the same way\nthe reverb of a gentle tap\ninterrupts a deep reverie,\na dream receding as though\nit were a distant vista seen\nthrough the lens\nof a collapsing wormhole.\nWhere cold, hard, and grey\nonce reigned, a wreath\nof red leaves begins to spring,\nits colours a bright tide\nmore alive now than it ever was.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"44"},{"content":"For The Sunday Muse prompt #43. Image Source.\n\\\\\\* Child of Mother Earth, dust, breath, fire, and water, from clay formed, stitched together by the finger of the Divine. You, who are a string stretched taut between the past and the future unbroken in the present, have simmered beneath the pressure of hell and high water, bearing the burden of a message preserved for you. But now like a bird set free, you must take wing and fly. I call you by your name, Alafiaoluwa, Be peace.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/02/19/earth-child/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"earth-child\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/earth-child.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-muse-43.html\"\u003eprompt #43\u003c/a\u003e. Image \u003ca href=\"https://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/profile/1038204/\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nChild of Mother Earth,\ndust, breath, fire, and water,\nfrom clay formed,\nstitched together by\nthe finger of the Divine.\nYou, who are a string\nstretched taut between\nthe past and the future\nunbroken in the present,\nhave simmered beneath\nthe pressure of hell\nand high water, bearing\nthe burden of a message\npreserved for you.\nBut now like a bird set free,\nyou must take wing and fly.\nI call you by your name,\nAlafiaoluwa, Be peace.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Earth Child"},{"content":"Image: \u0026ldquo;War Horse and Peace Horse\u0026rdquo; by Sue Halstenberg. For The Sunday Muse #42.\n\\\\\\*\nYou and I like two fiery stars locked in the embrace of an eternal dance are becoming as one, our light growing in Coherence brighter now than it once was. Against the odds war and peace are finding common ground, making all the broken whole again.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/02/12/becoming/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"war-horse-and-peace-horse-sue-halstenberg\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/war-horse-and-peace-horse-sue-halstenberg.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eImage: \u0026ldquo;War Horse and Peace Horse\u0026rdquo;  by Sue Halstenberg. For \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-muse-42.html\"\u003eThe Sunday Muse #42\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou and I\nlike two fiery stars locked\nin the embrace of an eternal dance\nare becoming as one, our light\ngrowing in Coherence brighter\nnow than it once was.\nAgainst the odds\nwar and peace are finding\ncommon ground, making\nall the broken whole again.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Becoming"},{"content":"\nAll it takes is an extended patch of wet and cold weather for things to descend into chaos on these islands, this latest batch of snow, heavy winds and cold weather culminating in flight cancellations and severe weather warnings amongst others. For the most part, I manage to survive - extra warm clothing, walking gingerly to and from work in the wet slush and almost continuous heating being the sum of the adjustments I have to make. It is at the weekend when the rooster comes home to roost in a manner of speaking. Having turned up at the airport for my 8.20pm flight down to Heathrow, delays till almost 11 pm are announced until at a few minutes before midnight we are advised the flight has been cancelled. Remarkably, everyone who should be on our flight is remarkably sanguine about it all, helped I suspect by the sense that the weather \u0026lsquo;gods\u0026rsquo; have been at it again. Between the final announcement of delays and the flight being cancelled, we find (from Flight radar) that the \u0026lsquo;plane designated to carry us away to London has made several attempts to land at the \u0026lsquo;Deen but has failed due to fog rolling in. They eventually get diverted to Glasgow whilst we make an orderly line at the front desk to get our flights rebooked. I move my flight by a week and then head home, not before I find out that the woman in front of me in the queue has family in the same area of Surrey that I\u0026rsquo;m headed to, and very much like me, she makes this trip every two weeks so. Joking about being four-day spouses, does have a ring of truth to it though. For me, it offers evidence that this thing - having a foot in two different countries - isn\u0026rsquo;t exactly impossible to maintain, mild weather-induced irritation notwithstanding.\nOk British people, my brunch companion and I have a question: what is tea? Is it a snack? A meal? Does one eat supper after it? Do you have 4 meals in a day? What does it involve other than the obvious, e.g. tea? Is tea real or is it a hilarious hoax you pull on Americans?\n— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) February 2, 2019\nhttps://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\nI have to thank this tweet, and the replies it spawned, for helping most of that time pass. Growing up in my other country, meals were all about being three \u0026lsquo;square\u0026rsquo; meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tea - and apples amongst other things - were alien constructs I first came across in the various Enid Blyton books I scrounged off my more exposed friends. As I became older, tea became synonymous with instant cream milk (usually the Peak brand) and Bournvita (a chocolate drink) and on the odd occasion a cup of Lipton tea. Reading the replies and comments thus brought back memories of my first few years up here, particularly offshore and the contact with people from across the spectrum of UK regions it brought my way and brought more than a few chuckles to me too. A silver lining to all that waiting I would like to think.\nElsewhere, I have been slowly catching up with the first season of Aria Code, Rhiannon Giddens\u0026rsquo; deep dive into a number of the most famous arias along with interviews with singers and capped off with the full aria from the Met Opera. The penultimate episode from this first season features the \u0026ldquo;Letter Aria\u0026rdquo; from Jules Massenet\u0026rsquo;s Werther, which opens with Charlotte at home on Christmas Eve, rereading letters that she has received from Werther an ex-lover she has sent away to be focused on her marriage to her husband. One of the themes explored in this episode of Aria code is the subject of long-distance love, a theme lived and explored by one of the show\u0026rsquo;s guests Peter Bognanni (after briefly meeting his wife, they fell and grew in love over email before eventually marrying) in his book Things I\u0026rsquo;m Seeing Without You. Well worth a listen if Opera is your bag, or if like me you have good memories from having made friends and loving over significant distances.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/02/07/wet-weather-problems-twittering-about-tea-and-loving-at-first-write/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_20190202_102837.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_20190202_102837.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll it takes is an extended patch of wet and cold weather for things to descend into chaos on these islands, this latest batch of snow, heavy winds and cold weather culminating in flight cancellations and severe weather warnings amongst others. For the most part, I manage to survive - extra warm clothing, walking gingerly to and from work in the wet slush and almost continuous heating being the sum of the adjustments I have to make. It is at the weekend when the rooster comes home to roost in a manner of speaking. Having turned up at the airport for my 8.20pm flight down to Heathrow, delays till almost 11 pm are announced until at a few minutes before midnight we are advised the flight has been cancelled. Remarkably, everyone who should be on our flight is remarkably sanguine about it all,  helped I suspect by the sense that the weather \u0026lsquo;gods\u0026rsquo; have been at it again. Between the final announcement of delays and the flight being cancelled, we find (from Flight radar) that the \u0026lsquo;plane designated to carry us away to London has made several attempts to land at the \u0026lsquo;Deen but has failed due to fog rolling in. They eventually get diverted to Glasgow whilst we make an orderly line at the front desk to get our flights rebooked. I move my flight by a week and then head home, not before I find out that the woman in front of me in the queue has family in the same area of Surrey that I\u0026rsquo;m headed to, and very much like me, she makes this trip every two weeks so. Joking about being four-day spouses, does have a ring of truth to it though. For me, it offers evidence that this thing - having a foot in two different countries - isn\u0026rsquo;t exactly impossible to maintain, mild weather-induced irritation notwithstanding.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Wet Weather Problems, Twittering about Tea and Loving at First Write"},{"content":"For The Sunday Muse prompt #41 and The Sunday Whirl Wordle 388. Image Source.\n\\\\\\* Green with a hint of yellow, the tender tendril pushes past the strictures of an empty bottle. Outside, the chill from snow piled high smothers everything, its weight like a bland, white blanket inhibit ing life.\nThe shy and the retiring do not inherit the delights of this benighted world, only the tough who blithely swipe away civility appear to win the trial of perception.\nBut always after night the day comes; and with it life reborn, somehow staying whole in the face of relentless pressure\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/02/05/41/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"pear\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/pear.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-muse-41.html\"\u003eprompt #41\u003c/a\u003e and The Sunday Whirl \u003ca href=\"https://sundaywhirl.wordpress.com/2019/02/03/wordle-389-2/\"\u003eWordle 388\u003c/a\u003e. \u003ca href=\"https://www.flickr.com/photos/125914022@N05/33835099182/in/explore-2017-04-12\"\u003eImage Source\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nGreen with a \u003cstrong\u003ehint\u003c/strong\u003e of yellow,\nthe tender tendril pushes past\nthe strictures of an empty bottle.\nOutside, the \u003cstrong\u003echill\u003c/strong\u003e from snow piled high\nsmothers everything, its weight\nlike a bland, white blanket\n\u003cstrong\u003einhibit\u003c/strong\u003e ing life.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eshy\u003c/strong\u003e and the retiring\ndo not inherit the delights\nof this benighted world, only\nthe \u003cstrong\u003etough\u003c/strong\u003e who blithely \u003cstrong\u003eswipe\u003c/strong\u003e\naway civility appear to win\nthe \u003cstrong\u003etrial\u003c/strong\u003e of perception.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"41."},{"content":"For The Sunday Muse prompt #40 and The Sunday Whirl Wordle 388. In The Middle of Freedom, Image Source.\n\\\\\\* My fingers mould the pliant clay beneath the surface of this puddle into an image of a memory; each mound of earth rubbed round between my fingers a portion of a story emerging like birds set free from a gilded cage. The memory is a chain anchoring the fluid present to the stable past. It pulses like a thing that lives - somehow more alive with freedom than at first it would seem.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/01/29/freedom/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"woman-bird\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/woman-bird.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-muse-40.html\"\u003eprompt #40\u003c/a\u003e and The Sunday Whirl \u003ca href=\"https://sundaywhirl.wordpress.com/2019/01/27/wordle-389/\"\u003eWordle 388\u003c/a\u003e. In The Middle of Freedom, \u003ca href=\"https://500px.com/photo/54402230/in-the-middle-of-freedom-by-isabel-mansfeld?utm_campaign=nativeshare\u0026amp;utm_content=web\u0026amp;utm_medium=pinterest\u0026amp;utm_source=500px\"\u003eImage Source.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nMy fingers mould the pliant \u003cstrong\u003eclay\u003c/strong\u003e\nbeneath the surface of this \u003cstrong\u003epuddle\u003c/strong\u003e\ninto an image of a memory; each\nmound of earth rubbed \u003cstrong\u003eround\u003c/strong\u003e between\nmy fingers a portion of a \u003cstrong\u003estory emerging\u003c/strong\u003e\nlike birds set free from a gilded cage.\nThe memory is a \u003cstrong\u003echain\u003c/strong\u003e anchoring\nthe fluid present to the stable past.\nIt \u003cstrong\u003epulses\u003c/strong\u003e like a thing that lives -\nsomehow more alive with freedom\nthan at first it would seem.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Freedom"},{"content":"For The Sunday Muse #39 and Wordle 387 from The Sunday Whirl. Image Source.\n\\\\\\* Here in the shadow Of despair, loneliness Hangs in the air like A wet coat, the silence Like the weight of pebbles Beneath which which one sags, Broken at the knees.\nEach step towards The distant light is a prayer Of repenting, for forgetting What love in the wild Feels like.\nStep by step, walk after walk We are making this world Whole again, heeding the Inner call to become Wild and free again.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/01/22/call-of-the-wild/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"zebra\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/zebra.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-muse-39.html\"\u003eThe Sunday Muse #39\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://sundaywhirl.wordpress.com/2019/01/20/wordle-387/\"\u003eWordle 387\u003c/a\u003e from The Sunday Whirl. \u003ca href=\"https://www.pinterest.com/pin/521784306803583076/\"\u003eImage Source\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nHere in the shadow\nOf \u003cstrong\u003edespair\u003c/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eloneliness\u003c/strong\u003e\nHangs in the \u003cstrong\u003eair\u003c/strong\u003e like\nA wet coat, the silence\nLike the weight of \u003cstrong\u003epebbles\u003c/strong\u003e\nBeneath which which one sags,\nBroken at the \u003cstrong\u003eknees\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach step towards\nThe distant light is a prayer\nOf \u003cstrong\u003erepenting\u003c/strong\u003e, for forgetting\nWhat love in the \u003cstrong\u003ewild\u003c/strong\u003e\nFeels like.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStep by step, \u003cstrong\u003ewalk\u003c/strong\u003e after \u003cstrong\u003ewalk\u003c/strong\u003e\nWe are making this \u003cstrong\u003eworld\u003c/strong\u003e\nWhole again, heeding the\nInner \u003cstrong\u003ecall\u003c/strong\u003e to become\n\u003cstrong\u003eWild\u003c/strong\u003e and free again.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Call of the Wild"},{"content":"\nDragging myself out of bed to begin the motions that will end in my lining up at the starting point of this week\u0026rsquo;s Aberdeen Parkrun, it strikes me that it is just over a month ago that I shipped myself and a couple of bags out of town for an extended holiday season. In between there have been pit stops in various parts of Surrey, East London, Chelmsford, Kent and an extended traipse through several towns within the Valencian Community. A second full week of work has beaten any remnant of festivity out of me, which heightened the sense of finality of the park run. I have come full circle, back to the grind of life. Wash, rinse, repeat. The run itself was hardly memorable - three minutes slower than my PB from last year putting the surfeit of Christmas pudding into perspective.\nIt is one small first step though. Here\u0026rsquo;s to many more in this year of Living Intentionally.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/01/19/full-circle/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/IMG_20190119_100438.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/IMG_20190119_100438.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDragging myself out of bed to begin the motions that will end in my lining up at the starting point of this week\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.parkrun.org.uk/aberdeen/\"\u003eAberdeen Parkrun\u003c/a\u003e, it strikes me that it is just over a month ago that I shipped myself and a couple of bags out of town for an extended holiday season. In between there have been pit stops in various parts of Surrey, East London, Chelmsford, Kent and an extended traipse through several towns within the Valencian Community. A second full week of work has beaten any remnant of festivity out of me, which heightened the sense of finality of the park run. I have come full circle, back to the grind of life. Wash, rinse, repeat. The run itself was hardly memorable - three minutes slower than my PB from last year putting the surfeit of Christmas pudding into perspective.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Full Circle"},{"content":"Image Source, for The Sunday Muse prompt #38. After Dan Howell\u0026rsquo;s Piano.\n\\\\\\*\nAlthough her lithe and petite frame Shivers in the chill of the falling rain, Her fingers pound the piano\u0026rsquo;s keys Into submission to the rhythm of her will And with the libation of her song She sets us free to dance in the rain.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/01/15/piano/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"piano\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/piano.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.pinterest.com/pin/557601997586395545/\"\u003eImage Source\u003c/a\u003e, for The Sunday Muse \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-muse-38.html\"\u003eprompt #38\u003c/a\u003e. After Dan Howell\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/54918/piano-56d235d90a017\"\u003ePiano\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough her lithe and petite frame\nShivers in the chill of the falling rain,\nHer fingers pound the piano\u0026rsquo;s keys\nInto submission to the rhythm of her will\nAnd with the libation of her song\nShe sets us free to dance in the rain.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Piano"},{"content":"Between a dull headache, rheumy eyes, a rasping cough and my –at the best of times – dodgy night time vision, I suppose it was inevitable that I would ride shotgun for most of our time in Benidorm. Inevitable or not, that did little to settle the simmering discontent that gnawed at my insides each time we had to hop into the car and go somewhere. To compensate I offered directions, commented on lane switches and approaches to roundabouts and generally made myself as obnoxious as possible, particularly when other road users came close enough to see me sat in the other, non-driving seat. In my mind, that (ultimately useless endeavour) made it seem to others that I was in control, orchestrating things from behind the scene rather than being the mere passenger I was. Patriarchal tropes and stereotypes aside, it offered a front row seat from which to observe first-hand all the little discourtesies female drivers endure on the roads. Away from the immediacy of the moment, memories of Adam Gopnik’s New Yorker piece on the subject of learning to drive came to mind. Not that the fact that other men, far more intelligent than I, have struggled with this absolves me of blame here.\nEngland with sunshine, is how someone once described Benidorm to me, and walking down the promenade it was not difficult to see how. In addition to snippets of English conversations borne on the winds, the promenade was littered with bars and pubs self classifying as English and as Irish. Maybe it was because we found ourselves there at lunch time but it seemed almost every bar had a tribute act going. Promenade walks -and long chilled out day recovering from a cold aside - the highlight of Benidorm and the wider Valencian Community area was all the old things. A Cathedral with portions dating back to the 13th century containing relics almost as old, narrow streets towered over by brightly coloured buildings, a notorious river whose will was finally bent to a greater good as a city centre park all stood out as highlights to a day trip to Valencia. A tour of the Mestalla was tempting, but in the end we opted for a leisurely stroll around the city centre, taking in the sights and sounds of the city.\nIf there was a black mark, it was the culinary efforts of the hotel kitchen at dinner. We had assumed half board meant we would get a buffet for dinner but as it turned out dinners were to a set menu. We hit an absolute nadir on Christmas day dinner with the steak drawing the ire of almost everyone at dinner. There were a few choice words shared by guests to the service chief, the lead taken by several (clearly) English men. Even here at Christmas - justifiably as it were - England cast a long shadow.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/01/13/riding-shotgun-old-things-and-a-return-to-the-reality-of-life/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBetween a dull headache, rheumy eyes, a rasping cough and my –at the best of times – dodgy night time vision, I suppose it was inevitable that I would ride shotgun for most of our time in Benidorm. Inevitable or not, that did little to settle the simmering discontent that gnawed at my insides each time we had to hop into the car and go somewhere. To compensate I offered directions, commented on lane switches and approaches to roundabouts and generally made myself as obnoxious as possible, particularly when other road users came close enough to see me sat in the other, non-driving seat. In my mind, that (ultimately useless endeavour) made it seem to others that I was in control, orchestrating things from behind the scene rather than being the mere passenger I was. Patriarchal tropes and stereotypes aside, it offered a front row seat from which to observe first-hand all the little discourtesies female drivers endure on the roads. Away from the immediacy of the moment, memories of \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/02/drivers-seat\"\u003eAdam Gopnik’s New Yorker piece\u003c/a\u003e on the subject of learning to drive came to mind. Not that the fact that other men, far more intelligent than I, have struggled with this absolves me of blame here.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Riding shotgun, old things and a return to the reality of life"},{"content":"\n\u0026ldquo;Guardian\u0026rdquo; by Chie Yoshii, for The Sunday Muse #37 and The Sunday Whirl Wordle 385 prompts:\n\\\\\\* She perches on your shoulder This invisible guardian of the night Her voice a quiet word Whispered in your ear Barely heard above the din The way text, lightly etched On a slab of stone would look In the shimmer of dusk.\nA dream deferred cannot slip back Into a sleepless mind. Once a butterfly\u0026rsquo;s eyes Have seen the light of freedom; Once its kicks have set it free From the caul of the caterpillar It cannot become a larva again.\nThe prophecy is guidance promised; That when, in the heat of the midday sun, You beg a drink of clean water From the store, you will return in peace Because her word has gone before.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/01/08/guardian/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"guardian\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/guardian.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Guardian\u0026rdquo; by Chie Yoshii, for \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-muse-37.html\"\u003eThe Sunday Muse #37\u003c/a\u003e and The Sunday Whirl \u003ca href=\"https://sundaywhirl.wordpress.com/2019/01/06/wordle-385/\"\u003eWordle 385\u003c/a\u003e prompts:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nShe perches on your shoulder\nThis \u003cstrong\u003einvisible\u003c/strong\u003e guardian of the night\nHer voice a quiet word\nWhispered in your ear\n\u003cstrong\u003eBarely\u003c/strong\u003e heard above the din\nThe way \u003cstrong\u003etext\u003c/strong\u003e, lightly etched\nOn a slab of stone would look\nIn the shimmer of dusk.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA dream deferred cannot \u003cstrong\u003eslip\u003c/strong\u003e back\nInto a sleepless mind.\nOnce a butterfly\u0026rsquo;s \u003cstrong\u003eeyes\u003c/strong\u003e\nHave seen the light of freedom;\nOnce its \u003cstrong\u003ekicks\u003c/strong\u003e have set it free\nFrom the caul of the caterpillar\nIt cannot become a larva again.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Guardian"},{"content":"\nFor Sunday Muse #36 and The Sunday Whirl Wordle 384\n\\\\\\* The call of the future comes from across the border bringing hope to this poor, tired pilgrim- slouched beneath the weight of an open promise and the remains of failures past.\nTomorrow is uncertain, not promised but staying still wastes today so with intent I risk safety to seek the joy beyond the flood plains of seven rivers and the welcome of a home where hypocrisy is no more.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/01/03/horizons/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"horizons\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/horizons.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"http://thesundaymuse.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-muse-36.html\"\u003eSunday Muse #36\u003c/a\u003e and The Sunday Whirl \u003ca href=\"https://sundaywhirl.wordpress.com/2018/12/30/wordle-384/\"\u003eWordle 384\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nThe call of the future\ncomes from across the \u003cstrong\u003eborder\u003c/strong\u003e\nbringing \u003cstrong\u003ehope\u003c/strong\u003e to this \u003cstrong\u003epoor\u003c/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003etired\u003c/strong\u003e pilgrim-\nslouched beneath the weight of an \u003cstrong\u003eopen\u003c/strong\u003e promise\nand the remains of failures past.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTomorrow is uncertain, not promised\nbut staying still \u003cstrong\u003ewastes\u003c/strong\u003e today\nso with intent I \u003cstrong\u003erisk\u003c/strong\u003e safety to \u003cstrong\u003eseek\u003c/strong\u003e\nthe \u003cstrong\u003ejoy\u003c/strong\u003e beyond the \u003cstrong\u003eflood\u003c/strong\u003e plains of seven rivers\nand the \u003cstrong\u003ewelcome\u003c/strong\u003e of a home where\n\u003cstrong\u003ehypocrisy\u003c/strong\u003e is no more.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Horizons"},{"content":"\n\\\\\\*\nIf I had to boil down the essence of the year of being thirty eight into one word, it would be coasting. It felt like I lurched from one crisis to the other, my actions driven more by the need to fight whatever fire glowed brightest than any form of plan or structure. As I stand here on the cusp of turning forty, I feel like something needs to change significantly - a fool at forty is a fool forever they say. That, and that t here is someone who is significantly affected by my actions only makes it more imperative that I get my SH*T together soon.\nI\u0026rsquo;d like for this year of being thirty-nine to be one of Living Intentionally. By Living Intentionally, I mean living a life that is aimed towards defined goals/objectives and which (by gathering the requisite data and analysing them) measurably improves. Defined goals/objectives suggest an overarching plan for life, various iterations of which have existed over the years. At its core that plan - derived from identifying the roles I fill, clustering them into three interaction spaces ( Personal, Professional, Public) and identifying long term goals for each interaction space - can be summarised as:\nBe the best husband, father, brother, son and friend I can be; Excel in the Corrosion, Materials, Welding and Inspection discipline; Live in and contribute to life in a great church and a great city. So on to the focus areas for this year of living intentionally, which is organised around five themes.\nLearn continuously (and become proficient in my core skill areas) For work I pretend to know a lot about rust, which is one element of the wider job family I have spent the bulk of my career in - Materials, Corrosion, Inspection \u0026amp; Welding Engineering (MCI \u0026amp;W). For all the development activity I completed in 2018, it didn\u0026rsquo;t feel as structured as in previous years, driven largely by the fire-fighting I had to do at work. The goal for this year would be to go back to basics, review the competency definitions, identify my gaps and get a structured plan for closing them by self-study and or specific courses. Outside work, I became more and more intrigued by all the happenings in the data science/analytics/machine learning domain. From learning to code in python, I ended up taking a number of data science courses on Coursera and signing up for a Dataquest premium account for a year. This, and improving my writing skills I believe are the three areas I would like to develop proficiency in in 2019. The small changes identified in support of these goals are:\nComplete my Dataquest Data Scientist path whilst studying for 5 hours a week* Spend 5 hours per week studying MCI\u0026amp;W related topics* Identify and complete a creative non-fiction writing course Prepare (for fatherhood, ageing and eventual retirement) Several elements stand out to me as being critical to being/becoming a good father, the key ones being building a solid spiritual and moral grounding to provide leadership within my personal circle, being more financially responsible so I have more disposable income and am also preparing for eventual retirement. Also as I totter on the edge of turning forty, what has become clear is that my metabolism is no longer what it once was, and downing multiple slices of pizza just won\u0026rsquo;t cut it anymore. It is also a time when lifestyle changes might yet stave off debilitating problems later in life. There is also the small matter of my life being split between the \u0026lsquo;Deen and Byfleet further down South. To get closer to these ideas, I intend to be intentional about:\nDeveloping a daily practice of prayer and bible study (I have chosen to use the YouVersion app for its in built tracking and metrics)* Save at least 10% of net monthly earnings* Reduce weight to 80 kg Run 3x a week (\u0026gt;20km overall) * Improve average sleep to \u0026gt;6.5 hours per day: This is unlikely to be a quick fix as I first have to find and fix the underlying habits/issues affecting my sleep Relocate to the Greater London Area - another one that involves a lot of smaller changes including finding a job down south (in the same or different industry) or a means of replacing my current income Read 25 books, covering Creative Non-Fiction, Fiction, Popular science, The Church Fathers/ Church History, Personal Development (Reading widely and consistently is a habit I would like to give to my future kids) Engage (family and friends better) One of the consequences of my year of drifting was a slow disconnection from all non-essential communication. For 2019 I would like to get into a space where I have regular meetups and phone calls with my close friends and family. Specific objectives in this domain for 2019 are:\nSpeak to my father weekly* Speak to my siblings monthly (one each week), in-laws once a quarter* Write to my sponsored (Compassion) children at least once a quarter also Meet up with one close friend each month* Diversify (Earn Extra income) They say death and taxes are the only things one can be certain of, which is why I would like 2019 to be the year in which I diversify my earnings. The obvious advantage of extra income aside, there is also the opportunity to insulate myself somewhat from the ebbs and flows of big oil and its effects on job security. Two things come to mind as options for exploring this - developing and then monetising any data science/ analytics skills I pick up and also exploring options for engaging the online gig economy. Lots of work to develop this further this year I suspect but one I intend to be intentional about. My notional target here is to earn \u0026gt;£1,000 from a side gig by year end.\nMeasure and Improve They say you can\u0026rsquo;t improve what you don\u0026rsquo;t measure, which is why one of the themes for this year is to find ways and means to simplify measuring and reviewing my progress towards all the changes I\u0026rsquo;m trying to be intentional about. A few of the apps I use (Strava, YouVersion, Dataquest, Garmin) automate the process of capturing performance related data. For the remainder, loop will have to suffice as a repository for tracking data. The idea would be to develop a short monthly review template which will capture key datasets and also include some text/ commentary as a means of self-assessing where I am on the path towards these goals.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2019/01/01/the-year-of-living-intentionally/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"The Year of Living Intentionally-2\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/the-year-of-living-intentionally-2.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf I had to boil down the essence of the year of \u003cem\u003ebeing thirty eight\u003c/em\u003e into one word, it would be \u003cem\u003ecoasting\u003c/em\u003e. It felt like I lurched from one crisis to the other, my actions driven more by the need to fight whatever fire glowed brightest than any form of plan or structure. As I stand here on the cusp of turning forty, I feel like something needs to change significantly - a fool at forty is a fool forever they say. That, and that t \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/the-s-files/\"\u003ehere is someone\u003c/a\u003e who is significantly affected by my actions only makes it more imperative that I get my SH*T together soon.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2019: The Year of Living Intentionally"},{"content":"List of running actions and habits for 2019 for tracking, derived from The Year of Living Intentionally:\nRead The Hero With A Thousand Face Utilise the hero\u0026rsquo;s journey in updating my Life Plan Identify my band of friends and brothers and engage them individually once a month Identify devotional to use for 2019 (should involve reading 10 or less verses):YouVersion selected Track performance vs KPIs (various), report monthly, quarterly and annual Find web filter app for Linux and install Remove phone and laptop from bedroom Run \u0026gt;=25km a week Practice intermittent fasting Eat \u0026lt;100g of carbs per day Exercise daily (run or fitness blender) Limit coffee intake to one cup per day (morning) Explore options/ procure a blood pressure monitoring wearable Save \u0026gt;= 10% of net earnings (less GAYE) Restrict spend to \u0026lt;110% of budget Clarify medium/long term work plans (data science, corrosion/materials/welding/inspection) and location Update M\u0026amp;C roadmap, include gap analysis and closure plans (vs XoM competencies) Complete Data science Data Scientist track course, decide on Udacity Nanodegree Join a Data science for good meetup/ hackathon Identify/ complete a creative non fiction writing/ blogging course Learn to use kdenlive or other editing suite, also inkscape? Build list of books to read/ themes for 2019 Read a chapter of a book per day Write compassion kid once a quarter Identify/ complete assertiveness training/ coaching Find a mentor for work and personal life Call siblings / in-laws once a month, call Dad weekly Meet up with one of Rotimi, Deji A and Deji Ajayi once a month build stock picking tool (strategy and triggers) Identify app for tracking daily/weekly actions completed vs planned Determine my target macros (fat, protein, carbs) and total calories ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/12/31/the-actions/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eList of running actions and habits for 2019 for tracking, derived from \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/12/being-39-the-year-of-living-intentionally/\"\u003eThe Year of Living Intentionally\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRead The Hero With A Thousand Face\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUtilise the hero\u0026rsquo;s journey in updating my Life Plan\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIdentify my band of friends and brothers and engage them individually once a month\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIdentify devotional to use for 2019 (should involve reading 10 or less verses):YouVersion selected\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTrack performance vs KPIs (various), report monthly, quarterly and annual\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFind web filter app for Linux and install\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRemove phone and laptop from bedroom\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRun \u0026gt;=25km a week\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePractice intermittent fasting\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEat \u0026lt;100g of carbs per day\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExercise daily (run or fitness blender)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLimit coffee intake to one cup per day (morning)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExplore options/ procure a blood pressure monitoring wearable\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSave \u0026gt;= 10% of net earnings (less GAYE)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRestrict spend to \u0026lt;110% of budget\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClarify medium/long term work plans (data science, corrosion/materials/welding/inspection) and location\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUpdate M\u0026amp;C roadmap, include gap analysis and closure plans (vs XoM competencies)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComplete Data science Data Scientist track course, decide on Udacity Nanodegree\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJoin a Data science for good meetup/ hackathon\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIdentify/ complete a creative non fiction writing/ blogging course\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLearn to use kdenlive or other editing suite, also inkscape?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuild list of books to read/ themes for 2019\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRead a chapter of a book per day\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWrite compassion kid once a quarter\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIdentify/ complete assertiveness training/ coaching\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFind a mentor for work and personal life\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCall siblings / in-laws once a month, call Dad weekly\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMeet up with one of Rotimi, Deji A and Deji Ajayi once a month\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ebuild stock picking tool (strategy and triggers)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIdentify app for tracking daily/weekly actions completed vs planned\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDetermine my target macros (fat, protein, carbs) and total calories\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"The 2019 Actions"},{"content":"Snowed in on my first Aberdeen Christmas\u0026hellip;\n\\\\\\*\nAs I write this I am slouched in a chair, head banging and eyes sore from the remnant of a cold, the only hint of Christmas out here being the podcast I am listening to, profering explanations for the Star of Bethlehem. In my head though, I am back to my first proper Aberdeen Christmas from which this picture comes, the enduring image being one of snow, bitter cold and loads of time for introspection. Many years ago, when I still was in children\u0026rsquo;s Sunday School in the University Chapel my family attended, the carol service and reeling off lengthy passages committed to memory were most looked forward to, alongside rice and plentiful chicken. At one of those, I played the Magi with Myrrh, in addition to the scripture memory. Since then, the story of the Magi who bearing gifts has always intrigued me, particularly as it relates to the moving star.\nAt the linked podcast, Justin Brierley, Mark Kidger and Gillian Straine ponder the physical evidence for an event observable from the earth as a moving star and the theological implications of a natural explanation. Well worth a listen if that kind of thing is your bag. Merry Christmas regardless\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/12/25/christmas/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/firstXmas.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/firstXmas.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cem\u003eSnowed in on my first Aberdeen Christmas\u0026hellip;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs I write this I am slouched in a chair, head banging and eyes sore from the remnant of a cold, the only hint of Christmas out here being the podcast I am listening to, profering explanations for the \u003ca href=\"https://unbelievable.podbean.com/e/the-science-behind-christmas-mark-kidger-gillian-straine-nt-wright/\"\u003eStar of Bethlehem\u003c/a\u003e. In my head though, I am back to my first proper Aberdeen Christmas from which this picture comes, the enduring image being one of snow, bitter cold and loads of time for introspection. Many years ago, when I still was in children\u0026rsquo;s Sunday School in the University Chapel my family attended, the carol service and reeling off lengthy passages committed to memory were most looked forward to, alongside rice and plentiful chicken. At one of those, I played the Magi with Myrrh, in addition to the scripture memory. Since then, the story of the Magi who bearing gifts has always intrigued me, particularly as it relates to the moving star.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Christmas..."},{"content":"Wordle 382:\n\\\\\\*\nWe brave the howl ing wind, wincing on the odd occasion when its icy fingers somehow reach within the folds of our coats to touch our necks. Along the snow covered streets, the children play, their shrieks of joy as they spin again and again piercing the air a hundred hundred times until they drop with exhaustion. From the coffee shop around the corner, different caramel drizzled drinks bring back their strength. This is the plan, to - with any luck - keep them so occupied that all they can do on the train home is sleep, so we get some peace and quiet.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/12/20/winter-festival-wordle-382/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"382\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/382.png\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://sundaywhirl.wordpress.com/2018/12/16/wordle-382/\"\u003eWordle 382:\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe brave the \u003cstrong\u003ehowl\u003c/strong\u003e ing \u003cstrong\u003ewind\u003c/strong\u003e, wincing on the odd occasion when its icy fingers somehow reach within the folds of our coats to \u003cstrong\u003etouch\u003c/strong\u003e our \u003cstrong\u003enecks\u003c/strong\u003e. Along the snow covered streets, the children \u003cstrong\u003eplay\u003c/strong\u003e, their shrieks of joy as they \u003cstrong\u003espin\u003c/strong\u003e again and again piercing the air a \u003cstrong\u003ehundred hundred\u003c/strong\u003e times until they \u003cstrong\u003edrop\u003c/strong\u003e with exhaustion. From the coffee \u003cstrong\u003eshop\u003c/strong\u003e around the corner, different caramel drizzled drinks bring back their strength. This is the \u003cstrong\u003eplan\u003c/strong\u003e, to - with any \u003cstrong\u003eluck\u003c/strong\u003e - keep them so occupied that all they can do on the \u003cstrong\u003etrain\u003c/strong\u003e home is sleep, so we get some peace and quiet.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Wordle 382: About Town"},{"content":" It is that time of the year when others - more (or better) read than I - share the highlights of their reading from the year. As with last year , I\u0026rsquo;ve commissioned myself -unbidden, besides perhaps a desire to record the key themes that drove and/or came out of my reading - to weigh in with the highlights of my own reading.So here goes.\nMichael Wolff\u0026rsquo;s Fire and Fury was all the rage on the airwaves at the turn of the year, which is how I ended up grabbing a copy for myself and digging in. As I plodded through it, I found the mix of fly-on-the-wall behind the scenes reporting and qualified conjecture curiously engaging, drawn by the lurid details behind public events and happenings in what at the time had been a Trump presidency that seemingly lurched from one PR disaster to the other. A few themes ran through Fire and Fury - the Trump team being surprised by the election win and thus poorly prepared to lead, the hold of Stephen Bannon and the alt-Right and infighting amongst various factions of the administration. Despite strenuous denials at the time, the events of the year - multiple firings, leaks, indictments, evidence of Russian activities and prison sentences - would seem to give credence to the viewpoint of the book, more so as the year draws to an end.\nAfter that maelstrom, John Jeremiah Sullivan\u0026rsquo;s Pulphead seemed the perfect riposte given its subject which was life across (regular) America. Of the essays included, Upon This Rock resonated strongly, bringing back back memories of growing up within the Christian Youth subculture and bingeing on the music of its stars such as Relient K, DC Talk, Audi Adrenaline and Petra. Elsewhere in the collection of essays, there was reflection on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Darwin before Darwin (Constantine Samuel Rafinesque) and one of the more nuanced assessments of Michael Jackson - warts and all - I have read. This Christian subculture, amongst other things, also featured in Trevor Noah\u0026rsquo;s Born a Crime, his description of growing up in South Africa including a reflection on the centrality of church in all its various guises. Other themes of interest touched on included the dysfunctional malehood of his step father, school and navigating the evolving racial landscape, all themes which have shaped is journey and his perspectives as he hosts The Daily Show.\nSince reading Colm Tóibín\u0026rsquo;s 2014 essay, The Literature of Grief, at a time I was wrestling with my own grief and loss, each year I have returned to something related - sometimes tangentially - to his work. Last year was finally watching the movie Brooklyn, this year it was reading The Testament of Mary, a somewhat contrarian retelling of the latter part of Mary\u0026rsquo;s life as she jostles with the gospel writers who try to recast Jesus as the son of God, remarkably relevant to this age of fake news I suspect.\nFor new and emerging technology I read Soonish, a fly-by-the-seat-of-the pants look at upcoming technology with a focus on potentially transformative technology and the issues which need to be resolved to bring them to fruition. Quantum computing, rockets, scramjets, asteroid mining, fusion power and origami rooms all showed their heads in this wide ranging book. Jim Al-Kalili\u0026rsquo;s Quantum: A Guide For The Perplexed, was a fascinating review of the older scientific underpinnings of technology. His BBC podcast, The Life Scientific is one I have enjoyed over the years, and still do.\nI found Austin Kleon from a retweet by Alan Jacobs, which led to my signing up to his weekly newsletter and reading his book, Steal Like an Artist. From the newsletter, I found Merlin Coverley\u0026rsquo;s The Art of Wandering, a reflection on the writer as a walker both in history and in modern times. It, the writer and/or his/her protagonist as a walker and observer, is a theme I have found myself drawn to over the years, influenced primarily by the works of the likes of WG Sebald and Teju Cole.\nThe two biographies I read this year; Jonathan Eig\u0026rsquo;s Ali: A Life and David Leeming\u0026rsquo;s James Baldwin, A Biography offered two perspectives on race relations in 1960/70\u0026rsquo;s America. Where Ali\u0026rsquo;s basis for fame was his brute strength -some would say his essential skill was the finesse with which he boxed- Baldwin\u0026rsquo;s was largely intellectual. The common thread in both their lives was dealing with the weight of their fame, and the expectation from all sides of the race debate - the establishment, white liberal America and the various Black empowerment factions to carry the flag for their various causes.Both biographies were deeply personal, making a strong effort to show the persons behind the huge reputations, full marks were achieved by both books in my opinion.\nAs a/an (armchair) Liverpool FC fan, John Barnes comes to mind as the most successful black footballer to have worn the Liverbird with distinction, it was fascinating to read of a black footballer from another time, Howard Gayle, who had the distinction of being the first black player to be part of the first team at Liverpool FC. He tells his story in 61 Minutes in Munich, which in addition to sharing his experience of coming on as a substitute against Bayern Munich in the 1981 European Cup final (the precursor to the UEFA Champions League) also delved into Liverpool - the city\u0026rsquo;s - slave trading legacy and the racism black footballers of that era had to deal with. Incredibly, in a year in which France won the World Cup, and a fairly diverse England team reached the Semi\u0026rsquo;s, racism in football is back on the front pages.\nThe Best American Essays collection has become a staple of my year. 2017\u0026rsquo;s version, edited by Leslie Jamison featured a number of noteworthy reads for me, Rachel Ghansah\u0026rsquo;s The Weight of Baldwin being one of the triggers for reading the fuller Baldwin biography this year. Jason Arment\u0026rsquo;s Two Shallow Graves, Emily Maloney\u0026rsquo;s The Cost of Living and Rachel Kushner\u0026rsquo;s We Are Orphans here were others I found noteworthy/ deeply personal for a various reasons.\nThe fate of book stores and libraries is a subject persons invested in them have strong opinions on, which was how I stumbled on to The Library Book, a collection of essays on the subject of libraries from famous names including amongst others Seth Godin, Stephen Fry and Zadie Smith.\nIn other reading, I finally managed to read Dinaw Mengestu\u0026rsquo;s highly praised The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears, Gabrielle Union\u0026rsquo;s We\u0026rsquo;re Going to Need More Wine (a much lighter read) and Skye Jethani\u0026rsquo;s What\u0026rsquo;s Wrong With Religion, another one I picked up from listening to his (and Phil Vischer\u0026rsquo;s) podcast.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/12/18/my-year-in-reading/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eIt is that time of the year when others - more (or better) read than I - share the\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://themillions.com/2018/12/a-year-in-reading-2018.html\"\u003ehighlights of their reading\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003efrom the year. As\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2017/12/26/the-year-in-reading/\"\u003ewith last year\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e, I\u0026rsquo;ve commissioned myself -unbidden, besides perhaps a desire to record the key themes that drove and/or came out of my reading - to weigh in with the highlights of my own reading.So here goes.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMichael Wolff\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fire-Fury-Michael-Wolff/dp/0349143420/\"\u003eFire and Fury\u003c/a\u003e was all the rage on the airwaves at the turn of the year, which is how I ended up grabbing a copy for myself and digging in. As I plodded through it, I found the mix of fly-on-the-wall behind the scenes reporting and qualified conjecture curiously engaging, drawn by the lurid details behind public events and happenings in what at the time had been a Trump presidency that seemingly lurched from one PR disaster to the other. A few themes ran through Fire and Fury - the Trump team being surprised by the election win and thus poorly prepared to lead, the hold of Stephen Bannon and the alt-Right and infighting amongst various factions of the administration. Despite strenuous denials at the time, the events of the year - multiple firings, leaks, indictments, evidence of Russian activities and prison sentences - would seem to give credence to the viewpoint of the book, more so as the year draws to an end.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"My Year in Reading 2018"},{"content":"\nFor Wordle 381: --- Last night they gathered with intent, forty-eight memo s a lingering stench that could no longer be shrug ged away. Behind the bluster of \u0026ldquo;doing the right thing\u0026rdquo; was the lure of the key s to Number 10.\nWhen the frame is badly broken can the picture be restored? Is the crime of lying word s so great that everything is irretrievably broken and no longer of use? Inside, the Wounded lived to fight another day; outside the circling hyenas beaten back for a season will return.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/12/13/wordle-381-half-dead/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"381\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/381.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"https://sundaywhirl.wordpress.com/2018/12/09/wordle-381/\"\u003eWordle 381\u003c/a\u003e:\n---\n\u003cstrong\u003eLast\u003c/strong\u003e night they gathered \u003cstrong\u003ewith\u003c/strong\u003e intent, forty-eight \u003cstrong\u003ememo\u003c/strong\u003e s a lingering stench that could no longer be \u003cstrong\u003eshrug\u003c/strong\u003e ged \u003cstrong\u003eaway\u003c/strong\u003e. Behind the bluster of \u0026ldquo;doing the \u003cstrong\u003eright\u003c/strong\u003e thing\u0026rdquo; was the lure of the \u003cstrong\u003ekey\u003c/strong\u003e s to Number 10.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen the \u003cstrong\u003eframe\u003c/strong\u003e is badly broken can the picture be restored? Is the \u003cstrong\u003ecrime\u003c/strong\u003e of lying \u003cstrong\u003eword\u003c/strong\u003e s so great that everything is irretrievably broken and no longer of \u003cstrong\u003euse\u003c/strong\u003e? Inside, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-46547246\"\u003ethe Wounded lived to fight another day\u003c/a\u003e; outside the circling hyenas beaten back for a season will return.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Wordle 381: Half Dead"},{"content":"\nAlthough the lights have been on around town for a while now, only now with the office Christmas party a few days away has any sense of good cheer begun to rear its head. In addition to the bunting everywhere (and our very own special office Christmas tree), the subject of Christmas plans has now seeped into our coffee machine conversations, as has the buzz around the office secret Santa reveal. The Christmas party is definitely a highlight of the season, not least for the special costumes a certain someone breaks out year after year and the alcohol enabled banter which in my view tends to reveal the inner workings of peoples minds more often than not. On a personal note, I am looking forward to catching up with a couple of friends of mine ahead of Thursday, which means I\u0026rsquo;ll be out everyday from Tuesday till Friday when I hop on my flight down south to formally kick off my period of unplugging.\nUntil then the precious black gold has to keep flowing to fund our lifestyles, and having three teams in various stages of projects offshore who I have to keep an eye only makes it more imperative that I keep my proper head on. It is the best I can hope for, all things considered.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/12/11/seasons-of-good-cheer/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/IMG_20181205_185623_558.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough the lights have been on around town for a while now, only now with the office Christmas party a few days away has any sense of good cheer begun to rear its head. In addition to the bunting everywhere (\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/BrNYUzbgJ07OQCK0Do8xLNVvfJsbJ0pci-0lpA0/\"\u003eand our very own special office Christmas tree\u003c/a\u003e), the subject of Christmas plans has now seeped into our coffee machine conversations, as has the buzz around the office secret Santa reveal. The Christmas party is definitely a highlight of the season, not least for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/wwtW3pq3Ofg4Oo3GbUtlybzAzPFU_gl2O9jng0/\"\u003especial costumes\u003c/a\u003e a certain someone breaks out year after year and the alcohol enabled banter which in my view tends to reveal the inner workings of peoples minds more often than not. On a personal note, I am looking forward to catching up with a couple of friends of mine ahead of Thursday, which means I\u0026rsquo;ll be out everyday from Tuesday till Friday when I hop on my flight down south to formally kick off my period of unplugging.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Almost The Season of Good Cheer"},{"content":" For Day 4 and 5 of the WordPress Finding Everyday Inspiration Challenge\n---\nStruggling has hope of success, but forsaking the struggle does not\n- John Piper\nJohn Piper is perhaps most famous for his espousal of Christian Hedonism, the idea that ‘God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him’. One of the essential tenets of this is that we are designed to, and should indeed, desire God not only on the level of mental assent but also at a deeper heart, emotional level. The reality of most people of faith is that our hearts and heart connections to God wax and wane, the strength of our feelings never really existing continuously in that Christian Hedonist space.\nIt is in a reflection on fifteen years since publishing that book that the quote above comes. This is both a source of hope and concern, hope because the struggle is proof that some life is still left in my faith, but also concern that they might just be the final thrashings of a thing recently dead thing. Food for thought!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/12/08/when-i-still-dont-desire-god/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://i0.wp.com/www.archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/photo-1430747562296-5556d17a15a5.jpeg?fit=620%2C414\u0026amp;ssl=1\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor Day\u003c/em\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/blogging-university/writing-everyday-inspiration-materials/#day4\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e4\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003cem\u003eand\u003c/em\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/blogging-university/writing-everyday-inspiration-materials/#day5\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e5\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003cem\u003eof the WordPress Finding  Everyday Inspiration Challenge\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStruggling has hope of success, but forsaking the struggle does not\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e                                                                                                          - John Piper\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Piper_(theologian)\"\u003eJohn Piper\u003c/a\u003e is perhaps most famous for his espousal of \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_hedonism\"\u003eChristian Hedonism\u003c/a\u003e, the idea that ‘God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him’. One of the essential tenets of this is that we are designed to, and should indeed, desire God not only on the level of mental assent but also at a deeper heart, emotional level. The reality of most people of faith is that our hearts and heart connections to God wax and wane, the strength of our feelings never really existing continuously in that Christian Hedonist space.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"When I Still Don't Desire God..."},{"content":"\nFor Wordle 380:\n---\nThis entity - bare arms rippling with intent- pulls victory out of thin air. Time and time again, the potential for losing one\u0026rsquo;s head in a flurry of jabs is overcome by the evidence of winning, the one thing missing in this me being a fear that flinches before the rolling fists land. This is how it ends- victory snatched from the claws of loss when we decide.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/12/06/wordle-380/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"worlde-380\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/worlde-380.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"https://sundaywhirl.wordpress.com/2018/12/02/wordle-380/\"\u003eWordle 380\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis \u003cstrong\u003eentity -\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ebare\u003c/strong\u003e arms rippling \u003cstrong\u003ewith\u003c/strong\u003e intent-\npulls \u003cstrong\u003evictory\u003c/strong\u003e\nout of thin \u003cstrong\u003eair\u003c/strong\u003e.\nTime and time again,\nthe \u003cstrong\u003epotential\u003c/strong\u003e\nfor \u003cstrong\u003elosing\u003c/strong\u003e one\u0026rsquo;s head\nin a flurry of jabs\nis overcome by the \u003cstrong\u003eevidence\u003c/strong\u003e\nof winning, the one thing\n\u003cstrong\u003emissing\u003c/strong\u003e in this \u003cstrong\u003eme\u003c/strong\u003e being\na fear that flinches\nbefore the \u003cstrong\u003erolling\u003c/strong\u003e fists land.\nThis is how it ends-\n\u003cstrong\u003evictory\u003c/strong\u003e snatched\nfrom the claws of loss\nwhen we \u003cstrong\u003edecide\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Wordle 380"},{"content":"\n---\nCoffee, particularly when it is -5 deg C outside Fried chicken, in all its various incarnations Digging out the right answer to a particularly difficult question Music, particularly ones which take me back memory lane Handwritten notes (when received) ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/12/05/things-liked-a-list/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/IMG_20181117_120906.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCoffee, particularly when it is -5 deg C outside\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFried chicken, in all its various incarnations\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDigging out the right answer to a particularly difficult question\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMusic, particularly ones which take me back memory lane\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHandwritten notes (when received)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"Things Liked: A List"},{"content":"\nPhoto by Hannah Olinger on Unsplash\n---\nOne of my earliest memories of doing stuff with my mother is of a newspaper cutout, sheets of paper and her sitting beside me encouraging me to apply whatever iota of critical thinking I could summon to whatever was the task of the day, usually some Close Up essay competition or the other. I don\u0026rsquo;t recall us ever submitting any of those, the discipline of wrestling thoughts into semi-coherent arguments perhaps being the point of the entire exercise. That sense of writing as a vehicle for thinking aloud about a subject is one that has stayed with me over the years.\nI would like to say that this search for (small t) truth at the nexus of a subject is what motivates me to write but that would be bending the truth somewhat. That is partly the truth of course, but it is the sense of being curator of my own little corner of the internet, and the probability - however increasingly minuscule in this world of SEO and algorithms - that makes me write publicly. I have known the delights of minds connecting over a turn of phrase deliciously delivered and also the angst from forlorn pages which have seemingly disappeared into the great void of the internet. Be that as it may, that is a drug, the lingering memories of a past hit drawing me to write again and again in hope.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/12/04/i-write-because/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/hannah-olinger-549280-unsplash.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/8eSrC43qdro?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eHannah Olinger\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/search/photos/writing?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of my earliest memories of doing stuff with my mother is of a newspaper cutout, sheets of paper and her sitting beside me encouraging me to apply whatever iota of critical thinking I could summon to whatever was the task of the day, usually some Close Up essay competition or the other. I don\u0026rsquo;t recall us ever submitting any of those, the discipline of wrestling thoughts into semi-coherent arguments perhaps being the point of the entire exercise. That sense of writing as a vehicle for thinking aloud about a subject is one that has stayed with me over the years.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"I Write Because..."},{"content":"Key Events\nCame through several important meetings at work with varying results: Area Review: One I could have done without but feedback was they went well. CCMT: One completed Had my annual performance review. Feedback is that I need to improve my visibility. Personally, I feel like I need to decide what I want to do (stay/leave/move into data science?) Was chased by the verification folks on some review items for a recently completed project. Personal follow up on welding and how pressure equipment design codes handle MDMTs required. Attended a two day seminar on non-intrusive inspection. The data analysis section seemed particularly interesting, given my interests in data science/machine learning. December Goals\nPrep for 2019 Budgets Work options (locations, content, long term objectives) ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/12/04/remembering-november/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/11.2018.png\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey Events\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCame through several important meetings at work with varying results:\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArea Review: One I could have done without but feedback was they went well.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCCMT: One completed\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHad my annual performance review. Feedback is that I need to improve my visibility. Personally, I feel like I need to decide what I want to do (stay/leave/move into data science?)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWas chased by the \u003ca href=\"http://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/verification.htm\"\u003everification folks\u003c/a\u003e on some review items for a recently completed project. Personal follow up on welding and how pressure equipment design codes handle MDMTs required.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAttended a two day seminar on \u003ca href=\"https://www.corrosionpedia.com/definition/2835/non-intrusive-inspection-nii\"\u003enon-intrusive inspection\u003c/a\u003e. The data analysis section seemed particularly interesting, given my interests in data science/machine learning.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDecember Goals\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Remembering November"},{"content":"\nIt has been a fascinating month going through the Art of Manliness Jump-start your Journaling 31 Day Challenge. I suppose the key is in the challenge bit because for what it is worth it wasn\u0026rsquo;t the easiest of things to complete. A few themes came at me time and time again, mainly related to my relationships with people and how much (or how little) I ave allowed others into my deepest space. That (friends and brothers, mentors, my romantic relationship and a few others) is one of the key focus areas for the next year, which I have captioned The Year of Living Intentionally.\nLoads to do!!!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/12/01/31-days-of-journaling-day-31-wrapping-up/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/31.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt has been a fascinating month going through the Art of Manliness \u003ca href=\"https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/jumpstart-your-journaling-a-31-day-challenge/\"\u003eJump-start your Journaling 31 Day Challenge\u003c/a\u003e. I suppose the key is in the challenge bit because for what it is worth it wasn\u0026rsquo;t the easiest of things to complete. A few themes came at me time and time again, mainly related to my relationships with people and how much (or how little) I ave allowed others into my deepest space. That (\u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/31-days-of-journaling-day-11-a-band-of-brothers/\"\u003efriends and brothers\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/31-days-of-journaling-day-28-tools-of-the-manly-life/\"\u003ementors\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/31-days-of-journaling-day-19-on-romance-a-reflection/\"\u003emy romantic relationship\u003c/a\u003e and a few others) is one of the key focus areas for the next year, which I have captioned The Year of Living Intentionally.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"31 Days of Journaling, Day 31: Wrapping Up"},{"content":"\nPhoto by Guillaume de Germain on Unsplash\n---\nFor the Day 30 prompt. Thankful for:\nLife: Given how many people I know who died during the course of the year, both young and old S: Who chose to accept me, warts and all T\u0026amp;M: Who continue to hold down the fort on the family front through what have sometimes been testing times. Books: For the opportunity to slip into them away from the world Friends: Who have stuck with me through the years Work: Which in spite of a growing sense of dissatisfaction still pays the bills. Travel: The chance to get away from it all from time to time. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/30/31-days-of-journaling-day-30-thankful-for/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/guillaume-de-germain-594851-unsplash.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/rEVQCk1dqrA?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eGuillaume de Germain\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/search/photos/thankful?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the Day 30 prompt. Thankful for:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLife: Given how many people I know who died during the course of the year, both young and old\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eS: Who chose to accept me, warts and all\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eT\u0026amp;M: Who continue to hold down the fort on the family front through what have sometimes been testing times.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBooks: For the opportunity to slip into them away from the world\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFriends: Who have stuck with me through the years\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWork: Which in spite of a growing sense of dissatisfaction still pays the bills.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTravel: The chance to get away from it all from time to time.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"31 Days of Journaling, Day 30: Thankful For..."},{"content":"The prompt for Day 29 is to write about one thing that brings you great joy. Here goes.\n---\nA few years ago I would have said that my job was the one thing that gave me great joy, seeing as I felt very strongly that I was contributing and saw my future being very much intertwined with corrosion and materials. For a variety of reasons, including the sense of coasting that I have struggled with over the past year, it is beginning to feel like something I just do, that pays the bills.Trying to suss out the underlying reasons and getting back to a place of excitement about my current role (or something else) is something I have to focus on resolving in the new year!!!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/29/days-of-journaling-day-something-i-am-proud-of/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe prompt for Day 29 is to write about one thing that brings you great joy. Here goes.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA few years ago I would have said that my job was the  one thing that gave me great joy, seeing as I felt very strongly that I was contributing and saw my future being very much intertwined with corrosion and materials. For a variety of reasons, including the sense of coasting that I have struggled with over the past year, it is beginning to feel like something I just do, that pays the bills.Trying to suss out the underlying reasons and getting back to a place of excitement about my current role (or something else) is something I have to focus on resolving in the new year!!!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"31 Days of Journaling, Day 29: Something I am Proud Of"},{"content":"Day 28 of the Art of Manliness 31 Days of Journaling Challenge is to gather my tools for a better life. Here goes:\nA Mentor: One of the clear gaps I have identified from the past year has been a tendency to isolate myself from people, both at work and in my personal life, one of the impacts of which has been a lack of oversight of my decisions. Mentors, in both my personal and professional lives, are a priority for me over the next year. Two people, EM and CG, come to mind as options for both domains. Engaging them with a view to seeing if this is something they\u0026rsquo;d like to help me out with is something I have added to my list of things to explore and conclude over the next year. A Mastermind Group: The AoM folks boil down a Mastermind group into a collection of similar irons which sharpen each other. Through my interactions with my friends in the corrosion business, I\u0026rsquo;d like to think the intent of this tool is being met already. Carefully selecting a mentor with corrosion expertise who also help provide coverage of this need, I believe. A Pocket notebook: My evolving journaling practice is loosely aligned to Austin Kleon\u0026rsquo;s (which is in turn inspired by David Sedaris\u0026rsquo;s). Discipline: All of the above require me to get off my backside and develop/ implement a number of habits consistently. Discipline is what will ensure I keep at these till they deliver value in my life. Enough self. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/28/31-days-of-journaling-day-28-tools-of-the-manly-life/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDay 28 of the Art of Manliness 31 Days of Journaling Challenge is to \u003ca href=\"https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/tools-for-a-better-life/\"\u003egather my tools for a better life\u003c/a\u003e. Here goes:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Mentor\u003c/strong\u003e: One of the clear gaps I have identified from the past year has been a tendency to isolate myself from people, both at work and in my personal life, one of the impacts of which has been a lack of oversight of my decisions. Mentors, in both my personal and professional lives, are a priority for me over the next year. Two people, EM and CG, come to mind as options for both domains. Engaging them with a view to seeing if this is something they\u0026rsquo;d like to help me out with is something I have added to my list of things to explore and conclude over the next year.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Mastermind Group\u003c/strong\u003e: The AoM folks boil down a \u003ca href=\"https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/iron-sharpens-iron-the-power-of-master-mind-groups/\"\u003eMastermind group\u003c/a\u003e into a collection of similar irons which sharpen each other.  Through my interactions with my friends in the corrosion business, I\u0026rsquo;d like to think the intent of this tool is being met already. Carefully selecting a mentor with corrosion expertise who also help provide coverage of this need, I believe.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA  Pocket notebook:\u003c/strong\u003e My evolving journaling practice is loosely aligned to \u003ca href=\"https://austinkleon.com/2018/02/19/notebook-turducken/\"\u003eAustin Kleon\u0026rsquo;s\u003c/a\u003e (which is in turn inspired by \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Sedaris\"\u003eDavid Sedaris\u0026rsquo;s\u003c/a\u003e).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDiscipline:\u003c/strong\u003e All of the above require me to get off my backside and develop/ implement a number of habits consistently. Discipline is what will ensure I keep at these till they deliver value in my life. Enough self.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"31 Days of Journaling, Day 28: Tools of The Manly Life"},{"content":"The folk at AoM identify eight factors which feed into an assessment of the suitability of where one is at the moment. Given Aberdeen and Byfleet are currently it for me, a table with the pros and cons of each location seemed like a logical place to start. Here goes:\n[gdoc key=\u0026ldquo;https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IZdb5os_AQNEjVBwEAscnsPzq2u2uqcj11jiaMktMBQ/edit?usp=sharing\u0026rdquo;]\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/27/days-of-journaling-day-my-place/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe folk at AoM identify \u003ca href=\"https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/craft-the-life-you-want-setting-up-shop-or-the-importance-of-where-you-live/\"\u003eeight factors\u003c/a\u003e which feed into an assessment of the suitability of where one is at the moment. Given Aberdeen and Byfleet are currently it for me, a table with the pros and cons of each location seemed like a logical place to start. Here goes:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[gdoc key=\u0026ldquo;\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IZdb5os\"\u003ehttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IZdb5os\u003c/a\u003e_AQNEjVBwEAscnsPzq2u2uqcj11jiaMktMBQ/edit?usp=sharing\u0026rdquo;]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"31 Days of Journaling, Day 27: My Place"},{"content":"Photo by Deleece Cook on Unsplash\n\u0026ndash;\nRemember you will die\u0026hellip;. Death puts everything into perspective, you can\u0026rsquo;t take anything away with you and once you\u0026rsquo;re dead you\u0026rsquo;re lost to everyone on this side of the divide. This begs the question of what I am living my life for, whose approval am I bending over backwards to please, against my principles. And perhaps most importantly, am I living my life in a way that makes sense in light of what I think is a non-physical reality on the other side?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/24/31-days-of-journaling-day-24-memento-mori/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/deleece-cook-1153136-unsplash.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/KdXautQWqSU?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eDeleece Cook\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/search/photos/cemetry?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRemember you will die\u0026hellip;. Death puts everything into perspective, you can\u0026rsquo;t take anything away with you and once you\u0026rsquo;re dead you\u0026rsquo;re lost to everyone on this side of the divide. This begs the question of what I am living my life for, whose approval am I bending over backwards to please, against my principles. And perhaps most importantly, am I living my life in a way that makes sense in light of what I think is a non-physical reality on the other side?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"31 Days of Journaling, Day 24: Memento mori."},{"content":"My distractions in no particular order:\nMy phone with what it drags in (Twitter, Instagram) TV, particularly media consumption (Chicago PD, NCIS in all its guises and Chicago Med being a few of the things I burn hours watching) My (paper) notebook, a source of distraction for all the times I rewrite my to do list and obsess over the perfect productivity system instead of just getting things done To manage these I am trying to control access, by setting up my phone to automatically turn itself off at night and restart in the morning, only watching TV at weekends and not fussing over the quality of my to do list. One more on the watch list over the next few days/ weeks I guess\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/23/31-days-of-journaling-day-23-my-distractions/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMy distractions in no particular order:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMy phone with what it drags in (Twitter, Instagram)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTV, particularly media consumption (Chicago PD, NCIS in all its guises and Chicago Med being a few of the things I burn hours watching)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMy (paper) notebook, a source of distraction for all the times I rewrite my to do list and obsess over the perfect productivity system instead of just getting things done\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo manage these I am trying to control access, by setting up my phone to automatically turn itself off at night and restart in the morning, only watching TV at weekends and not fussing over the quality of my to do list. One more on the watch list over the next few days/ weeks I guess\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"31 Days of Journaling, Day 23: My Distractions"},{"content":"\nPlaying football manager doesn\u0026rsquo;t count I suspect so I\u0026rsquo;ll have to go with the next thing which I am finding is playing around with data in Jupyter. This is something I am enjoying so much that I am seriously wondering if Corrosion \u0026amp; Materials remain a strong force in my future. Unfortunately I haven\u0026rsquo;t learned enough of the data science domain for it to be my main stay going forward, but if money were no object, that would be where I would go. That much is not uncertain.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/22/31-days-of-journaling-day-22-if-i-won-a-small-lottery/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/jupyter.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlaying \u003ca href=\"https://www.footballmanager.com/\"\u003efootball manager\u003c/a\u003e doesn\u0026rsquo;t count I suspect so I\u0026rsquo;ll have to go with the next thing which I am finding is playing around with data in \u003ca href=\"http://jupyter.org/\"\u003eJupyter\u003c/a\u003e. This is something I am enjoying so much that I am seriously wondering if Corrosion \u0026amp; Materials remain a strong force in my future. Unfortunately I haven\u0026rsquo;t learned enough of the data science domain for it to be my main stay going forward, but if money were no object, that would be where I would go. That much is not uncertain.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"31 Days of Journaling, Day 22: If I Won A (Small) Lottery"},{"content":"\nImage Source: AskMen\nA recurring theme on my yearly lists is to lose weight. Save for a big push in 2012/13 when I went from just under 100 kg to 82 kg, performance has been topsy-turvy. Things are decidedly far form ideal at the moment, seeing as I currently come in just under 94 kg at the moment. This all feeds the one small thing I want to focus on over the next few weeks, adding one push up a day to my morning routine. If all goes well, by the end of the year I should be up to 39 push ups each morning.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/21/31-days-of-journaling-day-21-one-small-thing/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/askmen-push-up-challenge-1106349-TwoByOne.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImage Source: \u003ca href=\"https://uk.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding/askmen-push-up-challenge.html\"\u003eAskMen\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA recurring theme on my yearly lists is to lose weight. Save for a big push in 2012/13 when I went from just under 100 kg to 82 kg, performance has been topsy-turvy. Things are decidedly far form ideal at the moment, seeing as I currently come in just under 94 kg at the  moment. This all feeds the one small thing I want to focus on over the next few weeks, adding one push up a day to my morning routine. If all goes well, by the end of the year I should be up to 39 push ups each morning.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"31 Days of Journaling, Day 21: One small thing"},{"content":"\nThe Young and the Eager, for the Day 20 prompt\n---\nThe most recent time of my life I feel nostalgia for has to be my formative years in Eket, Nigeria. Hired fresh following a year of national service, with a starting salary that almost eclipsed my father\u0026rsquo;s; 30 plus years of teaching in a University notwithstanding. Prior to applying, interviewing and getting hired, getting into the software industry had been my realistic focus, driven by my interest and a sense that it was perhaps the most realistic option for me. The perception at the time was that to get a good job in Nigeria, one needed to be connected.; which I was not being from a minority ethnic group in a minority state.\nIn retrospect, I look back fondly on that time for two main reasons; the sense of camaraderie that being part of a cohort of intakes bred (I\u0026rsquo;ve stayed in touch with quite a few of that group even though it is ten years this year since I left that job) and an underlying sense of gratitude and thankfulness for the opportunity to make something of myself I felt I had been given. That sense of thankfulness and of life being an opportunity that I have to make the best use of is one that I no doubt need to rekindle.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/20/31-days-of-journaling-day-20-on-the-past-and-nostalgia/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/79CBDD22-6342-4646-8835-B4DB40085865.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Young and the Eager, for the Day 20 prompt\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe most recent time of my life I feel nostalgia for has to be my formative years in Eket, Nigeria. Hired fresh following a year of national service, with a starting salary that almost eclipsed my father\u0026rsquo;s; 30 plus years of teaching in a University notwithstanding. Prior to applying, interviewing and getting hired, getting into the software industry had been my realistic focus, driven by my interest and a sense that it was perhaps the most realistic option for me. The perception at the time was that to get a good job in Nigeria, one needed to be connected.; which I was not being from a minority ethnic group in a minority state.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"31 Days of Journaling, Day 20: On the past and Nostalgia"},{"content":"\nFor Day 19 of The Art of Manliness Journaling Prompts\n\u0026ndash;\nThe one romantic relationship I am in is with S, my wife of just over a year. As highlighted in my response to the Day 5 prompt, it has hardly being the smoothest of relationships, not helped by living apart and both being very busy people.\nThe one area I\u0026rsquo;d like to improve is improving the quality of our relationship primarily from the perspective of making clear to her that she is the priority in my life and that every other thing including work and sustenance lies in second place. To achieve this my intention is to communicate better with her, making the effort to stay in touch on a daily basis regardless of what pressures work and life pose. Fingers crossed.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/19/31-days-of-journaling-day-19-on-romance-a-reflection/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/5T6A7022.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor Day 19 of The Art of Manliness Journaling Prompts\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe one romantic relationship \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/31-days-of-journaling-day-5-to-s-a-letter/\"\u003eI am in is with S\u003c/a\u003e, my wife of just over a year. As highlighted in my response to the Day 5 prompt, it has hardly being the smoothest of relationships, not helped by living apart and both being very busy people.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe one area I\u0026rsquo;d like to improve is improving the quality of our relationship primarily from the perspective of making clear to her that she is the priority in my life and that every other thing including work and sustenance lies in second place. To achieve this my intention is to communicate better with her, making the effort to stay in touch on a daily basis regardless of what pressures work and life pose. Fingers crossed.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"31 Days of Journaling, Day 19: On Romance, A Reflection"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_178\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;2976\u0026rdquo;] For Day 14\nCurrently on my reading list is David Leeming\u0026rsquo;s tell all biography of James Baldwin. Whilst it is a hefty read - and I have spent the most of the last month plodding through it between doing life and work - a few themes have stood out, including the influence of church, the civil rights movement and his struggle with his sexuality.\nThe more I read this, the clearer just how great an intellect he was is under scored in my mind. I\u0026rsquo;ll never read Go Tell It On The Mountain or Giovanni\u0026rsquo;s Room the same way again.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/14/31-days-of-journaling-day-14-something-consumed/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"caption-idattachment_178-alignalignnone-width2976\"\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_178\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;2976\u0026rdquo;]\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IMG_20181015_210808.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor Day 14\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCurrently on my reading list is David Leeming\u0026rsquo;s tell all biography of \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Baldwin\"\u003eJames Baldwin\u003c/a\u003e. Whilst it is a hefty read - and I have spent the most of the last month plodding through it between doing life and work - a few themes have stood out, including the influence of church, the civil rights movement and his struggle with his sexuality.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe more I read this, the clearer just how great an intellect he was is under scored in my mind. I\u0026rsquo;ll never read \u003cem\u003eGo Tell It On The Mountain\u003c/em\u003e or \u003cem\u003eGiovanni\u0026rsquo;s Room\u003c/em\u003e the same way again.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"31 Days of Journaling, Day 14: Something Consumed"},{"content":"\nPhoto by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash\n\u0026ndash;\nFor Day 13 of the AoM 31 Days of Journaling Challenge; A Brain Dump using the GTD Trigger List.\nWork Projects Started Not Completed DL Management Strategy OFC Transition CCMTs \u0026amp; CCMT Action Management UKCS TAR Work Programs T T-A Communication File Note Area Reviews S Area PW Failures RCFA Work Projects That Need To Be Started CMS Year End Review T CCMT Preparation 2019 PoB Requirements for UKCS Projects 2018 Spend Reconciliation 2017/18 Appraisal Personal Projects Started Not Completed archive.rustgeek.me relaunch News31 EoY Video Preparation News31 EoY Review for magazine Personal Projects Yet To Start archive.rustgeek.me theme modifications 2019 objectives and planning Alicante Trip with S ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/13/31-days-of-journaling-day-13-on-my-mind-a-brain-dump/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"glenn-carstens-peters-190592-unsplash\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/glenn-carstens-peters-190592-unsplash.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/RLw-UC03Gwc?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eGlenn Carstens-Peters\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/search/photos/list?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor Day 13 of the AoM \u003ca href=\"https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/jumpstart-your-journaling-a-31-day-challenge/\"\u003e31 Days of Journaling Challenge\u003c/a\u003e; A Brain Dump using the \u003ca href=\"http://wiki.43folders.com/index.php/Trigger_List\"\u003eGTD Trigger List\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWork Projects Started Not Completed\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDL Management Strategy\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOFC Transition\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCCMTs \u0026amp; CCMT Action Management\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUKCS TAR Work Programs\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eT T-A Communication File Note\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArea Reviews\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eS Area PW Failures RCFA\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWork Projects That Need To Be Started\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCMS Year End Review\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eT CCMT Preparation\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2019 PoB Requirements for UKCS Projects\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2018 Spend Reconciliation\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2017/18 Appraisal\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePersonal Projects Started Not Completed\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003earchive.rustgeek.me relaunch\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNews31 EoY Video Preparation\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNews31 EoY Review for magazine\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePersonal Projects Yet To Start\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003earchive.rustgeek.me theme modifications\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2019 objectives and planning\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlicante Trip with S\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"31 Days of Journaling, Day 13: On My Mind, A Brain Dump"},{"content":"\nPhoto by Helena Lopes on Unsplash\n---\nFor Day 11, the question is \u0026ldquo;Do you have a gang of friends who push and support you? If not, how could you make some good friends?\u0026rdquo; As with all the questions so far which have related to friends, I\u0026rsquo;ll have to hold my hand up again and say this is an area where significant improvement is required. That being said, I have a number of acquaintances in this city with whom I could be better engaged. A number of them are in the same season of life as I am which bodes well I suspect for our being able to band together for mutual support. First things first then, I\u0026rsquo;ll look to schedule a catchup with a couple of the guys, particularly D and R.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/11/31-days-of-journaling-day-11-a-band-of-brothers/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/helena-lopes-459331-unsplash.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/PGnqT0rXWLs?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eHelena Lopes\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/search/photos/friends?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor Day 11, the question is \u0026ldquo;Do you have a gang of friends who push and support you? If not, how could you make some good friends?\u0026rdquo; As with all the questions so far which have related to friends, I\u0026rsquo;ll have to hold my hand up again and say this is an area where significant improvement is required. That being said, I have a number of acquaintances in this city with whom I could be better engaged. A number of them are in the same season of life as I am which bodes well I suspect for our being able to band together for mutual support. First things first then, I\u0026rsquo;ll look to schedule a catchup with a couple of the guys, particularly D and R.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"31 Days of Journaling, Day 11: A Band of Brothers"},{"content":"\nPhoto by Brett Patzke on Unsplash\n---\nThe Hero\u0026rsquo;s Journey makes for interesting reading, showing how in 12 stages the boy becomes a man as he journeys through a life. Although based on myths, the underlying idea behind this framework is that these myths work because they represent how we understand how life happens to us. Vogler\u0026rsquo;s model, which the folk at AoM espouse, is an abridged version of the original in the Joseph Campbell book (The Hero with a Thousand Faces) and identifies 12 steps (from the Wikipedia page) as below:\nThe Ordinary World: the hero is seen in his/her everyday life The Call to Adventure: the initiating incident of the story Refusal of the Call: the hero experiences some hesitation to answer the call Meeting with the Mentor: the hero gains the supplies, knowledge, and confidence needed to commence the adventure Crossing the First Threshold: the hero commits wholeheartedly to the adventure Tests, Allies and Enemies: the hero explores the special world, faces trial, and makes friends and enemies Approach to the Innermost Cave: the hero nears the centre of the story and the special world The Ordeal: the hero faces the greatest challenge yet and experiences death and rebirth Reward: the hero experiences the consequences of surviving death The Road Back: the hero returns to the ordinary world or continues to an ultimate destination The Resurrection: the hero experiences a final moment of death and rebirth so he (or she) is pure when he reenters the ordinary world Return with the Elixir: the hero returns with something to improve the ordinary world For what it is worth, it feels like in so many parts of my life I am somewhere between Stages 1 and 3, either having just being called or just having rejected the call for the first time. Mentors and mentoring are going to be key for this next phase of my life. This is certainly something that I will need to return to over the next few weeks.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/10/31-days-of-journaling-day-10-the-heros-journey/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/brett-patzke-725745-unsplash.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/pYeO_rIZ1EM?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eBrett Patzke\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/search/photos/journey?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/heros-journey/\"\u003eHero\u0026rsquo;s Journey\u003c/a\u003e makes for interesting reading, showing how in 12 stages the boy becomes a man as he journeys through a life. Although based on myths, the underlying idea behind this framework is that these myths work because they represent how we understand how life happens to us. \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Writer%27s_Journey:_Mythic_Structure_for_Writers\"\u003eVogler\u0026rsquo;s model\u003c/a\u003e, which the folk at AoM espouse, is an abridged version of the original in the Joseph Campbell book (\u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thousand-Faces-Collected-Joseph-Campbell/dp/1577315936/\"\u003eThe Hero with a Thousand Faces\u003c/a\u003e) and identifies 12 steps (from the Wikipedia page) as below:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"31 Days Of Journaling, Day 10: The Hero's Journey"},{"content":"Day 9: My Day\n\u0026ndash;\nUp at 4.42 AM and unable to go back to sleep. Meetings with senior leadership at work on my mind. Played around with some CSS for some modifications I have been mulling over for this blog Finally out of bed at 6.00 AM to start prepping for work. Off to work at 7.00 AM, glad for some respite from what has been terrible weather. Relief ends up short lived because it opens up again half way through. Arrive at work wet and cold at about 7.30 AM. Arrival routine kicks in; cup of coffee, read and respond to emails, catch up quickly with office mates. First hour spent reading up on latest version of slide deck for meeting, then attending final dry run In between, I sort out delivery of equipment required for a mobilisation offshore in two weeks. Spend rest of the morning in chasing final bits of data for meeting. Lunch @ 12 NOON, quick walk to Boots at Union Square for a sandwich, pepsi max, protein pot and two snack bars (meal deal) Back at 12.30 PM for final check of meeting requirements and then into meeting. Meeting from 1 to 3, a bit of a grilling but I feel like we do ok. A number of things to follow up on even though the consensus seems to be that it has been yet more talking shop. Hopefully real behavioural change kicks off after this. After the high of the meeting, rest of the day is an anti-climax of sorts. catch up with R for the first time this week now that I can catch my breath. Eventually it is 4.30 PM and home time. Walk home and arrive at 5.00PM Dinner, more CSS modifications and then soon it is sleep time. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/09/31-days-of-journaling-day-9-my-day/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDay 9: My Day\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUp at 4.42 AM and unable to go back to sleep. Meetings with senior leadership at work on my mind.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePlayed around with some CSS for some modifications I have  been mulling over for this blog\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFinally out of bed at 6.00 AM to start prepping for work.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOff to work at 7.00 AM, glad for some respite from what has been terrible weather. Relief ends up short lived because it opens up again half way through.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArrive at work wet and cold at about 7.30 AM.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArrival routine kicks in; cup of coffee, read and respond to emails, catch up quickly with office mates.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFirst hour spent reading up on latest version of slide deck for meeting, then attending final dry run\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn between, I sort out delivery of equipment required for a mobilisation offshore in two weeks.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSpend rest of the morning in chasing final bits of data for meeting.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLunch @ 12 NOON, quick walk to Boots at Union Square for a sandwich, pepsi max, protein pot and two snack bars (meal deal)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBack at 12.30 PM for final check of meeting requirements and then into meeting.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMeeting from 1 to 3, a bit of a grilling but I feel like we do ok. A number of things to follow up on even though the consensus seems to be that it has been yet more talking shop. Hopefully real behavioural change kicks off after this.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfter the high of the meeting, rest of the day is an anti-climax of sorts. catch up with R for the first time this week now that I can catch my breath.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEventually it is 4.30 PM and home time. Walk home and arrive at 5.00PM\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDinner, more CSS modifications and then soon it is sleep time.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"31 Days Of Journaling, Day 9: My Day"},{"content":"\nFor Day 8 of the AoM 31 Day Journaling Challenge: Reflect on Your Career.\n\u0026ndash;\nWork for me has focused on materials, particularly ferrous ones, and how they perform in a variety of oil and gas environments, on two continents; Africa of my birth and Europe where I have spent the last few years. My journey began in December of 2003 with being hired straight out of University in 2003 as a trainee engineer through progressing via a number of roles in various aspects of the corrosion and materials discipline and eventually leaving in October of 2008, thanks to a mixture of burn out and the opportunity to return to the university for graduate studies. Since graduating in July of 2009, I\u0026rsquo;ve gotten back into the Corrosion \u0026amp; Materials field first with a service provider and latterly with an oil \u0026amp; gas production company where I am Corrosion \u0026amp; Materials Technical Authority.\nLooking back, the early years were some of the best, being hired at one of the biggest oil and gas companies as part of a cohort of four others helped engender a sense of being special with resources available to develop us. 2008, was one of the most pressure filled years, culminating in my leaving to grad school, a few months out and then a return to industry in 2010.\nThe future is one that is a bit of a toss up at the moment. I feel like to truly reach the heights I wish to reach - in which I am a broad based technical specialist able to contribute across design, operations and decommissioning - I need time in a design house or consultancy. That is likely to take a pay cut for some time to get into that slightly different field. There is also the question of my increasing interest in data science, analytics and machine learning and the real opportunities I see to migrate those critical skill sets into the oil and as domain. Perhaps the sweet spot would be to combine Corr osion Sci ence and Analytics into a service (CorrSci Analytics?) I can sell as a consultant in future?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/08/31-days-of-journaling-day-8-on-work-a-timeline/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IMG_0844.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor Day 8 of the AoM \u003ca href=\"https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/jumpstart-your-journaling-a-31-day-challenge/\"\u003e31 Day Journaling Challenge: Reflect on Your Career.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWork for me has focused on \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Materials_science\"\u003ematerials\u003c/a\u003e, particularly ferrous ones, and \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrosion_engineering\"\u003ehow they perform\u003c/a\u003e in a variety of oil and gas environments, on two continents; Africa of my birth and Europe where I have spent the last few years. My journey began in December of 2003 with being hired straight out of University in 2003 as a trainee engineer through progressing via a number of roles in various aspects of the corrosion and materials discipline and eventually leaving in October of 2008, thanks to a mixture of burn out and the opportunity to return to the university for graduate studies. Since graduating in July of 2009, I\u0026rsquo;ve gotten back into the Corrosion \u0026amp; Materials field first with a service provider and latterly with an oil \u0026amp; gas production company where I am Corrosion \u0026amp; Materials Technical Authority.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"31 Days of Journaling, Day 8: On Work, A Timeline"},{"content":"Image source: rawpixel @ unsplash\n\u0026ndash;\nAnd so comes Day 7. Whilst those who believe in numerology think seven is the number of perfection, the past few days have been anything but perfect. What they have been though is an opportunity to flex thinking and writing muscles which I haven\u0026rsquo;t used in a while, which were to put it bluntly beginning to atrophy.\nThe general idea has been to try to block time out in the morning- between waking up, devotions and heading out to work- to pen a few words in response to the challenge of the day. There have been hits and misses along the way but thankfully I\u0026rsquo;ve managed to show up. Here\u0026rsquo;s to discipline winning through and birthing delight in the end.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/07/31-days-of-journaling-day-7-a-reflection/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/rawpixel-658251-unsplash.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eImage source:\u003c/em\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/BOiK_xeJVaY\"\u003e\u003cem\u003erawpixel @ unsplash\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd so comes Day 7. Whilst those who believe in numerology think \u003ca href=\"https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/revelation/introduction/seven-perfection-completeness.html\"\u003eseven is the number of perfection\u003c/a\u003e, the past few days have been anything but perfect. What they have been though is an opportunity to flex thinking and writing muscles which I haven\u0026rsquo;t used in a while, which were to put it bluntly beginning to atrophy.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe general idea has been to try to block time out in the morning- between waking up, \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/31-days-of-journaling-day-3-one-thing/\"\u003edevotions\u003c/a\u003e and heading out to work- to pen a few words in response to the challenge of the day. There have been hits and misses along the way but thankfully I\u0026rsquo;ve managed to show up. Here\u0026rsquo;s to discipline winning through and birthing delight in the end.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"31 Days of Journaling, Day 7: A Reflection"},{"content":"Photo by Tom Grimbert on Unsplash. For Day 6 of the AoM 31 Day Journaling Challenge.\n\u0026ndash;\nMy six word memoir:\nGlobal Thinker, Local Contributor. Lived Intentionally.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/06/31-days-of-journaling-day-6-six-word-memoir/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/tom-grimbert-1082829-unsplash.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/1YYVS0e3jdg?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eTom Grimbert\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/search/photos/globe?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e. For Day 6 of the AoM \u003ca href=\"https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/jumpstart-your-journaling-a-31-day-challenge/\"\u003e31 Day Journaling Challenge.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy six word memoir:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGlobal Thinker, Local Contributor. Lived Intentionally.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e","title":"31 Days Of Journaling, Day 6: Six Word Memoir"},{"content":"\nFor the Day 5 prompt from AOM\u0026rsquo;s 31 Day Journaling Challenge.\n---\nIt wasn\u0026rsquo;t love at first sight but a slow melding of hearts and mind into a coherent whole, a journey of a thousand miles started by a single step which very quickly became a leap of faith into the great unknown of the future.\nNow with the benefit of a year behind us, it is clear that there was something here all along, gems hidden beneath the hard outer crust of life and all the bumps and scrapes it sent our ways. There is hope though, that bumps and all we will get there, somehow.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/05/31-days-of-journaling-day-5-to-s-a-letter/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IMG_4511.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the Day 5 prompt from AOM\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/jumpstart-your-journaling-a-31-day-challenge/\"\u003e31 Day Journaling Challenge\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt wasn\u0026rsquo;t love at first sight but a slow melding of hearts and mind into a coherent whole, a journey of a thousand miles started by a single step which very quickly became a leap of faith into the great unknown of the future.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow with the benefit of a year behind us, it is clear that there was something here all along, gems hidden beneath the hard outer crust of life and all the bumps and scrapes it sent our ways. There is hope though, that bumps and all we will get there, somehow.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"31 Days of Journaling, Day 5: To S, A Letter"},{"content":"\nFor the prompt for Day 3 of the 31 Day Journaling Challenge at The Art of Manliness\n---\nAlongside a regular practice, building a regular practice of prayer and bible study has been one of the things I have struggled most with over the years and which has come up again in this latest iteration of beginning again.\nAs for actual steps this time, I have bought a copy of 90 Days in Judges, Galatians and Ephesians by Tim Keller and Richard Coekin, a notebook and a pack of hibiscus tea, the intent being to make that part of a new morning routine in which I brew a cup of tea and settle in to read the assigned reading of the day and write notes in my mew black book. Two days in already, I hope I can make it to the 90 and then beyond.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/03/31-days-of-journaling-day-3-one-thing/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/03.Habit_.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the prompt for Day 3 of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/jumpstart-your-journaling-a-31-day-challenge/\"\u003e31 Day Journaling Challenge\u003c/a\u003e at The Art of Manliness\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlongside a regular practice, building a regular practice of prayer and bible study has been one of the things I have struggled most with over the years and which has come up again in this latest iteration of beginning again.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs for actual steps this time, I have bought a copy of \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N9IDVB2/\"\u003e90 Days in Judges, Galatians and Ephesians\u003c/a\u003e by Tim Keller and Richard Coekin, a notebook and a pack of hibiscus tea, the intent being to make that part of a new morning routine in which I brew a cup of tea and settle in to read the assigned reading of the day and write notes in my mew black book. Two days in already, I hope I can make it to the 90 and then beyond.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"31 Days of Journaling, Day 3: One Thing"},{"content":"For the Day 2 prompt from The Art of Manliness\u0026rsquo; Jumpstart Your Journaling 31 Day Challenge\n---\nOne of the frameworks which has most defined my thinking about Manhood came to me many years ago in the form of an Al Mohler article on Boundless, in which he suggested 13 marks which defined mature manhood in his opinion. Given his background, that his views were based very squarely on Christian Conservative ideals was not surprising, and were very much aligned with my thoughts at the time, seeing I was (and perhaps still am) very much of a similar spiritual bent. Roles (husband, father), Responsibility, Leadership, morals and ethics and an ability to provide for a family all feature prominently in his piece, which morphed into a small book eventually.\nNow that a few years have passed since I first read that, I still feel fundamentally aligned with Mohler\u0026rsquo;s ideals as espoused here, with the explicit addition of attempting to live those out whilst being a supporter and encourager to the people in my life (wife, future children, siblings and friends). The premise is that there is enough room at the top of the table for every one in my personal space to live their best life, however so they deem fit.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/02/31-days-of-journaling-day-2-on-manliness/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/alMohler_wordcloud.png\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor the Day 2 prompt from The Art of Manliness\u0026rsquo; Jumpstart Your Journaling 31 Day Challenge\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the frameworks which has most defined my thinking about Manhood came to me many years ago in the form of an \u003ca href=\"https://www.boundless.org/adulthood/the-marks-of-manhood/\"\u003eAl Mohler article on Boundless\u003c/a\u003e, in which he suggested 13 marks which defined mature manhood in his opinion. Given \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Mohler\"\u003ehis background\u003c/a\u003e, that his views were based very squarely on Christian Conservative ideals was not surprising, and were very much aligned with my thoughts at the time, seeing I was (and perhaps still am) very much of a similar spiritual bent. Roles (husband, father), Responsibility, Leadership, morals and ethics and an ability to provide for a family all feature prominently in his piece, which morphed into a small book eventually.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"31 Days of Journaling, Day 2: On Manliness"},{"content":"Image Source: Heartwoods\nIt feels like a good time to try to develop a regular practice of journaling. For one there is the need to reflect properly on my latest attempt at rebooting, as well as the plethora of other more intelligent folk who think it is a good thing: David Sedaris, Austin Kleon, Michael Hyatt, Samuel Pepys, David Thoureau to name a few. The benefits are many, ranging from providing opportunities to reflect on life, a record of one\u0026rsquo;s day (both for the individual and for posterity) and also a source of material for future creative writing pursuits.\nOf these, providing a record of my thoughts and feelings on the day as well as potentially providing source material for future writing projects stand out most. Here\u0026rsquo;s to hoping I develop the discipline and reap the benefits, even if all I manage to do is log each day.\n--- Based on prompts from The Art of Manliness.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/11/01/why-journal/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/leather_journal_rustico.jpeg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eImage Source: \u003ca href=\"https://www.heartwoodgifts.com/the-messenger-leather-journal-dark-brown-7-x-9-engravable/\"\u003eHeartwoods\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt feels like a good time to try to develop a regular practice of journaling. For one there is the need to reflect properly on my \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/ctrl-alt-del/\"\u003elatest attempt at rebooting,\u003c/a\u003e as well as the plethora of other more intelligent folk who think it is a good thing: \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/culture/personal-history/david-sedaris-the-ihop-years\"\u003eDavid Sedaris\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://austinkleon.com/2010/01/31/logbook/\"\u003eAustin Kleon\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://michaelhyatt.com/consistent-journaling/\"\u003eMichael Hyatt\u003c/a\u003e, Samuel Pepys, David Thoureau to name a few. The benefits are many, ranging from providing opportunities to reflect on life, a record of one\u0026rsquo;s day (both for the individual and for posterity) and also a source of material for future creative writing pursuits.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"31 Days of Journaling, Day 1: Why Journal?"},{"content":"\nMaybe it is the shock of the delayed cognition of turning 39 - perilously close to the age of eternal foolishness - or the weariness of dealing on and off with death and grieving that births this feeling hovering over me that I can\u0026rsquo;t quite place. It is not entirely inscrutable: the little I understand of it suggests part of it is a heightened sense of my own fragility, the deaths - ranging from old classmates of mine to friends of my father\u0026rsquo;s - underscoring the fleeting nature of life and with it the sense of time speeding by. The other part that rears its head from the haze is the feeling of drifting, one day blurring into the next which is barely distinguishable from the one that follows it with the only discernible purpose being fighting whatever fire glows brightest both at work and in my personal life.\nOne of the most visible symptoms of this lingering disquiet has been a withdrawal from all but the most inescapable of contacts - work, family and the friends I have had the longest. I\u0026rsquo;ll be the first to admit I have never been the most outgoing of persons, but even by my standards the past year has been a new low for engagement across the board, from the spiritual to the mundane and then some more. Part of this reluctance to engage has to do, I suspect, with this feeling of drifting; the ones I might otherwise come across being reminders of the past and where I once was. There is also the small matter of the sense of feeling like I am at a crossroads of sorts, looking towards the next decade of my life and wondering if corrosion will continue to be a part of it, if tweaks are required to how I currently practice it, or if a wholesale change to something different is required to enable me reach the heights I feel like I need to. All of this makes taking time out to reflect for the next month a good place to start this rebooting from.\nAll told, one of the clearest lessons I have learned from the year of being 38 is that drifting is dangerous, particularly when it is a slow gradual descent in which the evolving present seems just familiar enough that no alarm bells ring, until at the end one finds oneself - to quote the lost son - in a far country. Once firmly ensconced there, returning can feel impossible, the distance between there and home feeling like a chasm so great that it cannot be bridged. More than I would like, I fear many times over the past year, I have tottered on the edge of that chasm sometimes beginning to slip and at others just managing to avoid taking the last step that would take me over the edge. It is a dark, dangerous and isolated place, one I am keen to step back from and begin the long trek home. Here\u0026rsquo;s to rebooting, and beginning again, yet again.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/10/30/ctrl-alt-del/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"keep-calm-press-ctrl-alt-del-3\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/keep-calm-press-ctrl-alt-del-3.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaybe it is the shock of the delayed cognition of turning 39 - perilously close to the age of eternal foolishness - or the weariness of dealing on and off with death and grieving that births this feeling hovering over me that I can\u0026rsquo;t quite place. It is not entirely inscrutable: the little I understand of it suggests part of it is a heightened sense of my own fragility, the deaths - ranging from old classmates of mine to friends of my father\u0026rsquo;s - underscoring the fleeting nature of life and with it the sense of time speeding by. The other part that rears its head from the haze is the feeling of drifting, one day blurring into the next which is barely distinguishable from the one that follows it with the only discernible purpose being fighting whatever fire glows brightest both at work and in my personal life.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Ctrl +Alt+ Del"},{"content":" Psalm 120:1 I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me.\nFor the first of these 100 Days of Ascent, it is perhaps fitting that the starting point is a place of certitude, a statement of fact: I call on the Lord and he answers me. No ifs, no buts, no maybes; just a clear statement of what is. The word translated call is the Old Hebrew qara, which carries the connotation of a loud, expressive sound, not a quiet muttering. The Lord is referred to by his name YHWH here, the independent, self existing proper name which I suppose speaks to his power, majesty and essence. This then is an interesting juxtaposition, a cry in a season of distress to the all powerful God, who in His answering deigns to respond to the cry of one puny human.\nThese last few months have felt like ones in which I have hovered around rock bottom, not least because my struggles with cognitive dissonance are worse not better; not helped by an increasingly present sense of drifting away. Perhaps I haven\u0026rsquo;t called out enough?\n\\\\\\* I call on the Lord in my distress, in this season of looming darkness.\nStuck between a hard place, and rock bottom I cry out for redemption.\nHear my cry oh Lord and be near, in this season of despair I pray.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/10/02/days-of-ascent-certitude/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/518da-samuel-martins-631378-unsplash.jpg\" width=\"676\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+120%3A1\u0026amp;version=NIV\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ePsalm 120:1\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003cem\u003eI call on the Lord in my distress,\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eand he answers me.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the first of these \u003ca href=\"https://hillsong.com/collected/blog/2018/08/100-days-of-ascent-introduction/#.W7Ol4nVKgU4\"\u003e100 Days of Ascent\u003c/a\u003e, it is perhaps fitting that the starting point is a place of certitude, a statement of fact: I call on the Lord and he answers me. No ifs, no buts, no maybes; just a clear statement of what \u003cem\u003eis.\u003c/em\u003e The word translated \u003cem\u003ecall\u003c/em\u003e is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/kjv/qara.html\"\u003eOld Hebrew qara\u003c/a\u003e, which carries the connotation of a loud, expressive sound, not a quiet muttering. The Lord is referred to by his name YHWH here, the independent, self existing proper name which I suppose speaks to his power, majesty and essence. This then is an interesting juxtaposition, a cry in a season of distress to the all powerful God, who in His answering deigns to respond to the cry of one puny human.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"100 Days Of Ascent, 1 - Certitude"},{"content":" beach\\_morning book DataScienceConf food\\_CDI food\\_CDI2 lounge\\_CDG ---\nIn the end September sped past,\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/10/01/september/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-1\"\u003e\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/b13fa-beach%5Fmorning.jpg\"\n         alt=\"beach\\_morning\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            beach\\_morning\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/9b434-book.jpg\"\n         alt=\"book\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            book\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/8cf19-datascienceconf.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DataScienceConf\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DataScienceConf\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/7a86c-food%5Fcdi.jpg\"\n         alt=\"food\\_CDI\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            food\\_CDI\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/56267-food%5Fcdi2.jpg\"\n         alt=\"food\\_CDI2\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            food\\_CDI2\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/d9e6c-lounge%5Fcdg.jpg\"\n         alt=\"lounge\\_CDG\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            lounge\\_CDG\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the end September sped past,\u003c/p\u003e","title":"September"},{"content":"\nImage Source: Wikipedia\n--- Nursing a double espresso in the Air France lounge at Charles De Gaulle, it\u0026rsquo;s the first time in a week that I get the chance to be by myself and reflect on what has been a whirlwind week. From being up at 5.00 am two Sundays ago (to catch an early flight westward from Heathrow to Abidjan via Paris), multiple flying stops to a number of offshore assets and then to this stop on the way back to normalcy, it has felt like a blur of perpetual motion. It has also, much against my natural bent, been a time spent overwhelmingly in the company of others - work colleagues, fellow travellers and the odd hustler looking to make a quick buck amongst others. With each change of location - Heathrow, Paris, Abidjan and offshore - there has been a progressive browning of my surroundings, one that means that by the time I arrive at the work site I am lost in a sea of similar faces. Not since my last job in this part of the world at the back end of 2008 have I found myself in this sort of surroundings; not in the minority but one face in a sea of similar faces.\nStepping out of the airport terminal, the humidity hits like a bed sheet heavy with water might if flapped about by a strong wind, along with the million indecipherable smells - smoke from cooked food, the linger of car exhaust fumes, dried sweat - the minutiae of life which might be from any city along this West African coast. The airport itself is not significantly different from one I am more familiar with - Murtala Mohammed International - with its milling masses of people; particularly the hustlers who sidle up to you, somewhat conspiratorially offering up various taxi and money changing services and a Burger King. Like that other airport, this one is also named for an African strong man.\nThe days start early and end late, involving a variety of boat transfers including the frog, a walk to work solution and the odd clamber up boat landings via ladders. My two slight concerns turn out to be unfounded - the heat isn\u0026rsquo;t overly oppressive and I find enough familiar food to subsist on. One can hardly go wrong with eggs, bacon and sausages or rice and fried plantains for that matter (and EVERYTHING tastes infinitely better with a dash of chilli sauce). Somehow, I get cast in the role of the Africa expert - asked to weigh in everything from food choices to social mores.\nNights are spent trying to get to sleep whilst being swayed by the swells rocking the accommodation vessel we\u0026rsquo;re on. Fairly recently the beds have been doubled up to increase capacity, which is how three of us get a room with two beds. I volunteer to take one of the top bunk beds, given I have less of a frame to squeeze in than the others.\nBeing out and about brings back memories of another life, being the young local engineer learning the ropes and then chomping at the bit to take on more responsibilities. In the stories I tell myself of that time, I wrestle with the tension between wanting to do more but feeling like the real decision making power was elsewhere, which is one of the reasons I upped sticks and left in the end. With the benefit of the distance of a few years since then, it is clear that structural problems notwithstanding, my youthful headiness played a part in whatever grievances I carry from that time. I can\u0026rsquo;t help but wonder if these younger engineers feel any different, and if the various players in this space have the global reach and structure to truly develop these minds into \u0026lsquo;world class\u0026rsquo; engineers. This is the first of many trips westwards and south I suspect. I am curious to see how this pans out.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/09/20/a-different-nowhere/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/b7070-fpso_osx-1.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImage Source: \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floating_production_storage_and_offloading\"\u003eWikipedia\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\nNursing a double espresso in the Air France lounge at Charles De Gaulle, it\u0026rsquo;s the first time in a week that I get the chance to be by myself and reflect on what has been a whirlwind week. From being up at 5.00 am two Sundays ago (to catch an early flight westward from Heathrow to Abidjan via Paris), multiple flying stops to a number of offshore assets and then to this stop on the way back to normalcy, it has felt like a blur of perpetual motion. It has also, much against my natural bent, been a time spent overwhelmingly in the company of others -  work colleagues, fellow travellers and the odd hustler looking to make a quick buck amongst others. With each change of location - Heathrow, Paris, Abidjan and offshore - there has been a progressive browning of my surroundings, one that means that by the time I arrive at the work site I am lost in a sea of similar faces. Not since my last job in this part of the world at the back end of 2008 have I found myself in this sort of surroundings; not in the minority but one face in a sea of similar faces.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A different kind of the middle of nowhere"},{"content":"\nSpread out in various states of recline around a long table in the inner room of the Indian restaurant we have gathered in, I imagine we cast a scene not too dissimilar to [the last supper.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Supper_(Leonardo_da_Vinci) Not only are we thirteen (ignoring for a moment that S is barely 9 months old), it is a last supper of sorts, pulled together to celebrate the two J\u0026rsquo;s, in these their final days up here before they up sticks and move to study not too far off from ground zero in America\u0026rsquo;s bible belt. That we\u0026rsquo;ve plopped for Indian cuisine is perhaps a slight oddity given all thirteen of us have African roots. I suspect it is more indicative of the paucity of suitable eating options than adventure, which is why phones come out when it is time to order; google comes to the rescue. All that drags out the ordering process, which has a knock on effect on when we get our food.\nWhen dinner finally arrives, we break out into leisurely conversations, in which it transpires that the two J\u0026rsquo;s are not the only ones on the verge of leaving. R is off in about a month\u0026rsquo;s time, O has his feet on two continents already, A\u0026rsquo;s entrepreneurial life is very much in full flow, two other youngsters are on the cusp of going away to University, and I am one job opening away from upping sticks myself. Even those who do not have active moves planned suggest in conversation that they would consider a move outside of town, all of which feeds the sense that a lot of change is afoot, and that the group is tottering on the edge of significant change, particularly over the next few months.\nWith the benefit of a few days to reflect over the events and feelings of the day, I find myself wondering what about these particular set of circumstances make the sense of change deeply personal. It is not like the group has stayed the same over the past few years I have been part of it. As recently as three or so months ago there was a significant departure, which make my initial guess that it is the sheer number of moves in a relatively small time scale that has largely engendered this feeling. Other possible reasons might be the relative importance of some of the people on the move this time, the season of life I am in, or just a plain, unexplained increased sensitivity to all of this.\nChange they say is inevitable but on this occasion I feel like I am being dragged kicking and screaming towards it.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/08/24/a-sense-of-an-ending/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/04849-friends.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpread out in various states of recline around a long table in the inner room of the Indian restaurant we have gathered in, I imagine we cast a scene not too dissimilar to [the last supper.](\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Supper_(Leonardo_da_Vinci)\"\u003ehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Supper_(Leonardo_da_Vinci)\u003c/a\u003e Not only are we thirteen (ignoring for a moment that S is barely 9 months old), it is a last supper of sorts, pulled together to celebrate the two J\u0026rsquo;s, in these their final days up here before they up sticks and move to study not too far off from ground zero in \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible_Belt\"\u003eAmerica\u0026rsquo;s bible belt\u003c/a\u003e. That we\u0026rsquo;ve plopped for Indian cuisine is perhaps a slight oddity given all thirteen of us have African roots. I suspect it is more indicative of the paucity of suitable eating options than adventure, which is why phones come out when it is time to order; google comes to the rescue. All that drags out the ordering process, which has a knock on effect on when we get our food.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Sense of An Ending?"},{"content":"I am seating in a meeting, listening to the folk around the table drone on about some subject now lost to memory when it hits me – in the way I imagine an out of body experience might – just how much of what is often dressed as expert opinion is little more than strongly expressed opinion. Far from thumbing my nose down at others, it is a farce I very much consider myself as a contributor to. That sense of winging it, making things up as I go along, is one which has come to define the first half of the year for me; from the vagaries of the aforementioned work situation to the minutiae of doing life, spread as it has been between the grey, dull granite of the \u0026lsquo;Deen and the leafy, colour-suffused greenery of the Wey country.\nIn the best of years, I face the second half of the year with a sense of tentativeness, primarily due to the fact that the six weeks between the 8th of July and the 15th of August are deeply emotive ones. This year, that sense of being dragged unwillingly into the second half of the year is heightened by my middling attempts at meeting the goals I set for myself at the beginning of the year. Boiled down to its essentials, 2018 was the year I would read (and write) more, lose weight (to the tune of ~ 10kg), go a long way towards replenishing the savings my Chelmsford exertions drained and complete a timed 10k race. Some progress has been made towards running that 10k (I am currently training for the Simply Health Great Aberdeen Run) and have managed to complete 7 of the 25 books I hope to read in 2018, but what is abundantly clear is that a humongous effort is required to recover and meet these targets.\nElsewhere work (and multiple trips to the middle of nowhere), travel and machine learning have been my continuum. In addition to Pula, pit stops over the course of the year have included Inverness, Glasgow and various dodgy London backwaters. I am only six weeks into a twelve week machine learning course on Coursera but what it has done to reignite niggling doubts in my mind about the future cannot be completely quantified. Poring over matrices, gradients and numerical computations has brought back to mind things learned in Further Mathematics many years ago, with the near instant feedback a few lines scripted in Octave can bring raising the question in my mind of what I want to do long term. A year ago, I could have sworn the corrosion and materials discipline was it for me (hence the Rust in RustGeek) but a combination of needing to move down south and studying has made me question what shape or form the move should take. I am far from being at a level of proficiency required to completely dump my past life and switch industries but I suspect if this horse had its wish, I would be dumping my rust geek card and picking up a Deep Mind one, never mind they are riddled with contractors.\nIt is not only on the subject of the future that niggling doubts assail me. Faith, developing a coherent world view and how that interfaces with science and what we know about the physical world is something that has floated on the periphery of my consciousness for a long time. The pitfall in all of this thinking is entertaining doubt for its own sake only, or worse as a proxy for a cool, worldly wise spirituality rather than as a means to an end, figuring out objective truth. That, this engagement of the mind and reason in the sphere of faith, is one that the church has a rich tradition of; Augustine, Origen, Eusebius, Anselm - to whom the motto fides quaerens intellectum - and more recently the likes of CS Lewis and John Stott all come to mind. Three books, one on the go and two on the to-read list, are likely to feature prominently here; Diarmaid MacCulloch\u0026rsquo;s (the partly read one) A History of Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years which attempts to chronicle the coalescence of various ideas into what we know and practise as Christianity from a historian\u0026rsquo;s viewpoint, NT Wright\u0026rsquo;s Paul: A Biography which looks to reinterpret Paul\u0026rsquo;s legacy from the perspective of a theologian\u0026rsquo;s who is not afraid to colour outside the lines a bit, and Rachel Held Evans\u0026rsquo;A Year of Biblical Womanhood which given her antecedents is likely to be a more modern, doubter turned believer again view. Paul looms large in all of this, predictably, given his outsize influence on the New Testament and its shaping, and also how a lot of the \u0026lsquo;problematic\u0026rsquo; bits of the new testament, especially it\u0026rsquo;s treatment of women relate to his teaching.\nIdentity is also another topic which has lingered on my mind these past few months, triggered in the main by the World Cup and the make up (and performance) of the French, Belgian, English and German teams. Trevor Noah\u0026rsquo;s take, the response from the French ambassador and his response all demonstrate how deeply nuanced the subject is. Whilst there is certainly some delight in seeing people like me do well for these countries (sans the English team of course which being the dour, Calvinist almost Scotsman I am I must hate), the fact that none of the \u0026lsquo;proper\u0026rsquo; African countries made it out of the group begs the question of if these sons of African émigrés have achieved what they have in spite of, rather than because they have African roots. The Mezut Ozil saga does suggest it is a little bit of both, with there being a sense in which the acceptance of one\u0026rsquo;s visible otherness is bestowed almost as a reward for being of the good other. Acceptance or not, the one question I have\u0026rsquo;t being able to wrap my head around is what I would do if I had a kid who was great at sport. Would I encourage them to represent Nigeria or their adopted country?\nThere are a lot of weighty things to mull over, and a few trips to the middle of nowhere to navigate but I would like to think I can make writing more a focus for this second half of the year. The benefits are obvious, I think, from providing an outlet for clearing my head and organising the prodigal thoughts swirling about in my head to providing opportunities for deliberate practice. I make no promises though, may what will be be.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/08/02/winging-it/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI am seating in a meeting, listening to the folk around the table drone on about some subject now lost to memory when it hits me – in the way I imagine an out of body experience might – just how much of what is often dressed as expert opinion is little more than strongly expressed opinion. Far from thumbing my nose down at others, it is a farce I very much consider myself as a contributor to. That sense of \u003cem\u003ewinging it\u003c/em\u003e, making things up as I go along, is one which has come to define the first half of the year for me; from the vagaries of the aforementioned work situation to the minutiae of doing life, spread as it has been between the grey, dull granite of the \u0026lsquo;Deen and the leafy, colour-suffused greenery of the \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Wey\"\u003eWey country\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Winging It"},{"content":" Keep my name on your lips When you pray remember this: I need you to cover me\nCover Me, from the album Total Attention. Gospel Music Royalty right here, if I say so myself..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/07/23/on-repeat-cover-me/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/QF1foD9ZhLQ?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eKeep my name on your lips\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eWhen you pray remember this:\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eI need you to cover me\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/track/33oaOIGEsJnjx31OvfxXZU\"\u003eCover Me\u003c/a\u003e, from the album \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/7D0vJF4hhykjuviisU72jR\"\u003eTotal Attention\u003c/a\u003e. Gospel Music Royalty right here, if I say so myself..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Repeat: Cover Me"},{"content":"It feels as good a time as any to begin to think about beginning again, what with it being the start of the second half of the year (and there being no scientific basis for determining that this point on the earth\u0026rsquo;s arc around the sun is any more an origin than say 10.53 am on April the 16th). That it is bang in the middle of a particularly emotive season - bookended by H\u0026rsquo;s birthday and mine, with her passing and her interment looming large over that six week period - also adds to that sense of an ending, and a need to draw a line in the sand and begin again.\nAll of that aside, the school holidays and the exodus of parents on summer holidays have meant that there is finally some breathing room at work, which has allowed me reopen my 2018 plan to eyeball where I am . As with 99% of the world, my performance has been middling at best with a few bright spots (read running, learning and savings). I\u0026rsquo;d like to think the second half of the year can be a big improvement, if this whole sense of coasting can be arrested for once.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/07/20/begin-again/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt feels as good a time as any to \u003cem\u003ebegin\u003c/em\u003e to think about \u003cem\u003ebeginning again\u003c/em\u003e, what with it being the start of the second half of the year (and there being no scientific basis for determining that this point on the earth\u0026rsquo;s arc around the sun is any more an origin than say 10.53 am on April the 16th). That it is bang in the middle of \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/07/24/on-loss/\"\u003ea particularly emotive season\u003c/a\u003e - bookended by H\u0026rsquo;s birthday and mine, with her passing and  her interment looming large over that six week period - also adds to that sense of an ending, and a need to draw a line in the sand and begin again.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Begin Again"},{"content":" What a mystery That You notice me And in a crowd of ten thousand You don\u0026rsquo;t miss a thing\nYou Don\u0026rsquo;t Miss A Thing, from the Bethel Music album We Will Not Be Shaken\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/07/16/on-repeat-you-dont-miss-a-thing/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/OzXgO7UfRHs?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhat a mystery\nThat You notice me\nAnd in a crowd of ten thousand\nYou don\u0026rsquo;t miss a thing\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://bethelmusic.com/chords-and-lyrics/we-will-not-be-shaken-you-dont-miss-a-thing/\"\u003eYou Don\u0026rsquo;t Miss A Thing\u003c/a\u003e,  from the Bethel Music album \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/6Es2No0kYBzVAQlSmsEaZm\"\u003eWe Will Not Be Shaken\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Repeat: You Don't Miss A Thing"},{"content":" There is something infinitely fascinating about a gaggle of Brits suddenly transposed from their dour, grey climes into warm, sunny 24- degree weather. Once the coats and jackets begin to lift, the noise levels increase. I suppose nothing says \u0026rsquo; your holiday begins now\u0026rsquo; more succinctly than being hit by a wall of hot air. On this occasion though, before the holiday properly begins, we have to navigate the small matter of customs and passport control at Pula Airport. Thankfully, it is a lot less painful than before, thanks to new passports, and good timing - just before the rush of traditional holiday season.\nGiancarlo, our Croatian guide with an Italian name, does a good job of finding everyone on our bus in time, and keeping us entertained with useful tattle as we make our way to the various hotels to drop folk off. The views from the window of our coach - red earth, plenty of greenery and (mainly) quaint, boxy buildings - suggest this is a place very much in its own image, yet to become fully subsumed in serving a tourist culture. That does not spare it from the long arms of globalisation though, the Lidl store not far away from the local Plodine underscoring some of the pressures behind the Asda - Sainsbury tie-up. Our hotel, the Park Avenue Histria, is the last stop, a walking distance from the Verudella marina. At first blush - grand facade apart - it doesn\u0026rsquo;t have the spanking new look of the Movenpick from Marrakech or the King Evelthon from Paphos, but once we are settled in, it feels like a good enough compromise between price and location, given what views of the sea we can see from our windows. The rest of that first day is spent catching our breath, having been up at 4.00 am for a 7.00 am flight from Gatwick (which ends up significantly delayed).\nThe next day, having been suitably energised by a good night\u0026rsquo;s sleep – and a hefty breakfast - we made a beeline for reception, where we found a walking tour of the city just about to set off. A wizened widower, returning for the first time since the loss of his wife, a retired banker who had taken up writing as a second career and his wife, and a couple from Montenegro now living in Berlin were in our group as well as a couple of British couples and ourselves. Our guide was yet another Croat with an Italian name, Romeo. The first stop on that tour was the local market where we mingled with the crowds eyeballing fresh fruit, vegetables and cheeses, with the smell of fresh fish from the adjoining fish market following us around. It was here we saw our first black face, in one of the stalls selling cheese. We did the thing, that barely perceptible nod that black people who find themselves interloping in the middle of a sea of other faces do to acknowledge each other. Once done with the market, our walk took us through the Golden Gate (more properly the Arch of the Sergi), then up steep, narrow side streets toward the maritime museum. Highlights of the route we took were James Joyce\u0026rsquo;s residence in Pula (click here for the fascinating story behind that) and the great view of the harbour with a few semi-subs in for maintenance. The shops along the way all had football shirts - Croatia had two players on the Real Madrid team which won the UEFA Champions League final, and will play in this year\u0026rsquo;s Football World cup. Football also came up in conversation with Romeo, when it came to light that we were Nigerian. The most breathtaking aspect of the tour was the old arena, its magnificent facade towering over that section of town - it is supposedly the most complete/ outstanding amphitheatre outside Rome. Once done, our group broke up with quite a few folk wanting to have a wander about the insides of the arena whilst others wanted to press on elsewhere. We made mental notes to return to the arena and the maritime museum later in the week.\nIt was a good thing we did the city tour when we did as the next two days ended up being miserable and wet, ruining our plans to go out on a boat tour. The silver lining from those days was running into Romeo at reception, alongside the writer and fashion buyer couple from our second day. At his prodding, we headed off to the sports facilities to golf in the rain and afterwards enjoy a mini table tennis tournament. When the rain let up on our fourth day, we visited the nearby aquarium, housed in a re-purposed Austro-Hungarian fort. The grey, boxy fort brought back memories of Vienna, and the Haus Der Meeres - housed in another re-purposed military installation.\nThe rest of our stay served up much better weather, which we took advantage of with a couple of packaged tours. The first of these, the flavours of Istria tour which we booked via our TUI representative, took in a number of the main tourist cities (Medullin, Vodnan, Bale, Porec and Rovinj) as well as a few out the way places (Zminj \u0026amp; Grzini from memory). Lunch was at an agro-tourism restaurant in Zminj (the Familija Ferlin) where we had a soup (manestra) for starters, hand made potato dumplings in a ragu sauce for the main and some fritule for dessert. Although our guide compared them to doughnuts, the more pertinent association in my inner Nigerian mind was to puff-puff. The second was a boat ride out of Medullin with a pit stop at caves for the more intrepid divers to explore and a grilled lunch aboard.\nThe long and varied history of the Istrian peninsula – from being first populated by an Illyrian tribe through various conquests and interactions with the Greeks, Romans, Franks, Goths, French, Venetians, the Austro-Hungarians, modern day Italians, Germans, and being part of Yugoslavia – was on display all through the whistle stop tour in the arena, numerous temple ruins, Rovinj with its colourful buildings down to the edge of the water, old church buildings with detailed murals and paintings, forts and military installations. This is a region of Croatia which has clearly been enriched by its various interactions with people over its history. How that history has affected the demographics of the region is a subject I cannot pretend to know enough of from a few days spent here but amidst the clamour of voices suggesting it has been good for the region there was the odd voice of discontent praising the central region for never being subsumed into the Venetian republic. Tito\u0026rsquo;s legacy was also another subject that spurred vigorous discussion. For all the vitriol lobbed in his direction in the West for being a dictator, I got a sense that he was venerated in many quarters in Pula. As one guide put it, even now we struggle to paint the things that Tito built.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/06/12/pula-notes/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is something infinitely fascinating about a \u003cem\u003egaggle\u003c/em\u003e of Brits suddenly transposed from their dour, grey climes into warm, sunny 24- degree weather. Once the coats and jackets begin to lift, the noise levels increase. I suppose nothing says \u0026rsquo; \u003cem\u003eyour holiday begins now\u003c/em\u003e\u0026rsquo; more succinctly than being hit by a wall of hot air.  On this occasion though, before the holiday properly begins, we have to navigate the small matter of customs and passport control at Pula Airport. Thankfully, it is a lot less painful than  \u003ca href=\"/2017/11/14/the-diary-the-paphos-files/\"\u003ebefore\u003c/a\u003e, thanks to new passports, and good timing - just before the rush of traditional holiday season.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Pula Notes"},{"content":" DSC\\_0006 DSC\\_0012 DSC\\_0038 DSC\\_0044 DSC\\_0061 DSC\\_0070 DSC\\_0084 DSC\\_0096 DSC\\_0114 DSC\\_0135 DSC\\_0152 DSC\\_0156 DSC\\_0158 DSC\\_0180 DSC\\_0185 DSC\\_0217 DSC\\_0233 DSC\\_0236 DSC\\_0256 DSC\\_0273 DSC\\_0284 DSC\\_0295 DSC\\_0301 DSC\\_0321 DSC\\_0323 DSC\\_0366 DSC\\_0379 DSC\\_0427 DSC\\_0432 DSC\\_0438 DSC\\_0487 DSC\\_0509 DSC\\_0511 DSC\\_0524 DSC\\_0529 DSC\\_0531 DSC\\_0532 DSC\\_0533 DSC\\_0539 DSC\\_0541 DSC\\_0544 DSC\\_0548 DSC\\_0560 DSC\\_0562 DSC\\_0566 DSC\\_0636 IMG\\_5342 ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/pula-in-pictures/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-1\"\u003e\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/f4070-dsc%5F0006.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0006\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0006\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/abeb9-dsc%5F0012.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0012\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0012\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/cf42a-dsc%5F0038.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0038\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0038\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/051f6-dsc%5F0044.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0044\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0044\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/3621a-dsc%5F0061.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0061\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0061\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/3c7ea-dsc%5F0070.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0070\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0070\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/54a03-dsc%5F0084.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0084\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0084\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/035b9-dsc%5F0096.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0096\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0096\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/eb8a5-dsc%5F0114.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0114\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0114\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/7086c-dsc%5F0135.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0135\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0135\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/503ca-dsc%5F0152.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0152\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0152\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/30a15-dsc%5F0156.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0156\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0156\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/78fd2-dsc%5F01581.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0158\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0158\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/eb08f-dsc%5F0180.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0180\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0180\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/d7571-dsc%5F0185.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0185\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0185\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/e9f70-dsc%5F0217.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0217\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0217\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/51c5a-dsc%5F0233.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0233\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0233\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/9e5e4-dsc%5F0236.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0236\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0236\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/0ee1c-dsc%5F0256.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0256\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0256\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/1f49e-dsc%5F0273.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0273\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0273\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/bdf9a-dsc%5F0284.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0284\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0284\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/4713f-dsc%5F0295.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0295\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0295\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/99bdc-dsc%5F0301.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0301\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0301\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/e3247-dsc%5F0321.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0321\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0321\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/b6ae3-dsc%5F0323.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0323\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0323\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/21ea0-dsc%5F0366.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0366\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0366\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/9a694-dsc%5F0379.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0379\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0379\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/47357-dsc%5F0427.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0427\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0427\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/49645-dsc%5F0432.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0432\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0432\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/3e2ff-dsc%5F0438.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0438\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0438\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/ce7e4-dsc%5F0487.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0487\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0487\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/cc023-dsc%5F0509.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0509\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0509\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/e9d30-dsc%5F0511.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0511\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0511\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/8166b-dsc%5F0524.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0524\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0524\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/b088e-dsc%5F0529.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0529\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0529\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/8c8c0-dsc%5F0531.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0531\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0531\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/43ea4-dsc%5F0532.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0532\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0532\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/edcab-dsc%5F0533.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0533\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0533\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/0ab17-dsc%5F0539.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0539\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0539\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/0f621-dsc%5F0541.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0541\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0541\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/a7e88-dsc%5F0544.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0544\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0544\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2b5e1-dsc%5F0548.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0548\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0548\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/58cfc-dsc%5F0560.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0560\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0560\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/459d2-dsc%5F0562.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0562\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0562\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/a1ecd-dsc%5F0566.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0566\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0566\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/fe33e-dsc%5F0636.jpg\"\n         alt=\"DSC\\_0636\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            DSC\\_0636\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/cc8f6-img%5F5342.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_5342\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_5342\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e","title":"Pula in Pictures"},{"content":"\nThe greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not the X-rated video, but the prime-time dribble of triviality we drink in every night. For all the ill that Satan can do, when God describes what keeps us from the banquet table of his love, it is a piece of land, a yoke of oxen, and a wife (Luke 4:18–20).\nFrom John Piper\u0026rsquo;s seminal book, A Hunger for God. For the third day of this challenge for which Mrs T nominated me(thanks Sis!).\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/05/20/3-day-quote-challenge-3/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/74b9e-piper_hungerforgod.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not the X-rated video, but the prime-time dribble of triviality we drink in every night. For all the ill that Satan can do, when God describes what keeps us from the banquet table of his love, it is a piece of land, a yoke of oxen, and a wife (Luke 4:18–20).\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"3 Day Quote Challenge - 3"},{"content":"\nImage Source Not all who wander are lost\nFor the second day of the challenge for which Mrs T nominated me, this J. R. R. Tolkien quote comes to mind. A line in a poem in the first volume of Tolkien\u0026rsquo;s Lord of The Rings, it refers to the Rangers who although often considered vagabonds are actually protectors and bulwarks against evil in Middle Earth.\nFor me it speaks of hope, a reminder that despite times and seasons in which life conspires to rock my faith and unresolved questions bubble to the surface, I am not lost. Just wondering, pondering and finding my way home in the end.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/05/19/3-day-quote-challenge-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/bd391-3-day-challenge-2.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"image-source\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://wingsoffire.wikia.com/wiki/File:Not-all-who-wander-are-lost-15725.jpg\"\u003eImage Source\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNot all who wander are lost\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the second day of the challenge for which \u003ca href=\"https://aletheasmind.wordpress.com/2018/05/09/3-day-quote-challenge-3/\"\u003eMrs T nominated me\u003c/a\u003e, this J. R. R. Tolkien quote comes to mind. A line in a poem in the first volume of Tolkien\u0026rsquo;s \u003cem\u003eLord of The Rings,\u003c/em\u003e it refers to the Rangers who although often considered vagabonds are actually protectors and bulwarks against evil in Middle Earth.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor me it \u003ca href=\"/2016/02/26/55-wandering-pondering/\"\u003espeaks of hope\u003c/a\u003e, a reminder that despite times and seasons in which \u003ca href=\"/2014/08/13/the-way-the-world-ends-on-loss-and-lostness/\"\u003elife conspires to rock my faith\u003c/a\u003e and unresolved questions bubble to the surface, I am not lost. Just wondering, pondering and \u003ca href=\"/2015/10/22/a-year-of-living-earnestly/\"\u003efinding my way home in the end\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"3 Day Quote Challenge - 2"},{"content":"Rovinj, Croatia. For the WordPress photo challenge prompt, Liquid\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/05/18/liquid/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/82f19-20_liquid.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/82f19-20_liquid.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cem\u003eRovinj\u003c/em\u003e, Croatia. For the WordPress photo challenge prompt, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/liquid/\"\u003eLiquid\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Liquid"},{"content":"Mrs T, she of the keen mind and boundless energy, nominated me for the 3 day quote challenge, the key requirements being:\nThank the person who nominated you. (Thanks Mrs T). Post a quote each day, for 3 consecutive days and say why it appeals to you. Nominate 3 different bloggers each day! 🙂 PS. As I am no longer as personally connected to tons of bloggers as I used to be, I\u0026rsquo;ve opted to fulfil items 1 \u0026amp; 2 only.\n\u0026ndash;\nImage source;\nHe is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.\nMy first encounter with this quote from Jim Elliot\u0026rsquo;s diary is lost to the blurred edges of memory but if I were to hazard a guess it would have had to be at one of the myriad youth camps and Sunday schools I was dragged along to in my teens. Jim Elliot\u0026rsquo;s story is a fascinating if morbid one, of martyrdom, forgiveness and building an enduring legacy, things which matter in the long run.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/05/18/3-day-quote-challenge-1/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMrs T, \u003ca href=\"https://aletheasmind.wordpress.com/\"\u003eshe of the keen mind and boundless energy\u003c/a\u003e,  nominated me for the 3 day quote challenge, the key requirements being:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eThank the person who nominated you. (\u003ca href=\"https://aletheasmind.wordpress.com/2018/05/09/3-day-quote-challenge-3/\"\u003eThanks Mrs T\u003c/a\u003e).\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003ePost a quote each day, for 3 consecutive days and say why it appeals to you.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eNominate 3 different bloggers each day! 🙂\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePS. As I am no longer as personally connected to tons of bloggers as I used to be, I\u0026rsquo;ve opted to fulfil items 1 \u0026amp; 2 only.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"3 Day Quote Challenge - 1"},{"content":"For S. Six months. Beneath the light of the autumn sun, perched on the edge of that seventh hill we quivered in the chill of the breeze, basking in the delight of a promise shared. I walked away with your name etched on my skin, a weight borne in my heart like an anchor in an uncertain storm. Moons ago there was trepidation there,but now like a once floundering ship finally headed home, there is a whole, where a hole once was.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/04/27/napowrimo18-day-27/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"for-s-six-months\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor S. Six months.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeneath the light\nof the autumn sun,\nperched on the edge\nof that seventh hill\nwe quivered in the\nchill of the breeze,\nbasking in the delight\nof a promise shared.\nI walked away\nwith your name etched\non my skin, a weight\nborne in my heart\nlike an anchor in\nan uncertain storm.\nMoons ago\nthere was trepidation\nthere,but now\nlike a once floundering\nship finally headed home,\nthere is a whole,\nwhere a hole once was.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#NaPoWriMo18: Day 27"},{"content":"Sensed, for the Day 26 prompt. --- Sometimes joy is the rush of wind past skin, as one finds a rhythm in which feet pound pavements, the sight of the night sky tinged pink, like a splash of paint on a vast canvas. Sometimes joy is the scent of bread on a cold winter day, an invitation whispered on the wings of the wind to hunker down before a fire and be. Whether in the brush of soft breath on skin, the quiet reassurance of a song remembered, heard in the bottom of the soul, and the warmth of spices on the tongue, joy sometimes is, what is not uncertain is that home is there.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/04/26/napowrimo-day-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/8021f-26-sky.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eSensed, for the \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-twenty-six-4/\"\u003eDay 26 prompt.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\n---\nSometimes joy is the rush of wind\npast skin, as one finds a rhythm\nin which feet pound pavements,\nthe sight of the night sky tinged\npink, like a splash of paint\non a vast canvas.\nSometimes joy is the scent of bread\non a cold winter day, an invitation\nwhispered on the wings of the wind\nto hunker down before a fire and be.\nWhether in the brush of soft breath\non skin, the quiet reassurance of a\nsong remembered, heard in the bottom\nof the soul, and the warmth of spices\non the tongue, joy sometimes is,\nwhat is not uncertain is that\nhome is there.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#NaPoWriMo18: Day 26"},{"content":"Image by M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, University at Albany, SUNY (via NPR\u0026rsquo;s Hidden Brain Podcast), for the Day 24 prompt. Inspired by Emma, Carrie and Vivian\u0026rsquo;s stories.\n--- They branded them the feeble minded, when all they were were the wronged ones.\nOnce a face begins to fade into the fog of otherness, doubt begins to assail the humanity of the other.\nWe wished we spoke for you when they came - before your lives were stashed behind that cordon of red brick\nEmma, Carrie, Vivian Emma, Carrie, Vivian May your voices be eternal\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/04/24/napowrimo18-day24-an-elegy-for-the-feeble-minded/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/a1c45-24-feebleminded.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eImage by M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, University at Albany, SUNY (\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2018/04/23/604926914/emma-carrie-vivian-how-a-family-became-a-test-case-for-forced-sterilizations\"\u003evia NPR\u0026rsquo;s Hidden Brain Podcast)\u003c/a\u003e, for the \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-twenty-four-4/\"\u003eDay 24 prompt.\u003c/a\u003e Inspired by Emma, Carrie and Vivian\u0026rsquo;s stories.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\nThey branded them\nthe feeble minded,\nwhen all they were\nwere the wronged ones.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce a face begins\nto fade into the fog\nof otherness, doubt\nbegins to assail the\nhumanity of the other.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe wished we spoke\nfor you when they came -\nbefore your lives\nwere stashed behind\nthat cordon of red brick\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#NaPoWriMo18: Day24, An Elegy for the 'Feeble-minded'"},{"content":"\nAfter the sun, for the Day 19 prompt. --- A lone man stands in front of the bus shelter, his bag slung across his shoulder, hands stuck deep in his pockets, staring out towards the square, at the space where the bus should be.Behind him, four bicycles lie in various states of harness. Before him, the square liessuffused with light. The calm, strange for this time of the day, is broken when as though dumped from an arriving train, a flood of people begins to traverse the square. After that comes the rain, after which it becomes clear that the quiet that came before was only the calm before the storm. Alone, his bag slung across his shoulder he stares. The square lies suffused with light. Calm, strange day. Then the rain.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/04/19/napowrimo18-day-19/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/72661-19-view.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter the sun, for the \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-nineteen-3/\"\u003eDay 19\u003c/a\u003e prompt.\n---\nA lone man stands in front of the bus shelter, his bag slung across his shoulder, hands stuck deep in his pockets, staring out towards the square, at the space where the bus should be.Behind him, four bicycles lie in various states of harness. Before him, the square liessuffused with light. The calm, strange for this time of the day, is broken when as though dumped from an arriving train, a flood of people begins to traverse the square. After that comes the rain, after which it becomes clear that the quiet that came before was only the calm before the storm. \u003cem\u003eAlone, his\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003ebag slung across his shoulder\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003ehe stares.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eThe square lies\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003esuffused with light. Calm, strange day.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eThen the rain.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#NaPoWriMo18: Day 19"},{"content":"After Eduardo C. Corral\u0026rsquo;s Ceremonial, for the Day 18 prompt. --- Here I am lord, crouched behind the door of this sanctuary, wedding dress crammed into a closet, clenched fist clutching a rosary hoping the bite of its ragged edges will bring absolution for this fleeing. Like a dream hovering just beyond the reach of remembering the taste of sugared rancid sweat lingers. This war within, between the ghosts of things once thought and things now heard rages. These thick thighs and belly fat belie the assignation of beauty. Prayer cannot assuage this tumult, this self flagellation. I pinch and pull, cry myself hoarse In deliruim.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/04/18/napowrimo18-day-18/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAfter Eduardo C. Corral\u0026rsquo;s  \u003ca href=\"https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/ceremonial\"\u003eCeremonial\u003c/a\u003e, for the \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-eighteen-4/\"\u003eDay 18\u003c/a\u003e prompt.\n---\nHere I am lord,\ncrouched behind the door\nof this sanctuary,\nwedding dress\ncrammed into a closet,\nclenched fist\nclutching a rosary\nhoping the bite\nof its ragged edges\nwill bring absolution\nfor this fleeing.\nLike a dream hovering\njust beyond the reach\nof remembering\nthe taste of sugared\nrancid sweat lingers.\nThis war within, between\nthe ghosts of things\nonce thought and things\nnow heard rages.\nThese thick thighs and belly fat\nbelie the assignation of beauty.\nPrayer cannot assuage\nthis tumult, this self flagellation.\nI pinch and pull, cry myself hoarse\nIn deliruim.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#NaPoWriMo18: Day 18"},{"content":"Photo by Ruxandra Mateiu on Unsplash, for the Day 16 prompt. --- Where once we Wrapped ourselves in heavy Furs and coats\nWe now skip Free, drawn by the warmth of the Reborn sun.\nThe scent of Daffodils, chirp of spring birds Unfurls joy\nSpring has sprung And like children, giddy with Joy, we play.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/04/16/napowrimo18-day-16-springing/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/d1072-16-spring.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/rrXk6BopdiI?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eRuxandra Mateiu\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash,\u003c/a\u003e for the \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-sixteen-5/\"\u003eDay 16 prompt.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\n---\nWhere once we\nWrapped ourselves in heavy\nFurs and coats\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe now skip\nFree, drawn by the warmth of the\nReborn sun.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe scent of\nDaffodils, chirp of spring birds\nUnfurls joy\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpring has sprung\nAnd like children, giddy with\nJoy, we play.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#NaPoWriMo18: Day 16, Springing"},{"content":"\n\u0026ndash; Cry for the riven country. For the ones for whom doom descended from the skies in Douma, spreading death in the wake of its yellow green tendrils.\nCry for the dead and the dying. For the ones culled from the living, whose blood, like a libation rejected pools at the altar of the sixth fleet.\nThe whine of drones, swish of tomahawks and boom of hellfires pounding earth into tired dust assail their ears, lighting up the night sky.\nCry for the four horsemen loosed, for the quickly forgotten and the lost ones.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/04/15/napowrimo18-day-15-cry/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/fb19e-syria-assad-chemical-attack-douma-jaish-al-islam-kurds-ypg-kurdistan-944900.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\nCry for the riven country.\nFor the ones for whom doom\ndescended from the skies in Douma,\nspreading death in the wake\nof its yellow green tendrils.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCry for the dead and the dying.\nFor the ones culled from the living,\nwhose blood, like a libation rejected\npools at the altar of the sixth fleet.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe whine of drones,\nswish of tomahawks and boom of hellfires\npounding earth into tired dust\nassail their ears, lighting up\nthe night sky.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#NaPoWriMo18: Day 15, Cry"},{"content":"A Haibun, for the Day Twelve prompt. --- The greyness subsumes everything, water filled skies allied to grey granite blocks defining the sky line. Sometimes, a mist will drift in from the sea, shrouding the city in a gloomy pall. The winds howl incessantly, its fingers reaching through every gap and every crack spreading chill and forcing a quickening of the footstep of all who brave the elements. The defining characteristic though is one of just getting on with it. Sometimes - for two days of summer as we say - the sun comes out.\nAfter the rain, sometimes the sun does shine Cherished.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/04/12/napowrimo18-day-12/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/2ae12-13-rainbow.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eA Haibun, for the \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-twelve-6/\"\u003eDay Twelve prompt\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\n---\nThe greyness subsumes everything, water filled skies allied to grey granite blocks defining the sky line. Sometimes, a mist will drift in from the sea, shrouding the city in a gloomy pall. The winds howl incessantly, its fingers reaching through every gap and every crack spreading chill and forcing a quickening of the footstep of all who brave the elements. The defining characteristic though is one of just getting on with it. Sometimes - for two days of summer as we say - the sun comes out.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#NaPoWriMo18: Day 12"},{"content":"Image source: Huffington Post. For the Day 11 prompt. ---\nTime tinges the Future with death and demise Certain end.\nEach day is A war won by birthing the Self anew.\nThe claws of Time etch themselves in our skin Separating\nDesire from Response,bending will to reality.\nThe world ends Not with a bang but with a Whimper*.\n\u0026ndash; \\* T.S Elliot, The Hollow Men.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/04/11/napowrimo18-day-11/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/9fade-11-aging.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eImage source: \u003ca href=\"https://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-spector-md/not-so-fast-3-ways-to-slo_b_12661378.html\"\u003eHuffington Post\u003c/a\u003e. For the \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-eleven-6/\"\u003eDay 11 prompt\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\n---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTime tinges the\nFuture with death and demise\nCertain end.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach day is\nA war won by birthing the\nSelf anew.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe claws of\nTime etch themselves in our skin\nSeparating\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDesire from\nResponse,bending will to\nreality.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe world ends\nNot with a bang but with a\nWhimper*.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\n\u003cem\u003e\\* \u003ca href=\"https://www2.bc.edu/john-g-boylan/files/thehollowmen.pdf\"\u003eT.S Elliot, The Hollow Men\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#NaPoWriMo18: Day 11"},{"content":"Photo by Josh Applegate on Unsplash, for the Day 8 prompt, revisited.\n--- Sanctify my body as I pray; with clasped hands, bowed head, kneeling here, before this altar of remembering.\nI come for the broken bread, blessed, become shredded body. And wine in urn, become blood, spilt forty times but one.\nSin seethes beneath the surface of this body, this flesh from earth descended, unravelling like a thread roughly yanked from frayed yarn.\nVerbum caro, panem verum I seek the redemption in your flayed flesh. Sanctify this body As I pray.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/04/10/napowrimo18-day-10-transubstantiation/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/72c4f-08-transubstantiation.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/nkIABAQDlxs?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eJosh Applegate\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/search/photos/eucharist?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e, for the \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-eight-5/\"\u003eDay 8 prompt\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/04/08/napowrimo18-day-8-transubstantiation/\"\u003erevisited\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\nSanctify\nmy body as I pray;\nwith clasped hands,\nbowed head, kneeling\nhere, before this altar\nof remembering.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI come\nfor the broken bread,\nblessed, become\nshredded body. And wine\nin urn, become blood,\nspilt forty times\nbut one.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSin seethes\nbeneath the surface\nof this body, this flesh\nfrom earth descended,\nunravelling like a thread\nroughly yanked from\nfrayed yarn.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#NaPoWriMo18: Day 10, Transubstantiation"},{"content":"Photo by Josh Applegate on Unsplash, for the Day 8 prompt.\n--- With bowed heads and clasped hands we come In quiet supplication, knees bowed, flesh unstrung- Hearts humbled, at the feet of the priest For bread broken. Blessed. Becoming crackling body And wine. Slipped into silver urn. Spilt blood. Divine liquid.\nPange, lingua, gloriósi Córporis mystérium, Sanguinísque pretiósi,\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/04/08/napowrimo-day-transubstantiation/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/72c4f-08-transubstantiation.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/nkIABAQDlxs?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eJosh Applegate\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/search/photos/eucharist?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e, for the \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-eight-5/\"\u003eDay 8 prompt\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\nWith bowed heads and clasped hands we come\nIn quiet supplication, knees bowed, flesh unstrung-\nHearts humbled, at the feet of the priest\nFor bread broken. Blessed. Becoming crackling body\nAnd wine. Slipped into silver urn. Spilt blood.\nDivine liquid.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePange, lingua, gloriósi\nCórporis mystérium,\nSanguinísque pretiósi,\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#NaPoWriMo18: Day 8, Transubstantiation"},{"content":"My father looms Like a colossus in my mind His voice, tinged with righteous anger The lyric of my powerless youth But now in my season of adulthood, I see him as he is, A man who tried his very best But was human too.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/04/07/napowrimo-day-father/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMy father looms\nLike a colossus in my mind\nHis voice, tinged with righteous anger\nThe lyric of my powerless youth\nBut now in my season of adulthood,\nI see him as he is,\nA man who tried his very best\nBut was human too.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#NaPoWriMo18: Day 7, Father"},{"content":"For the ones the genes took. Photo by Wendy Scofield on Unsplash. We prayed the Jinns would not take you That when the dust from your fighting feet, and the chill of the terror of the night would lift you would return in peace.\nWith our knees we ground a hole into the ground from constant supplication, in hope that you would be whole again but the genes would not let up\nAnd like a sapling cut down in its prime you are becoming a fading memory.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/04/06/napowrimo18-day-6/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"for-the-ones-the-genes-took-photo-by\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/288b2-06-remembered.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor the ones the genes took. Photo by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/AQkvtzM6eqU?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eWendy Scofield\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/search/photos/burial?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe prayed the Jinns would not take you\nThat when the dust from your fighting feet, and the chill of the terror of the night would lift\nyou would return in peace.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith our knees we ground a hole\ninto the ground from constant supplication, in hope that you would be whole again\nbut the genes would not let up\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#NaPoWriMo18: Day 6, For The Ones The Genes Took"},{"content":" Image from Great Inspire, for the Day 5 prompt, only partially fulfilled. ---\nCome let us dance our discordant thoughts to calmness, joined by the rhythm of our joyful hearts, and a song welling up from deep within.\nLike a bird loosed from the tenuous grasp of gravity\u0026rsquo;s hold, let us float away. With the spring of defiant Freedom in our steps.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/04/05/napowrimo18-day-5-foot-loose/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/d281c-05-footloose.jpg\"\u003e\nImage from \u003ca href=\"http://greatinspire.com/30-stunning-black-and-white-photography/\"\u003eGreat Inspire\u003c/a\u003e, for the \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-five-5/\"\u003eDay 5 prompt\u003c/a\u003e, only partially fulfilled.\n---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCome let us dance\nour discordant thoughts\nto calmness, joined by the rhythm\nof our joyful hearts,\nand a song welling up\nfrom deep within.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike a bird\nloosed from the tenuous\ngrasp of gravity\u0026rsquo;s hold,\nlet us float away.\nWith the spring of defiant\nFreedom in our steps.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#NaPoWriMo18: Day 5, Foot loose"},{"content":"For the Day 4 Prompt, a challenge to describe an abstraction with concrete nouns. Photo by Steve Halama on Unsplash --- What it is is something smouldering A tiny reed, slowly taking flame That perchance with time might Burst into a raging flame\nWhat it is is a call and response A place remembered and returned to In a season of despair\nIn its light one sees the self in all its glory warts and all, and learns the painful truth that one is human too\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/04/04/napowrimo18-day-4-what-it-is/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/a5b47-04-love.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor the \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-four-6/\"\u003eDay 4 Prompt\u003c/a\u003e, a challenge to describe an abstraction with concrete nouns. Photo by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/YRgPxwbvY0E?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eSteve Halama\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/search/photos/love?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\n---\nWhat it is is something smouldering\nA tiny reed, slowly taking flame\nThat perchance with time might\nBurst into a raging flame\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat it is is a call and response\nA place remembered and returned to\nIn a season of despair\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn its light one sees\nthe self in all its glory\nwarts and all,\nand learns the painful truth\nthat one is human too\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#NaPoWriMo18: Day 4, What It Is"},{"content":"For the Day 3 prompt, A list poem of band names. I fear my choices betray my age (and my penchant for Christian Contemporary Music). Photo by frankie cordoba on Unsplash. --- Six Pence None The Richer for you corrodes my conformity into discordant notes.\nOn Black Street s, six degrees north of Building 429 a Rush Of Fools Switches foot and stops to breathe again.\nDC Talks to the Newsboys Ignoring Caedmon\u0026rsquo;s Call Until the Third Day when the Second Chapter Of Acts is unleashed.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/04/03/napowrimo18-day-3-name-dropping/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/6ba16-03-band.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor the \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-three-4/\"\u003eDay 3 prompt\u003c/a\u003e, A list poem of band names. I fear my choices betray my age (and my penchant for Christian Contemporary Music). Photo by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/NY0q924REbQ?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003efrankie cordoba\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/search/photos/band?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\n---\n\u003cstrong\u003eSix Pence None The Richer\u003c/strong\u003e\nfor you corrodes my conformity\ninto discordant notes.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn \u003cstrong\u003eBlack Street\u003c/strong\u003e s,\nsix degrees north of \u003cstrong\u003eBuilding 429\u003c/strong\u003e\na \u003cstrong\u003eRush Of Fools\u003c/strong\u003e Switches foot\nand stops to breathe again.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDC Talks\u003c/strong\u003e to the \u003cstrong\u003eNewsboys\u003c/strong\u003e\nIgnoring \u003cstrong\u003eCaedmon\u0026rsquo;s Call\u003c/strong\u003e\nUntil the \u003cstrong\u003eThird Day\u003c/strong\u003e\nwhen the \u003cstrong\u003eSecond Chapter Of Acts\u003c/strong\u003e\nis unleashed.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#NaPoWriMo18: Day 3, Name Dropping"},{"content":"Snowed in, somewhat. For the Day 2 prompt. I ache in the winter when it rains. When the wind, like the fingers of a malevolent one probe beneath.\nDeep down in a place sometimes lost where memories once lived, lies the linger of disquiet.For forgetting.\nSome days the smell of fresh wood wafts in, borne as though on wings of the wind. Then, these bones - aching in the cold - rejoice.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/04/02/napowrimo18-day-2-home/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"snowed-in-somewhat-for-the\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ef1fa-02-home-ache.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eSnowed in, somewhat. For the \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-two-5/\"\u003eDay 2 prompt\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI ache\nin the winter when it rains.\nWhen the wind, like the fingers\nof a malevolent one probe beneath.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeep down\nin a place sometimes lost\nwhere memories once lived,\nlies the linger of disquiet.For forgetting.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome days\nthe smell of fresh wood wafts in,\nborne as though on wings of the wind.\nThen, these bones - aching in the cold - rejoice.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#NaPoWriMo18: Day 2, Home"},{"content":"Off prompt for Day 1, Photo by Francesco Gallarotti on Unsplash --- Let us begin again at dawn. With the stirring songs of the Skylarks ringing in our ears, the dappled light of the rising sun, smell of moist earth and the distant lap of a gentle wave calling us. In the shadows of the stations, along this winding tortuous path we have climbed this mount, where like a seed once dead is reborn, we arise again.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/04/01/napowrimo18-day-1/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/d0d5f-01-begin-again.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eOff prompt for \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/here-we-go/\"\u003eDay 1\u003c/a\u003e, Photo by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/ruQHpukrN7c?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eFrancesco Gallarotti\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/search/photos/growing?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\n---\nLet us begin again\nat dawn. With the stirring songs\nof the Skylarks ringing in our ears,\nthe dappled light of the rising sun,\nsmell of moist earth and the distant lap\nof a gentle wave calling us.\nIn the shadows of \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stations_of_the_Cross\"\u003ethe stations\u003c/a\u003e,\nalong this winding tortuous path\nwe have climbed this mount,\nwhere like a seed once dead\nis reborn, we arise again.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#NaPoWriMo18: Day 1, Begin Again"},{"content":"Offshore Nigeria, back in the day. For the prompt Rise/Set. --- It is now a mere three days to the start of National Poetry Month this year, three years since I last participated. Back then in addition to the prompts from the NaPoWriMo website, I had La Reine and Tolu for company, two poets who are far more deserving of the label. I plan on jumping in this year, the idea primarily being to participate, rather than hammer out high quality poetry. Fingers crossed.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/03/29/poetry-writing-month/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/83b5b-13-sunrise.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eOffshore Nigeria, back in the day. For the \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/rise-set/\"\u003eprompt Rise/Set\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\n---\nIt is now a \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/three-days-until-na-glopowrimo/\"\u003emere three days\u003c/a\u003e to the start of National Poetry Month this year, \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/napowrimo/\"\u003ethree years since I last participated\u003c/a\u003e. Back then in addition to the prompts from the \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/\"\u003eNaPoWriMo website\u003c/a\u003e, I had \u003ca href=\"https://yungbe.blogspot.co.uk/\"\u003eLa Reine\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/toluOloruntoba\"\u003eTolu\u003c/a\u003e for company, two poets who are far more deserving of the label. I plan on jumping in this year, the idea primarily being to \u003cem\u003eparticipate,\u003c/em\u003e rather than hammer out high quality poetry. Fingers crossed.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#NaPoWriMo18"},{"content":"Photo by Zen Photographer on Unsplash\n\u0026ndash; Eat-sleep-work-walk; wash-rinse-repeat. This just about sums up the past six weeks for me, travel down south being one of the few brights spots in an otherwise humdrum existence. In that state the days blur into each other - the weekend when it comes offering scant relief - before being quickly subsumed by a new Monday morning and the start of a new cycle of drudgery. It is that time of the year when the final reports from last year are being reviewed and finishing touches made to the detailed plans for the new year\u0026rsquo;s work so there is little scope for escape.\nThe various iterations of the Beast from the East have also had their say, ice and snow being so serious that for the first time in a while those who live in the sticks were permitted to work from home. Being a centre dweller, I managed to make it into work regardless, the main impact of all that snow and ice being to put paid to my practice of lunch time walking and my running. That at least is my excuse. The one upside has been the opportunity to load up on the reading - the small matter of six books being downed from the twenty five I plan on reading this year.\nAway from proper books I have been doing a lot of web-based reading, which is how I stumbled onto Tom Chritchlow\u0026rsquo;s Small B- blogging post (via Om Malik\u0026rsquo;s link). Tom\u0026rsquo;s premise is that purposefully crafting content for a small deliberate audience provides more value to both the writer and the reader than the content market approach that larger networks seem to favour. It is a sentiment that has been kicking about in various forms in the networks I float about in, a piece on the \u0026lsquo;demise\u0026rsquo; of the mommy blog and one by Ethan Zuckerman being the examples that come most readily to mind. Although the Zuckerman post is a plug for gobo.social, it raises a number of points which, in our very own Facebook inspired 1984 dystopia, are particularly relevant. For what it is worth, I believe I read and follow a number of solid small b-blogs; Caitlin Kelly\u0026rsquo;s Broadside Blog, Elizabeth Adams\u0026rsquo;Cassandra Pages and the aforementioned Ethan Zuckerman\u0026rsquo;s My Heart Is In Accra all come to mind.\nThe Social Media as Big Brother narrative has most certainly come home to roost on Facebook\u0026rsquo;s porch, Facebook\u0026rsquo;s dealings with Cambridge Analytical leading to investors voting with their money to the tune of $58billion and counting. That Facebook has been harvesting user call log and messaging data for quite a while only worsens the situation, discovered ironically as users have exited the service in response to the Cambridge Analytical findings. Amidst the hue and cry, I found William Davies\u0026rsquo; take in the London Review of Books more clear eyed than most. Whilst Facebook might currently be the most egregious example of the social-as-big-brother problem , it is one which is deeply intertwined with the very fabric of the internet. Unplugging might be a solution, except for the small matter of the fact that everyone - Amazon, Google, Free wifi on the London Underground and almost every single online media outlet (including the ones who have raised the hue and cry) all gather data on their users. That horse may have already bolted.\nLoads to reflect on then - big and small over the last few weeks. For me, my love hate relationship with Facebook continues. How long this latest season of deactivation lasts remains to be seen.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/03/27/coming-up-for-air-spring/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/67072-zen-photographer-343571-unsplash.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/1WJI_0_VL5A?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eZen Photographer\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/search/photos/swimming-?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\n\u003cem\u003eEat-sleep-work-walk; wash-rinse-repeat\u003c/em\u003e. This just about sums up the past six weeks for me, travel down south being one of the few brights spots in an otherwise humdrum existence. In that state the days blur into each other - the weekend when it comes offering scant relief - before being quickly subsumed by a new Monday morning and the start of a new cycle of drudgery.  It is that time of the year when the final reports from last year are being reviewed and finishing touches made to the detailed plans for the new year\u0026rsquo;s work so there is little scope for escape.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Coming Up For Air"},{"content":"\nA throwback of sorts to Lagos in 2015 and catching up with D at Hans \u0026amp; Rene. For the prompt, Sweet.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/02/15/7-sweet/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"07.Sweet\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/7b9d0-07-sweet.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA throwback of sorts to Lagos in 2015 and catching up with D at Hans \u0026amp; Rene. For the prompt, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/sweet/\"\u003eSweet\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#7 - Sweet"},{"content":"Photo by Thuong Do on Unsplash\nThis year for lent, I am taking up the challenge from Desiring God to read through John Piper\u0026rsquo;s book, Fifty Reasons Jesus Came To Die. Whilst that may or may not be more spiritual than giving up caffeine, what is not in doubt is that it is firmly aligned with a few of the things I want to achieve this year, notably read more books, and developing a daily practice of prayer and bible study. At a chapter a day (and two on Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday), it shouldn\u0026rsquo;t be too big a strain on all the other reading I\u0026rsquo;m doing. Win-win? I\u0026rsquo;d say so!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/02/13/lent/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"lent\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/b71ca-lent.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/UDwClX-hN_I?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eThuong Do\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/search/photos/lent?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis year for lent, I am taking up \u003ca href=\"https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/join-the-40-day-feast\"\u003ethe challenge\u003c/a\u003e from Desiring God to read through John Piper\u0026rsquo;s book, \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.desiringgod.org/books/fifty-reasons-why-jesus-came-to-die\"\u003eFifty Reasons Jesus Came To Die.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e Whilst that may or may not be more spiritual than \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/03/07/the-small-light-in-things/\"\u003egiving up caffeine\u003c/a\u003e, what is not in doubt is that it is firmly aligned with a few of the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/01/02/2018-the-goals/\"\u003ethings I want to achieve this year\u003c/a\u003e, notably read more books, and developing a daily practice of prayer and bible study. At a chapter a day (and two on Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday), it shouldn\u0026rsquo;t be too big a strain on all the other reading I\u0026rsquo;m doing. Win-win? I\u0026rsquo;d say so!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Lent"},{"content":" A few places around town, for the WordPress photo challenge, Tour Guide\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/02/09/6-tour-guide/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA few places around town, for the WordPress photo challenge, \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/tour-guide/\"\u003eTour Guide\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#6 - Tour Guide"},{"content":"St Alban\u0026rsquo;s Cathedral, December 2016\u0026hellip;. For the Word Press photo prompt, Beloved, for which there can really only be one response.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/02/01/5-beloved/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/9c321-05-beloved.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eSt Alban\u0026rsquo;s Cathedral, December 2016\u0026hellip;.\u003c/em\u003e For the Word Press photo prompt, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/beloved/\"\u003eBeloved\u003c/a\u003e, for which there can really only be \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/the-s-files/\"\u003eone response\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#5 - Beloved"},{"content":"Photo by John Price on Unsplash Three things over the weekend brought into relief why my relationship with church can sometimes feel conflicted; swinging from the deeply emotive to the somewhat irritating over the course of a few days.\nFirst off was a truly immersive worship experience on Sunday morning, one in which the songs seemed God-sent especially for me, particularly Jaye Thomas\u0026rsquo;We Wait For You which is one of my favourites. Off the back of that, I went home and binged on worship music on Spotify.\nThat spiritual high was then followed by a particularly emotional farewell for U, whose sojourn in the \u0026lsquo;Deen has come to an end. On a personal level, I owe my radio debut to her. Beyond that, she brought a lot of energy to worship whenever she led the team at church, and in the conversations we had - far too few and far between in retrospect - she demonstrated an impressive ability to deconstruct thorny subjects into their constituent parts and develop reasoned arguments. She will be missed - the tears and long faces members of the teams she served with in church are a testament to that. I for one wish her the best wishes in her new sojourn.\nFrom the highs of these two came the downer, a conversation at an evening gathering where the subject of weight came up. That the person who was the subject of the conversation was clearly uncomfortable and unwilling to continue counted for little as one of the members of the group persisted in hammering out that point - of increased weight. That the majority of folk at the evening event were Nigerian counts, I suspect - we have a penchant for lacking tact - but I guess that the opportunity to have that conversation came about because of the perceived relationship, which attending the same church engendered.\nI suppose on the balance of probabilities, one little niggle is less important than all the other positives?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/01/30/church-in-three-things/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"photo-by\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/13a03-church-unsplash.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/RAZQiZOX3mU?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eJohn Price\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/search/photos/church?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThree things over the weekend brought into relief why my relationship with church can \u003cem\u003esometimes\u003c/em\u003e feel conflicted; swinging from the deeply emotive to the somewhat irritating over the course of a few days.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst off was a truly immersive worship experience on Sunday morning, one in which the songs seemed God-sent especially for me, particularly \u003cstrong\u003eJaye Thomas\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026rsquo;\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPml4QdaEIs\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eWe Wait For You\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e which is one of my favourites. Off the back of that, I went home and binged on worship music on Spotify.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Church, In Three Things..."},{"content":"\nHanging out with iron man, a few years ago in Manchester and then most recently in Marrakech.\nFor the prompt, Variations On A Theme.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/01/25/variations/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/0706a-04-variations.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/2d71f-04-variations2.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHanging out with iron man, a few years ago in Manchester and then most recently in Marrakech.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the prompt, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/variations-on-a-theme/\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eVariations On A Theme\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#4 - Variations..."},{"content":"\nMarrakesh, with its ochre-coloured buildings, towering minarets and bustling souks is quickly becoming a distant memory, the joys and delights of roaming its streets being progressively replaced by a sense of having returned to drudgery. Although the three weeks of work I have gotten under my belt since my return have provided fertile ground for that feeling to fester, the seeds were sown in Marrakesh, everything from passport control and its lengthy queues, an hour and a half spent waiting for a bag to turn up and even more queues at the body scanner as we waited to exit the airport all setting the tone for what seemed like running a gauntlet. Once through all of that bedlam and outside the airport, the smell of smoke - somewhat like the linger of the remains of a thousand spit roasting fires - was a warm welcome of sorts.\nHaving gotten to our hotel - the Movenpick Mansour Eddahbi - quite late on the Saturday we arrived, we spent the next day getting ourselves familiar with our surroundings, mainly to work out where dinner could be had close by, and where we could get bottled water - thankfully the Menara mall was handy for both. On our first evening out we had the good fortune of running into an English woman, her daughter and her Moroccan son-in law, who were kind enough to suggest a few lower priced places close by.\nThe days went quickly with visits to various places, all on the beaten path. The in-house botanist at the Argan oil factory we stopped at as part of the Ourika Valley tour impressed with his knowledge of a number of herbs and their use in alleviating various maladies from diabetes to psoriasis, albeit as a precursor to a hard selling session. There was also the hike up a precipitous rock face towards some water falls which at various times felt like flirting with death; no regard for health and safety one of the quintessentially English - and aged - couples on the climb pointed out as they dropped out halfway along the climb. The Yves Saint Laurent Museum was one of the most sought after places, lengthy queues guarding the entry on both days we tried. We braved the consequences at the second time of asking, being rewarded by what was a truly fascinating experience centred around the YSL oeuvre and his connections to Marrakesh. Elsewhere there were pit stops at the Koutoubia Mosque and the gardens close by, various places in the old Medina, including a tannery, the Saadian tombs and the Bahia Palace.\nWe opted for a trip to the Chez Ali fantasy show on our last night, joined by a motley of other folk - an Italian couple, an Indian family of five, an older French couple and a trio of dark skinned French speaking folk. The facade of the venue was imposing, framed as it was by a large gate, ochre-red walls and a guard of horsemen lined up either side. Once through body searches and then allowed to go in, we were seated around round tables in a tent for the meal - a legume based soup as a starter, lamb dates and nuts as a second course and then a bowl of couscous to wrap things up. There were tricks by the horsemen, what looked like a demonstration of military tactics in which the mounted riders charged at the crowd and set off their guns into the air, and then a belly dancing session. All of that made for a far more sedate experience than clambering over rocks in the Ourika valley just a few days ago. The weather was much warmer - and drier - than London, the low twenties and high teens being a welcome escape from the sub-zero temperatures in the Northern England city we would have been in if we hadn\u0026rsquo;t gone to Marrakesh. Here are more pictures, hardly done justice to by my iPhone.\n\\\\\\* I found shades of Lagos in everything; the relentless, in-your-face hustle of people trying to sell everything from tours to bottles of Argan oil, the laisser-faire approach to driving and diving through junctions, roadside bus stops with people spilling into the roads and the police checkpoints a few of the more obvious similarities. That mopeds were everywhere, and more than a few ancient Peugeot cars didn\u0026rsquo;t help ameliorate that festering feeling of being on edge, of always being only a few misaligned bits of Swiss cheese away from a monumental cataclysm. I suspect I was far more concerned than I should have, but on these travels I am finding that rather being away from home, I carry shades of home with me; warts, joys, near dystopia and all.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/01/23/marrakesh/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/74954-marrakesh_01.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMarrakesh,  with its ochre-coloured buildings, towering minarets and bustling souks is quickly becoming a distant memory, the joys and delights of roaming its streets being progressively replaced by a sense of having \u003cem\u003ereturned\u003c/em\u003e to drudgery. Although the three weeks of work I have gotten under my belt since my return have provided fertile ground for that feeling to fester, the seeds were sown in Marrakesh, everything from passport control and its lengthy queues, an hour and a half spent waiting for a bag to turn up and even more queues at the body scanner as we waited to exit the airport all setting the tone for what seemed like running a gauntlet.  Once through all of that bedlam and outside the airport, the smell of smoke - somewhat like the linger of the remains of a thousand spit roasting fires - was a warm welcome of sorts.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Marrakesh"},{"content":" IMG\\_4607 IMG\\_4619 IMG\\_4621 IMG\\_4666 IMG\\_4669 IMG\\_4677 IMG\\_4704 IMG\\_4709 IMG\\_4722 IMG\\_4732 IMG\\_4733 IMG\\_4740 IMG\\_4743 IMG\\_4797 IMG\\_4799 IMG\\_4841 IMG\\_4856 IMG\\_4895 IMG\\_4925 IMG\\_4929 IMG\\_4930 IMG\\_4938 IMG\\_4944 IMG\\_4948 IMG\\_4953 IMG\\_4960 IMG\\_4983 IMG\\_4994 IMG\\_5002 IMG\\_5006 IMG\\_5012 ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/marrakesh-pictures/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-1\"\u003e\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/8552a-img%5F4607-e1516730372935.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4607\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4607\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/29f7f-img%5F4619.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4619\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4619\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/128a3-img%5F4621.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4621\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4621\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/0044d-img%5F4666.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4666\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4666\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/47d86-img%5F4669.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4669\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4669\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/9a688-img%5F4677.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4677\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4677\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/6ba1e-img%5F4704.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4704\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4704\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/45f84-img%5F4709.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4709\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4709\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/c4799-img%5F4722.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4722\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4722\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/3d970-img%5F4732.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4732\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4732\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/12b68-img%5F4733.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4733\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4733\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/96ec8-img%5F4740.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4740\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4740\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/234df-img%5F4743.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4743\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4743\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2d21f-img%5F4797.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4797\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4797\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/5a3fc-img%5F4799.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4799\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4799\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/fd63f-img%5F4841.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4841\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4841\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/29c23-img%5F4856.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4856\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4856\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/0789d-img%5F4895.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4895\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4895\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/a381c-img%5F4925.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4925\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4925\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/0d243-img%5F4929.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4929\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4929\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/b0ee5-img%5F4930.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4930\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4930\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/a5d14-img%5F4938.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4938\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4938\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/5240f-img%5F4944.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4944\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4944\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2f149-img%5F4948.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4948\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4948\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2799c-img%5F4953.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4953\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4953\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/7ea26-img%5F4960.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4960\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4960\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/73a7d-img%5F4983.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4983\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4983\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/5814f-img%5F4994.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4994\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4994\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/03258-img%5F5002.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_5002\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_5002\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/cf023-img%5F5006.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_5006\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_5006\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/d725f-img%5F5012.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_5012\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_5012\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e","title":"Marrakesh Pictures"},{"content":"\nSilence, Solitude and some beach-side scholasticism\n\\\\\\* For the prompt, Silence.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/01/18/silence/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/01b42-03-silencewp.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSilence, Solitude and some beach-side scholasticism\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nFor the prompt, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/silence-2/\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eSilence\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#3 - Silence..."},{"content":" \u0026ndash; Aberdeen’s City Centre is a panoply of old, weathered buildings, seasoned – as Yusef Komunyakaa so eloquently puts it in his poem, Ode To The Drum – by wind, dusk and sunlight. To that trio of elements, one would have to add snow and rain, given they are hardly ever in short supply in this corner of the world.\nBefore oil – and some would add, the EU – there was fishing and an entire industry of fish processing in and around the harbour area. These days, gleaming buildings - and car parks - share the skyline, a curious juxtaposition of old and new, brick and glass and perhaps the reinvention of a city.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/01/11/wordpress-photo-challenge-weathered/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\nAberdeen’s City Centre is a panoply of old, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/weathered/\"\u003eweathered\u003c/a\u003e buildings, seasoned – as \u003cstrong\u003eYusef Komunyakaa\u003c/strong\u003e so eloquently puts it in his poem, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ibiblio.org/ipa/poems/komunyakaa/ode_to_the_drum.php\"\u003eOde To The Drum\u003c/a\u003e – by wind, dusk and sunlight. To that trio of elements, one would have to add snow and rain, given they are hardly ever in short supply in this corner of the world.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBefore oil – and \u003ca href=\"http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-35639733\"\u003esome would add, the EU\u003c/a\u003e  – there was fishing and an entire industry of fish processing in and around the harbour area. These days, gleaming buildings - and car parks - share the skyline, a curious juxtaposition of old and new, brick and glass and perhaps the reinvention of a city.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#2 - Weathered"},{"content":"\nIt felt like I coasted through 2017 in many spheres of life with the main (only?) thing of significance that occurred being getting married to S in October. I\u0026rsquo;d like 2018 to be a vastly different one, filled with energy and intention and delivery. The seven focus areas in my life plan apply, with a few (Spiritual, Physical \u0026amp; Health, Financial and Personal Development) being focus areas.\nA successful 2018 for me is one in which I:\nReduce weight to 80kg (+/-2kg, 20% body fat) Get an active side gig that makes money Grow and improve my relationship with Mrs S. Find a job in the Greater London Area which matches or surpasses my current pay Overall, in 2018, I\u0026rsquo;d like to deliver on these Twelve Things by December 31st 2018:\nDevelop a daily practice of prayer and bible study utilising the Our Daily Bread app. Reduce weight to \u0026lt;80kg (and 20% body weight) by a combination of eating low carb, running three times a week and utilising PureGym at least twice a week. Complete the Baker Hughes 10k timed race in May 2018 (booked). Read two books each month (25 in total by year end) Be conversationally fluent in French by Dec 31st Learn Python and web app development, develop and deploy a spend tracking app by December 31st Save \u0026gt; £500 monthly, reduce credit card debt by 50% (£6,000) by YE2018. Identify and deploy a side gig, earn \u0026gt;£1,000 by YE 2018 Travel to two new countries (one European, one Non-European) by YE 2018 Write at QuotidianThings.com at least once a week (\u0026gt;300 words) Build a practice of daily journaling. Performance will be tracked via Habit List where possible, and reviewed weekly and quarterly. Fingers crossed.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2018/01/02/the-goals/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"2018\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/e7a77-2018.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt felt like I coasted through 2017 in many spheres of life with the main (only?) thing of significance that occurred being \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Ba4Y81HBcR-H0bGEtKVr6ZkCaUPuh8vZrAGJ_M0/?hl=en\u0026amp;taken-by=therustgeek\"\u003egetting married to S in October\u003c/a\u003e. I\u0026rsquo;d like 2018 to be a vastly different one, filled with energy and intention and delivery. The seven focus areas \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/the-life-plan/\"\u003ein my life plan\u003c/a\u003e apply, with a few (Spiritual, Physical \u0026amp; Health, Financial and Personal Development) being focus areas.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA successful 2018 for me is one in which I:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2018: The Goals"},{"content":"\nAlthough according to Spotify I spent the equivalent of 17 days - and then some - listening to music, no one song defined the year for me the way What A Beautiful Name It Is defined 2016, and the Nine Fridays of Summer. Of those that I listened to the most, Todd Dulaney’s Victory Belongs to Jesus, came closest for the sheer number of times I listened to it on repeat, but that lacked the personal connection that joining in with the crowd roaring the chorus to (in my opinion one of the songs of Hillsong Conference 2016) What A Beautiful Name It Is had.\nOther than the amount of time I spent streaming music on Spotify, I found there was less of a sense of connection overall to the songs the data said were my songs of 2017 than there was to the playlist of songs that I had compiled over the year. Albums from Fred Hammond, Hezekiah Walker, Kurt Carr, Donald Lawrence, Tenth Avenue North, The Planetshakers, Heather Headley, Group 1 Crew and others of a similar ilk featured prominently, a nod to the way I used Spotify during the year mainly as a tool to revisit albums from the past rather than find new ones. The individual songs I did listen to, Grits and Annie William\u0026rsquo;s New Life, Lecrae and Tori Kelly\u0026rsquo;s I\u0026rsquo;ll find You and Crowder and Lecrae\u0026rsquo;s Shadows were both old and fit a template - great vocals and a rap segment. I did stumble on two new groups - The Walls Group and Livre\u0026rsquo; again broadly similar to the sort of music I already enjoy.\nA lot has been said (by the likes of Om Malik and Khoi Vinh amongst others) on how streaming media fundamentally changes our relationship with what we listen to and watch, making it less about a connection and ownership and more about consumption. There have also been controversies around Spotify\u0026rsquo;s algorithm based discovery tools and the potential for their being gamed (for profit and the promotion of \u0026lsquo;fake artistes\u0026rsquo;). Whilst that may be a problem for me further down the road, at the moment I am primarily using Spotify to reengage with the music of my younger years. On that basis, I still believe it represents decent value.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/12/28/my-year-in-music/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ec679-spotifywrap.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough according to Spotify I spent the equivalent of 17 days - and then some - listening to music, no one song defined the year for me the way \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQWFzMvCfLE\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhat A Beautiful Name It Is\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e defined 2016, and the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/ninefridaysofsummer/\"\u003eNine Fridays of Summer\u003c/a\u003e.  Of those that \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/user/spotify/playlist/37i9dQZF1E9QP9bvxCf383\"\u003eI listened to the most\u003c/a\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eTodd Dulaney’s\u003c/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa78qxQCKgo\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eVictory Belongs to Jesus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e, came closest for the sheer number of times I listened to it on repeat, but that lacked \u003ca href=\"http://stories.ng/day-21-the-rambler/\"\u003ethe personal connection\u003c/a\u003e that joining in with the crowd roaring the chorus to (in my opinion one of the songs of Hillsong Conference 2016) \u003cem\u003eWhat A Beautiful Name It Is\u003c/em\u003e had.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"My Year in Music, 2017"},{"content":"\nAlthough according to Spotify I spent the equivalent of 17 days - and then some - listening to music, no one song defined the year for me the way What A Beautiful Name It Is defined 2016, and the Nine Fridays of Summer. Of those that I listened to the most, Todd Dulaney’s Victory Belongs to Jesus, came closest for the sheer number of times I listened to it on repeat, but that lacked the personal connection that joining in with the crowd roaring the chorus to (in my opinion one of the songs of Hillsong Conference 2016) What A Beautiful Name It Is had.\nOther than the amount of time I spent streaming music on Spotify, I found there was less of a sense of connection overall to the songs the data said were my songs of 2017 than there was to the playlist of songs that I had compiled over the year. Albums from Fred Hammond, Hezekiah Walker, Kurt Carr, Donald Lawrence, Tenth Avenue North, The Planetshakers, Heather Headley, Group 1 Crew and others of a similar ilk featured prominently, a nod to the way I used Spotify during the year mainly as a tool to revisit albums from the past rather than find new ones. The individual songs I did listen to, Grits and Annie William\u0026rsquo;s New Life, Lecrae and Tori Kelly\u0026rsquo;s I\u0026rsquo;ll find You and Crowder and Lecrae\u0026rsquo;s Shadows were both old and fit a template - great vocals and a rap segment. I did stumble on two new groups - The Walls Group and Livre\u0026rsquo; again broadly similar to the sort of music I already enjoy.\nA lot has been said (by the likes of Om Malik and Khoi Vinh amongst others) on how streaming media fundamentally changes our relationship with what we listen to and watch, making it less about a connection and ownership and more about consumption. There have also been controversies around Spotify\u0026rsquo;s algorithm based discovery tools and the potential for their being gamed (for profit and the promotion of \u0026lsquo;fake artistes\u0026rsquo;). Whilst that may be a problem for me further down the road, at the moment I am primarily using Spotify to reengage with the music of my younger years. On that basis, I still believe it represents decent value.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/12/28/year-in-music/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ec679-spotifywrap.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough according to Spotify I spent the equivalent of 17 days - and then some - listening to music, no one song defined the year for me the way \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQWFzMvCfLE\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhat A Beautiful Name It Is\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e defined 2016, and the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/ninefridaysofsummer/\"\u003eNine Fridays of Summer\u003c/a\u003e.  Of those that \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/user/spotify/playlist/37i9dQZF1E9QP9bvxCf383\"\u003eI listened to the most\u003c/a\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eTodd Dulaney’s\u003c/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa78qxQCKgo\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eVictory Belongs to Jesus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e, came closest for the sheer number of times I listened to it on repeat, but that lacked \u003ca href=\"http://stories.ng/day-21-the-rambler/\"\u003ethe personal connection\u003c/a\u003e that joining in with the crowd roaring the chorus to (in my opinion one of the songs of Hillsong Conference 2016) \u003cem\u003eWhat A Beautiful Name It Is\u003c/em\u003e had.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Year in Music"},{"content":"After many years of having thoroughly enjoyed the annual parade of opinions of books over at The Millions, I decided to have a go myself this year. Far from being a celebration of a year in which I read deeply and widely, it is a light reflection on all the things I managed to read this year. Enjoy! ---\nOf the myriad of things I most deeply wanted to achieve this year, two loomed large in the personal development domain; to read more and write more, which was why I entered the year clutching my copy of Patty Dann\u0026rsquo;s The Butterfly Hours close to my chest. In my head, writing more - and by extension, better - required tools for tuning my craft, which was why this book, with its promise of personal memoir married to prompts, seemed the perfect fit. It helped that all nineteen reviews on Amazon were 5*. I did enjoy the book, albeit more an an example of easy reading memoir than a collection of prompts. I suspect that had a lot more to do with me than the book. If it is any consolation, I returned to it several times over the course of the year, it along with Dinty Moore\u0026rsquo;s Crafting The Personal Essay being fine examples of the sort of creative non-fiction I would like to churn out.\nNext up was Taiye Selasi\u0026rsquo;s Ghana Must Go, which I finally finished at this third time of asking. On my two previous attempts, I had found myself bogged down in the tedious beginning, but ploughing through this time brought me to the delights of the end. What I never quite managed to suss out was just how autobiographical the novel was, given that like the Sais Taiye has dual Nigerian and Ghanian roots and is also a twin. So thoroughly did I enjoy this that I went hunting for her seminal essay from 2005, Bye Bye Babar. Well worth the read, if I say so myself.\nThe grudging, reluctant engagement with books which dogged my interactions with both books was something I found recurred over the course of the year. The list of unfinished books is extensive with Andrea Lucado\u0026rsquo;s English Lessons and Adam Gopnik\u0026rsquo;s At The Strangers\u0026rsquo; Gate being the more notable. The books I did finish fell mainly into four main categories; ones I read as guides for my #100DaysOfCreating project ( Felix Feneon\u0026rsquo;s Novels in Three Lines and Robert Smartwood\u0026rsquo;s Hint Fiction), annual anthologies which have become regular fixtures on my reading list (such as the Jonathan Franzen edited 2016 edition of The Best American Essays), personal essay collections (such as David Sedaris\u0026rsquo;Let\u0026rsquo;s Explore Diabetes with Owls and Teju Cole\u0026rsquo;s Known and Strange Things) and books inspired by media I consumed during the course of the year ( Sir Arthur Conan Doyle\u0026rsquo;s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes a useful counterpoint to binge watching all five seasons of Elementary, and Walk On - Steve Stockman\u0026rsquo;s attempt at providing insights into the faith that underpins U2\u0026rsquo;s oeuvre).\nI had a late spurt of three books to thank for reaching fifteen books this year. All three were really good reads: Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson\u0026rsquo;s We Have No Idea (a reminder that for all we know about quarks, leptons, and the material universe, the vast majority of what is around us is unknown), Dame Elizabeth Anionwu\u0026rsquo;s Mixed Blessings from a Cambridge Union (a deeply personal story of growing up mixed race in the United Kingdom of the 50\u0026rsquo;s and 60\u0026rsquo;s and eventually connecting with her Nigerian heritage) and Diego Torres\u0026rsquo;s The Special One: The Secret World of Jose Mourinho ( a no-holds barred look at the behind the scenes behaviour of Mourinho, particularly his Real Madrid sojourn and how super agent Jorge Mendes towered over his transfer dealings).\nAll told reading more widely - and more consistently - has to be one of the objectives for the new year. Braced for the challenge.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/12/26/the-year-in-reading-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAfter many years of having thoroughly enjoyed the annual parade of opinions of books over at \u003ca href=\"https://themillions.com/2017/12/a-year-in-reading-2017.html\"\u003eThe Millions\u003c/a\u003e, I decided to have a go myself this year. Far from being a celebration of a year in which I read deeply and widely, it is a light reflection on all the things I managed to read this year. Enjoy!\u003c/em\u003e\n---\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOf the myriad of things I most deeply wanted to achieve this year, two loomed large in the personal development domain; to read more and write more, which was why I entered the year clutching my copy of \u003cstrong\u003ePatty Dann\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026rsquo;s \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Butterfly-Hours-Transforming-Memories-Uncovering/dp/1611802881/\"\u003eThe Butterfly Hours\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e close to my chest. In my head, writing more  - and by extension, better - required tools for tuning my craft, which was why this book, with its promise of personal memoir married to prompts, seemed the perfect fit. It helped that all nineteen reviews on Amazon were 5*. I did enjoy the book, albeit more an an example of easy reading memoir than a collection of prompts. I suspect that had a lot more to do with me than the book.  If it is any consolation, I returned to it several times over the course of the year, it along with \u003cstrong\u003eDinty Moore\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026rsquo;s \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crafting-Personal-Essay-Publishing-Non-Fiction/dp/1582977968/\"\u003eCrafting The Personal Essay\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e being fine examples of the sort of creative non-fiction I would like to churn out.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Year in Reading"},{"content":"After many years of having thoroughly enjoyed the annual parade of opinions of books over at The Millions, I decided to have a go myself this year. Far from being a celebration of a year in which I read deeply and widely, it is a light reflection on all the things I managed to read this year. Enjoy! ---\nOf the myriad of things I most deeply wanted to achieve this year, two loomed large in the personal development domain; to read more and write more, which was why I entered the year clutching my copy of Patty Dann\u0026rsquo;s The Butterfly Hours close to my chest. In my head, writing more - and by extension, better - required tools for tuning my craft, which was why this book, with its promise of personal memoir married to prompts, seemed the perfect fit. It helped that all nineteen reviews on Amazon were 5*. I did enjoy the book, albeit more an an example of easy reading memoir than a collection of prompts. I suspect that had a lot more to do with me than the book. If it is any consolation, I returned to it several times over the course of the year, it along with Dinty Moore\u0026rsquo;s Crafting The Personal Essay being fine examples of the sort of creative non-fiction I would like to churn out.\nNext up was Taiye Selasi\u0026rsquo;s Ghana Must Go, which I finally finished at this third time of asking. On my two previous attempts, I had found myself bogged down in the tedious beginning, but ploughing through this time brought me to the delights of the end. What I never quite managed to suss out was just how autobiographical the novel was, given that like the Sais Taiye has dual Nigerian and Ghanian roots and is also a twin. So thoroughly did I enjoy this that I went hunting for her seminal essay from 2005, Bye Bye Babar. Well worth the read, if I say so myself.\nThe grudging, reluctant engagement with books which dogged my interactions with both books was something I found recurred over the course of the year. The list of unfinished books is extensive with Andrea Lucado\u0026rsquo;s English Lessons and Adam Gopnik\u0026rsquo;s At The Strangers\u0026rsquo; Gate being the more notable. The books I did finish fell mainly into four main categories; ones I read as guides for my #100DaysOfCreating project ( Felix Feneon\u0026rsquo;s Novels in Three Lines and Robert Smartwood\u0026rsquo;s Hint Fiction), annual anthologies which have become regular fixtures on my reading list (such as the Jonathan Franzen edited 2016 edition of The Best American Essays), personal essay collections (such as David Sedaris\u0026rsquo;Let\u0026rsquo;s Explore Diabetes with Owls and Teju Cole\u0026rsquo;s Known and Strange Things) and books inspired by media I consumed during the course of the year ( Sir Arthur Conan Doyle\u0026rsquo;s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes a useful counterpoint to binge watching all five seasons of Elementary, and Walk On - Steve Stockman\u0026rsquo;s attempt at providing insights into the faith that underpins U2\u0026rsquo;s oeuvre).\nI had a late spurt of three books to thank for reaching fifteen books this year. All three were really good reads: Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson\u0026rsquo;s We Have No Idea (a reminder that for all we know about quarks, leptons, and the material universe, the vast majority of what is around us is unknown), Dame Elizabeth Anionwu\u0026rsquo;s Mixed Blessings from a Cambridge Union (a deeply personal story of growing up mixed race in the United Kingdom of the 50\u0026rsquo;s and 60\u0026rsquo;s and eventually connecting with her Nigerian heritage) and Diego Torres\u0026rsquo;s The Special One: The Secret World of Jose Mourinho ( a no-holds barred look at the behind the scenes behaviour of Mourinho, particularly his Real Madrid sojourn and how super agent Jorge Mendes towered over his transfer dealings).\nAll told reading more widely - and more consistently - has to be one of the objectives for the new year. Braced for the challenge.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/12/26/the-year-in-reading/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAfter many years of having thoroughly enjoyed the annual parade of opinions of books over at \u003ca href=\"https://themillions.com/2017/12/a-year-in-reading-2017.html\"\u003eThe Millions\u003c/a\u003e, I decided to have a go myself this year. Far from being a celebration of a year in which I read deeply and widely, it is a light reflection on all the things I managed to read this year. Enjoy!\u003c/em\u003e\n---\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOf the myriad of things I most deeply wanted to achieve this year, two loomed large in the personal development domain; to read more and write more, which was why I entered the year clutching my copy of \u003cstrong\u003ePatty Dann\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026rsquo;s \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Butterfly-Hours-Transforming-Memories-Uncovering/dp/1611802881/\"\u003eThe Butterfly Hours\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e close to my chest. In my head, writing more  - and by extension, better - required tools for tuning my craft, which was why this book, with its promise of personal memoir married to prompts, seemed the perfect fit. It helped that all nineteen reviews on Amazon were 5*. I did enjoy the book, albeit more an an example of easy reading memoir than a collection of prompts. I suspect that had a lot more to do with me than the book.  If it is any consolation, I returned to it several times over the course of the year, it along with \u003cstrong\u003eDinty Moore\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026rsquo;s \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crafting-Personal-Essay-Publishing-Non-Fiction/dp/1582977968/\"\u003eCrafting The Personal Essay\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e being fine examples of the sort of creative non-fiction I would like to churn out.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Year in Reading 2017"},{"content":"\nThe wee hours of the day and the first dusting of proper snow of the year here. For the Wordpress photo challenge, serene.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/11/30/wordpress-photo-challenge-serene/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"48.Serene\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/90868-48-serene.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe wee hours of the day and the first dusting of proper snow of the year here. For the Wordpress photo challenge, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/serene/\"\u003eserene\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"WordPress Photo Challenge: Serene"},{"content":" 91. Lanarca Beach 92. Semi Sub -Lanarca 93. Church of St Lazarus 94. Paphos Castle 95. More Boats 96. Paphos Castle Ruins 97.Modified 98.Shore Line 99. Boats At The Harbour 100. Acrobat Dancers Aboard the Wave Dancer IMG\\_4006 IMG\\_4011 IMG\\_4021 IMG\\_4035 IMG\\_4047 IMG\\_4103 IMG\\_4125 IMG\\_4129 IMG\\_4131 IMG\\_4146 IMG\\_4152 IMG\\_4164 IMG\\_4166 IMG\\_4181 IMG\\_4184 IMG\\_4189 IMG\\_4197 IMG\\_4199 IMG\\_4203 IMG\\_4220 IMG\\_4250 IMG\\_4261 IMG\\_4284 IMG\\_4298 IMG\\_4318 IMG\\_4319 IMG\\_4321 IMG\\_4328 IMG\\_4337 IMG\\_4338 IMG\\_4355 IMG\\_4363 IMG\\_4365 IMG\\_4369 IMG\\_4385 IMG\\_4394 ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/paphos-in-pictures/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-1\"\u003e\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/95b91-91-lanarca-beach.jpg\"\n         alt=\"91. Lanarca Beach\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            91. Lanarca Beach\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/089b7-92-semi-sub-lanarca.jpg\"\n         alt=\"92. Semi Sub -Lanarca\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            92. Semi Sub -Lanarca\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/65977-93-church-of-st-lazarus.jpg\"\n         alt=\"93. Church of St Lazarus\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            93. Church of St Lazarus\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/1f477-94-paphos-castle.jpg\"\n         alt=\"94. Paphos Castle\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            94. Paphos Castle\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/0565b-95-more-boats.jpg\"\n         alt=\"95. More Boats\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            95. More Boats\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/853dc-96-paphos-castle-ruins.jpg\"\n         alt=\"96. Paphos Castle Ruins\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            96. Paphos Castle Ruins\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/0c25c-97-modified.jpg\"\n         alt=\"97.Modified\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            97.Modified\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/9ca4b-98-shore-line.jpg\"\n         alt=\"98.Shore Line\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            98.Shore Line\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/d633a-99-boats-at-the-harbour.jpg\"\n         alt=\"99. Boats At The Harbour\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            99. Boats At The Harbour\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/0f388-100-acrobat-dancers-aboard-the-wave-dancer.jpg\"\n         alt=\"100. Acrobat Dancers Aboard the Wave Dancer\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            100. Acrobat Dancers Aboard the Wave Dancer\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/005d3-img%5F4006.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4006\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4006\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/7441e-img%5F4011.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4011\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4011\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/f1d82-img%5F4021.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4021\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4021\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/93ba9-img%5F4035.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4035\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4035\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/725d0-img%5F4047.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4047\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4047\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/b1b74-img%5F4103.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4103\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4103\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/b8e60-img%5F4125.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4125\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4125\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/4e4a9-img%5F4129.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4129\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4129\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/c6692-img%5F4131.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4131\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4131\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/17038-img%5F4146.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4146\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4146\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/eb0e4-img%5F4152.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4152\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4152\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/4f859-img%5F4164.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4164\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4164\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/35359-img%5F4166.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4166\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4166\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/f7011-img%5F4181.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4181\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4181\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/b133c-img%5F4184.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4184\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4184\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/76be0-img%5F4189.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4189\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4189\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/f4a9d-img%5F4197.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4197\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4197\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/3f400-img%5F4199.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4199\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4199\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/e0652-img%5F4203.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4203\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4203\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/10181-img%5F4220.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4220\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4220\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/6c6e4-img%5F4250.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4250\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4250\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/5fd2d-img%5F4261.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4261\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4261\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/93969-img%5F4284.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4284\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4284\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/d65ca-img%5F4298.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4298\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4298\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2ece5-img%5F4318.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4318\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4318\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/07482-img%5F4319.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4319\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4319\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/cec8d-img%5F4321.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4321\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4321\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/5c2e3-img%5F4328.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4328\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4328\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/65738-img%5F4337.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4337\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4337\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/f0f8a-img%5F4338.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4338\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4338\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/3d552-img%5F4355.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4355\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4355\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/f7d83-img%5F4363.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4363\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4363\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/afd20-img%5F4365.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4365\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4365\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/0ea74-img%5F4369.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4369\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4369\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/74b04-img%5F4385.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4385\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4385\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/5d689-img%5F4394.jpg\"\n         alt=\"IMG\\_4394\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            IMG\\_4394\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e","title":"Paphos in Pictures"},{"content":"\nThe first bits of Cyprus we glimpsed as our flight began the descent towards Paphos were wind turbines slowly turning in what must have been a slight evening breeze, and houses which from the height looked like small, matchboxes pressed into the sides of the hilly terrain below us. Although it was only 5.20pm local time, it was quickly growing dark, which at first seemed odd until I realised just how much closer to the equator we were here than in England from where we were arriving. This trip to Cyprus was at the instance of S, ten days in Paphos being her idea of a honeymoon. The hope was to get the chance to catch our breaths after what had been a whirlwind three weeks in which we had managed to get hitched without losing our minds; the pressure of a large Nigerian wedding notwithstanding.\nHaving the main events on the other side of town in rural England - as far removed from our usual haunts as could be - added a layer of complexity to everything, that in retrospect we could have done without. The miracle in all of that was that friends and family rallied - some at particularly short notice, and braving the worst of the M25 and Dartford crossing traffic on the day - to be part of the events and support us. As we headed into Paphos, the overwhelming desire was to kick back and de-stress from all of that.\nBefore all of that kicking back and chilling could begin, there was the small matter of navigating passport checks and customs. Although I had the requisite approvals in my Nigerian passport, it still took in excess of ten minutes - and a couple of phone calls by the fellow at the desk - for my passport to be checked and then stamped. Only then could S and I head on to the baggage area and pick up our bags; she being British had no such problems. It was a warm 22 degrees C even at that time of the day, and importantly dry, with none of the chill from the wind that had hastened our arrival and helped claw back some of the lost time from our flight from Gatwick being delayed.\nBags in hand and through customs, we found our designated driver - he had our names on a card held high above his head - waited a bit at a Costa Coffee for the rest of our party to arrive and eventually headed out into town. That allowed me to take in my surroundings at the airport, the overwhelming sense being one of being somewhat pleasantly surprised by the absence of any of that in-your-face first world glitter that airports around the Western world often portray. Our hotel, the King Evelthon, was a relatively recent addition to the Paphos holiday resort scene and just beyond the city limits - sculptures of the Greek letter ρ marking these. From arrival to the hotel and then dinner took all of two hours, including the wait. Not bad, given we needed to tuck into dinner having steadfastly refused the prodding of the cabin crew to pony up the extra cash required to buy a meal on board.\n\\\\\\* Having finally managed to get out of our travel soaked clothes and then get some sleep, we woke up to the sight of glorious sunshine already streaming in. Looking through the doors into the pool - we had been upgraded to a swim-up room - the sense was very much one of being a holiday resort, complete with all the trappings. In the distance, the lonesome hulk of a rusty brown ship loomed. I would later find out that there was some history to it, it being the MV Demetrios II. When we finally dragged ourselves out of bed for a hearty breakfast and were ready to head out, we hopped onto the 615 towards the Paphos harbour for a bit of sightseeing.\nWe found the harbour area a beehive of activity with buskers, hustlers and traders all keen to interest us in their wares. In the end, we plumped for a glass-bottomed boat ride around the harbour and picked up a flyer for the wave dancers suite of cruises from the Paphos Harbour. The glass-bottomed boat ride ended up a damp squib of sorts - there was nothing of note to see besides the ruins of the Vera K - but the 90 minute trip around the harbour gave a good view of the coastline all the way up and down. Trip done, we found an ice cream place down the road where we took a much-needed toilet break and three scoops of ice cream each, for the heat. We - read S - liked it so much that we returned on three other separate occasions for ice cream there. A hop-on, hop-off open bus tour topped off this first day, the whistle-stop tour putting Paphos and its size - or lack thereof - into perspective.\n\\\\\\* Our time in Cyprus was organised around three main all-day events; a jeep safari, a gourmet tour and an all of Cyprus tour. Being the last of the nine passengers to be picked up for the jeep safari, meant we had to make do with being sat apart, S in the middle seat at the back and me perched on the edge of the back seat alongside the others, an older Italian couple, an English couple from Birmingham and three young men from Hungary. Our version of the safari tour took in a drive-through banana plantations, old Turkish and Greek villages, as well as pit stops at a number of other landmarks. In spite of the obvious pride the locals had in their banana plantations it turned out they were neither big enough nor straight enough to meet EU export regulations.\nIn keeping with the safari theme, much of the driving was on bumpy, rocky roads on which we in the back seat bounced about. The trek up the Avakas Gorge was the first real physical activity I had undertaken since my last 5k on the 18th of October; that showed in my lack of fitness. The trek itself - ours was the abridged version - took in a number of rare bushes and flowers and a number of tiny rivulets; smaller now at the end of a long summer than they would be in the rainier, wetter winter season. Other interesting pit stops along the way were the Aphrodite baths (where Aphrodite used to bathe according to local mythology), the Adonis baths and the blue lagoon where a few of the less intrepid swimmers dove in for a leisurely swim. As we made to leave the Adonis baths, an interesting exchange ensued between the caretaker and I. He called me a chocolate Adonis, warning S to be extra careful overnight, his point being that my brush with the very essence of Adonis at the baths had upped my virility. That made for a few awkward moments between him, S and I, although no offence was meant or taken.\n\\\\\\* Over the course of the remaining days, we managed to fit in two more all-day tours. The first of these was a gourmet tour that focused on highlighting the food, art and craft of Cyprus, the intent clearly to showcase a rustic Cyprus where life was lived at a leisurely, laid back pace. Pit stops on this tour included a winery where we got to taste a range of locally brewed liquids, an all-female factory where a range of Cypriot sweets were made and a factory where roses were used in everything from chocolate to wine in addition to the usual suspects of perfumed body care products. Elsewhere on the tour, we got to see the Holy Cross church in Omodos and fraternise somewhat with the local silver and glassmakers. Also on the gourmet tour, we discovered Carob, which became the bane of my existence over the next few days, as S tried to score bottles and bars of the ostensibly healthy stuff. The other tour - an all of Cyprus tour - went along similar lines, the highlights being a visit to the capital Nicosia and the view across the green line into Turkish controlled Cyprus from the top of the Ledra observatory and the church of Saint Lazarus (the fellow who died twice).\nIn between the full day tours, we managed to get three 7k-ish runs in, possible in part because S is a running enthusiast who needs her running fix, and the presence of a coastal path which we learned is a fairly recent addition. The ruins being excavated at the harbour area and the Wave Dancer half day BBQ cruise also help the time pass.\n\\\\\\* By virtue of its position at the junction of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Cyprus has had a long and checkered history, with ownership and control changing hands several times. Greeks, Ottomans, Venetians, The French, the Romans - and a few others I can\u0026rsquo;t remember - have all at various times laid claim to the island, leaving their marks in various ways. Greek culture predominates, as does the Turkish military presence in the Northern third of the island, a self-declared Republic which is recognised only by Turkey. There was an opportunity to cross the Green Line and explore a bit of it, but the situation with my Nigerian passport made me wary of crossing any more borders than I needed to.\nWhat I found surprising was a strong undercurrent of Russian influence - like London one of our guides joked on one of the days. I suppose the shared religious history enables this - both the Russian Orthodox and Church of Cyprus are part of the Eastern Orthodox Tradition, making it easier for devout Russians to integrate, and providing a driver for them to visit shared holy spaces - as does the official passport for investment program which provides access to Cyprus and by extension the rest of the EU for €2million. A different guide took great joy in pointing out which of the palatial, stately homes were owned by Russians.\nThe British influence was more expected, and obvious, given the recent colonial history and the long-running interactions with the island going back to Richard the Lion heart\u0026rsquo;s invasion in the late 1100s. The language and the sunshine does make it one of the prime destinations for Brits looking to retire by the sun and the sea, that they\u0026rsquo;ve arrived complete with their own little micro-communities complete with English and Irish pubs suggests there is some impact to the local community, particularly in a town as small as Paphos with 75,000 inhabits.\nThankfully, it wasn\u0026rsquo;t peak season so places like the beach were not filled to the point of bursting at the seams, which made me wonder how this must feel in peak season. I doubt the locals find the influx of tourists as disconcerting as the Barcelona locals do but I got the sense of a mild irritation at times - the eye roll and shrug I shared with an older lady at a shop within the Kings Avenue Mall at a couple rowing over a can of beer at the till being one such.\nFor all its history, I did get the sense that some of the places we visited over the course of the ten days were not particularly remarkable or deserving of the hype (It might have to do with my lack of culture or just an overt focus on looking to chill and de-stress). That got me thinking of just how much Nigeria could benefit from a concerted effort to clean up its hinterland, make it safer and easier to travel in, and market some of the natural features and historical artefacts. I remember visits to the Obudu Cattle ranch many years ago being the highlight of a team building session at work. Places like the Ikogosi springs, the Ososo tourist centre and carnival come to mind as ones which with a little more focus could be developed further.\n\\\\\\* All told, the ten days delivered on their promise of providing a place to disconnect from the real world and chill, which is perhaps why the enduring images of Cyprus for me will be narrow roads draped around towering mountains like ribbons - thin, flimsy and barely there, edged on the one side by the faces of the mountains themselves and on the other by vertiginous drops. The irony of this is not lost on me; without the roads, much of these parts would be inaccessible to the wider world which would lose out on all the treasures and delights we had the privilege of seeing over the past few days, but building the roads cannot have been a trivial experience given the terrain. A lot of hard, back-breaking work was clearly required.\nThat - the delights just out of view over the horizon and the hard work required to get there - is very much like a marriage, S says, on the eve of our return to our new shared life; all the proof I need that she is indeed a wise one.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/11/14/the-diary-the-paphos-files/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/bb03e-0-wedded.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first bits of Cyprus we glimpsed as our flight began the descent towards Paphos were wind turbines slowly turning in what must have been a slight evening breeze, and houses which from the height looked like small, matchboxes pressed into the sides of the hilly terrain below us. Although it was only 5.20pm local time, it was quickly growing dark, which at first seemed odd until I realised just how much closer to the equator we were here than in England from where we were arriving. This trip to Cyprus was at the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/the-s-files/\"\u003einstance of S\u003c/a\u003e, ten days in Paphos being her idea of a honeymoon. The hope was to get the chance to catch our breaths after what had been a whirlwind three weeks in which we had managed to get hitched without losing our minds; the pressure of a large Nigerian wedding notwithstanding.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Diary: The Paphos Files"},{"content":" The view that meets my eye on day 1 of 10 in Paphos, Cyprus. Truly looking forward to chilling and bonding with S, and catching my breath after what has been two weeks lived on the very edge of sanity (A Nigerian Wedding will do that to you).\n--- For the Wordpress photo challenge, Peek.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/11/03/wordpress-photo-challenge-peek/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/77a71-img_3970.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/77a71-img_3970.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\nThe view that meets my eye on day 1 of 10 in Paphos, Cyprus. Truly looking forward to chilling and  bonding \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/the-s-files/\"\u003ewith S\u003c/a\u003e, and catching my breath after what has been two weeks lived on the very edge of sanity (A \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/26/perfect-nigerian-wedding-lagos-top-tips\"\u003eNigerian Wedding\u003c/a\u003e will do that to you).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\n\u003cem\u003eFor the Wordpress photo challenge, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/peek/\"\u003ePeek\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Wordpress Photo Challenge: Peek"},{"content":"\nMore shimmer than glow but I suppose the view of the sea from the Beach Esplanade as I headed out to last Saturday\u0026rsquo;s Aberdeen Park Run counts. I am only five official runs in but it is very quickly becoming a key part of my Saturday mornings, when life allows me spend the weekend in the \u0026lsquo;Deen.\nNext step the Baker Hughes 10k next year.\n--- For the Wordpress Photo Challenge Prompt: Glow\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/10/19/weekly-photo-challenge-glow/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"42-Glow\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/834a0-42-glow.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore \u003cem\u003eshimmer\u003c/em\u003e than \u003cem\u003eglow\u003c/em\u003e but I suppose the view of the sea from the Beach Esplanade as I headed out to last Saturday\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.parkrun.org.uk/aberdeen/\"\u003eAberdeen Park Run\u003c/a\u003e counts.  I am only \u003ca href=\"http://www.parkrun.org.uk/aberdeen/results/athletehistory/?athleteNumber=3720328\"\u003efive official runs\u003c/a\u003e in but it is very quickly becoming a key part of my Saturday mornings, when life allows me spend the weekend in the \u0026lsquo;Deen.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNext step the Baker Hughes 10k next year.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\n\u003cem\u003eFor the Wordpress Photo Challenge Prompt: \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/glow/\"\u003eGlow\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weekly Photo Challenge: Glow"},{"content":"\nImage Source: (c)Nathan Anderson\n\u0026ndash;\nIt is to a stroke of fortune that I owe listening to the final episode of Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast three times over the last week. The first of the series of events which led to that was upgrading to iOs11 which messed up my podcasts, led me to seeking out Overcast as a replacement, and then having to decide on which ones to subscribe to or which to bin. That episode, Basement Tapes, explores a son’s reaction to finding out he has played a part in debunking to some of extent what has been the essence of his father\u0026rsquo;s work. The son, Robert Frantz is contacted out of the blue by a researcher, Chris Ramsden (Scientific American describes as the Indiana Jones of science), who is looking to acquire raw data from an experiment conducted by Robert’s father, Ivan, in Minnesota between 1968 and 1973. What results from Chris’s analysis of the data is a fundamental questioning of the conclusions of that study and the diet-heart hypothesis which claimed a linkage between a low saturated fat diet and the low blood cholesterol levels it produces and a reduction of the associated death rate (or adverse outcomes, as the study euphemistically puts it).\nBy Gladwell\u0026rsquo;s admission it is a story he stumbles on whilst researching a different story, the peculiar set of circumstances he is facing at the time (the death of his own father). That prompts the question of legacy and how to remember parents who have gone before. Frantz sides with the science in his case but comes to terms with the \u0026ldquo;betrayal\u0026rdquo; by recognising that the principles behind the science are what his father truly believed in.\nI listened to the podcasts in a week in which my tenuous grip on a relationship with my father came into focus thanks to number of conversations I had to have with S, wedding planning and all. Perhaps already left worn and vulnerable from all that intense sharing, I was more receptive to the thought to making an effort to reconnect, not least because my father is hardly the young sprightly man he once was.\nThe question Frantz and Gladwell wrestle with is how to honour the legacy of their fathers, divergent beliefs or not. That their views have diverged from their fathers is not entirely unexpected given they\u0026rsquo;ve grown up in different epochs and have had different experiences. What Gladwell concludes is that to honour your father is to honour his principles. In my case, that is a deep sense of duty to family and a commitment to integrity. That I can do, I hope.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/10/17/honour-thy-father/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"42.Father-Son\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/2b17e-42-father-son.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImage Source: \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/FHiJWoBodrs\"\u003e(c)Nathan Anderson\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is to a stroke of fortune that I owe listening to the final episode of \u003ca href=\"http://revisionisthistory.com/\"\u003eMalcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History\u003c/a\u003e podcast three times over the last week. The first of the series of events which led to that was upgrading to iOs11 which messed up my podcasts, led me to seeking out \u003ca href=\"https://overcast.fm/podcasts\"\u003eOvercast\u003c/a\u003e as a replacement, and then having to decide on which ones to subscribe to or which to bin. That episode, \u003ca href=\"http://revisionisthistory.com/episodes/20-the-basement-tapes\"\u003eBasement Tapes,\u003c/a\u003e explores a son’s reaction to finding out he has played a part in debunking to some of extent what has been the essence of his father\u0026rsquo;s work. The son, Robert Frantz is contacted out of the blue by a researcher, Chris Ramsden (\u003ca href=\"https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/records-found-in-dusty-basement-undermine-decades-of-dietary-advice/\"\u003eScientific American describes as the Indiana Jones of science\u003c/a\u003e), who is looking to acquire raw data from an experiment conducted by Robert’s father, Ivan, in Minnesota between 1968 and 1973. What results from Chris’s analysis of the data is a fundamental questioning of the conclusions of that study and the diet-heart hypothesis which claimed a linkage between a low saturated fat diet and the low blood cholesterol levels it produces and a reduction of the associated death rate (or adverse outcomes, as the study euphemistically puts it).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Honour Thy Father"},{"content":" Morning light, Man, Monument, Mansion. For the prompt scale.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/10/12/wordpress-photo-challenge-scale/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/454a0-img_3890.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/454a0-img_3890.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\nMorning light, Man, Monument, Mansion. For the prompt \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/scale-2/\"\u003escale\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Wordpress Photo Challenge: Scale"},{"content":"\nLone walker in the distance, grey granite walls, a bit of wetness and a path I take on my way home everyday from work. Pedestrian, both in the sense of someone walking rather than driving or taking the bus and also the sense of something mundane, repeated and without excitement; Quotidian for what its worth.\n\u0026ndash; For the WordPress photo challenge, Pedestrian.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/10/06/weekly-photo-challenge-pedestrian/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/799c0-41-pedestrian.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLone walker in the distance, grey granite walls, a bit of wetness and a  path I take on my way home everyday from work. \u003cem\u003ePedestrian\u003c/em\u003e, both in the sense of someone walking rather than driving or taking the bus and also the sense of something mundane, repeated and without excitement; \u003cem\u003eQuotidian\u003c/em\u003e for what its worth.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\n\u003cem\u003eFor the WordPress photo challenge, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/pedestrian/\"\u003ePedestrian\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weekly Photo Challenge: Pedestrian"},{"content":"\nBetween work and visits to family, I travel quite a fair bit by air each year. Already though, 2017 is on course to be my most airborne yet - love-hate relationship with flying notwithstanding. The thing with S has been a big part of that, more so over the last few weeks, five of the last six of which have been spent down south. In times like this, even I have to admit- however grudgingly - the usefulness of being able to just fly. I shudder to think of how many hours I would have spent on trains or coaches over the last few days if flying was not an option.\nComing up to Aberdeen on this last but one flight of the lot, the relatively seamless BA experience I have enjoyed over the last few months falls apart, my 9.00pm flight ending up being delayed by an hour. That turns out to be the least of my worries as upon arriving at Aberdeen we have to wait to disembark, and then spend over an hour at the taxi rank for a taxi home. The official reason for the delay with de-planing is that the hold is full and we have to stay on until it is emptied to prevent the plane from tipping over. Ironic cheers greet the announcement, not helped I suspect by the tone with which the pilot relays the reason. By his own admission, it is the first time he has heard that used as a reason. All told, by the time I get home at 12.45am I am barely lucid. How I manage to make it into bed remains a mystery but somehow I do.\nMy trusty headphones - and music - have been indispensable companions on these jaunts. Most recently I have had Lecrae and Tori Kelly crooning into my ear, the song being the catchy I\u0026rsquo;ll find you tune. It is a song I stumble on on Spotify on one of those days on which I am mindlessly letting it decide what music I hear. My interest is piqued enough to put the song on repeat whilst I hunt down information on the song, from which I find out the video is in support of a children\u0026rsquo;s research hospital and comes from a place of pain for folk they know who were battling cancer at the time. Its themes - fighting through a difficult season but knowing there\u0026rsquo;s someone who\u0026rsquo;ll make the effort to support one are ones that are uplifting and comforting in their own way.\nWith the benefit of a clear head a few days later, the question of how much of a distinction there can be between spiritually uplifting stuff (read music, sermons etc) and the messengers who bring them to us comes to mind. A few years ago, the Hillsong song Healer was a firm favourite of mine, made all the more interesting by the back story - the writer of the song was apparently dying of cancer. That was later shown to be false which prompted a huge backlash and calls for the proceeds from the song to be returned and a number of the organisations which had provided him a platform moving to distance themselves from him. Lecrae himself has stirred controversy with comments he has made about not being a Christian rapper and his outspoken support of Black Lives Matter. Eugene Peterson, creator of The Message paraphrase, also drew some flak for apparently shifting towards endorsing same-sex marriage, a position he had to clarify very quickly.\nAll told, there does seem to be a tendency with Christendom to throw the baby out with the bath water and immediately distance itself from folk who seemingly stray from the weathered centre ground of orthodoxy. Two views I have found helpful on this subject of what to do with the \u0026lsquo;muddled\u0026rsquo; lives of highly visible messengers come from John Piper and Russell More in the aftermath of the Peterson shift that was not. Truth remains truth, human vessels are inherently flawed and their output should be read through the lens of the bible itself.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/10/04/the-diary-on-flights-music-and-the-muddled-lives-of-heroes/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/cf0e5-40-airports.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBetween work and visits to family, I travel quite a fair bit by air each year. Already though, 2017 is on course to be my most airborne yet - \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/08/02/nine-fridays-of-summer-london-again/\"\u003elove-hate relationship\u003c/a\u003e with flying notwithstanding.  The \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/the-s-files/\"\u003ething with S\u003c/a\u003e has been a big part of that, more so over the last few weeks, five of the last six of which have been spent down south. In times like this, even I have to admit- however grudgingly - the usefulness of being able to \u003cem\u003ejust\u003c/em\u003e fly. I shudder to think of how many hours I would have spent on trains or coaches over the last few days if flying was not an option.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Diary: On Flights, Music and The Muddled Lives Of Heroes"},{"content":"\nSomewhat fortuitously - long story for another day - I have somehow found myself working bang in the city centre for most of the last six years, the chief joys of which include being able to stroll leisurely into work in twenty minutes tops, and this - views of the harbour through the window of the canteen on the third floor.\nBetween the middle ship and the green ship, if you look hard enough you\u0026rsquo;ll see the remains of seagull poop. For now at least, these two are constants, ships and seagulls.\n\u0026ndash; For the prompt, Windows.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/09/28/weekly-photo-challenge-windows/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"39.Windows\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/6be60-39-windows.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSomewhat fortuitously - long story for another day -  I have somehow found myself working bang in the city centre for most of the last six years, the chief joys of which include being able to stroll leisurely into work in twenty minutes tops, and this - views of the harbour through the window of the canteen on the third floor.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBetween the middle ship and the green ship, if you look hard enough you\u0026rsquo;ll see the remains of seagull poop. For now at least, these two are constants, ships and seagulls.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weekly Photo Challenge: Windows"},{"content":"\nThe morphing of what began as an interesting way to spend my summer Fridays last year into full scale wedding planning has left me feeling ragged and in need of a time out; the colours, people and costs involved being mind boggling for a bloke who has built the last few years of his life around his me time. Far from feeling like chickening out, I\u0026rsquo;m more grateful than miffed, seeing as becoming a husband and a father are key components of my life plan.\nWhilst thinking about what the underlying drivers for the sense of disjunction were, seven things stood out as being the most important for me.\nThe cultural differences: With S being Yoruba comes a certain expectation of pomp and circumstance, over and above one that comes with being Nigerian. My inner minimalist rails at that. Sadly I am learning that it\u0026rsquo;s her day as well as mine and adjustments must be made at my end to accommodate all of this. The endless deliberation about colours and fabrics: Related to the above, the numbers and variety of colour combinations I have had to mull over in the last few months - who would have thought that teal, turquoise and mint are different colours - are the tip of the iceberg with respect to the mental torture I have been dragged through. The hierarchical (Nigerian church) situation: More than a few times comments made by the church she attends, essentially making stipulations about time and attendance at meeting have riled my inner independent. Once past the initial defensiveness, the wider import - the fact that these are folk volunteering their own time and energy, and genuinely trying to be helpful - calms me down. I am learning to suck it up and get on with it. The distance: The primary hassle associated with all the pre-marital classes I have to attend. Enough said! The overwhelming influence of friends and people who feel they have a stake: Being the private kind of chap that I am, friends who demand attention are alien to me. This is yet another source of friction between S and I from time to time. The most recent example of this was catching the eye of one such friends in church and failing to acknowledge them. That earned me a very strongly worded comment Government red tape:The added complication of having to bring my family over The sense of needing to depend on others: Learning, chastening experience, growing me ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/09/26/the-s-files-coming-up-for-air/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/d6339-38-wedding.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe morphing of what began as an \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/07/19/sleepers-stratford-and-sunshine/\"\u003einteresting way to spend my summer Fridays last year\u003c/a\u003e into full scale wedding planning has left me feeling ragged and in need of a time out; the colours, people and costs involved being mind boggling for a bloke who has built the last few years of his life around his \u003cem\u003eme\u003c/em\u003e time. Far from feeling like chickening out, I\u0026rsquo;m more grateful than miffed, seeing as \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/the-life-plan/\"\u003ebecoming a husband and a father are key components of my life plan\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The S Files: Coming Up For Air"},{"content":"\nOne Friday this summer, S and I decided dolphin watching would be a good thing to do, which was how we hopped into the car, drove to the Aberdeen harbour and paid for a harbour cruise. The dolphins had other plans - 92% chance or not - and we ended up not seeing any. We did get the joy of about an hour of cruising round the harbour along with other equally disappointed would be dolphin watchers. Good bonding though, I guess?\n\u0026ndash; For the prompt, Layered.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/09/21/weekly-photo-challenge-layered/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/016bc-38-layered.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne Friday this summer, \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/the-s-files/\"\u003eS\u003c/a\u003e and I decided dolphin watching would be a good thing to do, which was how we hopped into the car, drove to the Aberdeen harbour and paid for a harbour cruise. The dolphins had other plans - 92% chance or not - and we ended up \u003cem\u003enot\u003c/em\u003e seeing any. We did get the joy of about an hour of cruising round the harbour along with other equally disappointed would be dolphin watchers. Good bonding though, I guess?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weekly Photo Challenge - Layered"},{"content":"What could have been. Image Source\n---\nIt is in the middle of shovelling rice and chicken down my throat that just how similar to prison these cubby holes I pop into from time to time are. For one, there are a number of hoops to jump through to get here - in my case a 5.30am check-in followed by a fixed wing flight up to Scatsta in the Shetlands and then a further helicopter flight out to the platform - and the overwhelmingly maleness of everything, tattoos and all. There are also the shared rooms, the strict meal times and the restricted choices there tends to be for meals. The one statistic which goes against the prison narrative is perhaps the proportion of ethnic minorities in prison vis-a-vis the general population, but that is neither here nor there. And of course, we\u0026rsquo;re all out here by choice, getting paid a premium of sorts for the joy of being out here.\nOn this occasion I am on one of the bigger cubby holes - floated out in the late 70\u0026rsquo;s - with the claim to fame of being the world’s largest movable man-made object at the time. These days the Polarcus Armani and Shell’s Floating LNG Plant the Prelude have stronger claims to that crown, a symbol perhaps of the changed fortunes of the UK sector of the North Sea vis-a-vis the rest of the world. To get here, this behemoth of the Northern North sea, we had to brave inclement weather at Scatsta, the clouds so thick and winds so strong that the pilots decided against going through with two landing attempts thirty minutes apart. In the end, we had to wing it to the southern end of the island to Sumburgh for a landing and then a bus back up to our original destination. The glimpses of the road that were visible through the windows in the pouring rain suggested that there would be some mileage in coming back here for leisure, but on this occasion the rough, rugged terrain – roads that wrapped themselves around hills and valleys and small streams fuelled by the torrential rains leaving their marks on the hills that lined our route – seemed more a trigger for memories of the past than anything else; St John’s, Newfoundland which I visited two years ago and the distant corner of Edo State to which I trace my heritage being the two main ones. One wonders where all that time went, not least the years since I last went home. My plan is to spend a total of three days out here - not since in my early years in February of 2014 have I had to spend more than a week at a time offshore - but for the regulars, a three week stint looms, which is why perhaps they seem less perturbed by the detour we have had to take.\nThe last few years have seen free wi-fi access hit these haunts, one more positive to everything. Back in the day, staying in touch with folk back home depended on finding access to a desk phone with the ability to dial out; access is a lot better out here than I recall from my offshore Nigeria days. Once offshore, I settle into the room I have been assigned, before heading out to the offices, to get stuck into the reasons why I am out here. A detailed chat with the platform manager to set the scene for why I\u0026rsquo;m out is followed by the first of what will be several meetings with the folk who I work with directly on a daily basis, and then a walk in the plant to eye-ball a number of areas which have piqued my interest.\nWith time I have come to realise that the routine is what keeps me sane - regular / restricted meal times, periodic review meetings, and the late night trip to the bund to stock up on sweets and bottled water have become things I look forward to on these trips, symbols of the passage of time, and with meetings, things checked off the to-do list.\nThere is joy and salvation in the mundane and routine after all, that much is not in doubt.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/09/19/the-diary-notes-from-the-northern-isles/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"37.Shetlands\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/66386-37-shetlands.jpeg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhat could have been. \u003ca href=\"https://www.suwena.net/en/node/534\"\u003eImage Source\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is in the middle of shovelling rice and chicken down my throat that just how similar to prison these cubby holes I pop into from time to time are. For one, there are a number of hoops to jump through to get here - in my case a 5.30am check-in followed by a fixed wing flight up to \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scatsta_Airport\"\u003eScatsta in the Shetlands\u003c/a\u003e and then a further helicopter flight out to the platform - and the overwhelmingly maleness of everything, tattoos and all. There are also the shared rooms, the strict meal times and the restricted choices there tends to be for meals. The one statistic which goes against the prison narrative is perhaps the proportion of ethnic minorities in prison vis-a-vis the general population, but that is neither here nor there. And of course, we\u0026rsquo;re all out here by choice, getting paid a premium of sorts for the joy of being out here.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Diary: Notes From The Northern Isles"},{"content":"\nThe downside - or some might say it is an upside - of having family on three continents is I spend quite a bit of time in airports waiting; to board, for baggage, to be picked up or sometimes to catch my breath after what can sometimes be a battle to get through immigration and customs, no thanks to the power of my passport.\nThe interplay between costs, stopover lengths and distance sometimes mean that only the very earliest of flights are workable for me, which is how I ended up at the airport at about 6.00am on this day. All in a day\u0026rsquo;s worth of waiting, I guess.\n\u0026ndash; For the Wordpress Weekly Photo Challenge, Waiting.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/09/07/weekly-photo-challenge-waiting/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"36.Waiting\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/f03e3-36-waiting.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe downside - or some might say it is an upside - of having family on three continents is I spend quite a bit of time in airports waiting; to board, for baggage, to be picked up or sometimes to catch my breath after what can sometimes be a battle to get through immigration and customs, no thanks to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.passportindex.org/comparebyPassport.php?p1=ng\u0026amp;fl=\u0026amp;s=yes\"\u003epower of my passport\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe interplay between costs, stopover lengths and distance sometimes mean that only the very earliest of flights are workable for me, which is how I ended up at the airport at about 6.00am on this day. All in a day\u0026rsquo;s worth of waiting, I guess.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weekly Photo Challenge - Waiting"},{"content":"\nAberdeen\u0026rsquo;s Mercat Cross, which dates back to the 1600\u0026rsquo;s. A different sort of structure from the lines, freckles, and tiny hairs which were ostensibly the subject of this week\u0026rsquo;s photo challenge but a structure nonetheless; in that other concrete, physical constructed sense of the word.\n\u0026ndash; For the weekly photo challenge, Structure\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/08/31/weekly-photo-challenge-structure/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"35.Structure\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/759ef-35-structure.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAberdeen\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercat_cross\"\u003eMercat Cross\u003c/a\u003e, which dates back to the 1600\u0026rsquo;s. A different sort of \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/structure/\"\u003estructure\u003c/a\u003e from the lines, freckles, and tiny hairs which were ostensibly the subject of this week\u0026rsquo;s photo challenge but a structure nonetheless; in that \u003cem\u003eother\u003c/em\u003e concrete, physical \u003cem\u003econstructed\u003c/em\u003e sense of the word.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\n\u003cem\u003eFor the weekly photo challenge, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/structure/\"\u003eStructure\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weekly Photo Challenge - Structure"},{"content":" Although I am only three runs into my ParkRun \u0026lsquo;career\u0026rsquo;, the three blocks of granite on the grassy edge of the Beach Esplanade just before it turns West towards Kings Street have become a beacon of sorts. Situated around the 4.5k mark of the total 5k route they have very quickly come to represent the prospect of rest, relief and completion.\nThey also mark the halfway point of my morning runs, which again speaks to turning points and the call of home. Finding out they were donated to the city by a company I once worked for added a sense of serendipity to all of that.\nTwo for the price of one then for this week\u0026rsquo;s challenge, a grainy low light version from this morning\u0026rsquo;s run and a clearer one from the archives.\n#Corner. For the Wordpress weekly photo challenge, Corner.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/08/24/windows-to-the-sea/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough I am only three runs into my \u003ca href=\"http://www.parkrun.org.uk/aberdeen/results/athletehistory/?athleteNumber=3720328\"\u003eParkRun \u0026lsquo;career\u0026rsquo;\u003c/a\u003e, the three blocks of granite on the grassy edge of the Beach Esplanade just before it turns West towards Kings Street have become a beacon of sorts. Situated around the 4.5k mark of the total 5k route they have very quickly come to represent the prospect of rest, relief and completion.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey also mark the halfway point of my morning runs, which again speaks to turning points and the call of home. Finding out they were donated to the city by a company I once worked for added a sense of serendipity to all of that.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Windows to The Sea"},{"content":"\nIt feels intuitively like the last year was my shittiest one yet - pardon my french - the sense being that all of the metrics which I have typically measured myself by are well south of where they should be. Most obvious is the flab around my waist, undeniable evidence that the 92kg reading on my scale is as factual as can be. There are other things of course, not least the sense of listlessness, the feeling of drifting and the increasingly dispassionate nature of my spiritual practice . A year ago I was certain that the year of being thirty seven would be my best one; the S bounce being a big part of that assessment. Reality though has been a less certain, more topsy turvy version of what I wanted it to be.\nIn addition to marrying S which is set to happen in the next couple of months, three key changes need to take place in my life to get me to where I want to be: sorting out my spiritual issues, losing weight and pursuing professional development activities that would leave me in a position to move jobs at the end of the year. Those correspond to three of the seven focus areas defined within the framework of my Life Plan (Spiritual, Physical \u0026amp; Health, Personal Development), the others being People \u0026amp; Social, Causes \u0026amp; Charity, Financial and Work/Career.\nTo keep things simple, and a nice round number, I\u0026rsquo;ve decided to identify a few goals for each of the three key areas as below:\nSpiritual Practice l ectio divina daily, using the WordLive daily email (find a phone app if possible) Physical \u0026amp; Health Complete a 5k three time a week Eat less than 50g of carbs daily Personal Development Obtain an internal auditor course and certification Read an hour every day (python, creative non-fiction, corrosion \u0026amp; materials, VBA for applications) Post on Quotidian Things three times a week Tuesday: The Diary Wednesday: Wordpress photo challenge Thursday: Creative Non-Fiction Financial Save 10% of net earnings per month ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/08/15/being-thirty-eight/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"stephanie-mccabe-65991\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/fd2cf-stephanie-mccabe-65991.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt feels intuitively like the last year was my \u003cem\u003eshittiest\u003c/em\u003e one yet - pardon my french - the sense being that all of the metrics which I have typically measured myself by are well south of where they should be. Most obvious is the flab around my waist, undeniable evidence that the 92kg reading on my scale is as factual as can be. There are other things of course, not least the sense of listlessness, \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/08/06/being-prodigal%E2%80%8A-%E2%80%8Aan-origin-story-of-sorts/\"\u003ethe feeling of drifting\u003c/a\u003e and the increasingly dispassionate nature of my spiritual practice . A year ago I was certain that the year of being thirty seven would be my best one; the S bounce being a big part of that assessment. Reality though has been a less certain, more topsy turvy version of what I wanted it to be.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Being Thirty-Eight"},{"content":"Image: Rembrandt, The Return of the Prodigal Son (Source)\u0026ndash;\nI trace the beginnings of my faith journey to Easter of 1992, the enduring image of the day being standing alongside forty or so other people at the front of the bare, minimally decorated assembly hall of the College of Education Ekiadolor. I was there because I had been dragged there by my family; there being an Easter conference put on by the student Christian movement my parents spent a lot of their spare time supporting. Besides my irritation at being taken along — and thus losing the few days of freedom free from parental supervision — responding to the altar call along with the others whilst sobbing profusely is the only thing I remember from the events of the weekend. That would not be the last time I would respond to an altar call — or pray a similar prayer for that matter — but the sense of relief, joy and confidence about the future which followed that day is why I come back to that place as the definitive start of my spiritual journey, never mind the fact that it lasted for all of three weeks before the reality of life brought me down to earth. That personal connection was the final piece of the jigsaw that created a church bubble for me.\nGrowing up, church life was pervasive, bleeding into every other space I did life in. For all the distinctiveness of the other spaces — home and school — the burden of my recognisable surname meant that in the small town where I lived, certain assumptions were made about my character and behaviour. Life in the bubble had its own versions of things outside the bubble — its own popular music, TV shows, super star speakers and youth group events. Then there was the sense of certainty about what was right or wrong and what the expectations of behaviour were. That pervasiveness only increased after my father took the plunge and plopped for his collar. The ordination in 1993 strengthened the sense of insulation, focusing the involvement in a number of para church organisations into a single one, a properly pentecostal church. Where prior to that church was the University Chapel, stylistically aligned with the Anglican Communion complete with the use of the book of common prayer, church was now loud hand clapping, dancing, speaking in tongues, laying on of hands and all the other trappings of Pentecostalism.\n\u0026ndash;\nIn my experience, self reinforcing certitude is a notoriously difficult thing to preserve, especially once the barriers that protect it from outside scrutiny are removed. Going away to University did that for me, being the first time I would leave the cover of home for distant lands 80 miles away. Of the various things which chipped away at this bubble, the freedom of distance from home made the most difference, allowing me re-invent my associations with connections outside the bubble. That coupled with the multiplied numbers of people that I met on a daily basis created an overload of influences, ones which were decidedly more worldly wise and cosmopolitan than I had been exposed to previously. Wider questions about biblical hermeneutics — particularly Genesis in the light of the geological record — soon piled on the misery, blowing wide the door to drift and doubt. The only exposure to a non young-earth based theology I had up till then was in the margin notes of my father’s Dake Bible, notes which considered an alternative interpretation of the ‘days’ of Genesis as epochs or ages and hence less discordant with archaeology. Elsewhere a young earth, a historical Adam and Eve and the Fall were put forward as essential building blocks of the worldview I espoused. The seemingly significant disconnect between that and scientific reality left me questioning everything, further loosening what inhibitions remained. Since then five years in the South East of Nigeria — working in a town where a combination of oil money, single men, expats and a pool of attractive, educated single men fuelled a libertarian culture — and nine years in my corner of Scotland, as far removed from my bubble days as could be have done little to ease the sense of drift that I now carry. All of this notwithstanding, I have never fully managed to become untethered, church and faith somehow managing to remain embedded in my routines.\n\u0026ndash;\nMost days I feel a deep kinship with the younger son in the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15, his hightailing it to a far country somewhat akin to how my faith journey evolved in the University years, once I was out of my church bubble. Whilst the emotional response that followed Easter of 1992 suggests a real change happened, my continuing struggle with the simple stuff — a regular practice of prayer and bible study, engaging a discipline of fasting and evangelism amongst others — often leaves me in a state of cognitive dissonance. Smarter theologians such as John Piper make a distinction between justification and sanctification; justification being a more or less instantaneous accounting of righteousness with sanctification being a more gradual growth. Implicit in that — in my layman’s view — is that a propensity for cognitive dissonance exists in all faith journeys, driven by the distance between what one knows to be right and what one does, between being justified and growing into a ‘sufficient’ degree of righteousness, as Paul’s example in Romans 7:13–24 suggests. The consensus, as I understand it, is that a measure of discipline, work and effort are required to bridge this gap, God both working in one and through one. That I largely accept, what is less certain is how much of the push to grow and improve is due to a real change as opposed to the remnants of the church bubble I grew up in, much in the same way a Muslim or Jew, by dint of culture abstains from non-Halal or non-kosher meat.\nThat to me is the fundamental question.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/08/06/being-prodigal%E2%80%8A-%E2%80%8Aan-origin-story-of-sorts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/0509a-f821a-1pagj3f5zgo0yc3pqojo9ow.jpeg\"\u003eImage: Rembrandt, The Return of the Prodigal Son (\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Return_of_the_Prodigal_Son_%28Rembrandt%29\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e)\u0026ndash;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI trace the beginnings of my faith journey to Easter of 1992, the enduring image of the day being standing alongside forty or so other people at the front of the bare, minimally decorated assembly hall of the College of Education Ekiadolor. I was there because I had been dragged there by my family; \u003cem\u003ethere\u003c/em\u003e being an Easter conference put on by the student Christian movement my parents spent a lot of their spare time supporting. Besides my irritation at being taken along — and thus losing the few days of freedom free from parental supervision — responding to the \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altar_call\"\u003ealtar call\u003c/a\u003e along with the others whilst sobbing profusely is the only thing I remember from the events of the weekend. That would not be the last time I would respond to an altar call — or pray a similar prayer for that matter — but the sense of relief, joy and confidence about the future which followed that day is why I come back to that place as the definitive start of my spiritual journey, never mind the fact that it lasted for all of three weeks before the reality of life brought me down to earth. That personal connection was the final piece of the jigsaw that created a church bubble for me.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Being Prodigal — An Origin Story of Sorts"},{"content":"\nA reminder of transitioning from full time study to full time employment at the back end of 2009, the Forth Road Bridge a symbol of hope of sorts on the journey from Newcastle in the North East of England to Aberdeen in the North East of Scotland for interviews.\nIn the end there would be a fair few trips but in the end with December came the set of interviews that led to a permanent move up North. The rest as they say is history.\n--- The Forth Road Bridge, for the prompt Bridge.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/07/06/weekly-photo-challenge-bridge/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/b73ef-27-bridge.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA reminder of transitioning from full time study to full time employment at the back end of 2009, the Forth Road Bridge a symbol of hope of sorts on the journey from Newcastle in the North East of England to Aberdeen in the North East of Scotland for interviews.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the end there would be a fair few trips but in the end with December came the set of interviews that led to a permanent move up North. The rest as they say is history.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weekly Photo Challenge - Bridge"},{"content":"\nIn the plains around Dunnotar Castle, lies an irony of sorts. The weathered rocks, worn by time\u0026rsquo;s incessant nibbling into cliffs which fall precipitously to the sea, are the very reason why the ruins of the castle we have come to see remain; a symbol of stubborn, dogged near permanence against the odds. But in the receding tide, and the quickly darkening skies, there is transience.\nYing \u0026amp; Yang. Life. Balance.\n\u0026ndash; For the photo challenge, Delta.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/06/29/weekly-photo-challenge-delta/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/a8137-26-delta.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/a8137-26-delta.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the plains around \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunnottar_Castle\"\u003eDunnotar Castle\u003c/a\u003e, lies an irony of sorts. The weathered rocks, worn by time\u0026rsquo;s incessant nibbling into cliffs which fall precipitously to the sea, are the very reason why the ruins of the castle we have come to see remain; a symbol of stubborn, dogged near permanence against the odds. But in the receding tide, and the quickly darkening skies, there is transience.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYing \u0026amp; Yang. Life. Balance.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weekly Photo Challenge: Delta"},{"content":"\nThe view out to sea, mid way through my morning run. For the prompt, Transient.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/06/22/weekly-photo-challenge-transient/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/56c08-25-morning.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe view out to sea, mid way through my morning run. For the prompt, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/drifter/\"\u003eTransient\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weekly Photo Challenge: Transient"},{"content":"For the Wordpress Weekly Photo Challenge Prompt, Evanescent: ---\nA curious combination of events - somehow in my early thirties becoming an insomniac and flexible start times at work - is how I manage to get the entire floor at work to myself for an hour on week days. Rather than stay awake in bed waiting for 8.00am, I figure it makes a lot more sense to use the morning hours up at work and free up my evenings.\nComing in early feeds a sense of quiet control and productivity; time to gather my thoughts and work to a plan of my own choosing. On most days by the time 8.00 am comes along, that feeling is as far removed from reality as can be, a consequence of having one fire or the other to put out on assets that demand 100% uptime.\nI am learning to treasure the quiet moments, fleeting as they may be. They afford me the chance to catch my breath and stay sane.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/05/26/weekly-photo-challenge-evanescent/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/147c4-21-evanescent.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor the Wordpress Weekly Photo Challenge Prompt, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/evanescent/\"\u003eEvanescent\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/em\u003e\n---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA curious combination of events - somehow in my early thirties \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/01/17/me-insomniac/\"\u003ebecoming an insomniac\u003c/a\u003e and flexible start times at work - is how I manage to get the entire floor at work to myself for an hour on week days.  Rather than stay awake in bed waiting for 8.00am, I figure it makes a lot more sense to use the morning hours up at work and free up my evenings.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weekly Photo Challenge - Evanescent"},{"content":"\nA few hundred years of Bini history on display a few thousand miles away in the National Museum of Scotland. #Heritage.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/05/18/weekly-photo-challenge-heritage/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/d9f47-20-heritage.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA few hundred years of Bini history on display a few thousand miles away in the \u003ca href=\"http://www.nms.ac.uk/explore/stories/world-cultures/benin-head-of-a-king/\"\u003eNational Museum of Scotland\u003c/a\u003e. \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/heritage/\"\u003e#Heritage\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weekly Photo Challenge - Heritage"},{"content":"\nFor the prompt, reflecting; which brings to mind the chill of a late (post Christmas) walk in Verulamium Park, a precursor to a splendid evening in St Albans spent with S. Of course, there were waffles and hot mugs of chocolate to warm us up afterwards. #Reflecting.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/05/11/weekly-photo-challenge-reflecting/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/277a0-19-reflecting.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the prompt, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/reflecting/\"\u003ereflecting\u003c/a\u003e; which brings to mind the chill of a late (post Christmas) walk in \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verulamium_Park\"\u003eVerulamium Park\u003c/a\u003e,  a precursor to a splendid evening in St Albans spent with S. Of course, there were waffles and hot mugs of chocolate to warm us up afterwards. #Reflecting.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weekly Photo Challenge - Reflecting"},{"content":"\nFor the challenge, Danger. Rope Access inspections.. #Offshore\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/05/03/weekly-photo-challenge-danger/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/3fe8b-danger_-rope-access.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the challenge, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/\"\u003eDanger\u003c/a\u003e. \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rope_access\"\u003eRope Access\u003c/a\u003e inspections.. #Offshore\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weekly Photo Challenge - Danger"},{"content":" For the Wordpress Photo Challenge, Wanderlust. St John\u0026rsquo;s, Newfoundland.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/05/01/weekly-photo-challenge-wanderlust/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor the Wordpress Photo Challenge, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/wanderlust/\"\u003eWanderlust\u003c/a\u003e. St John\u0026rsquo;s, Newfoundland.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weekly Photo Challenge - Wanderlust"},{"content":"\nWith several cost overruns, a muddled award process and potential conflicts of interest, L ondon\u0026rsquo;s Garden Bridge has finally being put out of its misery. #WhiteElephant\n\u0026ndash; Image Source\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/28/24-the-garden-bridge-resolution/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/77ded-24-london.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith several cost overruns, a muddled award process and potential conflicts of interest, L \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/apr/28/garden-bridge-dead-38m-public-money-repaid-boris-johnson#img-1\"\u003eondon\u0026rsquo;s Garden Bridge has finally being put out of its misery\u003c/a\u003e. #WhiteElephant\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\nImage \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/apr/28/garden-bridge-dead-38m-public-money-repaid-boris-johnson#img-1\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#24. The Garden Bridge Resolution"},{"content":"\nIn attempting to prevent mobile phone use behind the wheel, righteous indignation got the better of David, a traffic cop. He is now £1,610 lighter. Image Source\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/27/23-the-traffic-cop-incongruity/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/d905b-23-traffic-bike.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"in-attempting-to-prevent-mobile-phone-use-behind-the-wheel-righteous-indignation-got-the-better-of-david-a-traffic-cop-he-is-now-1610-lighter\"\u003eIn \u003ca href=\"http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/traffic-cop-headbutted-woman-driver-10287286\"\u003eattempting to prevent mobile phone use behind the wheel\u003c/a\u003e, righteous indignation got the better of David, a traffic cop. He is now £1,610 lighter.\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImage \u003ca href=\"https://hiveminer.com/Tags/r1200rt,traffic/Interesting\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#23. The Traffic Cop Incongruity"},{"content":"\nSpeculations about the President\u0026rsquo;s health - fuelled by an extended medical leave and missed meetings - are now cleared up. He is to rule from home. #Resolved.\n\u0026ndash; Image Source: PM News Nigeria\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/26/22-the-curious-case-of-the-unseen-president/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/16e58-22-buhari.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpeculations about the President\u0026rsquo;s health - fuelled by an \u003ca href=\"http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-39055263\"\u003eextended medical leave\u003c/a\u003e and missed meetings - are now cleared up. He is to \u003ca href=\"https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2017/04/26/official-buhari-now-rule-nigeria-home/\"\u003erule from home\u003c/a\u003e. #Resolved.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\nImage Source: \u003ca href=\"https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2017/04/26/official-buhari-now-rule-nigeria-home/\"\u003ePM News Nigeria\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#22. The Curious Case of the Unseen President"},{"content":"Moved by the Uduehis\u0026rsquo; quintuplet problem EFAB have delivered a three bedroom house, a promise made by the Federation\u0026rsquo;s Head of Service, ostensibly in faith.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/25/21-the-quintuplet-solution/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMoved by the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/19/16-the-quintuplet-problem/\"\u003eUduehis\u0026rsquo; quintuplet problem\u003c/a\u003e EFAB have delivered \u003ca href=\"https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2017/04/25/oyo-ita-donates-three-bedroom-bungalow-father-quintuplets/\"\u003ea three bedroom house\u003c/a\u003e, a promise made by the Federation\u0026rsquo;s Head of Service, ostensibly in \u003cem\u003efaith.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#21. The Quintuplet Solution"},{"content":"Sex with Dr K failed to cure Patient A\u0026rsquo;s MS. A battle to keep his license is his reward for the ensuing six month affair.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/24/20-the-dr-k-fallacy/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSex with Dr K failed to cure Patient A\u0026rsquo;s MS. \u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/21/sex-will-cure-ms-doctor-told-patient-added-trust-doctor/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_fb\"\u003eA battle to keep his license\u003c/a\u003e is his reward for the ensuing six month affair.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#20. The Dr K Fallacy"},{"content":"\nWith a foreword written by the Nigerian Senate President who is in court on corruption related charges, Dino\u0026rsquo;s memoirs chronicle his life of fighting corruption.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/23/19-that-dino-memoir/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/e8f79-19-fighting-corruption.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith a foreword written by the Nigerian Senate President \u003ca href=\"http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/02/cct-trial-saraki-pleads-not-guilty-fresh-corruption-charges/\"\u003ewho is in court on corruption related charges\u003c/a\u003e, Dino\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/04/dino-melaye-proposes-antidotes-corruption/\"\u003ememoirs chronicle his life of \u003cem\u003efighting corruption\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#19. That Dino Memoir..."},{"content":" In self defence, Ifeanyi chained his feisty wife Obiageli to his I-pass-my-neighbour overnight. Her strength did not however prevent him from beating her first.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/22/the-dangerous-wife-incongruity/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/4491f-18-chained-wife.jpg\" width=\"600\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn self defence, \u003ca href=\"https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2017/04/16/man-chains-wife-generator-night-till-next-morning/\"\u003eIfeanyi chained his feisty wife Obiageli\u003c/a\u003e to his \u003cem\u003eI-pass-my-neighbour\u003c/em\u003e overnight. Her strength did not however prevent him from beating her first.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#18. The Dangerous Wife Incongruity"},{"content":" The smell of old things. The past, present and future colliding in a cacophony of bagpipes and squealing children. Flower-speckled greenery. The colour of spring.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/21/17-the-crathes-conclusion/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe smell of old things. The past, present and future colliding in a cacophony of bagpipes and squealing children. Flower-speckled greenery. The colour of spring.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#17. The Crathes Conclusion"},{"content":"The blessing of the Lord maketh rich and adds no sorrow.. Blessed out of the blue with quintuplets, Imudia and Kemi might beg to disagree.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/19/16-the-quintuplet-problem/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe blessing of the Lord maketh rich and adds no sorrow..\u003c/em\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2017/04/19/father-quintuplet-seeks-support-govt-nigerians/\"\u003eBlessed out of the blue with quintuplets\u003c/a\u003e, Imudia and Kemi might beg to disagree.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#16. The Quintuplet Problem"},{"content":"A lack of endurance drew Endurance Ominisan to his demise at the hands of the Nigerian Police. Eleven days away from his girlfriend his limit.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/18/15-the-mighty-militant-annihilation/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2017/04/18/police-kill-militant-involved-killing-army-captain/\"\u003eA lack of endurance\u003c/a\u003e drew Endurance Ominisan to his demise at the hands of the Nigerian Police. Eleven days away from his girlfriend his limit.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#15. The Mighty Militant Annihilation"},{"content":"\nFresh from an Easter retreat, 100 Deeper Lifers escaped death by fire by the skin of their teeth; fire not from above but from within.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/17/the-spontaneous-combustion-anomaly/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/4fe53-14-fire-fire.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFresh from an Easter retreat, \u003ca href=\"https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2017/04/17/deeper-life-worshippers-escape-death-bus-catches-fire/\"\u003e100 Deeper Lifers escaped death by fire\u003c/a\u003e by the skin of their teeth; fire not from \u003cem\u003eabove\u003c/em\u003e but from \u003cem\u003ewithin\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#14: The Spontaneous Combustion Anomaly"},{"content":"\nFor God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life --- John 3:16, KJV. Image Source\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/16/13-for-easter-the-gospel-in-twenty-five-words/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/69e63-13-crucifixion.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life\n---\nJohn 3:16, KJV. \u003ca href=\"https://www.thoughtco.com/facts-about-jesus-crucifixion-700752\"\u003eImage Source\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#13: For Easter, The Gospel in Twenty Five Words"},{"content":"Fittingly at Easter, New Jersey\u0026rsquo;s Brian McDowell having been caught on video asking sexual favours of a friend blames it all on being like Jesus.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/15/12-jesus-of-new-jersey/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFittingly at Easter, New Jersey\u0026rsquo;s Brian McDowell \u003ca href=\"https://www.dailydot.com/irl/new-jersey-brian-mcdowell-viral-video-donald-trump/?tw=dd\"\u003ehaving been caught on video asking sexual favours of a friend\u003c/a\u003e blames it all on being like Jesus.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#12: Jesus of New Jersey"},{"content":"Francis\u0026rsquo; love for Ogechi stays strong even after thirteen years and a ménage à trois of sorts. The proof of his passion being drunken beatings.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/14/11-the-drunken-love-peculiarity/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFrancis\u0026rsquo; love for Ogechi stays strong even after thirteen years and \u003ca href=\"http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/04/wife-sex-pastor-younger-brother-man-tells-court/\"\u003ea \u003cem\u003eménage à trois\u003c/em\u003e of sorts\u003c/a\u003e. The proof of his passion being drunken beatings.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#11: The Drunken Love Peculiarity"},{"content":"Will Knight highlights the conundrum at the heart of deep learning AI - demonstrably good decisions, the inner workings of which are invisible to us. Fate?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/13/10-the-deep-learning-ai-conundrum/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWill Knight \u003ca href=\"https://www.technologyreview.com/s/604087/the-dark-secret-at-the-heart-of-ai/\"\u003ehighlights the conundrum\u003c/a\u003e at the heart of deep learning AI - demonstrably good decisions, the inner workings of which are invisible to us. Fate?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#10: The Deep Learning AI Conundrum"},{"content":"\nTruth, Mark Twain said, is stranger than fiction. For Ernest and Heather Franklin of Guilford, fiction may have inspired truth, a little bit too much.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/12/9-the-fact-fiction-coalescence/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/6da64-09-manchester-by-the-sea.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTruth, \u003ca href=\"https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/4650-truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-but-it-is-because-fiction\"\u003eMark Twain said\u003c/a\u003e, is stranger than fiction. For Ernest and Heather Franklin of Guilford, \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/12/manchester-by-the-sea-inspired-couple-kill-son-house-fire\"\u003efiction may have inspired truth\u003c/a\u003e, a little bit too much.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#9: The Fact-Fiction Coalescence"},{"content":"\nCamera phones and the internet fundamentally democratise the perception of justice. That, United Airlines have learnt, for the not inconsiderable price of a billion dollars.\n--- Image Source: CNN\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/11/8-justice-by-smart-phone/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/adf4e-08-united.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCamera phones and the internet fundamentally democratise the \u003cem\u003eperception\u003c/em\u003e of justice. That, \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/11/united-airlines-shares-plummet-passenger-removal-controversy\"\u003eUnited Airlines have learnt\u003c/a\u003e, for the \u003cem\u003enot inconsiderable\u003c/em\u003e price of a billion dollars.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\nImage Source: \u003ca href=\"http://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/10/travel/passenger-removed-united-flight-trnd/\"\u003eCNN\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#8 - Justice, By Smart Phone"},{"content":"Heather Lanier reflects on motherhood and the life altering changes a child with a disability brings.\nSuper babies don\u0026rsquo;t cry; wrestling pain makes us human.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/10/7-the-pain-realisation/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHeather Lanier \u003ca href=\"http://velamag.com/superbabies-dont-cry/\"\u003ereflects on\u003c/a\u003e motherhood and the life altering changes a child with a disability brings.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuper babies don\u0026rsquo;t cry; wrestling pain makes us human.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#7 - The Pain Realisation"},{"content":"\nThe perfect excuse for letting rip with a big yawn in the middle of a boring work meeting; your above average intelligence. Or over familiarity. Image Source: YawnTalking\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/09/6-the-yawn-intelligence-equivalency/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/7e37d-06-yawning.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"the-perfect-excuse-for-letting-rip-with-a-big-yawn-in-the-middle-of-a-boring-work-meeting-your-above-average-intelligenceor-over-familiarity\"\u003eThe perfect excuse for letting rip with a big yawn in the middle of a boring work meeting; \u003ca href=\"https://www.indy100.com/article/longer-yawn-length-heavier-brain-more-neurons-sleepy-7672861\"\u003eyour above average intelligence\u003c/a\u003e. Or over \u003ca href=\"https://www.indy100.com/article/what-yawning-actually-says-about-you-apart-from-being-tired--Z1t9fxK8eW\"\u003efamiliarity\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImage Source: \u003ca href=\"http://www.yawntalking.org/\"\u003eYawnTalking\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#6: The Yawn - Intelligence Equivalency"},{"content":"Governor Yari\u0026rsquo;s explanation for the recent outbreak of Meningitis C in Nigeria? God sent it. 200 people have already got to ask Him why in person.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/08/5-the-yari-conjecture/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eGovernor Yari\u0026rsquo;s explanation for \u003ca href=\"http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/04/god-sent-type-c-meningitis-punish-nigerians-sins-gov-yari/\"\u003ethe recent outbreak of Meningitis C\u003c/a\u003e in Nigeria? God sent it. 200 people have already got to ask \u003cem\u003eHim\u003c/em\u003e why in person.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#5 - The Yari Conjecture"},{"content":"\nA man who rarely bets, Forty-three years, and a winning bet on Red Rum, all in the week before the Grand National returns. Fortuitous.\n\u0026ndash; Image Source: The Guardian\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/07/4-the-red-rum-fortuity/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ef617-04-red-rum1.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA man who rarely bets, \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/apr/07/red-rum-wins-grand-national-man-cashes-bet-slip\"\u003eForty-three years\u003c/a\u003e, and a winning bet on \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Rum\"\u003eRed Rum\u003c/a\u003e, all in the week before the \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Grand_National\"\u003eGrand National returns\u003c/a\u003e. Fortuitous.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\nImage Source: \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/apr/07/red-rum-wins-grand-national-man-cashes-bet-slip#img-2\"\u003eThe Guardian\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#4 - The Red Rum Fortuity"},{"content":"\nThough Mo and P both pilfered stuff, their ends could not be more diverse. For his hard work he earned six strokes, For hers, apologies. For Dame J and Mohammed who though both in possession of items of doubtful provenance, receive different rewards. Image Source Unsplash/Claire Anderson\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/06/3-a-matter-of-interpretation/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/68b94-03-law-claire-anderson-60670.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"for-hers-apologies\"\u003eThough Mo and P both pilfered stuff,\ntheir ends could not be more diverse.\nFor his hard work he earned six strokes,\nFor hers, apologies.\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/04/breaking-court-orders-efcc-defreeze-patience-jonathans-5-9m-account/\"\u003eDame J\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/04/scavenger-gets-six-strokes-cane-stealing-6-cartons-tiles/\"\u003eMohammed\u003c/a\u003e who though both in possession of items of doubtful provenance, receive different rewards. Image Source \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@claireandy?photo=Vq__yk6faOI\"\u003eUnsplash/Claire Anderson\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#3 - A Matter of Interpretation"},{"content":"For feisty bouts betwixt the sheets, Chima repays disdain. His heart, once broken by a buxom belle Still aches in pain for her delights.\n\u0026ndash; For Chima the six who wants a ten.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/05/2-the-chima-conundrum/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor feisty bouts betwixt the sheets,\nChima repays disdain.\nHis heart, once broken by a buxom belle\nStill aches in pain for her delights.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\nFor Chima \u003ca href=\"http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/04/shes-everything-want-woman-plain/\"\u003ethe six who wants a ten\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#2 - The Chima Conundrum"},{"content":"Bob the Brave would fight Brexit’s worthy cause. His Achilles Heel? An expired MOT\n--- For Robert, who wants to take Spain on, on behalf of Gibraltar\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/04/04/1-bob-the-brave-and-bold/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBob the Brave would fight\nBrexit’s worthy cause. His Achilles\nHeel? An expired MOT\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\nFor Robert, \u003ca href=\"https://www.indy100.com/article/gibraltar-spain-bring-it-on-brexit-mot-europe-european-rock-7665646\"\u003ewho wants to take Spain on\u003c/a\u003e, on behalf of Gibraltar\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#1 - Bob, The Brave and Bold..."},{"content":"\nAn exploded view of a Formula One Racing Car, a memento from the weekend\u0026rsquo;s frolicking at the Mercedes-Benz World in Brooklands. For the prompt, dense.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/03/30/weekly-photo-challenge-dense/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/99411-dense.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/99411-dense.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn exploded view of a Formula One Racing Car, a memento from the weekend\u0026rsquo;s frolicking at the \u003ca href=\"http://www.mercedes-benz.co.uk/content/unitedkingdom/mpc/mpc_unitedkingdom_website/en/home_mpc/homepage/mbworld.html\"\u003eMercedes-Benz World\u003c/a\u003e in Brooklands. For the prompt, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/dense/\"\u003e\u003cem\u003edense\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weekly Photo Challenge - Dense"},{"content":" \u0026ndash;\nCurrently on repeat, Simplicity, from the Album The Art of Celebration\nI come with my broken song / To You the Perfect One / To worship You / In spirit and truth\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/03/26/on-repeat-simplicity-rend-collective/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/aKp8lpOq2ko?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCurrently on repeat, \u003cem\u003eSimplicity,\u003c/em\u003e from the Album \u003cem\u003eThe Art of Celebration\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eI come with my broken song / To You the Perfect One / To worship You / In spirit and truth\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Repeat - Simplicity - Rend Collective"},{"content":"For the challenge, Green. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/03/23/green-a-collection/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"for-the-challenge-green\"\u003eFor the challenge, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/it-is-easy-being-green/\"\u003eGreen\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e","title":"Green, a collection"},{"content":"\nBang on time for the start of spring, the trees behind my house have sprouted flowers; a welcome change from the bare, gaunt visage which has greeted my eyes over the last few months. In its place is a splash of colour - bright pink - which is always welcome in our neck of the woods, known more for the ubiquity of grey granite and grey weather than anything else.\nNew lights at work also speak to this season of change, the new brightness being so disconcerting that for the first few seconds I thought I had come off on the wrong floor. Speaking to the Facilities folks suggests these may be SAD lights, a bit late in the day given the changing of the season, but welcome nonetheless. It feels like this will take a while to get used to, fingers crossed.\nTimes, seasons, the fleeting nature of life and the speed with which the year has sped by so far are all things which stumbling on trees in bloom force me to reflect on; particularly because in a few days time I will have spent six years working in the same building.\nSettled, or in a rut? The jury is still out on that I suspect.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/03/21/springing-bloom/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/9b594-bloom.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBang on time for the \u003ca href=\"http://www.almanac.com/content/spring-equinox-2017-first-day-spring\"\u003estart of spring\u003c/a\u003e, the trees behind my house have sprouted flowers; a welcome change from the bare, gaunt visage which has greeted my eyes over the last few months. In its place is a splash of colour - bright pink - which is always welcome in our neck of the woods, known more for the ubiquity of grey granite and grey weather than anything else.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Springing... Bloom"},{"content":"\nVienna, as seen from atop the Haus der Meeres, a repurposed Flak Tower. For the photo-challenge atop.\n#NineFridaysOfSummer remembered.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/03/16/atop/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/021a0-15-atop.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVienna, as seen from atop the \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haus_des_Meeres\"\u003eHaus der Meeres\u003c/a\u003e, a repurposed \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flak_tower\"\u003eFlak Tower\u003c/a\u003e. For the photo-challenge \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/atop/\"\u003eatop\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/ninefridaysofsummer/\"\u003e#NineFridaysOfSummer\u003c/a\u003e remembered.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Atop"},{"content":"Somewhat fortuitously I stumbled on a podcast by Redeemer Presbyterian\u0026rsquo;s Tim Keller, Four Ways the Gospel Transforms Work. It was one which, by including the subject of work and identity, took me one back to a couple of years ago when I reflected on the subject of being and identity.\nTim\u0026rsquo;s four points - not making work our identity, considering all work dignified because God does it through us, sticking to the moral compass of our worldview and not letting work become our master - provide a detailed\nLouie Giglio put it more simply at one of the Passion Conferences\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/03/14/a-theology-of-work/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSomewhat fortuitously I stumbled on a podcast by Redeemer Presbyterian\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Keller_(pastor)\"\u003eTim Keller\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/tim-kellers-4-ways-gospel-transforms-work\"\u003eFour Ways the Gospel Transforms Work\u003c/a\u003e. It was one which, by including the subject of work and identity, took me one back to a couple of years ago when I reflected on the subject of \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/08/14/on-being-and-identity/\"\u003ebeing and identity\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTim\u0026rsquo;s four points - not making work our identity, considering all work dignified because God does it through us, sticking to the moral compass of our worldview and not letting work become our master - provide a detailed\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Theology of Work"},{"content":"St Albans Cathedral, one December day. For the prompt, Wish: For fulfilled desires, For the Loved Ones to return Again in peace. Wish.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/03/10/wish/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"st-albans-cathedral-one-december-day-for-the-prompt-wish\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ee0dc-wish_.jpg\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Albans_Cathedral\"\u003eSt Albans Cathedral\u003c/a\u003e, one December day. For the prompt, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/wish/\"\u003eWish\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor fulfilled desires,\nFor the Loved Ones to return\nAgain in peace. Wish.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Wish"},{"content":"I decided that for Lent this year I would give up caffeine, if starting almost a week after the properly faithful and switching to tea, topped up by the odd cup of decaf coffee count as giving up. No longer being part of any of the Orthodox traditions meant I failed to get the prompt I took for granted growing up, the ash crosses on foreheads that signalled Ash Wednesday, and the start of Lent. The point of Lent is spiritual - which giving up caffeine is not, at least on the surface - but I think there is a spiritual point in trying to best what has become a costly, insidious habit; proving to myself that coffee is not my master. Given how much my morning routine at work is related to taking time out to reflect at the start of the day with a cup of coffee in hand, it should be an interesting thirty-seven forty days. Hopefully it translates to better sleep - the data from my Fitbit will be the judge of that.\nIn tandem with the idea of ‘giving up’ caffeine, my interest has been piqued by the 1,000 Day MFA Project; the idea being that one reads a short story, an essay and a poem everyday and writes at least once a week. I suspect that this will be the greater struggle, to fit time to read amongst every other thing going on in my life at the moment. To ease myself in, I subscribed again to the Poem A Day from Poets.org, bookmarked the Fifty-Two Stories site and now go to work with Teju Cole’s Known and Strange Things in my bag. It has been an interesting few days of reading already; Simon Van Booy’s The Missing Statues, Teju Cole\u0026rsquo;s Ghueorgui Pinkhassov (a redo of his essay Dappled Things) and Kim Dower\u0026rsquo;s poem, How Was Your Weekend being highlights so far.\nIt is from Cole\u0026rsquo;s essay, Ghueorgui Pinkhassov, that the line The Small Light in Things comes. Cole\u0026rsquo;s assertion is that the underlying theme of Pinkhassov’s photography, even as he makes a conscious effort to vary subjects, methods and media, is making finding the small light in things the centre that holds true in spite of change. The close association of rescuing and small perhaps implies that there is a light in every thing, and that it is somehow in danger of being lost amidst the noise of everything else. Pinkhassov\u0026rsquo;s genius, if I read Cole\u0026rsquo;s essay right, is in this ceaseless pursuit of light in everything.\nMaybe we all are trying to rescue the small light in things in our lives too. In the happy, sad or indifferent, the momentous and the quotidian there are lights of sorts; in the form of lessons to learn for the future, the nostalgia of memories of the past or most importantly the inspiration to dig deep, find grit and get through the present. Speaking of grit, I have had to dig deep to find that this February; the clearest indicator of that being that for the first time in a long while I woke up one Tuesday morning wondering if I could call in sick and avoid going into work. In the end, the force of habit (I\u0026rsquo;d love to think it was my professional integrity) won through and I went in, but pacing myself and avoiding burnout has never been more imperative.\nThe small light in things, I may have found the title for that memoir, if (when?) I get to write it.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/03/07/the-small-light-in-things/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"the-small-light-in-things\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/e1dc4-the-small-light-in-things.jpg\"\u003eI decided that \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lent\"\u003efor Lent\u003c/a\u003e this year I would give up caffeine, if starting almost a week after the \u003cem\u003eproperly\u003c/em\u003e faithful and switching to tea, topped up by the odd cup of \u003cem\u003edecaf\u003c/em\u003e coffee count as \u003cem\u003egiving up.\u003c/em\u003e No longer being part of any of the Orthodox traditions meant I failed to get the prompt I took for granted growing up, the ash crosses on foreheads that signalled Ash Wednesday, and the start of Lent. The point of Lent is spiritual - which giving up caffeine is not, at least on the surface - but I \u003cem\u003ethink\u003c/em\u003e there is a spiritual point in trying to best what has become a costly, insidious habit; proving to myself that \u003ca href=\"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+6%3A12\u0026amp;version=ESV\"\u003ecoffee is not my master\u003c/a\u003e. Given how much my morning routine at work is related to taking time out to reflect at the start of the day with a cup of coffee in hand, it should be an interesting thirty-seven forty days. Hopefully it translates to better sleep - the data from my Fitbit will be the judge of that.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Small Light in Things"},{"content":"\nMe, Benin City and an intense desire for fried chicken was how I ended up here; walking along Airport Road looking for a Chicken Republic. Having spotted it from the window of the speeding cab ferrying me from Ring Road to the neither-here-nor-there hotel I planned on sleeping over at on Ihama Road, I grossly underestimated the distance. That only became apparent once my cravings had gotten the better of me and I was back on the road, in the sweltering heat, plodding along whilst wondering what had gotten into my head.\nThe joys of peppered chicken, fried rice and an uber chilled coke? Well worth the road taken, if I say so myself.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/03/01/the-road-taken/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"the-road-taken\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/a73a5-the-road-taken.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMe, Benin City and an intense desire for fried chicken was how I ended up here; walking along Airport Road looking for a Chicken Republic. Having spotted it from the window of the speeding cab ferrying me from Ring Road to the neither-here-nor-there hotel I planned on sleeping over at on Ihama Road, I grossly underestimated the distance. That only became apparent once my cravings had gotten the better of me and I was back on the road, in the sweltering heat, plodding along whilst wondering what had gotten into my head.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Road Taken"},{"content":"\nImage Credit Seb (Unsplash); for the prompt Rhythmic\n\u0026ndash; In the wake of the rising sun comes the call of dawn; a song drawn from the chirp of birds, the flutter of leaves, the creak of stirring bones and the lap of waves carried on the breath of the morning breeze.\nHere on the edge of the morning in the quiescence of a lingering dream, the memory of the patter of your feet lives on. In the sumptuous symphony of nature’s call and response, the perfect fit of the lilt of your voice and the wind in the trees You return.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/02/22/rhythmic/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"dance\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/81f92-dance.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImage Credit \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@sebasqien?photo=0bw7KSaeaP4\"\u003eSeb (Unsplash)\u003c/a\u003e; for the prompt \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/rhythmic/\"\u003eRhythmic\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\nIn the wake\nof the rising sun\ncomes the call of dawn;\na song drawn\nfrom the chirp of birds,\nthe flutter of leaves,\nthe creak of stirring bones\nand the lap of waves\ncarried on the breath\nof the morning breeze.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere on the edge\nof the morning\nin the quiescence of\na lingering dream,\nthe memory of the patter\nof your feet lives on.\nIn the sumptuous symphony\nof nature’s call and response,\nthe perfect fit\nof the lilt of your voice\nand the wind in the trees\nYou return.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Rhythmic"},{"content":"\nFor the Photo Challenge, Against The Odds\n\u0026ndash; Sometimes, between a Rock and a hard place, beauty Springs. Against the odds.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/02/15/against-the-odds-a-haiku/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"against-all-odds_eds\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/10a74-against-all-odds_eds.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the Photo Challenge, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/against-the-odds/\"\u003eAgainst The Odds\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\nSometimes, between a\nRock and a hard place,  beauty\nSprings. Against the odds.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Against The Odds, A Haiku"},{"content":"For the prompt, Criticise. To chide with Grace and Encourage, not criticise Everyday I pray.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/02/09/09-with-grace/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"for-the-prompt\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor the prompt, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/criticize/\"\u003eCriticise\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo chide with Grace and\nEncourage, not criticise\nEveryday I pray.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"With Grace"},{"content":"\nShadows at the Tate, for the prompt Shadow\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/02/08/08-shadow/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"08-at-the-tate\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/c35c3-08-at-the-tate.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShadows at \u003ca href=\"http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern\"\u003ethe Tate\u003c/a\u003e, for the prompt \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/shadow-2017/\"\u003eShadow\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Shadow"},{"content":"\nImage Source: Worthy of Elegance (Unsplash); for the Daily Prompt, Tremble\n\u0026ndash; Inhale the scent of Mint, wafting up. Tremble as The warmth soothes your bones\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/02/07/07-tremble/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"07-tremble\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/d8c02-07-tremble1.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImage Source: \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@worthyofelegance\"\u003eWorthy of Elegance (Unsplash)\u003c/a\u003e; for the Daily Prompt, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/tremble/\"\u003eTremble\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\nInhale the scent of\nMint, wafting up. Tremble as\nThe warmth soothes your bones\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Tremble"},{"content":" Source: Chobir Dokan For the prompt: Lovingly\nThe glint in her eye Belies the set of her jaw Lovingly, she leaves\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/02/06/06-walking-away-lovingly/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"source-chobir-dokan\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"06-walking-away2\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/bb931-06-walking-away2.jpg\"\u003e\nSource: \u003ca href=\"http://www.chobirdokan.com/1221/romantic-couples-wallpapers-four/\"\u003eChobir Dokan\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the prompt: \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/lovingly/\"\u003eLovingly\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe glint in her eye\nBelies the set of her jaw\n\u003cem\u003eLovingly\u003c/em\u003e, she leaves\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Walking Away, Lovingly"},{"content":"\nImage Source: Mabel Amber (Unsplash); for the prompt, Craft Without, bland and cold; Within, the Joy of crafting Brightly coloured things.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/02/05/05-craft/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"05-craft\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/05939-05-craft.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"image-source-mabel-amberunsplash-for-the-prompt-craft\"\u003eImage Source: \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@mabelamber\"\u003eMabel Amber\u003c/a\u003e (Unsplash); for the prompt, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/craft/\"\u003eCraft\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWithout, bland and cold;\nWithin, the Joy of crafting\nBrightly coloured things.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Craft"},{"content":"\nFor the prompt, Clean\n\u0026ndash; With deep contrition I pour out a libation. I wish to be clean\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/02/04/04-recognise/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"04-clean-milada-vigerova\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/a05a3-04-clean-milada-vigerova.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the prompt, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/clean/\"\u003eClean\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\nWith deep contrition\nI pour out a libation.\nI wish to be clean\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Clean"},{"content":"\nWith a riot of Colour, the breaking dawn births Peaceful Solitude\nFor Day 3 of the Everyday Inspiration course, and the prompt Solitude\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/02/03/03-one-word-inspiration-solitude/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"03-solitude\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/32e08-03-solitude.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith a riot of\nColour, the breaking dawn births\nPeaceful Solitude\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor Day 3 of the \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/blogging-university/writing-everyday-inspiration/\"\u003eEveryday Inspiration course\u003c/a\u003e, and the prompt \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/solitude/\"\u003eSolitude\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"One-Word Inspiration: Solitude"},{"content":"\nChilli flavoured plantain chips Peri-peri chicken (having a cheeky Nandos is a thing, you know) The scent of warm waffles Friday nights (the prelude to the only truly quiet times I have) Catch up TV (for how easy it makes indulging my fascination with Leroy Jethro Gibbs) Postcards (sending and receiving them) Running into old friends in the most unlikely of places. When a shuffled playlist throws up a particularly apt song Early morning runs by the beach Scoring a late (winning) goal in Football Manager ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/02/02/02-loved-things-a-brain-dump-of-sorts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"02-lists\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/2e591-02-lists.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChilli flavoured \u003ca href=\"http://www.eatingnigerian.com/plantain-chips-kpekere/\"\u003eplantain chips\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeri-peri chicken (having a \u003ca href=\"http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cheeky-nando-s\"\u003echeeky Nandos\u003c/a\u003e is a thing, you know)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe scent of \u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/photos/nFLarsn5AEU4QvCP7\"\u003ewarm waffles\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFriday nights (the prelude to the only \u003cem\u003etruly\u003c/em\u003e quiet times I have)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCatch up TV (for how easy it makes indulging my fascination with \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leroy_Jethro_Gibbs\"\u003eLeroy Jethro Gibbs\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/photos/8oHqzTvscfr9RWin6\"\u003ePostcards\u003c/a\u003e (sending and receiving them)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRunning into old friends in the most unlikely of places.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen a shuffled playlist throws up a particularly apt song\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEarly morning runs \u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/photos/kUbmXYgLBCQ1a7hn9\"\u003eby the beach\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eScoring a late (winning) goal in \u003ca href=\"http://www.footballmanager.com/\"\u003eFootball Manager\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"Loved Things, A Brain Dump of Sorts"},{"content":" Beach Boulevard, The \u0026lsquo;Deen; for the prompt, Resist With fear in their wake, The crashing waves come ashore Shaken, I cower.\nPressure makes broken Things whole again, digging deep I resist in Hope\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/02/01/01-resist/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"beach-boulevard-the-deen-for-the-prompt-resist\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"01-resist\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/c225a-01-resist.jpg\"\u003e\nBeach Boulevard, The \u0026lsquo;Deen; for the prompt, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/resist/\"\u003eResist\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith fear in their wake,\nThe crashing waves come ashore\nShaken, I cower.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePressure makes broken\nThings whole again, digging deep\nI resist in Hope\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Resist"},{"content":"\nA damp squib of a day is perhaps as good as any to wrap up January, given how off script the weather has been. It used to be that loads of snow and travel disruptions were par for the course for this time of the year; neither happened. Even the threat of thunder snow - cold air from Canada invading our own Northern skies - failed to materialise, a few inches of snow and gale force winds being the worst of the lot.\nWork, like the weather, has been out of character too. Far from easing into work following an extended break for year end, it has felt like a schedule from hell; meetings, reviews and more meetings being the bane of my life. As week after week has hurtled past, I find myself hoping for 4.30pm on a Friday, leaving and then bingeing on Elementary over the weekend, before suddenly realising it is Sunday night, with a return to work looming.\nAt the beginning of the year, I was sure that developing a daily consistent practice of writing would be one of the focus areas for the year. So pumped at the prospect of that was I that I bought a URL, set up a publication on medium, and updated my social media profiles to reflect this. As the days have dragged on, what has become obvious is that more thought and planning was required than I had applied. My cringe-worthy musings on there very quickly became more the fevered thrashings of a wondering wanderer than the coherent, collected thoughts of the thinker I persist on believing I am.\nThe point of all of this- if there is a point - is tactfully beating a retreat from those grandiose plans, back to this place of certainty and reality to begin yet again. To aid my recovery, I have decided to use Wordpress Blogging University\u0026rsquo;s Finding Everyday Inspiration course as a prompt which brings me to the question for today, Why I write.\nWhen I have considered this question in the past, most recently here, I have honed in on the cathartic reasons for writing - the memories and the clarity of thought that comes from relentless massaging whatever is on my mind. Reading through George Orwell\u0026rsquo;s thoughts on the subject- recommended reading for this prompt - brought a new one to the fore in my mind; sheer egoism.\nI suppose everyone who writes publicly as opposed to in a private journal is motivated to some extent by this; which would explain why we crave comments and feedback. For the one or two who still pass through these parts, indulge my curiosity\u0026hellip; Why do you write?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/01/31/wandering-wondering-pondering/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"january-weather\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/e46f5-january-weather.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA damp squib of a day is perhaps as good as \u003cem\u003eany\u003c/em\u003e to wrap up January, given how \u003cem\u003eoff script\u003c/em\u003e the weather has been. It used to be that loads of snow and travel disruptions were par for the course for this time of the year; neither happened. Even the threat of \u003ca href=\"http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland-weather-arctic-blast-to-bring-thundersnow-1-4335472\"\u003ethunder snow\u003c/a\u003e  - cold air from Canada invading our own Northern skies - failed to materialise, a few inches of snow and gale force winds being the worst of the lot.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Wandering, Wondering, Pondering"},{"content":"Source\nThere is a lot I enjoy about my work, not least being a purveyor of the somewhat esoteric knowledge of materials and how they perform in a variety of service environments.\nMost of the time I am advising, providing insights into what types of degradation can occur, how likely it is to progress and what actions we should be taking to assure ourselves of the future integrity of the kit we look after.\nOnce in a while bad news strikes, a failure or an inspection finding that requires significant (and often expensive) action surfaces. My job in those circumstances then morphs into one in which I become the bearer of bad news.\nI suppose it is the same way — in a manner of speaking — that a doctor who has to break the news of the diagnosis of a terminal illness feels; the need to get a job done been tempered by the tension between providing clarity around the seriousness of a situation and softening the blow. Different consequences of course….\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/01/25/22-not-crying-wolf/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/2d53c-128f9-12dvaamhysnrlurjya4ouxq.jpeg\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2013/11/Offshore_platform\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is a lot I enjoy about \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrity_engineering\"\u003emy work\u003c/a\u003e, not least being a purveyor of the somewhat esoteric knowledge of materials and \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrosion_engineering\"\u003ehow they perform\u003c/a\u003e in a variety of service environments.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost of the time I am advising, providing insights into what types of degradation can occur, how likely it is to progress and what actions we should be taking to assure ourselves of the \u003cem\u003efuture\u003c/em\u003e integrity of the kit we look after.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"22. (Not) Crying Wolf"},{"content":"\nTwo mornings during a typical work week, I make a pit stop at the Starbucks in Union Square.\nOver the course of the last year, it has become apparent that quite a few people have a similar routine. I now recognise — and share the odd nod with — an older gentleman who usually arrives at the same time I do and unfailingly buys an espresso machiato which he proceeds to nurse for all of thirty minutes before shooting off to what I assume must be work.\nOn most days, three young gents also make an appearance, often laughing as they arrive then ordering a mix of venti lattes and then having a natter. I imagine they work around the corner from Union Square; they fit the profile of young, upwardly mobile Engineering-affiliated folk.\nA mix of characters makes an appearance now and again, folk nursing drinks whilst waiting to catch a train from the station next door or others killing time before meetings I assume. On my part, I am usually nursing a large black americano in a to-go cup, the to-go cup allowing me the flexibility to leave when I feel like I have arrived at my optimum state.\nI’d like to think that these morning pitstops are my little rage against the machine of work, a small ritual of cleansing that allows me get some me time for catching my breath and clearing my head before popping into the hurly-burly of work.\nA routine, or a ritual? Is there even a distinction between both? I suspect I couldn’t care less, all that matters to me is that I arrive at work clear headed, ready to face whatever it is gets thrown in my direction on the day.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/01/24/21-routine/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/d88ba-16840-1yoospnr3clx73tq6diwt6g.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo mornings during a typical work week, I make a pit stop at the Starbucks in Union Square.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver the course of the last year, it has become apparent that quite a few people have a similar routine. I now recognise — and share the odd nod with — an older gentleman who usually arrives at the same time I do and \u003cem\u003eunfailingly\u003c/em\u003e buys an \u003cem\u003eespresso machiato\u003c/em\u003e which he proceeds to nurse for all of thirty minutes before shooting off to what I assume must be work.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"21. Routine"},{"content":"[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L6rkCmvP_o[/embed]\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/01/23/20-on-repeat-you-are-my-life/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L6rkCmvP_o[/embed]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"20. On Repeat — You Are My Life"},{"content":"\n… For the flight to Manchester that will leads to a train to Sheffield and then a weekend of meeting S.’s folk….\nThen the Wait, actively I suppose, for time and life to work its magic and meld these two journeys — separate, distinct but converging — into a coherent whole…\n#Hopeful\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/01/21/19-waiting/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/72ce1-154bc-1bpqio4sc_fbfo2teziyeyg.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e… For the flight to Manchester that will leads to a train to Sheffield and then a weekend of meeting S.’s folk….\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen the Wait, actively I suppose, for time and life to work its magic and meld these two journeys — separate, distinct but converging — into a coherent whole…\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Hopeful\u003c/p\u003e","title":"19. Waiting"},{"content":"Source: Wallpaper.com\nI come upon them suddenly as I emerge from the arch on Peacock’s Close onto the parking lot. I have my headphones in as always, humming under my breath as I drag myself home, the combination of the low light , my tiredness and that they have their backs to the road being the reasons why we startle each other.\nWhat becomes obvious when I eventually take in the scene is that they — a woman and a girl I can only assume are mother and child — have been taking turns at blowing bubbles and squealing in delight as the light wind drives them away towards the road.\nI get the sense they are enjoying themselves — at least the smile that plays around the woman’s lip when I draw level with them suggests she is.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/01/20/18-bubbles/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/71858-8de98-12bdvz4iaig6iaebraofphq.jpeg\"\u003eSource: \u003ca href=\"http://www.wallpaperbetter.com/other-wallpaper/child-girl-blowing-bubbles-29780\"\u003eWallpaper.com\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI come upon them \u003cem\u003esuddenly\u003c/em\u003e as I emerge from the arch on Peacock’s Close onto the parking lot. I have my headphones in as always, humming under my breath as I drag myself home, the combination of the low light , my tiredness and that they have their backs to the road being the reasons why we startle each other.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat becomes obvious when I eventually take in the scene is that they — a woman and a girl I can only assume are mother and child — have been taking turns at blowing bubbles and squealing in delight as the light wind drives them away towards the road.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"18. Bubbles"},{"content":"\nThe promised snowcaplyse never quite materialised. At its worst in my corner of the world, it deposited a layer of snow all around, the result of the intermittent dribbles of snow and gale force winds. The effect of that, and the small rise in temperatures followed by a freeze which thawed the snow for a bit, was to leave slippery layers of black ice on the pavements; treacherous for us runners and brisk walkers. A friend did fare slightly worse, the small matter of a fortuitous gap between her car and the one in front of her being the difference between safety and a minor crash when she skidded on a patch of black ice.\nOut and about today for my usual lunch time walk, it felt sunny and warm enough to leave my winter coat unbuttoned. So much for the weekend from hell then I guess. Not that I am complaining though — long may the possibility of sauntering about in January without the weight of a coat continue…\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/01/19/17-anticlimax/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/34255-d4418-1zxd8pptmi9llbi9hifzcda.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/11-incoming-e1e6b0bf192f#.dtag26260\"\u003epromised snowcaplyse\u003c/a\u003e never quite materialised. At \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/12-snowcalypse-ca7854919390#.8y2c5it1i\"\u003eits worst\u003c/a\u003e in my corner of the world, it deposited a layer of snow all around, the result of the intermittent dribbles of snow and gale force winds. The effect of that, and the small rise in temperatures followed by a freeze which thawed the snow for a bit, was to leave slippery layers of black ice on the pavements; treacherous for us runners and brisk walkers. A friend did fare slightly worse, the small matter of a fortuitous gap between her car and the one in front of her being the difference between safety and a minor crash when she skidded on a patch of black ice.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"17. Anticlimax"},{"content":"\nLove God. Love People. The End\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/01/18/16-the-crux-of-the-matter/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/5511a-02ee3-1dsjg7oyyw4lgzjhjhalmcg.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLove God. Love People. The End\u003c/p\u003e","title":"16. The Crux of The Matter"},{"content":"Beach Boulevard, Aberdeen, 2016\nOne of the things I’m looking to achieve this year is to run a 10k race, which is why three to four times a week I grab my gear and hit the road. I use the MapMyRun app which paces me during the week from a leisurely 2k easy run on a Tuesday to a longer (now 5k+) run on the following Sunday.\nAs my run times improve and the distances lengthen, what I realise is that my natural predilection for just hitting go and running works fine for speed but works against my distance, as I am often far too winded to post a useful time once that initial burst of energy has fizzled out.\nBeing paced by the app has allowed me to find my own rhythm, a pace that allows me optimise both overall time and distance. None of my split times come close to challenge my top speed, but by running at that speed for longer, I find I make better progress overall. Therein lies the lesson for me… Find my rhythm.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/01/17/15-finding-my-rhythm/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/5c511-46191-1yf1w0ifc13astoamwbpdwq.jpeg\"\u003eBeach Boulevard, Aberdeen, 2016\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/01-year-87fec846bb58#.m5bojyj90\"\u003ethe things I’m looking to achieve this year\u003c/a\u003e is to run a 10k race, which is why three to four times a week I grab my gear and hit the road. I use the MapMyRun app which paces me during the week from a leisurely 2k easy run on a Tuesday to a longer (now 5k+) run on the following Sunday.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs my run times improve and the distances lengthen, what I realise is that my natural predilection for just hitting go and running works fine for speed but works against my distance, as I am often far too winded to post a useful time once that initial burst of energy has fizzled out.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"15. Finding My Rhythm"},{"content":"[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx-aJrd-gmo[/embed]\nStart walking with your head held high\nThe future is bright, Heaven’s gates are open wide.\nEvery trouble that you ever walk through\nPeace, my child, I am, I am fighting for you\nLyrics from the Tenth Avenue North Song ‘ Fighting For You’, from the 2016 album Followers. Apt, for a returning Prodigal of sorts…\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/01/16/14-on-repeat%E2%80%8A-%E2%80%8Afighting-for-you/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx-aJrd-gmo[/embed]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStart walking with your head held high\u003cbr\u003e\nThe future is bright, Heaven’s gates are open wide.\u003cbr\u003e\nEvery trouble that you ever walk through\u003cbr\u003e\nPeace, my child, I am, I am fighting for you\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLyrics from the \u003ca href=\"http://tenthavenuenorth.com/\"\u003eTenth Avenue North\u003c/a\u003e Song ‘ \u003ca href=\"http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/tenthavenuenorth/fightingforyou.html\"\u003eFighting For You\u003c/a\u003e’, from the 2016 album \u003ca href=\"http://tenthavenuenorth.com/music/followers/\"\u003eFollowers\u003c/a\u003e. Apt, for a returning Prodigal of sorts…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"14. On Repeat — Fighting For You"},{"content":"\nA pop up on LinkedIn is how my memory of him gets reawakened. He, O, is an old friend whom I haven’t spoken to in a very long time, far longer than I care to admit.\nIt is with some trepidation I send a request to connect and a message. That gets accepted, following which we exchange a few messages, ending with obtaining his phone number.\nA forty five minute conversation on the phone today reminds me of all what I have missed from that friendship. All things being equal we plan to catch up properly when next I am in London, wives, kids and all…\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/01/15/13-caught-up/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/c1174-99f33-1u5udlj5gu4gvhdwvfmzuhg.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA pop up on LinkedIn is how my memory of him gets reawakened. He, O, is an old friend whom I haven’t spoken to in a very long time, far longer than I care to admit.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is with some trepidation I send a request to connect and a message. That gets accepted, following which we exchange a few messages, ending with obtaining his phone number.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA forty five minute conversation on the phone today reminds me of all what I have missed from that friendship. All things being equal we plan to catch up properly when next I am in London, wives, kids and all…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"13. Caught Up"},{"content":"\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/01/14/12-snowcalypse/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/29791-5e948-1pe81nzg-xqpbgquumrenra.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"12. Snowcalypse"},{"content":"\nGale force winds, thunder and snow from Canada, a reminder to be thankful for the relatively mild winter we have had so far.\nGiven we had had quite a few days where we were warmer than London, I suppose a correction was always on the cards…\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/01/12/11-incoming/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/b109c-2e52e-1hvhdwkz2vmqdycxxj9wcta.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGale force winds, thunder and snow from Canada, a reminder to be thankful for the relatively mild winter we have had so far.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGiven we had had quite a few days where we were warmer than London, I suppose a correction was always on the cards…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"11. Incoming"},{"content":"Source: Crosswalk\nReach for the distant\nStars. Fall, but rise up again\nHoping is Human.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/01/11/10-how-to-be-human/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/96471-06ec8-1ge2macl5p7c80anhbv8h3q.jpeg\"\u003eSource: \u003ca href=\"http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/prayers/a-prayer-for-strength.html\"\u003eCrosswalk\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReach for the distant\u003cbr\u003e\nStars. Fall, but rise up again\u003cbr\u003e\nHoping is Human.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"10. How To Be Human"},{"content":"Uneven shelf — BUT functional\nThe plan — if stopping at the B\u0026amp;M across town and picking up two wall mounted shelves and a spirit level with no inkling of what to do with either counts as one — was to spend the evening measuring, marking, drilling and putting up two shelves. The objective was to provide storage for books, a journal and my phone in a location accessible from my bed. I was certain it would be an absolute doodle, given my decent score in woodwork in my secondary school days, and my machine shop expertise during my undergrad.\nRuined wall (for another day!)\nIt took only a few minutes before it became apparent that I had both underestimated the level of skill required and overestimated my previous knowledge. By then I had already mucked up the first location I had identified, with only my refusal to admit defeat driving me on.\nI just about got there with a functional product in the end, poorly aligned edges and simmering frustration notwithstanding. For what it is worth, I suspect my time would have been better used paying someone else to do it whilst I focused my energies elsewhere.\nLesson Learned.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/01/10/09-epic-fail/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/71fe1-5774a-16agzhkb844vs6offgxd4-a.jpeg\"\u003eUneven shelf — BUT functional\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe plan — if stopping at the B\u0026amp;M across town and picking up two wall mounted shelves and a spirit level with no inkling of what to do with either counts as one — was to spend the evening measuring, marking, drilling and putting up two shelves. The objective was to provide storage for books, a journal and my phone in a location accessible from my bed. I was certain it would be an absolute doodle, given my decent score in woodwork in my secondary school days, and my machine shop expertise during my undergrad.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"09. Epic Fail"},{"content":"\nThe quietness of\nOld haunts, to which one returns.\nWash, Rinse, Repeat. Life\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/01/09/08-returning/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/06cb0-5ddd3-1nlzmajjdzbpnibpb5xz5wa.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe quietness of\u003cbr\u003e\nOld haunts, to which one returns.\u003cbr\u003e\nWash, Rinse, Repeat. Life\u003c/p\u003e","title":"08. Returning"},{"content":"Amidst the rolling, changing landscape that is my recollection of growing up, two things remain as immutable constants; the university communities I spent most of my growing years till turning seventeen and churches— searching, attending, serving in, and leaving them.\nIn my first memories of church, my father and I are in Benin City, at the Air Force officers christian fellowship. The University Chapel in the next town, Ekpoma, becomes church for the five or so years following our relocation; the desire being to bring both sides of the family together for good. The trigger for a change of state is, in my memory, an acrimonious debate about what direction to take the chapel in, one which leads to us joining up with a fledgling pentecostal startup in a city further north, eventually leading to us being foundation members of a branch of that church, when it rolls into our corner of the world.\nAlong with this journey through various churches, my folk remain active in a number of less formal organisations — mainly the local scripture union and the campus student christian fellowship — which tie up our Sunday evenings.\nIn retrospect, it seems that the overarching driver for each church move, bar the one forced on us by the family situation, was a sense of seeking more — more connection, greater community and a more pentecostal reality, the Chapel and the church we helped found (CwHF) being the opposite ends of the spectrum. Where the Chapel was prim, proper and very much in the mould of a traditional Anglican Church, CwHF lived at the bleeding edge of Nigerian pentecostalism, complete with hand clapping, loud, lengthy preaching, tears during worship and speaking in tongues.\nFar from having repudiated that charismatic, pentecostal upbringing, I find that the expression of church I am most drawn to these days is focused more on being useful in the real world. Social justice, a safe space to wrestle with doubts without being judged and freedom to engage in the more introspective form of worship I increasingly crave have become the determining factors in what places I choose to worship in.\nI suppose in a sense I am a prodigal of sorts, God does love all His children though, that much I still hold to.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/01/08/07-of-sons-and-prodigals/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/68631-65784-1k0-28glpsfrpkcxmcvbyga.jpeg\"\u003eAmidst the rolling, changing landscape that is my recollection of growing up, two things remain as immutable constants; the university communities I spent most of my growing years till turning seventeen and churches— searching, attending, serving in, and leaving them.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn my first memories of church, my father and I are in Benin City, at the Air Force officers christian fellowship. The University Chapel in the next town, Ekpoma, becomes church for the five or so years following our relocation; the desire being to bring both sides of the family together for good. The trigger for a change of state is, in my memory, an acrimonious debate about what direction to take the chapel in, one which leads to us joining up with a fledgling pentecostal startup in a city further north, eventually leading to us being foundation members of a branch of that church, when it rolls into our corner of the world.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"07. Of Sons and Prodigals"},{"content":"\nThe Joy of slow days\nOnly broken by the need To stretch my feet. Bliss\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/01/07/06-chilled/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/68bf0-a89a1-1vju4jxaobvdm3engn98nba.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Joy of slow days\u003cbr\u003e\nOnly broken by the need \u003cbr\u003e\nTo stretch my feet. Bliss\u003c/p\u003e","title":"06. Chilled"},{"content":"\nImage Source\nA year ago if you asked me how well I enjoyed my own company, on a scale of 1 to 10 I would place myself somewhere between 9 and 9.5, the 0.5 my attempt at modesty. Pressed for evidence, I would point to the various things I did alone without so much as a flutter of an eyelid — Football Manager, a substantial list of feeds subscribed to in my Feedly, a number of series I watch obsessively and any number of books I have my nose in from time to time.\nThat is why I find the sense of listlessness I begin to feel mid-way through my two weeks away from work doubly disconcerting. Far from being painstakingly planned and flawlessly executed, the two week holiday happens to me suddenly, the result of a perfect storm of failing to request the days (hoping I can convince S to go away with me for a week) and a month at work which frankly seems to have come from hell. I barely have time to send out the notes from the last meeting on the 21st before I have to leave the building, a compromise which still leaves me having lost three days of holiday.\nI do manage to hatch a cunning plan to make the most of the enforced holiday — the first of the weeks till after Christmas up in my corner of Scotland and then a quick hop down south to London till the New Year.\nWhat my plan fails to account for is S’s Spanish jaunt getting off to a dodgy start, the absence of wifi at their lodgings meaning that communication is at a premium, limited to the occasional text message sent by international text. The combination of loads of time on my hand, and a limited number of places I can go to at short notice drives my mind into overdrive, what-ifs, maybes and should haves jostling for primacy in my mind. I find myself twiddling my thumbs, counting the hours and finding little comfort in the things that used to fill my alone time, hardly the most productive or healthy use of my time and energy\nThis sense of discomfiture at the absence of someone is one of the things I have perhaps struggled most with over the last few months, particularly as this thing with S has evolved. Part of me realises that there is a balance somewhere, between retaining individuality and yet becoming a collective that is greater than the sum of its parts.\nI suppose NCIS:LA’s Nell Jones (Renée Felice Smith) captures this most succinctly in the Season 8 Christmas episode, “Tidings We Bring”, when in a conversation over a gift she gives to Eric Beale (played by Barrett Foa), she describes them as pendulums which keep time individually but when placed on the same wall sync up.\n#RelationshipGoals?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/01/06/05-lessons-learned/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/60edd-83aa5-1wej_fuhqu3kb8crdjgtxng.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://clockshops.com/product-category/clocks/wall-clocks/pendulum-wall-clocks/\"\u003eImage Source\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA year ago if you asked me how well I enjoyed my own company, on a scale of 1 to 10 I would place myself somewhere between 9 and 9.5, the 0.5 my attempt at modesty. Pressed for evidence, I would point to the various things I did alone without so much as a flutter of an eyelid — Football Manager, a substantial list of feeds subscribed to in my Feedly, a number of series I watch obsessively and any number of books I have my nose in from time to time.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"05. Lessons Learned"},{"content":"\nFor the bank on the corner of King’s and Union which I pass everyday, only stopping to use its ATM on the odd occasion I need cash which has been closed for over a month. A closure I only noticed today because I needed cash.\nUnseen.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/01/05/04-a-requiem-for-the-unseen/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/f43ee-784dd-1h-0twmhyb364-shskzmzow.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the bank on the corner of King’s and Union which I pass everyday, only stopping to use its ATM on the odd occasion I need cash which has been closed for over a month. A closure I only noticed today because I needed cash.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnseen.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"04. A Requiem for the Unseen"},{"content":"\nThe final days of the holidays- I am back at work on Friday — seem like a good time to put a dent in my reading plans for the year, which is how I finally get round to reading Ghana Must Go, an airport impulse buy whilst waiting to board a flight last summer.\nA few pages in, I find myself wondering what the fuss about the book many years ago was about, steeling myself for a long, hard slog. By the time I am midway, I find myself pleasantly surprised by the pace and the sense of recognition its themes engender in me — grief, loss, growing up in an African home and the immigrant experience, being the chief ones.\nThis is perhaps what good writing is — one that mimics life to such an extent that the reader is drawn in and finds it relatable. Art imitating life?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/01/04/03-on-writing-and-life/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/55b3d-afdb0-1qijwwhg-zh0q95sqvdcvmw.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe final days of the holidays- I am back at work on Friday — seem like a good time to put a dent in my reading plans for the year, which is how I finally get round to reading \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Ghana-Must-Go-Taiye-Selasi/0670919888/\"\u003eGhana Must Go\u003c/a\u003e, an airport impulse buy whilst waiting to board a flight last summer.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA few pages in, I find myself wondering what the fuss about the book many years ago was about, steeling myself for a long, hard slog. By the time I am midway, I find myself pleasantly surprised by the pace and the sense of recognition its themes engender in me — grief, loss, growing up in an African home and the immigrant experience, being the chief ones.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"03. On Writing and Life"},{"content":"\nImage Source\nIn keeping with one of my resolves this year to make a regular practice of prayer and bible reading a habit this year, I read the second chapter of Mark yesterday. In Mark’s account, Jesus forgives (and then heals) a paralysed man, calls and hangs out with Levi, a noted sinner and allows his disciples skip fasting, as well as pluck grain for nibbling on on the Sabbath. This leaves the establishment figures in a fit, their concern being that outward expressions of the law are being flouted by Jesus and his disciples.\nJesus takes a different view, insisting that the principles of the law (as evidenced by David’s eating of the priestly bread) are more important than its letter. That left me thinking about all the ways in which my extreme focus on doing, and being seen to be doing the right things can sometimes\nSo for this prompt, I’m taking a lesson away — focus on the insides, build true authenticity which only comes from being true on the inside. The externals will fall into place…\nThe greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/01/03/02-on-insides-and-outsides/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/f55fc-1ff7b-1qoe5lyjg_cie-63wllk3uw.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://freebiblelessons.net/object-lessons/clean-inside\"\u003eImage Source\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn keeping with one of my resolves this year to make a regular practice of prayer and bible reading a habit this year, I read the \u003ca href=\"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%202\"\u003esecond chapter of Mark\u003c/a\u003e yesterday. In Mark’s account, Jesus forgives (and then heals) a paralysed man, calls and hangs out with Levi, a noted sinner and allows his disciples skip fasting, as well as pluck grain for nibbling on on the Sabbath. This leaves the establishment figures in a fit, their concern being that outward expressions of the law are being flouted by Jesus and his disciples.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"02. On Insides and Outsides"},{"content":"\nImage Source\nAs has been the case with every year since I can remember, I rang the new year in at church, taking the opportunity to reflect on 2016 and my plans for 2017 as the year turned.\nAs part of preparing for that, I took time out to reflect on where I was on achieving the wider goals that underpin the seven focus areas I have identified as part of my Life Plan. It is fair to say that it makes for gory reading, the details of which I’ll have to spare you. The cliff notes version is that, like everyone else, there are a few areas where I am pretty much where I want to be (Causes \u0026amp; Charity, Work \u0026amp; Career), a few where I have put in a decent shift (Financial, Physical \u0026amp; Health, People and Social) and a couple where I’ve gone backwards since the end of 2015 (Spiritual, Personal \u0026amp; Mental Development).\nRather than make a big song and dance about resolutions for this new year, I decided to go for a number of priorities which will guide my life and activities in 2017:\nS: Growing the relationship, with a formal decision on marrying the hopeful outcome Writing: Daily on here as guided by life and any of a number of prompts I follow and weekly at A Bloke’s Life. Online Radio (Radio 31): Supporting a relaunch of the Behind the Music show I was part of last year and also the launch of L’s new one, In Conversation. Church Community: Progressing the set up of a space for the young, single blokes at the church I currently serve on and prioritising monthly meetups with the two young chaps I met up with on and off through 2016 Music: Learn to play the guitar and volunteering for the Christmas Carol Mass choir for 2017. I’m also minded to get more involved with one of the less traditional vocal ensembles in my local community. Not firmed this one up yet though. Diet and Exercise: Eat LCHF, complete the MapMyRun 10k training program and run an actual 10k race. Learning: About AI, neural networks and potential engineering applications, particularly in my field (Corrosion \u0026amp; Materials) It is shaping up to be a critical year already. Hopefully I devise a means for regularly checking in and staying accountable to these commitments.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/01/02/01-on-resolutions/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"journey-of-a-thousand-miles\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/070c6-f2037-0p6ojlq_icoxg0slr.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://quotivee.com/2013/quote-wallpapers/a-journey-of-a-thousand-miles/\"\u003eImage Source\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs has been the case with every year since I can remember, I rang the new year in at church, taking the opportunity to reflect on 2016 and my plans for 2017 as the year turned.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs part of preparing for that, I took time out to reflect on where I was on achieving the wider goals that underpin the seven focus areas I have identified as part of my \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/the-life-plan/\"\u003eLife Plan\u003c/a\u003e. It is fair to say that \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/12/29/the-year-end-review-2016/\"\u003eit makes for gory reading\u003c/a\u003e, the details of which I’ll have to spare you. The cliff notes version is that, like everyone else, there are a few areas where I am pretty much where I want to be (Causes \u0026amp; Charity, Work \u0026amp; Career), a few where I have put in a decent shift (Financial, Physical \u0026amp; Health, People and Social) and a couple where I’ve gone backwards since the end of 2015 (Spiritual, Personal \u0026amp; Mental Development).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"01. On Resolutions"},{"content":"The following are what I consider my main focus areas and objectives for 2017, derived from the Life Plan. A number of these are long running things I have failed to resolve over the years. Here\u0026rsquo;s hoping 2017 is a much better year.\nThe Life Goals Restated for visibility: 1. Be the best husband, father, brother, son and friend that I can be 2. Excel in the Corrosion, Materials and Asset Integrity Engineering Discipline 3. Live in, and contribute to life in, a great church and a great city\nThe 2017 Big Rocks 1. Project M: Grow the relationship with S, objective being to get married in September at the latest 2. Writing: At least weekly on here, need to progress a number of other special projects such as my Prodigal Thoughts medium publication. 3. Radio 31: Support a relaunch of Behind the Music and L\u0026rsquo;s new program, In Conversation. 4. FOL Community: Complete the School of Disciples program, also explore other (online) resources eg Hillsong Creative 5. Music: Learn to play the guitar, explore joining Sound of Many Waters 6. Diet and Exercise: Eat LCHF, complete the MapMyRun 10k training program 7. Learning: MS Excel VBA and Macros, AI programming and applications for Corrosion \u0026amp; Materials\nIn Key Habits 1. Build a daily practice of prayer and bible study (\u0026gt;300 days, using the Bible Class Material 2017 NT Plan) 2. Reboot (Complete a 30 day stretch, \u0026gt;300 days) 3. Run at least a mile three times a week 4. Reduce weight to 80kg (and \u0026lt;20% body fat) 5. Reduce monthly spend to \u0026lt;£2.5k 6. Save \u0026gt;10% of net earnings monthly 7. Grow networth by \u0026gt;10% 8. Call Dad and my siblings weekly 9. Call close friends (Ife, Henry, Irene) monthly 10.Read for an hour daily (target 12 books by year end) 11. Practice Excel VBA + Macros an hour a week 12. Write to sponsored children once a quarter\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2017/01/01/the-objectives/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe following are what I consider my main focus areas and objectives for 2017, derived from \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/the-life-plan/\"\u003ethe Life Plan\u003c/a\u003e.  A number of these are long running things I have failed to resolve over the years. Here\u0026rsquo;s hoping 2017 is a much better year.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Life Goals\u003c/strong\u003e\nRestated for visibility:\n1. Be the best husband, father, brother, son and friend that I can be\n2. Excel in the Corrosion, Materials and Asset Integrity Engineering Discipline\n3. Live in, and contribute to life in, a great church and a great city\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2017 - The Objectives"},{"content":"It feels like the sort of thing that one knows intuitively; that music and memory are inextricably linked. Finding out that there is a whole slew of science (Google search) that supports this is intensely gratifying, in the same way I imagine that someone who stumbles on a hastily put together recipe for quick delicious food must feel if that recipe ends up being celebrated by what I suppose is the more discerning palate of a Gordon Ramsey or a Jamie Oliver. Time and time again when I reflect on a song from yesteryear, I find that the where, who, what and when are indistinguishable from the song of the time, particularly where it was a song that I had on repeat for what feels in retrospect like days on end.\nIt feels like I listened to a lot more music this year than I have previously - a feeling backed up by my Instagram feed it seems. Walking and running a lot more this year than I have previously has helped, seeing as my trusty phone is a constant companion on these. I might subscribe to Spotify or a similar service next year, just for the greater granularity and visibility it will bring to my listening habits.\nAs I reflected on the year over at Stories.ng, I found that the thing with L (which ultimately failed) and the thing with S (which I am hopeful about) featured prominently, as did wrestling with the burden of grief, my extended weekend in Vienna and the Hillsong Conference which were the highlights of my #NineFridaysOfSummer.\nLooking over these songs, I found clear patterns: Songs #1 and #2 corresponded to the start of the year and the sense of fresh energy, #3 to #9 lined up with the back and forth with L and the ultimate demise of that situationship. Songs #10, 11 and 12 reflect on slowly coming around to and warming up to the thing with S, #16 a throwback to the Hillsong conference and the much anticipated release of the conference worship album. #19 was the sound track to the period in which I wrestled with the burden of grief.\nBeyond the obvious things above, there are no other overarching things to glean - it is a mix of genres, styles and eras in the christian contemporary music genre. Make of them what you will.\n\u0026ndash;\nChasing Me Down - Israel \u0026amp; New Breed feat Tye Tribbett God’s Favour - Donald Lawrence feat Kim Burrell, Kelly Price, Karen Clark-Sheard When The Rain Comes - Third Day Never Too Far Gone - Jordan Felix Tell Your Heart To Beat Again - Danny Gokey Beloved - Tenth Avenue North Speak To Me - Audio Adrenaline This Too Shall Pass - Yolanda Adams Shoulders - For King \u0026amp; Country Back To The Beginning Again - Switchfoot Love Is A Beautiful Thing- Group 1 Crew The Best Is Yet To Come - Donald Lawrence Till The Day That I Die - TobyMac Mended - Matthew West Resurrecting - Elevation Worship What A Beautiful Name It Is - Hillsong Worship The Very Next Thing - Casting Crowns God Is My Refuge - Fred hammond Just Cry - Mandisa No Weapon - Fred Hammond We\u0026rsquo;re Blessed - Fred Hammond and Radical for Christ O Come To The Altar - Elevation Worship Shouting Grounds - Crowder ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/12/23/2016-a-good-year-of-sorts-a-playlist/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt feels like the sort of thing that one knows \u003cem\u003eintuitively;\u003c/em\u003e that music and memory are inextricably linked.  Finding out that there is a whole slew of science (\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant\u0026amp;ion=1\u0026amp;espv=2\u0026amp;ie=UTF-8#q=music+and+memory+%2B+science\"\u003eGoogle search\u003c/a\u003e) that supports this is \u003cem\u003eintensely\u003c/em\u003e gratifying, in the same way I imagine that someone who stumbles on a hastily put together recipe for quick delicious food must feel if that recipe ends up being celebrated by what I suppose is the more discerning palate of a Gordon Ramsey or a Jamie Oliver. Time and time again when \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/life-in-a-song/\"\u003eI reflect on a song from yesteryear\u003c/a\u003e, I find that the \u003cem\u003ewhere, who, what\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003ewhen\u003c/em\u003e are indistinguishable from the song of the time, particularly where it was a song that I had on repeat for what feels in retrospect like days on end.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Good Year Of Sorts - A Playlist"},{"content":" Teaching My Mother How To Give Birth - Warsan Shire The Outsider - Albert Camus Merry Christmas, Alex Cross - James Patterson The Map of Love - Ahdaf Soueif Finally Free: Fighting For Purity with the Power of Grace - Heath Lambert The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do and How To Change - Charles Duhigg On Writing - Steven King Love At First Click - Laurie Davis The Fault in Our Stars - John Green Everyday is for the thief- Teju Cole On Beauty - Zadie Smith Don\u0026rsquo;t Tell Mum I work on the Oil Rigs - Paul Carter The Inheritance of Loss - Kiran Desai Frank Sinatra Has A Cold: And Other Essays - Gay Talese Another Man\u0026rsquo;s War - Barnaby Phillips A Delicate Truth - John le Carré ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014-reading/","summary":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Teaching-Mother-Give-Birth-Mouthmark/dp/1905233299\"\u003eTeaching My Mother How To Give Birth\u003c/a\u003e - Warsan Shire\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Outsider-Penguin-Modern-Classics/dp/0141198060\"\u003eThe Outsider\u003c/a\u003e - Albert Camus\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Merry-Christmas-Alex-Cross-19/dp/0099576449\"\u003eMerry Christmas, Alex Cross\u003c/a\u003e - James Patterson\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Map-Love-Ahdaf-Soueif/dp/0747545634\"\u003eThe Map of Love\u003c/a\u003e - Ahdaf Soueif\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Finally-Free-Fighting-Purity-Power-ebook/dp/B00A9USCLK\"\u003eFinally Free: Fighting For Purity with the Power of Grace\u003c/a\u003e - Heath Lambert\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Power-Habit-What-Change-ebook/dp/B006WAIV6M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text\u0026amp;ie=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1395950352\u0026amp;sr=1-1\u0026amp;keywords=the+power+of+habit\"\u003eThe Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do and How To Change\u003c/a\u003e - Charles Duhigg\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/On-Writing-Stephen-King/dp/1444723251\"\u003eOn Writing\u003c/a\u003e - Steven King\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-First-Click-Ultimate-Online-ebook/dp/B008J2G76M\"\u003eLove At First Click\u003c/a\u003e - Laurie Davis\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Fault-Stars-John-Green/dp/0141345659/\"\u003eThe Fault in Our Stars\u003c/a\u003e - John Green\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Every-Day-Thief-Teju-Cole/dp/0812995783\"\u003eEveryday is for the thief\u003c/a\u003e- Teju Cole\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beauty-Zadie-Smith/dp/014101945X\"\u003eOn Beauty\u003c/a\u003e - Zadie Smith\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dont-Tell-Mum-Work-Rigs/dp/1857883772\"\u003eDon\u0026rsquo;t Tell Mum I work on the Oil Rigs\u003c/a\u003e - Paul Carter\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Inheritance-Loss-Kiran-Desai-ebook/dp/B002RI9VYO\"\u003eThe Inheritance of Loss\u003c/a\u003e - Kiran Desai\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Frank-Sinatra-Has-Cold-Classics/dp/0141194154\"\u003eFrank Sinatra Has A Cold: And Other Essays\u003c/a\u003e - Gay Talese\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Another-Mans-War-Britains-Forgotten/dp/1780745222\"\u003eAnother Man\u0026rsquo;s War\u003c/a\u003e - Barnaby Phillips\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/A-Delicate-Truth-John-Carr%C3%A9/dp/0241965187\"\u003eA Delicate Truth\u003c/a\u003e - John le Carré\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"2014 Reading"},{"content":" And the Mountains Echoed - Khaled Hosseini The Sound of Things Falling - Juan Gabriel Vasquez Fine Boys - Eghosa Imasuen The One: A Realistic Guide to Choosing Your Soul Mate - Ben Young \u0026amp; Sam Adams Jesus, My Father, The CIA and Me: A Memoir of sorts - Ian Morgan Cron Networking for people who hate networking - Devora Zack. The Practice of the Presence of God - Brother Lawrence Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a world that can\u0026rsquo;t stop talking - Susan Cain The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013-reading/","summary":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/And-the-Mountains-Echoed-ebook/dp/B00B0X4PIO/\"\u003eAnd the Mountains Echoed\u003c/a\u003e - Khaled Hosseini\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Sound-Things-Falling-ebook/dp/B0093K1ILS/\"\u003eThe Sound of Things Falling\u003c/a\u003e - Juan Gabriel Vasquez\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fine-Boys-ebook/dp/B008PTFM9M/\"\u003eFine Boys\u003c/a\u003e - Eghosa Imasuen\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-One-Realistic-Choosing-ebook/dp/B000VSMT0U\"\u003eThe One: A Realistic Guide to Choosing Your Soul Mate\u003c/a\u003e - Ben Young \u0026amp; Sam Adams\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jesus-Father-The-CIA-ebook/dp/B0052FT38I\"\u003eJesus, My Father, The CIA and Me: A Memoir of sorts\u003c/a\u003e - Ian Morgan Cron\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Networking-People-Hate-Underconnected-ebook/dp/B003VIWTYI/\"\u003eNetworking for people who hate networking\u003c/a\u003e - Devora Zack.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.ccel.org/ccel/lawrence/practice\"\u003eThe Practice of the Presence of God\u003c/a\u003e - Brother Lawrence\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quiet-power-introverts-world-talking/dp/0141029196\"\u003eQuiet: The Power of Introverts in a  world that can\u0026rsquo;t stop talking\u003c/a\u003e - Susan Cain\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/God-Small-Things-Arundhati-Roy/dp/0006550681\"\u003eThe God of Small Things\u003c/a\u003e - Arundhati Roy\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"2013 Reading"},{"content":"\nFor S, and the Discover Challenge One-Two-Three\n\u0026ndash; How easy it is To laugh, to bask in the glow Of infectious Joy;\nHow the patter of Your feet, like the sound of rain On a sun-baked day\nBrings relief, and hope That tomorrow will come in Peace, and you’ll return\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/11/30/joy-three-things/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"tate_\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/cda12-tate_.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/the-s-files/\"\u003eS\u003c/a\u003e, and the Discover Challenge \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/discover-challenges/one-two-three/\"\u003eOne-Two-Three\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\nHow easy it is\nTo laugh, to bask in the glow\nOf infectious Joy;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow the patter of\nYour feet, like the sound of rain\nOn a sun-baked day\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrings relief, and hope\nThat tomorrow will come in\nPeace, and you’ll return\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Joy, Three Things"},{"content":"\nI am big on putting together grand plans, ones which go to a great level of details to spell out the things I want to do and achieve. Where things have fallen down over the past few years has been in the application; the hard, long slog that is the doing needed to bring the plans to fruition. It would appear that in this regard I am like most people, particularly as this relates to New Year\u0026rsquo;s resolutions. This gap - this disconnect between what I want to do and what actually happens - is most obvious in the area of my spiritual practice. As an example, getting to a place where a daily time of prayer and bible study is embedded in my daily routine is one of the key things I have wished for over the course of the last few years. This has tended to be more a source of frustration than inspiration in my case, especially as these failings drive a sense of cognitive dissonance.\nThe fundamental question undergirding this cognitive dissonance is a concern around the place of (an absence of) emotions and desire in my spiritual practice. I would like to believe that the desire to perform these spiritual disciplines should be moe or less automatic - if indeed my lfe has been changed.\nHas it?\n\u0026ndash;\nA musing stirred by the Discover Prompt: Mind The Gap\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/11/25/a-question-of-gaps/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"denial_2\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/0fd0e-denial_2.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI am big on putting together \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/category/personal/plans-projects-reviews/\"\u003egrand plans\u003c/a\u003e, ones which go to a great level of details to spell out the things I \u003cem\u003ewant\u003c/em\u003e to do and achieve. Where things have fallen down over the past few years has been in the application; the hard, long slog that is the \u003cem\u003edoing\u003c/em\u003e needed to bring the plans to fruition. It would appear that in this regard I am like most people, particularly as this relates to \u003ca href=\"http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/\"\u003eNew Year\u0026rsquo;s resolutions\u003c/a\u003e. This gap - this disconnect between what I want to do and what actually happens - is most obvious in the area of my spiritual practice. As an example, getting to a place where a daily time of prayer and bible study is embedded in my daily routine is one of the key things I have wished for over the course of the last few years. This has tended to be more a source of frustration than inspiration in my case, especially as these failings drive a sense of cognitive dissonance.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Question of Gaps"},{"content":"Introduction Several times over the last couple of years, different pieces of my life plan have been documented; seven priorities, three life goals and five core values to name a few. A milestone birthday and the looming end to the year felt like triggers for a thorough review of these various bits and pieces, the objective being to meld these somewhat disparate attempts at building a roadmap for my life into a coherent whole.\nThe Premise Life does not occur in vacuo, but is lived in the context of community, with different elements (individuals, groups and/or organisations) interacting together. Sociologists capture these interactions – actions and qualities – as ‘roles‘. If life consists of these interactions, it is not a huge stretch to then suggest that success in life consists of excelling in the various roles an individual has to fill; little daily, weekly, monthly and yearly successes adding up into a life well lived.\nOne’s roles are necessarily multiplied, which is why for simplification I have grouped mine into what I call Interaction Clusters; broadly similar groups of people I interact with which are defined by the perceived depth of relationship and the population size.\nPersonal: High proximity, Small Sphere of Influence (~1 to 20) - mainly family and close friends Professional: Medium proximity, Medium sphere of influence (~20 to 1000) - mainly work colleagues and fellow members of professional associations Public: Low proximity, Large sphere of influence (\u0026gt;1000) - mainly the wider society, church and remote acquaintances. Envisioning Success In his pamphlet, Creating Your Personal Life Plan, Michael Hyatt describes a process that goes from determining what the key outcomes (looked on from the perspective of life\u0026rsquo;s end) through determining what relationships (or accounts) are priorities and then defining actions to support these.\nFor my Personal interaction cluster, I consider success as being the best husband, father, brother, son and friend that I can be:\nA husband (of one wife) and father (twin boys and a daughter if the universe is listening) whom I provide for, protect, lead, love and model life for/with. In my role as a son to my parents, I respect, honour and provide for them as well as constructively engage and communicate with them, keeping them in the loop as I plan and do life. As a brother to my siblings, I provide leadership and stability, contributing to family life and ensuring we exist as a close-knit community of upwardly mobile siblings, each successful in our own right both professionally and in personal life. As a friend, I participate in mutually beneficial, sharpening relationships with my close friends, cherishing their time and companionship and prioritising them over the wider connections I may have.\nUndergirding all of this is a commitment to living and eating healthily to minimise the burden of care my latter life will place on these people.\nFor my Professional interaction cluster, I see success as excelling in my chosen (Corrosion, Materials and Inspection) discipline:\nBeing the peer of colleague who delivers work of the highest standard, both as part of a team and when required to deliver as an Individual Technical Specialist. When working with others, as a boss (or team leader), in addition to leading by example in delivering work of an extremely high quality, I treat everyone else with respect and value, taking time out to know them as individuals and ensuring the right atmosphere for them to flourish is created. Within the context of work I provide mentorship to other less competent members of the team, and seek and receive mentorship for myself as required. As a Technical Specialist, I am dedicated to keeping myself on the cutting edge of knowledge in my (Corrosion, Materials and Inspection) discipline and delivering simple, practical, cost-effective solutions to complex problems\nIn the Public space, success for me is living in and contributing to life in a great church and a great city:\nBecoming a global citizen to access to multiple locations and geographies around the world. As such a one, I will have settled long term into life in a great city. There, I live a life that is above board, in keeping with the laws of the land and the socio-political context in so far as it doesn’t go against my Judeo-Christian worldview. In the wider community, as a Responsible Social Citizen I contribute to life, supporting worthy causes, engaging the less privileged as appropriate and contributing to a vibrant conversation in the social sphere by voting and engaging with the wider social issues in my community. Beyond that, as a committed member of a local church, I contribute to life within that context and serve in some capacity. The overarching desire is to leave something of value in the lives of all I am acquainted with.\nFocus Areas and Actions\nAnalogous to the priorities Hyatt defines in his model, I consider seven focus areas which taken together provide a framework for defining actions which support the goals defined above. These are:\nSpiritual: Covering my relationships with God, Faith and Worldview as well as spiritual practice. Physical \u0026amp; Health: Covering my health, diet and physical condition People \u0026amp; Socials: Covering my relationships with friends, current and future family and other close acquaintances Financial: Covering earnings, savings, investments and plans for retiring early. Work and Career: Concerned with what I do and how I progress in the current work space and how I plan for the near to medium term from a development perspective. Mental \u0026amp; Personal Development: Covers the elements of continuous learning, improving, developing non-work related skills and abilities as well as efforts to keep my mind sharp Causes and Charities: Covering what I do to give back to my communities - professional and social as well as more remote locations The plan - if I can call it that - is to conduct an annual review between Christmas and the New Year and define what the key activities required to close any gaps identified are.\nFingers crossed. Hopefully this doesn\u0026rsquo;t go the way of all my grand plans.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/the-life-plan-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIntroduction\u003c/strong\u003e\nSeveral times over the last couple of years, different pieces of my life plan have been documented; \u003ca href=\"https://quotidianthings.com/2011/12/05/seven-priorities-for-life/\"\u003eseven priorities\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://quotidianthings.com/2016/10/13/the-life-plan/\"\u003ethree life goals\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://quotidianthings.com/2014/06/01/day-1-define-your-core-values/\"\u003efive core values\u003c/a\u003e to name a few. A \u003ca href=\"https://quotidianthings.com/2014/08/15/turning-thirty-five/\"\u003emilestone birthday\u003c/a\u003e and the looming end to the year felt like triggers for a thorough review of these various bits and pieces, the objective being to meld these somewhat disparate attempts at building a roadmap for my life into a coherent whole.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Being and Becoming: The Life Plan"},{"content":"A first taxi ride since July, occasioned by an urgent need to head out into the wider \u0026lsquo;Shire for work, is how I end up in slowly moving traffic on Guild Street one Tuesday morning. As we inch along towards the first set of traffic lights, the announcer on the radio points out what is bleeding obvious to us - that there are long tail backs on our favoured route. The taxi driver, fingers tapping on the steering wheel in that understatedly impatient way the young and restless have, gives things a few minutes before he fires up his TomTom device to assess what our routing options are. It turns out the longer route is the better one on this occasion - his device predicting that it is the quicker one by ten minutes. Being stuck with him, I shrug when he asks if I mind his taking the route. I don\u0026rsquo;t suppose I have a lot of choice, besides hopping out of his taxi and legging it, or calling off my trip entirely. Once we are out of the snarling traffic and heading out towrds my destination, the incessant tapping stops, all his nervous energy perhaps being dissipated by the manoveuring he has had to do to get us out of our spot of bother.\nClearly more relaxed now, he asks me what I am heading out into the \u0026lsquo;Shire for. I explain it has to do with work\nIt might be me, but I get the sense that some of the more intriguing conversations I have had over the last few years have occurred in or around taxis. The more I reflect on this the more convinced I am that the absence of a payback in terms of censure and or retribution inherent in anonymity is a powerful incentive to let loose as folk who frequent online forums know only too well. That in conjunction with the fact that once settled into a trip one is locked in perhaps act jointly y y profound conversations from the last few years have occurred in taxi cabs. Upon reflection, I suspect that something about the transient yet ineluctable nature of the taxi driver-passenger relationship can sometimes enable it transcend what should purely be a relationship based on a transaction, becoming an incubator of fascinating conversations. It is transient because it is by nature temporary – given the large number of cab drivers relative to the individual passenger, and the often significant variations in the times one needs a cab, it is a reasonable expectation to not have to run into a specific taxi driver more than a couple of times a year, and that only if one uses taxis a lot. On the other hand, once initiated, one is locked in to a given taxi-driver combination until the term – the length of the journey in this instance – expires, hence the sense sometimes that one must make do with whatever hand one has been dealt. Transience, I suspect, has played the greater part in enabling these unfettered conversations; particularly where these have veered into the territory of the colourful and cringe-worthy.On the part of the taxi drivers themselves, I have had to listen in on tirades lobbed in the direction of female drivers, and in one case a tale of cancer striking at the heart of a family (which turned out as a precursor for him asking if he could smoke in the taxi). The most extreme of these, on my part, involved a taxi run up to the Royal Mail processing centre up in the Altens area. Ahead of a trip to Nigeria, a friend had asked that I help pick up several packages he had ordered. Upon my arrival, it transpired that these packages were largely shoes and clothes. My response to the quizzing of the taxi driver on that occasion was to invent a Mrs S, whose near pathological addiction to shopping had left me making this afternoon run. Thankfully, I haven’t run into that specific taxi driver since then! The latest of these conversations thankfully took a less unsavoury note, the occasion being a first taxi ride needed because I had to head out into the wider shire for work. What became apparent as we settled in and flew past the first set of traffic lights was that we had a traffic problem on our hands – the traffic report on the radio highlighting long delays of up to thirty minutes in certain places due to roadworks induced closures. It was at this juncture that he fired up his new, trendy TomTom, which rightly identified the tail backs we were stuck in. A few key presses later, we had been offered a different route- much longer on a normal day but predicted to be quicker by his TomTom. I toyed with raising the fact that it was a longer route but managed to hold my peace. That turned out to be a good decision in the end as once we had made the detour we were soon merrily on our way out of town. That little episode turned out to be the spark that turned what had been a silent journey up until that point into a lively debate about the role of technology in our lives. He argued that whilst technology had its uses, it was making us mentally lazy. My counter argument was that that effect had nothing to do with technology itself but our response to it. If we used technology as a tool for outsourcing lower order brain function, perhaps that should free us to think about more serious, creative things? We never did reach a landing in the course of the thirty odd minutes we spent locked into each other’s company. His parting shot as we split having reached my destination was to hand me a card that had the city cab’s new taxi hailing service apps. Technology to the rescue again I suppose? Taxi driving as a mentally tasking task with a high barrier of entry\nTechnology as a disruptor – any advantages (leveller of entry requirements, harbinger of competing and tools for the user)\nWrap Up -Siri demo, card for hailing service u-book\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/11/17/about-town-tech-taxis-and-traipsing-about-the-tate/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA first taxi ride \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/07/12/about-town-of-cabs-and-conversations/\"\u003esince July\u003c/a\u003e, occasioned by an urgent need to head out into the wider \u0026lsquo;Shire for work, is how I end up in slowly moving traffic on Guild Street one Tuesday morning. As we inch along towards the first set of traffic lights, the announcer on the radio points out what is bleeding obvious to us - that there are long tail backs on our favoured route. The taxi driver, fingers tapping on the steering wheel in that understatedly impatient way the young and restless have, gives things a few minutes before he fires up his TomTom device to assess what our routing options are. It turns out the longer route is the better one on this occasion - his device predicting that it is the quicker one by ten minutes. Being stuck with him, I shrug when he asks if I mind his taking the route. I don\u0026rsquo;t suppose I have a lot of choice, besides hopping out of his taxi and legging it, or calling off my trip entirely. Once we are out of the snarling traffic and heading out towrds my destination, the incessant tapping stops, all his nervous energy perhaps being dissipated by the manoveuring he has had to do to get us out of our spot of bother.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Town: Tech, Taxis and Traipsing About The Tate"},{"content":"One of the lingering effects of H’s passing is that four times a year, I go through a phase where I especially struggle for words to share with my father. Although triggered by four specific days – her birthday (the 8th of July), their wedding anniversary (the 11th of November), the day she passed (the 19th of July) and the day she was buried (the 8th of August) – these tend to be long drawn out affairs affecting the days leading up to and the days after these days. The struggle takes various forms primarily centred on whether to call my father or not, and on the days when I manage to call him, what to talk about - to keep things as normal as possible or broach the difficult subject of H. He and I have never been the best of conversationalists - we’re much too similar for that – but these days make that tenuous relationship an even more difficult one, so much so that on most of these days, I have opted for not calling him in the end.\nH\u0026rsquo;s passing does still feel especially raw, even though her\u0026rsquo;s was not the first of which clear memories still remain. For that I have to go all the way back to 1988 and G, the ones the genes took. I distinctly remember the events which led to it; the battle with a crisis and the ensuing hospital admission, and then the knowing once I was called out of my class to Mrs A\u0026rsquo;s office where the neighbour\u0026rsquo;s orange Volkswagen beetle was waiting to whilst myself and T home. The others in between though covering a range of family members - paternal grandparents, my maternal grandmother and a couple of uncles - are comparative blurs in the landscape of my memory. Distinct memories of G\u0026rsquo;s passing notwithstanding, I do not remember the same sense of grieving with her that still lingers with H. It is difficult to define completely the interactions of time, space and connection which make both experiences of grief so markedly different, but if I had to hazard a guess, I would offer up the fact that I was much younger then and that there had been a sense of inevitability to it, given the situation with the genes. I imagine others across a broad spectrum of locations and contexts still feel the weight of the grief with H as keenly as I do, given she interacted with a lot of people across the various interests and causes she supported.\nThis, the intersection of \u0026lsquo;griefs\u0026rsquo;, complicates grieving in the context of ongoing relationships. With my father, these key dates trigger a remembrance - and a reinforcement even - of loss, driving the conundrum that I wrestle with around these dates. Outside these dates, I feel like we have reached a new normal of sorts, one that accepts the reality of loss but focuses on getting on with life as much as possible. These dates disrupt that new normal for me, and drives the sense of there being a disjunction between living normally and remembering. In my head, by refusing to speak to my father on the day - and hence removing the need to speak about H - I am removing an additional trigger of remembrance from him. That at first glance sounds like a good thing but somewhere in my head, I wonder if it is truly as altruistic as it sounds. Not having the difficult conversation is a good thing for me, whether it is for him, and if this stance adequately honours the memory is a different matter altogether. It is this, the balance between living in the new normal and respectfully remembering and honouring the one who has been lost, that is the primary burden of grief, at least in my opinion.\nThere are also other non-time based triggers which set off the same sort of feelings. The most recent example was in the middle of a conversation with S\u0026rsquo;s parents a few weeks ago. Being the incredibly perceptive people they are, they picked up on how I had studiously managed to bring up the subject of H in the over three hours we had spent catching up at the time, which prompted the question. The uneasy silence which followed my explanation suggested it was a topic they would not have brought up if they had known the context. Perhaps - in typical J fashion - I am overthinking the exchange, but this unease exhibited by others when the subject of H comes up is another one of the burdens of grief. Not only does one have to deal with loss, one also has to deal with the reaction of others to loss.\nThere are no right or wrong ways to carry these burdens. I suspect that time will continue to chip away at the intensity of the grieving of loss which in turn might lessen the burden it places on relationships. If the last few years are an indication of how the next few might pan out in this regards, it is fair to assume that it will not be as simple as that.\nCurrently listening to: Mandisa - Lifeline\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/11/11/the-burden-of-grief/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOne of the lingering effects of \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/08/13/the-way-the-world-ends-on-loss-and-lostness/\"\u003eH’s passing\u003c/a\u003e is that four times a year, I go through a phase where I especially struggle for words to share with my father. Although triggered by four specific days – her birthday (the 8th of July), their wedding anniversary (\u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/11/how-he-met-my-mother/\"\u003ethe 11th of November\u003c/a\u003e), the day she passed (the 19th of July) and the day she was buried (the 8th of August) – these tend to be long drawn out affairs affecting the days leading up to and the days after these days. The struggle takes various forms primarily centred on whether to call my father or not, and on the days when I manage to call him, what to talk about - to keep things as normal as possible or broach the difficult subject of H. He and I have \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/04/15/bait-and-switch/\"\u003enever been the best of conversationalists\u003c/a\u003e - we’re much too similar for that – but these days \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/03/09/father-issues/\"\u003emake that tenuous relationship\u003c/a\u003e an even more difficult one, so much so that on most of these days, I have opted for \u003cem\u003enot\u003c/em\u003e calling him in the end.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Burden of Grief"},{"content":"For the Wordpress Discover Challenge Prompt: Song\n- -\n1995 was an interesting time to be young and Christian. DC Talk, The Newsboys and Audio Adrenaline were at various stages in their evolution from being the niche interest of church youth groups to becoming recognisable by mainstream music lovers. Seemingly out of the blue, Christian Contemporary Music was on its way to acquiring a sort of coolness that the work of the likes of Larry Norman and Rich Mullins had deserved but somehow never achieved. In my corner of the world, Hosanna Music\u0026rsquo;s body of work was the rave, a slew of live worship albums including a couple recorded in post apartheid South Africa (Tom Inglis\u0026rsquo;We Are One and Lionel Petersen\u0026rsquo;s Rejoice Africa) building on a collection that included several offerings from the likes of of Ron Kenoly, Don Moen, Bob Fitts and Randy Rothwell.\nAt the time we lived in a little, four bed house on the corner of 3rd and 12th streets, one of a number of identikit pre-fabricated buildings in what passed for the University Senior Staff Quarters at the time. These, meant as temporary housing at the time the University was founded, had taken on an unplanned permanence, dried up funds meaning that the grand plans for a permanent site across town for both University and staff housing were scaled down significantly.\nOn a personal level it was a time of great change, one that would see me take the School Leaving Certificate Exam a year early and pack in my secondary school education. That meant that as the year wrapped up I found myself with loads of time on my hands, some free cash and little to prevent me from walking into town from time to time to browse the shelves at any number of music shops in the city centre. Crucially, I was at an age where my on-off friendship with Di began to take on an element of seriousness, at least in my mind.\nDC Talk and the Newsboys notwithstanding, it turns out that the defining song from that era for me is a lesser known song, One Love, from the Rick and Cathy Riso album As For My House. My memories - and I recognise that memory can be a fickle thing - are of playing the song over and over on my Walkman until sleep took me away. I was sure at the time - and I told anyone who cared to listen - that like Rick and Cathy I would sing my wedding vows to whoever had the fortune (or misfortune some would say) of agreeing to marry me.\nYears later, with the prospect of actually marrying someone a lot realer than it was back in those days, the song remains a favourite of mine, albeit one that serves as a reminder of The-One-Who-Got-Away. As for singing my wedding vows, common sense - and the biology of a cracked voice - suggest that that is now a non-starter.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/11/02/life-and-a-song/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor the Wordpress Discover Challenge Prompt: \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/discover-challenges/song/\"\u003eSong\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- -\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"as-for-my-house_\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/efbd3-as-for-my-house_.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1995 was an interesting time to be young \u003cem\u003eand\u003c/em\u003e Christian. \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DC_Talk\"\u003eDC Talk\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://newsboys.com/\"\u003eThe Newsboys\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_Adrenaline\"\u003eAudio Adrenaline\u003c/a\u003e were at various stages in their evolution from being the niche interest of church youth groups to becoming recognisable by mainstream music lovers. Seemingly out of the blue, Christian Contemporary Music was on its way to acquiring a sort of coolness that the work of the likes of Larry Norman and Rich Mullins had deserved but somehow never achieved.  In my corner of the world, \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosanna!_Music\"\u003eHosanna Music\u003c/a\u003e\u0026rsquo;s body of work was the rave, a slew of live worship albums including a couple recorded in post apartheid South Africa (Tom Inglis\u0026rsquo;\u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/we-are-one/id1019206180\"\u003eWe Are One\u003c/a\u003e and Lionel Petersen\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/rejoice-africa/id652906636\"\u003eRejoice Africa\u003c/a\u003e) building on a collection that included several offerings from the likes of of Ron Kenoly, Don Moen, Bob Fitts and Randy Rothwell.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Life, and A Song..."},{"content":"Just under two weeks after S and I had out first serious spat, the subject of which was the pace or lack thereof of our thing, I ended up sat on a couch in Chelmsford, meeting her parents. The opportunity had come together very quickly, they being around and I being able to find a couple of days to make the trip to meet them.\nThe meeting itself felt at times like an interview, an inquisition and a friendly chat; good in the sense that it put into context the protective nature of the relationships S has with her wider family. On the way back, I broached the difficult 6-month, \u0026lsquo;Us\u0026rsquo; question, her choice of answer - what do you think - suggesting that perhaps events had overtaken that by far. That I agree with. So here we are then - official, in a manner of speaking. Beginning again then, the first day of what I can only hope is a long, fruitful relationship :)\nElsewhere, progress on the twelve things for 2016 has been varied, ranging from great (at work) to downright abysmal (spiritual practice). Given the turn of the clocks and November lurking, it feels like a good time to take a step back, see how much progress has been made and reiterate the focus areas for the rest of the year.\nFingers crossed.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/11/01/a-new-beginning/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eJust under two weeks after \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/10/18/of-spats-and-lessons-learned/\"\u003eS and I had out first serious spat\u003c/a\u003e, the subject of which was the pace or lack thereof \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/the-s-files/\"\u003eof our thing\u003c/a\u003e, I ended up sat on a couch in Chelmsford, meeting her parents. The opportunity had come together very quickly, they being around and I being able to find a couple of days to make the trip to meet them.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe meeting itself felt at times like an interview, an inquisition and a friendly chat; good in the sense that it put into context the protective nature of the relationships S has with her wider family. On the way back, I broached the difficult 6-month, \u0026lsquo;Us\u0026rsquo; question, her choice of answer - what do you think - suggesting that perhaps events had overtaken that by far. That I agree with. So here we are then - official, in a manner of speaking. Beginning again then, the first day of what I can only hope is a long, fruitful relationship :)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A New Beginning"},{"content":"Reminded of this by Caitlin Kelly\u0026rsquo;s piece which in turn was inspired by Imbolo Mbue\u0026rsquo;s NY Times Essay - How To Vote As An Immigrant and a Citizen\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/10/25/always-returning-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eReminded of this by \u003ca href=\"https://broadsideblog.wordpress.com/2016/10/22/the-immigrants-hope/\"\u003eCaitlin Kelly\u0026rsquo;s piece\u003c/a\u003e which in turn was inspired by Imbolo Mbue\u0026rsquo;s NY Times Essay - \u003ca href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/20/opinion/how-to-vote-as-an-immigrant-and-a-citizen.html?_r=1\"\u003eHow To Vote As An Immigrant and a Citizen\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Always Returning"},{"content":"If you had asked me how my week was going at mid day on Tuesday, I suppose my answer would have been \u0026rsquo; shittier by the second\u0026rsquo; or something similar. At the time I was running on a significant sleep deficit, had worn myself out by overthinking and consequently was just about tottering on the edge of imploding. The chief reasons for this state were a first spat with S, and a big work related meeting for which my preparations were going poorly. I did manage to survive till the end of the day, common sense -aided by a snickers bar - beginning to seep to the surface, adding some perspective.\nThe point of inflection arrived sometime on Wednesday, once I had managed to digest the lessons in my devotional and managed a return to a semblance of normalcy with S. I suspect the traction from that helped no end in significantly speeding up progress on the work meeting such that by the end of Wednesday, I was once again in a good place.\nIn the end the meeting I was agonising about went well, a few hiccups apart. S and I significantly mended fences, with the prospect of meeting her parents at short notice getting discussed. There or thereabouts at the end of the week then. Phew!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/10/22/the-diary-there-or-thereabouts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIf you had asked me how my week was going at mid day on Tuesday, I suppose my answer would have been \u0026rsquo; \u003cem\u003eshittier by the second\u003c/em\u003e\u0026rsquo; or something similar. At the time I was running on a significant sleep deficit, had worn myself out by overthinking and consequently was just about tottering on the edge of imploding. The chief reasons for this state were a \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/10/18/of-spats-and-lessons-learned/\"\u003efirst spat with S\u003c/a\u003e, and a big work related meeting for which my preparations were going poorly. I did manage to survive till the end of the day, common sense -aided by a snickers bar - beginning to seep to the surface, adding some perspective.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Diary: There or Thereabouts.."},{"content":"\n---\nGod has a sense of humour, that much I am convinced of. The most recent evidence of this has got to be firing up John Piper\u0026rsquo;s Daily Devotional, Solid Joys, to find out that today\u0026rsquo;s devotional had marriage firmly in its sights.\nThe humour was because S and I had just had our first spat of sorts the night before. At the nexus of this spat was a difference in opinion as to where we were on the relationship continuum. I was of the opinion that she needed to provide a response that defined what we were - being just really good friends or people in an active relationship that had marriage as it\u0026rsquo;s end goal. Her contention was that the fact that she gave up time and energy to meet up with me and do stuff suggested that there was firm interest on her part, but that time was required to get to a place where she could formally say \u0026lsquo;Yes\u0026rsquo; to my entreaties.\nTherein lay the concern, the sense that we were on different pages, my head and heart being far down the road compared to her. This was particularly concerning particularly as one of her main reasons was holding off was that she was in a place of getting to know me better; hardly the most ringing of endorsements.\nAs with matters like this, there wasn\u0026rsquo;t necessarily a solution to be had - our two positions were sufficiently distant to be non-compatible. In the end, I did decide to let the matter rest, given the fact that a \u0026lsquo;forced\u0026rsquo; decision is hardly worth the air that accompanies it. I did spend the night seething, with very little sleep, going over the conversation in all its gory details in my mind.\nReading Ephesians 5:25-30 was thus a jolt of sorts, a reminder as to what this should be all about - loving sacrificially, considering one\u0026rsquo;s spouse as oneself and looking to Christ\u0026rsquo;s love for the church as an example.\nSuitably chided then I suppose, and perhaps one more little data point in what is becoming a compelling case that S is the one - even my devotional is on her side.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/10/18/of-spats-and-lessons-learned/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"eph5_25\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/f58a3-eph5_25.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod has a sense of humour, that much I am convinced of. The most recent evidence of this has got to be firing up John Piper\u0026rsquo;s Daily Devotional, Solid Joys, to find out \u003ca href=\"http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/jesus-joy-in-marriage\"\u003ethat today\u0026rsquo;s devotional had marriage firmly in its sights\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe humour was because S and I had just had our first spat of sorts the night before. At the nexus of this spat was a difference in opinion as to where we were on the relationship continuum. I was of the opinion that she needed to provide a response that defined what we were - being just really good friends or people in an active relationship that had marriage as it\u0026rsquo;s end goal. Her contention was that the fact that she gave up time and energy to meet up with me and do stuff suggested that there was firm interest on her part, but that time was required to get to a place where she could formally say \u0026lsquo;Yes\u0026rsquo; to my entreaties.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Of Spats, and Lessons Learned"},{"content":"\nAlongside the overarching life plan, and the 2017 goals (the Year of Being 37) here are the wider targets I\u0026rsquo;d like to be and to have achieved by 2020.\nSpiritual Serve in a leadership capacity in my local church (FOL Aberdeen or elsewhere if God\u0026rsquo;s plan takes me outside Aberdeen over the next few years), primarily focused on teens, young adults and single men. Physical \u0026amp; Health Eat using an Low Carb, High Fat model Weigh 80 (+/-2) kg and 20% body fat Run a mile at least three times a week People \u0026amp; Socials Meet and marry a woman who makes me happy and who has life goals I can contribute to Financial Grow net worth to \u0026gt; £500k Save 10% of net earnings year on year Work and Career Be a regional Corrosion \u0026amp; Materials TA/Lead Engineer or equivalent at a Oil Major Mental \u0026amp; Personal Development Start and significantly progress a Corrosion \u0026amp; Materials related PhD Publish a book of essays or poems Causes \u0026amp; Charities Visit the kids I sponsor with Compassion UK and World Vision Add another two kids (co-sponsored with my family) ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/10/16/in-five-years-time/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"focus-areas\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/69165-focus-areas.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlongside the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/10/13/the-life-plan/\"\u003eoverarching life plan,\u003c/a\u003e and the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/08/20/being-37-the-goals/\"\u003e2017 goals (the Year of Being 37)\u003c/a\u003e here are the wider targets I\u0026rsquo;d like to be and to have achieved by 2020.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpiritual\u003c/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eServe in a leadership capacity in my local church (FOL Aberdeen or elsewhere if God\u0026rsquo;s plan takes me outside Aberdeen over the next few years), primarily focused on teens, young adults and single men.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePhysical \u0026amp; Health\u003c/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEat using an \u003ca href=\"https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb\"\u003eLow Carb, High Fat model\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeigh 80 (+/-2) kg and 20% body fat\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRun a mile at least three times a week\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePeople \u0026amp; Socials\u003c/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMeet and marry a woman who makes me happy and who has life goals I can contribute to\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFinancial\u003c/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrow net worth to \u0026gt; £500k\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSave 10% of net earnings year on year\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWork and Career\u003c/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBe a regional Corrosion \u0026amp; Materials TA/Lead Engineer or equivalent at a Oil Major\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMental \u0026amp; Personal Development\u003c/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart and significantly progress a Corrosion \u0026amp; Materials related PhD\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublish a book of essays or poems\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCauses \u0026amp; Charities\u003c/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVisit the kids I sponsor with Compassion UK and World Vision\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAdd another two kids (co-sponsored with my family)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"In Five Years' Time..."},{"content":"\n\u0026ndash; For the first few days, all it is a mesh panel fence, one which cordons off the central area of Castlegate. Given my path to work takes me past it everyday, what it is or is not intrigues me to no end. By the time I am heading into work on Wednesday morning, its purpose becomes clear. It is a tent for staging Aberdeen\u0026rsquo;s version of Oktoberfest, the all out celebration of all things German beer related, which is back in the city between the 12th and the 16th. As I make my way back home just past 6.30 on Wednesday evening, I can just make out the silhouettes of people milling about inside it, music and the sounds of people having a good craik. For what it is worth, despite not being a beer person - my choice of beverage is a gin and tonic - the sneak preview tempts me a wee bit, but the need to keep a clear head for work the next day keeps me straight. I make a mental note to check again on Friday evening, if it still catches my fancy.\nI suppose the timing is fortuitous; the Scottish Autumn school holidays mean that perhaps parents and grand parents can afford a longer lie in the next day rather than worry about getting kids prepped for school. Scores of people have clearly taken advantage of all that, judging by the distinct lack of cover at work due to holidays and Union Square being filled with folk milling about. The situation with bodies milling about only worsens on Thursday evening when O and I meet up for our monthly catch up - even he has three days off work. In a sense it falls us on us wife-less, kid-less folks to keep things ticking, until a sense of normalcy returns. O does have an interesting theory about the timing of the holidays - it is a relic from the days when Scotland predominantly farmed, and all hands were required to pull in the harvests, young child or not. How much truth there is in that I do not know enough to tell, make of that what you will.\n\\\\\\*\nOf all the known and unknown things, none is perhaps more certain than that Summer 2016 is well and truly gone. As a consequence of my fairly steady morning routine, I cross Palmerston Road on the way to work at about the same time as a gaggle of people, disgorged by the trains bringing them into work. What has intrigued me is seeing how the light windbreakers of spring which morphed into slim fitted shirts and the odd tank top have come full circle, now being replaced by proper winter jackets. Highs of 11 deg C, wet weather and the attendant bone chilling wind will do that to any sane person, even though all that is a matter of degree I suspect. For what its worth, I have held off on the heating at home, even though wearing a jumper into work does have its advantages, chief of which has to be the ability to hide a crumpled shirt (and save on precious morning prep time). The downside though is that my running streak has come to an abrupt end, not helped by the break imposed by being offshore a short while ago. I\u0026rsquo;d like to think I can find a way to work around that, unless as my friends insist it has all been an elaborate search for a big excuse.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/10/14/of-beer-and-frosts-return/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"beerfest_\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/0282e-beerfest_.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\nFor the first few days, all it is a mesh panel fence, one which cordons off the central area of Castlegate. Given my path to work takes me past it everyday, what \u003cem\u003eit\u003c/em\u003e is or is not intrigues me to no end. By the time I am heading into work on Wednesday morning, its purpose becomes clear. It is a tent for staging \u003ca href=\"http://www.aberdeen-oktoberfest.co.uk/\"\u003eAberdeen\u0026rsquo;s version of Oktoberfest\u003c/a\u003e, the all out celebration of all things German beer related, which is back in the city between the 12th and the 16th.  As I make my way back home just past 6.30 on Wednesday evening, I can just make out the silhouettes of people milling about inside it, music and the sounds of people having a good \u003cem\u003ecraik.\u003c/em\u003e For what it is worth, despite not being a beer person - my choice of beverage is a gin and tonic - the sneak preview tempts me a wee bit, but the need to keep a clear head for work the next day keeps me straight. I make a mental note to check again on Friday evening, if it still catches my fancy.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Of Beer, and the Return of the Frost"},{"content":" Finally pre-ordered the Let There Be Light album from which one of my favourite songs from this year\u0026rsquo;s Hillsong Conference comes.\nAce!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/10/11/on-repeat-what-a-beautiful-name-it-is/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/q5GbDeQvYKU?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFinally pre-ordered the \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_There_Be_Light_(album)\"\u003eLet There Be Light\u003c/a\u003e album from which one of my favourite songs from \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/08/02/nine-fridays-of-summer-london-again/\"\u003ethis year\u0026rsquo;s Hillsong Conference\u003c/a\u003e comes.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAce!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Repeat: What A Beautiful Name It Is"},{"content":"I had the joy of receiving my permanent residence card today, a key milestone on a journey that began at the back end of 2008 with my decision to head back to grad school in Newcastle. At the time, staying back in the United Kingdom, and becoming British were not necessarily on the agenda, it was meant to be a gap year away from what had been a difficult year at work.\nGrad school done, I moved up to the \u0026lsquo;Deen for work, staying even though there were opportunities to leave, most notably to Azerbaijan in 2012. All told, I\u0026rsquo;ve stayed which is how I eventually qualified for this.\nThere was the small matter of the life in the UK test to navigate before this could become a reality, Work and work pressures meaning I was reading about the battle of hastings and what king did what into the early hours of the morning of my test. That the test administrator in the centre I wrote my test at in Dundee could have been Miss Maple, or any other similarly austere English governess did little to ease my concerns on the morning but thankfully that went without a hitch.\nFurther issues with getting the requisite paper work from work surfaced but in the end, here we are, card in hand. From here on, it is largely a question of staying in the UK for a further year and then qualifying for a British passport. Brexit may have put a little bit of a downer on the advantages of having one but given the time that has passed so far, there is still a lot of value in obtaining one.\nOn then to the future I guess. Thankful.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/10/11/becoming-british/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI had the joy of receiving my permanent residence card today, a key milestone on a journey that began at the back end of 2008 with my decision to \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/08/05/diary-of-a-would-be-school-boy/\"\u003ehead back to grad school in Newcastle\u003c/a\u003e. At the time, staying back in the United Kingdom, and becoming British were not necessarily on the agenda, it was meant to be a gap year away from what had been a difficult year at work.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Becoming British"},{"content":"\nBack at the heliport for a trip offshore - the first time since March - it feels like a lifetime ago. The last time there was the pressure of my counterpart from the government regulator looking over my shoulder to deal with, this time the roles are reversed as I am the one asking questions of others. Waiting to be checked in, what strikes me is how empty the terminal looks. Spending one\u0026rsquo;s days in an office which was only recently re-stacked has somehow shielded me from the reality of just how much more reduced offshore activity has been over the last year.\nWe go through the usual things - waiting, getting checked in, watching the safety brief and then more waiting - a monotony broken only by the joy of people watching. This time only a few things catch my eye, chief of which is a bit of banter between a group of men and a woman who appear to all be going to the same rig as I am. In sitting amongst them, she almost misses her seat, spilling a bit of her coffee. This leads to her being asked if she is sober. Only later, as I overhear another conversation whilst we\u0026rsquo;re offshore does that bit of banter make sense; she does have a reputation for being a lively, paint the town red kind of person, one which the latest escapades she regales the group with only cements.\nBefore all that, there is the small matter of an hour and some of flying time, whilst kitted out in one of these, not exactly the most comfortable of feelings. I do manage to fall asleep during the flight, the rhythmic chugging of the helicopter and having woken up at just past 4.00am all contributing, in my defence. Besides the boiler suit, I get the added ignominy of having to wear a green arm band, this being my first time out to the particular rig since the back end of 2014.\nThe series of meetings I am offshore for go very well, there being enough time over the course of the three days I am out to catch up with folk I haven\u0026rsquo;t seen in awhile. These offshore trips can sometimes be an exercise in politicking dealing with people, the overwhelming objectives being to not come across as an onshore boffin who is ramming things down people\u0026rsquo;s throats without thinking of the impact of the added work. This fine line of balance is never more obvious than when the subject of ongoing pay cuts come up. Word around town is that most of the folk I deal with directly have had to stomach a 22% pay cut over the last eighteen months with a few of the perks being pulled, like the option of an extra bacon roll at morning tea time. Not exactly the stuff morale boosting conversations are made of but I do my best we\u0026rsquo;re all in this together impression, a truthful one this time because the only reason why I am making slightly more money than this time last year is I have chosen to accept a contribution in lieu of a city centre parking spot.\nRunning into people I have met on other rigs in the four years and some since I began these trips is a recurring theme on this one. On arrival, I find out that the installation manager is a control room lead operator from a different asset I used to support who has risen through the ranks - by way of a job elsewhere. The inspection team also includes two people who I have worked with in the past. As we exchange life jackets ahead of hopping on to the helicopter for the flight out on Thursday, I run into another two folk from a past life. This all leaves me wondering if there is a wider meaning to all of these - have I spent too much time around these parts or is this just an indicator that one has done a good enough job, and stayed long enough to survive the impact of one\u0026rsquo;s decisions? I suspect it is a little bit of both.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/10/08/on-my-return-to-the-middle-of-nowhere-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"middleofnowhere\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/d2179-middleofnowhere.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBack at the heliport for a trip offshore - the first time since March - it feels like a lifetime ago. The last time there was the pressure of my counterpart from the government regulator looking over my shoulder to deal with, this time the roles are reversed as I am the one asking questions of others. Waiting to be checked in, what strikes me is how empty the terminal looks. Spending one\u0026rsquo;s days in an office \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/09/24/about-town-weird-gifts-names-and-children-on-trains/\"\u003ewhich was only recently re-stacked\u003c/a\u003e has somehow shielded me from the reality of just how much more reduced offshore activity has been over the last year.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On My Return To the Middle of Nowhere"},{"content":"\nSource [ Afolabi Sotunde]. For the WordPress Discover Prompt, Outer Layers\n--- When asked to describe my look, I tend to go for scruffy chic, this being my attempt to rationalise away what is my laissez-faire approach to dressing up. Left to my devices I default to four objects: jeans, a t-shirt, super comfy shoes and a pair of glasses which I am increasingly dependent on. On the occasions on which I have deviated from these, they have tended to be to the relative safety of a shirt and a blazer over jeans; the full shebang - a suit and a tie - only coming out for weddings (the last of which I agonised over before buying a new suit) and black tie dinners, which I tend to avoid. I suspect I have managed to get away with this, particularly at work, because I work in the Engineering field and have largely worked for employers where a formal dress code has never really been enforced.\nThis bare bones, minimalist approach to dressing up is one which is at odds with most of the communities I am part. Being African - and Nigerian at that - the default garb for events is in bright, loud colours; never more obvious than on a Sunday morning. From memory, a number of the rows I had with my father growing up stemmed from this, his concerns centring on how my scruffy dressing reflected negatively on the family. The aphorism about dressing the way one expects to be addressed got thrown about a fair bit during these conversations.\n\\\\\\* The official line as to why dressing down is my default behaviour is that I would rather let my non-physical characteristics define me, and stand out when I meet people. In my mind - rightly or wrongly - I am this creative, eccentric chap, far too focused on being awesome to give a hoot about my appearance. Implicit in this is the assumption that those talents - which the reality is I do not have - exempt me from the expectations of society as they relate to befitting appearance. The truth - as always - is far more nuanced than this.\nFor one, having been on the bigger side of plus size for most of my growing years, jeans and t-shirts served the purpose of providing a mask for all the flab I was carrying. Being a procrastinator, jeans and a t-shirt make preparing to go out a tad easier. Solid colours - my go to t-shirt is a solid navy blue one - remove the need to think about colour coordination. Buying them wrinkle free obviates the need to use an iron which saves a lot of time over the course of a year. :)\nThere is also a sense of individualism behind all of this, a slight bent towards rebellion, towards refusing to accept the strictures of community and public expectation and embracing the simplicity inherent in just being. On occasion, a fifth object will make an appearance, a leather bracelet plucked on a whim from the counter at a H\u0026amp;M a few months ago now.\n\\\\\\* Last weekend on a whim, as I prepared to meet up with S at the Ilford TFL Rail Station ahead of an afternoon out, I opted for a slightly dressier shirt than usual. The slight raise of her eyebrows suggested she took notice, a fact confirmed when over lunch she complimented me on my shirt. As I pressed her further, she remarked - in her characteristically understated manner - that it was the first time since the first day we met that I had turned up in anything but a t-shirt. If I have learned anything from my thirty something years of blokehood, it is that the things which draw compliments from the people in my life whose opinions I care the most about are the most important things.\nDuly noted S, noted.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/09/29/outer-layers-on-dressing-in-four-objects/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"reuters-nigeria-catholic-church-abuja-photog-afolabi-sotunde\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/1c1e7-reuters-nigeria-catholic-church-abuja-photog-afolabi-sotunde.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSource [ \u003ca href=\"http://cdn.charismanews.com/images/archives/stories/Reuters-Pictures/Reuters-Nigeria-Catholic-Church-Abuja-photog-Afolabi-Sotunde.jpg\"\u003eAfolabi Sotunde\u003c/a\u003e]. For the WordPress Discover Prompt, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/discover-challenges/outer-layers/\"\u003eOuter Layers\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\nWhen asked to describe my look, I tend to go for \u003cem\u003escruffy chic\u003c/em\u003e, this being my attempt to rationalise away what is my \u003cem\u003elaissez-faire\u003c/em\u003e approach to dressing up. Left to my devices I default to four objects: jeans, a t-shirt, super comfy shoes and a pair of glasses \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/09/16/of-times-eyes-and-seasons/\"\u003ewhich I am increasingly dependent on\u003c/a\u003e. On the occasions on which I have deviated from these, they have tended to be to the relative safety of a shirt and a blazer over jeans; the full shebang - a suit and a tie - only coming out for weddings (\u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/04/26/on-lagos/\"\u003ethe last of which I agonised over before buying a new suit\u003c/a\u003e) and black tie dinners, which I tend to avoid. I suspect I have managed to get away with this, particularly at work, because I work in the Engineering field and have largely worked for employers where a formal dress code has never really been enforced.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Outer Layers: On Dressing in Four Objects"},{"content":"\nSometime ago, not without some misgivings I must add, I moved desks at work, all part of the new re-stacking policy designed around optimising our use of space. Following the move, I went from a desk which looked on into the central corridor with my computer facing away from the door to one where my view was the bus station across the road. The view was decidedly an upgrade, what came with it though was a sense of being blinded to people milling about behind me and coming in to meet me, particularly on the occasions when I have my head phones plugged in to maximise my concentration.\nEnter the weirdest - but most useful gift - I\u0026rsquo;ve ever been given; a mirror which stuck to the top of my monitor resolves the blind spot around the things behind me. Given to me by the previous occupant of my desk, it now means I have the best of both worlds, a decent view and a significantly lower risk of being blindsided by people door stepping me from behind. Bliss.\n\\\\\\*\nS and I share an inside joke from time to time, centred around ageing - gracefully or otherwise, depending on which of us the joke is on. Things like falling asleep in the middle of a conversation, emoji related faux pas, or particularly weird and wonderful auto correct generated communication mishaps bring the joke up; mostly at my expense given my penchant for WhatsApp typos. The latest instalment of this long running joke was precipitated by a typo in a long string of text I sent, Dear somehow becoming Deer. To her credit she waited all day till the evening to point it out, the conversation which ensued taking a different tenor, one which went down the lines of pondering the etymology of names lovebirds call themselves rather than focusing on my latest foible.\nIt is an interesting subject, I think, given what the range of the literal meanings to the ones I pick up from conversations around friends and their significant others can be: defenceless objects which need protection (baby, doll?), unhealthy sweet things (honey, sugar, candy?) and objects of worth (gold, diamond, precious).\nIn the end, I dig myself out of that hole by referring S to the Songs of Solomon; that provides validation of deer, and the parts thereof as a metaphor for love. :)\n\\\\\\*\nThey board at West Silvertown, they being a little girl and someone I assume must be her older brother. She is dressed in what looks like her school uniform, and has a bright pink backpack with some child super hero of some description on it. He on the other hand has huge beats headphones on, and an iPhone in his hand, clearly listening to something. Once aboard and settled in - it is standing room only - she tries to peer into whatever it is on his phone, an act he prevents by moving his phone outside her reach. That attempt at playful, sibling bonding on her part, and an insistent aloofness on his part is a pattern that repeats itself as we chug along towards Ilford where we all disembark. My tired, cynical mind - work, a flight up from the \u0026lsquo;Deen to London City and then this train ride have taken their toll - goes to work analysing the situation, the conclusion being that he has been tasked with getting his little sister home, a task he considers an intrusion on his own plans and space. Not quite content with that, she being the energetic, doting little sister wants his attention but his phone and whoever is on the other end are more important in the moment.\nWith time, I suspect that he will learn that family trumps the heady heights of young love, and that in ten, fifteen or twenty years time she will still be kicking about in his life, the person on the other end, most likely not.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/09/24/about-town-weird-gifts-names-and-children-on-trains/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"mirror_mirror\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/a293d-mirror_mirror1.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSometime ago, not without some misgivings I must add, I moved desks at work, all part of the new re-stacking policy designed around optimising our use of space. Following the move, I went from a desk which looked on into the central corridor with my computer facing away from the door to one where my view was the bus station across the road. The view was decidedly an upgrade, what came with it though was a sense of being blinded to people milling about behind me and coming in to meet me, particularly on the occasions when I have my head phones plugged in to maximise my concentration.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Town: Weird gifts, names and Children on Trains"},{"content":"\nFor the prompt, Hike. Image Source\n\u0026ndash; Crisp air, fallen leaves- Crunched to dust by pounding feet, Delirious Joy. Hike\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/09/19/01-hike/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"01-fallen-leaves-pal-autumn-falling\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/3e2a6-01-fallen-leaves-pal-autumn-falling.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the prompt, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/hike/\"\u003eHike\u003c/a\u003e. Image \u003ca href=\"http://wallpaperfolder.com/wallpapers/fallen+leaves\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\nCrisp air, fallen leaves-\nCrunched to dust by pounding feet,\nDelirious Joy. Hike\u003c/p\u003e","title":"01 - Hike"},{"content":"\nLife - and time - have a penchant for throwing up surprises, ones which are sometimes welcome, but (perhaps more often than not?) unwelcome. Never more obvious is this than in the passage of time as measured by times, seasons and the lives of others. Somehow life in the moment, in the here and now - never seems to move at pace; only with the benefit of hindsight does the amount of time that has elapsed become obvious.\nThis, the apparent disconnect between time in the moment and time as Time, was brought home to me this week thanks to a chance conversation with my cousin V. Out and about for a quick lunch time walk to clear my head, stretch my legs and get some fresh air, I run into him on the corner of Market and Hadden Streets. As we have a quick chat, he mentions that it is his daughter\u0026rsquo;s birthday tomorrow - her fifth. I distinctly remember being at her first birthday, seemingly only a couple of years ago. How four years have gone by so quickly beggars belief in my mind.\nIt is now just over two years since H passed. The keenness of loss has been medicated by the time which has passed since then, which I suppose is a good thing. The new normal is more and more embedded, with occasional triggers like remembering one of her favourite songs - When I look into Your Holiness - being the things which jolt one back to the reality of loss. With all that, and the song, came memories of children\u0026rsquo;s Sunday school and growing up at Chapel in the early 90\u0026rsquo;s.\nOne of the more interesting things I read this week was Anne\u0026rsquo;s musing about spiders; which reminded me that I am due a free eye test; yet another reminder of the passage of time, and in my case how dependent on my glasses I am to function in the real world. On the odd occasion my glasses fall off the cabinet next to my bed, I struggle to find them, such is the state of my eyes these days.\nThe nip in the air is another telling indicator of the passage of time. It was spring not too long ago, then summer, and now we stand on the cusp of autumn. It is not heaters-blazing-with-multiple-duvets weather yet but it doesn\u0026rsquo;t feel like there is much between this and that. Word around town is that this year\u0026rsquo;s winter is likely to be harsher than the last. For now, it is dry, cold and sunny. That, I can deal with.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/09/16/of-times-eyes-and-seasons/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"img_2555\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/3e866-img_2555.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLife - and time - have a penchant for throwing up surprises, ones which are sometimes welcome, but (perhaps more often than not?) unwelcome. Never more obvious is this than in the passage of time as measured by times, seasons and the lives of others. Somehow life \u003cem\u003ein the moment\u003c/em\u003e, in the here and now - never seems to move at pace; only with the benefit of hindsight does the amount of time that has elapsed become obvious.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Of Times, Eyes and Seasons"},{"content":"\nFor the Daily Post prompt Here and Now: \\\\\\* Between Here and There One waits; Tomorrow\u0026rsquo;s Promise? Beginning again.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/09/13/here-and-now/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"here-and-now\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/56e6d-here-and-now.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the Daily Post prompt \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/discover-challenges/here-and-now/\"\u003eHere and Now\u003c/a\u003e:\n\\\u003cem\u003e\\\u003c/em\u003e\\*\nBetween \u003cem\u003eHere\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThere\u003c/em\u003e\nOne waits; Tomorrow\u0026rsquo;s Promise?\nBeginning \u003cem\u003eagain\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Here And Now..."},{"content":"\n[ Source]\nIn conversation with a gentleman I consider a mentor of sorts, the question about what was going on in my life at the moment got asked. After a few moments pause, I realised that the answer lay somewhere between \u0026rsquo;nothing of note\u0026rsquo; and \u0026rsquo;normal'.\nWith the Summer Fridays out of the way, life is focused on fleshing out budgets for 2017 at work and waiting on a direction on a critical decision I have to make; somewhat of a lull compared to the frenetic pace of life over the past few months.\nIt is a good-ish place to be in I suspect - one cannot run away from the hum-drum, everyday, quotidian thing s that are the basis of life - I can only hope that if and when the bedlam returns, I have learned enough in this lull to be prepared.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/09/09/lull/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"jbaylyquote\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/eeb59-jbaylyquote.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[ \u003ca href=\"http://fidelialam.com/post/104650723038/dont-forget-in-the-dark-what-you-learned-in-the\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn conversation with a gentleman I consider a mentor of sorts, the question about what was going on in my life at the moment got asked. After a few moments pause, I realised that the answer lay somewhere between \u0026rsquo;nothing of note\u0026rsquo; and \u0026rsquo;normal'.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/ninefridaysofsummer/\"\u003eSummer Fridays\u003c/a\u003e out of the way, life is focused on fleshing out budgets for 2017 at work and \u003cem\u003ewaiting\u003c/em\u003e on a direction on a critical decision I have to make; somewhat of a lull compared to the frenetic pace of life over the past few months.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Lull..."},{"content":"Over the weekend, after one of those marathon conversations with S which grew arms and legs, segueing from work related issues into past loves and twin boy names, I caught myself wondering what all this was.\nWhilst I have gone out of my way to declare my intentions, I have neither had a yay or a nay back; she and I continuing to subsist in this fluid space where we are more than friends but without any labels to attach. Whilst the feeling is one of a strong mutual connection, part of me does ponder the why\u0026rsquo;s of the lack of black and white commitment to date\u0026hellip;\nShakespeare\u0026rsquo;s Juliet argues In Romeo and Juliet that A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet. Does it in this case?\n#Pondering\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/09/06/things-by-other-names/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOver the weekend, after one of those marathon conversations with S which grew arms and legs, segueing from work related issues into past loves and twin boy names, I caught myself wondering what all this was.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhilst I have gone out of my way \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/08/22/all-in/\"\u003eto declare my intentions\u003c/a\u003e, I have neither had a yay or a nay back; she and I continuing to subsist in this fluid space where we are \u003cem\u003emore\u003c/em\u003e than friends but without any labels to attach. Whilst the feeling is one of a strong mutual connection, part of me does ponder the why\u0026rsquo;s of the lack of black and white commitment to date\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Things By Other Names"},{"content":"\nIt feels like only like yesterday when the prospect of free Fridays had me all excited, wondering what I would do with myself. Somehow, nine Fridays have come and gone since then, with proper 5 day work weeks left to look forward to till the offices shut for Christmas in late December. These Summer Fridays were especially important to me being the very first ones I was entitled to, even though I had worked in the same team for almost five years.\nIf I had to reflect on the high points of these Fridays, places and people would very quickly rise to the fore - Vienna for how long in the making it was, the London trips for the potential opportunities they have thrown up and the movies I managed to throw in.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s a wrap for this year; here\u0026rsquo;s hoping the oil price recovers and we\u0026rsquo;re still making a big fuss about rust this time next year.\n– – – Currently listening to All Good Things Come To An End - Nelly Furtado\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/09/02/nine-fridays-of-summer-all-good-things-come-to-an-end/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"ninefridaysofsummer_wrap\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/675a0-ninefridaysofsummer_wrap.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt feels like only like yesterday when \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/07/22/nine-fridays-of-summer/\"\u003ethe prospect of free Fridays\u003c/a\u003e had me all excited, wondering what I would do with myself. Somehow, nine Fridays have come and gone since then, with proper 5 day work weeks left to look forward to till the offices shut for Christmas in late December. These Summer Fridays were especially important to me being the very first ones I was entitled to, even though I had worked in the same team for almost five years.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Nine Fridays of Summer: All Good Things Come To An End"},{"content":"\nAs far as first impressions go, my first ones of Vienna - shaped as they were by images seen from my window seat as my flight in from London drew to a close - were largely pleasant ones; green fields and the Danube snaking away into the distance being evocative of chilled weekends and evenings filled with coffee and cheese cake, not hard work. I suppose those who have to live and work out here must necessarily see the city differently, their perspectives being rightly more functional and less head-in-the-sand r omantic than mine. Over the course of the weekend, I would gain a more nuanced view of the city, the good significantly outweighing the bad and the ugly to such an extent that if a role worth which was worth my while came up, I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t think twice about upping sticks and moving permanently.\nComing in, my biggest worry related to how I would manage to communicate given my nonexistent German, this being the first time I would be traveling alone into the non-English speaking world. I needn\u0026rsquo;t have worried so much, as between gestures and the passable English of a lot of the people I had to deal with in shops and elsewhere, I managed to do just fine. It did put my lack of language literacy in context, and has left no doubt in my mind that one needs the ability to engage in meaningful conversation - at least at a basic level - in a language other than English. Being in Europe at the moment, French and German spring to mind as two which would be of most use to me. The Chinese are poised to take over the world, but given my limited interactions with financial heavyweights and the low likelihood of my upping sticks to move to China anytime soon, I suspect Mandarin will remain low on my priority list. My experience did also raise a question in my mind about how the typical Aberdonian coffee shop barista or MacDonald\u0026rsquo;s employee might fare if they had to deal with non English speaking folk. London is a different matter although given that said employee is as likely to be French, German or Polish as English.\nThe sense I got of Vienna was one of a well organised city - bar the small matter of a trying to get through passport control at the airport. The long walk from where we disembarked and where we had passports checked made me wonder if there wasn\u0026rsquo;t a more efficient way to do this. In the end, in an overheard conversation, it transpired that several flights had arrived at the same time which complicated procedures at passport control. Before leaving the airport I made to sure to grab a Vienna card which offered free transport across the public transport network within the city as well as discounts on a number of attractions I was keen to visit.\nA surprising number of ambulances and police vehicles blasting their sirens managed to insert themselves into my consciousness over the cause of the weekend. I am not entirely sure if this was typical, or if they were more obvious to me because I was coming from Aberdeen which is comparatively smaller, and sleepier.\n\\\\\\*\nTwo open bus tours and plenty of walking later - I walked 9 and 16 kilometres on Saturday and Sunday according to my Fitbit - I got the added sense of a city actively looking to own its (checkered?) past, building a modern, egalitarian narrative around it. For what it is worth, counting Hitler, Stalin, Freud and a host of world renowned composers including Beethoven, Strauss, Vivaldi amongst other equally noteworthy ones amongst people who have lived and worked in the city at various times is a burden of heritage to live up to.\nAs to my actual itinerary, Friday was about settling in and getting to know the layout of the part of town I holed up in (the area around Mariahilfer Straße), Saturday was about the bus tours and exploring the museum quarter. Sunday surprised me with how many shops and places in the shopping district were closed, at least by the time I passed through in the afternoon, a stark contrast to Oxford Street to which it was often compared in the various commentaries on the bus tours. Early on Sunday morning, I did manage to make it across town to the Vienna Christian Centre\u0026rsquo;s International (English Language) Service. The message was an interesting one, the most memorable section being an interesting analogy for melding faith and works as part of one\u0026rsquo;s spiritual practice - a bicycle with two pedals.\nAmidst the grand buildings and sense of history, it was a bit of a shock to come across people sleeping in the rough, one particular gentleman popping up a few times on a bench next to the hotel I was staying at; a regular?\n\\\\\\*\nI consider myself a world citizen of sorts, comfortably engaging with different cultures, races and peoples. What surprised me as I reflected on my Vienna experience was the feeling of self-consciousness that seethed beneath the surface for most of my stay here. I suspect this has to do with having spent my formative years in Nigeria, and then most of the last ten years in the UK with occasional visits to the US (read Houston, Chicago and Tulsa), places in which one has a fairly significant chance of running into other black people without actively seeking them out. This was not the case in Vienna, which perhaps speaks more to my need to travel more often and more widely than I have in the past as opposed to anything akin to Teju Cole\u0026rsquo;s experiences in writing Black Body ( To be a stranger is to be looked at, but to be black is to be looked at especially). In a rare occurrence, whilst loading up on chicken at a KFC on Mariahilfer Straße, I overheard a conversation in Pidgin English, the tonality and vocabulary of the version being spoken meaning that the people in question could only have been from the Warri area in Nigeria. We did share a nod as they walked out, perhaps a recognition of a shared heritage of sorts.\n\\\\\\*\nOverall, I came away with a feeling that I needed to return here in the near to medium future. I suspect the next trip will be planned around a week in early spring or late autumn to avoid the nearly tropical temperatures I experienced this time. Not since my Newcastle days has a city impressed me enough to make me want to come back in fairly quick order. Two things are certain; I will be back soon, and for longer than a weekend.\n– – – Currently listening to Vienna (Billy Joel, from the 13 Going on 30 soundtrack)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/08/30/nine-fridays-of-summer-notes-from-vienna/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"0-Arriving\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/99881-0-arriving.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs far as first impressions go, my first ones of Vienna - shaped as they were by images seen from my window seat as my flight in from London drew to a close - were largely pleasant ones; green fields and the Danube snaking away into the distance being evocative of chilled weekends and evenings filled with coffee and cheese cake, not hard work. I suppose those who have to live and work out here must necessarily see the city differently, their perspectives being rightly \u003cem\u003emore\u003c/em\u003e functional and less \u003cem\u003ehead-in-the-sand\u003c/em\u003e r \u003cem\u003eomantic\u003c/em\u003e than mine. Over the course of the weekend, I would gain a more nuanced view of the city, the good significantly outweighing the bad and the ugly to such an extent that if a role worth which was worth my while came up, I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t think twice about upping sticks and moving permanently.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Nine Fridays of Summer: Notes from Vienna"},{"content":"\nIn trying to understand how I end up in places like this far too often, I suddenly realise I may have a Mosby problem. Like him, the protagonist in How I Met Your Mother, I fall too hard too soon, focus on a single individual who I think is the one to the exclusion of all other potential options only to end up disappointed time and time again.\nThe simplest change I can implement - and the crassest from the looks of it - is to not pin my hopes on one person too early; keeping multiple options lined up such that when one opportunity fails to materialise, the cycle time between picking up with the next option is significantly reduced. This neither tastes nor sounds right but given the limited time one has left, it feels like the only choice. Sigh :(\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/08/27/my-mosby-problem/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"ted-mosby\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/ffcdf-ted-mosby.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn trying to understand how I end up in \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/08/21/letting-go/\"\u003eplaces like this\u003c/a\u003e far too often, I suddenly realise I may have a \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Mosby\"\u003eMosby problem\u003c/a\u003e. Like him, the protagonist in \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_I_Met_Your_Mother\"\u003eHow I Met Your Mother\u003c/a\u003e, I fall too hard too soon, focus on a single individual who I think is the one to the exclusion of all other potential options only to end up disappointed time and time again.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe simplest change I can implement - and the crassest from the looks of it - is to not pin my hopes on one person too early; keeping multiple options lined up such that when one opportunity fails to materialise, the cycle time between picking up with the next option is significantly reduced. This neither tastes nor sounds right but given the limited time one has left, it feels like the only choice. Sigh :(\u003c/p\u003e","title":"My Mosby Problem"},{"content":"In what can only be incontrovertible evidence of Sod\u0026rsquo;s law, the air-conditioning at work chooses the worst week possible to break down in; a week of unseasonably warm August weather. Loads of meetings to attend, lunchtime walks and endless cups of water help ensure that I don\u0026rsquo;t end up too listless; not that broken air-conditioning ranks high on the list of life-threatening things humans have to deal with, or should be an excuse for reduced productivity.\nThankfully, that First World ordeal is mitigated by the fact that it is a 3.5 day work week for me; a half-day tacked on to this week\u0026rsquo;s summer Friday meaning that by lunchtime Thursday I am putting finishing touches to all the things I have been chased on during the week in preparation for heading out into the sunshine. What follows shortly is a brisk walk back home to grab my bag and then a quick dash to the airport for my flight to London. Not until I am settled into my seat, flying away to London, does the tiredness hit me, the low similar to what I imagine users of psychoactive substances must feel after the effects wear out.\nLondon, I find, is not much better- heat wise at least; the hour and thirty minutes I spend to get to my hotel on the DLR and then the Underground the perfect illustration of all that is bad about heatwaves - people in varying stages of undress, a heightened sense of smell and the feeling of being tightly packed. When I think my ordeal has ended, I find I have somehow mixed Hounslow Central up with Heathrow Central, which adds another forty-five minutes to my commute from the airport to hotel. The front desk manager at the hotel does a magnificent job of defusing my frustrations, her wry smile when she announces I have not been the first to make that same mistake on the day notwithstanding. Food, sleep and a quick phone call are all I manage before sleep sucks me in.\nThe next morning passes in a blur, the highlights being making the airport shuttle bus with seconds to spare, whizzing through security and ending up on the flight to Vienna with only a few minutes to spare, very much by the skin of my teeth.\n\\\\\\*\nThis has been as close to a perfect month as I have had all year. Thanks to continued pressure focused attention from the friends who keep me accountable, I managed to run three times each week this month, pushing the envelope each Sunday until by the last Sunday I was up to 5 km. Besides now being able to (barely) fit into my size 34 jeans which I was on the verge of giving away, the beautiful sunrises I catch each morning that I run make it all worthwhile.\nThe intent is to keep these runs going, slowly making up the distances until I am at 5 km for each run. 10 km three times a week has been mooted by said friends as a target for year end, I think that is more a next not-quite-a-milestone-birthday target though. Fingers crossed. The most important thing is to keep walking running I guess.\nIn books and reading, I finally managed to finish Gretchen Rubin\u0026rsquo;s Better Than Before as well as starting off on Faithfully Feminist, an anthology of essays on being feminist whilst maintaining spiritual practice within the context of the Abrahamic faiths - Judaism, Christianity and Islam. I am only four essays in, but I suspect there will be a lot to both agree with and disagree with for me. The upside I guess is that I am reading, again.\n\\\\\\*\nAs I write this, I am looking out from my hotel window onto the sun bathed train station across the road and an old church a name for which a search on google and google maps failed to turn up. In a round about way, this is the culmination of four years of pondering; Vienna as a destination first being mentioned to me by an Opera-loving, Birmingham-bred English man who I happened to share office space with offshore for two weeks in 2012.\nIt is still too early to form any strong opinions but I am already beginning to get a vague understanding for why Vienna is considered one of the more liveable cities out there. The rest of today is to rest and fine-tune my plans for the weekend.\nAfter today, there is only one more Summer Friday left. Oh bummer!\n– – – Currently listening to the Gil Joe single - Mayo\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/08/26/nine-fridays-of-summer-of-heat-waves-vienna-and-a-perfect-month-of-sorts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn what can only be incontrovertible evidence of \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sod%27s_law\"\u003eSod\u0026rsquo;s law\u003c/a\u003e, the air-conditioning at work chooses the worst week possible to break down in; a week of unseasonably warm August weather. Loads of meetings to attend, lunchtime walks and endless cups of water help ensure that I don\u0026rsquo;t end up too listless; not that broken air-conditioning ranks high on the list of life-threatening things humans have to deal with, or should be an excuse for reduced productivity.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Nine Fridays of Summer: Of Heat Waves, Vienna and A Perfect Month of Sorts"},{"content":"\nAlmost three months to the day since I first met S, these arrived at hers with a note that tried to up the ante. The facts are what they are: I really really like her, we get along very well and I\u0026rsquo;d like to be a lot more than just friends with her, potentially the future Mrs S.\nHer call now\u0026hellip; #Waiting\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/08/22/all-in/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Flowers_For S\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/3905d-flowers_for-s.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlmost three months to the day since I first met S, these arrived at hers with a note that tried to up the ante. The facts are what they are: I really really like her, we get along very well and I\u0026rsquo;d like to be a lot more than just friends with her, potentially the future Mrs S.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer call now\u0026hellip; #Waiting\u003c/p\u003e","title":"All In"},{"content":"\nMonths ago - when it became apparent that my birthday this year would fall on a work day - I made a mental note to take the day off. The act of making that official - signing into the absence management software we use at work and requesting the day off - never happened, which was how I ended up stuck behind my desk at work on the day. That the only slot for a meeting I had been trying to set up for months opened up on the day, the Friday before, didn’t help either.\nThe day itself was just like any other. At work there were issues to deal with, the occasional bit of banter with R who remembered, and phone calls. Around all of that were personal phone calls from friends and family and messages on the two main Whatsapp groups I am part of. I didn\u0026rsquo;t get the gift I most deeply craved; my subtle prod aimed at pointing (and I use that really loosely here) a few people towards Teju Cole\u0026rsquo;s new collection of essays failed to convince any one. That the weather was a reasonably warm, dry and sunny 18 C only compounded the sense of misery I felt. My consolation though is that next weekend, Summer Friday #8 (of 9), is being spent in Vienna.\n\\\\\\*\nThe Year of Being Thirty-Six was an interesting one. For key events I would have to point to the trip to St John\u0026rsquo;s where four years\u0026rsquo; worth of catching up with the kid brother were compressed into ten days, finally excising the ghost of F from my memory, a new job in the middle of the oil patch downturn and turning up on (online) radio.\nHaving taken a moratorium on travel in the second half of 2015 and into 2016, the last few months have seen a lot more travel; London for visa interviews, Hillsong and S made a few appearances as did Birmingham, Leicester and Newcastle. Not doing Nigeria all through 2015 made it imperative to get it out of the way early this year. That happened in April, providing an opportunity to see J get hitched. On the family side, I became an Uncle again, twice for good measure.\n\\\\\\*\nThis next year, the year of being thirty-seven, has big milestones I need to deliver on. For one, I take the next big step on my quest to become a global citizen in a few months. If I had my way, after that\u0026rsquo;s in the bag I\u0026rsquo;d take the next week off just to breathe a sigh of relief and recover from the subtle pressure of the last few years.\nOn the Spiritual Practice front, I would like to finally land that discipline of daily prayer and bible study. I made a few big strides in 2015 - morning prayers at church twice a week helping in that regard but the goal for the next year is to reach a place where the desire to reach for my notebook with time blocked off becomes more automatic.\nPhysically, my weight has see-sawed between 84 kg and 90 kg, currently sitting just shy of shy of the upper bound, far too much pizza - and handmade burgers - having their say, loudly. In this regards, M is as good an ideal as can be. In spite of being in his seventies, he remains a fierce physical competitor; rowing, cycling and hiking being key parts of his non-work life. For me I\u0026rsquo;d settle for turning my current practice of running between a mile and a mile and half three times a week into a 5 km run five times a week.\nWith People, I\u0026rsquo;ve historically been a very big fan of my own space, tending to favour doing things that interest me than share my space and time. A concious effort earlier in the year to meet up with a few key friends more regularly led to some improvements (but perhaps contributed to far too many downed burgers). A couple of these meet ups are now firmly established. The goal for the next year is to keep those monthly meet ups going and also find a mentor of sorts with whom I meet up once a month to compare notes. I am increasingly keen to see how the S thing evolves over the next few weeks, hopefully I don\u0026rsquo;t end up in this kind of place again.\nAlthough I notionally make an extra 3% in my new role, it often feels like I am in a worse place financially than I was last year. Keeping the financial numbers in check has to be a key objective for this next year, especially if marriage and fatherhood are phases of life I hope to participate in over the next few years.\nWork has been great, bar the twin pressures of the commodity market and the increasing recognition of one\u0026rsquo;s skills and knowledge. That is not a bad thing by any means, particularly given how many people are out of work at the moment. Maintaining progress here, delivering consistently and growing my sphere of influence are the key objectives in this category. A promotion, and more than a 3% pay rise would be nice to haves too, i I say so :)\nThe impact of all that work, travel and people time I have dedicated myself to is that sadly a lot less reading than usual is happening. A book a month seems like a sensible target to work towards from a Mental and Personal Development perspective. There is also the keenes on my part to explore addition technical certifications in this rust geeking business. Some more work on my part to identify which add the most value to me is required but the intent would be to pursue this aggressively through the next year. When I was younger, I had aspirations of becoming a programmer of some description (I spent my free time in my service year trying to write a text based football simulator in Visual Basic 6 - it obviously wasn\u0026rsquo;t very good!!). One side project I\u0026rsquo;d like to pick up again is something coding related. Ideally it would allow me understand enough about computers and open source OSes enough to allow me customise one enough to provide a quick, light weight OS that allows me run the key applications that support my life. I suspect it will have to be Linux, Chromium or Android based, but fingers crossed.\nCauses and Charities remain near to my heart. Alongside serving on my church\u0026rsquo;s tech and media team, i currently support a couple of children via World Vision and Compassion as well as a few other charities. Beyond what I believe are the Judeo-Christian worldview imperatives which underpin these, I suppose the feeling that one is making a difference does do wonders for one\u0026rsquo;s mood too, all things considered. This is something I hope I can continue going forward, with a future visit to be considered. Depending on how much time and energy I find I have to spare over the next year, a technical volunteering cause is one I\u0026rsquo;d like to add to my current \u0026lsquo;portfolio\u0026rsquo;. STEMNET springs to mind as one that fits the bill. I hope to be in a position to make a decision in time for the start of 2017.\n\\\\\\*\nAmidst the less than stellar year in reading I have had, Gretchen Rubin\u0026rsquo;s Better Than Before stands out as one of the more useful books I have read. In it she explores how we change; how habits are built and sustained. New beginnings are one group of triggers she considers as being useful - beginnings which wipe the slate clean being particularly relevant here.\nSo here\u0026rsquo;s to my Clean Slate and New Beginning. Let the year of being 37 begin. – – – Currently listening to: The Best Is Yet To Come (from the Donald Lawrence Album, Go Get Your Life Back)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/08/19/nine-fridays-of-summer-the-not-quite-a-milestone-birthday-edition/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"East\u0026amp;WestO2\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/d8a0d-eastwesto2.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMonths ago - when it became apparent that my birthday this year would fall on a work day - I made a mental note to take the day off. The act of making that official - signing into the absence management software we use at work and requesting the day off - never happened, which was how I ended up stuck behind my desk at work on the day. That the only slot for a meeting I had been trying to set up for months opened up on the day, the Friday before, didn’t help either.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Nine Fridays of Summer: The Not-Quite-A-Milestone-Birthday Edition"},{"content":"https://soundcloud.com/jd-rambler/eps-2-trusting-god\n\u0026ndash;\nFrom a reflection from a few weeks ago on Trusting God\u0026hellip; Apt given where I am on the cusp of a not-quite milestone birthday\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/08/14/just-thinking-esp-2-trusting-god/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://soundcloud.com/jd-rambler/eps-2-trusting-god\"\u003ehttps://soundcloud.com/jd-rambler/eps-2-trusting-god\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom a reflection from a few weeks ago on Trusting God\u0026hellip; Apt given where I am on the cusp of a \u003cem\u003enot-quite\u003c/em\u003e milestone birthday\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Just Thinking: Esp 2 - Trusting God"},{"content":"\nIt feels much longer than 12 days since I was last in London, mixing it with the young, free and saved at the Hillsong Europe conference but I suppose life and adulting can do that to you, particularly when that sometimes indecipherable line between work and life is crossed. Shed loads of emails and the cumulative effect of multiple weekends away finally caught up with me both in my work and personal lives, leaving me wondering if it was all worth it after all. All told, the amount of time I have spent scouring YouTube for snippets of the songs I heard, and the satisfaction going over pictures from that weekend still brings, suggests that there is still some lingering benefit.\nAdded to all of that controlled chaos is perhaps the fact that this period - bookended by the 21st of July and the 15th of August - is a deeply emotive one; not least for all the mementos to loss, the search for a new normal and a looming not-quite milestone birthday embedded therein.\n\\\\\\*\nI am slowly realising that managing controlled chaos is something I will have to deal with, given the phase of life that I am. For one, gradually becoming one of the older heads around at work has meant that there is more of a recognition of one\u0026rsquo;s knowledge from peers and younger colleagues. That means that one gets volunteered for non-routine tasks more often, ones which require a lot more thought and reflection on how solutions to increasingly complex problems can be found. That these non-routine tasks are often highly visible, of a time-sensitive nature and transcend multiple timezones multiplies the pressure they place one under.\nThe looming not-quite milestone birthday adds several layers of complexity to everything else too. The passage of time places certain expectations, desires and long held aspirational goals in context, eroding the comforts the illusion of time once provided. Each year, with the lengthening of one\u0026rsquo;s chronological age, the room for error - and the time left to achieve said objectives - becomes ostensibly shorter. That adds a pressure of its own to everything else.\n\\\\\\*\nThis state of living on the edge, juggling multiple balls and straining every sinew to stay ahead of the burgeoning task lists is one that does have its thrills. The joys of checking things off the to do list and coming to the end of the week having delivered tangible solutions does feed a sense of accomplishment and heightened purpose. How sustainable that state is over the long run is one question I am not sure I have the answer to, particularly given my natural predisposition is to take my time to try to unravel thorny, convoluted issues rather than bludgeon my way through them. On a simplistic level, the solution is to find a balance between work and life that works, one that does not prioritise one over the other so much that it effectively starves one of focus. Sadly, finding that balance isn\u0026rsquo;t something I have historically managed very well, the events of just over a year ago being a case in point.\nFor today, the pressing need to get a report out ahead of a deadline has dictated my actions, requiring me to spend pretty much all day in at work, Summer Friday or not. With that deadline just met, there is finally space to catch my breath and breathe a little, until the next big one comes due\u0026hellip;\n- - - Currently listening to: When the Fight Calls (from the Hillsong Young \u0026amp; Free Album, Youth Revival)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/08/12/nine-fridays-of-summer-coming-up-for-air/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"friday_window\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/73739-friday_window.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt feels much longer than 12 days since I was \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/08/02/nine-fridays-of-summer-london-again/\"\u003elast in London\u003c/a\u003e, mixing it with the young, free and \u003cem\u003esaved\u003c/em\u003e at the Hillsong Europe conference but I suppose life and \u003cem\u003eadulting\u003c/em\u003e can do that to you, particularly when that sometimes indecipherable line between work and life is crossed. Shed loads of emails and the cumulative effect of multiple weekends away finally caught up with me both in my work and personal lives, leaving me wondering if it was all worth it after all. All told, the amount of time I have spent scouring YouTube for snippets of the songs I heard, and the satisfaction going over pictures from that weekend still brings, suggests that there is still some lingering benefit.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Nine Fridays of Summer: Coming Up For Air"},{"content":"\nI never cease to be amazed by how flights which ostensibly last an hour end up morphing into all day affairs, which leads me to think that flying is perhaps one of the greatest swindles on earth. In my experience, by the time one arrives at the airport, goes through security and then waits to board, the better part of two hours has very easily been burned. When the inner city travel requirements are tacked on, everything very easily rolls up to between three and four hours. On this occasion, my flight due to leave at 12.05 pm ends up delayed which is how it is well past 4.00 pm by the time my train rolls into Romford where I plan on basing myself on this trip. All that leaves me is time to get myself checked into my room, find a quick bite and then start heading back to the O2 Arena for the opening night of the Hillsong Conference Europe, which is my primary reason for this trip.\n\\\\\\*\nWith Hillsong, you can always count on great music, a fabulous atmosphere and youthful exuberance. We get loads of those: worship by Young \u0026amp; Free (topped off by an on screen cameo by Lecrae on This Is Living on Day 1 and a particularly moving arrangement of the hymn Then Sings My Soul) and a couple of interesting messages by Steven Furtick and Chris Mendez (who stood in for Carl Lentz on Friday night) over the course of the remaining days. As always a slew of fab songs to look forward to get sung during the conference. What a Beautiful Name It Is is one of those for me. I\u0026rsquo;ll be pre-ordering the album as soon as it drops, that much is a given.\nAs an aside, Chris Mendez\u0026rsquo; story of turning his back on a life of addiction awakens a question which I\u0026rsquo;ve never quite answered for sure- do those who have a passionate faith have that because they\u0026rsquo;ve been forgiven much or is it just a personality thing? Jesus comment about he who has been forgiven little loving little suggests to my simple mind that there is some correlation. I\u0026rsquo;m sure smarter minds have sussed out the answer to that one.\nAn unexpected bonus on Friday is finally getting to meet Siren Lune, whose journey from questioning orthodoxy to tear-streaked made up face (her words) seems to me the stuff 1500 word essays are made for (if I can convince her to write it though). Before the Friday night session, I take the opportunity to climb to the top of the O2, standing astride the world in a manner of speaking - one foot in both east and west hemispheres. Our guide manages to find that sweet spot between chucking information at us and letting us be that allows the group move along at a steady pace.\nConference ends with the communion, after which we leave with strains of yet another Hillsong special ringing in our ears. Quite the experience as always, with quite a few things to mull over on a personal note as I leave.\n\\\\\\*\nConference out of the way, I turn my attentions to the meet ups I\u0026rsquo;ve planned. S offers up a slot on Saturday, one which takes me into the lush green countryside of Kent and the Hevercastle grounds. Seven hundred years of history is the grounds main selling point, one that is hard to argue with given that that history includes arguably England\u0026rsquo;s most licentious of kings, Henry VIII, and Anne Boleyn. Trying to detangle the mess of consort, sister, sister-in-law, woman in waiting and mistress just about does my head in before I give up, opting to go along with the tour through the castle grounds instead. At the yew maze, we take the wrong turn several times, somehow exiting at the entrance having doubled back on myself several times. The castle and grounds are the sort of thing I suspect will be better enjoyed at a more leisurely pace, with great company, food and blankets for a chilled lunch and plenty of time to kill, to allow one take in all there is on offer.\nFor dinner, we head back into the comparatively dystopian borough of Lewisham for some proper Nigerian fare. The scent of all soups Nigerian wafting into my nose tempts me sorely to break my self imposed pounded yam moratorium but some chicken suya rescues me from tossing five years of abstinence down the drain.\n\\\\\\*\nSunday is comparatively more laid back than any of the days which have gone before. A late decision has me leaving my bags in storage and hailing an Uber to one of my old Sunday haunts, Trinity Chapel. R, the Lithunian driver and I get along, he\u0026rsquo;s intrigued when I say I am from Scotland by way of Nigeria, our talk seguing into the weather. Oddly for a cabbie, he holds interesting views on global warming, his concerns being around the low lying regions of the world which could disappear for good. Interesting is all I can mutter under my breath, before a quick google search leads us to World Under Water which I recommend as light bedside reading for him.\nSignificantly changed from how I remember it is the only way I can describe how I find Trinity Chapel but it is an entirely enjoyable, if different experience. The message is about leaving the past behind and focusing on making the most of today. In between I drift off into thoughts of how forgetting can be a mercy. A line from Lesley Nneka Arimah\u0026rsquo;s Caine Prize shortlisted story, \u0026lsquo;What it Means When a Man Falls From the Sky’ comes to mind, in which the protagonist Nneoma ponders what being unable to forget could do to one. Her conclusion, the sense of a thousand falling men landing on you.\nThe lure of jollof rice, dodo and chicken is more than I can resist, which is how I end up at S\u0026rsquo;s, the plan being to down a quick lunch before my long slog up to Heathrow for my return flight begins. A couple of detours later, I find I am done with lunch and setting off at 5.30 pm with a nagging thought that I might have left it too late. Two train changes later - at Stratford and at Holburn - I end up at Heathrow just before a quarter to eight. Thankfully, the walk through security is quick and I end up having a bit of time on my hands - delayed flight notwithstanding.\n\\\\\\*\nIt is nearly midnight when I eventually get home, late flight issues being compounded by several late arrivals overwhelming the capacity of the taxi rank to deal with the influx. An hour\u0026rsquo;s wait endured, I am soon speeding home to my corner of the world. Home, and the safety of routine beckon - laundry, reheated left overs and work. Adulting, eh?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/08/02/nine-fridays-of-summer-london-again/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"hillsong_\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/056db-hillsong_1.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI never cease to be amazed by how flights which \u003cem\u003eostensibly\u003c/em\u003e last an hour end up morphing into \u003cem\u003eall day\u003c/em\u003e affairs, which leads me to think that flying is perhaps one of the greatest swindles on earth.  In my experience, by the time one arrives at the airport, goes through security and then waits to board, the better part of two hours has very easily been burned. When the inner city travel requirements are tacked on, everything very easily rolls up to between three and four hours. On this occasion, my flight due to leave at 12.05 pm ends up delayed which is how it is well past 4.00 pm by the time my train rolls into Romford where I plan on basing myself on this trip. All that leaves me is time to get myself checked into my room, find a quick bite and then start heading back to the O2 Arena for the opening night of the \u003ca href=\"http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hillsong-conference-europe-2016-tickets-13069121093#\"\u003eHillsong Conference Europe\u003c/a\u003e, which is my primary reason for this trip.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Nine Fridays of Summer: London, Again."},{"content":"https://soundcloud.com/jd-rambler/introducing-just-thinking-take-2 Introducing.. #JustThinking, a half playful, half serious brain dump on any of a number of things on my mind at any given time..\n\\* Backing Track credits: Smile (Instrumental) - Mosa/ One Speed Productions\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/07/24/just-thinking-1-introducing/","summary":"\u003ch2\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://soundcloud.com/jd-rambler/introducing-just-thinking-take-2\"\u003ehttps://soundcloud.com/jd-rambler/introducing-just-thinking-take-2\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIntroducing.. #JustThinking, a half playful, half serious brain dump on any of a number of things on my mind at any given time..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\\* Backing Track credits: Smile (Instrumental) -  Mosa/ One Speed Productions\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Just Thinking: Episode 1 - Introducing..."},{"content":"\nFor the first time in a very long time, I have four day work weeks to look forward to. The theory behind getting these nine Fridays off is that they have been earned by working an extra thirty minutes each work day. How productive those extra minutes have been remains to be seen, but I suspect their value to our employer lies more in promoting a sense of being cared for in us than anything more tangible. The first of these was spent down south, catching up with friends and reacquainting myself with Stratford and the Olympic park.\nBeing a creature of routine has its perks - one wakes up, does the needful and shows up at work to deal with whatever is thrown one\u0026rsquo;s way that day - but without the requirement to go into work, I suddenly have the hassle of trying to find stuff to do. The big rocks are in place already - a trip to London to catch Erwin McManus and Carl Lentz amongst others at the Hillsong Conference Europe is all planned up and good to go, as is an extended weekend in Vienna in August. It is what to do with the rest of these s ummer Fridays that is the problem. Of course summers in Scotland have a reputation for being wet and windy with dry, sunny spells the exception.\nDoing a lot of traveling comes to mind as something to do, particularly given getting to know the West Coast of Scotland is something I\u0026rsquo;ve wanted to do for a while. Besides the time spent in train stations and airport waiting areas this requires, it is also likely to require a significant outlay in cash. A lot needs to be worked out from a logistical perspective to make this happen but I suspect the dividends - pretty interesting pictures and pretend travelouges - might make this a compelling option.\nAnother option is to spend the time catching up on all that reading I\u0026rsquo;ve failed dismally at this year. In addition to the books I have on the go, Teju Cole has an eagerly anticipated collection of essays out in August which I am sure I would be keen to read. Laziness though is the greatest obstacle to this objective, one will have to see how this pans out.\nI have toyed with the idea of spending my Fridays cranking out a podcast about nothing especially important. The working title for this - which is likely to only be a spoken version of the things I whine about on here - is A Bloke\u0026rsquo;s Life. Although I do have a penchant for waffling on things of interest only to me, I also happen to know a number of interesting gentlemen who - logistics permitting - I might be able to convince to come on such a show. Don\u0026rsquo;t hold your breaths on this one though. What is more likely is a return to the online radio station I\u0026rsquo;ve previously appeared on.\nMovies appear to be the easiest, safest option, particularly as I still have a stash of discounted Cineworld tickets to hand, and the beach cinema is less than 10 minutes away from my house by foot. The significantly reduced movie time since May does lend its support to this argument, not least because a rash of movies are due out in the next few weeks.\n\\\\\\*\nStar Trek Beyond - which I managed to see after a couple of hours at work - was the first of these, after habit had drawn me into work for a couple of hours first. Simon Pegg\u0026rsquo;s performances in these Star Trek movies have always intrigued me - given his attempts at affecting a \u0026lsquo;Scottish\u0026rsquo; accent, and his English heritage. To his credit, he manages to throw enough Scottish colloquialisms in to make his parody recognisable. My ears have however not evolved enough to be able to say definitively that he has it nailed down. I suppose the nod to Scotland on the big screen - spot on or not - has to be celebrated and accepted?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/07/22/nine-fridays-of-summer/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"aberdeen summer\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/74bbc-aberdeen-summer.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the first time in a very long time,  I have four day work weeks to look forward to. The theory behind getting these nine Fridays off is that they have been \u003cem\u003eearned\u003c/em\u003e by working an extra thirty minutes each work day. How productive those extra minutes have been remains to be seen, but I suspect their value to our employer lies more in promoting a sense of being cared for in us than anything more tangible. The \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/07/19/sleepers-stratford-and-sunshine/\"\u003efirst of these\u003c/a\u003e was spent down south, catching up with friends and reacquainting myself with Stratford and the Olympic park.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Nine Fridays of Summer"},{"content":"\nShe is wolfing down a doughnut, cup of coffee in hand when I appear, trying to find my assigned seat. I feel like I have startled her somewhat, given how quickly she begins to organise the stuff she has all over the place. The sense of having intruded on a private, unguarded moment is made worse by finding my assigned seat is across from her, in seats so tight our feet play that dance of hide and seek beneath the table until we find a system that works.\nWe both apologise for the clumsiness inherent in the touching of our feet, almost at the same time, as though we have anything to do with our long feet and the tight space we have to share. I don\u0026rsquo;t remember who laughs first; the funny side of our attempts at using space eventually becoming apparent. The laughter does serve as an ice breaker of sorts; by the time the train begins to move off at 9.43 pm, we have somehow managed to develop a resigned familiarity.\nBy then we have been joined by a number of other people, most notable of which are a clearly inebriated English man with a strong Scouse accent and someone who I guess is Polish (who gets on his phone from the instant he comes aboard till we go past Inverkeithing, a full 2 hours and some, a pox upon him!!). The drunk Scouser rambles on about just getting back onshore from a three week stint offshore. He has clearly hit the brew to sate his deep ache.\nWe are all cattle class passengers on the Caledonian Sleeper, the overnight train service that connects London in the south to a number of locations in Scotland, both ways. In the aftermath of my irritation and anger with the appalling service on my last jaunt down south - that EasyJet inspired comedy of errors - my search for other options leads me here. Although there is a range of proper sleeper options, my inner Scotsman - we have a reputation for being tight fisted frugal - opts for a basic \u0026lsquo;sleeper seat\u0026rsquo;, my gamble being that regardless of how comfortable or uncomfortable the seats are, I\u0026rsquo;ll manage enough sleep to be awake for the couple of hours I need to be lucid for on Friday morning before I get to my hotel and can sleep off my journey.\nTight spaces and loud fellow travellers with smelly feet aside, it turns out a rather pleasant journey, one on which I manage to catch a few winks and feel a sense of vague familiarity with. Only when I am about to disembark does the slight niggle at the back of my end get resolved - the vague sense of familiarity with all these is because I have used the sleeper service before, ending up at Manchester Piccadilly en route Sheffield back in 2013.\n\\\\\\*\nWe arrive at London Euston, sometime after 7.47am following which I make a beeline for a coffee and a baguette to wake myself up properly. Warm coffee in my insides, google maps comes to the rescue in helping plot a path to an internet cafe where I print off the appointment letter that will grant me access to the Visa application centre which is one of the main drivers for the trip. At the cafe, Brexit (yet again) makes an appearance. The proprietress and a customer are deep in conversation, the subject being applying for a British passport in a bid to avoid having to leave the country. His English is pretty much spotless to my ear - it turns out he\u0026rsquo;s lived out here for 25 years - so I am unable to guess where he is originally from.\nMy destination, the VFS centre, is a few stops away on the under ground, so after sorting out my paper work, I walk to Oxford Circus and make my way to the Liverpool Street Station, leave my bags at left luggage and attend my interview. A few terse moments at the front desk - I arrive fifteen minutes early and get told to wait outside for a while - aside, the interview wraps up fairly quickly. By the time it turns 11 am, I am back at Liverpool Street looking to head out to my hotel, £10 affording me the luxury of an early check in.\n\\\\\\*\nThe rest of the weekend -mainly dry and warm - is spent reacquainting myself with East London. Colourful street markets in Ilford, TfL Rail trips between London Liverpool Street and Ilford and a Saturday idled away at the Olympic Park sipping bubble tea are the highlights, marred only by closures on the way back after some poor fella opted to throw himself in front of the train.\n\\\\\\*\nFor my return, I opt for hopping a bit of a round trip - by train from London Euston to Birmingham International Airport and then a FlyBe flight up to Aberdeen. How that managed to work out significantly cheaper than a direct flight to Aberdeen from London is perhaps an indication of how much demand there is for London/Aberdeen flights. All told, I enjoyed my little Birmingham detour so much I suspect it will be my preferred routing if I have to pop into London in a bind. If ever there was proof of concept, this was it.\nBring on the #SummerFridays. #Options\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/07/19/sleepers-stratford-and-sunshine/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Caledonian Sleepr\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/394e3-caledonian-sleepr.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe is wolfing down a doughnut, cup of coffee in hand when I appear, trying to find my assigned seat. I feel like I have startled her somewhat, given how quickly she begins to organise the stuff she has all over the place. The sense of having intruded on a \u003cem\u003eprivate, unguarded\u003c/em\u003e moment is made worse by finding my assigned seat is across from her, in seats so tight our feet play that dance of hide and seek beneath the table until we find a system that works.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Nine Fridays of Summer: Sleepers, Stratford and basking in Sunshine"},{"content":"Sometime last week, I found myself waiting in what was wet, grey and windy weather - typical summer fare for this part of the world - waiting for a taxi I had requested. As I had arrived downstairs a few minutes after 8.30 am when I had ordered the taxi for, I was a little uncertain as to if he had been and left or was yet to arrive. He turned up at 8.40 am, by which time I had come close to phoning the taxi company to confirm if I had missed my ride. The cab ride which followed - all 45 minutes of it - was spent in a gloomy silence, the tension in the taxi palpable. I\u0026rsquo;m sure he meant no ill, much as I didn\u0026rsquo;t either but something about the circumstances under which we met seemed to have soured our taxi driver-passenger relationship. That he had all sorts of weird tattoos on his arms, drove with only one hand on the steering wheel and stared straight ahead didn\u0026rsquo;t help break the ice either, I suspect.\n\\\\\\*\nDue to a variety of reasons, I spend a significant amount of time in cabs these days. The main driver for this is having to support multiple projects and gather input from a number of vendors and suppliers across town. This allied to my \u0026lsquo;refusal\u0026rsquo; to drive during the week means a lot of my work related travel during the week is by cabs. There isn\u0026rsquo;t a philosophical point behind not driving during the week; there is a practical one though. Not driving allows me avoid the hassles of trying to find city centre parking on a weekday as well as ticking the thirty minutes of exercise a day box. There is also the small matter of the extra cash my employer gives me in support of my ecological choices as an incentive. :)\nIn the main I find that cab drivers can be great talkers; keen to share their knowledge of the city and the \u0026lsquo;shire, and how those have changed over the years. More often than not, those conversations end up centred around the weather, football and past and future holidays. Politics, mainly the slagging off of politicians, makes an appearance on the odd occasion we decide we want to engage in less fluffy stuff. These make for an often congenial, if conspiratorial atmosphere with off colour jokes often excused. Swearing is almost a given in these conversations, particularly where football or other road users - deeply emotive subjects from the sounds of it - are involved.\n\\\\\\*\nThankfully, the two other occasions I needed to take cabs last week panned out much better. On one occasion, I got a boisterous Hungarian for company for the drive up the A96 to Blackburn. There was plenty to yak about - the fallout of the Brexit vote (he was worried about his fate as an EU National who had lived in the UK for less than 6 months), the weather (apparently it was in the high twenties in Hungary whilst the thermometer barely touched fifteen degrees out here), football (Ferenc Puskas perhaps the first true football great was Hungarian) and the global war on terror (his mate back in Hungary who is a military reservist had been called in for exercises). On a personal note, he recommended a holiday in Debrecen to me. The selling point? Hungarian women like foreign men..\nThe other occasion featured a once-retired IT Engineer who had built a business selling copiers in the early 90\u0026rsquo;s before selling up and retiring. Bored with the retired life, he had taken to taxi driving as a side gig to keep himself busy for when he wasn\u0026rsquo;t traveling to visit what sounded like a large extended family. It turned out he was headed to Bulgaria on holiday in a few weeks, which was the cue for more Brexit focused natter. The slow cab market, following the decline of oil did make an appearance. The decidedly pedestrian performance put up by the Aberdeen football club in Luxembourg the other day, resulting in a skin of the bum 3-2 aggregate win was a sore subject with taxi driver number two, particularly given the fact that last season seemed like a missed opportunity as Celtic limped to a title they seemed keener to throw away than wrap up. There\u0026rsquo;s nothing like good football based natter to lift the soul - everyone this side of the pond has an opinion on all things football related after all.\nAll told, by the time the week ended, my faith in the taxi driver as a source of information and great banter was restored. All\u0026rsquo;s well with the world again.. :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/07/12/about-town-of-cabs-and-conversations/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSometime last week, I found myself waiting in what was wet, grey and windy weather - typical \u003cem\u003esummer\u003c/em\u003e fare for this part of the world - waiting for a taxi I had requested.  As I had arrived downstairs a few minutes after 8.30 am when I had ordered the taxi for, I was a little uncertain as to if he had been and left or was yet to arrive. He turned up at 8.40 am, by which time I had come close to phoning the taxi company to confirm if I had missed my ride. The cab ride which followed - all 45 minutes of it - was spent in a gloomy silence, the tension in the taxi palpable. I\u0026rsquo;m sure he meant no ill, much as I didn\u0026rsquo;t either but something about the circumstances under which we met seemed to have soured our taxi driver-passenger relationship. That he had all sorts of weird tattoos on his arms, drove with only one hand on the steering wheel and stared straight ahead didn\u0026rsquo;t help break the ice either, I suspect.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Town - Of Cabs and Conversations"},{"content":" David Dunn and Jordan Feliz cover Jarryd James\u0026rsquo;Do You Remember?.\n#StumbledUpon\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/07/11/do-you-remember/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/Uvu1yc74gBM?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDavid Dunn and Jordan Feliz cover Jarryd James\u0026rsquo;\u003ca href=\"http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/jarrydjames/doyouremember.html\"\u003eDo You Remember?\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#StumbledUpon\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Do You Remember..."},{"content":"\nIt was with a mixture perhaps of Joy - Zadie Smith might disagree - and most certainly relief that I read the final lines of Kelly Sundberg\u0026rsquo;s It Will Look Like a Sunset, turned the page and realised I had finally finished reading my copy of The Best American Essays for 2015. It - the niggle at the back of my mind constantly reminding me I was yet to complete any of the books I\u0026rsquo;d started this year - had begun to feel like a thing around my neck. The 13 book target for the year - measly as it were - is now about as achievable as skiing in Kaduna, I suspect.\nAs to reasons why this dire state of affairs developed, the usual excuses of work and busyness feature prominently, as does the desire to spend more face time with friends this year, and the time commitments it entails. As a result I have seen more movies in the first half of this year than in all the last two years combined (more burgers too but the less said about that the better). Laziness too has played a part, arguably the more significant of the lot.\nA few essays stood out from the 2015 collection; David Sedaris on becoming obsessed with his Fitbit, Roger Angell on living into his nineties, Justin Cronin on finding a form of faith following an accident his wife and daughter inexplicably survived and Rebecca Solnit on arriving. Perennial favourite Zadie Smith\u0026rsquo;s Find Your Beach also made the cut.\n\u0026ndash;\nI come from a faith tradition that believes that God \u0026lsquo;speaks\u0026rsquo; to us as individuals - sometimes audibly, sometimes in dreams, sometimes in circumstances. In my experience, whilst I cannot claim to have heard God audibly, there have certainly been instances in which following periods of prayer, certain decisions have come strongly to the fore of my mind, future events somehow confirming that those decisions where the right ones.\nOne of the things I was most sure I had \u0026lsquo;heard\u0026rsquo; God about this year had to do with the sense of an ending I talked about the last time I was properly here. That foreboded ending materialised out of the blue one morning in May, somehow being the end result of a conversation intended as a quick catch up.\nClarity around situationships are never unwelcome, particularly when the sequence of events which lead to them suggest that Someone out there was looking out for your interests. The disappointment of the anti-climax of the ending was somehow mitigated by reading in my devotional the next day about trusting God\u0026rsquo;s design in the detours- an apt and timely message if ever there was one. How that gets wound down is another one of the things around my neck - the nuclear, zero contact option has tended to be my preferred option historically, this time though I\u0026rsquo;m keen to not be seen as being a sore loser. I suspect that true to character I am overthinking this.\nMy friend E did provide some context the other day, her analysis of the situation delivered with far too much candour - and some glee I suspect - somehow being the kick up the backsides I needed to begin the process of mental decoupling. What bloke couldn\u0026rsquo;t use a hard-as-nails mother figure, eh?\n\u0026ndash;\nWhen you\u0026rsquo;re seven, becoming eight seems to take forever, particularly if turning eight is tied to something you have been promised, for which you wait in anticipation. When you are twenty-seven, the world is your oyster and all you feel is an overwhelming wave of confidence - you feel like you can take the world on and win. When you\u0026rsquo;re thirty seven though (I\u0026rsquo;m not, at least not yet), each birthday feels like another link added to a chain around your neck, particularly when progress towards certain expectations and objectives appears slow or non-existent. I am learning though to be thankful for each day, for the small mercies, the joys and the things I manage to achieve in spite of what has been an incredibly busy, difficult year. That lesson, learned the last time I was here still holds true. Can it be December already?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/07/05/of-things-around-my-neck/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"essay -book\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/essay-book.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was with a mixture perhaps of \u003cem\u003eJoy\u003c/em\u003e - \u003ca href=\"http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2013/01/10/joy/\"\u003eZadie Smith might disagree\u003c/a\u003e - and most certainly \u003cem\u003erelief\u003c/em\u003e that I read the final lines of Kelly Sundberg\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"https://www.guernicamag.com/features/it-will-look-like-a-sunset/\"\u003eIt Will Look Like a Sunset\u003c/a\u003e, turned the page and realised I had finally finished reading my copy of \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-American-Essays-2015/dp/0544569628\"\u003eThe Best American Essays for 2015\u003c/a\u003e. It - the niggle at the back of my mind constantly reminding me I was yet to complete any of the books I\u0026rsquo;d started this year - had begun to feel like a \u003cem\u003ething\u003c/em\u003e around my neck. The 13 book target for the year - measly as it were - is now about as achievable as skiing in Kaduna, I suspect.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Of Things Around My Neck"},{"content":"\nThey say the good is the enemy of the best or something to that effect. I am learning that this also applies to people. The worst kind of those has to be those who are happy to take one\u0026rsquo;s time without making any commitments in return. Over the last few days of reflection it has become apparent that I have a number of those (as well as being that sort of friend to some other people also).\nPerfect timing I guess, given it\u0026rsquo;s the end of the first half of the year already. :( Here\u0026rsquo;s to clean slates, and fresh beginnings..\n#Epiphany\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/06/30/spring-cleaning/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"spring-cleaning\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/75ffc-spring-cleaning.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey say the \u003ca href=\"http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/144262-the-enemy-of-the-best-is-the-good-if-you-re\"\u003egood is the enemy of the best\u003c/a\u003e or something to that effect. I am learning that this also applies to people. The worst kind of those has to be those who are happy to take one\u0026rsquo;s time without making any commitments in return. Over the last few days of reflection it has become apparent that I have a number of those (as well as being that sort of friend to some other people also).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Spring Cleaning.."},{"content":" When you see broken beyond repair I see healing beyond belief When you see too far gone I see one step away from home\n#Mended\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/06/29/matthew-west-mended/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"hahahugoshortcode742s0hbhb\"\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/NTHM1Jc7k48?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen you see broken beyond repair\nI see healing beyond belief\nWhen you see too far gone\nI see one step away from home\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Mended\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Matthew West - Mended"},{"content":" The quote above had only been posted to a Whatsapp group I\u0026rsquo;m part of for all of an hour before it set off a firestorm. The bone of contention was Anais Nin\u0026rsquo;s body of work, (probably rightly) deemed inappropriate for the context in which it was posted (it\u0026rsquo;s a group filled with the super spiritual folk I serve alongside on my church\u0026rsquo;s tech and media team).\nI made a spirited attempt at defending the value of her body of work - risque subject and bohemian lifestyle notwithstanding - a position which left me just short of getting my knuckles rapped. I started typing a lengthy response in the group but did the sensible thing and backed off, taking the time to ponder what I felt was a wider philosophical question: can an artist\u0026rsquo;s lifestyle be decoupled from their body of work? Or even certain elements of that body work?\nI think the answer has to be Yes. I\u0026rsquo;m a firm believer that one can learn from anything; good, bad or indifferent. This is perhaps never more obvious than in the context of words which can - and should be taken on their own merits, untainted by the trappings and baggage of their author. The test of the validity - and usefulness of words for learning - should be if they clarify any objective realities and are true in any sense of the word. Sometimes, the learning value can be unintended but the point has to be that by drawing a line and proscribing certain works because of their authors, we lose part of the vitality of a robust conversation. For what it\u0026rsquo;s worth the biblical Solomon lived as wanton a life as could be, one so enamoured of the female body that he warehoused a thousand of them but did manage to contribute two books to the bible, both which are replete with absolute gems which shine a light on human behaviour. His enduring quality has to be the cynicism and candor with which he reflected on life.\nLesson learned - to always consider the wider context and the audience before sharing stuff - I have lived to fight another day :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/06/28/of-creatives-and-their-work/","summary":"\u003ch2\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/f09b9-img_0010.png\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/f09b9-img_0010.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe quote above had only been posted to a Whatsapp group I\u0026rsquo;m part of for all of an hour before it set off a firestorm. The bone of contention was \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ana%C3%AFs_Nin\"\u003eAnais Nin\u0026rsquo;s body of work\u003c/a\u003e, (probably rightly) deemed inappropriate for the context in which it was posted (it\u0026rsquo;s a group filled with the super spiritual folk I serve alongside on my church\u0026rsquo;s tech and media team).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI made a spirited attempt at defending the value of her body of work - risque subject and bohemian lifestyle notwithstanding -  a position which left me just short of getting my knuckles rapped. I started typing a lengthy response in the group but did the \u003cem\u003esensible\u003c/em\u003e thing and backed off, taking the time to ponder what I felt was a wider philosophical question: can an artist\u0026rsquo;s lifestyle be decoupled from their body of work? Or even certain elements of that body work?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Of Creatives and Their Work"},{"content":" Brexit - full\n\u0026ndash; It\u0026rsquo;s official, we\u0026rsquo;re the leaving kind after all. Voting last Thursday concluded with a 52% majority that Great Britain\u0026rsquo;s future path lay outside the EU framework, ending a 43-year association. The easy conclusion - particularly given how much the result has been affected by voted cast south of the Solway-Tweed line - is that insular England has held the Union hostage, but I suspect things are far more nuanced than that.\nVoter turnout was high, over 30 million or 72% of eligible persons, indicative of how important the issues at stake were (framed largely by the cost of the EU, its ever increasing bureaucracy and control of borders). Much has also been made of how the vote to leave was favoured more by older folk than younger. The BBC as always has a fascinating breakdown of the numbers here.\nIn the immediate aftermath, David Cameron who campaigned vigorously for remaining announced he is to step down in October. The opposition Labour leader who also campaigned (some same less interestedly) for a remain option faces a renewed leadership challenge. Here in Scotland, the noises are all about a second independence vote being \u0026lsquo;highly likely\u0026rsquo;, a straw the SNP were always likely to clutch at in their quest to extract Scotland from the Union. The economic impact has been swift, the pound fell to a 30-year low before recovering somewhat, the FTSE 100 losing 8% before also recovering and Moody\u0026rsquo;s downgrading the UK\u0026rsquo;s credit rating to \u0026rsquo;negative\u0026rsquo; following the result.\nDe-tangling the legal, economic and political machinery of the United Kingdom from the EU is likely to require significant time and resources, given the significant integration with EU frameworks over the last 70 years. Formal separation still requires the UK to trigger the so-called Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty, a process which provides for a 2-year road map for negotiations.\nPrivate conversations with a number of friends leading up to the vote illustrated the difficulties. On the one hand the cost of the EU - the so-called new £350 million hospital every week - appealed to very many people, as did the opportunity to claw back control of laws and regulations which a section of the population felt drove the country increasingly towards a \u0026lsquo;god-less\u0026rsquo; future, a point made by the Telegraph\u0026rsquo;s Charles Moore here.\nMuch like the Scottish Independence referendum in 2014, the result highlights how deeply fractured the country is; Scotland vs England and Wales, the young vs the old, affluent urban London vs the rest of England - the contrasts go on and on. A number of leave voters appear to have voted in protest, in the belief that their single vote wouldn\u0026rsquo;t sway the overall outcome. To their surprise, our new reality is an advisory to government to initiate leaving the EU. It is by no means certain what happens next. By choosing to step down, David Cameron might just have had the last laugh - leaving the actual decision to act on the \u0026lsquo;mandate\u0026rsquo; to those who might benefit from blaming him. They - Boris Johnson, Theresa May, Michael Gove or whoever else inherits the seat - now have to deal with the legacy of whatever happens next and what that leads to in the long run ; if article 50 is triggered or not.\nThe wider context is what worries me a bit - the rise of far right, anti-immigrant parties across Europe (France, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands) and Trump\u0026rsquo;s ascent in America - perhaps speak to an under current of concern around borders, and the loss of a certain way of life which main stream politics has failed to address.\nAll told, there are days of critical importance ahead - I hope we haven\u0026rsquo;t handed our children a poisoned chalice.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/06/25/the-leaving-kind/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/a89f0-brexit-full.png\"\n         alt=\"Brexit - full\" width=\"676\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            \u003cp\u003eBrexit - full\u003c/p\u003e\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\nIt\u0026rsquo;s official, we\u0026rsquo;re the leaving kind \u003cem\u003eafter all\u003c/em\u003e. Voting last Thursday concluded with a 52% majority that Great Britain\u0026rsquo;s future path lay outside the EU framework, ending a 43-year association. The easy conclusion - particularly given  how much the result has been affected by voted cast south of the Solway-Tweed line - is that insular England has held the Union hostage, but I suspect things are far more nuanced than that.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Leaving Kind..."},{"content":"Last year, I went to a different church for Father’s Day, keen to avoid the big song and dance that usually ensues on the day at my regular one. Being a very single thirty-six year old bloke — a few months shy of turning thirty-seven — does put celebrations of fatherhood in perspective, the realisation being that that phase of life is at least eighteen months away for me.\nI suppose rather than bemoan my fate, I can ask myself the difficult questions, trying to wrap my head around why I am still a single bloke. To be honest, the year of being thirty-five was the one in which I most seriously began to think and see myself as a father. Still though, a couple of liaisons down the road, the sense is very much one of getting to the party a tad late.\nFor what it’s worth, last year’s Father’s Day did introduce me to Chris Tomlin’s song Good Good Father…\nhttps://youtu.be/CqybaIesbuA\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/06/19/father-s-day-blues/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLast year, I went to a different church for Father’s Day, keen to avoid the big song and dance that usually ensues on the day at my regular one. Being a \u003cem\u003every single\u003c/em\u003e thirty-six year old bloke — a few months shy of turning thirty-seven — does put celebrations of fatherhood in perspective, the realisation being that that phase of life is at least eighteen months away for me.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI suppose rather than bemoan my fate, I can ask myself the difficult questions, trying to wrap my head around why I am still a single bloke. To be honest, the year of being thirty-five was the one in which I most seriously began to think and see myself as a father. Still though, a couple of liaisons down the road, the sense is very much one of getting to the party a tad late.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Father's Day Blues..."},{"content":"\nImage Source\nTwo weeks ago on a whim, I decided I would book a short trip away from the ‘Deen, to London. The plan was simple — fly out on Friday night after work, catch up with a few friends, particularly S, and then head back on Sunday night, with no one the wiser at work. At such short notice, British Airways to Heathrow was a non-starter, as was Flybe to London City. This left EasyJet to Luton or Gatwick as the only viable options. In the end, I settled for Luton, the weekend of the 10th of June being the best fit with friends and family. On the day, having packed my go to travel bag and done work, I hopped on to the 727 from the bus station next to work, arriving just past 6.00pm for what was meant to be a 7.35pm flight.\nThe first sign of trouble was the continued absence of a boarding gate on the departures display against my flight. The details blur in my mind but I suspect it wasn’t until after 8.00pm that a gate was displayed- gate 1. Between then and 9.30pm when I left the airport, we managed to get in line for boarding before being stood down and then get asked to return to the front desk for further information. A ‘recovery’ flight was announced, departing at 9.00am the next morning- key because anything later than noon would have made the trip no longer worthwhile for me.\nFortunately or unfortunately, the flight the next day was also delayed, eventually leaving at 10.46am. S, thankfully, had re-jigged her plans to accommodate the delays, otherwise I might have been in a spot of bother.\n\u0026ndash;\nThe mood overall wasn’t particularly great, a couple of people seemed to have been affected multiple times in the recent past by similar events as these\nOnce in London, I briefly flirted with the idea of booking a quick return via BA. I however convinced myself that the bother with the inbound flight was a one off. Surely thunder couldn’t strike twice. My faith would prove misplaced, in even more spectacular fashion than the in bound flight.\nArriving at the airport just before 6.30pm, I managed to get through security in six or so minutes, not shabby given how things have panned out differently in the past. A long wait ensued, punctuated with a call to proceed to Gate 10 at about 9.30pm. Whilst waiting at Gate 10, it turned out the air craft we were meant to fly on had arrived but not one of the ground staff seemed to know its whereabouts. A further call to go to Gate 2 raised hopes briefly, before we were stood down at about 10.20pm with reports of the flight being cancelled and a request to return to the front desk.\nAll outward EasyJet flights from Luton were cancelled that night — Aberdeen, Belfast, Berlin and Glasgow all getting the chop. That led predictably to bedlam, worsened by the lack of relevant information flowing. There must have been 300+ people thronging the EasyJet customer service desk at departures, waiting to be advised of new flight details and hotel accommodation (in the end the advise was to book one off the mobile app and keep the receipts to be reimbursed afterwards). Amongst the mix, I spotted a number of fellow travellers on the cancelled and then recovered in bound flight from Aberdeen.\nAll told, it took me till 1.20am to get my cancelled flight rescheduled to a Glasgow one (as there was no Aberdeen flight till Tuesday) and a hotel sorted.\nPredictably, the flight the next morning was also delayed; from 10.55am to 12.15am which meant I had to miss work as well as hop on a bus at 2.10pm, only arriving in Aberdeen at 5.00pm; almost 24 hours after I should have.\n\u0026ndash;\nI suppose EasyJet and Luton airport cannot legislate for the impact of acts beyond their control. It turned out the Aberdeen to Luton flight was delayed due to a damaged nose tire which needed replacing, whilst the Luton to Aberdeen leg was cancelled due to the knock on effect of Gatwick flights being diverted to Luton following runway closures.\nA few things could have been handled much better to ease the impact on stranded and confused travellers such as me and avoid the comedy of errors which ensued:\nBetter Communication: One of the more frustrating elements of the ordeal was the near total black out on information on what was happening. Getting information to passengers earlier might have allowed me make alternative travel arrangements, or at least reassured me that everything was in hand. Trying to make inferences from the mobile app was hardly the most efficient way of trying to keep us informed. Better planning: That one of the reasons for delays on both legs of the trip had to do with crews going over their hours is surely unacceptable. I would imagine it is someone’s jobs to track crew hours, and having realised that hours would be exceeded by the delays, a decision to cancel the flights should have been taken earlier than after almost four hours. Enhanced mobile app capabilities: The mobile app, good as it is, fell apart significantly for me, when I tried to get on to a Glasgow or Inverness flight. All the app allowed me do — once the cancellation had been updated — was attempt to book another Aberdeen flight. Tuesday was most certainly not an option, which was how I ended up in Glasgow. Locked down amenities: On the best of days, Luton is not the greatest airport for a long wait — seating being at a premium, and the wi-fi being restricted to a free 30 minute access. Perhaps more could have been done to grant extended access to us stranded folk, particularly as the instruction was to get on the mobile app and get accommodation booked. \u0026ndash;\nPerhaps these are the compromises we make when we go for no frills, budget flights, ones in which the schedules and timelines are so finely tuned that all it takes is one anomaly to unravel everything. On the basis of this weekend’s debacle and what is bound to be a slew of demands for compensation from EasyJet, it seems to me that their scheduling model projects a false economy. It is also a false economy for me too as a traveller; missing a day of work, the stress and strain I went through to sort out the journey and get home surely have costs, monetary or not.\nIt is difficult to think of any scenarios in which I’ll fly EasyJet again, or through Luton for that matter. I just like the certainty of knowing I’ll arrive on time, given my usually tight schedules.\n\u0026ndash;\nIt wasn’t all doom and gloom. S was an absolute delight to hang out with as always; her sharp, sarcastic tongue, allied to her controlled excitement the highlight of what would have been an otherwise ruined weekend.\nSomething about shared adversity sometimes brings out the best in us. Watching people rally around each to help with crying, antsy babies, managing to have civil conversations and staying in line for the main part gave me renewed faith in humanity.\nPoliticians and the weather get people talking in good old Blighty. Waiting in line on Monday morning whilst the shenanigans around my Glasgow flight unfolded, I ended up in conversation with a gentleman on his way back home. His distaste for the SNP and their particular brand of lip service and blame shifting resonated with me as did his views on the Brexit referendum. I still haven’t made up my mind on that one. Not much time left on that one.\nCredit too must go to the staff who manned the customer care desk at Luton into the small hours of the morning, until we stranded customers had gotten rearranged flights.\n\u0026ndash;\nAs my bus made the final approach into the bus station, my relief at finally making it home was unquantifiable. Never did the sight of Union Square feel so welcome to me as it did that Monday.\nE may be for E asyJet, in this case it definitely stands for error-strewn and perhaps excruciating..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/06/16/a-comedy-of-errors/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"esayjet\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/4707e-esayjet.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.airbus.com/presscentre/pressreleases/press-release-detail/detail/easyjet-takes-delivery-of-its-250th-airbus-aircraft/\"\u003eImage Source\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo weeks ago on a whim, I decided I would book a short trip away from the ‘Deen, to London. The plan was simple — fly out on Friday night after work, catch up with a few friends, particularly S, and then head back on Sunday night, with no one the wiser at work. At such short notice, British Airways to Heathrow was a non-starter, as was Flybe to London City. This left EasyJet to Luton or Gatwick as the only viable options. In the end, I settled for Luton, the weekend of the 10th of June being the best fit with friends and family. On the day, having packed my go to travel bag and done work, I hopped on to the 727 from the bus station next to work, arriving just past 6.00pm for what was meant to be a 7.35pm flight.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Comedy of Errors"},{"content":" ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/06/05/remember/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/jnL76KQ6Y4A?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e","title":"Remember..."},{"content":"Image Source\nThe conversation - when it happened - happened on a whim; as unplanned as could have been. The intent - to set up a face to face meeting later in the week - quickly snowballed into a full-on conversation about the direction the whole L thing was headed. As it turned out, it was headed nowhere.\nIt, the culmination of months of chasing, was about as anti-climactic as could be, worsened perhaps by how sure I thought I was that this was it. A lot of things sucked about it - not least the fact that the reasons offered; the uncertainty around work and the pressure from family all felt like convenient cop-outs. That my interest, made known clearly and consistently over the past few months ultimately counted for nothing felt like a slap in my face. The alternative too felt inferior. True he was probably a lot more heeled than I was, but there was baggage which I didn\u0026rsquo;t have which - given the seriousness with which L had seemed to chase this - should have counted for a lot more than it.\nWhen I spoke to folk about it, the overwhelming consensus was that it was not meant to be. E went so far as insinuating that I had perhaps overreached myself on this one, her apple and tree analogy a particularly galling one. O, who has been party to fallouts from far more of these things than I am willing to admit, felt it was a good outcome of sorts; particularly as it saved me from investing far more time and energy into a black hole than I had already. They had the luxury of emotional distance in critically assessing the situation. I, on the other hand, was far too invested to take the black and white approach this required. It was only upon further reflection that the truth of the rejection began to sink in. That, however, did little to ease the pain.\nGiven how regularly I seem to return to this place, it is a wonder I still haven\u0026rsquo;t managed to suss out how to deal with pain and rejection. For the most part, the sense of hollowness in the first few days is the most difficult to deal with, the conundrum being whether to allow time work its magic or to hop back on the chasing/loving gravy train. Both options have their merits - time and healing being critical to ensuring the memories of the rejector are well and truly removed and one is in a place to commit wholly again. On the other hand, getting out there exponentially reduces the time involved in forgetting and mitigating the pain and sadness.\nWith Grace, one of the more compelling essays I read in 2015, followed the author\u0026rsquo;s attempt to get a much desired editing gig at a well known company which ended in rejection. In the essay she explores the pain of rejection, the vulnerability inherent in deeply wanting something yet fail to get it and her subsequent attempts at dealing with the pain. Somewhere in her essay she perhaps hits on the best response to dealing with rejection: you take your rejection, you make it public and you turn it into a catalyst for doing what you are rejected at, better. The key is not to do it for the one who has rejected us, but for ourselves, because we love doing it.\nThis is as yet still too raw to process fully but I’d like to promise myself to take this rejection, the pain and the distress, and use it as a catalyst to become a better me in every one of my life dimensions — Spiritual, Physical and Health, Financial, Career, Personal Development, People and Social and my Causes — to become so good at being me that I can no longer be ignored. Here’s to hoping I get there, soon-ish.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/05/27/on-rejection/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"woman-with-hand-up-1024x683\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/woman-with-hand-up-1024x683-1.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eImage \u003ca href=\"https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/how-to-overcome-fear-of-rejection-1222144\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe conversation  - when it happened - happened on a whim; as unplanned as could have been. The intent  - to set up a face to face meeting later in the week  - quickly snowballed into a full-on conversation about the direction the \u003ca href=\"/tag/the-l-files/\"\u003ewhole L thing\u003c/a\u003e was headed. As it turned out, it was headed nowhere.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt, the culmination of \u003ca href=\"archive.rustgeek.me/tag/the-l-files/\"\u003emonths of chasing\u003c/a\u003e, was about as anti-climactic as could be, worsened perhaps by how sure I thought I was that this was it. A lot of things sucked about it - not least the fact that the reasons offered; the uncertainty around work and the pressure from family all felt like convenient cop-outs. That my interest, made known clearly and consistently over the past few months ultimately counted for nothing felt like a slap in my face. The alternative too felt inferior. True he was probably a lot more heeled than I was, but there was baggage which I didn\u0026rsquo;t have which - given the seriousness with which L had seemed to chase this - should have counted for a lot more than it.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Rejection"},{"content":"From today\u0026rsquo;s John Piper Devo:\nHave you ever wondered what God is doing while you are looking in the wrong place for something you lost and needed very badly? He knows exactly where it is, and he is letting you look in the wrong place\u0026hellip;.\nAnd your agonizing, unplanned detour is not a waste — not if you look to the Lord for his unexpected work, and do what you must do in his name (Colossians 3:17). The Lord works for those who wait for him (Isaiah 64:4).\nComforting, particularly given how the last few days have felt like I am back here again.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/05/25/trusting-gods-design-in-detours/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFrom today\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://solidjoys.desiringgod.org/en/devotionals/god-s-design-in-detours\"\u003eJohn Piper Devo\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHave you ever wondered what God is doing while you are looking in the wrong place for something you lost and needed very badly? He knows exactly where it is, and he is letting you look in the wrong place\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd your agonizing, unplanned detour is not a waste — not if you look to the Lord for his unexpected work, and do what you must do in his name (Colossians 3:17). The Lord works for those who wait for him (Isaiah 64:4).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"(Trusting) God's Design In Detours"},{"content":"Source\n\u0026ndash; A year ago if you had asked me if I thought I was a patient person, my unequivocal answer - given without so much as a batted eyelid - would have been that I thought I was; somewhere between 9 and 9.5 on a scale of 1 to 10 if you had pressed me to quantify. The reality, grudgingly accepted after much soul searching a few weeks ago, is that I am not; a realisation that has left me second guessing the validity of all the other assumptions about myself I carry. The first seeds of doubt to assail my iron clad convictions were sown by an offhand comment by my friend M, the context being a decision she needed to make. As far as I was concerned, it was an open and shut case; she needed to put the poor sod she was stringing along - in my opinion - out of his misery. To her it was a lot more nuanced than that, for which I got the quip about being impatient (and unfeeling).\nMy initial response was to shrug it all off as an offhand comment, one borne out of her unwillingness to confront the facts. As with all well aimed, off hand comments smart women make, what I hadn\u0026rsquo;t bargained for was its lingering effect, and that I would be so riled by it. The longer it simmered, the less certain of my convictions I became, until the penny dropped one April afternoon whilst strolling along the banks of the river Dee, recognition aided perhaps by how the quickly changing weather mirrored the state of my thoughts.\n\u0026ndash; Intrinsic to the question of patience is a recognition of the inevitability of delays; hold ups on the path to the attainment of desired objectives. With them, the one who desires is held in a state of anticipation and expectation until such a time as the passage of time, or the progression of other activities, allows for the attainment of the desired, or indeed makes its achievement no longer feasible. Mired in the never-land between desiring and attaining, such a person is forced to manage the passage of time as they best can, existing in a state of activity somewhere between complete passivity and all out, gung-ho action.\nIntuitively, it seems to me that delays - and hence our response to them - exist on a continuum. That much is clear even from a cursory look at one\u0026rsquo;s life: the wait to satiate a peri-peri chicken craving from 1am is a few hours; that for an answer back from the girl of one\u0026rsquo;s dreams could be anything from weeks to multiple years. That is perhaps why in seeking to understand the range of patience states that I exist in, time (as measured by the length of the delay) jumps out at me as one of the key inputs. Two other factors come to mind as important too - the visibility of the desired outcome ( clarity) and the (perceived) certainty of that outcome. Taken together, these defined the basic framework for a patience domain, which defined the inputs to my patience states. As an example, for the work situation from 2015, the desired outcome was clear (clarity around my role going forward through to the end of 2015 at least), the certainty of the outcome was low, and the time element was undefined which contributed to a high degree of anxiety/ impatience.\nBut nothing is ever that simple. I find that there are a slew of other less obvious, even counter-intuitive factors that affect the balance for me; how much control over the outcome I have - and the attendant vulnerability - is one, as are my perception of the availability of equally desirable options, how much risk there is of rejection and how deeply desired the outcome is. The time sensitivity of the desired outcome, as measured by inward and outward expectations of timeliness was also an input I found that drove me towards impatience. What surprised me most out of all of this was the interplay between certainty and clarity. A high degree of clarity coupled with a low amount of certainty drove me towards impatience, the lack of progress towards the certain outcome prompting a desire to rationalise my investment of time and energy towards more efficient use. This all confirmed to a large extent that like my friend M, I did not exist in a binary, patient/ impatient state but rather occupied an envelop of fluid duality, influenced by all these factors and more.\n--- The assumption behind all this is that patience is a good thing; that is not necessarily something us Gen Y-ers accept as fact. The general consensus seems to be that we are an ambitious but impatient lot. That we\u0026rsquo;re connected and on the go all the time doesn\u0026rsquo;t help with the stereotype either, nor does the rise of apps likeTinder.\nThat, the goodness or otherwise of patience, may be a moot point in any case, as even too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. The million dollar question then must be where the patience sweet spot lies; where the balance between giving a desired goal time, attention and dedication, and accepting it is a lost cause and reallocating the effort elsewhere is. Too much patience, and one can run the risk of been seen as grovelling, or n the worst case applying too much pressure. Too little and one can very quickly be cast in the image of the Gen Y stereotype, impatient and having a short attention span.\n\u0026ndash; The L thing comes to a head sometime in the middle of all this. In a different time and space, I would have cut my losses long ago, choosing to invest my time and energy in more certain ventures. But something about this one, and the season of reflection holds me back, leaving me pondering what-ifs and maybe-ifs in endless loops.\nWhere this will end is still unclear, but what is incontrovertible is that I do not do uncertain very well. It gnaws at my insides, makes my gut rumble and leaves me counting innumerable sheep at night. I ache in every imaginable space, I am irritable, self doubt hangs around me like a cloud with heartache in its wake. I tell myself I have had enough but find myself returning again and again in hope, or delusion. Surely there must be a easier way, but then without hope we have nothing, or do we?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/05/20/a-question-of-patience-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"VultureCartoon-new\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/d1e53-vulturecartoon-new.jpg\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://aaronallen.com/blog/impatience-is-a-virtue\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\nA year ago if you had asked me if I thought I was a patient person, my unequivocal answer - given without so much as a batted eyelid - would have been that I thought I was; somewhere between 9 and 9.5 on a scale of 1 to 10 if you had pressed me to quantify. The reality, grudgingly accepted after much soul searching a few weeks ago, is that I am not; a realisation that has left me second guessing the validity of all the other assumptions about myself I carry. The first seeds of doubt to assail my iron clad convictions were sown by an offhand comment by my friend M, the context being a decision she needed to make. As far as I was concerned, it was an open and shut case; she needed to put the poor sod she was stringing along - in my opinion - out of his misery. To her it was a lot more nuanced than that, for which I got the quip about being impatient (and unfeeling).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Question of Patience"},{"content":" When you\u0026rsquo;re dull from all that glitters, when your thoughts have a hollow ring, when you can\u0026rsquo;t escape from the fact you are getting it wrong\u0026hellip;\nWhere You Belong/ Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus - Newsboys [Spotify]\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/05/16/where-you-belong-newboys/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"hahahugoshortcode1425s0hbhb\"\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/MbVn7PjakJI?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen you\u0026rsquo;re dull from all that glitters,\nwhen your thoughts have a hollow ring,\nwhen you can\u0026rsquo;t escape from the fact you are getting it wrong\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://play.spotify.com/track/7Lr9EUMdRFsmWUbJ2fqwEo\"\u003eWhere You Belong/ Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus\u003c/a\u003e - Newsboys [Spotify]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#OnRepeat: Where You Belong - Newboys"},{"content":"\nThe somewhat impromptu trip to Lagos was designed around three main objectives; making an appearance at a (self-proclaimed) protege\u0026rsquo;s wedding, dinner with the Lagos based elements of my old work crew and appeasing my father, who as early as New Year\u0026rsquo;s Day had begun to sound his dissatisfaction at my conspiring to avoid making what used to be an annual trip to Nigeria last year. For the wedding, the plan was to arrive at 10.00 am, 9.00 am invitation notwithstanding. That decision was one I rationalised away by assuming that as with all things Nigerian, a certain element of tardiness was expected. By the time I arrived at 10.30 am - sweating profusely following my ill thought out attempt to walk till I found a yellow cab - I was as undressed as I could be, my tie slackened to let what precious little fresh air there was get to my skin and my suit dispensed with. That meant I had to find somewhere to cool off for a few extra minutes and get my outfit put together again before popping into the venue. In the end I had to settle for the wing mirror on a parked car, studiously avoiding the gaze of the soldiers sat on the bench only a few feet away. Once in the building proper, I managed to find a seat next to a rotating fan to ease my pain.\nThe ceremony was in full flow by then, the sight in front of me a mix of colours aplenty; of which green and white stood out being the colours worn by the family and selected guests. The signing of the marriage register and the thanksgiving shuffle by the bride, groom and friends followed in quick order, for which I had to overcome my long standing aversion to dancing. The upside was I managed to catch a good glimpse of my friend, all glammed up for her big day, as well as shake their hands as we passed them once we had divested ourselves of our tokens of appreciation. Being doused in holy water was an unexpected bonus of sorts.\nPicture taking and then the reception soon followed, the highlights of which were the food, the long speeches and dancing, elevated to the heights of an extreme sport. Part of me wonders if there isn’t a sense of competition between in-laws at these shin-digs; both sides of the marrying families being keen to not be outdone by the number and quality of guests invited, as indicated by the number of suffixes they carry. The MC was perhaps the singular blot in my opinion, choosing to walk a tight rope more than a few times with his joking. A chance conversation with someone I had not seen in ages highlighted the fact that I could pay for Uber rides with cash which considerably eased my movements thereafter.\nMy time at the wedding over, the next pit stop was the Ice Cream factory. I was there to meet my friend D and his wife whose acquaintance I was yet to make. I ended up waiting for over two hours before they showed up – poetic justice I suppose given my decision making around the wedding. His Mrs was his excuse - having dragged him to a wedding in a different part of town she had insisted on divesting herself of her wedding clothes before heading out to our meet up. For my pain whilst waiting, I dug into some cheese cake, appropriately sized for killing time. Across from me, a gentleman typed away on his MacBook, dipping into a tub of ice cream now again. By the time D and Mrs arrived, they were dressed very comfortably in Saturday evening, heat-appropriate wear whilst I still had my suit and tie from the wedding. A third friend F joined us eventually, making for a four strong group with a lot of catching up to do. In a tongue in cheek way, my friend D moaned about just how little a life he has had since he got married in 2014 – being driver, cleaner, occasional cook and two or three time punch bag. We both laughed knowingly; truth is he is a much better person than he used to be - more focused, no longer scrawny and generally happier, Lagos traffic issues notwithstanding. Somehow we managed to fit a conversation about loss, lostness, identity and the travails of living Lagos in the two hours and some we spent catching up.\n\u0026ndash;\nA quick catch up with my friend A with whom my paths crossed for the grand total of five hours – a logistical nightmare on any day – was quickly followed by a dash across town to the airport for my flight to Benin the next day. The final leg of the journey was made a whole lot easier by a ride from the brother in-law, the added benefit being the opportunity to reacquaint myself with niece number 3. For all the stories her mother relates of how she continually sings my name, our reconnection was muted. I suppose we can blame her being sleepy for that, not my sloppy uncle skills.\nEkpoma – home – this city of red earth baked hard by the relentless beating of the sun which I have come back to time and again since I first left for good as a seventeen year old in the late nineties was the same as I remembered it. By the time I arrived, it had already been three days since the national grid last supplied power to the area my folk live in. Fairly typical, with a chuckle, is how my cousin relates their ongoing ordeal with NEPA – or whatever the disco in the area is. To ease my arrival, we had the generator run for a few hours to charge up phones, laptops and get the fans whirling and moving air for a bit. The days when I was waited on hand and foot out here are sadly long gone, the joys of a cold shower – the first time since I had one here – did help me get to sleep.\n---\nThe next few days passed in a blur - eating, sleeping and catching up with family the subject of my days. The third day was spent getting to see nieces #1 and 2. The day itself, as unremarkable and indistinguishable from the rest of them in being boiling hot and powerless was greatly improved by all the playing I managed to get in with the nieces. The Peppa pig books I managed to travel with helped a sight, as did being able to google up how to make paper planes and origami houses. The day enjoyable as it was had a bitter sweet after taste to it. For all the fun and games we got up to, it was only a few hours long. Doting Uncle or not, I am missing the opportunity to be a big part of their lives. Hopefully the iPhone their mother managed to blackmail me into giving her will mitigate that. The other days were more of a pain, filled with difficult conversations skirted around, and visits to old friends of the family to keep up appearances. Not the most exciting stuff, but I suspect getting to see my nieces more than made up for that.\nThere was time to get back to Lagos, catch up with old friends, make a pit stop at chicken republic and tuck into some cake and ice cream at Hans and Rene - before I had to pack it all in and head to the airport to catch my flight back. All told, it was a largely enjoyable trip, one that put into perspective all the things I miss about Nigeria - family and friends mainly. Whether that lure is strong enough to save this lost son, only time will tell.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/05/10/weddings-cheesecake-and-the-city-of-red-earth/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/a52be-05-wedding.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"05 Wedding\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/a52be-05-wedding.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe somewhat impromptu \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/04/26/on-lagos/\"\u003etrip to Lagos\u003c/a\u003e was designed around three main objectives; making an appearance at a (self-proclaimed) protege\u0026rsquo;s wedding, dinner with the Lagos based elements of my old work crew and appeasing my father, who as early as New Year\u0026rsquo;s Day had begun to sound his dissatisfaction at my conspiring to avoid making what used to be an annual trip to Nigeria last year. For the wedding, the plan was to arrive at 10.00 am, 9.00 am invitation notwithstanding. That decision was one I rationalised away by assuming that as with all things Nigerian, a certain element of tardiness was expected. By the time I arrived at 10.30 am - sweating profusely following my ill thought out attempt to walk till I found a yellow cab - I was as undressed as I could be, my tie slackened to let what precious little fresh air there was get to my skin and my suit dispensed with. That meant I had to find somewhere to cool off for a few extra minutes and get my outfit put together again before popping into the venue. In the end I had to settle for the wing mirror on a parked car, \u003cem\u003estudiously\u003c/em\u003e avoiding the gaze of the soldiers sat on the bench only a few feet away. Once in the building proper, I managed to find a seat next to a rotating fan to ease my pain.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Of Weddings, Cheesecake and Paper Planes"},{"content":"\nThat my relationship with Nigeria is somewhere between strained and non-existent is something I have made no bones about time and time again. That sense of lostness rather than easing with time has only become stronger, the key events in my life over the last few years - Newcastle, the bookend to a horrendous year of work and the somewhat forced decision to not return to the bedlam and then H - all chipping away at what bonds are left, leaving them increasingly tenuous.\nH\u0026rsquo;s passing cast a long pall over the last time I was here, so much so that by the time it was all done and dusted the sense was very much one of reeling and sinking, waiting for rock bottom to hit. The hope, as perverse as it might sound, was that hitting rock bottom would be the jolt to initiate a search for a new normal. There is the sense that a new normal of sorts has taken shape, somehow emerging without much intentionality on my part from the bits and bobs of life and duty that I have had to deal with. A significant part of that new normal for me has been very much work focused, part of why it has taken this long to plan a return here; the opportunity to take a week off work only presenting itself now that I have managed to shift perhaps my biggest work deliverable on to its next phase. The objectives for this trip are a lot happier than the last time - a wedding in Lagos (someone I claim somewhat loosely as a protégé) has thrown up the intriguing prospect that I might run into people I haven\u0026rsquo;t seen in far longer than I care to admit. There is also the opportunity to catch up with very special work mates whom I haven\u0026rsquo;t seen since 2011 and the niece I\u0026rsquo;ve never seen, #4, who is all of seven months old.\nEveryone I tell I am going to Lagos has a cautionary tale for me bar L (whose opinion I suspect lacks any real objectivity). Mrs O, the latest in a long line of naysayers, regales me with tales of long queues for petrol, the near absence of power and the heat. She should know first hand as she has just come back from a 17-day sojourn. At work, G jokes that he’d be glad to be rid of me forever if I get kidnapped. We laugh it off at banter but when in speaking to my sister she mentions in passing the kidnap of yet another not so well off, but publicly visible person, in the area I grew up in, I wonder if it is indeed the right thing to be doing. In the end my self belief in my ability to blend in wins - I am sure I haven’t changed so much as to stand out like a sore thumb. That my pidgin English still remains impeccable and I intend to turn up in jeans and a very crumpled t-shirt all add additional layers of comfort around my decision.\n- - -\nIn keeping with the desire to minimise the disruption this trip brings to my new normal, my entire strategy has been based around flying with only carry-on luggage. That informs every decision I make; from buying a new cabin sized travel bag, to restricting my gift buying to 10 Peppa pig books for my nieces, and the plan to turn up at the wedding in jeans and a blazer. When I tell C the latter, she considers it the latest in a long line of fashion faux pas. I ask the twitterverse for a second opinion, but quickly give up on that as the consensus that is reached only confirms the need for a proper suit. That is how I end up getting fitted for a suit at 5.30 pm the day before I am due to fly.\nBetween arriving and leaving over £210 lighter, I get to hear of the sales assistant\u0026rsquo;s Nigerian connection – grandparents who ran a franchise of saw mills in Sapele, and a dad who spent time between the ages of 7 and 18 in Nigeria. We swap stories about the great home brewed liquids and reminisce about just how different Sapele is today from the one his father knew as I run my card through the card reader and pay. So completely taken in by everything am I that it is only when I get home I realise that this jeopardises my 2 bag carry on allowance. I spend the bulk of the evening googling furiously, ending up watching YouTube videos which purport to show us how to pack a suit in carry-on suitcase without ruining it. In the end I decide to take my chances.\n- - -\nI toy with the thought of calling a taxi for a 5.00 am pickup given my flight out of Aberdeen is at 6.45 am. In the end my inner gambler miser drives the decision to take my chances with the 727 from Broad Street. The next morning my alarm goes off at 4.00 am, by which time I have already been up for half an hour. That is not enough to prevent me from missing the 4.30 am bus. By the time the next one comes around at 5.05 am, I am biting my nails and kicking myself for gambling. In the end I manage to make it through security by 5.45 am, aided by the fact that I do not have any luggage to check in.\nSafely through, I chase down a flapjack and a coffee to wake myself up properly. I am in the middle of that when a woman approaches me to share the seat at the corner of the airport I am plopped in. I suspect she has chosen to come my way because I happen to be the only visible black face in the not-quite-filled airport at that time. I nod a greeting whilst trying to swallow as she sits down, hands folded in her lap, bags in front of her. When she senses I am able to talk – flapjack downed – she asks if I am headed to London. When I reply in the affirmative, I sense that she is relieved, more so when she finds out I am going all the way to Lagos. We end up being travel companions through to Heathrow and until we board the Lagos flight. Her enthusiasm for the trip is palpable - in the various conversations we have she lets on that it has been her first time in the \u0026lsquo;Deen, helping her daughter out with her new born baby for all of 5 months. Her memories of Aberdeen this time are the cold and the boredom. Her expectations for Lagos and what lies beyond that for her contrast with mine - she is very much looking forward to reconnecting with the family members she left five months ago, I am largely ambivalent.\nWhilst boarding, I pick up a Glaswegian accent from one of the cabin crew. I ask him is he’s Scottish, to which he beams widely, replying in the affirmative. I let on that I have travelled on from Aberdeen and share a quick joke about how both Glasgow football clubs - Rangers and Celtic are a bit long in the tooth. Another member of the cabin crew – as prim, proper and English as could be – hears us yakking on about Celtic and Aberdeen and jokingly retorts that the Scottish are taking over. Great banter which sets us up very nicely for the rest of the flight.\nThe only blot on that is I end up sat next to a very vocal Arsenal fan, with the scarf from the 2015 FA Cup Final around his neck. Like most Arsenal fans I know, he is all talk and bluster, somehow managing to ignore the fact that I have my headphones plugged in and have my phone in hand trying to select a playlist - a painful reminder of what lies ahead I suspect. Thankfully, the fellow in the seat behind us - and the Glaswegian - are more than happy to talk football with him; that I suspect is part of what makes the trip that bit more bearable for me.\n- - -\nNo amount of mental bracing ever quite prepares one for the shock with which the humidity and heat hit. That, and the almost sudden metamorphosis of a regular, fairly well controlled crowd into a seething mass of jostling, aggressive personalities, is all the proof one needs that this is indeed Nigeria. To be fair, my walk through Immigration is a comparative doodle next to what I remember from the last time; but then memory is notoriously fickle, particularly mine. Perhaps the much mooted change is beginning to trickle down after all.\nOnce through immigration, my first order of business is to grab and register a SIM card to allow me get in touch with the contact I\u0026rsquo;ve been given to pick up keys to the apartment I\u0026rsquo;ll be staying in. My peculiarly spelt surname - thanks to my grand father it contains a \u0026lsquo;Y\u0026rsquo; and has made people guess my nationality as Polish, Czech and Cameroonian until they meet my very Nigerian self. I field a few questions - Mother\u0026rsquo;s maiden name, house address amongst others - and leave with a registered, functional SIM card for the journey that lies ahead.\nAway from the airport, over 30 minutes of walking pace, bumper to bumper traffic ensures it is 8.30 pm before I pick up keys and can then begin to breathe a little easier. The only thing on my mind - when all that has been sorted - is a cold shower and food. By the end of the day, two things are clear in my head: the next week is going to be a long, hard slog and this thing, this love-hate relationship with Nigeria is one that will not go away anytime soon - tenuous bonds or not. Thankfully gala, real meat pie, pepper soup and suya are proven coping mechanisms; I am beginning to relish this.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/04/26/on-lagos/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/3e69a-01-nigeria-1.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"01 Nigeria 1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/3e69a-01-nigeria-1.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat my relationship with Nigeria is somewhere between \u003cem\u003estrained\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003enon-existent\u003c/em\u003e is something I have made \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/10/01/the-life-of-a-lost-son/\"\u003eno bones about\u003c/a\u003e time and time again. That \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/lostness/\"\u003esense of \u003cem\u003elostness\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e rather than easing with time has only become stronger, the key events in my life over the last few years - \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/05/06/on-lostness/\"\u003eNewcastle\u003c/a\u003e, the bookend to a horrendous year of work and the somewhat forced \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/07/10/the-hot-seat/\"\u003edecision to not return\u003c/a\u003e to the bedlam and \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/08/13/the-way-the-world-ends-on-loss-and-lostness/\"\u003ethen H\u003c/a\u003e - all chipping away at what bonds are left, leaving them increasingly tenuous.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Lagos"},{"content":"From this Louie Giglio message which I find myself returning to over and over again.\n\u0026hellip; You make the best jeans that can possibly be made. You don\u0026rsquo;t do any half hearted jeans. You don\u0026rsquo;t do any we\u0026rsquo;re-Christians-and-we-do-a-lot-of-stuff-half-hearted-jeans. You go make the most excellent jeans that you personally can muster, asking God to inspire this passion, inspire this vision, to awaken in you by the life of Jesus Christ amazing creativity. You work hard, you are diligent. If you are in fashion school you are in class; you\u0026rsquo;re paying attention, you\u0026rsquo;re absorbing. In your internship you\u0026rsquo;re humble not proud, you\u0026rsquo;re learning, not teaching, you\u0026rsquo;re absorbing everything you can. You\u0026rsquo;re serving in every way you can, taking every opportunity to get trained; to hone your skill, to develop your passion to get more experience so that you can do the very, very very best thing possible when you make your jeans.\n#LifeGoals #WrapUp #100DaysOfBeing\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/04/11/100-how-do-you-make-jeans-in-jesus-name/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFrom \u003ca href=\"/2016/04/03/92-passion-purpose-and-designer-jeans/\"\u003ethis Louie Giglio message\u003c/a\u003e which I find myself returning to over and over again.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026hellip; You make the best jeans that can possibly be made. You don\u0026rsquo;t do any half hearted jeans. You don\u0026rsquo;t do any we\u0026rsquo;re-Christians-and-we-do-a-lot-of-stuff-half-hearted-jeans.  You go make the most excellent jeans that you personally can muster, asking God to inspire this passion, inspire this vision, to awaken in you by the life of Jesus Christ amazing creativity. You work hard, you are diligent. If you are in fashion school you are in class; you\u0026rsquo;re paying attention, you\u0026rsquo;re absorbing. In your internship you\u0026rsquo;re humble not proud, you\u0026rsquo;re learning, not teaching, you\u0026rsquo;re absorbing everything you can. You\u0026rsquo;re serving in every way you can, taking every opportunity to get trained; to hone your skill, to develop your passion to get more experience so that you can do the very, very very best thing possible when you make your jeans.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#100 - How Do You Make Jeans in Jesus Name?"},{"content":" \u0026amp;nohtml5=False\n--- There\u0026rsquo;s no distance too far, that I can\u0026rsquo;t reach you There\u0026rsquo;s no place that\u0026rsquo;s so dark, that I can\u0026rsquo;t find you\n#Reassured\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/04/10/99-on-repeat-jordan-feliz-never-too-far-gone/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/TG6s8DxQJ5w?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\u0026amp;nohtml5=False\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\nThere\u0026rsquo;s no distance too far, that I can\u0026rsquo;t reach you\nThere\u0026rsquo;s no place that\u0026rsquo;s so dark, that I can\u0026rsquo;t find you\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Reassured\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#99 - On Repeat - Jordan Feliz - Never Too Far Gone"},{"content":"\nGate crashed. The perfect response to the wet, windy zero degree April weather. Bonus was getting to hang with the cousin and his family.\n#Should.Do.More\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/04/09/98-part-time/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#98-party time\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/1bfe7-98-party-time.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGate crashed.  The perfect response to the wet, windy zero degree April weather. Bonus was getting to hang with the cousin and his family.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Should.Do.More\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#98 - Party Time"},{"content":"\nOn my return to my favourite eating-out place for the first time in just over a month, I find I am served by a face I don\u0026rsquo;t recognise. The accent is also one I can\u0026rsquo;t place which is why after I place my order, my curiosity gets the better of me. It turns out he\u0026rsquo;s from New Zealand - he describes his accent as having the Australian twang and the South African heft.\nApt I suppose, but perhaps more important for me is how much that conversation is an indicator of just how much I have evolved over the past year. Natter, of any sort with a complete stranger, has never really being my strong suit but perhaps this is evidence of progress of some sorts? I\u0026rsquo;d like to think it is.\n#Evolving\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/04/08/97-in-conversation/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#97 - Nandos\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/34d70-97-nandos.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn my return to my favourite eating-out place for the first time in just over a month, I find I am served by a face I don\u0026rsquo;t recognise. The accent is also one I can\u0026rsquo;t place which is why after I place my order, my curiosity gets the better of me. It turns out he\u0026rsquo;s from New Zealand - he describes his accent as having the Australian twang and the South African heft.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#97 - In Conversation"},{"content":"\nFrom the movie Brooklyn, based on the book by Irish writer Colm Tóibín which I finally saw:\nYou\u0026rsquo;ll feel so homesick that you\u0026rsquo;ll want to die, and there\u0026rsquo;s nothing you can do about it apart from endure it. But you will, and it won\u0026rsquo;t kill you. And one day, the sun will come out you might not even notice straight away-it\u0026rsquo;ll be that faint. And then you\u0026rsquo;ll catch yourself thinking about something or someone who has no connection with the past. Someone who\u0026rsquo;s only yours. And you\u0026rsquo;ll realize that this is where your life is.\n#ForwardMotion\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/04/07/96-forward-motion/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#96 - forward motion\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/e0af9-96-forward-motion.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the movie \u003ca href=\"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2381111/?ref_=ttqt_qt_tt\"\u003eBrooklyn\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brooklyn-Colm-T%C3%B3ib%C3%ADn/dp/0241972701\"\u003ebased on the book\u003c/a\u003e by Irish writer  Colm Tóibín which I finally saw:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eYou\u0026rsquo;ll feel so homesick that you\u0026rsquo;ll want to die, and there\u0026rsquo;s nothing you can do about it apart from endure it. But you will, and it won\u0026rsquo;t kill you. And one day, the sun will come out you might not even notice straight away-it\u0026rsquo;ll be that faint. And then you\u0026rsquo;ll catch yourself thinking about something or someone who has no connection with the past. Someone who\u0026rsquo;s only yours. And you\u0026rsquo;ll realize that this is where your life is.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#96 - Forward Motion"},{"content":"John Cornwell on the Importance of doubt:\nFaith, like love, is seldom entirely constant; nor is it irrevocable.\nMore in a similar vein from Mike McHargue\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/04/06/95-on-faith-certitude-and-doubt/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eJohn Cornwell on the \u003ca href=\"http://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/aug/30/religion.uk\"\u003eImportance of doubt\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFaith, like love, is seldom entirely constant; nor is it irrevocable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore in a similar vein from \u003ca href=\"http://mikemchargue.com/blog/2014/1/30/friends-of-doubt-the-culpable-disturbance-of-your-own-personal-eden\"\u003eMike McHargue\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#95 - On Faith, Certitude and Doubt"},{"content":"Quick plug for the3six5NG which returns on the 1st of June\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/04/06/wakingup/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eQuick plug for the3six5NG which returns on the 1st of June\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#WakingUp"},{"content":" \u0026ndash;\nTrust yourself if you can\u0026hellip;\nHT - Kovie Parker\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/04/05/94-thuli-zuma-things/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/lAIDJKr-zJQ?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrust yourself if you can\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHT - \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/kovieparker\"\u003eKovie Parker\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#94 - Thuli Zuma - Things"},{"content":" #Pondering\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/04/04/93-fred-hammond-i-will-trust/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/MyCdFDXxMNQ?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e#Pondering\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#93 - Fred Hammond - I Will Trust"},{"content":" Louie Giglio on Col 3:17 amongst other things:\nAnd whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him\n#Mission\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/04/03/92-passion-purpose-and-designer-jeans/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/XDNn?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLouie Giglio on \u003ca href=\"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+3%3A17\"\u003eCol 3:17\u003c/a\u003e amongst other things:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAnd whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Mission\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#92 - Passion, Purpose and Designer Jeans"},{"content":" In which I make a quick dash to Birmingham and Grand Central\u0026hellip;\n#NewCity #Travel\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/04/02/91-grand-central/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn which I  make a quick dash to Birmingham and Grand Central\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#NewCity #Travel\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#91 - Grand Central"},{"content":"\nWe saw Eddie the Eagle today - after much planning, to-ing and fro-ing as has become the norm with us - as did a couple of people I know from work and church.. Cue a few awkward silences and dodgy moments where I wondered how much information to share as part of the customary introductions, given one of the work guys is the head honcho and this fluid undefined phase we are in\u0026hellip;\nAs for the movie, it was good, the substantially modified version on display doing enough to sell itself as a tale of triumph against all odds and redemption. I suspect it is one I might watch again, once it is out on iTunes or on DVD.. To the underdog then!!! .\n#Perseverance\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/04/01/90-persevering/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#90 - eddie the eagle\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/be0b4-90-eddie-the-eagle.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe saw \u003ca href=\"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1083452/\"\u003eEddie the Eagle\u003c/a\u003e today - after much planning, to-ing and fro-ing as has become the norm with us - as did a couple of people I know from work and church.. Cue a few awkward silences and dodgy moments where I wondered how much information to share as part of the customary introductions, given one of the work guys is the head honcho and this fluid undefined phase we are in\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#90 - Persevering.."},{"content":"\nIt feels like a trick of time, a sleight of hand drawn from the very top tier of a Houdini play book, but the facts – borne out by the calendar I have open in front of me, and the worn pages in the notebook I bought a couple of months ago - tell a different story; a record, as stark as it is of just how much time has passed in 2016 already.\nBack when I set out to reflect on 2015 and how it had panned out (read intense, difficult but largely fulfilling), all I had in front of me was the crowded centre court of Union Square. This time, as I consider the year so far, the view is decidedly more upscale; framed by the vintage red brick buildings and the tops of trees in rude health of this corner of South Harrow.\nNo matter how many times and in how many ways I slice and dice the year so far, two things end up standing out as leitmotifs - constant change and steady habits. Change, even if constant, is not necessarily a negative thing - and there is an argument that done right it can be a trigger for creative disruption - but my sentiment, one I have voiced in several work contexts is that change for the sake of it serves no real purpose. But then change, thinking differently and continuous improvement are the new buzz words in the current climate; I suspect that is what I have to accept as the new normal.\nWhere constant change has been a force of disruption, steady habits have been the glue that has held, tenuously at times,the myriad of juggled, jumbled things together. A few of these - like my morning pit stop at church for an hour of contemplative prayer followed by fifteen to twenty minutes of (expensive) Starbucks time in which I plan my day before heading into the bedlam of work - have been intentional, but the most important ones I am finding have somehow evolved organically. An amble about the city centre at lunch time is one of those, started off first because I needed to escape the smell of food at lunch time in my (reorganised) office but then very quickly proving beneficial; the fresh cold air and brisk walking helping to clear my head before the second half of work.\nRunning and Reading, my two go to activities for de-stressing, have taken a big hit this year. 90 pages of Donald Whitney\u0026rsquo;s Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian life and a further 100 of The Night Manager are about the sum of my real reading this year; piss poor given the grand worldview altering reading I had planned for this year. The mitigation though is that thanks to Pocket I\u0026rsquo;ve done a lot more web based long form reading, gobbling up everything from my perennial favourites Zadie Smith, Teju Cole, Adam Gopnik, Malcolm Gladwell and the Modern Love series at the New York Times. The less said about running the better I suspect, given all I have managed all year is a single run. My one attempt to salve my conscience through all of this has been to keep my gym membership running. Something about the finality of defeat inherent in cancelling it holds me back a little bit but given how little utilisation I have managed over the past year, I suspect even that might not be enough to save it from the chop in this era of focus on marginal gains and cost efficiency.\nSide projects are a happier thing to dwell on. I am at Day 90 of my #100DaysofBeing, a far less mentally tasking writing and picture taking project which I have prioritised over being here as I decide what direction to take this space in. It does mean that NaPoWriMo is in doubt for this year, but given I still haven\u0026rsquo;t identified a theme that might not be such a bad thing. Elsewhere I have been given the opportunity by the remarkably persistent @1Life_Saved to pretend to be profound on (online) Radio. Our show, Behind the Music, is a chilled, informal conversation centred around music which I think is cool. I might be biased but by all means give the archives a listen as well as any of the other shows the radio station broadcasts.\nthe3six5NG, our crowdsourced diary effort from three years ago is actively being resurrected. My friend C says, she\u0026rsquo;ll believe me when she sees it live. I can\u0026rsquo;t really blame her for the lack of faith given the number of false starts since then. I must say I have been pleasantly surprised by the enthusiasm with which previous participants have embraced the chance to contribute again. Give the archives a whirl and if it\u0026rsquo;s your kind of thing, do email us about picking up a slot from the first of June. For more background, digest this.\nAll told, it\u0026rsquo;s been a challenging but productive year so far. I suppose that is what this whole adulting business is all about - engaging life head on rather than skirting the skirmishes and looking to live to fight another day. What I can\u0026rsquo;t shake is the lingering sense of a change looming; a sense of an ending if you like.\n#QuietlyConfident\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/04/01/times-seasons-and-a-hundred-juggled-things/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"201603south_harrow\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/201603south_harrow.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt feels like a trick of time, a sleight of hand drawn from the very top tier of a Houdini play book, but the facts – borne out by the calendar I have open in front of me, and the worn pages in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/BA-G_7wq3F_W6fLchNDQsZLRjyi4CliJpc2aNc0/\"\u003enotebook I bought a couple of months ago\u003c/a\u003e - tell a different story; a record, as stark as it is of just how much time has passed in 2016 \u003cem\u003ealready.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Times, Seasons and A Hundred Juggled Things.."},{"content":"If someone pops into your mind and then a few days later they email you out of the blue\u0026hellip; Is the universe speaking, or are you - like all confused people - calling a coincidence an omen?\n#Pondering\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/31/89-questions-for-the-universe-3/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIf someone pops into your mind and then a few days later they email you out of the blue\u0026hellip; Is the universe speaking, or are you - like all confused people - calling a coincidence an omen?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Pondering\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#89 - Questions for the Universe, 3"},{"content":"\nOver-priced perhaps but this is very quickly becoming my Happy Place where I pause briefly before heading into the bedlam of work\u0026hellip;\n#SteadyHabits\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/30/88-happy-place/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#88 - happy place - conversations\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/6f062-88-happy-place-conversations.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver-priced perhaps but this  is very quickly becoming my Happy Place where I pause briefly before heading into the bedlam of work\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#SteadyHabits\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#88 - Happy Place"},{"content":"\nWhat’s done is done. There is no need to speak with Edmond about his past.\nFrom The Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - which I just watched again :)\n#BeginAgain\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/29/87-redemption/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#87-aslan-edmund\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/8283b-87-aslan-edmund.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat’s done is done. There is no need to speak with Edmond about his past.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom \u003ca href=\"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363771/\"\u003eThe Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe\u003c/a\u003e - which I just watched again :)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#BeginAgain\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#87 - Redemption"},{"content":" Listening a lot to this song, drawn in by all the hope it breathes\u0026hellip;\n#OnRepeat\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/28/86-of-hearts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/4e4af-img_1045.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/4e4af-img_1045.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\nListening a lot to \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azYK8I2uoog\"\u003ethis song\u003c/a\u003e, drawn in by all the hope it breathes\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#OnRepeat\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#86 - Of Hearts.."},{"content":" From the Hillsong social media campaign to get people thinking about the wider import of Easter, allied to the clocks moving forward an hour overnight\u0026hellip;\n#CrossEqualsLove #HelloSpring\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/27/85-easter-sunday/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/9ebb3-img_1038.png\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/9ebb3-img_1038.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\nFrom the Hillsong social media campaign to get people thinking about the wider import of Easter, allied to the clocks moving forward an hour overnight\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#CrossEqualsLove #HelloSpring\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#85 - Easter Sunday "},{"content":"\nSurely I am not alone in thinking that sometimes waiting in an airport with far too much time on one\u0026rsquo;s hand can often be the most stark reminder of aloneness\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/26/84-airports/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#84 - airport - waiting\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/6411e-84-airport-waiting.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSurely I am not alone in thinking that sometimes waiting in an airport with far too much time on one\u0026rsquo;s hand can often be the most stark reminder of aloneness\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#84 - Airports.."},{"content":" Harrow bound\u0026hellip;. The view whilst I wait\n#ConversationsWithMyself\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/25/83/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/7f1f9-img_1017.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/7f1f9-img_1017.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\nHarrow bound\u0026hellip;. The view whilst I wait\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#ConversationsWithMyself\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#83 - Untitled"},{"content":" Waiting for O to appear, twenty minutes after I arrive even though she had a seven minute heads up\u0026hellip; I guess I\u0026rsquo;ll chalk that up as a learning experience\u0026hellip;\n#Learning\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/24/82-killing-time/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/9c102-img_1003.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/9c102-img_1003.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\nWaiting for O to appear, twenty minutes after I arrive even though she had a seven minute heads up\u0026hellip; I guess I\u0026rsquo;ll chalk that up as a learning experience\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Learning\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#82- Killing Time..."},{"content":"\nFor Mag 309:\nIn the set of her shoulders and the glint in her eye- is the quiet reassurance of certitude; and of knowing.\nThat as certain as after day comes night, And with the wind comes chill, She wins\u0026hellip;\nIn the end.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/23/81-winning/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#80- Magpie Tales\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/e4180-80-magpie-tales.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"http://magpietales.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/mag-309.html\"\u003eMag 309:\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the set of her shoulders\nand the glint in her eye-\nis the quiet reassurance\nof certitude; and of knowing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat as certain as after day comes night,\nAnd with the wind comes chill,\nShe wins\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the end.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#81 - Winning"},{"content":"My attempt to surprise M , ruined by my reflection in the lift mirror.. Sigh\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/22/80-suprised-not/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMy attempt to surprise M , ruined by my reflection in the lift mirror.. Sigh\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#80 - Suprised, Not"},{"content":"By the paradox of choice\u0026hellip;And the apparent surfeit of options, on the surface at least.. Looking closer though, what is not immediately obvious is that a lot of the things which seem like better options, greener grass, are a mere distraction. :(\n#CrossRoads\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/21/79-complicated/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBy the paradox of choice\u0026hellip;And the \u003cem\u003eapparent\u003c/em\u003e surfeit of options, on the surface at least.. Looking closer though, what is not immediately obvious is that a lot of the things which seem like better options, greener grass, are a mere distraction. :(\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#CrossRoads\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#79 - Complicated..."},{"content":" Short answer we don\u0026rsquo;t know\u0026hellip; It sure does make us feel good about ourselves though\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/20/78-questions-for-the-universe-2-why-do-we-love/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/yJSiUm6jvI0?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eShort answer we don\u0026rsquo;t know\u0026hellip; It sure does make us feel good about ourselves though\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#78 - Questions for the Universe 2 - Why Do We Love?"},{"content":" Stumbled upon\u0026hellip;\n#EarWorm\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/19/77-on-repeat-even-unto-death/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/uAfp8vg4Jz8?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eStumbled upon\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#EarWorm\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#77 - On Repeat - Even Unto Death"},{"content":"From the Guardian series The Story Of Cities:\nWith its mathematical layout and earthworks longer than the Great Wall of China, Benin City was one of the best planned cities in the world when London was a place of ‘thievery and murder’. So why is nothing left?\nFascinating\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/18/76-story-of-benin-city/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFrom \u003ca href=\"http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/mar/18/story-of-cities-5-benin-city-edo-nigeria-mighty-medieval-capital-lost-without-trace\"\u003ethe Guardian\u003c/a\u003e series \u003ca href=\"http://www.theguardian.com/cities/series/the-story-of-cities\"\u003eThe Story Of Cities\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith its mathematical layout and earthworks longer than the Great Wall of China, Benin City was one of the best planned cities in the world when London was a place of ‘thievery and murder’. So why is nothing left?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFascinating\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#76 - Story of (Benin) City"},{"content":"\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/17/75-waiting/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/24826-img_0971.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/24826-img_0971.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#75- Waiting "},{"content":" The view\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/16/74-the-middle-of-nowhere/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/bb627-img_0954.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/bb627-img_0954.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\nThe view\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#74 - The Middle of Nowhere"},{"content":"\nWorn.. Is how I feel following an 8 hour grilling by the regulator\u0026hellip; I could use winning the lottery after all\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/15/73-worn/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#73-Chief_Inspector_brb\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/49e88-73-chief_inspector_brb.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWorn.. Is how I feel following an 8 hour grilling by the regulator\u0026hellip; I could use winning the lottery after all\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#73 - Worn"},{"content":"\nImage Source: Challies.com\nTo be right with God the Judge is a great thing, but to loved and cared for by God the Father is greater- J.I. Packer\n#Perspective\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/14/72-quotable-on-love-and-rightness/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"JIPAcker\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/jipacker.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImage Source: Challies.com\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo be right with God the Judge is a great thing, but to loved and cared for by God the Father is greater- \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._I._Packer\"\u003eJ.I. Packer\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Perspective\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#72 - Quotable, On love and 'Rightness'..."},{"content":"To not get ahead of oneself, to not be so swept up by the exhilaration of the moment that one loses sight of the bigger picture; that there is still a whole lot of knowing to yet do\u0026hellip;\n#HeartsOnSleeves\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/13/71-the-struggle/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTo not get ahead of oneself, to not be so swept up by the exhilaration of the moment that one loses sight of the bigger picture; that there is still a whole lot of knowing to yet do\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#HeartsOnSleeves\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#71 - The Struggle"},{"content":"\nQuick plug for my radio debut, in conversation with @1Life_Saved and @HibbardSam about his new-ish single \u0026ldquo;In The Waiting\u0026rdquo; and God, Music and doing life (amongst other things)..\nShow goes out at 2000hrs GMT today (13/03). Listen in on TuneIn or via our Online Radio Player. You can also browse our archives here.\n#Debut\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/13/in-conversation/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#50-radio-2\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/50-radio-2.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eQuick plug for my radio debut, in conversation with \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/1Life_saved\"\u003e@1Life_Saved\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/HibbardSam\"\u003e@HibbardSam\u003c/a\u003e about his new-ish single \u0026ldquo;In The Waiting\u0026rdquo; and God, Music and doing life (amongst other things)..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShow goes out at 2000hrs GMT today (13/03). Listen in on \u003ca href=\"http://tunein.com/radio/Radio31-s235876/\"\u003eTuneIn\u003c/a\u003e or via our \u003ca href=\"http://radio31.org/listen-live-to-radio31/\"\u003eOnline Radio Player\u003c/a\u003e. You can also browse our \u003ca href=\"http://radio31.org/archives/previous-episodes-of-behind-the-music/\"\u003earchives here\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Debut\u003c/p\u003e","title":"In Conversation..."},{"content":"https://www.ted.com/talks/casey_gerald_the_gospel_of_doubt\nFascinating talk, key element of which for me is Casey\u0026rsquo;s search for meaning and purpose\u0026hellip; In the end we all seek a wider, over arching meeting to life I guess, some of us still think we find it within the framework of a Judeo-Christian worldview..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/12/70-the-gospel-of-doubt/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.ted.com/talks/casey\"\u003ehttps://www.ted.com/talks/casey\u003c/a\u003e_gerald_the_gospel_of_doubt\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFascinating talk, key element of which for me is Casey\u0026rsquo;s search for meaning and purpose\u0026hellip; In the end we all seek a wider, over arching meeting to life I guess, some of us still think we find it within the framework of a Judeo-Christian worldview..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#70 - The Gospel of Doubt"},{"content":" [tweet https://twitter.com/EugeneCho/status/708128160949243904 ]\n#NoteToSelf\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/11/69-notes-to-self/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[tweet \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/EugeneCho/status/708128160949243904\"\u003ehttps://twitter.com/EugeneCho/status/708128160949243904\u003c/a\u003e ]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#NoteToSelf\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#69 - Notes to Self"},{"content":"A year ago if you asked me how good I was with waiting, I suspect without giving it much thought I would have gone for somewhere between 9 and 9.5 on a scale of 1 to 10. What I am finding out to my chagrin, prompted by a few events and a conversation with my friend M (in which I get the blame for the unravelling of a certain situation) is that I suck at this waiting business.\nWaiting by its very definition has connotations of control; of self, of events and of expectations. Implicit in this definition is a sense of patience, for the inner workings of machinery set in motion by something else to run its course. It is perhaps this form of waiting that I have struggled most with over the last year. The situations where I have had very clear end goals are those in which my impatience have cost me the most; ones in which the reality of the situation has not quite matched the pace and direction I have envisaged in my head. I suspect I also sometimes balk at the idea of trust, where the end goal is less clear and the vulnerability inherent in being powerless to affect an outcome.\nLessons to learn here, clearly.. I can only hope I get there again\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/10/68-on-waiting/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA year ago if you asked me how good I was with waiting, I suspect without giving it much thought I would have gone for somewhere between 9 and 9.5 on a scale of 1 to 10. What I am finding out to my chagrin, prompted by a few events and a conversation with my friend M (in which I get the blame for the unravelling of a certain \u003cem\u003esituation\u003c/em\u003e) is that I suck at this \u003cem\u003ewaiting\u003c/em\u003e business.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#68 - On Waiting"},{"content":" ---\nWhy be afraid, no reason to hide Take the chance, put it all on the line Draw in a deep breath and throw open the door \u0026lsquo;Cause that\u0026rsquo;s what a heart is beating for\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/09/67-what-a-heart-is-beating-for/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/EtvX?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhy be afraid, no reason to hide\nTake the chance, put it all on the line\nDraw in a deep breath and throw open the door\n\u0026lsquo;Cause that\u0026rsquo;s what a heart is beating for\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#67 - What A Heart Is Beating For"},{"content":"\nBorrowed @ MindBodyGreen\n#NoteToSelf\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/08/66-borrowed/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#66\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/8d81d-66.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBorrowed @ \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/BCqQjsGKBk1/?taken-by=mindbodygreen\u0026amp;hl=en\"\u003eMindBodyGreen\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#NoteToSelf\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#66 - Borrowed"},{"content":"For seasons of uncertainty\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/07/dear-future-me-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"http://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/06/64-certainly-uncertain/\"\u003eseasons of uncertainty\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#65 - Dear Future Me"},{"content":"\nFor Mag 308:\nDear Future Me, I wanted to tell you that whatever happens tonight- on the corner of L and Ninth; you will survive.\nThat this too, this sense Of worry wrapping itself like a wreath around your windpipe will pass, whether lost in the exhilaration of assent; or obliterated in the loud clang of a cataclysmic bang.\nThat this sense of free fall, of uncertainty gnawing at your insides will give way to the clarity of certitude; that the restful stillness of truth will triumph over the ambivalence of baseless hope.\nThat one day you will return, To this space, this place of quiet contemplation - To begin again, for better, or for worse.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/07/dear-future-me/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#65-atonement letter\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/65-atonement-letter.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"http://magpietales.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/mag-308.html\"\u003eMag 308\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDear Future Me,\nI wanted to tell you\nthat whatever happens tonight-\non the corner of L and Ninth;\nyou will survive.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat this too, this sense\nOf worry wrapping itself\nlike a wreath around your windpipe\nwill pass, whether lost\nin the exhilaration of assent;\nor obliterated in the loud clang\nof a cataclysmic bang.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat this sense of free fall,\nof uncertainty gnawing at your insides\nwill give way to the clarity of certitude;\nthat the restful stillness of truth\nwill triumph over the ambivalence\nof baseless hope.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Dear Future Me"},{"content":"Spent the entire weekend building up to a conversation with L. The arguments and counter arguments were all laid out in my head, in my very worst Ted Mosby imitation. Here on the cusp of the actual meeting, it doesn\u0026rsquo;t feel so cut and dried in my head anymore, which may or may not be a good thing\u0026hellip; I guess I\u0026rsquo;ll know soon enough how it goes..\n#Pensive\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/06/64-certainly-uncertain/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSpent the entire weekend building up to a conversation \u003ca href=\"http://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/02/31-of-movies-and-etiquette/\"\u003ewith L\u003c/a\u003e. The arguments and counter arguments were all laid out in my head, in my very worst \u003ca href=\"http://www.tvfanatic.com/quotes/not-like-this-this-is-different/\"\u003eTed Mosby imitation\u003c/a\u003e. Here on the cusp of the actual meeting, it doesn\u0026rsquo;t feel so cut and dried in my head anymore, which may or may not be a good thing\u0026hellip; I guess I\u0026rsquo;ll know soon enough how it goes..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Pensive\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#64 - Certainly Uncertain"},{"content":" Stumbled on a Philippa Hanna interview on TBN UK earlier today, which led me to YouTube and a few hours burned.. The linked song is her late 2015 single, Even Now\n#StumbledUpon\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/05/63-even-now-philippa-hanna/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/wBr?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eStumbled on a \u003ca href=\"http://philippahanna.com/#\"\u003ePhilippa Hanna\u003c/a\u003e interview on TBN UK earlier today, which led me to YouTube and a few hours burned.. The linked song is her \u003ca href=\"https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Philippa-Hanna/Even-Now\"\u003elate 2015 single, Even Now\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#StumbledUpon\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#63 - Even Now - Philippa Hanna"},{"content":"\nIn-between solving a convoluted case in the last episode of NCIS: New Orleans, \u0026ldquo;Radio Silence\u0026rdquo; (Season 2, Episode 17), Dwayne Pride has to deal with his daughter\u0026rsquo;s angst at the pressure she feels he\u0026rsquo;s put on her to explore her musical talents. In the final scene they reach a resolution of sorts agreeing to finish the semester before revisiting her decision to drop out of music school, and then play out to \u0026ldquo;Under Pressure\u0026rdquo;. I hope I can be there for my (future) daughter in the same way, being able to relate and resolve any issues she has\u0026hellip;\n#LifeGoals\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/04/62-daughter-bonding/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#62-ncis new orleans2\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/458b3-62-ncis-new-orleans2.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn-between solving a convoluted case in the last episode of \u003ca href=\"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3560084/\"\u003eNCIS: New Orleans\u003c/a\u003e, \u0026ldquo;Radio Silence\u0026rdquo; (Season 2, Episode 17), Dwayne Pride has to deal with his daughter\u0026rsquo;s angst at the pressure she feels he\u0026rsquo;s put on her to explore her musical talents. In the final scene they reach a resolution of sorts agreeing to finish the semester before revisiting her decision to drop out of music school, and then play out to \u0026ldquo;\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a01QQZyl-_I\"\u003eUnder Pressure\u003c/a\u003e\u0026rdquo;. I hope I can be there for my (future) daughter in the same way, being able to relate and resolve any issues she has\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#62 - Bonding..."},{"content":"\nWhat has quickly become apparent – as this year of living earnestly evolves - is that far from being the wild, giddy, excited life I half expected when my thoughts began to initially crystallise, it is one that is lived in increments; steady habits being the under-girding behaviours which hold everything together. That sense – of slow, steady if ponderous, progress – is one that has been consistently underlined and reinforced all year; by the book I am currently reading (Donald Whitney’s Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life), the ongoing series at Passion City on Habits and various conversations, the last of which occurred over the weekend with the older guy friend/ mentor O. The general gist of the book and the series is that change is only possible if there is an overarching vision of the future that frames the daily actions that we take, providing an incentive that keeps us plugging away at them.\nDiscipline without direction equals drudgery, Whitney says; Giglio\u0026rsquo;s line is that who we become is all about the habits that we create and the habits that we curate.\nI made steady progress in January but fell off the wagon massively in February, distracted by pressures at work and all. March though is an opportunity to get back on track, repeat the February habit as well as the March one and take it from there. Roll on the steady habits, shall we say?\nCurrently Listening to: When the Rain Comes – Third Day (from the 2003 Grammy Award winning album Come Together)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/03/61-the-february-wrap-of-life-and-steady-habits/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#61-whatwerepeatedlydo-@allielefevere\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/5c703-61-whatwerepeatedlydo-allielefevere.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat has quickly become apparent – as this \u003ca href=\"http://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/10/22/a-year-of-living-earnestly/\"\u003eyear of living earnestly\u003c/a\u003e evolves - is that far from being the wild, giddy, excited life I half expected when my thoughts began to initially crystallise, it is one that is lived in increments; steady habits being the under-girding behaviours which hold everything together. That sense – of slow, steady \u003cem\u003eif ponderous\u003c/em\u003e, progress – is one that has been consistently underlined and reinforced all year; by the book I am currently reading (\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spiritual-Disciplines-Christian-Donald-Whitney/dp/1615216170\"\u003eDonald Whitney’s Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life\u003c/a\u003e),  the ongoing series at \u003ca href=\"http://passioncitychurch.libsyn.com/\"\u003ePassion City on Habits\u003c/a\u003e and various conversations, the last of which occurred over the weekend with the older guy friend/ mentor O.  The general gist of the book and the series is that change is only possible if there is an overarching vision of the future that frames the daily actions that we take, providing an incentive that keeps us plugging away at them.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#61 - The February Wrap - Of Life, and Steady Habits"},{"content":" #Sleepless\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/02/60-questions-for-the-universe/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/NU1vc9AvosA?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e#Sleepless\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#60 - Questions for the Universe"},{"content":"\nSpent the bulk of the weekend re-watching Season 9 of How I Met Your Mother, complete with its unsatisfactory ending in which Ted shoots off to Robin\u0026rsquo;s after all she put him through. Tsk!!! Tsk!!! Before that though, Ted\u0026rsquo;s summation of his 9 year journey to finding Tracy did resonate with my inner suppressed romantic:\nIt was at times a long, difficult road. But I\u0026rsquo;m glad it was long and difficult, because if I hadn\u0026rsquo;t gone through hell to get there, the lesson might not have been as clear. You see, kids, right from the moment I met your mom, I knew\u0026hellip; I have to love this woman as much as I can for as long as I can, and I can never stop loving her, not even for a second. I carried that lesson with me through every stupid fight we ever had, every 5:00 a.m. Christmas morning, every sleepy Sunday afternoon, through every speed bump. Every pang of jealousy or boredom or uncertainty that came our way, I carried that lesson with me. And I carried it with me when she got sick. Even then, in what can only be called the worst of times, all I could do was look at her and thank God, thank every god there is, or ever was, or will be, and the whole universe, and anyone else I can possibly thank that I saw that beautiful girl on that train platform, and that I had the guts to stand up, walk over to her, tap her on the shoulder, open my mouth, and speak.\nOh to love and be loved that intentionally and intensely.\n#LifeGoals\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/01/59-mosby-itis/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/f5881-59-how-i-met-your-mother.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpent the bulk of the weekend re-watching Season 9 of \u003ca href=\"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460649/?ref_=ttqt_qt_tt\"\u003eHow I Met Your Mother\u003c/a\u003e, complete with its \u003cem\u003eunsatisfactory\u003c/em\u003e ending in which Ted shoots off to Robin\u0026rsquo;s after \u003cem\u003eall\u003c/em\u003e she put him through. Tsk!!! Tsk!!! Before that though, Ted\u0026rsquo;s summation of his 9 year journey to finding Tracy did resonate with my inner suppressed romantic:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was at times a long, difficult road. But I\u0026rsquo;m glad it was long and difficult, because if I hadn\u0026rsquo;t gone through hell to get there, the lesson might not have been as clear. You see, kids, right from the moment I met your mom, I knew\u0026hellip; I have to love this woman as much as I can for as long as I can, and I can never stop loving her, not even for a second. I carried that lesson with me through every stupid fight we ever had, every 5:00 a.m. Christmas morning, every sleepy Sunday afternoon, through every speed bump. Every pang of jealousy or boredom or uncertainty that came our way, I carried that lesson with me. And I carried it with me when she got sick. Even then, in what can only be called the worst of times, all I could do was look at her and thank God, thank every god there is, or ever was, or will be, and the whole universe, and anyone else I can possibly thank that I saw that beautiful girl on that train platform, and that I had the guts to stand up, walk over to her, tap her on the shoulder, open my mouth, and speak.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#59 - Mosbytis"},{"content":"The Big Rocks\nGrow in Grace and Godliness; as evidenced by beating a number of bad habits, and living a life of contemplative prayer and worship. Find, woo and marry the woman of my dreams; Deliver at work in quantity and quality; confirmation and a promotion to Senior Engineer Shed the flab, get back down to \u0026lt;80kg 2016 Objectives\nDevelop a steady practice of (contemplative) prayer and bible study(Target \u0026gt;75% of days) Reduce year ending spending versus 2015 (Target 15% reduction) Write more (Target average 1 post a week, write for \u0026gt;30 consecutive days) Migrate diet over to an LCHF/ Whole30 model (30 consecutive days) Journal more (Target three times a week) Read for 2 hours every day (Target – 13 books for FY2016) Fast once a week till 4pm (Target 40 completions) Start the day with a litre of water (Target \u0026gt;75% of days) Reduce social media usage (Target complete \u0026gt;30 consecutive days) Check in with someone in my life for 30 days Write a thankful post for 30 days More here\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/03/01/the-perfect-year-in-twelve-things/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Big Rocks\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrow in Grace and Godliness; as evidenced by beating a number of bad habits, and living a life of contemplative prayer and worship.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFind, woo and marry the woman of my dreams;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeliver at work in quantity and quality; confirmation and a promotion to Senior Engineer\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShed the flab, get back down to \u0026lt;80kg\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2016 Objectives\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDevelop a steady practice of (contemplative) prayer and bible study(Target \u0026gt;75% of days)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReduce year ending spending versus 2015 (Target 15% reduction)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWrite more (Target average 1 post a week, write for \u0026gt;30 consecutive days)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMigrate diet over to an LCHF/ Whole30 model (30 consecutive days)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJournal more (Target three times a week)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRead for 2 hours every day (Target  – 13 books for FY2016)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFast once a week till 4pm (Target 40 completions)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart the day with a litre of water (Target \u0026gt;75% of days)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReduce social media usage (Target complete \u0026gt;30 consecutive days)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCheck in with someone in my life for 30 days\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWrite a thankful post for 30 days\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/01/2016-in-twelve-things/\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Perfect Year in Twelve Things"},{"content":" Finding myself listening to a lot of songs which are tied to a certain time/ phase in my life\u0026hellip; Worn from that darned winter of 2012.. Sigh..\n---\nLet me see redemption win Let me know the struggle ends That you can mend a heart That’s frail and torn I wanna know a song can rise From the ashes of a broken life And all that’s dead inside can be reborn Cause I’m worn\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/29/58-worn/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/UUEy8nZvpdM?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFinding myself listening to a lot of songs which are tied to a certain time/ phase in my life\u0026hellip; Worn from that darned winter of 2012.. Sigh..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLet me see redemption win\nLet me know the struggle ends\nThat you can mend a heart\nThat’s frail and torn\nI wanna know a song can rise\nFrom the ashes of a broken life\nAnd all that’s dead inside can be reborn\nCause I’m worn\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#58 - Worn"},{"content":" \u0026ndash;\nI can\u0026rsquo;t stop the rain, but I will hold you \u0026rsquo;til it goes away..\n#Comforting\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/28/57-when-the-rain-comes/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/229vnbuwTc8?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI can\u0026rsquo;t stop the rain, but I will hold you \u0026rsquo;til it goes away..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Comforting\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#57 - When The Rain Comes"},{"content":" Blue vans mean business, apparently\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/27/56-the-view/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/f90d8-img_0876.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/f90d8-img_0876.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\nBlue vans mean business, apparently\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#56- The View"},{"content":"\n#Hope\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/26/55-wandering-pondering/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"tolkien-not-lost\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/tolkien-not-lost.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Hope\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#55 - Wandering, Pondering"},{"content":"\nWe meet up - at the third time of trying - at the only place there is of note, Union Square. After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, we settle for TGIF, the steak, rib and shrimp meal the perfect counterpoint to the 46 days of minimal feeding we have gotten through. There is a lot to catch up on - work, women and all the other things single, semi-bored Aberdonian chaps whine about. When we agree to head our separate ways at 9.30pm, it is having been fully sated, all caught up on nine month worth of life, and with an agreement in principle to make this a monthly affair..\n#CaughtUp\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/25/54-sated/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#54-food-union\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/b9568-54-food-union.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe meet up - at the third time of trying - at the only place there is of note, Union Square. After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, we settle for TGIF, the steak, rib and shrimp meal the  perfect counterpoint to the 46 days of minimal feeding we have gotten through. There is a lot to catch up on - work, women and all the other things single, semi-bored Aberdonian chaps whine about. When we agree to head our separate ways at 9.30pm, it is having been fully sated, all caught up on nine month worth of life, and with an agreement in principle to make this a monthly affair..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#54 - Sated"},{"content":"\nBetween my low carb diet, pressure at work and precious little sleep (I\u0026rsquo;ve averaged between 4 and 5 hours over the last two weeks), it felt like i\u0026rsquo;d hit rock bottom today; so much so I went to the African shop, ordered up a big loaf of bread and Nido milk, which those who know me well know is my absolute special brand of poison. That, and ending up in front of my TV watching re-runs of How I Met Your Mother, appeared to make the world sane and simple again\u0026hellip;\n#BeginAgain\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/24/53-melt-down/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#53-sleep\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/9d385-53-sleep.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBetween my low carb diet, pressure at work and precious little sleep (I\u0026rsquo;ve averaged between 4 and 5 hours over the last two weeks), it felt like i\u0026rsquo;d hit rock bottom today; so much so I went to the African shop, ordered up a big loaf of bread and Nido milk, which those who know me well know is my absolute special brand of \u003cem\u003epoison.\u003c/em\u003e That, and ending up in front of my TV watching re-runs of How I Met Your Mother, appeared to make the world sane  and simple again\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#53 - Melt Down"},{"content":" Hold On, Be Strong\u0026hellip; God\u0026rsquo;s got the final say\n#OnRepeat\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/23/on-repeat-gods-favor-donald-lawrence/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/6aDRfkYQfxc?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHold On, Be Strong\u0026hellip;\nGod\u0026rsquo;s got the final say\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#OnRepeat\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Repeat - God's Favor - Donald Lawrence"},{"content":"\nWhen you run into the someone you swore you\u0026rsquo;d gotten out of your system, but you find that months after the fact there is still that twinge of jealousy\u0026hellip;\n#NotYetUhuru\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/23/52-not-yet-uhuru/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"IMG_2182\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/0b575-img_2182.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen you run into the \u003ca href=\"http://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/08/21/letting-go/\"\u003esomeone you swore you\u0026rsquo;d gotten out of your system\u003c/a\u003e, but you find that months after the fact there is still that twinge of jealousy\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#NotYetUhuru\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#52 - Not Yet Uhuru"},{"content":" Reminded of how much I heart Gungor by a conversation\u0026hellip;\n#EarWorm\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/22/51-beautiful-things-gungor/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/oyPBtExE4W0?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReminded of how much I heart Gungor \u003ca href=\"http://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/21/50-debut/\"\u003eby a conversation\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#EarWorm\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#51 - Beautiful Things - Gungor"},{"content":"On the day this challenge hit the halfway mark, I ended up spending the bulk of my Sunday evening prepping for, and interviewing, the truly delightful Sam Hibbard; an Aberdeen based Christian singer/song writer whose new single In The Waiting, dropped a couple of weeks ago. I definitely got the sense the wee lad - he\u0026rsquo;s still not 18 - is going places. It was great to get to chat God, Music, Youth and just catch up in general. First time behind the mics for me too, looking forward to more of these this year. I might have to come up with a funky DJ name if this continues.. :)\n#Debut\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/21/50-debut/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#50-radio-2\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/5972d-50-radio-2.jpg\"\u003eOn the day \u003ca href=\"http://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/02/100-days-of-being/\"\u003ethis challenge\u003c/a\u003e hit the halfway mark, I ended up spending the bulk of my Sunday evening prepping for, and interviewing, \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/samhibbardmusic/\"\u003ethe truly delightful Sam Hibbard\u003c/a\u003e; an Aberdeen based Christian singer/song writer whose new single \u003ca href=\"https://soundcloud.com/samhibbard/inthewaiting\"\u003eIn The Waiting\u003c/a\u003e, dropped a couple of weeks ago. I definitely got the sense the wee lad - he\u0026rsquo;s still not 18 - is going places. It was great to get to chat God, Music, Youth and  just catch up in general. First time behind the mics for me too, looking forward to more of these this year. I might have to come up with a funky DJ name if this continues.. :)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#50 - Debut"},{"content":"\nDinner table\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/20/49-turn-up/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#49 - dinner\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/cb82e-49-dinner.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDinner table\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#49 - Turn Up"},{"content":"\nA sign which used to be posted in the window of the pub on the corner of Exchequer Row and Union. All that has been stripped and is being turned into luxury apartments.\n#FridayNightThrowBacks\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/19/48-notes-to-revellers/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"pub\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/8afd5-pub.gif\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA sign which used to be posted in the window of the pub on the corner of Exchequer Row and Union. All that has been stripped \u003ca href=\"https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@57.1473944,-2.0944673,3a,90y,325.81h,91.28t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sPDuuMFu6sSLGjnbcQ2bW4Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656\"\u003eand is being turned into luxury apartments\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#FridayNightThrowBacks\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#48 - Notes to Revellers"},{"content":"\nWhen I first began to take time out during my lunch breaks to walk about, there was nothing intentional about it - as far as I can remember. It was one of those things which - having happened a few times - felt so good it became self-catalysing, etching itself into my daily routine; becoming as integral a habit as could be. In looking back at my step logs – I am one of those people who wears a wrist band for tracking steps, the Fitbit Charge HR in black being my very own brand of poison in that regard - it appeared to coincide broadly with an office move at work, one which brought with it its own issues. I claim no causal linkages here, I must quickly add.\nFor most of the second half of January and all of February so far, sometime after 12.00 noon I have half skipped, half walked down the stairs at work, careful to maintain contact with the hand rails at all times to avoid falling foul of the stair Nazis, and then turned right once out of the building. On most days – unusual for this time of the year – it is a relatively dry, sunny walk down Market Street, on to North Esplanade West street and then up one of any number of roads till I find myself in Union Square and from thence on to work.\nOn most days, I find that I run across any number of people that I know - R and B, Lycra clad, usually zip past me somewhere on Market street; D saunters past at a more leisurely pace, but fast enough to pass me on my walk, S sometimes rides past on his bicycle. Occasionally, a lot more over the last week than before, I pass my friend K in Union Square, he is usually just heading out when I am on my return journey. When I do, we stop and have a natter, musing about whatever gets our attention that day, usually work related.\nThis, this ambling about, is how fifteen to twenty minutes of my lunch hour vanishes, I suspect that I am beginning to look forward to them, perhaps need them, as a counterpoint to the steady plodding away at work\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/18/47-ambling/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#47-steps\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/1d6d9-47-steps.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen \u003ca href=\"http://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/20/18-about-town/\"\u003eI first began\u003c/a\u003e to take time out during my lunch breaks to walk about, there was nothing intentional about it - as far as I can remember. It was one of those things which - having happened a few times - felt so good it became self-catalysing, etching itself into my daily routine; becoming as integral a habit as could be. In looking back at my step logs – I am one of those people who wears a wrist band for tracking steps, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fitbit.com/uk/chargehr\"\u003eFitbit Charge HR\u003c/a\u003e in black being my very own brand of poison in that regard - it appeared to coincide broadly with an office move at work, one which brought with it its own issues. I claim no causal linkages here, I must quickly add.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#47 - Ambling"},{"content":"What to do when uncertainty gnaws at your insides\u0026hellip;\n#BillionDollarQuestion\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/17/46-certainly-uncertain/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWhat to do when uncertainty gnaws at your insides\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#BillionDollarQuestion\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#46 - Certainly Uncertain..."},{"content":" Fasting does not change God\u0026rsquo;s hearing so much as it changes our praying\nFrom The Donald Whitney book I\u0026rsquo;m currently reading - image by Time Challies\n#Apt\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/16/45-on-fasting/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFasting does not change God\u0026rsquo;s hearing so much as it changes our praying\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom The Donald Whitney \u003ca href=\"http://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/30/28-of-discipline-and-direction/\"\u003ebook I\u0026rsquo;m currently reading\u003c/a\u003e - \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/BB2KCk7Jhq5/?taken-by=challies\"\u003eimage by Time Challies\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Apt\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#45 - On Fasting"},{"content":" I suspect it was more a question of when - rather than if, given the extended run of near zero weather we had had for pretty much all of last week – we would have the snow come down. When we did, we woke up to a blanket of snow everywhere on Sunday morning, and then again on Monday. That managed to add 15 minutes to my Sunday morning commute – for all the scrapping and cleaning that my car required – and made me break out a proper winter coat for the first time this year.\nFor what it’s worth, the somewhat apologetic – if uncomfortable silences – which weighed down my conversations with folk down south are all now gone, lost in the whiteness of a return to the norm. Nine times out of ten, it is us northern folk who must bear the burden of weather induced lock jams and disruptions, not those further down south, who have been spoiled by slightly warmer, drier weather.\nI find the snow infinitely better than the rain, mainly because the constant drizzle of the rain leaves in its wake a certain granite grey mood - depressing for the most part given the city\u0026rsquo;s signature buildings are all grey granite. Stuff does look better in snow. We\u0026rsquo;ll face the downsides of the snow soon - once it has had a chance to melt and re-freeze into a thin, nearly invisible layer of slippery, dangerous ice.. Until then, I\u0026rsquo;ll revel in the whiteness of everything.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/15/44-finally-snow/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eI suspect it was more a question of when - rather than if, \u003ca href=\"http://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/12/41-about-town-icy-underfoot/\"\u003egiven the extended run of near zero weather\u003c/a\u003e we had had for pretty much all of last week – we would have the snow come down. When we did, we woke up to a blanket of snow everywhere on Sunday morning, and then again on Monday. That managed to add 15 minutes to my Sunday morning commute – for all the scrapping and cleaning that my car required – and made me break out a proper winter coat for the first time this year.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#44 - Finally Snow"},{"content":" From the Rebecca St James album Transform, which along with Joshua Harris\u0026rsquo; book I Kissed Dating Goodbye \u0026rsquo;threatened\u0026rsquo; to define how Christian boys and girls related for my generation.. Great ideals though..\n#ThrowBack #LifeInASong\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/14/43-wait-for-me/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/1thVi6T9rEo?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the Rebecca St James album \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transform_(Rebecca_St._James_album)\"\u003eTransform\u003c/a\u003e, which along with Joshua Harris\u0026rsquo; book \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Kissed_Dating_Goodbye\"\u003eI Kissed Dating Goodbye\u003c/a\u003e \u0026rsquo;threatened\u0026rsquo; to define how Christian boys and girls related for my generation.. Great ideals though..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#ThrowBack #LifeInASong\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#43 - Wait For Me"},{"content":"\nThis xkcd comic just about sums it up for us miserable, over analytical types. For an explanation of the game theory/ prisoner\u0026rsquo;s dilemma behind the comic, visit explain xkcd.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/13/42-analysis-paralysis/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#42-valentine-analysis paralysis\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/40a44-42-valentine-analysis-paralysis.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis \u003ca href=\"https://xkcd.com/1016/\"\u003exkcd  comic\u003c/a\u003e just about sums it up for us miserable, over analytical types. For an explanation of the game theory/ prisoner\u0026rsquo;s dilemma behind the comic, visit \u003ca href=\"https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1016:_Valentine_Dilemma\"\u003eexplain xkcd\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#42 - Analysis Paralysis"},{"content":"\nA prolonged stretch of sub -five degree weather has finally left its mark on the pavements, the light sprinkling of rain overnight freezing into a thin layer of ice which makes for treacherous walking conditions. Walking to work at a little past 7.00am this morning, it is slightly reassuring to see I am not the only one bothered by the icy conditions; on the corner of Justice Street and East North Street, I share a smile with a woman in a big red coat who appears to be in at least as much difficulty as I am, only she has several bags to balance in addition with managing to not slip. The bond of shared difficulty I suppose?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/12/41-about-town-icy-underfoot/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#41 - icy under foot\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/b69bd-41-icy-under-foot.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA prolonged stretch of sub -five degree weather has finally left its mark on the pavements, the light sprinkling of rain overnight freezing into a thin layer of ice which makes for treacherous walking conditions. Walking to work at a little past 7.00am this morning, it is slightly reassuring to see I am not the only one bothered by the icy conditions; on the corner of Justice Street and East North Street, I share a smile with a woman in a big red coat who appears to be in at least as much difficulty as I am, only she has several bags to balance in addition with managing to not slip. The bond of shared difficulty I suppose?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#41 - About Town - Icy Underfoot"},{"content":"\nA pit stop at my local grocery shop at which I find coconut water is on sale - cheaper by £1.47\u0026hellip;. Forgive me if I went overboard\n#Hoarding\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/11/40-hoarding/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#40-coconut water\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/cc833-40-coconut-water.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA pit stop at my local grocery shop at which I find coconut water is on sale - cheaper by £1.47\u0026hellip;. Forgive me if I went overboard\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Hoarding\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#40 - Hoarding"},{"content":"Mayfair, 28th November 2015.\nI feel like the travel bug is rearing its head again..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/10/39-mayfair/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#39 - mayfair\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20ca1-39-mayfair.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eMayfair\u003c/em\u003e, 28th November 2015.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI feel like the travel bug is rearing its head again..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#39 - Mayfair"},{"content":"\nFor Mag 305\nLike a sentinel She casts her eye over the Sea. Those who have left-\nA lost, fading blob. In her heart hides defiant Hope For their returning.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/09/38-the-returning/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"caroline knopf crop\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/6dc7b-caroline-knopf-crop.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"http://magpietales.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/mag-305.html\"\u003eMag 305\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike a sentinel\nShe casts her eye over the\nSea. Those who have left-\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA lost, fading blob.\nIn her heart hides defiant Hope\nFor their returning.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#38 - The Returning"},{"content":"\n4.30pm, after what has been one of those hectic days from which I am only too happy to be saved by the end of my work day. Today though, the sense - for the first time in a long while - that I have been productive.\n#Content\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/08/37-the-view/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#37-the view\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/9f754-37-the-view.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e4.30pm, after what has been one of those hectic days from which I am only too happy to be saved by the end of my work day. Today though, the sense - for the first time in a long while - that I have been productive.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Content\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#37 - The View"},{"content":" Have had this on repeat for most of the week\u0026hellip; #EarWorm\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/07/36-chasing-me-down-israel-houghton/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ubd3-OcUQ3c?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHave had this on repeat for most of the week\u0026hellip; #EarWorm\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#36 - Chasing Me Down - Israel Houghton"},{"content":"https://www.ted.com/talks/judson_brewer_a_simple_way_to_break_a_bad_habit?language=en\nA fascinating talk by Judson Brewer on habits and how we form them. Apt, given I am looking to embed 12 key ones this year. The key to tweaking our trigger-behaviour-reward cycle is being mindful and curious, focusing on what is really happening to us in the moment of behaving, apparently.\n#Timely\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/06/35-a-simple-way-to-break-a-bad-habit/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.ted.com/talks/judson\"\u003ehttps://www.ted.com/talks/judson\u003c/a\u003e_brewer_a_simple_way_to_break_a_bad_habit?language=en\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA fascinating talk by Judson Brewer on habits and how we form them. Apt, given I am looking to \u003ca href=\"http://archive.rustgeek.me/2016-in-twelve-things/\"\u003eembed 12 key ones this year\u003c/a\u003e. The key to tweaking our \u003cem\u003etrigger-behaviour-reward\u003c/em\u003e cycle is being mindful and curious, focusing on what is really happening to us in the moment of behaving, \u003cem\u003eapparently.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Timely\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#35 - A Simple Way To Break A Bad Habit"},{"content":"\nHanging with the young adults at church\n#Banter\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/05/34-games-night/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/baa06-img_0740.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHanging with the young adults at church\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Banter\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#34 - Games Night "},{"content":" An Indian, a Weegie and a Nigerian walk into a Spanish tapas place *insert whatever joke you deem fit*.. More seriously though it is a fitting end to what has been a hectic week, hanging out with G and D from work @La Tasca; gin and tonics and red wine lubricating our throats all evening long.\n#Work #Bants\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/04/33-thursday-evening-shenanigans/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAn Indian, \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weegie\"\u003ea Weegie\u003c/a\u003e and a Nigerian walk into a Spanish tapas place *insert whatever joke you deem fit*.. More seriously though it is a fitting end to what has been a hectic week, hanging out with G and D from work @La Tasca; gin and tonics and red wine lubricating our throats all evening long.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Work #Bants\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#33 - Thursday Evening Shenanigans"},{"content":"\nA commemorative statue for Robert the Bruce\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/03/32-hanging-with-bruce/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/a27a9-32-bruce.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA commemorative statue for \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_the_Bruce\"\u003eRobert the Bruce\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#32- Hanging with Bruce"},{"content":"\nAt the movies with L to see The Revenant - as much an endurance test for viewers who have to sit through all 2 hours 36 minutes of it as it is for Leonardo Di Caprio\u0026rsquo;s character, stumbling through the frozen lands he must to reach home and find a closure of sorts - I find myself wondering what the etiquette for movie watching is these days. Given how the action drags, I am tempted to try to make small talk, keen to not miss the opportunity finally getting a chance to catch up at the 8th or 9th time of trying affords.\nIn the end, I settle for the odd throw away comment when the musical score peaks, hoping that my voice is sufficiently masked by the sound to not carry too far to the irritation of others.. A different evening than is usual for me on a Tuesday, all things considered. I could get used to this\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/02/31-of-movies-and-etiquette/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#31-revenant\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/8f6f0-31-revenant.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the movies with L to see \u003ca href=\"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1663202/\"\u003eThe Revenant\u003c/a\u003e - as much an endurance test for viewers who have to sit through all 2 hours 36 minutes of it as it is for Leonardo Di Caprio\u0026rsquo;s character, stumbling through the frozen lands he must to reach home and find a closure of sorts - I find myself wondering what the  etiquette for movie watching is these days. Given how the action drags, I am tempted to try to make small talk, keen to not miss the opportunity finally getting a chance to catch up at the 8th or 9th time of trying affords.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#31 - Of Movies and Etiquette"},{"content":"North Esplanade West, Again\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/02/01/30-north-esplanade-west-again/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#30 - north esplanade west\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/34a0c-30-north-esplanade-west.jpg\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/20/18-about-town/\"\u003eNorth Esplanade West\u003c/a\u003e, Again\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#30 - North Esplanade West, Again"},{"content":" Heard after a long time during worship today\n#Ace\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/31/29-on-repeat-your-presence-is-heaven/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/bGdphVx?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHeard after a long time during worship today\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Ace\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#29 - On Repeat - Your Presence Is Heaven"},{"content":"\nThe only road to Christian maturity and godliness passes through the practice of the Spiritual Disciplines. I will emphasize that godliness is the goal of the disciplines, and when we remember this, the Spiritual Disciplines become a delight instead of drudgery\nDonald S. Whitney: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life\n#CurrentlyReading\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/30/28-of-discipline-and-direction/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#28-spiritual disciplines for the christian life\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/59125-28-spiritual-disciplines-for-the-christian-life.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe only road to Christian maturity and godliness passes through the practice of the Spiritual Disciplines. I will emphasize that godliness is the goal of the disciplines, and when we remember this, the Spiritual Disciplines become a delight instead of drudgery\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDonald S. Whitney: \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spiritual-Disciplines-Christian-Donald-Whitney/dp/1615216170\"\u003eSpiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#CurrentlyReading\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#28 - Of Discipline and Direction"},{"content":"\nAgainst my better judgement, I decided to book a Les Mills body pump class at my gym (which I haven\u0026rsquo;t been to since last October). Suffice it to say that my soreness and general tiredness in the aftermath of the 45 minute class suggest my fitness is nothing to write home about (or more accurately is non existent). A wake up call if ever there was one.. Sigh\n#WakingUp\nP.S: Have to say the very pregnant women (2 off) in the class totally owned us\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/29/27-body-pump/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#27-body pump\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/32f8a-27-body-pump.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAgainst my better judgement, I decided to book a \u003ca href=\"http://www.lesmills.com/uk/workouts/group-fitness/bodypump/\"\u003eLes Mills body pump\u003c/a\u003e class at my gym  (which I haven\u0026rsquo;t been to since last October). Suffice it to say that my soreness and general tiredness in the aftermath of the 45 minute class suggest my fitness is nothing to write home about (or more accurately is non existent). A wake up call if ever there was one.. Sigh\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#WakingUp\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#27 - Body Pump"},{"content":"\nStolen off Instagram\u0026hellip; Have a peek at the kid\u0026rsquo;s back story. Impressive\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/28/26-quotable/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#26 - quote\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/6a087-26-quote.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStolen \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/BA9U1afG-n8SYbbCfUbzWNXG9eVApyqwce46Lw0/?taken-by=freaksho01\"\u003eoff Instagram\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip; Have a peek at the \u003ca href=\"http://businessideaslab.com/emil-motycka-entrepreneur/\"\u003ekid\u0026rsquo;s back story.\u003c/a\u003e Impressive\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#26 - Quotable"},{"content":"\nPark Street, 6.20am.. A damp squib of a day!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/27/25-out-and-about/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Taken with NightCap Pro\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/d43d4-25-damp-squib.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePark Street, 6.20am.. A damp squib of a day!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#25 - Out and About"},{"content":"\n---\nShe whirls to the rhythm of the rain. Her dance, light-footed - A pirouette - in step with the beat The light, gentle splatter of rain - Drops stopped in full flight By the chipped stones makes. As the night light catches The fringe of her costume She is no longer there. What we have is the after glow Of stolen re-memory - Of Peace and of repose And the calming lightness Of the patter of the Rain.\nFor Mag 303\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/26/24-dancing-with-in-the-rain/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#24 - woodman francesca\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/fd04d-24-woodman-francesca.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe whirls to the rhythm of the rain.\nHer dance, light-footed -\nA pirouette  - in step with the beat\nThe light, gentle splatter of rain -\nDrops stopped in full flight\nBy the chipped stones makes.\nAs the night light catches\nThe fringe of her costume\nShe is no longer there.\nWhat we have is the after glow\nOf stolen re-memory -\nOf Peace and of repose\nAnd the calming lightness\nOf the patter of the Rain.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#24 - Dancing With (In) The Rain"},{"content":"\nMy quick wander around Union Square leads me to WHSmith where I trawl the shelves, ultimately failing to find a notebook that calls to me. I do find this A5 sized one with gridded out sheets at Paperchase, one that reminds me of studying Maths in my (Nigerian) primary school days. Truth is my current task management set up (Wunderlist on my phone and Mac) leaves a little niggle - an inability to order tasks n running order. As a work around, I have pulling through the day\u0026rsquo;s tasks into Notes on my phone, a sort of live action tracker, which is where this new setup shines, replacing the notes app on my phone with a proper notebook. I hope, once the shine of a new notebook and erasable pen wears off that I can continue to do this\u0026hellip; Fingers crossed.\nInspired by this. #StrikeThru\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/25/23-going-analogue/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#23 - Moleskine\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/4ac0e-23-moleskine-e1453747216842.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy quick wander around Union Square leads me to WHSmith where I trawl the shelves, ultimately failing to find a notebook that calls to me. I do find this A5 sized one with gridded out sheets at Paperchase, one that reminds me of studying Maths in my \u003ca href=\"http://www.nairaland.com/389532/u-did-not-use-exercise\"\u003e(Nigerian) primary school days\u003c/a\u003e. Truth is my current task management set up (Wunderlist on my phone and Mac) leaves a little niggle - an inability to order tasks n running order. As a work around, I have pulling through the day\u0026rsquo;s tasks into Notes on my phone, a sort of live action tracker, which is where this new setup shines, replacing the notes app on my phone with a proper notebook. I hope, once the shine of a new notebook and erasable pen wears off that I can continue to do this\u0026hellip; Fingers crossed.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#23 - Going Analogue"},{"content":" From time to time, my rather loud, Pentecostal church goes back to basics and sings a communal hymn in place of a choral presentation. Days such as these - I feel - lend themselves more to the more contemplative (or less engaged some would argue) worshipers such as me. The hymn today was particularly apt, particularly the 3rd stanza given the disturbing news my friend B shared overnight about her loss.\nBe still, my soul, though dearest friends depart And all is darkened in the vale of tears; Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart, Who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears. Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay From His own fullness all He takes away.\nKari Jobe\u0026rsquo;s done a more contemporary version of the hymn for those of such an inclination.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/24/22-be-still-my-soul/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/hqgC1tqifV8?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom time to time, my rather loud, Pentecostal church goes back to basics and sings a communal hymn in place of a choral presentation. Days such as these - I feel - lend themselves more to the more contemplative (or less engaged some would argue) worshipers such  as me. The hymn today was particularly apt, particularly the 3rd stanza given the disturbing news my friend B shared overnight about her loss.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#22 - Be Still My Soul"},{"content":"\nNot the Charles Dickens book but the state of Aberdeen, the (self-proclaimed?) oil capital of Europe.. The biggest news, from a personal perspective this week, was probably the additional job cuts announced by the likes of BP and ConocoPhillips. All that puts into context a chance conversation with the guy behind the till at the corner shop where I grab the odd packet of biscuit or pint of milk when required. It turns out that he is a Reservoir Engineer, out of work for the last 10 months.\nSobering thought, given the direction the oil price seems to be headed, and the additional volumes Iran is bringing to the table.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/23/21-hard-times/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"West_Texas_Pumpjack\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/3e4ab-west_texas_pumpjack.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot the \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_Times\"\u003eCharles Dickens book\u003c/a\u003e but the state of Aberdeen, the (self-proclaimed?) oil capital of Europe.. The biggest news, from a personal perspective this week, was probably the additional job cuts announced by the likes of \u003ca href=\"http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/oil-giant-bp-confirm-plans-7164052#g8S6KIQh44m7ehFf.97\"\u003eBP\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/more-job-worries-north-sea-7202376#crQKeaI5OGeDGsiK.97\"\u003eConocoPhillips\u003c/a\u003e. All that puts into context a chance conversation with the guy behind the till at the corner shop where I grab the odd packet of biscuit or pint of milk when required. It turns out that he is a \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reservoir_engineering\"\u003eReservoir Engineer\u003c/a\u003e, out of work for the last 10 months.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#21 - Hard Times"},{"content":"\nA Guinness for the pain\u0026hellip;. and to kick off the weekend\n#TGIF\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/22/20-tgif/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#20- friday night\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/321ef-20-friday-night.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Guinness for the pain\u0026hellip;. and to kick off the weekend\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#TGIF\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#20 - TGIF"},{"content":"\nIn which I pretend to be young and free\u0026hellip;. Chicago, 2011\n#Throwback #Missed\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/21/19-sister-remembered/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"tbt-chicago 2\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/45ea4-tbt-chicago-2.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn which I pretend to be young and free\u0026hellip;. Chicago, \u003cem\u003e2011\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Throwback #Missed\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#19 - Sister, Remembered..."},{"content":"\nLunchtime, out for a long amble down Market street and up North Esplanade West beside the River Dee\u0026hellip;\n#Tranquill\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/20/18-about-town/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"IMG_0011\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/c4573-img_0011.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLunchtime, out for a long amble down Market street and up North Esplanade West beside the River Dee\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Tranquill\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#18 - About Town"},{"content":"From Simon Guillebaud\u0026rsquo;s January 3rd message at Holy Trinity Brompton on the subject Be A Living Sacrifice:\nLive Urgently Give Unreservedly Be Transformed Radically #Pondering\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/19/17-3-ideas-for-life/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFrom \u003ca href=\"http://www.simonguillebaud.com/\"\u003eSimon Guillebaud\u003c/a\u003e\u0026rsquo;s January 3rd message at Holy Trinity Brompton on the subject \u003ca href=\"http://www.htb.org/media/be-living-sacrifice-simon-guillebaud\"\u003eBe A Living Sacrifice\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLive Urgently\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGive Unreservedly\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBe Transformed Radically\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Pondering\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#17 - Three Ideas For Life"},{"content":"\nYet another day spent in a workshop, hammering out the finer details of the support we\u0026rsquo;ll need to provide for an upcoming project. This time away from the office; sequestered in a building on the corner of Market Street and North Esplanade West. I could get used to this; talking about work as opposed to doing work\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/18/16-work-talk-shop/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#16 - talkshop\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/7eb48-16-talkshop.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYet \u003ca href=\"http://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/14/12-what-a-bloke-lives-for/\"\u003eanother day\u003c/a\u003e spent in a workshop, hammering out the finer details of the support we\u0026rsquo;ll need to provide for an upcoming project. This time away from the office; sequestered in a building on the corner of Market Street and North Esplanade West. I could get used to this; \u003cem\u003etalking about\u003c/em\u003e work as opposed to \u003cem\u003edoing\u003c/em\u003e work\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#16 - Work (Talk) Shop"},{"content":"\n\u0026ndash;\nIn keeping with the sense of calmness from this morning, the homily at church today was a reflection on peace, with a key theme being how it is under-girded by a sense of implicit trust. This triggered a recollection of a message Bruce Ware gave many years ago at a New Attitude Conference where he likened trusting God to sitting on a three-legged stool, the three-legs in this case being a recognition that God is all powerful, all wise and all-loving, having our best interests at heart (summarized here).\nA timely reminder for me then about re-learning to trust God\u0026rsquo;s Providence (and people)\u0026hellip;.\n#NoteToSelf\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/17/15-on-trusting/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#15 - On Trusting\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/b5de0-15-on-trusting.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn keeping with \u003ca href=\"http://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/17/14-calm/\"\u003ethe sense of calmness\u003c/a\u003e from this morning, the homily at church today was a reflection on peace, with a key theme being how it is under-girded by a sense of implicit trust. This triggered a recollection of a message \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_A._Ware\"\u003eBruce Ware\u003c/a\u003e gave many years ago at a New Attitude Conference where he likened trusting God to sitting on a three-legged stool, the three-legs in this case being a recognition that God is all powerful, all wise and all-loving, having our best interests at heart (\u003ca href=\"http://www.capstewart.com/2006/02/matter-of-trust.html\"\u003esummarized here\u003c/a\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#15 - On Trusting"},{"content":" The difference the (absence of the) wind makes. Still freezing though\n#Paused\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/17/14-calm/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/8ce50-img_0696.jpeg\"\u003e\nThe difference the (absence of the) wind makes. Still freezing though\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Paused\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#14- Calm"},{"content":"\nSometime in the late 80\u0026rsquo;s/ early 90\u0026rsquo;s.. The place: a University in Ekpoma, Nigeria.. The people: kids and teachers from the Chapel\u0026rsquo;s Children\u0026rsquo;s Sunday School, a few of whom I still remember by name - all grown up now. A few dead people (RIP Gracie, GB, \u0026lsquo;Lena and Harold), one fairly famous (Nigerian) fashion designer (M) and seven kids who made it into engineering with a further six involved in other STEM subjects.\nLess than a quarter of those in the picture still live and work in Nigeria, but I suppose the bigger question is where did all that time, life and living go?\n#LifeHappened\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/15/13-25-kids-25-years-life/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"IMG_2039\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/3a259-img_2039.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSometime in the late 80\u0026rsquo;s/ early 90\u0026rsquo;s.. The place: a University in Ekpoma, Nigeria.. The people: kids and teachers from the Chapel\u0026rsquo;s Children\u0026rsquo;s Sunday School, a few of whom I still remember by name - all grown up now. A few dead people (RIP Gracie, GB, \u0026lsquo;Lena and Harold), one fairly famous (Nigerian) fashion designer (M) and seven kids who made it into engineering with a further six involved in other STEM subjects.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#13 - 25 kids, 25 years"},{"content":"Detailed, intense, technical conversations debating the finer points of a certain choice of material of construction. Worn, drained and tired at the end of it all but with all that comes a sense of satisfaction at making progress. Better to be busy than out of work I suppose, particularly given the state of the commodity market at the moment.\n#Thankful\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/14/12-what-a-bloke-lives-for/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDetailed, intense, technical conversations debating the finer points of a certain choice of material of construction. Worn, drained and tired at the end of it all but with all that comes a sense of satisfaction at making progress. Better to be busy than out of work I suppose, particularly given \u003ca href=\"http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21688446-why-oil-price-has-plunged-20-new-40\"\u003ethe state of the commodity market\u003c/a\u003e at the moment.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Thankful\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#12 - What A Bloke Lives For"},{"content":"\nGood things come to those who wait\u0026hellip; For a cold, sweaty Guinness, amongst other things.\n#Malones #Aberdeen\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/13/11-pub-wisdom/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#11-pubwisdom\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/d1ec0-11-pubwisdom.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGood things come to those who wait\u0026hellip; For a cold, sweaty Guinness, amongst other things.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Malones #Aberdeen\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#11 - Pub Wisdom"},{"content":"\nFood, fluids and friendships.. The highlights of days of Christmas past..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/12/10-reliving-christmas/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#10-xmasmirth\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/51345-10-xmasmirth.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFood, fluids and friendships.. The highlights of days of Christmas past..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#10 - Reliving Christmas"},{"content":" Overheard on the airport lounge\u0026rsquo;s public address system, Amy Winehouse belting out the lines to Back to Black.\nA bit out of left field but enough to unleash a flood of memories from that summer of 2009.\n#LifeInASong\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/11/9-back-to-black/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/9c5ce-img_0677.jpeg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/9c5ce-img_0677.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\nOverheard on the airport lounge\u0026rsquo;s public address system, Amy Winehouse belting out the lines to  \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJAfLE39ZZ8\u0026amp;feature=youtu.be\"\u003eBack to Black.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA bit out of left field but enough to unleash a flood of memories from \u003cem\u003ethat\u003c/em\u003e summer of 2009.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#LifeInASong\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#9 -Back to Black"},{"content":"Stumbled upon via the Wordpress discovery feature, The True Story of a Seven Year Marriage:\nBefore you can make high towers, it’s best to build a good strong base. It comes from laughter, empathy, forgiveness, accepting the other person’s struggle, and knowing yourself. But sometimes without knowing it, you build too high and too fast. Things get shaky and start to wobble. There is always a way to rebuild if you’re willing. Always new and different blocks to try, always time to take a few steps back and build the bottom stronger.\nA bit dated (from 2013) but loads of hard hitting home truths.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/10/8-on-marrying/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eStumbled upon via the \u003ca href=\"https://wordpress.com/discover\"\u003eWordpress discovery\u003c/a\u003e feature, \u003ca href=\"https://flysoftly.wordpress.com/2013/07/30/the-true-story-of-a-seven-year-marriage/\"\u003eThe True Story of a Seven Year Marriage\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBefore you can make high towers, it’s best to build a good strong base. It comes from laughter, empathy, forgiveness, accepting the other person’s struggle, and knowing yourself. But sometimes without knowing it, you build too high and too fast. Things get shaky and start to wobble. There is always a way to rebuild if you’re willing. Always new and different blocks to try, always time to take a few steps back and build the bottom stronger.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#8 - On Marrying"},{"content":"\nWatching Whiplash again reminded me of the power mentors (or more correctly in this case, people who we look up to and whose opinions we cherish) can have over us, driving us to become singularly focused on achieving, thereby impressing them. The merits and demerits of the influence of Fletcher on Andrew may be open to interpretation - the methods certainly are - but the intensity with which that final scene was delivered might make up for every thing.\nI have had the blessing of both being helped - and hounded - by workplace mentors. What comes to mind again and again is how the intensity of those formative years have stood me in good stead and influenced my work ethic. Over a decade later, those mentoring relationships have lasted, and when I pop into Houston for work or pass through Lagos (for those still there), meeting up for a drink or a meal is never up for debate. We make it happen.\nSo for the moral, a useful reminder for me to celebrate the mentors - past and present - in my life.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/09/7-of-mentors/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"whiplash2\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/95847-whiplash2.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWatching \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiplash_(2014_film)\"\u003eWhiplash\u003c/a\u003e again reminded me of the power mentors (or more correctly in this case, people who we look up to and whose opinions we cherish) can have over us, driving us to become singularly focused on achieving, thereby impressing them. The merits and demerits of the influence of  Fletcher on Andrew may be open to interpretation - the methods certainly are - but the intensity with which \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twKsU1Qv4k8\"\u003ethat final scene\u003c/a\u003e was delivered might make up for every thing.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#7 - Of Mentors"},{"content":"\n--- Yesterday was a seventh consecutive day of having managed to start my day with a time of quiet contemplation using the devotional I\u0026rsquo;ve chosen to use for the year. The reading, from 1 Corinthians 9:27 with its imagery of war with the body got me thinking of all the other metaphors faith (at least in the Christian sense) is described by. A few readily came to mind; an athlete, a soldier, a farmer and a steward of resources. I suspect there are more, if one chose to delve deeper, but all these seemed to support the narrative of focus and discipline on one hand, and reward on the other.\n#Focus then\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/08/6-of-faith-and-metaphors/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#7-faith and metaphors\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/b5718-7-faith-and-metaphors.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\nYesterday was a seventh consecutive day of having managed to start my day with a time of quiet contemplation using \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Faith-Food-Devotions-Kenneth-Hagin/dp/0892760451/\"\u003ethe devotional\u003c/a\u003e I\u0026rsquo;ve chosen to use for the year. The reading, from \u003ca href=\"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+9:27\"\u003e1 Corinthians 9:27\u003c/a\u003e with its imagery of war with the body got me thinking of all the other metaphors faith (at least in the Christian sense) is described by.  A few readily came to mind; \u003ca href=\"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=hebrews++12%3A1\u0026amp;version=KJV\"\u003ean athlete\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+6%3A10-18\u0026amp;version=KJV\"\u003ea soldier,\u003c/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+13%3A1-9\u0026amp;version=KJV\"\u003ea farmer\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25%3A14-30\u0026amp;version=KJV\"\u003ea steward of resources\u003c/a\u003e. I suspect there are more, if one chose to delve deeper, but all these seemed to support the narrative of focus and discipline on one hand, and reward on the other.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#6 - Of Faith and Metaphors"},{"content":"\nSent on a whim, and very well received by all accounts. I should do this more often.\n#Embrace spontaneity\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/07/5-spontaneity/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"5 - surprise\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/fe9a1-5-surprise.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSent on a whim, and very well received by all accounts. I should do this more often.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Embrace spontaneity\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#5 -  Spontaneity"},{"content":"At the coffee machine, catching up with the new, younger engineer who shares my first name, he asks me what my surname is. I give him the anglicized, easy to pronounce version which doesn\u0026rsquo;t satisfy him. He asks me how I would pronounce it - cue five attempts, after each of which he fails colossally to reproduce the sounds I make somehow ending up adding, subtracting and transposing syllables through his various attempts.\nFull marks for interest I guess, but I suspect he and I will be sticking to our (shared) first name going forward.\n#Resolved\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/06/4-of-names/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAt the coffee machine, catching up with the new,  younger engineer who shares my first name, he asks me what my surname is. I give him the anglicized, easy to pronounce version which doesn\u0026rsquo;t satisfy him. He asks me how I would pronounce it - cue five attempts, after each of which he fails colossally to reproduce the sounds I make somehow ending up adding, subtracting and transposing syllables through his various attempts.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#4 -Of names..."},{"content":"\nIn the picture are two of my favourite things: coffee, particularly that festive specialty ginger bread latte and wasabi peas which have been out of stock at the shop next to work for a while. Which is why I went a little over the top once they were back in, ordered four little packs.\n#Bliss\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/05/3-joy-in-the-simple-things/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#3 - Wasabis\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/24ed5-3-wasabis.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the picture are two of my favourite things: coffee, particularly that festive specialty ginger bread latte and wasabi peas which have been out of stock at the shop next to work for a while. Which is why I went a little over the top once they were back in, ordered four little packs.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Bliss\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#3 - Joy In The Simple Things"},{"content":"\nEach year, on the last day before work officially resumes, I pop into the office to clear my desk. Something about the emptiness and the quietness allows me to, as I put away the detritus of the past year\u0026rsquo;s work, progressively bring myself to a place where I feel prepared to face the new work year. A large part of that is about trying to ease myself into the routine of work, acclimatising to my work space again after what usually has been two to three weeks of absence, and a food fuelled haze of sorts.\nSpeaking of food, this year\u0026rsquo;s Christmas silly season was a lot more muted than usual (read three gigs as opposed to the eight or so from a year ago); the impact of continued low oil prices, job losses and the prospect of a difficult 2016 not doing much to help the mood over the holidays. Not much could be said about the weather either, the 7\u0026rsquo;s and 10s we got over the period a far cry from the 3.5s and near zero\u0026rsquo;s we\u0026rsquo;ve had particularly over Christmas - all very not normal.\nThree hours of filing, cleaning and shredding later, all that is left are the unread emails in my inbox; all 235 of them. I will have to hit the ground running tomorrow, but today I am cherishing the silence, savouring the peace and learning to breathe; before the next wave hits.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/04/2-savouring-the-silence/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"#2 - Chasing Normal\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/cb621-2-chasing-normal.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach year, on the last day before work officially resumes, I pop into the office to clear my desk. Something about the emptiness and the quietness allows me to, as I put away the detritus of the past year\u0026rsquo;s work, progressively bring myself to a place where I feel prepared to face the new work year. A large part of that is about trying to ease myself into the routine of work, acclimatising to my work space again after what usually has been two to three weeks of absence, and a food fuelled haze of sorts.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#2 - Savouring the Silence"},{"content":"\nMy first run since I cracked a couple of bones in my foot last October went without incident, all fifteen minutes of it. I took my usual route, up the Beach Boulevard and then towards the Beach Esplanade; the long, straight stretch of which I have come to love for the sense of exhilaration I get as my feet pound the ground in time with whatever song I am listening to.\nThis time, I had 55mph winds behind my back, the view to my right one of the sea whipped into froth by the wind which made the Switchfoot song I was listening to an interesting choice. The sound of the crashing waves, the flying spray and the bone-chilling coldness of everything - juxtaposed with the sense of fragility I have felt both emotionally and physically through last year - all contributed to foist upon me a sense of my smallness amidst everything.\nIf there is a moral to all this - and I am not entirely sure there is one - perhaps it is a healthy reminder of one\u0026rsquo;s insignificance in the overall scheme of things. One has a place, important to the individual as it might be, what is critical though is not to lose sight of the fact that there is a much bigger picture.\nThe song?\nAnd my heart is yours And what a broken place it\u0026rsquo;s in But you\u0026rsquo;re what I\u0026rsquo;m running for And I want to feel the wind at my back again\nApt.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/03/1-first-run/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"beach_run\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/68727-beach_run.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy first run since I cracked a couple of bones in my foot last October went without incident, all fifteen minutes of it. I took my usual route, up the Beach Boulevard and then towards the Beach Esplanade; the long, straight stretch of which I have come to love for the sense of exhilaration I get as my feet pound the ground in time with whatever song I am listening to.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"1 - First Run"},{"content":"\nThis year, instead of a bucket list of things I am hoping to achieve, I chose to identify 12 things, key changes which in my opinion if implemented in my life would deliver the biggest value. The intent is to focus on one for each month, the idea (referenced in this Matt Cutts TEDx talk) being that focusing on one change for a thirty day period gives one a fighting chance of making lasting change.\nFor January, the objective is to focus on developing a regular practice of contemplative prayer and bible study, two things which my harried existence in 2015 made nigh impossible to do with any regularity.\nTowards the back end of last year, I stumbled on this post on the Hillsong Collected blog that led me on to the original 100 Days of Making Project page. There is a long and storied history going back to a graduate project at the Yale School of Art, but the premise is simple: doing something creative for 100 consecutive days.\nGiven one of my objectives for the year is to write a lot more consistently, I\u0026rsquo;d like my thing to be 100 consecutive days of writing. I suspect the subject matter will vary widely from day to day but I\u0026rsquo;d like the over arching theme to be one of being; specifically reflecting on where I am today, where I have come from and how these have shaped how I see myself evolving over the next few years.\nThe NYTimes Learning sub-site has a listing of 500 prompts for narrative and personal writing which will be the core of what I reflect on, augmented by any day to day happenings which catch my attention.\nFingers crossed then. Here\u0026rsquo;s to #100DaysOfBeing.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/02/100-days-of-being/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"luna-what-could-you-do-with-100-days-lighter\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/8952d-luna-what-could-you-do-with-100-days-lighter.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis year, instead of  a bucket list of things I am hoping to achieve, \u003ca href=\"http://archive.rustgeek.me/2016/01/01/2016-in-twelve-things/\"\u003eI chose to identify 12 things\u003c/a\u003e, key changes which in my opinion if implemented in my life would deliver the biggest value. The intent is to focus on one for each month, the idea (referenced in \u003ca href=\"https://www.ted.com/talks/matt_cutts_try_something_new_for_30_days?language=en\"\u003ethis Matt Cutts TEDx talk\u003c/a\u003e)  being that focusing on one change for a thirty day period gives one a fighting chance of making lasting change.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"100 Days Of Being"},{"content":"A Year of Lessons Learned - some at great cost - in no particular order:\nDoubts not dealt with at inception are unlikely to go away of their own accord, they are more likely to fester and then lead to a cataclysmic event; It is almost never ever about you alone, people can (and probably will) get hurt by the fallout of your (in)decisions; The health, quality and colour of the grass across the fence are notoriously difficult to predict, one is perhaps best minded to live by the dictum \u0026rsquo; a bird in hand is worth two in the bush\u0026rsquo; ; Mutuality - another notoriously difficult thing to predict - is everything; There is nothing to be gained from overthinking things; Time is perhaps the greatest contributor to clarity and healing; God does still come through, only He does have a peculiar sense of timing. For 2016?\nTo move, to breathe, to fly, to float, To gain all while you give, To roam the roads of lands remote; To run wild, love strong, live free\u0026hellip; And keep enough pipes rusting to fund all that\nHans Christian Anderson | For King and Country | TheRustGeek\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/12/31/lessons-learned-2015/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA Year of Lessons \u003cem\u003eLearned -\u003c/em\u003e some at great cost - in no particular order:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDoubts not dealt with at inception are unlikely to go away of their own accord, they are more likely to fester and then lead to a cataclysmic event;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt is almost never ever about you alone, people can (and probably will) get hurt by the fallout of your (in)decisions;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe health, quality and colour of the grass across the fence are notoriously difficult to predict, one is perhaps best minded to live by the dictum \u0026rsquo; \u003cem\u003ea bird in hand is worth two in the bush\u0026rsquo; ;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMutuality - another notoriously difficult thing to predict - \u003cem\u003eis\u003c/em\u003e everything;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThere is nothing to be gained from overthinking things;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTime is perhaps the greatest contributor to clarity and healing;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod \u003ca href=\"/2015/12/06/new-old-jobs-a-testimony-of-sorts/\"\u003edoes still come through\u003c/a\u003e, only He does have a \u003cem\u003epeculiar\u003c/em\u003e sense of timing.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor 2016?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Lessons Learned..."},{"content":"Notes\n3% reduction in overall networth vs YE 2014; driven mainly by the impact of the crash in the value of the Nigerian Naira on my Nigeria domicilled bits and bobs Full Year (FY) spend was 96% of net earnings (v. 104% for FY 2014); non-charity spend at 71% of net earnings (v.74% for FY 2014). Unsustainable in the long run but headed in the right direction I believe. FY spend ~12% above plan, main driver being expenditures related to my decision to live alone from May (and outfit my house) Main exposure is ~£4k in outstanding loans; not including the £1.5k I wrote off at YE 2014. Key 2016 Actions\nRetrieve outstanding loans; minimise exposures going forward by instituting strong controls around loaning friends and family money; Identify options to reclaim stranded EM (Nigeria) pension funds Explore more aggressive investment options (funds, forex trading) Deliver on 2016 stretch targets (equivalent to a 19% reduction in FY spend) focus areas will be purchases and loans. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/12/31/2015-in-three-money-charts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/a389c-01-fyspend.png\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"01 FYSpend\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/a389c-01-fyspend.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/d4437-02-fyspend-plan-v-actual.png\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"02 FYSpend - Plan v Actual\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/d4437-02-fyspend-plan-v-actual.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/349a3-03-networth.png\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"03 Networth\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/349a3-03-networth.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNotes\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e3% reduction in overall networth vs YE 2014; driven mainly by the impact of the \u003ca href=\"http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/12/senate-approves-mtef-as-oil-prices-naira-crash-further/\"\u003ecrash in the value of the Nigerian Naira\u003c/a\u003e on my Nigeria domicilled bits and bobs\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFull Year (FY) spend was 96% of net earnings (v. 104% for FY 2014); non-charity spend at 71% of net earnings (v.74% for FY 2014). Unsustainable in the long run but headed in the right direction I believe.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFY spend ~12% above plan, main driver being expenditures related to my decision to live alone from May (and outfit my house)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMain exposure is ~£4k in outstanding loans; not including the £1.5k I wrote off at YE 2014.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey 2016 Actions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2015 in Three (Money) Charts"},{"content":"That perfect year?\nIn Work: Did finally get offered a staff position somewhere that ticked all the boxes I deeply desired at the beginning of the year (O\u0026amp;G operator, strong technical focus and scope to evolve my role). As a bonus, the official job title is now half a sentence :) In Women: The G ‘problem’ ended being resolved in dissolution. Sucked but we were clearly headed no where. I suspect it was me tearing things up instead of dealing with them, again. :( In Faith and Worldview: Not a lot of progress, very easily my worst year faith wise. In Weight: 1 kg net loss, give or take, I do have the excuse of a broken foot in Q3 to blame here though :) In (Net) Worth: Stalled again, slight decrease from 2014 actually - not helped by the Naira tanking and wiping out a shed load of my Nigerian savings and investments.:( F0r 2016? Wash, Rinse, Repeat I guess - but with a lot more fight.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/12/31/recapping-that-perfect-year/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThat \u003ca href=\"http://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/06/19/the-perfect-year-in-five-things/\"\u003eperfect year\u003c/a\u003e?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn Work\u003c/strong\u003e: Did finally get offered a staff position somewhere that ticked all the boxes I deeply desired at the beginning of the year (O\u0026amp;G operator, strong technical focus and scope to evolve my role). As a bonus, the official job title is now half a sentence :)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn Women\u003c/strong\u003e: The G ‘problem’ ended being resolved in dissolution. Sucked but we were clearly headed no where. I suspect it was me \u003ca href=\"http://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/06/08/beginning-again/\"\u003etearing things up instead of dealing with them\u003c/a\u003e, again. :(\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn Faith and Worldview\u003c/strong\u003e: Not a lot of progress, very easily my worst year faith wise.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn Weight\u003c/strong\u003e: 1 kg net loss, give or take, I do have the excuse of a broken foot in Q3 to blame here though :)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn (Net) Worth\u003c/strong\u003e:  Stalled again, \u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/349a3-03-networth.png\"\u003eslight decrease from 2014 actually\u003c/a\u003e - not helped by the Naira tanking and wiping out a shed load of my Nigerian savings and investments.:(\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eF0r 2016? Wash, Rinse, Repeat I guess - but with a lot more \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo1VInw-SKc\"\u003efight\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Recapping that 'perfect' year"},{"content":"Trying to get a lot more structured with reading - 25 books in total spread across 5 categories - Christian Classics, Literary Classics, Popular Fiction, Modern Christian Writing and Productivity, Personal Development \u0026amp; Non-fiction.\nCompleted:\nMoonwalking with Einstein - Joshua Foer The Pioneer Detectives -Konstantin Kakaes The Best American Essays 2014 - JJ Sullivan (ed) The Land of Steady Habits - Ted Thompson Sexual Detox - Tim Challies NW - Zadie Smith Crafting the Personal Essay - Dinty W Moore What\u0026rsquo;s so Amazing About Grace - Phillip Yancey How To Be Alone - Jonathan Franzen The Best American Essays 2013 - Cheryl Strayed (ed) The Seven Good Years - Etgar Keret Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez - Richard Rodriguez The Children Act - Ian McEwan The Things They Carried- Tim O\u0026rsquo;Brien Something to Answer For - P.H. Newby ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/12/31/the-year-in-reading-2015/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTrying to get a lot more structured with reading - 25 books in total spread across 5 categories - Christian Classics, Literary Classics, Popular Fiction, Modern Christian Writing and Productivity, Personal Development \u0026amp; Non-fiction.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCompleted:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moonwalking-Einstein-Science-Remembering-Everything/dp/0141032138\"\u003eMoonwalking with Einstein\u003c/a\u003e - Joshua Foer\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Pioneer-Detectives-spacecraft-Einstein-ebook/dp/B00DV5SERW\"\u003eThe Pioneer Detectives\u003c/a\u003e -Konstantin Kakaes\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Best-American-Essays-2014/dp/0544309901\"\u003eThe Best American Essays 2014\u003c/a\u003e - JJ Sullivan (ed)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Land-Steady-Habits-Ted-Thompson/dp/0316186562/\"\u003eThe Land of Steady Habits\u003c/a\u003e - Ted Thompson\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sexual-Detox-Guide-Guys-Sick/dp/1453807284/\"\u003eSexual Detox\u003c/a\u003e - Tim Challies\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/NW-Zadie-Smith/dp/0141036591\"\u003eNW\u003c/a\u003e - Zadie Smith\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crafting-The-Personal-Essay-Non-Fiction-ebook/dp/B005FWYTFA\"\u003eCrafting the Personal Essay\u003c/a\u003e - Dinty W Moore\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Whats-So-Amazing-About-Grace/dp/0310245656/\"\u003eWhat\u0026rsquo;s so Amazing About Grace\u003c/a\u003e - Phillip Yancey\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-be-Alone-Jonathan-Franzen/dp/0007153589\"\u003eHow To Be Alone\u003c/a\u003e - Jonathan Franzen\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-American-Essays-Cheryl-Strayed/dp/0544103882\"\u003eThe Best American Essays 2013\u003c/a\u003e - Cheryl Strayed (ed)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Seven-Good-Years-Memoir/dp/1594633266\"\u003eThe Seven Good Years\u003c/a\u003e - Etgar Keret\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hunger-Memory-Education-Richard-Rodriguez/dp/0553272934\"\u003eHunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez\u003c/a\u003e - Richard Rodriguez\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Children-Act-Ian-McEwan/dp/0099599635\"\u003eThe Children Act\u003c/a\u003e - Ian McEwan\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Things-They-Carried-Flamingo/dp/0006543944/\"\u003eThe Things They Carried\u003c/a\u003e- Tim O\u0026rsquo;Brien\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Something-Answer-For-P-H-Newby/dp/0571243258\"\u003eSomething to Answer For\u003c/a\u003e - P.H. Newby\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"The Year in Reading 2015"},{"content":" \u0026hellip;Neither saint nor Tzadik nor prophet standing at the gate; he’s just another sinner who has somewhat sharper awareness and uses slightly more precise language to describe inconceivable reality of our world. He doesn’t invent a single feeling or thought – all of them existed long before him… He’s here, at our side, buried up to his neck in mud and filth.\nThe Seven Good Years: A Memoir, Etgar Keret\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/12/09/the-writer-is/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026hellip;Neither saint nor \u003ca href=\"https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tzaddik#English\"\u003eTzadik\u003c/a\u003e nor prophet standing at the gate; he’s just another sinner who has somewhat sharper awareness and uses slightly more precise language to describe inconceivable reality of our world. He doesn’t invent a single feeling or thought – all of them existed long before him… He’s here, at our side, buried up to his neck in mud and filth.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Seven-Good-Years-Memoir/dp/1594633266\"\u003eThe Seven Good Years: A Memoir\u003c/a\u003e, Etgar Keret\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Writer Is...."},{"content":"I came into church on the 10th of May feeling deeply distraught, the overwhelming sense being that all was not well. Two main issues drove the sense of disjunction I felt; uncertainties around work and an inner turmoil around a decision in my personal life I had wrestled with for nearly a year.\nThe message on the day was by Rev Charles Achonwa - one of the first things he said being about surrendering to grace. This spoke directly to where I was at the moment, as I had taken time off a month before to come up with what I felt was the perfect plan with multiple backups and redundancies but had made little progress which fed the sense of frustration I felt.\nA couple of days later, at the morning prayers in church, an opportunity came up to reiterate those two issues again, which I took. Two weeks later, I was called in to an informal conversation with my team leader at work and asked if I’d consider a new role within the team. That set off a number of things involving board approval, an interview and then a job offer. Visas and the associated paperwork were sorted out with little input from me, besides showing up to Glasgow for the immigration interview.\nTo the glory of God, I started in the new role just over a month ago today. Interestingly, I have had my job title changed three times; each with my remit expanded (but not a lot more money though!)\nReflecting on how what has been a difficult year has panned out, I was reminded of how in the most optimistic of plans I’d built, my current role was one I aspired to in the 2019 timeframe. Thanks to surrendering to Grace, that timeline has been cut significantly.\nThere are still a few deeply emotive issues I am trusting God about, but the sense is one of greater clarity and peace; that the closed doors I tried hard to break down by own strength and scheming earlier in the year are all part of his bigger plan.:)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/12/06/new-old-jobs-a-testimony-of-sorts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI came into church on the 10th of May feeling deeply distraught, the overwhelming sense being that all was not well. Two main issues drove the sense of disjunction I felt; uncertainties around work and an inner turmoil around a decision in my personal life I had wrestled with for nearly a year.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe message on the day was by \u003ca href=\"http://doulosministries.tv/\"\u003eRev Charles Achonwa\u003c/a\u003e - one of the first things he said being about surrendering to grace. This spoke directly to where I was at the moment, as I had taken time off a month before to come up with what I felt was the perfect plan with multiple backups and redundancies but had made little progress which fed the sense of frustration I felt.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"New (old) Job - A Testimony of Sorts"},{"content":"\nIn his seminal essay Why I Blog, Andrew Sullivan reflects on the subject of blogging; it’s similarity to - and shared etymology with - a ship’s log, its rise in step with the proliferation of the web technologies which have made it possible, and the unique niche it fills in the online space. Its overarching and enduring quality, he surmises, is due in part to two things; the informal, almost instantaneous nature of blogging as a reaction to news and events, and the intense, if sometimes unforgiving, interaction between blogger and reader that blogs enable. The conclusions he reaches are from considering a specific form of a blog, the sort that lies at the intersection of personal reflection and journalism, much like his (now retired blog) Daily Dish. Overall the numbers are mind boggling. Back in 2005, Technorati estimated that a blog was born every second, with 14.2m blogs being tracked by them back then (For some context, Tumblr which didn\u0026rsquo;t exist back in 2005 was home to 261 million blogs as of the 1st of November this year). The vast majority of this blogosphere is made up of blogs that are far less serious in nature and content than the ones Sullivan’s comments concern primarily, however his conclusions apply, perhaps more-so in this personal, less formal space.\nThe personal blog appeals to us as readers, that much cannot be disputed with any degree of conviction. The why is far more nuanced, stemming in part from the humanising effect the vulnerability implicit in a personal blog generates. Paulo Coelho puts this most succinctly when he compares writing to being publicly naked. Sharing, in this space is a given; where the lines blur is around what is acceptable vulnerability and where over-sharing begins. This potential for over-sharing may be one of the reasons these sorts of blogs attract us, sating our inner desires to be in the know. There is an obvious downside to all this sharing; we as readers can get sucked into a comparison game - juxtaposing the realities of our hum-drum, quotidian lives with what are ostensibly the highlight reels from others\u0026rsquo; lives.\nAnonymous personal blogs - by decoupling real world connections from the stories that we share - go further, enabling engaged, diverse conversations around what might otherwise be taboo, stigma tainted subjects; living with HIV and/or rape being two examples which spring to mind quickly. This is interaction at its purest – a mental, mind-to-mind connection – unsullied by considerations of shape, sex, beauty or other physical characteristic.\nFor the reader, a personal blog – particularly where it veers off the beaten path into non-traditional quirks, likes and behaviours – also provides relief and validation. The joys of finding out that one’s curious fascination with cats acting like human s is as normal as can be reassures one that his/her humanity is not seriously in doubt. One is like the guy or girl next door, if next door can be expanded to include the unknown person behind a screen.\nSomewhere between discovering a blog and becoming a captive reader lies a progression much akin to the development of a love affair. The first heady heights of being attracted to a mind - either by a unique turn of phrase, a shared quirky interest or whatever else grabs one - eventually gets replaced by a commitment to returning, and for some people, we return again and again. Our desire for connection is obliged when the blogger returns repeatedly, sharing more and more, sometimes with a regularity that allows us build anticipation and sometimes associate happiness and joy with reading. Sometimes, we end up extending our follower-ship to other platforms across the internet, progressing from conversations on the blog to connections across the social media domain.\nBlogs and bloggers do not last forever, regardless of what our expectations as readers are. We hope that once posted, what we read and what we like will remain stored in the ether, the URLs we collect in our favourites and the text we save all becoming a time capsule that bottles up for future retrieval the sense of time, space and emotion created when we first read and resonate with someone else’s words. When blogs and bloggers disappear, the only reminders that they were once here are the 404 pages we get when we try to reassess our favourite content. This is very much the equivalent of being ghosted. As with all bad breakups, we seek palliatives. Google Reader, until retired by Google was perfect for this, storing a rich text version of whatever blog post the blogs one subscribed to had pushed via RSS. The Internet Archive WayBack machine, hit-or-miss as it could be, was another such resource, allowing me re-read archived versions of Teju Cole’s blog which became the source material for his novella Every Day Is For The Thief.\nThe years between 2008 and 2011 are ones I consider as a golden age of sorts for the Nigerian blogosphere, at least in my little corner of it. Thanks to quitting my mind-numbing job and returning to Grad school, I had far more time on my hands at the back end of 2008 than I had had in the preceding five years. I am no longer sure which was the first blog I stumbled on but over time I had the pleasure of getting to know a number of the people behind my favourites from that era; Doug, Dante, Olu Simeon, NoLimit, CaramelD, MissFab, Original Mgbeke, AfroGeek Chic and Tatababe to name a few. There were other favourites from that era I never got to be the ultimate fan boy with but whose writing still resonates with me – Nigerian Drama Queen, Adebola Rayo, Jaja, Light Her Lamp, Good Naija Girl, Atutupoyoyo, Zena, Miss Opeke, Confessions of a London Gal, La Reine and the Parakeet to name a few.\nThe vast majority of this lot have either vanished off the blogosphere, significantly downsized their blogs or reinvented themselves completely. It has been a source of great joy to see the likes of Jaja and Atutupoyoyo take their craft from blogsville to the real world of publishing – perhaps for the hope it gives the rest of us that one’s craft might yet be honed sufficiently by blogging.\nThere is certainly the sense that the Nigerian blogosphere is different in all sorts of ways, not least younger and interested in different subjects from the ones the old crowd were. From time to time, when I catch up with the members of the old guard I am close friends with in real life, we blame Twitter for being the disruptive influence at the centre of things. Truth be told, change was bound to happen, and if my own personal life is anything to go by, real life and its pressures are difficult things to manage. Twitter has given me the opportunity to know a few of the new crowd, and I must admit I am a big fan of quite a number of them – YossiePaul, Naija Rookie, Ifeoluwa, SingleNigerian, Naija Husband (and Wife) and the folk behind Nik-Nak come to mind most readily,\nOn a slow day I sometimes wonder what some of the oldies I never got to speak to are up to these days. NDQ dragged us through finding peace in heartbreak, before shooting off to Paris for the joys of quotidian things and then surreptitiously deleting a bunch of blog posts. Jaja was there one day, living it up in England, losing his wallet and battling malaria and then he was not (he’s turned up as a published author – bless him). Baroque turned up in a different guise on Twitter. UK Naija surfaced post the London Olympics, and may or may not be the essayist behind a truly compelling piece on depression in Nigeria.\nI’d like to think this has not been a moan. I will agree that it is a reflection – laced with nostalgia – of a past time and a past life. But then would I be human if I didn’t conflate time and space into a muddled memory, reinventing reality as I went along? For a title I have stolen a line from a poem written by the aforementioned Nigerian Drama Queen, one which lives on the edge of my consciousness on most days but from time to time raises its head above the parapet. It, like all truly important blogger time capsules, no longer exists on the internet, a 404 page the only testament that a living, breathing, succinct haiku once lived there. I will however share the fragment that lives in my head.\nSometimes I bleed blood, cry tears, bruise flesh. Remember: I am human, too\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/12/04/human-too/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"404\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/d2d48-404.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn his seminal essay \u003ca href=\"http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/11/why-i-blog/307060/\"\u003eWhy I Blog\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Sullivan\"\u003eAndrew Sullivan\u003c/a\u003e reflects on the subject of blogging; it’s similarity to - and shared etymology with - a ship’s log, its rise in step with the proliferation of the web technologies which have made it possible, and the unique niche it fills in the online space. Its overarching and enduring quality, he surmises, is due in part to two things; the informal, almost instantaneous nature of blogging as a reaction to news and events, and the intense, if sometimes unforgiving, interaction between blogger and reader that blogs enable. The conclusions he reaches are from considering a specific form of a blog, the sort that lies at the intersection of personal reflection and journalism, much like his (now retired blog) \u003ca href=\"http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/\"\u003eDaily Dish\u003c/a\u003e. Overall the numbers are mind boggling. Back in 2005, \u003ca href=\"http://technorati.com/\"\u003eTechnorati\u003c/a\u003e estimated that a blog was born every second, with \u003ca href=\"http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4737671.stm\"\u003e14.2m blogs being tracked by them back then\u003c/a\u003e (For some context, Tumblr which didn\u0026rsquo;t exist back in 2005 was home to \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumblr\"\u003e261 million blogs\u003c/a\u003e as of the 1st of November this year). The vast majority of this blogosphere is made up of blogs that are far less serious in nature and content than the ones Sullivan’s comments concern primarily, however his conclusions apply, perhaps more-so in this personal, less formal space.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Human, Too"},{"content":" You\u0026rsquo;re a Good, Good Father It\u0026rsquo;s who you are, it\u0026rsquo;s who you are, it\u0026rsquo;s who you are And I\u0026rsquo;m loved by you It\u0026rsquo;s who I am, it\u0026rsquo;s who I am, it\u0026rsquo;s who I am\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/11/22/on-repeat-good-good-father/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"hahahugoshortcode938s0hbhb\"\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/CqybaIesbuA?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou\u0026rsquo;re a Good, Good Father\nIt\u0026rsquo;s who you are, it\u0026rsquo;s who you are, it\u0026rsquo;s who you are\nAnd I\u0026rsquo;m loved by you\nIt\u0026rsquo;s who I am, it\u0026rsquo;s who I am, it\u0026rsquo;s who I am\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Repeat: Good Good Father"},{"content":"\nIt has been that sort of month since I was last here, the sort where the only possible response once the worst of it has passed is one of navel gazing self congratulation, at having survived without too much out of kilter, like a slight limp instead of a compound fracture\u0026hellip;Between two trips offshore, a sore foot which required a pitstop at A\u0026amp;E and busyness multiplied exponentially, the past three weeks have sped by like a blur. My continuum? 12 hour work days, deadlines coming thick and fast, and weekends spent trying to catch up on the week\u0026rsquo;s backlog in time for a fresh load of things to chase for the new week.\nAs is my wont it seems, it\u0026rsquo;s the people in my life who have suffered most from the pressure; being relegated to the will-get-to-when-I-get-to category as opposed to being a priority; a point brought home forcibly when my friend Des managed to tie me down to brunch on Saturday morning, where it turns out - when I ask about her daughter - that it has been nearly four years since we last met. The daughter I was asking about now has a younger sister who is almost three years old.\nThe one lull so far has been weather imposed, downtime occasioned by bad weather meaning that I spent the entirety of Monday at the airport waiting to fly. Thankfully, that has allowed me finish Ian McEwan\u0026rsquo;s The Children Act - book number 13 for the year, a full two months since I read the last one.\nSpeaking of the weather, Abigail has caused havoc in my corner of the world, leaving power cuts and school closures in her wake. That, coupled with 4 degree C weather, is an apt reminder of winter\u0026rsquo;s coming, and the christmas silly season looming on the horizon - I have passed up on one shindig already, opting to spend my Friday evening at home rather than plying myself with gin and tonics and pointless natter.\nNot a lot otherwise has happened, my year of living earnestly has been far more bluster than substance as yet. Hopefully with a semblance of normalcy, and the chance to do life at a far more respectable pace for the next few weeks, I can begin to reflect upon just how that life might look in a year\u0026rsquo;s time. Thankfully there is the framework from a year ago to direct my thoughts. I suspect the plan, when I get the time to build one, will be focused around 30 day challenges as a means to bedding down the associated habits.\nFingers crossed then - one must make hay whilst the sun shines, taking advantage of the opportunities this small lull offers.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/11/15/coming-up-for-air/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"water-water\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/water-water.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt has been \u003cem\u003ethat\u003c/em\u003e sort of month since I was last here, the sort where the only \u003cem\u003epossible\u003c/em\u003e response once the worst of it has passed is one of navel gazing self congratulation, at having \u003cem\u003esurvived\u003c/em\u003e without too much out of kilter, like a slight limp instead of a compound fracture\u0026hellip;Between two trips offshore, a sore foot which required a pitstop at A\u0026amp;E and busyness multiplied exponentially, the past three weeks have sped by like a blur. My continuum? 12 hour work days, deadlines coming thick and fast, and weekends spent trying to catch up on the week\u0026rsquo;s backlog in time for a fresh load of things to chase for the new week.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Coming Up For Air..."},{"content":"\nI chalk it up to the much vaunted persistence of vendors, when T. insists on coming into the office to drop off documents that require my assent rather than pop them in the mail. Part of me is more than mildly irritated at his insistence, given how much I have got on my plate at the moment - and the hour or so I will have to carve out of my day to attend to him. He comes bearing gifts, two large, sturdy umbrellas with alternating green and white panels; splashed with a large copy of his company logo. That does little to mollify me, but I manage to be courteous enough to make small talk and have a quick whiz through the documents I need to sign off. Just before he leaves, he enquires about the potential for future work, a subject I am unwilling to discuss given the state of the industry. When it is time to go home later that day, I leave the umbrella, that decision my nod to its unwantedness.\nA few days later, the bright lunch time sunshine - deceptively sunny is how we choose to describe these days, given how one is always only a misstep into the shadows of wincing at the bitter cold - morphs into a deluge. In three or so hours, it rains enough to flood the street; the drains overpowered by the burst of rain. I still insist on leaving my umbrella, believing that my wind breaker and hood would do me just fine, until just before I step out of the back door a fresh gust of rain convinces me otherwise. That makes up my mind for me, as I grudgingly walk all the way back in to pick up my unwanted umbrella.\nThat unlikely sequence of events - a vendor visit, the gift of an unwanted umbrella which I leave at work and a fresh gust of rain just when I am about to leave - is what leads to me standing next to a petite woman who is wet to the skin at the corner of East North Street, waiting for the lights at the pedestrian crossing to change. I catch her eye, and seeing how wet she is offer her the cover of my umbrella. She accepts, and I end up walking the short distance until she has to turn off to her house with her.\nJust before we split up, she asks if I am Nigerian, when I hesitate, she adds that the green -white-green umbrella is what makes her ask. I confirm I am, but explain that the umbrella was a gift, an unwanted one at that and that if the rain hadn\u0026rsquo;t had chosen the exact moment I was heading out of work to dump a fresh load, we might not have had an umbrella to share.\nJust how fortuitous it all is is not lost on her, I suspect I feel the same way.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/10/23/fortuity/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"brolly\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/ad5d4-brolly.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI chalk it up to the much vaunted persistence of vendors, when T. insists on coming into the office to drop off documents that require my assent rather than pop them in the mail. Part of me is \u003cem\u003emore than mildly\u003c/em\u003e irritated at his insistence, given how much I have got on my plate at the moment - and the hour or so I will have to carve out of my day to attend to him. He comes bearing gifts, two large, sturdy umbrellas with alternating green and white panels; splashed with a large copy of his company logo. That does little to mollify me, but I manage to be courteous enough to make small talk and have a quick whiz through the documents I need to sign off. Just before he leaves, he enquires about the potential for future work, a subject I am unwilling to discuss given the state of the industry. When it is time to go home later that day, I leave the umbrella, that decision my nod to its \u003cem\u003eunwantedness.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Fortuity"},{"content":"\n[ Source]\nThree chance occurrences over the space of the last month have done a lot more to unsettle me than anything else in the year so far. Not in a bad way by any chance, but in an ask-myself-hard-questions way. Of the myriad of questions bobbing around in my mind, ones that relate to authenticity, passion and faith and how these can be melded into a coherent practice have come to the fore, inspired by how the people in question are doing life in their real worlds, leaving marks in ways I can only aspire to at this stage.\nThe first of these was stumbling on @ IntensivEpicure\u0026rsquo;s spiel for the WA Awards Video in which she talked about a range of issues affecting perceptions of successful women. That chance click led to another and then Google from where a truly fascinating story unfolded; one that took in UNILAG, Harvard, ten years and then a return to the bedlam of Nigeria.\nA few days later, a chance conversation with a friend of a friend somehow segued into a critique of life in our corner of the world and our lack of viable love interests. Somewhere in all that, a name popped up, of someone who now lived down south in a corner of England my traipsing had yet to lead me to. Egged on by curiosity, I ended up on Google again, from where I ended up on a church pod-cast site, listening spell bound to this message on singleness. Well worth a listen - it opens in a new window - if I say so myself.\nAnd then there was Jürgen Klopp, whose arrival on Merseyside has us Liverpool fans - real, arm chair or pretend ones - buzzing again. The press conference at which he was unveiled, was a tour de force of hope, joy and anticipation. He does of course have pedigree, having delivered success on what was comparatively a shoe string budget at Dortmund, but peppering his answers with words like intensity, emotion and passion did his image no harm at all.\n--- One of the things I have struggled most with over the past year is regaining the sense of focus that defined my early years, which is perhaps why reading and listening to people such as those I stumbled on over the past few weeks - and I would add Louie Giglio, John Piper and Francis Chan to that list - puts these questions front and centre in my mind. That some of the most important influences in my life from growing up are people who were incredibly passionate about what they did; such as G \u0026amp; H from children’s Sunday school, DEL and MK from work, has only served to reinforce the sense that I am missing something by simply coasting along.\nNo where at the moment is the lack of passion and earnestness more visible in my life at the moment than in my spiritual practice. Although ebbs and flows here have been part and parcel of my experience, in my quiet moments there is a deep dissatisfaction with where things are - and have been for far longer than I\u0026rsquo;d care to admit.\nI\u0026rsquo;d like a year of tearing everything up and beginning again, of focus - of living earnestly and intentionally, one which includes more praying, more meditating, more reading and more engaging with the thorny issues bobbing about in my head. Like Francis Chan puts it:\nI want to fight, I want to know that I am battling and doing something with my life. There’s a joy of a soldier walking out of a battle all bloodied up and cut up because he went and did something. This Christian life is very difficult sometimes, but even in that suffering, it\u0026rsquo;s something we desire, that we want to rescue, that we want to be part of this battle.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/10/22/a-year-of-living-earnestly/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"not-all-who-wander-are-lost-tolkien\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/not-all-who-wander-are-lost-tolkien.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[ \u003ca href=\"http://www.wallconvert.com/wallpapers/typography/not-all-who-wander-are-lost-15725.html\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThree chance occurrences over the space of the last month have done a lot more to unsettle me than anything else in the year so far. Not in a bad way by any chance, but in an \u003cem\u003eask-myself-hard-questions\u003c/em\u003e way. Of the myriad of questions bobbing around in my mind, ones that relate to authenticity, passion and faith and how these can be melded into a coherent practice have come to the fore, inspired by how the people in question are doing life in their \u003cem\u003ereal\u003c/em\u003e worlds, leaving marks in ways I can only aspire to at this stage.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Year of Living Earnestly..."},{"content":"In chess:\na situation in which the obligation to make a move in one\u0026rsquo;s turn is a serious, often decisive, disadvantage.\nIn real life:\na situation in which one realises that life is speeding by in a state of unstable equilibrium with all the possible moves only likely to lead to more instability, or possibly a catastrophic event\u0026hellip;\nThe solution? To stop, tear everything up and begin again\u0026hellip; Maybe..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/10/05/zungzwang/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn chess:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ea situation in which the obligation to make a move in one\u0026rsquo;s turn is a serious, often decisive, disadvantage.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn real life:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ea situation in which one realises that life is speeding by in a state of \u003cem\u003eunstable\u003c/em\u003e equilibrium with all the possible moves only likely to lead to more instability, or possibly a catastrophic event\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe solution? To stop, tear everything up and begin again\u0026hellip; \u003cem\u003eMaybe..\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Zungzwang..."},{"content":"\nThe view from 26F as we descended towards St John\u0026rsquo;s International was great, not particularly dissimilar to what one might see at a similar stage of the journey towards Aberdeen, the West Coast of Scotland or Ireland; which must now be a travel objective for me over the next few years.\nOnce safely parked and disembarked - to 19°C weather - my first impressions of the airport were of how hastily put together it all seemed, with construction continuing in various parts. That lent a rustic, uncomplicated - perhaps even idyllic - air to everything, the sort of chilled, back water one might go to escape the lures of technology. Before travelling I had searched extensively for a duty free shop at YYT, walking the short distance to the arrivals terminal made the reasons for my futile googling apparent.\nAs my flight was only an A319, and a barely half full one at that, the line in to the immigration and customs desk was not particularly long. With no distinction between Canadian passport holders, permanent residents and international visa arrivals like myself, things moved fairly quickly and it soon became my turn to approach the desks and have my passports looked at. Upon presenting my passport the officer at the desk asked a few questions; why I was in town (to see my brother), what did he do (studied previously but now works), where he studied and what I did myself. The atmosphere was one of civil discourse, a far cry from the tense, emotionally charged one around passport control at Heathrow. How much of that was due to the much talked about mild temperament of Newfoundlanders or the smaller volume of passengers the airport handles remains to be seen, but what I realised - and made a mental note of for next time - is that sticking with the simple \u0026lsquo;Engineer\u0026rsquo; answer when asked what I did was far more sensible than going for the full fat, tongue twister - Corrosion and Materials Engineer which is usually my standard answer.\nSt John’s appeared to be a city in bloom - at least to my first time visitor eyes. In addition to work on the airport, whole new blocks of housing have sprung up over the past few years, with a lot more construction ongoing. That much was visible as we sped away from the airport towards the corner of the city in which my brother lives. The similarities with Aberdeen bear repeating - in many senses both are historical fishing outposts that have grown and diversified off the back of offshore oil and gas. For St John\u0026rsquo;s the future looks even brighter, if the noises coming out of an independent review of the offshore acreage is to be believed. In addition to the flagship developments of Hibernia, White Rose and Terra Nova, recent estimates indicate volumes in the region of a further 12 billion barrels of oil to be extracted, certainly one to keep an eye on for my next move if I decide I have had enough of treading water in the North Sea.\nThe next day, belonged to the water front. After a few frantic google searches to find the lowest priced boat tour, we finally settled on Iceberg tours and booked a ride for two. It was too late in the tour season to be guaranteed a whale or puffin sighting or an iceberg for that matter but we decided to do it anyway for the sights of the city we would get from the sea. At the front desk, whilst chatting with the chap in the booth, I asked about getting screeched - from which it transpired he was/is originally from England. He promised to ask before we board if an official ceremony could be organised whilst we are out at sea. As we boarded, the Captain, gave his spiel - with great wit and sarcasm - about the safety features and what to expect. Having boarded and as final preparations progressed, I cast my eye across the motley crew of people assembled - all largely in good spirits and up for the adventure, save for a young woman who appeared unwell. It turned out much later that she had had too much fun on George Street the night before, her apparent unease the remains of a most monumental hangover.\nThe weather was great, blue skies a rarity for this time of the year, the Captain mentioned as he rambled on with his narrative piece, the complement to the visuals we were taking in. Much like Aberdeen, St John\u0026rsquo;s is a supply base for the offshore industry, which was why as we pulled out of the harbour, we passed a number of supply boats bearing the Maersk imprint in various stages of loading and unloading. Just before we slipped out finally, we got a good wave from Mr Pearcy as we passed his place on the outer battery. Over the course of the next two hours we passed a number of other landmarks; Signal Hill (where Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless signal), Cape Spear, Dead Man\u0026rsquo;s Cove to name a few. I did get screeched, an \u0026lsquo;official\u0026rsquo; certificate welcoming me from the Royal Order of Newfoundland Screechers proof of the pudding.\nOn Sunday we popped into P.\u0026rsquo;s church, a small but rapidly expanding one on Peet Street. Largely African, the enthusiasm and joy were obvious as always, as was their commitment to engaging their local community. Being the anniversary of their first service added to the atmosphere of gaiety and celebration. After church I got to meet a slew of P.\u0026rsquo;s friends which reassured me he was in safe, good hands, and that his existence was not as banal as mine on the other side of the Atlantic.\nOver the course of the next few days we took in visits to the University\u0026rsquo;s Botanical Gardens, the Geo Centre with its models of Hibernia and the Titanic story, walked (a short section of) the Signal Hill trail where we got to pretend to fire the cannons and wrapped up everything by attending a small reception in honour of J and C\u0026rsquo;s marriage.\nAll told, it was a great time to be in St John\u0026rsquo;s with good weather on most of the days - dry and sunny with temperatures between 5°C and 10°C degrees but with a number of days with temperatures in the high \u0026rsquo;teens and even a 24°C day. The people I met seemed chilled, and friendly enough, as evidenced by the number of people who nodded as we passed them or who came over and said hi as we passed each other in parking lots.\nThe facts are what they are - my ten day sojourn in this corner of the world is over, gone with only the memories to hold on to. I never got to see Bell Island, but given what I have heard, it will probably make a lot more sense as part of a larger group. George Street, and the prospect of a proper Irish pub - I hear Shamrock Cafe is a must do - are delights I didn\u0026rsquo;t get to explore this time out. Between the missing bits of the experience I need to fill and the bright future for oil and gas, I suspect I will be here again many times over the next few years. Who knows, maybe even semi permanently, if the stars (and the opportunities) align.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/10/03/letter-from-st-johns-the-warp/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"flying_in\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/6dd30-flying_in.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe view from 26F as we descended towards St John\u0026rsquo;s International was great, not particularly dissimilar to what one might see at a similar stage of the journey towards Aberdeen, the West Coast of Scotland or Ireland; which \u003cem\u003emust\u003c/em\u003e now be a travel objective for me over the next few years.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce safely parked and disembarked - to 19°C weather - my first impressions of the airport were of how hastily put together it all seemed, with construction continuing in various parts. That lent a rustic, uncomplicated - perhaps even idyllic - air to everything, the sort of chilled, back water one might go to escape the lures of technology.  Before travelling I had searched extensively for a duty free shop at YYT, walking the short distance to the arrivals terminal made the reasons for my futile \u003cem\u003egoogling\u003c/em\u003e apparent.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Letter from St John's - The wrap"},{"content":"\nIf all goes well, by the time you read this, I will have spent just over 18 hours in St John\u0026rsquo;s, North America\u0026rsquo;s oldest city, depending on who you listen to. As I type away in Evernote on my laptop, my view is considerably less fascinating than what I have been looking forward to; the 3 day ginger stubble of the fellow in seat 26D, my notes and the tepid remains of coffee in a Styrofoam cup occupying the full extent of my vision. The map on the entertainment console in front of me indicates that I am now half way across the expanse of the Atlantic stretching between the western edge of the Republic of Ireland and St John\u0026rsquo;s, not entirely a comforting thought to be surrounded by all that water.\nThis is a trip which has been three years in the making. When I made it back to Nigeria in the summer of 2012 for Sister #2\u0026rsquo;s wedding, the last thing on my mind was that it would be the last time I would see my kid brother. Between then and now, life has happened, taking in a change of continents on his part, and a difficult year of work on my part.\nThe primary objective is catching up, and God knows we do have a lot of catching up to do, but that St John\u0026rsquo;s has unique attractions of its own is not something lost on me. The plan is to get screeched in- R at work has made such a fuss about it that I am keen to experience it for myself - and then get to see as much of the city as I can. If time - and bravery- permit, I may get to break my ziplining duck, the North Atlantic Ziplines are the longest in Canada they say.\nBefore all that there is the small matter of three more hours of flight time to deal with, whilst cooped up in seat 26F of this Airbus A319, not exactly the most comfortable but not the worst either. Plenty to ponder before this 10 day adventure begins.. Roll on!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/09/27/letter-from-st-johns/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"flying_\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/16658-flying_.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf all goes well, by the time you read this, I will have spent just over 18 hours in St John\u0026rsquo;s, \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John's,_Newfoundland_and_Labrador\"\u003eNorth America\u0026rsquo;s oldest city\u003c/a\u003e, depending on who you listen to.  As I type away in Evernote on my laptop, my view is considerably less fascinating than what I have been looking forward to; the 3 day ginger stubble of the fellow in seat 26D, my notes and the tepid remains of coffee in a Styrofoam cup occupying the full extent of my vision. The map on the entertainment console in front of me indicates that I am now half way across the expanse of the Atlantic stretching between the western edge of the Republic of Ireland and St John\u0026rsquo;s, not entirely a comforting thought to be surrounded by all that water.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Letter from St John's"},{"content":"\nFor the first time since July, I have begun to run again. Once a week - I\u0026rsquo;d like to make it twice - I don my bright orange jacket, shorts and running shoes and begin at a leisurely pace down Urquhart road, up Links Road and then gradually pick up pace until my feet are pounding the tarmac on the long stretch that is the Beach Esplanade.\nSleep, or more accurately sleeplessness, has been one of the drivers for running again. Once awake sometime between 2am and 4am regardless of when I hit the sack, I find my mind far too active to go back to sleep. That is how I end up awake till it feels like a less ungodly hour to hit the road and run. What running does is afford me time to think - headphones plugged in, I can focus on the rhythm my feet make and the beat of whatever I am listening to. I am not alone in the pursuit of running zen, sometimes I pass other runners in different phases of their own runs, walking a dog or on the odd occasion an elderly couple out and about strolling.\nSometimes, we exchange a knowing smile as we pass each other; the mutual recognition and self congratulation we afford each other as we fly past. I sometimes think I detect a hint of smugness in all that; we having taken the difficult decision to leave our beds whilst it is not bright and light, can feel like we\u0026rsquo;re part of a serious, health concious elite and pat ourselves on our backs as a result.\nIt seems only a few weeks ago when it was March, when the overwhelming sense was of hope for summer, and good change. Somehow time has sped by, the nip in the air the sure indicator that winter is around the corner, having sneaked up on us.\nThis was meant to have been the summer of light, love and happiness but between the continued difficulties posed by low commodity prices and the self inflicted losses in love, it has felt more like a summer of slog. If it is any consolation, there is at least more clarity on a number of fronts about paths to not go down.\nThis is what life is I suppose; birth, death, planting, uprooting, loss, healing, weeping and laughing, each in its turn an ineluctable phase of life. A lot has changed over the last few months, but in changing, a lot has stayed the same- the crooning of Larry Norman (Nothing Really Changes) comes to mind.\nOur two days of summer\u0026rsquo;s gone for good this year, but (maybe a tad too early), there\u0026rsquo;s next year\u0026rsquo;s summer to look forward to.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/09/18/summers-end/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"summersend\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2692c-summersend.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the first time since July, I have begun to run again. Once a week - I\u0026rsquo;d like to make it twice - I don my bright orange jacket, shorts and running shoes and begin at a leisurely pace down Urquhart road, up Links Road and then gradually pick up pace until my feet are pounding the tarmac on the long stretch that is the Beach Esplanade.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSleep, or more accurately \u003cem\u003esleeplessness\u003c/em\u003e, has been one of the drivers for running again. Once awake sometime between 2am and 4am regardless of when I hit the sack, I find my mind far too active to go back to sleep. That is how I end up awake till it feels like a less ungodly hour to hit the road and run. What running  does is afford me time to think - headphones plugged in, I can focus on the rhythm my feet make and the beat of whatever I am listening to. I am not alone in the pursuit of running zen, sometimes I pass other runners in different phases of their own runs, walking a dog or on the odd occasion an elderly couple out and about strolling.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Summer's End.."},{"content":" --- Healer of my brokenness My weary soul will find its rest You are my strength, the lifter of my head You\u0026rsquo;re greater than my yesterdays You hold me close today You\u0026rsquo;re the Lord of my tomorrows\nMercy, from the Casting Crowns Album Until The Whole World Hears (2009)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/09/13/on-repeat-mercy-casting-crowns/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/nAgOXPO-5Os?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\nHealer of my brokenness\nMy weary soul will find its rest\nYou are my strength, the lifter of my head\nYou\u0026rsquo;re greater than my yesterdays\nYou hold me close today\nYou\u0026rsquo;re the Lord of my tomorrows\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://play.spotify.com/track/1TZ6JA8zODCeljlpxA10LT\"\u003eMercy\u003c/a\u003e, from the Casting Crowns Album \u003ca href=\"https://play.spotify.com/album/6GH2hcSeIDNfnNTQfjTy2i\"\u003eUntil The Whole World Hears (2009)\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Repeat: Mercy - Casting Crowns"},{"content":"\nIn the opening chapter of his autobiography, Hunger of Memory, Richard Rodriguez explores his introduction to the English language, and the strain his commitment to mastering it places on his relationship with his parents. Being Mexican immigrants to America in the 1970\u0026rsquo;s, their primary language of intimacy and engagement is Spanish, their efforts in English being halting and deeply accented, even though his mother is an excellent speller of words. The emotion most stirred in those early days - when he as the up and coming scholarship boy gets to be out and about with them - is one of embarrassment and perhaps frustration at their limitations. For him, as with most people looking to escape the limitations of a certain kind of background, aspiration is a keen motivator, one that drives him to seek to immerse himself in knowledge and books, and take up the manners, airs and graces of the class and culture he looks up to.\nLanguage, particularly where there is one which dominates the economic, political and cultural landscape in a given society, is often the most visible marker of class, and the \u0026rsquo;easiest\u0026rsquo; target for those who would aspire to those heights. There is a sense in which English - for now at least until China takes over the world - remains such a language for many people around the world. This was brought home to me quite forcibly by the gaggle of people I met at my water survival course a week ago. In spite of our varying nations of origin, Nigeria (in my case), Spain, France and the token Englishman, fluency in English - at least to such an extent where one could understand and be understood - was clearly a highly prized asset.\nBeyond fluency, accents also serve as differentiators, often because we as people thin-slice others, drawing inferences from our first impressions a significant proportion of which is influenced by how they sound. As an example, more often than not if presented with a Glaswegian accent, my first instinct would be to ensure my wallet is well tucked away out of sight. Received pronunciation portrays an element of class and polish, English spoken with a South Texas drawl immediately makes me think of a gun-slinging, cowboy boot wearing, oil patch veteran. On the other hand, if Barry Glendenning were female, his accent would have me hot under the collar. Clearly different strokes for different folks. In fact, one of the more interesting telephone interviews I have had was for a job in Newcastle a few years ago, ending with the interviewer asking me what part of the world I was from because he couldn\u0026rsquo;t place my (edited, and some would say contrived) accent.\nI suspect that our Nigerian OAPs are on to something here, given how contrived their accents allegedly are. Given their need to differentiate themselves from what is a crowded market place, perhaps selling an aspirational accent to us is merely one more trick in their toolboxes\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/09/11/on-language-and-aspiration/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"hungerofmemory\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/56157-hungerofmemory.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the opening chapter of his autobiography, \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hunger-Memory-Education-Richard-Rodriguez/dp/0553272934\"\u003eHunger of Memory\u003c/a\u003e, Richard Rodriguez explores his introduction to the English language, and the strain his commitment to mastering it places on his relationship with his parents. Being Mexican immigrants to America in the 1970\u0026rsquo;s, their primary language of intimacy and engagement is Spanish, their efforts in English being halting and deeply accented, even though his mother is an excellent speller of words. The emotion most stirred in those early days - when he as the up and coming \u003cem\u003escholarship boy\u003c/em\u003e gets to be out and about with them - is one of embarrassment and perhaps frustration at their limitations. For him, as with most people looking to escape the limitations of a certain kind of background, aspiration is a keen motivator, one that drives him to seek to immerse himself in knowledge and books, and take up the manners, airs and graces of the class and culture he looks up to.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Language, and Aspiration"},{"content":" Image Source: Dionysius Burton, Flickr As far as dubious honours go, being asked what part of The States I am from in Union Square has to come near the top of my list; not least because it is unclear what prompted the fairly ancient gentleman to tap my arm and initiate the conversation in the first place. On reflection, my friend A., or more correctly her hair, must have had some input, if his eyes which never left her face had anything to do with it.\nI had been standing, back to the milling crowd, eyes focused on my A\u0026rsquo;s face, whilst wrapping up our late Sunday afternoon conversation, and wrestling with the decision I knew I would have to make soon about departing - side hug, full hug or the relative safety of a firm handshake - when I felt him touch my shoulder.\nSpinning round, I found myself face to face with a somewhat dapper old man, albeit dressed a bit too much for a casual Union Square afternoon; three piece suit with a gold brooch to match and very well polished brogues. He must have seen the look of puzzlement on my face, because the next thing he did was to stretch out his hand for a handshake, a broad smile plastered on his face. I took the proffered hand, noting the firm grip, as he proceeded to talk about the weather, which was warm and dry, a bonus at this time of the year. We must have spoken for a further six or seven minutes; an all over the place ramble about everything the point of which I am still not entirely sure. Somewhere amongst all that talking, he complemented A about her hair and then asked what part of the states I was from.\nA. does have a thing for wild, all over the place hair - in the last year she has gone the full gamut from having it all out, an assortment of weaves, locs and now twists of various descriptions - which is why she wasn\u0026rsquo;t particularly surprised by the conversation, somehow assuming it was someone I knew from work. There might have been good reason for him to assume I was American I guess - my English isn\u0026rsquo;t the worst, and does have twangs and inflections picked up from years of watching American sitcoms in my youth, but still even to me that was a wild stretch.\nThe silver lining to all that? My agonising over what constituted an appropriate final greeting turned out to be much ado about nothing. In the end we were only too happy to escape the gentleman\u0026rsquo;s clutches and go our separate ways. Saved by the geezer, I guess.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/09/04/hair-and-conversations/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"image-source-dionysius-burton-flickr\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"STP18\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/c5780-good-hair-days.jpg\"\u003e\nImage Source: \u003ca href=\"https://www.flickr.com/photos/diophoto/\"\u003eDionysius Burton\u003c/a\u003e, Flickr\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs far as dubious honours go, being asked what part of \u003cem\u003eThe States\u003c/em\u003e I am from in Union Square has to come near the top of my list; not least because it is unclear what prompted the fairly ancient gentleman to tap my arm and initiate the conversation in the first place. On reflection, my friend A., or more correctly her \u003cem\u003ehair\u003c/em\u003e, must have had some input, if his eyes which never left her face had anything to do with it.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Of Hair and Odd Conversations"},{"content":"The day passes quickly without incident until they come through the door; they being Z, and A, here to spend a few minutes having a natter with me just after lunch. What strikes me first is how striking the resemblance is. Z has her mother\u0026rsquo;s eyes, flowing hair, and - from what I\u0026rsquo;ve heard - her penchant for good natured deviousness.\nWhen they first arrive, Z is hiding behind her mother, peeking out now and again like only children do, somehow believing that there not being a direct line of sight means they are hidden from view. A and I catch up about work and the latest office gossip, whilst trying to cajole Z into taking the hand I have proffered several times. Nothing works. By the time our catch up is done, they both leave me to the company of my headphones, and the pile of virtual paperwork I have been working through.\nShe does find her way back to my desk, this time less self concious and more willing to engage which is how we end up talking about her first week at school, how her friend F is also in the same school, the pasta lunches (which she doesn\u0026rsquo;t like) and trying to unlock my phone whilst I read the numbers to my pin out to her.\nIn between we run through a pile of pink and green sticky notes, drawing stick figures and colouring in hair and lips. She decides her father deserves a small tuft of hair - a la TinTin (my Daddy has no hair she says, somehow alluding to the fact that painting on any hair is somehow embellishing the truth).\nThat is how my quiet afternoon vanishes, sucked up into a vortex of entertaining and bonding. If there is a silver lining, it is that my child minding/ entertaining skills have not gone the way of all things lost, yet.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/08/28/august-visitor/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"august_Visitor\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/7937d-august_visitor1.jpg\"\u003eThe day passes quickly without incident until \u003cem\u003ethey\u003c/em\u003e come through the door; they being Z, and A, here to spend a few minutes having a natter with me just after lunch. What strikes me first is how striking the resemblance is. Z has her mother\u0026rsquo;s eyes, flowing hair, and - from what I\u0026rsquo;ve heard - her penchant for \u003cem\u003egood natured\u003c/em\u003e deviousness.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen they first arrive, Z is hiding behind her mother, peeking out now and again like only children do, somehow believing that there not being a direct line of sight means they are hidden from view. A and I catch up about work and the latest office gossip, whilst trying to cajole Z into taking the hand I have proffered several times. Nothing works. By the time our catch up is done, they both leave me to the company of my headphones, and the pile of virtual paperwork I have been working through.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"August Visitor"},{"content":"Image Credit: Sarah Horrigan, Flickr\nThe one woman I think I loved most in my recent history didn’t quite like me back that way. I was sure she was The One; I was entranced by how her eyes lit up around children and young people, how easy she was to talk to, and how her voice - soft and mellow yet steely when required - seemed to exude this aura of quiet strength. Even her awkward moments seemed cute, the tilt of her chin when she pretended to not see me across the room and the mumbled words when I could tell she was furiously inventing excuses to not meet up.\nWhen she managed to find time for me in her chock-full social calendar, we would sit across a table at Starbucks - pair of matching lattes and carrot cake to hand - and catch up about everything; life, work and the myriad in between. I was in awe of how much about everything she knew, how we could talk ceaselessly about everything from art to the latest hole in the wall around town, and travelling. These times would make hope sprout anew in my heart - there was something there beyond mere politeness I felt.\nThoughts of her fuelled sleepless nights, ones in which I played various what ifs and maybes in my head, trying to find a context in which what she had said - when she managed to articulate it - meant something less ominous than what in all probability she had meant to say any way.\nI could see the pity in my friend O’s eyes when he and I spoke, at the pining obvious in my eyes and the - his words not mine- softness that crept into my voice when I spoke about her. Somehow for all of two years I managed to hope against hope that somehow she would see my inner coolness - rust and all - and get to experience all this love bottled up in inside.\nI suspect part of me didn’t want to accept the implicit rejection. In choosing to risk rejection I had invested a significant part of my emotional reserve in the venture, having it thrown back in my face wasn\u0026rsquo;t necessarily an option - which was why I probably persisted beyond reason. In the end though, one can only take so many bashings before self doubt and pragmatism wears one down.\nI think I reached that point yesterday… And I finally decided letting go and loosing couldn’t be much worse than the torture I’d dragged myself through for all of 2 years and some.\nSo…. If anyone knows how to get someone who has been lodged inside your head for all of 2 years, 19 days and 4 hours out, pray tell… Answers on a postcard pretty please…\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/08/21/letting-go/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"unrequited love2\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/81201-unrequited-love2.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eImage Credit: Sarah Horrigan, \u003ca href=\"https://www.flickr.com/photos/horrigans/6563151197/in/photolist-aZXScg-iDicL-AjFQ-4msu7X-cAivMY-bp6i5b-a2P2VR-5ZJ8eG-3oTw-a7ctt-4mZL-7b568k-4V9h-9FpC-6Jmede-ceVyo3-9fkPRQ-cE31hm-aqGvgZ-4nzqHn-atvnG7-5THuqB-3rXh1-6ovrpE-aM39aV-5VtftD-6yoUvi-921Zvm-9aeWkN-8qvSvR-dvmvvb-8qyTNN-9oKQAL-8W1Hbx-ASZmt-5TMXDw-a7GtJ-6RP6Tk-nKxpJN-83B3Yk-duSwp1-8qz1QY-8qyUG3-8qvQ86-8qyV6j-98kg32-p5Gfo-bboEST-5y14jt-tSU5KJ\"\u003eFlickr\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe one woman I \u003cem\u003ethink\u003c/em\u003e I loved most in my recent history didn’t quite like me back \u003cem\u003ethat\u003c/em\u003e way. I was sure she was \u003cem\u003eThe One\u003c/em\u003e; I was entranced by how her eyes lit up around children and young people, how easy she was to talk to, and how her voice - soft and mellow yet steely when required - seemed to exude this aura of quiet strength. Even her awkward moments seemed cute, the tilt of her chin when she pretended to not see me across the room and the mumbled words when I could tell she was furiously inventing excuses to \u003cem\u003enot\u003c/em\u003e meet up.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Letting Go..."},{"content":"\\https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries?list=PLYbuHzHoxFuCf8ksItOz6ZdGAL_L8PR1W\u0026amp;w=800\u0026amp;h=315\\ The continuum: loss, numbness, turmoil, (self induced) heartbreak, surrender and (finally) finding a peace of sorts.. Here\u0026rsquo;s to Beginning, Again\u0026hellip;\nThe Playlist\nMad World - Gary Joules Wish - Lighthouse Family This Too Shall Pass - Yolanda Adams Shadowfeet - Brooke Fraser Father Me - Rick \u0026amp; Cathy Riso Read All About It - Emeli Sande Airplanes - B.O.B Love Alone Is Worth The Fight - Switchfoot Volcano - Rapture Ruckus \u0026amp; Jonathan Thulin Redemption Days - Josh Ojo Something New - Axwell Ingrosso Shake - MercyMe ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/08/15/a-good-year-of-sorts-a-playlist/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"httpswwwyoutubecomwatchvvideoserieslistplybuhzhoxfucf8ksitoz6zdgal_l8pr1ww800h315\"\u003e\\https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries?list=PLYbuHzHoxFuCf8ksItOz6ZdGAL_L8PR1W\u0026amp;w=800\u0026amp;h=315\\\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe continuum: loss, numbness, turmoil, (self induced) heartbreak, surrender and (finally) finding a peace of sorts.. Here\u0026rsquo;s to Beginning, Again\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYbuHzHoxFuCf8ksItOz6ZdGAL_L8PR1W\"\u003ePlaylist\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMad World - Gary Joules\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWish - Lighthouse Family\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThis Too Shall Pass - Yolanda Adams\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShadowfeet - Brooke Fraser\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFather Me - Rick \u0026amp; Cathy Riso\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRead All About It - Emeli Sande\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAirplanes - B.O.B\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLove Alone Is Worth The Fight - Switchfoot\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVolcano - Rapture Ruckus \u0026amp; Jonathan Thulin\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRedemption Days - Josh Ojo\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSomething New - Axwell Ingrosso\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShake - MercyMe\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"A Good Year of Sorts - A Playlist"},{"content":"\nStanding here on the cusp of a milestone birthday of sorts, the sense is one of relief - that what has been a deeply emotive, if difficult year, has ended without too much lingering damage. Much of course is relative, depending on that difficult to define quality emotional capacity, or resilience. To my untrained mind, it would appear that like muscles and exercise, the more experience one has had dealing with trauma and difficult, emotionally charged situations, the easier it should get. I suspect the jury is still out on that. Tempering the sense of relief is a sense of clarity, the detached sort that hits in the moments between when a car begins to skid off a bridge and when it hits the icy water beneath. Time, in those moments, seems to stand still, each event on the time line of dying taking on crystal clear quality, like an HD frame, frozen. This birthday has that feeling of being a portal to inevitable change. The facts are what they are, I am now nearer forty than thirty, and that realisation in one fell swoop takes away any remaining pretensions to enduring youth I still have. What this does in addition is bring to the fore the questions of being, identity and direction I have managed to sweep under the carpet over the past few years.\nThere is a sense in which one’s perception of person-hood and identity is shaped by experience, particularly experience of the sort acquired in the formative years of childhood. These experiences occur within the context of role and society, being shaped by multiple layers of interaction - faith, family, culture, education and exposure all being contributors to their nature and quality. In my case, my childhood experiences aggregate around three locations - church, school and the house on 3rd and 49th. Although in my mind I was a model kid, I suspect my mother felt differently, if the notes in the margins of her copy of James Dobson’s Dare to Discipline – quietly stubborn - are anything to go by. Perhaps, if she had been familiar with the blunter crafty little bugger she might have chosen to use that instead.\nBeing the preacher’s kid changes everything. I got dragged along to umpteen conferences, youth group meetings, sang in the choir, and gave the occasional message from time to time. In non-church settings, this also meant that I was held to a higher standard, the oft repeated line being, your father is a pastor, as though that fact - in and of itself - meant the natural proclivities of childhood did not apply to me. I did have my own defining, emotive moments too. I recall sobbing uncontrollably at an Easter Conference in April of 1991, whilst the speaker, Venerable O, calmly insisted that it was the last chance for quite a few of us at the meeting. I was 12.\nSchool was the one place I was marginally popular. It helped that I had a reputation for being smart, a reputation forged on the back of two years in which the resident genius and I tussled for the top two positions in class. One of my enduring memories from that phase of life is being made, whilst in Primary 2, to stand up in front of one of the Primary 3 classes to read from their MacMillan reader. Mrs A - whose intentions I am not entirely sure of any more - had been passing during a period of inactivity, post exams, and seen my head on my locker. When she found I had been engrossed in tales of Edet\u0026rsquo;s escapades, she was impressed enough to make me read in front of the older class. That in retrospect was one of the first inklings I had that books and reading could be cool. Later on - in my secondary school days - a slew of Enid Blyton, Pacesetters, Nick Carter and James Hadley Chase books would plug my entertainment needs. Being on the debating team - slight stutter notwithstanding - and the JETS club didn\u0026rsquo;t do any harm either.\nBooks are also prominent in my recollection of the home space - more so than the relationships I developed at home to some extent. We had them in abundance, shelves and shelves of Baldwin, Chaucer, Dickens, Emerson, Joyce, Shakespeare, Spencer, and others of that ilk lined our living room, as did Achebe, Ekwensi, Salib and the other authors on the African Writers Series imprint. Beyond that, home was an experiment in behaviour modification, James Dobsonare) and Beverley LaHaye\u0026rsquo;s tomes being the laboratory manuals that guided everything. When I ask my sister if she\u0026rsquo;s kept my mother’s copy of both books, she assumes I am going through a season of self doubt and straight away proceeds to reassure me that my mother thought very highly of me. I humour her, listening to all she has to say, but the truth is all I am interested in with these books is understanding the notes in the margins, and what my mother\u0026rsquo;s perceptions of me as a kid were as opposed to what my own assessments of self are.\n--- On my part, whenever I have had to describe myself, I find myself reaching for the familiarity of a few well worn phrases - recovering bookworm, corrosion and materials engineer, talkative introvert, Lost Son and Nigerian. On occasion, I have also described myself as a pretend writer, inveterate over-thinker and occasional essayist. Inherent in these descriptors, but not often clear are conflict and evolution.\nWork - and the Corrosion and Materials Engineering discipline - has been a big part of my life over the past twelve years. Prior to rust finding me, I had aspirations to becoming a video game programmer - I spent my NYSC year free time coding an idea for a football simulation game, that obviously wasn\u0026rsquo;t very good. An internship in a steel mill probably sowed the seeds, bringing iron-carbon phase diagrams and time temperature transition curves to life for me, but when I set out for a mechanical engineering degree in ’97, my more romantic notions were of designing and building things, not eking more and more years of life from them. If what I hear at work is anything to go by, I\u0026rsquo;m not terrible at doing that, once in a while I still feel like the chancer who stumbled on to something good and has held on for dear life.\nBooks continue to be a big part of my perception of my identity, somewhat tempered by the ‘recovering’ qualifier these days. Bookworm still retains a certain pejorative connotation; in conversations, and perhaps for good reason, there is still the perception of reading as being a nerdish, real-world-useless activity. I suspect I opt for recovering to slightly reassure me that I am on a journey to re-engaging with the wider world.\nGiven how much faith underlined my life growing up, its absence in my self description seems particularly glaring. The last few years have seen me slide deeper and deeper into a state of cognitive dissonance, the increasing disjunction I feel between my real world and faith perhaps driving me towards playing down its importance.\nTo a lesser extent, self classifying as a talkative introvert also reflects inner conflict of some sort. There are friends who don’t believe I have quiet moments given how much of a buzz I carry when I am around them. Some others sincerely believe I am deeply introverted - and take it upon themselves to draw me out. The notes in my mother’s copy of How to Develop Your Child\u0026rsquo;s Temperament had me pegged as predominantly choleric. These days when I take personality tests I shake out as INTJ and temperamentally as largely Phlegmatic. Clearly, I was a lot more talky and pushy as a child, or at least masked my introversion very well. I still sometimes wonder how much nurture can account for my current social attitudes as opposed to my nature; that is neither here nor there I suspect.\nLostness for me, has a long and convoluted back story, inextricably linked to a strangely spelled surname that immediately complicates my sense of identity, a point that Chris makes succinctly in his take on the Straight Outta *insert whatever* meme. Only yesterday at a ten year old\u0026rsquo;s party, I got talking to someone who straight away switched the conversation to Yoruba, wrongly assuming that I understood it. I don\u0026rsquo;t. This is further muddled by being treated very much as a minority in the (Nigerian) state my parents hail from. All this has done is build an increasing sense of disenfranchisement, and left me with no real stake or connection to the political entity of Nigeria. That may be another reason why work, and rust, have become a big part of my identity - the first few years spent working in Nigeria showed that it was possible - by being darned good at what one did - to transcend the limitations of ethnicity.\nHere, one sleep away from beginning this ineluctable lurch towards turning forty, what is becoming clear is that there is a certain logic to how I self classify. These are the things I do not suck at. Maybe in describing myself in these ways, I am patting myself on the back virtually, celebrating the little victories life has lobbed in my direction so far. Would I, for instance, like to be a better people person, one that walks into a room and lights up the party? Yes, but only sometimes. I suspect that deep down, that sort of change requires going out on a limb and being very vulnerable, risking rejection and growing thick, callused skin that inures one to the discomfort that failing to get what one really wants brings. Whether there is the willingness on my part is a question I have no answer to, yet.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/08/14/on-being-and-identity/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"IMG_2039\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/47715-img_2039.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStanding here on the cusp of a milestone birthday of sorts, the sense is one of relief - that what has been a deeply emotive, if difficult year, has ended without too much lingering damage. \u003cem\u003eMuch\u003c/em\u003e of course is relative, depending on that difficult to define quality \u003cem\u003eemotional capacity,\u003c/em\u003e or \u003ca href=\"https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/resilience\"\u003eresilience\u003c/a\u003e. To my untrained mind, it would appear that like muscles and exercise, the more experience one has had dealing with trauma and difficult, emotionally charged situations, the easier it should get. I suspect the jury is still out on that. Tempering the sense of relief is a sense of clarity, the detached sort that hits in the moments between when a car begins to skid off a bridge and when it hits the icy water beneath. Time, in those moments, seems to stand still, each event on the time line of dying taking on crystal clear quality, like an HD frame, frozen. This birthday has that feeling of being a portal to inevitable change. The facts are what they are, I am now nearer forty than thirty, and that realisation in one fell swoop takes away any remaining pretensions to enduring youth I still have. What this does in addition is bring to the fore the questions of \u003cem\u003ebeing\u003c/em\u003e, identity and direction I have managed to sweep under the carpet over the past few years.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Being and Identity"},{"content":"Source:\nWhat you lose in the breaking, and the leaving, and in the tearing up of things is not the weight of the burden of a flailing we, unravelling as it were, beneath the weight of the angst the uncertainty of ambivalent inquiry weaves in its wake.\nWhat you gain is not peace, or freedom, or the sense of soaring free; a relief craved like cold water on a blistering summer day - a breath drawn deep, air gulped a sigh of resignation at the certainty of leaving.\nWhat you leave in the un-cleaving, is a good riddance tossed like a curse into the wind, the silhouette of a fading back the only linger of a memory quickly fading into a transient thought\nWhat you lose is the endearing quality of a sometimes awkward silence, of knowing, and being known and of safely being- and the joy and the passion deeply feeling things brings.\nWhat you learn, when in the lingering haunting sound of silence you reflect, is that what you lose is the joy of eyes lit by quotidian things - is laughter, and living and loving; and hope for hoping against hope for a thousand smiling summers.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/08/07/what-you-lose/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Boy and girl separating\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2f08c-leaving.jpg\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://homeopathyplus.com.au/homeopathic-remedies-for-breakups/\"\u003eSource:\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat you lose in the breaking,\nand the leaving, and in the tearing\nup of things is not the weight\nof the burden of a \u003cem\u003eflailing\u003c/em\u003e we,\nunravelling as it were,\nbeneath the weight of the angst\nthe uncertainty of ambivalent inquiry weaves\nin its wake.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat you gain is not peace,\nor freedom, or the sense of soaring free;\na relief craved like cold water\non a blistering summer day -\na breath drawn deep, air gulped\na sigh of resignation\nat the certainty of leaving.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"What You Lose"},{"content":"New here? Here are a few of the pieces I have come back to time and time again, typically because they captured something about the time and place I was when I first wrote them. Dive in, and thanks for stopping by.\nOn Leaving The Way The World Ends Three Ideas for Life On Loving and (Not) Marrying On Praying and Changing Right Girl, Right Time, Wrong Context? On the inherent inefficiencies in eating pounded yam Always Returning A Passing Fancy The Dalglish Conjecture How He Met My Mother Why I Write Of Rust and Metaphors of Work What Not To Say To My Nigerian Father Strictly (Not) Dancing ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/start-here/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eNew here? Here are a few of the pieces I have come back to time and time again, typically because they captured something about the time and place I was when I first wrote them. Dive in, and thanks for stopping by.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2020/05/11/on-leaving/\"\u003eOn Leaving\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2014/08/13/the-way-the-world-ends-on-loss-and-lostness/\"\u003eThe Way The World Ends\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2009/03/22/reflecting-three-ideas-for-life/\"\u003eThree Ideas for Life\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2015/02/19/on-loving-and-not-marrying/\"\u003eOn Loving and (Not) Marrying\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2015/02/12/on-praying-on-changing/\"\u003eOn Praying and Changing\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2009/11/26/right-girl-right-time-wrong-context-or-not/\"\u003eRight Girl, Right Time, Wrong Context\u003c/a\u003e?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2009/04/26/on-the-inherent-inefficiencies-of-eating-pounded-yam/\"\u003eOn the inherent inefficiencies in eating pounded yam\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2014/12/18/always-returning/\"\u003eAlways Returning\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2009/08/25/a-passing-fancy/\"\u003eA Passing Fancy\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2011/11/14/deconstructing-the-dalglish-conjecture/\"\u003eThe Dalglish Conjecture\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2011/11/11/how-he-met-my-mother/\"\u003eHow He Met My Mother\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2015/04/15/napowrimo-day-15-why-i-write/\"\u003eWhy I Write\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2015/01/22/of-rust-and-metaphors/\"\u003eOf Rust and Metaphors of Work\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2009/09/13/what-not-to-say-to-your-nigerian-father/\"\u003eWhat Not To Say To My Nigerian Father\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/2009/11/29/strictly-not-dancing/\"\u003eStrictly (Not) Dancing\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"Start Here"},{"content":"\nI realise the reservation ‘gods\u0026rsquo; have dealt me a dubious hand within five minutes of coming aboard the 11.03 to Edinburgh Waverley. That is all the time it takes for me to spot the trio of old geezers parked in the pair of seats immediately to my right and be swarmed by the posse of loud, giggling women who breeze past on their way to the seats they have reserved a few seats behind me. Between them, they kick up a racket whilst the train loads up, from which I overhear that the men are offshore workers returning home - somewhere beyond Edinburgh - after three weeks offshore, and the women are headed to Edinburgh for a hen do.\nAcross from me, separated by the table I was so keen to get for my laptop, a lone man sits, head phones in, reading a book, a cup of Costa coffee at his side from which he swigs intermittently - between looking quizzically at the developing ruckus and peering into his book. I nod a greeting when I catch his eye and move the bags in the overhead locker to create space for my knapsack from which I extract my laptop and settle in to my seat.\nBy the time the train begins to roll towards the next stop, Stonehaven, things have quietened down a little, not before the (seemingly) oldest of the trio has offered one of the ladies a swig from his bottle of whisky. She demurs, insisting that 11.15am is a early, even for her, to kick off on whisky. She does drop herself into the seat next to the men for a quick natter - they talk about the football game which Aberdeen apparently won 5-2 on aggregate and she points out the bride to be - the wee lassie with red hair - is how she describes her, pointing.\nI keep my gaze fully focused on my laptop screen - a good way to avoid unnecessary conversation I think, given these seem a particularly boisterous lot - and make a few updates to the spreadsheet I had been tinkering with before I left work, only glancing up when a blast of sunshine hits just past Montrose. The view is breathtaking - cliffs, beaches and lush greenery - one of the reasons why train journeys are my preferred mode of getting about in Scotland - and I inwardly congratulate myself on having chosen to take a forward facing, window side seat.\nThat ruse is not enough to save me from all contact - in the 2 and a quarter hours between Stonehaven and Edinburgh Waverley, I get called brother by the most gregarious of the bunch, get asked what I’m doing on my laptop, get offered a swig of whisky three times and get my head rubbed by him, all far too chummy and matey than I care for - but given the close quarters and the fact that we are cooped together for all that time for better or worse, I shrug it off, choosing to continue with what I am doing than make a big fuss.\nOnce through the barriers at Edinburgh Waverley, and into the bright sunshine that bathes the surroundings at Edinburgh’s Waverley station, that sense of returning recognition hits me. The last time I was here it was 2012, M was interviewing for a role up in Aberdeen at the time and had been on the phone a lot with me for insights into the personality of the hiring manager and tips to handle the interview. I had slightly more romantic interests. She got the job, my interests - misguided in retrospect - didn’t quite pan out, to my lingering regret. All that comes rushing back to my mind as I navigate the steps from the station onto Princes Street and on to the test centre where my result sheet is to be amended, the main reason for this trip. That takes all of twenty minutes to complete, leaving me with a load of time on my hands and not even planned to do. I end up at Starbucks, with a large latte and carrot cake to clear my head, charge up my phone and plot my next move. It turns out I\u0026rsquo;m in luck, it is the final weekend of the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival. Crucially also, one of the Friday night sessions holds at The Jazz Bar which is a few hundred feet from the hostel I have booked for my overnight stay, as is a Nandos and a Tesco between which toiletries and dinner are sorted rather quickly.\nThe line at the Jazz bar when I arrive at a quarter to eight for an 8pm start is lengthening rapidly. Those who have been smart enough to pre purchase tickets are waved through whilst the rest of us who have left things till late wait to be ushered in in batches of five for standing room only. The band for the day - a Thelonious Monk tribute act of sorts - starts off slow, but eventually get the evening off with a passable if pleasing performance. In the end I enjoy it enough to make a mental note to drag one of my friends to the Blue Lamp when I return home.\n---\nI return and promptly fall asleep till woken up by the shrill shriek of the fire alarm at 3.00am. We never quite know what precipitated it but the fire service shows up in full fire fighting mode. An hour later with no real action taken - visible to me at least - we get the all clear and are ushered back in to the building. I fail to fall asleep so I read instead, taking the opportunity to catch up on the book I currently have on the go, the Cheryl Strayed edited The Best American Essays 2013. I find Marcia Aldrich\u0026rsquo;s The Art of Being Born, Walter Kirn\u0026rsquo;s Confessions of An Ex-Mormon and William Kelley\u0026rsquo;s Breeds of America particularly engaging.\nFully awake at 10.0am and checked out of my hostel, I have a wander about Chambers Street, finally settling on a tour of the National Museum of Scotland. Whilst waiting for the start of the free guided tour I have elected to partake in, I fall into conversation with a duo of girls from Spain (where it is apparently 40 degrees C that morning), an old couple from Texas, a father and son from Canada and someone from Alaska. When the tour guide hands out maps, she asks if I\u0026rsquo;m ok with an English one (there are other languages, apparently). I want to ask her if she\u0026rsquo;s got one in Yoruba for the heck of it but hold my tongue. That I have my jacket on in 18 degree weather probably has deceived her into thinking I am not from these parts.\nThe tour is an instructive one, I end up returning to the Millennium Clock, browsing the natural sciences section and coming up close to a stuffed African Elephant and end up in the World Cultures section where I\u0026rsquo;m particularly intrigued to see a commemorative Oba\u0026rsquo;s head. That the object sits in a Scottish Museum rather than in its rightful place in an altar in the Oba\u0026rsquo;s Palace is one of those artefacts of history I suppose - bitter sweet because its being here has probably allowed me see it, and means it will be better preserved than if it was in a Nigerian museum. Stolen goods then or taken for the greater good?\nAfter the museum, there is just enough time to grab a bite at F\u0026amp;B and catch my train for the return trip home. Again the Waverley station is bathed in bright sunlight as I walk back in. Outside, the weather progressively gets worse - as stark a contrast to my outbound one as there could be. I arrive just past 5.30pm, to life and reality, the mist, settling in as we go past Montrose has become a thick, dense fog, like a noose around the sun’s neck that the passage of time as we speed along towards Aberdeen has drawn tighter till it has been extinguished.\nSome things are what they are - chief of which is that I am reluctantly coming to accept that for consistently non-grey weather, one must look further south.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/07/31/the-weekend-diary-trains-stolen-things/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"edinburghtrain\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/34612-edinburghtrain.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI realise the reservation ‘gods\u0026rsquo; have dealt me a dubious hand within five minutes of coming aboard the 11.03 to Edinburgh Waverley. That is all the time it takes for me to spot the trio of old geezers parked in the pair of seats immediately to my right and be swarmed by the posse of loud, giggling women who breeze past on their way to the seats they have reserved a few seats behind me. Between them, they kick up a racket whilst the train loads up, from which I overhear that the men are offshore workers returning home - somewhere beyond Edinburgh - after three weeks offshore, and the women are headed to Edinburgh for a hen do.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Weekend Diary - Of Trains and Stolen Things"},{"content":"\n[Image Source]\nIt has been a deeply emotive week for me, bookended as it were by Sunday\u0026rsquo;s Remembrance Service - a year exactly to the day since we lost H- and the quiet, deathly stillness of my office today as I stand here, cup of coffee in hand looking out at the lunch time crowd milling about. As the week has gone along, the flurry of phone calls, emails and messages of commiseration I have had to field from people has eased off, allowing me some time to begin to reflect on where I am, and how things have evolved over the past year. Not much has changed by all accounts, I still haven\u0026rsquo;t brought myself to delete H\u0026rsquo;s details from my phone or my FB page for that matter - deceased 19th July 2014 is the only addition I have made on my phone - which led to a birthday reminder from FB in my feed the other day, as raw a reminder as there could be of the keenness of the loss we still feel.\nBy some coincidence, the Poets.Org Poem-A-Day feed on the 21st of July featured a poem about death (The Sadness of Clothes), specifically the emptiness it leaves in its wake from the perspective of the clothes which thenceforth lie unused, but also metaphorically in the lives of those who are left.\nInspired - and I use that loosely - by that Emily Fragos poem, I trawled through my Pocket archive, eventually stumbling on a number of articles related to loss and grieving - where there hasn\u0026rsquo;t been the chance to say a proper goodbye, where a child feels like their proper duty hasn\u0026rsquo;t been done, and where a writer deals with the blankness by crafting a story around his recollections of it.\nThere is a sense in which for me, loss and lostness is every one of these - craving (and not yet finding) a new normal, some regret for not making the most of the time we had and the lingering sadness that a few thousand miles meant there were never any proper goodbyes. Loss in its suddenness does that, snatching what comforts the opportunity to say proper goodbyes might have offered one.\nGrief is difficult to talk about, particularly given the sort of deeply introspective personalities A and I, which is how I guess we have somehow managed to skirt the issues, focusing more on all the doing and changing we have had to do rather than the reality of loss. I still don\u0026rsquo;t know how he felt as he stood there helplessly watching life ebb out of someone he\u0026rsquo;d spent the better part of 40 years knowing and doing life with. With my sisters - far more connected to their emotional selves as they are - those conversations have occurred, and still occur. Maybe with time A and I will be able to transcend the inherent difficulties in grieving. For now we persist in flitting in the shadows of a less distressing re-memory.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/07/24/on-loss/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"empty_clothes\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/29993-empty_clothes.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[Image \u003ca href=\"http://www.zastavki.com/eng/Funny_wallpapers/wallpaper-55971.htm\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt has been a deeply emotive week for me, bookended as it were by Sunday\u0026rsquo;s Remembrance Service - a year exactly to the day \u003ca href=\"http://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/08/13/the-way-the-world-ends-on-loss-and-lostness/\"\u003esince we lost H\u003c/a\u003e- and the quiet, deathly stillness of my office today as I stand here, cup of coffee in hand looking out at the lunch time crowd milling about. As the week has gone along, the flurry of phone calls, emails and messages of commiseration I have had to field from people has eased off, allowing me some time to begin to reflect on where I am, and how things have evolved over the past year. Not much has changed by all accounts, I still haven\u0026rsquo;t brought myself to delete H\u0026rsquo;s details from my phone or my FB page for that matter - deceased 19th July 2014 is the only addition I have made on my phone - which led to a birthday reminder from FB in my feed the other day, as raw a reminder as there could be of the keenness of the loss we still feel.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Loss.."},{"content":"\nI have been (re) reading Philip Yancey’s What’s So Amazing About Grace, the central idea of which is that the church has gone the way of the world in dealing with people who are different; with judgement and disdain rather than grace. For a book from 1997, it does not by any means feel dated, somehow remaining current not least for the issues it tackles; issued which defined the late Nineties but still continue to define our current epoch than anything else - homosexuality and the moral failings of people in leadership, temporal and spiritual.\nOnly a few short weeks - barely a month - separates us from the landmark decision made by the US Supreme Court in ruling that same sex couples can marry nationwide. The 5-4 decision was perhaps indicative of how closely fought the battle was - each of the dissenting judges wrote an opinion. Christian America has not taken the \u0026lsquo;affront\u0026rsquo; lying down with a range of responses from declaring the decision the final sin that will bring an apocalytic judgement on America to a few more nuanced - and blatantly fence-sitting responses from the likes of Brian Houston and TD Jakes amongst others.\nThere are no simple solutions or answers to the conundrum the church faces. On the one hand, gay activists have become a lot more militant, keen to take on the supposedly disciminatory message of the traditional evangelical position of an active homosexual lifestyle as being sinful. The church has often had to respond from a defensive position, one in which it has been forced to attempt to distance itself from the discriminatory labels activitist throw about. Others more biblically knowledgeable and aware than I am have widely differing positions on the subject, but in my lay man\u0026rsquo;s head I cannot think of any context in which Romans 1: 21-26 is not a damning indictment of the homosexual lifestyle, as a punishment for turning away from God. The science, on the other hand, suggests - not quite conclusively perhaps - that nature, and genetics, play a part in sexual orientation. If that is true, then roundly vilifying LGBTQ folk is akin to racism, an equivalence quite a number of activists for gay rights have often made.\nOne of the more emotive chapters in Yancey\u0026rsquo;s book is the one in which he talks about his friend Mel White, and the fall out of his coming out. In the space of a short time, he went from being a celebrated evangelical icon to being a pariah. That his coming out meant the end of a long term marriage in which children were involved can\u0026rsquo;t have helped, but the vast majority of people he had been associated with - he ghost wrote for a number of high profile evangelicals - ended up shunning him, and distancing themselves from him.\nThe model of Grace Yancey espouses is one in which although we accept a difference in opinion and theology, rather than roundly treating others with disdain and responding with defensiveness, or even going on the attack, we treat them graciously, as people carrying the Imago Dei first and foremost and thus deserving of love and respect rather than as adversaries primarily.There are no guarantees the battle will be won by Grace - at least it will guarantee that we get the chance to speak and be listened to.\nWe, like the best and the worst of the earth, are sinners saved by Grace. Unless we never forget that, we will be sucked into the trap of Gracelessness.\n**Update** Since I originally wrote this, I have since read Walter Kirn’s excellent essay on Mormonism (Confessions of an ex-Mormon in which from his perspective as an ex-Mormon he somehow hits the nail on the head on what church is perhaps is (or should be) really about:\nGod doesn’t work in mysterious ways at all, but by enlisting assistants on the ground. Sometimes the stories don’t work, or they stop working. Forget about them; find others. Revise. Refocus. A church is the people in it, and their errors. The errors they make while striving to get things right.\nWell said, Walter!!!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/07/17/with-grace/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"grace-webbanner-plain\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/e862a-grace-webbanner-plain.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have been (re) reading Philip Yancey’s \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Whats-So-Amazing-About-Grace/dp/0310245656\"\u003eWhat’s So Amazing About Grace\u003c/a\u003e, the central idea of which is that the church has gone the way of the world in dealing with people who are different; with judgement and disdain rather than grace. For a book from 1997, it does not by any means feel dated, somehow remaining current not least for the issues it tackles; issued which defined the late Nineties but still continue to define our current epoch than anything else - homosexuality and the moral failings of people in leadership, temporal and spiritual.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"With Grace"},{"content":" Amara U, Flickr\nIt is perhaps indicative of just how activity-starved my life has been lately that all it takes is a week\u0026rsquo;s notice for me to drag myself across the 397 odd miles down south to join K, family and parents in celebrating 35 years of staying married. In fairness to her, Royal Mail had a hand in the late invitation; when she texted me frantically that Friday afternoon, it was with a mind to chide me for my legendary tardiness. Only my strenuous denials backed up by the fact that I had moved houses recently saved me in the end. Long story short, I ended up on Friday night in the comparatively upscale setting of South Harrow, the hub around which we all converged - from every nook and cranny of the world it seemed, Scotland ably represented by yours truly.\nAmidst the brightly coloured costumes, the odd great conversation and the excited dancing- Nigerian (women) elevate dancing to something between an art form and extreme aerobics- one of the more enduring scenes for me was one I had no business being part of but which in the end provided some framing for the lessons I am learning in this phase of life I am in.\nAt the core of the delicate moment was a handy man brought in to put finishing touches to some redecoration. Somehow he\u0026rsquo;d managed to over run to such an extent that just before we all had to leave for the venue the question of how to provide access to him, the gregarious if a tad irritating Italian, was a seething problem. He, the father, was of the opinion that the handy man should be sent packing forthwith, ostensibly with a penalty applied to his payment for failing to deliver. She was of the opinion that he had earned the trust and goodwill of the family to be left alone to finish his work whilst the rest of us were away. The scene, of argument and counter argument, is one I found intimately familiar; with a few years between them it could have been my own parents having the conversation - the pragmatic, real world skills of my mother defusing a potentially tense situation and delivering a workable solution, often inspite of my father\u0026rsquo;s interventions.\nThinking back, over the course of the weekend there were more instances of that - which amidst all the wild dancing and eulogising had me thinking that maybe I, and my generation, have it backward. Thirty-five years of marriage clearly hadn\u0026rsquo;t diminshed their chemistry - there was plenty of evidence of that over the weekend - but just maybe the key to their longevity was in the synergies they had evolved over the years, managing to balance each other\u0026rsquo;s extremes out. Or maybe I was just overthinking it - drawing wide ranging conclusions on the basis of a few hours of observation. I do think not.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/07/10/3-5-go/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/df4cd-women-dancing.jpg\"\u003e\nAmara U, \u003ca href=\"https://www.flickr.com/photos/mad_african78/310966484/\"\u003eFlickr\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is perhaps indicative of just how activity-starved my life has been lately that all it takes is a week\u0026rsquo;s notice for me to drag myself across the 397 odd miles down south to join K, family and parents in celebrating 35 years of staying married. In fairness to her, Royal Mail had a hand in the late invitation; when she texted me frantically that Friday afternoon, it was with a mind to chide me for my legendary tardiness. Only my strenuous denials backed up by the fact that I had moved houses recently saved me in the end. Long story short, I ended up on Friday night in the comparatively upscale setting of South Harrow, the hub around which we all converged - from every nook and cranny of the world it seemed, Scotland ably represented by yours truly.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"3-5 go"},{"content":"\nPhoto credits - David Goehring, Flickr\n- -\nAll I remember from the immediate aftermath of hitting the red button which terminates the FaceTime conversation I have been having with G is a feeling of reeling and of sinking, how I imagine the driver of a car suddenly swept off a road into the icy depths of a lake might feel - disoriented, numb and perhaps too taken aback to have any real appreciation of the import of what has just happened. There is good reason to feel this way, given the act - symbolic as it were - is one that brings to an end what has been a good year of sorts, and that only for the third time ever. To reach this place, where what is a painful, hard fought decision has been taken, has required months of agony and wrestling - weighing the pros of trying to save face against the cons of loss, of time and sunken investments. That G and I work, by and large, has made the decision even more difficult; that a milestone birthday of sorts for me has just passed complicates things even more.\nThree is a nice tidy number I think, a sample just big enough to allow the trends and patterns of behaviour - good, bad or indifferent - begin to surface. The trends which are beginning to surface here are ones I can not bear to countenance. When the sum total of my its-not-you-its-me conversational experience was two, it was easy to chalk them up as learning, and somehow decouple myself from the act of tearing things up. In my mind, I was not that kind of guy, the kind who blithely broke things up without considering the impact on the life of others. Now, as I navigate the aftermath of conversation number three, I can no longer hold on to that belief, at least not without lying to myself.\nThe sixty days since then have not been an unbroken stretch of numb, morose pain though. With the release from the expectations and commitments implicit in a relationship comes some sort of freedom - false as it may be; loads of time suddenly are freed up, and the willing mouth can gain feast at the plenteous h’ordeuvres on offer - all 3.5 billion of them as it were, in theory at least. Reality only hits, in my experience, when with a little bit of life to share - a new success, a hard fall or even the most quotidian of events - the lack of an ear one can call on without much fanfare rubs the reality of aloneness in; which is what happens when I hear the first real not bad news about work in June. That for me is what has hurt the most.\nWith the benfit of time to reflect, it has become obvious that I do gravitate to a certain type of woman. G was very similar to girlfriend #2 - both ISFJ, both from the same part of Nigeria, both very Christian and both were liasons I entered into with more ambivalence than I cared to admit at the time. The one outlier amongst the three was EJ, I suppose the intense physicality that was the hallmark of those 11 months meant the foundations were shaky, and we were doomed form day dot.\nA lot of the main blocks fit perfectly with G; in the end it was the intangibles that proved a straw too heavy for the camel’s back - the lack of an emotional connection from me, our widely differing pressure handling/ coping strategies and subtle differences in how we lived out our largely convergent worldview. Amidst all that, work happened as the final element of a perfect storm which exhausted my capacity for dealing with change, leaving me scrambling for the the position of least turmoil - which unfortunately, selfishly I’ll admit - did not include her.\nOne of the big questions that has looped over and over in my mind in the month since then is if I loved her. I was sure I did, we had great conversations when they managed to happen and there certainly was a sense that our meet ups across town were looked forward to. I also put my money and time where my mouth was on several occasions. Where we fell short was in the effervescence stakes, I didn\u0026rsquo;t love her in a wild, fizzy, over powering way. My 11 month dalliance with EJ proved that loving that way was something I was capable of; what was unclear in my mind was if this stable, sensible loving without the fizz was sufficient in and of itself. In the end I decided it wasn\u0026rsquo;t, that clarity has to count as one of the neccesary if unpalatable learnings I have had to deal with from this nearly year.\nHelen Fischer, in what I think was a fantastic TED talk, postulates that there are three brain systems that govern how we bond and love - lust, romantic love and attachment. In my case, my head felt there was sufficient common ground for long term attachment to flourish eventually, I just didn\u0026rsquo;t have enough lust and/or romantic love to get there.\nThe Christian tradition I come from - I came of age in the generation that binged on Joshua Harris’ I Kissed Dating Goodbye and sang along gustily to Rebecca St James’ Wait for Me - is one which tends to lend itself rather easily to placing beauty and attraction in opposition to character, Proverbs 31:30 being the bumper sticker for that. In that worldview, beauty and attraction pale in significance to character and sensibleness. Granted there is a sense in which building a long term relationship on the fuzziness of fizz is somewhere between stupid and foolhardy, but I have come to believe that the opposite position, going into a long term relationship with the head but no heart is equally as dangerous. Thankfully since then the likes of Leke Alder and Matt Chandler have weighed in on the subject in a way that lies somewhere between supporting my position and proposing a third way.\nI doubt there are any coherent arguments that entirely support my decision - the cold harsh reality of two months certainly have not brought those to the fore yet. But it is back to real life now. The enduring image, one that may well haunt me for some time yet, is one where we are face to face, separated by the portal that is FaceTime, with the linger of an awkward silence between us, neither one of us wanting to be the one that ends the call. Something broke that day in May, and at the centre of everything is me, vacillator-in-chief. I can only hope somewhere down the road, there is redemption, and if not, that the lessons learned may yet save the future.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/07/03/at-the-centre-of-things/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"head in hands\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/770d1-head-in-hands.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhoto credits - \u003ca href=\"https://www.flickr.com/photos/carbonnyc/4937743835/in/dateposted/\"\u003eDavid Goehring, Flickr\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- -\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll I remember from the immediate aftermath of hitting the red button which terminates the FaceTime conversation I have been having with \u003cem\u003eG\u003c/em\u003e is a feeling of reeling and of sinking, how I imagine the driver of a car suddenly swept off a road into the icy depths of a lake might feel - disoriented, numb and perhaps too taken aback to have any real appreciation of the import of what has just happened. There is good reason to feel this way, given the act - symbolic as it were - is one that brings to an end what has been a good year of sorts, and that only for the third time ever. To reach this place, where what is a painful, hard fought decision has been taken, has required months of agony and wrestling - weighing the pros of trying to save face against the cons of loss, of time and sunken investments. That G and I work, by and large, has made the decision even more difficult; that a milestone birthday of sorts for me has just passed \u003cem\u003ecomplicates\u003c/em\u003e things even more.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"At The Centre of Things"},{"content":"Image Credits - Joey Rozier, Flickr\nIt has been a fascinating month of sorts on here - and also in real life where the issues which drove my sense of dissonance and the need to begin again have eased off. I would be remiss if I said I was out of the woods completely, but there certainly is a sense of significant progress and building traction in the right direction. The money numbers were pretty much bang on plan - just under £0.01 actual vs planned - which allowed me put away twice what I planned at the beginning of the month. I did spend more than planned on transport and purchases, main driver being the need to head down south for a weekend at short notice and the bits and bobs I purchased to support that. For the interested (waves at SisiOnABudget), here are two charts (by category, plan vs actuals) with a little more detail.\nOn here, Blogging101 has been a great way for me to get back to basics and ease myself into writing again. Thanks to the various prompts, over the past month I managed to reimagine how I self classify, reflect on the why for this blog, and meet - virtually at least - a bunch of interesting folk as evidenced by my swelling reader inbox. A bonus - largely unexpected - was praise from someone whose work I am a fan of, as well as being compared to another writer whose body of work I was and still am a big fan of.\nFrom the task for Day 15, I have decided to sign up for the Monthly Masterpiece Challenge - by blending art, faith and reflection into a coherent whole, my hope is that I can develop my practice of contemplation more. I am keen to see how that evolves.\nGoing forward on here, I still like the initial idea I considered at the beginning - a Friday lunch time ramble on something that catches my fancy within the normal everyday context I live my life in. For those who are still on here - whom I haven\u0026rsquo;t bored to death or scared away - thanks for surviving Phase 1. I can only hope Phase 2 is even more exciting and fulfilling.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/06/30/a-good-month-of-sorts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"end_flickr\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/113f0-end_flickr.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eImage Credits - Joey Rozier, \u003ca href=\"https://flic.kr/p/8T7jJ\"\u003eFlickr\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt has been a fascinating month of sorts on here - and also in real life where \u003ca href=\"http://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/06/19/the-perfect-year-in-five-things/\"\u003ethe issues\u003c/a\u003e which drove my sense of dissonance and the \u003ca href=\"http://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/06/08/beginning-again/\"\u003eneed to begin again\u003c/a\u003e have eased off. I would be remiss if I said I was out of the woods completely, but there certainly is a sense of significant progress and building traction in the right direction. The money numbers were pretty much bang on plan - just under £0.01 actual vs planned - which allowed me put away twice what I planned at the beginning of the month. I did spend more than planned on transport and purchases, main driver being the need to head down south for a weekend at short notice and the bits and bobs I purchased to support that. For the interested (waves at \u003ca href=\"https://sisionabudget.wordpress.com/\"\u003eSisiOnABudget\u003c/a\u003e), here are two charts (\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/cc7c7-2015-06-chart1.png\"\u003eby category\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/0b58f-2015-06-chart2.png\"\u003eplan vs actuals\u003c/a\u003e) with a little more detail.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A good month of sorts..."},{"content":"\nFor today\u0026rsquo;s Daily Prompt, Toy Story\n- - -\nThere is a real sense in which play was a concept alien to the world in which I grew up. Being the son of two high achieving, austere academicians did that to me; that they adopted a rigorous, all encompasing asceticism merely underlined the near total absence in our lives of anything that didn\u0026rsquo;t fulfil a function of some sort. The Black \u0026amp; White National television set was the communal alter around which we sacrificed our evenings to learning and current affairs, the gramophone, the vehicle by which nostalgic memories where wheeled out and shared with us younglings.\nKids will be kids though. With time we discovered the joys of table soccer - coca cola tops dressed up in fine livery with the names of global superstars painted on, St Louis Sugar boxes repurposed as goal posts and specialty tops providing super star appeal. With a properly shaped front end, a pastic Berec top could very easily evolve into a 20-goal a season striker, even though smarties tops ruled the roost.\nAn entire industry grew around the game, wheelers and dealers who trawled the dumps in the posh end of town for smarties tops to trade, administrators who created tournaments the rest of us subscribed to. Having a kid brother proved useful - regular battles or not - for the opportunities it provided for us to revel in the joys of our playthings without risking the wrath of our parents by being caught outside the confines of the mother lode.\nDid it change my life? Probably not, except for the friendships it helped forge all those many years ago - O perhaps being the closest example. Apparently though, my love for it was not an abberation. So loved across the country was the game that some smart kid has turned it into a game for mobile. That, just might count as life changing afterall.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/06/22/of-life-and-playthings/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"coke-top\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/249ca-coke-top.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor today\u0026rsquo;s Daily Prompt, \u003ca href=\"https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/toy-story/\"\u003eToy Story\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- - -\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is a real sense in which \u003cem\u003eplay\u003c/em\u003e was a concept alien to the world in which I grew up. Being the son of two high achieving, \u003cem\u003eaustere\u003c/em\u003e academicians did that to me; that they adopted a rigorous, all encompasing asceticism merely underlined the near total absence in our lives of anything that didn\u0026rsquo;t fulfil a function of some sort. The Black \u0026amp; White National television set was the communal alter around which we sacrificed our evenings to learning and current affairs, the gramophone, the vehicle by which nostalgic memories where wheeled out and shared with us younglings.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Of life and playthings"},{"content":"\nFrom my notes at the end of March (which kind of triggered this)\nIn Work: Greater clarity around my role going forward, and dare I say a staff role somewhere that allows me focus (almost) exclusively on developing my technical Materials and Corrosion skills. In Women: Resolution of my G \u0026lsquo;problem\u0026rsquo; - we\u0026rsquo;ve stalled, we both know it but we\u0026rsquo;re letting the weight of third party expectations drive our actions. In Worldview: God and I need to have a proper conversation and make up. This cognitive dissonance is driving me nuts. In Weight: 8kg over my YE2014 numbers. MUST do better! In (Net) Worth: Stalled, no increases since YE 2013 inspite of net increase in earnings. Must rein in 2015 spend and take it from there. Hopefully SisiOnABudget comes up with the magic bullet for this soon! ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/06/19/the-perfect-year-in-five-things/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"chilling\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/4d8ca-chilling.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom my notes at the end of March (which kind of triggered \u003ca href=\"http://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/06/08/beginning-again/\"\u003ethis\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn Work\u003c/strong\u003e: Greater clarity around my role going forward,  and dare I say a staff role somewhere that allows me focus (almost) exclusively on developing my technical Materials and Corrosion skills.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn Women\u003c/strong\u003e: Resolution of my G \u0026lsquo;problem\u0026rsquo; - we\u0026rsquo;ve stalled, we both know it but we\u0026rsquo;re letting the weight of third party expectations drive our actions.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn Worldview\u003c/strong\u003e: God and I need to have a proper conversation and make up. This cognitive dissonance is driving me nuts.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn Weight\u003c/strong\u003e: 8kg over my YE2014 numbers. MUST do better!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn (Net) Worth\u003c/strong\u003e:  Stalled, no increases since YE 2013 inspite of net increase in earnings. Must rein in 2015 spend and take it from there. Hopefully \u003ca href=\"https://sisionabudget.wordpress.com/\"\u003eSisiOnABudget\u003c/a\u003e comes up with the magic bullet for this soon!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"The Perfect Year - In Five Things"},{"content":"\n[ Source] \u0026ndash;\nI must have looked like shitknackered, or something close by all accounts, if the look the lady at the front desk gave me when I dragged myself, knapsack in hand and windbreaker open all the way down at the front, across the stoop to her desk to get signed in for the day was anything to go by. I was here at my old stomping ground from a few years ago to attend a training course - the first two days of which had lurched from plain boring to an absolute waste of the thousand pounds I\u0026rsquo;d managed to fork out for it. That my on-off insomnia was back in full pelt could not have helped - four ibuprofren plus notwithstanding - I had flitted in and out of sleep till 6.30am, at which time I gave up, brewed a cup of coffee and got my day started.\nYou didn\u0026rsquo;t get chucked out of your house did you? she finally asked as she rummaged in her desk for my temporary pass. She did have good reason to ask I guess - seeing that it was only 7.30am and the course was not meant to start for another hour and a half. I must have mumbled something - I was sure what I said was that I had being caught in two minds about stopping over at the office for a few minutes before heading on here - but she somehow inferred that I\u0026rsquo;d had to take the earlier bus as the next one would not be for another hour.\nIn the end what excuse I came up did not matter as she proceeded to pour me a steaming cup of coffee and then dumped me a chair next to her whilst she made a few phone calls to the course coordinator to come get me. It turned out he would not be ready for another half hour, so we did the next best thing we could - which was have a natter over coffee.\nIt turned out that she had two children in the same ball park age as I was - a son at 34 and a daughter at 29 - whose favourite past time was trying to pull the wool over her eyes, much like I had tried to do, apparently. Clearly this sussing out business was one she had gotten very good at - not that it mattered anyways. Not unlike BritishKitchenWitch, my day had threatened to start off on a bad note; between the banter and fresh coffee, it was well on the way to being saved.\n\u0026ndash;\nFor Day 9 - Get Inspired By The Neighbours\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/06/18/in-conversation-of-coffee-and-banter/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"coffee_\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/3ce43-coffee_.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[ \u003ca href=\"https://www.flickr.com/photos/waferboard/7417277818/in/photolist-ciruhj-4EZ24V-df5Rzq-8dxxkB-nvAoDk-mF2Hpc-887JXd-9U9ZKZ-jKLC8r-6GtGmj-o6k2UB-eppLDF-eqbByC-dzBrCi-75QJPn-oK9cEY-athMJ5-dshXvy-eeXM3G-dWcYXQ-8cxGxH-4EaXuw-ekSWDF-56P4E3-m1SMgL-cPJ8QU-cirujw-awS4X3-oB1k5g-np98AJ-4ang32-8N4tS6-aqNUJJ-c8XkcS-pa1Vpv-3daDSd-bdnv4Z-f9xNuq-CsKnA-4rLoBN-dfy1vs-9gAzhv-9kbWzq-epfrrr-niPcP4-fDnb1y-mtNzsx-pXwi5z-aBXTtV-naY5im\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e] \u0026ndash;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI must have looked like shitknackered, or something close by all accounts, if the look the lady at the front desk gave me when I dragged myself, knapsack in hand and windbreaker open all the way down at the front, across the stoop to her desk to get signed in for the day was anything to go by. I was here at my old stomping ground from a few years ago to attend a training course - the first two days of which had lurched from plain boring to an absolute waste of the thousand pounds I\u0026rsquo;d managed to fork out for it. That my \u003cem\u003eon-off\u003c/em\u003e insomnia was back in full pelt could not have helped - four ibuprofren plus notwithstanding - I had flitted in and out of sleep till 6.30am, at which time I gave up, brewed a cup of coffee and got my day started.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"In Conversation - Of Coffee and Banter"},{"content":" I sit here at my desk, amidst a sea of boxes, piles of paper and open drawers, grateful for the peace and quiet these last few minutes before the lunch break starts afford me. The morning has flown by quickly, lost in the blur of furiously packing, sorting and binning four years worth of work and junk that by the end of the day has to be organised neatly so the office admin staff can get them moved as required. The powers that be in my neck of the woods have decreed - having decided that we have been stuck in our silos for far too long - that moving to an office sharing arrangement that has us clustered functionally will foster a more collaborative approach to work, create synergies and improve efficiencies. Fundamentally democratic - and buzz word heavy - even though the unspoken elephant in the room is that by some quirk in the system the supreme leader has scored a corner office looking out onto the harbour; a far more eye pleasing sight than the endless parade of bus tops that I can just make out from my desk if I squint hard enough. Earned perks of office I guess.\nIn packing up, it has become clear just how much clutter I have built up in the four years and some I have been here - at the same desk with the same office mates and pretty much the same view outside. Amongst the bits and bobs I stumble on are a picture of a Nigerian wedding with my head photoshopped on, a cent from a (not so great) American road trip, a broken liverbird from an old keychain and odds and ends from the banter that came to define our relationship in this corner of my world - mainly centred on my (perceived) failings in love.\nThe sense is certainly one of an ending, fitting, given the phase I am in my own life, but beyond that quiet confidence that the small shoots of recovery are beginning to show, springlike.\n\u0026ndash; Day 4 of the Blogging 101 series was to Identify Your Audience. I very much see mine as the sort of person who might pick up a copy of The New Yorker, Slate or Granta and dig into a longform piece of creative non-fiction by a Teju Cole, Adam Gopnik, or Zadie Smith. I just need to hone my craft sufficiently to get published first :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/06/12/the-sense-of-an-ending-2/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI sit here at my desk, amidst a sea of boxes, piles of paper and open drawers, grateful for the peace and quiet these last few minutes before the lunch break starts afford me. The morning has flown by quickly, lost in the blur of furiously packing, sorting and binning four years worth of work and junk that by the end of the day has to be organised neatly so the office admin staff can get them moved as required. The powers that be in my neck of the woods have decreed - having decided that we have been stuck in our \u003cem\u003esilos\u003c/em\u003e for far too long - that moving to an office sharing arrangement that has us \u003cem\u003eclustered\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003efunctionally\u003c/em\u003e will foster a more collaborative approach to work, create \u003cem\u003esynergies\u003c/em\u003e and improve \u003cem\u003eefficiencies\u003c/em\u003e. Fundamentally democratic - and buzz word heavy - even though the unspoken elephant in the room is that by some quirk in the system the supreme leader has scored a corner office looking out onto the harbour; a far more eye pleasing sight than the endless parade of bus tops that I can just make out from my desk if I squint hard enough. Earned perks of office I guess.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Sense of An Ending"},{"content":"\nI first heard the word Quotidian used in every day parlance in 2010 by one of my favourite authors, the British-Nigerian Poet and Novelist, Chris Abani in his TED 2008 talk On Humanity.\nThe context within which he uses the word is the retelling of a story from his childhood, growing up as a young Ibo boy in Nigeria, having to kill a goat, but finding himself too sensitive to do so. In the end, Emmanuel an older boy who has been a boy soldier in the Biafran (Nigerian Civil) war comes to his rescue, putting his hands over the goat\u0026rsquo;s mouth and covering its eyes so he doesn\u0026rsquo;t have to see them whilst he kills the goat. In the story, Chris is moved by the duty of care the older, hardened ex-soldier exercises over him concerning the simple matter of killing a goat, given that he has been involved in fighting a war widely recognised as having led to the deaths of over a million people. That deeply emotive context seems to have left an indelible mark on me, and driven me to associate a double meaning with the word. Whilst normal, everyday things are quotidian, context often colours them in shades and nuances far more complicated than they seem or should be - hence the title of my blog Quotidian Things.\nFor a tag line, I have gone for The Ramblings of a Lost Son. Ramblings, because if the past few years are anything to go by, my coherence levels reduce significantly as the days go by, and Lost Son for the increasing distance I feel - both physical and metaphorical - from my home land of Nigeria. Both Ramblings and Lost Son speak loosely to a sense of being quarantined - being substantially different from both my home and adopted countries, not quite fitting in either anymore and struggling to deal with the conflict inherent in reaching a new normal.\nSo that\u0026rsquo;s the inspiration for this, and my insistence that if I had my way, this blog would be about the simple, everyday things that happen in my world, hopefully with an attempt to understand what deeper meaning they may hold.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/06/09/of-titles-and-taglines/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"definition\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/f7ccc-definition.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI first heard the word \u003cem\u003eQuotidian\u003c/em\u003e used in every day parlance in 2010 by one of my favourite authors, the British-Nigerian Poet and Novelist, \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Abani\"\u003eChris Abani\u003c/a\u003e in his TED 2008 talk \u003ca href=\"http://www.ted.com/talks/chris_abani_muses_on_humanity\"\u003eOn Humanity\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe context within which he uses the word is the retelling of a story from his childhood, growing up as a young Ibo boy in Nigeria, having to kill a goat, but finding himself too sensitive to do so. In the end, Emmanuel an older boy who has been a boy soldier in the \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_Civil_War\"\u003eBiafran (Nigerian Civil) war\u003c/a\u003e comes to his rescue, putting his hands over the goat\u0026rsquo;s mouth and covering its eyes so he doesn\u0026rsquo;t have to see them whilst he kills the goat. In the story, Chris is moved by the duty of care the older, hardened ex-soldier exercises over him concerning the simple matter of killing a goat, given that he has been involved in fighting a war widely recognised as having led to the deaths of over a million people. That deeply emotive context seems to have left an indelible mark on me, and driven me to associate a double meaning with the word. Whilst normal, everyday things are \u003cem\u003equotidian\u003c/em\u003e, context often colours them in shades and nuances far more complicated than they seem or should be - hence the title of my blog \u003cem\u003eQuotidian Things\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Of Titles and Taglines"},{"content":"\nFor the umpteenth time I am attempting to begin again. As to triggers for each prior iteration of these beginnings, I can blame various cataclysmic events – a delayed quarter life crisis which ended up with me starting over on a new continent, a short lived romance, and the sense of endlessly treading water being prime examples of some of these. On this occasion however, I cannot pinpoint a singular reason why; such has been the sort of year I have had – between the end of a good year of sorts with G and the significant uncertainties brought about by an unstable oil price regime.\nIn conversation with K, she blurts out her conclusion that my slew of resets, reboots and new beginnings are only a smoke screen for avoiding commitment. Dee, the closest thing to a big sister I still have agrees, her conviction no less firm though tempered by associating my behaviour with a phase she once went through. I disagree with them both of course. For one there is a sense in which being a compulsive journal-er, as well as writing on the web in some guise or the other for well nigh on 8 years, has meant that I have come to think and write in a certain way, settled into the very deepest of ruts.\nAdmittedly, beginning again has a certain allure: the promise of casting off the old, wiping the slate clean and reinventing oneself with new paths and new directions to chase does lend itself to the redemptive meta narrative we as a species seem primed to crave. What this allure doesn’t account for though is the carnage that breaks often leave in their wake, particularly where feelings, time and other people are involved.\nThe big objective here then – besides the need to start over – is to find a new voice, without the pressure, and in the relative safety of a regained anonymity. To reach this different, hopefully radically new normal will take lots of experimentation; which is why I have armed myself with DW Moore’s Crafting the Personal Essay and the New York Times’ Learning sub-site with 500 prompts for narrative and creative writing.\nFar from writing about any world-changing, life-altering, paradigm-shifting things, the bulk of what I will muse about on here will be the bread and butter things that weigh heavily on the mind of this single, thirty something year old razz Nigerian bloke: lostness, faith, chasing, finding and losing love, work, culture clashes, a burgeoning keg (instead of a six-pack), books, music and culture as well as my recollections of growing up – as ‘ Quotidian‘ as anything could ever be.\nThe intent is to post something on here every Friday, upon completing the Daily Post\u0026rsquo;s Blogging 101 series. Whether I succeed at achieving these twin objectives – building the consistency and finding myself again – remains to be seen. At any rate, accept my warm WELCOME to the start of this new journey – as you have somehow found your way here. Here’s to hoping you stick around for the ride.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/06/08/beginning-again/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"begin_again\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/6b2aa-begin_again.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the \u003cem\u003eumpteenth\u003c/em\u003e time I am attempting to begin again. As to triggers for each prior iteration of these beginnings, I can blame various cataclysmic events – a delayed quarter life crisis which ended up with me starting over on a new continent, a short lived romance, and the sense of endlessly treading water being prime examples of some of these. On this occasion however, I cannot pinpoint a singular reason why; such has been the sort of year I have had – between the end of a good year of sorts with G and the significant uncertainties brought about by an unstable oil price regime.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Beginning, Again"},{"content":"\n[ Source]\n---\nThe sense of something\nBrewing; Hope\u0026rsquo;s shoots, soft, tender-\nBeginning, Again\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/05/22/delayed-spring/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Free-spring\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/free-spring.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[ \u003ca href=\"http://www.thediningcircle.co.uk/the-windmill/windmills-spring-la-carte/\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sense of something\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrewing; Hope\u0026rsquo;s shoots, soft, tender-\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeginning, Again\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Spring[ing]"},{"content":" ---\nI know that you\u0026rsquo;re my constant Even if I lost it, I\u0026rsquo;m chasing after you like a Com Pom Pom Pom Pass (compass)\nCompass, from the album Science Fiction\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/05/17/on-repeat-jonathan-thulin-feat-manwell-reyes-compass/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/6JL7gSNB3xA?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI know that you\u0026rsquo;re my constant\nEven if I lost it,\nI\u0026rsquo;m chasing after you\nlike a Com Pom Pom Pom Pass (compass)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.air1.com/music/artists/jonathan-thulin/songs/compass-%28feat.-manwell-reyes%29-lyrics.aspx\"\u003eCompass\u003c/a\u003e, from the album \u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/science-fiction/id967036304\"\u003eScience Fiction\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Repeat: Jonathan Thulin (feat Manwell Reyes) - Compass"},{"content":"\nFor Mag 269 --- Here beneath The glow of your halo, Mother of God, With clasped hands And humble spirit I bow in supplication, Bringing a prayer For redemption, for Absolution from this Weight, this burden Of deferred hope.\nThe crash of thunder, Flash of lightning, Fire and smoke, Echoed across seven hills Is etched in my memory A callus chafed raw By this journey, This unceasing battle Of Self and Spirit Of good ambushed by doubt\nMother of God If you hear, or are near Pray for this sinner Now and at the hour Of escape.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/05/12/supplication-a-pilgrims-prayer/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"mag269\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/mag269.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"http://magpietales.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/mag-269.html\"\u003eMag 269\u003c/a\u003e\n---\nHere beneath\nThe glow of your halo,\nMother of God,\nWith clasped hands\nAnd humble spirit\nI bow in supplication,\nBringing a prayer\nFor redemption, for\nAbsolution from this\nWeight, this burden\nOf deferred hope.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe crash of thunder,\nFlash of lightning,\nFire and smoke,\nEchoed across seven hills\nIs etched in my memory\nA callus chafed raw\nBy this journey,\nThis unceasing battle\nOf Self and Spirit\nOf good ambushed by doubt\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Pilgrim's Prayer"},{"content":" Brand new looks so good on you So shake like you\u0026rsquo;ve been changed\nFrom the album Welcome to the New which I found eminently enjoyable, and danceable\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/05/10/shake-mercyme/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/YJFA5Bitv7w?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrand new looks so good on you\nSo shake like you\u0026rsquo;ve been changed\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the album \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Welcome-To-The-New-MercyMe/dp/B00IJBAYD0\"\u003eWelcome to the New\u003c/a\u003e which I found eminently enjoyable, and danceable\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Shake - MercyMe"},{"content":"\n[ Source]\nWhen March finally dragged itself to an end, I remember thinking that I hadn’t felt as stressed as I did at the time since 2008, 2008 being a nadir of sorts; one that ended up with me quitting my job and heading back to grad school, my version of navigating a delayed quarter life crisis.\nSo out of sorts and form did I feel that I took myself away to the Starbucks in Union Square, one Sunday after church, ordered the most decadent hot chocolate with cream on offer and proceeded to have a conversation with myself. What quickly became apparent from that exercise was that there were a number of pressure points which were driving my malaise.\nWork was one of those. It has been an interesting - if difficult - year. From being dragged into a project at work with strong personalities on both sides of the table and poorly defined deliverables to the pressures of sub-par oil prices on the long term viability of the North Sea business, trepidation has been the underlying emotion I have associated with work all year. With the pressure to deliver upwards of 20% reductions (75% in the long term McKinsey surmise), in order to bring lifting costs in line with prices, cuts in projects were inevitable and more than a few good people had to leave, voluntarily or otherwise. This had a two fold effect - creating an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear, but also leaving one with survivor\u0026rsquo;s guilt every time yet another acquaintance got the heave-ho. The question of what constitutes appropriate etiquette around leavers remains open, at least for me. Does one call or text to commiserate, or does the ostrich manoeuvre suffice seeing as HR matters are of a private and confidential nature?\nIn tandem with the work issues were pressures on a personal level; big decisions I needed to make with wide ranging ramifications, spending which was spiralling out of control due to unforeseen circumstances associated with an acquisition I made at the turn of the year, and a sense of cognitive dissonance over my continuing world view issues.\nThere is a sense in which April, and NaPoWriMo 2015 was perfectly timed, particularly for the opportunity it presented to process the questions, ambivalence and unseen turmoil I was wrestling with. It was hard going, particularly as prompts weren\u0026rsquo;t necessarily timely for me given the time differences, but all told it helped that I could \u0026lsquo;steal\u0026rsquo; lines from La Reine and feed off the Komunyakaa-esque imagery of some of the pieces Tolu put out with challenging regularity.\nI would like to think there has been an upswing (small and barely perceptible, but there nonetheless), the origin of which I would have to trace all the way back to a competency assessment interview I had with an outside consultant brought in to assess the team. Going over my background with him resulted in the unintended consequence of providing some much needed perspective for me; on just how far I have come since being the bumbling twenty something year old new hire hassled by a police man all those years ago in Eket, to leaving (and surviving) 2008 and a few detours later arriving at where I am at the moment.\nWith time, and more reflection, it has becoming increasingly clear that of the myriad of decisions - some of which I agonised over to no end - that have taken me from there here, only a comparative handful have been truly life defining. The first big fight I had with my parents - over the choice of an under-grad major - in the end mattered very little as both options could have led me here. Ditto for the choice between Newcastle, Manchester and Cranfield for grad school. Perhaps the most critical was one I took most lightly, sending in the application for that first role which set me off on this path of pretending to know a thing or two about rust.\nI have learned, and am learning that that ad for that iconic Scottish brew Johnnie Walker Scotch just might have been on to something:\nYour entire life; every routine, every risk, every moment, every step forward and every step back, has led you here to the next step and it has the power to change everything\u0026hellip; Your entire life, all of it leads to the next step. The chance to define yourself by where you\u0026rsquo;re headed instead of where you stand.\nAnd so, I keep walking\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/05/07/of-journeys-and-endings/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"SCOTT-A-WOODWARD_1SW1943\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/scott-a-woodward_1sw1943.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[ \u003ca href=\"http://blog.iamnikon.com/en_GB/d-slr/5-tips-for-better-travel-photography/\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen March finally dragged itself to an end, I remember thinking that I hadn’t felt as stressed as I did at the time since 2008, \u003ca href=\"/2008/08/05/diary-of-a-would-be-school-boy/\"\u003e2008 being a nadir of sorts\u003c/a\u003e; one that ended up with me quitting my job and heading back to grad school, my version of navigating a delayed quarter life crisis.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo out of sorts and form did I feel that I took myself away to the Starbucks in Union Square, one Sunday after church, ordered the most decadent \u003ca href=\"https://instagram.com/p/00CMchK3Hi/?taken-by=therustgeek\"\u003ehot chocolate with cream on offer\u003c/a\u003e and proceeded to have a conversation with myself. What quickly became apparent \u003ca href=\"/2015/03/29/catching-up-my-q1-review/\"\u003efrom that exercise\u003c/a\u003e was that there were a number of pressure points which were driving my malaise.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Of Journeys and Endings..."},{"content":"\nFor Mag 268: --- The dinginess within cannot hide the beauty that lurks here, hidden beneath the patina of age and wanton neglect.\nHaste hinders the unveiling of poise, of grace carved out of ugly rock, of error transmogrified* by intense, pregnant intent, into a towering edifice of strained sinews and abs chiseled to perfection.\nThis is no drowning Narcissus sinking into a murky river of swirling self indulgence; this is David, bare and broken saved by the master’s hand.\n--- The image in the mirror is of Michaelangelo\u0026rsquo;s David, seemingly condemned to exist as a flawed marble damaged by hasty workmanship until Michaelangelo turned its very imperfections into the basis of a masterpiece.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/05/06/transmogrification/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"selfie-david\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/selfie-david.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"http://magpietales.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/mag-268.html\"\u003eMag 268\u003c/a\u003e:\n---\nThe dinginess within\ncannot hide the beauty\nthat lurks here, hidden\nbeneath the patina\nof age and wanton neglect.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHaste hinders the\nunveiling of poise,\nof grace carved out of\nugly rock, of error\ntransmogrified* by\nintense, pregnant intent,\ninto a towering edifice\nof strained sinews and abs\nchiseled to perfection.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is no drowning\nNarcissus sinking\ninto a  murky river\nof swirling self indulgence;\nthis is David, bare and broken\nsaved by the master’s hand.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Transmogrification"},{"content":" With time one learns there are no real endings, only times, and new seasons\u0026hellip;\n--- NaPoWriMo is a wrap for this year, even though I never did get round to completing the Day 14 challenge. Big ups to La Reine and Tolu who challenged and inspired along the way\u0026hellip; Bring on 2016!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/30/napowrimo-day-30-times-seasons/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Large-Blue-RGB-National-Poetry-Month-Logo\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/large-blue-rgb-national-poetry-month-logo.jpg?w=620\"\u003e\nWith time one learns there\nare no real endings, only\ntimes, and new seasons\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\n\u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/\"\u003eNaPoWriMo\u003c/a\u003e is a wrap for this year, even though I never did get round to completing the Day 14 challenge. Big ups to \u003ca href=\"http://yungbe.blogspot.co.uk/\"\u003eLa Reine\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://medium.com/divided-by-zero\"\u003eTolu\u003c/a\u003e who challenged and inspired along the way\u0026hellip; Bring on 2016!\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 30 - Times and Seasons"},{"content":"\n[ Source]\nFour stars for the Chelsea boots in brown; five from Wood, for their soft leather and inner cushion, for how easy they fit his wide feet and how they arrive in time for spring and the promise of new beginnings.\nOne star from Miles, for how they fall apart; split at the heel after seven months of use; for how they’ll harm your feet, and fall apart as though sawn in two.\nFrom Joshua, just three stars - because they arrive damaged. --- For the Day 29 Prompt at NaPoWriMo, to write a review; culled from a few reviews left on the Amazon page for the shoes above.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/29/napowrimo-day-29-giving-stars/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"roamers - shoe\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/roamers-shoe.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[ \u003ca href=\"http://www.shuperb.co.uk/mens-c5/chelsea-boots-c10/mens-archie-twin-gusset-padded-leather-chelsea-boots-brown-p66\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFour stars\nfor the Chelsea boots\nin brown; five\nfrom Wood,\nfor their soft leather\nand inner cushion,\nfor how easy they fit\nhis wide feet\nand how they arrive\nin time for spring\nand the promise\nof new beginnings.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne star\nfrom Miles, for how\nthey fall apart; split\nat the heel\nafter seven months of use;\nfor how\nthey’ll harm your feet,\nand fall apart\nas though sawn in two.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 29 - Giving Stars"},{"content":"\nIn the unknown you clutch vestigial memories of night journeys and of trains and being surprised by grey granite segueing into lush greenery\nbut once you cross the Bridge across the Firth of Forth Hope awakens \u0026lsquo;Cos you\u0026rsquo;re Home.\nOn train journeys, coming home and the Forth Road Bridge for the prompt for Day 28 at NaPoWriMo, a truly gorgeous sight on a (rare?) sunny November day as I found many years ago\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/28/napowrimo-day-28-bridge/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"forth-bridge\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/forth-bridge.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the unknown\nyou clutch vestigial memories\nof night journeys and of trains\nand being surprised by\ngrey granite segueing\ninto lush greenery\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebut once you cross\nthe Bridge across the\nFirth of Forth\nHope awakens\n\u0026lsquo;Cos you\u0026rsquo;re Home.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOn train journeys, \u003ca href=\"/2011/09/16/an-omen-or-not/\"\u003ecoming home\u003c/a\u003e and the \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forth_Road_Bridge\"\u003eForth Road Bridge\u003c/a\u003e for the prompt for \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-twenty-eight/\"\u003eDay 28 at NaPoWriMo\u003c/a\u003e, a truly gorgeous sight on a (rare?) sunny November day as I found many years ago\u0026hellip;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 28 - Bridge"},{"content":"\nPause, On the corner of Kings’ and 23rd North West and smile, let your face crumble like a cookie dipped in spring milk.\nTell her the musky scent of her perfume reminds you of spring wafting in on the wind heady, yet subtle, hardly felt.\nMoan about the weather, of snow pelting down like hail of sunshine shoved into a corner by clouds and then nightfall\nWhen you find she’s clutching Chaucer to her chest and McEwan in her bag, read her a line from Komunyakaa: ‘I took seven roads to get here and almost died three times’*.\nBut if her fingers linger or tap dance on her phone disappear- because sometimes the nostalgia of an unsoiled memory is worth more than the pain of paradise lost.\n\u0026ndash; \\* Borrowed from one of my favourite Komunyakaa poems, ‘ Providence’; from the Pleasure Dome anthology.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/27/napowrimo-day-27-how-to-make-small-talk/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/spring-snow1.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePause,\nOn the corner of Kings’ and\n23rd North West and smile,\nlet your face crumble like\na cookie dipped in spring milk.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTell her the musky scent\nof her perfume reminds you\nof spring wafting in on the wind\nheady, yet subtle, hardly felt.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMoan\nabout the weather, of\nsnow pelting down like hail\nof sunshine shoved into a corner\nby clouds and then nightfall\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen you find she’s\nclutching Chaucer to her chest\nand McEwan in her bag,\nread her a line from Komunyakaa:\n‘I took seven roads to get here\nand almost died three times’*.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 27 - How To Make Small Talk"},{"content":"\nFor Mag 267 You and I are sweeping up the shards of something blithely broken, something shattered into a thousand jagged things, by this weight, this unshifting burden of this we, we nearly were.\nThere is leaving, and then this, Leaving, headed west, chasing closure, across the valley, beyond which there is no returning.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/26/napowrimo-day-26-the-leaving/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"train 2\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/train-2.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"for-mag-267\"\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"http://magpietales.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/mag-267.html\"\u003eMag 267\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou and I\nare sweeping up\nthe shards of something\nblithely broken,\nsomething shattered\ninto a thousand\njagged things,\nby this weight,\nthis unshifting\nburden of this \u003cem\u003ewe\u003c/em\u003e,\nwe nearly were.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is leaving,\nand then this,\nLeaving, headed west,\nchasing closure,\nacross the valley,\nbeyond which\nthere is no returning.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 26 - The Leaving"},{"content":" --- It\u0026rsquo;s like I\u0026rsquo;m standing in the rain and you offer me a raincoat But I would rather stand there and get wet than take the handout\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/26/on-repeat-nf-feat-jeremiah-carlson-ill-keep-on/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/TwgwPLc2NtU?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e---\nIt\u0026rsquo;s like I\u0026rsquo;m standing in the rain\nand you offer me a raincoat\nBut I would rather stand there\nand get wet than take the handout\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Repeat - NF (feat Jeremiah Carlson) - I'll Keep On"},{"content":"\n[ Source]\nYou feel the fever the morning after the strangers leave, engorged by their suckling of your life sap. The gift they leave is the delirium. Dry skin, heavy head and the shivers; the sense of warped time and a bubble of discomfort They rob the future of the joy of present presence- one dies every minute but for those who escape there is only the burning burden of relief. For World Malaria Day\u0026hellip; And the one child every minute stolen from our future by the disease.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/25/napowrimo-day-25-delirium/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"mosquito on skin\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/mosquito-on-skin.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[ \u003ca href=\"http://hdwallpapersfactory.com/wallpaper/insects_skin_mosquito_desktop_2400x1596_hd-wallpaper-1095372.jpg\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"of-relief\"\u003eYou feel the fever\nthe morning after\nthe strangers leave,\nengorged by their suckling\nof your life sap.\nThe gift they leave\nis the delirium. Dry skin,\nheavy head and the shivers;\nthe sense of warped time\nand a bubble of discomfort\nThey rob the future\nof the joy of present presence-\none dies every minute\nbut for those who escape\nthere is only the\nburning burden\nof relief.\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"http://www.worldmalariaday.org/about/world-malaria-day\"\u003eWorld Malaria Day\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip; And \u003ca href=\"http://www.worldmalariaday.org/about/world-malaria-day\"\u003ethe one child every minute\u003c/a\u003e stolen from our future by the disease.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 25 - Delirium"},{"content":"Shall I compare you to a harmattan day? You are far more refreshing, than palm wine. Strong winds do bear the Sahara’s clay But in your shade, is rest divine. For the NaPoWriMo Day 24 prompt - to write a parody of a famous poem; in this case Shakespeare\u0026rsquo;s sonnet number 18. Catching up..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/24/napowrimo-day-24-shall-i-compare-you-to-a-harmattan-day/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"but-in-your-shade-is-rest-divine\"\u003eShall I compare you to a harmattan day?\nYou are far more refreshing, than palm wine.\nStrong winds do bear the Sahara’s clay\nBut in your shade, is rest divine.\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor the \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-twenty-four/\"\u003eNaPoWriMo Day 24 prompt\u003c/a\u003e - to write a parody of a famous poem; in this case \u003ca href=\"http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/shall-i-compare-thee-summers-day-sonnet-18\"\u003eShakespeare\u0026rsquo;s sonnet number 18\u003c/a\u003e. Catching up..\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 24 - Shall I Compare You to a Harmattan Day?"},{"content":" [ Source]\nIf words were everything We would be halfway To the moon and back, A streak of light, white-bright Against the night sky Driving darkness far away Into the distance Of a forgotten age.\nIf promises were The elixir of life We would nymph-like never age, Never yield to the chiseling Hand of time, etching its Designs into our very bones.\nWord by word they have built up Grandiose things, carcasses that Loom large, Colossus-like over us; Selling us bamboo dust for sandal wood, Trading Hope for the control A snake charmer\u0026rsquo;s pungi wields.\nWhen truth like a troubled troubadour Arrives, we find that we\u0026rsquo;ve been had, The facades we have pined for, a house; But of cards. --- Loosely related to the prompt for Day 23 - Card\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/23/napowrimo-day-23-house-of-cards/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"house of cards\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/house-of-cards.jpg\"\u003e\n[ \u003ca href=\"http://hdw.eweb4.com/out/1214463.html\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf words were everything\nWe would be halfway\nTo the moon and back,\nA streak of light, white-bright\nAgainst the night sky\nDriving darkness far away\nInto the distance\nOf a forgotten age.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf promises were\nThe elixir of life\nWe would nymph-like never age,\nNever yield to the chiseling\nHand of time, etching its\nDesigns into our very bones.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWord by word they have built up\nGrandiose things, carcasses that\nLoom large, Colossus-like over us;\nSelling us bamboo dust for sandal wood,\nTrading Hope for the control\nA snake charmer\u0026rsquo;s \u003cem\u003epungi\u003c/em\u003e wields.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 23 - House, Of Cards"},{"content":"\n[ Source]\n--- Rabbits nonchalantly nibbling at grass, whiff of daffodil scent, beer-bellied men, bare chested; women, pale armed seeking sun. Spring’s sprung and like moths to flame we bask in its warmth.\n--- For the Day 22 prompt at NaPoWriMo; and Earth Day.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/22/napowrimo-day-22-basking/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"outdoor-albyn-bar\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/outdoor-albyn-bar.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[ \u003ca href=\"http://www.visitscotland.com/about/food-drink/drink/bars-pubs/aberdeen-city-shire/?page=3\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\nRabbits\nnonchalantly nibbling\nat grass, whiff of\ndaffodil scent,\nbeer-bellied men,\nbare chested;\nwomen, pale armed\nseeking sun.\nSpring’s sprung\nand like moths\nto flame we bask\nin its warmth.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e---\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eFor the \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-twenty-two/\"\u003eDay 22 prompt\u003c/a\u003e at NaPoWriMo; and \u003ca href=\"http://www.earthday.org/\"\u003eEarth Day\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 22 - Basking"},{"content":"For Prompt #21 at NaPoWriMo - Erasure, and an inexplicably unsettling Ted Talk by the International Justice Mission\u0026rsquo;s Gary Haugen, even though this probably doesn\u0026rsquo;t count as an erasure poem.\n\u0026ndash; I’m not much of a crier- In Rwanda tears just aren’t much help Compassion - cum passio - mean(s) to suffer with Up close to human suffering.\nYour first introduction Might have been We Are The World. A mom from Zambia, three kids, Widow, coals on the cooking fire Completely cold, watch Peter suffer, grow cold.\nWhere were you when They were marching Our Japanese-American neighbours To internment camps, beating Our African-American neighbours Because they tried to vote?\nI hope we can say we had compassion Raised our voice, moved to make the violence stop.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/21/napowrimo-day-21-for-justice/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.ted.com/talks/gary_haugen_the_hidden_reason_for_poverty_the_world_needs_to_address_now/transcript?language=en#t-166113\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"IJM_Erasure\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ijm_erasure.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/957/\"\u003ePrompt #21 at NaPoWriMo\u003c/a\u003e - Erasure, and an inexplicably unsettling \u003ca href=\"https://www.ted.com/talks/gary_haugen_the_hidden_reason_for_poverty_the_world_needs_to_address_now/transcript?language=en#t-166113\"\u003eTed Talk\u003c/a\u003e by the International Justice Mission\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"https://ijm.org/bios/gary-haugen\"\u003eGary Haugen\u003c/a\u003e, even though this probably doesn\u0026rsquo;t count as an erasure poem.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\nI’m not much of a crier-\nIn Rwanda tears just aren’t much help\nCompassion - \u003cem\u003ecum passio -\u003c/em\u003e mean(s) \u003cem\u003eto suffer with\u003c/em\u003e\nUp close to human suffering.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYour first introduction\nMight have been \u003cem\u003eWe Are The World.\u003c/em\u003e\nA mom from Zambia, three kids,\nWidow, coals on the cooking fire\nCompletely cold, watch\nPeter suffer, grow cold.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 21 - For Justice"},{"content":"A bloke can do no worse Than believe his own hype Unless it is to hope That a grand Messianic gesture Might turn the ebbing tide of Love, Where a simple one would do.\nFor everything there is a time And a season for everything under the Sun But what virtue does Hope have unless She stir in dire times?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/20/napowrimo-day-20-lessons-learned/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA bloke can do no worse\nThan believe his own hype\nUnless it is to hope\nThat a grand Messianic gesture\nMight turn the ebbing tide of Love,\nWhere a simple one would do.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor everything there is a time\nAnd a season for everything under the Sun\nBut what virtue does Hope have unless\nShe stir in dire times?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 20 - Lessons Learned"},{"content":"Parting is all we know of hell* Heaven the delightful linger of the touch of love\u0026rsquo;s spell.\n--- For the Day 19 prompt at NaPoWriMo; not quite a formal landay but this will have to do :) *Paraphrased from Emily Dickinson\u0026rsquo;s My life closed twice before its close (96)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/20/napowrimo-day-19-a-landay-for-parting/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eParting is all we know of hell*\nHeaven the delightful linger of the touch of love\u0026rsquo;s spell.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\n\u003cem\u003eFor the \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-19-3/\"\u003eDay 19 prompt\u003c/a\u003e at NaPoWriMo; not quite a formal landay but this will have to do :)\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e*Paraphrased from Emily Dickinson\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/my-life-closed-twice-its-close-96\"\u003eMy life closed twice before its close (96)\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 19 - A landay for parting..."},{"content":"With these two feet I begin This journey, of probing and inquiry A thousand miles stretched taut Like a string. Losing itself in the Distance between here and there A road untraversed separating This beginning - hallowed ground And that distant pleasure dome.\nOne cannot escape the lure Of mystery dived head first into, The call of the unknown, enthralling, Siren-like, borne on the wind like Pollen from a flower to its receptacles; A birth,new beginning from wanton waste.\nThe promise a snippet of a dream leaves When one awakens in a cold sweat drives me And like a pilgrim, there will be no wavering Till that place of hidden answers.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/19/napowrimo-day-18-answers/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWith these two feet I begin\nThis journey, of probing and inquiry\nA thousand miles stretched taut\nLike a string. Losing itself in the\nDistance between here and there\nA road untraversed separating\nThis beginning - hallowed ground\nAnd that distant pleasure dome.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne cannot escape the lure\nOf mystery dived head first into,\nThe call of the unknown, enthralling,\nSiren-like, borne on the wind like\nPollen from a flower to its receptacles;\nA birth,new beginning from wanton waste.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 18 - Answers..."},{"content":"http://www.ted.com/talks/helen_fisher_tells_us_why_we_love_cheat?language=en\nOn the biology of love (amongst a ton of other fascinating stuff), and the three brain systems that evolve from our human experience of mating and reproduction - lust, romantic love and (long term) attachment.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/19/why-we-love-why-we-cheat/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.ted.com/talks/helen\"\u003ehttp://www.ted.com/talks/helen\u003c/a\u003e_fisher_tells_us_why_we_love_cheat?language=en\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the biology of love (amongst a ton of other fascinating stuff), and the three brain systems that evolve from our human experience of mating and reproduction - lust, romantic love and (long term) attachment.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Why We Love, Why We Cheat"},{"content":"If you came in late Naiman’s banned from Hearthstone- Attempted to judge this lady in Ten tailored jogging pants.\nFold up the paper map You should get lost This May you can get A lot of writing done\n\u0026ndash; This has been cobbled together from tweets by @BillSimmons, @DailyDot, @DamiOyedele, @Esquire, @NYTimes and @BLoreWriters in response to the Day 17 NaPoWriMo prompt to write a “social media”-style poem, quoting from friends\u0026rsquo; texts, tweets, FB status updates, twitter accounts, and blogposts, and the back of the cereal box on your breakfast table.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/18/napowrimo-day-17-cobbled-together/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIf you came in late\nNaiman’s banned from Hearthstone-\nAttempted to judge this lady in\nTen tailored jogging pants.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFold up the paper map\nYou should get lost\nThis May you can get\nA lot of writing done\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ndash;\n\u003cem\u003eThis has been cobbled together from tweets by\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/BillSimmons/status/589244089163390977\"\u003e@BillSimmons\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/dailydot/status/589251777108832256\"\u003e@DailyDot\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/DamiOyedele/status/589251589254221824\"\u003e@DamiOyedele\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/esquire/status/589251279710511104\"\u003e@Esquire\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/589250798950973440\"\u003e@NYTimes\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/blorewriters/status/588655516756353024\"\u003e@BLoreWriters\u003c/a\u003e in response to the \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-seventeen/\"\u003eDay 17 NaPoWriMo\u003c/a\u003e prompt to write a “social media”-style poem, quoting from friends\u0026rsquo; texts, tweets, FB status updates, twitter accounts, and blogposts, and the back of the cereal box on your breakfast table.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 17 - Cobbled Together"},{"content":"Sometimes a thing is just a thing with no stakes* And the ardour of a mid summer\u0026rsquo;s night kiss just a fling, A memory lingering long after the act like shimmer of dusk on a lake.\nSometimes the moment is all there is to everything, A gift to savour, like the sparkling stones a river brings To its delta, ground round by their unseen journey.\nWhen the hoops begin to multiply, and everything becomes a drudge Does it mean the dream has begun to fade, and that our scars and secrets are in the light?\nOr does it mean that joy has hitched a ride To a distant plain, and that dark clouds have begun to shove our sun into a desolate corner?\n--- *Line purloined from La Reine\u0026rsquo;s response to the NaPoWriMo Day 14 prompt.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/16/napowrimo-day-16-questions-for-ella/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSometimes a thing is \u003cem\u003ejust\u003c/em\u003e a thing with no stakes*\nAnd the ardour of a mid summer\u0026rsquo;s night kiss just a fling,\nA memory lingering long after the act like shimmer of dusk on a lake.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSometimes the moment is all there is to everything,\nA gift to savour, like the sparkling stones a river brings\nTo its delta, ground round by their unseen journey.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen the hoops begin to multiply, and everything becomes a drudge\nDoes it mean the dream has begun to fade,\nand that our scars and secrets are in the light?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 16 - Questions for *Ella"},{"content":"Sometimes silence is the song a caged bird sings, the fading echo the flailing of a broken wing leaves, as it creaks beneath the weight of life’s hammer blows.\nSometimes silence is the shrill scream rushing air makes as it leaves a pierced balloon as it runs amok in its death throes before nestling limp like a wet sock and disappearing.\nSometimes pain will break you and the linger of unrequited memory will haunt you, seared as it were in the very fabric of your mind’s skin.\nYears later in a season of re-memory you will remember - how uneasy laughter masked worry and how in the midst of the milling, madding crowd it was you, yourself and a thousand broken things.\nThis, is why I write For peace, for clarity And for my seasons of re-memory. For the Day 15 Prompt at NaPoWriMo\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/15/napowrimo-day-15-why-i-write/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSometimes silence is\nthe song a caged bird sings,\nthe fading echo the flailing\nof a broken wing leaves,\nas it creaks beneath the weight\nof life’s hammer blows.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSometimes silence is\nthe shrill scream rushing air makes\nas it leaves a pierced balloon\nas it runs amok in its death throes\nbefore nestling limp like a wet sock\nand disappearing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSometimes pain will break you\nand the linger of unrequited memory\nwill haunt you, seared as it were in the very\nfabric of your mind’s skin.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 15 - Why I Write"},{"content":"A conversation\u0026hellip; c. 2009, stumbled upon.\nI once had serious game you know.. It seems you\u0026rsquo;ve still got it man. 3 conundrums? Nah\u0026hellip; It\u0026rsquo;s all seeped off, all that is left now are the dregs. The dregs? Explain! The jaded bottom of the game jar, festering with settled solids. It may be the most potent, no? That would be the strongest, I can imagine. Maybe, but its not available in copious quantities. It has to be miserly dispensed to prevent extreme intoxication. Better for the gamee, no? Maybe, but bad for the gamer. It severely limits the gamer’s options. Options confuse. Pick and choose which gameee u want and then systematically feed her your most potent game. all or nothing. That my dear is a high stake game\u0026hellip;works on paper \u0026ndash; not necessarily in real life though. Hmmm\u0026hellip; In life should you game as many people as you can? Maybe not. Perhaps one should only game the one we think we\u0026rsquo;ve found, a contradiction in terms maybe? Exactly! So no need to have loads of watery game. I can tell you it doesn\u0026rsquo;t always work. Hmmmmm. In theory, boy meets girl, he\u0026rsquo;s interested, asks her out, not hangs in there interminably for the emotional satisfaction whilst offering no commitment. But sometimes you lose, no? Yup - most times I suspect, u lose sometimes. But it’s the ‘ultimate good’ scenario \u0026ndash; cos there\u0026rsquo;s minimal collateral damage. when its all done and dusted \u0026ndash; dude takes the risk of asking and losing if required. leaving her wanting more is a risky strategy, in my opinion. yup.. the truly nice guy doesn;t work that way.. if he\u0026rsquo;s in, he asks, if he\u0026rsquo;s not he defines the context of their connection and they move on if required\u0026hellip;its not even a nice question, I think. That is a Man. yup.. i think so.. that is what a Man and a Woman do\u0026hellip;but a boy would play and a girl i think we play along. very true. so\u0026hellip;.if a gamee wants a Woman and he himself is a Man, then no need to waste time and protect against collateral damage that is my opinion but then again easy does it yeah.. its often easier to just go with the flow.. sometimes I think that women actually want a gamer who does that. who goes with the flow? or who plays with them?. I dont like obscure, undefined, fluid, grey, nonsensical relationships. but then why buy the cow if the milk is free. Hehehehe. which is why i think the staying celibate thing makes sense \u0026ndash; never mind what the bible says. it is a waste of MY valuable time. lol\u0026hellip; true. and a waste of my valuable LOVING abilties and oh how can u compare women to cows? its called a metaphor \u0026ndash; not a simile, however abstruse. I dont like ur analogy. its not a comparison of their structures.. but a comparison of their producing ability. maybe i should have used a tree then. why buy a mango tree when u can get the fruit free. its still offensive\u0026hellip;. because the only thing a cow produces is milk., and u are saying the only worth of a woman is what she produces u should want the cow just the cow. But the metaphor is saying the only thing u value from the cow is her milk. u are missing my point.. real dude wants the cow and the milk. raz dude wants the milk only\nha\u0026hellip;.cools, i gorrit, so your metaphor is not directed towards real dudes. nope\u0026hellip; its from the perspective of the happy go lucky bachelor \u0026ndash; no pun intended. right\u0026hellip;.so the real dude, however, will buy the cow regardless of when the milk is procured. whether or not before the purchase of the cow. real dude will procure the cow\u0026hellip; and wait till after it is legally his to obtain the milk.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/14/napowrimo-day-14-game-theory-a-conversation/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA conversation\u0026hellip; c. 2009, stumbled upon.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI once had serious game you know.. It seems you\u0026rsquo;ve still got it man. \u003ca href=\"/2009/04/19/my-very-own-bachelors-conundrum/\"\u003e3 conundrums\u003c/a\u003e?   Nah\u0026hellip; It\u0026rsquo;s all seeped off, all that is left now are the dregs. The dregs? Explain! The jaded bottom of the game jar, festering with settled solids.  It may be the most potent, no? That would be the strongest, I can imagine. Maybe, but its not available in copious quantities.  It has to be miserly dispensed to prevent extreme intoxication. Better for the gamee, no? Maybe, but bad for the gamer. It severely limits the gamer’s options. Options confuse. Pick and choose \u003cem\u003ewhich\u003c/em\u003e gameee u want and then systematically feed her your most potent game. all or nothing. That my dear is a high stake game\u0026hellip;works on paper \u0026ndash; not necessarily in real life though.  Hmmm\u0026hellip; In life should you game as many people as you can? Maybe not. Perhaps one should only game the one we think we\u0026rsquo;ve found, a contradiction in terms maybe?  Exactly! So no need to have loads of watery game. I can tell you it doesn\u0026rsquo;t always work. Hmmmmm. In theory, boy meets girl, he\u0026rsquo;s interested, asks her out, not hangs in there interminably for the emotional satisfaction whilst offering no commitment. But sometimes you lose, no? Yup - most times I suspect, u lose sometimes. But it’s the ‘ultimate good’ scenario \u0026ndash; cos there\u0026rsquo;s minimal collateral damage.  when its all done and dusted \u0026ndash; dude takes the risk of asking and losing if required. leaving her wanting more is a risky strategy, in my opinion. yup.. the truly nice guy doesn;t work that way.. if he\u0026rsquo;s in, he asks, if he\u0026rsquo;s not he defines the context of their connection and they move on if required\u0026hellip;its not even a nice question, I think. That is a Man. yup.. i think so.. that is what a Man and a Woman do\u0026hellip;but a boy would play and a girl i think we play along. very true.  so\u0026hellip;.if a gamee wants a Woman and he himself is a Man, then no need to waste time and protect against collateral damage that is my opinion but then again easy does it yeah.. its often easier to just go with the flow.. sometimes I think that women actually want a gamer who does that. who goes with the flow? or who plays with them?. I dont like obscure, undefined, fluid, grey, nonsensical relationships. but then why buy the cow if the milk is free. Hehehehe. which is why i think the staying celibate thing makes sense \u0026ndash; never mind what the bible says. it is a waste of MY valuable time. lol\u0026hellip; true. and a waste of my valuable LOVING abilties and oh how can u compare women to cows? its called a metaphor \u0026ndash; not a simile, however abstruse. I dont like ur analogy. its not a comparison of their structures.. but a comparison of their producing ability. maybe i should have used a tree then. why buy a mango tree when u can get the fruit free. its still offensive\u0026hellip;. because the only thing a cow produces is milk., and u are saying the only worth of a woman is what she produces u should want the cow just the cow. But the metaphor is saying the only thing u value from the cow is her milk. u are missing my point.. real dude wants the cow and the milk. raz dude wants the milk only\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 14 - Game Theory, A Conversation"},{"content":"Does it pop and fizz, And crackle like a log flame Entrancing the mind?\nDoes it arrive like Dawn, sweep away the dark night Promise a new start?\nDoes it intoxicate Like the aroma of sweet wine, Bringing delirious Joy?\nOr is it there in the Quietness of steady habits Neither loud nor brash?\nOh that some sage could tell.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/13/napowrimo-day-13-questions-in-thirteen/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDoes it pop and fizz,\nAnd crackle like a log flame\nEntrancing the mind?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDoes it arrive like\nDawn, sweep away the dark night\nPromise a new start?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDoes it intoxicate\nLike the aroma of sweet wine,\nBringing delirious Joy?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOr is it there in the\nQuietness of steady habits\nNeither loud nor brash?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOh that some sage could tell.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 13 - Questions in Thirteen..."},{"content":"\nSpice - lemon and herb, sun-dried. Chicken - half, skin crisp. Taste - Bliss, in a bowl. --- For the Day 12 Prompt at NaPoWriMo\u0026hellip; Was always going to be about my favourite meal, and table 11. :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/13/napowrimo-day-12-bliss-in-a-bowl/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"IMG_1511\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/img_1511.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpice - lemon and herb,\nsun-dried. Chicken - half, skin crisp.\nTaste - Bliss, in a bowl.\n---\nFor the \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-twelve-3/\"\u003eDay 12 Prompt\u003c/a\u003e at NaPoWriMo\u0026hellip; Was always going to be about my favourite meal, and table 11. :)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 12 - Bliss in a Bowl"},{"content":" [Image Source]\nYou try to hide your fear behind a veneer of strength, try to put up a facade of calm but beyond the outer strength is the odd tear that slips, unguarded.\nYou stand bewildered at the fork of the road. Left? Right? Blending into an instructable sameness, certainly uncertain of where your Redemption Days lie.\nTo the confused, every coincidence is an omen, the whisper of God rustling the leaves one way, or another, but what if like lemmings one must jump?\n--- For the Day 11 prompt at NaPoWriMo, a sapphic without all the fancy trochees and dactyls\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/12/napowrimo-day-11-crossroads/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"rural-crossroads1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/rural-crossroads1.jpg\"\u003e\n[Image \u003ca href=\"https://myfavouritechapter.wordpress.com/2014/10/07/crossroads/\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou try to hide your fear behind a veneer\nof strength, try to put up a facade of calm\nbut beyond the outer strength is the odd tear\nthat slips, unguarded.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou stand bewildered at the fork of the road.\nLeft? Right? Blending into an instructable\nsameness, \u003cem\u003ecertainly uncertain\u003c/em\u003e of where your\nRedemption Days lie.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo the confused, every coincidence is\nan omen, the whisper of God rustling the\nleaves one way, or another, but what if like\nlemmings one must jump?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 11 - Crossroads"},{"content":"John Sargent, A Dinner Table at Night (1884) Source A t first you ask to talk, but B urning deep within is the burden of words, a C acophony of voices in your head, D riving despair like a stake into wetted E arth, a haze that settles in and just won’t shift. You\nF ind a time and place to have the talk, you G o with the flow, tell it like it is, whilst H e squirms beneath the weight of I nnocence lost, guilt like a pall of smoke drifting in. He J okes about not meaning IT, but there is a K nowing that transcends the clarification of intent, that L ooms larger than any image words alone can paint;\nM eaning that you don’t believe for even a second that N othing he has done was not intentional O r that there is any penance that may grant him forgiveness. P olite silence. A litany of burning, unasked Q uestions; how did you get HERE, is there a path to a R eturn, resolution, a coming back to the way things once were?\nS ilence at least means T hat more words to regret are not being said U nwillingly you realise that this is a stalemate, no V ictor, no vanquished, only victims W restling with the detritus of pain and X-shaped scars. Y ou realise with unstinting certainty that this is it, the end; Z ero-ed out.\n--- For the Day 10 Prompt at NaPWriMo - an abecedarian poem. Definitely one I\u0026rsquo;d like to revisit given how difficult it seemed for me. Thanks to The Fray\u0026rsquo;s How To Save A Life for rescuing me. :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/11/napowrimo-day-10-stalemate/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Sargent, John Singer, A Dinner Table at Night, 1884\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/sargent-john-singer-a-dinner-table-at-night-1884.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eJohn Sargent, A Dinner Table at Night (1884)\u003c/em\u003e \u003ca href=\"http://magpietales.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/mag-129.html\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eA\u003c/strong\u003e t first you ask to talk, but\n\u003cstrong\u003eB\u003c/strong\u003e urning deep within is the burden of words, a\n\u003cstrong\u003eC\u003c/strong\u003e acophony of voices in your head,\n\u003cstrong\u003eD\u003c/strong\u003e riving despair like a stake into wetted\n\u003cstrong\u003eE\u003c/strong\u003e arth, a haze that settles in and just won’t shift. You\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eF\u003c/strong\u003e ind a time and place to have the talk, you\n\u003cstrong\u003eG\u003c/strong\u003e o with the flow, tell it like it is, whilst\n\u003cstrong\u003eH\u003c/strong\u003e e squirms beneath the weight of\n\u003cstrong\u003eI\u003c/strong\u003e nnocence lost, guilt like a pall of smoke drifting in. He\n\u003cstrong\u003eJ\u003c/strong\u003e okes about not meaning IT, but there is a\n\u003cstrong\u003eK\u003c/strong\u003e nowing that transcends the clarification of intent, that\n\u003cstrong\u003eL\u003c/strong\u003e ooms larger than any image words alone can paint;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 10 - Stalemate"},{"content":"Shed Tears; Let pain like a malevolent fiend- Draw blood. Let go; Let the waves of a melancholic nostalgia break you. Pressure makes you whole again. Blame Fear; Blame Pain, blame sorrow deep within- Still Sing.\nAn old (anti-valentine) piece from 2010 re-broken for the Day Nine NaPoWriMo prompt\u0026hellip; I\u0026rsquo;d let you decide what shape this calligram represents.. :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/10/napowrimo-day-9-what-mother-said/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eShed        Tears;\nLet pain like a malevolent fiend-\nDraw blood. Let go; Let the waves of a\nmelancholic nostalgia break you. Pressure\nmakes you whole again. Blame Fear;\nBlame Pain, blame sorrow\ndeep within- Still\nSing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn old (anti-valentine) \u003ca href=\"/2010/02/16/what-mother-said/\"\u003epiece from 2010\u003c/a\u003e re-broken for the \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-nine-2/\"\u003eDay Nine NaPoWriMo prompt\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip; I\u0026rsquo;d let you decide what shape this calligram represents.. :)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 9 - What Mother Said..."},{"content":"For H - untitled, off prompt\u0026hellip; I said I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t cry Wouldn’t let the quivering of my lips win, break me.\nI said I wouldn’t bend, Wouldn’t sag beneath this weight this unrelenting burden of grief\nA harsh wind clasps Me by my throbbing throat Enrobing me in the scales Of its cold, wintery fingers.\nSomething\u0026rsquo;s stolen you From me, and all I have left Is hope, that when tomorrow comes The Sun will shine.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/08/for-h-napowrimo-day-8-something-stolen/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"for\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"/2014/08/06/for-h-what-i-wanted-to-say/\"\u003eH\u003c/a\u003e - untitled, off prompt\u0026hellip;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI said I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t cry\nWouldn’t let the quivering\nof my lips win, break me.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI said I wouldn’t bend,\nWouldn’t sag beneath this weight\nthis unrelenting burden of grief\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA harsh wind clasps\nMe by my throbbing throat\nEnrobing me in the scales\nOf its cold, wintery fingers.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSomething\u0026rsquo;s stolen you\nFrom me, and all I have left\nIs hope, that when tomorrow comes\nThe Sun will shine.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 8 - For H, Something Stolen"},{"content":"\n[ Image Source]\nFor sixty six and three some quid, Éloi* would have my heart But I’ll be damned if I accede With nary a fulsome fight\n--- For the NaPoWriMo Prompt for Day 7, Money; a nod to my current love-hate relationship with work! * Éloi (or Eligius) is the patron saint of metalworkers, and by extension corrosion and materials engineers.:)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/07/napowrimo-day-7-money/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Petrus_Christus_003\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/petrus_christus_003.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[ \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Eligius\"\u003eImage Source\u003c/a\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor sixty six and three some quid,\nÉloi* would have my heart\nBut I’ll be damned if I accede\nWith nary a fulsome fight\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\nFor the NaPoWriMo \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-seven-2/\"\u003ePrompt for Day 7\u003c/a\u003e, Money; a nod to my current love-hate relationship with work!\n\u003cem\u003e* \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Eligius\"\u003eÉloi (or Eligius)\u003c/a\u003e is the patron saint of metalworkers, and by extension corrosion and materials engineers.\u003c/em\u003e:)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 7 - Money"},{"content":"Sól’s halo kisses the quiescent sea, its morning shimmer her hello.\n--- For the Day Six prompt at NaPoWriMo. Not so much a love poem as a short celebration of morning\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/07/napowrimo-day-6-morning/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"morning_napowrimo\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/morning_napowrimo.jpg\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sol_%28mythology%29\"\u003eSól’s\u003c/a\u003e halo kisses\nthe quiescent sea, its morning\nshimmer her hello.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\nFor the \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-six-3/\"\u003eDay Six prompt\u003c/a\u003e at NaPoWriMo. Not so much a love poem as a short celebration of morning\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 6 - Morning"},{"content":"Jacob Wrestling With The Angel, Rembrandt (1659)\n[ Source]\nA little East of Jordan, Evangelists record, A Gymnast and an Angel Did wrestle long and hard Till morning touching mountain And Jacob, waxing strong, The Angel begged permission To Breakfast – to return! Not so, said cunning Jacob! \u0026ldquo;I will not let thee go Except thou bless me\u0026rdquo; – Stranger! The which acceded to Light swung the silver fleeces \u0026ldquo;Peniel\u0026rdquo; Hills beyond, And the bewildered Gymnast Found he had worsted God!\n---\nEast of Jordan, a gymnast and an angel wrestle till morning, Jacob waxing strong.\nThe angel begged permission to return; Light swung the silver fleeces;\nThe bewildered gymnast found he had worsted God\n--- An erasure poem of sorts for the NaPoWriMo Day 5 Prompt – Correcting or Re-breaking Dickinson; based on Emily Dickinson\u0026rsquo;s A Little East Of Jordan.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/06/napowrimo-day-5-erasing-dickinson/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"jacob-wrestling-with-the-angel-1659\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/jacob-wrestling-with-the-angel-1659.jpg?w=700\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eJacob Wrestling With The Angel, Rembrandt (1659)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[ \u003ca href=\"http://www.wikiart.org/en/rembrandt/jacob-wrestling-with-the-angel-1659\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA little East of Jordan, Evangelists record, A Gymnast and an Angel Did wrestle long and hard Till morning touching mountain And Jacob, waxing strong, The Angel begged permission To Breakfast – to return! Not so, said cunning Jacob! \u0026ldquo;I will not let thee go Except thou bless me\u0026rdquo; – Stranger! The which acceded to Light swung the silver fleeces \u0026ldquo;Peniel\u0026rdquo; Hills beyond, And the bewildered Gymnast Found he had worsted God!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 5 - Erasing Dickinson"},{"content":" ---\nMaybe you and I were never meant to be complete Could we just be broken together If you can bring your shattered dreams and Ill bring mine Could healing still be spoken and save us The only way we\u0026rsquo;ll last forever is broken together From the Album Thrive\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/05/on-repeat-broken-together-casting-crowns/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/RhxELo-uD3c?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaybe you and I were never meant to be complete\nCould we just be broken together\nIf you can bring your shattered dreams and Ill bring mine\nCould healing still be spoken and save us\nThe only way we\u0026rsquo;ll last forever is broken together \u003cem\u003eFrom the Album \u003ca href=\"https://www.castingcrowns.com/music/albums/thrive-999\"\u003eThrive\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Repeat: Broken Together - Casting Crowns"},{"content":"\n[ Pixshark]\nI have your name etched on my skin, its lines and curves and slants edged in rich, deep black. I carry your face in my memory, nestled like a flash of bright white light saves the sameness of a dark spring night.\nYour name is a call and echo, one that I murmur like the repeating melody of a descant; the twang of a bow’s string reverberating in the stillness of the valley air, the thud of an arrow steered unerringly as it rips into a doe’s ribcage.\nBetween here and there is a road to nowhere, to build they say one must first tear down, For life, a Dying first.\n--- For the NaPoWriMo Day 4 prompt; a poem about Love or Lovelessness that doesn\u0026rsquo;t include the word LOVE itself.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/05/napowrimo-day-4-love/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"twloha_img\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/twloha_img.jpg?w=700\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[ \u003ca href=\"http://pixshark.com/to-write-love-on-her-arms-cover-photo.htm\"\u003ePixshark\u003c/a\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have your name etched\non my skin, its lines and curves\nand slants edged in rich, deep black.\nI carry your face\nin my memory, nestled\nlike a flash of bright white light\nsaves the sameness of a\ndark spring night.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYour name is a call\nand echo, one that I murmur\nlike the repeating melody\nof a descant; the twang of\na bow’s string reverberating\nin the stillness of the valley air,\nthe thud of an arrow steered unerringly\nas it rips into a doe’s ribcage.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 4 - Love"},{"content":"\nForgive me if I disappear here, if like a dying Shooting star my flight expires in a flash of light, yielding To the encircling murk, this shroud that slowly stultifies.\nForgive me if my quivering lips neglect to tell my tale Of broken shattered things and distant pains that still remain And this unyielding weight; of things quotidian and unseen.\nWhy can\u0026rsquo;t skies have clouds and stars\\* and enthralling moon light too? Why must a pilgrim find his way, on slippery pavements too?\n--- For the NaPoWriMo Day 3 Prompt - Fourteeners and Mag263 at the Magpie Tales from where the image comes. *Line stolen from La Reine\u0026rsquo;s response to the Day 2 prompt.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/04/napowrimo-day-3-for-forgiveness/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Manchester by R.A.D. Stainforth - disappear here\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/manchester-by-r-a-d-stainforth-disappear-here.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eForgive me if I disappear here, if like a dying\nShooting star my flight expires in a flash of light, yielding\nTo the encircling murk, this shroud that slowly stultifies.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eForgive me if my quivering lips neglect to tell my tale\nOf broken shattered things and distant pains that still remain\nAnd this unyielding weight; of things quotidian and unseen.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhy can\u0026rsquo;t skies have clouds and stars\u003c/em\u003e\\* and enthralling moon light too?\nWhy must a pilgrim find his way, on \u003cem\u003eslippery\u003c/em\u003e pavements too?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 3- For Forgiveness"},{"content":"\n[Source: Wikipedia]\nThe Dog Star flickers, Its garb a rainbow plume The view ethereal.\n--- For the prompt Constellations\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/02/2-dog-star/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Picture saved with settings applied.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/sirius-image.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[Source: \u003ca href=\"http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Sirius.jpg\"\u003eWikipedia\u003c/a\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirius\"\u003eDog Star\u003c/a\u003e flickers,\nIts garb a rainbow plume\nThe view \u003cem\u003eethereal\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\n\u003cem\u003eFor the prompt \u003ca href=\"http://www.napowrimo.net/day-two-2/\"\u003eConstellations\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 2 - Dog Star"},{"content":"\n[ Image Source]\nCall me Ishmael.Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sailabout a little and see the watery part ofthe world.It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth. Whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people\u0026rsquo;s hats off—then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the ocean with me.There now is your insular city of the Manhattoes, belted round by wharves as Indian isles by coral reefs—commerce surrounds it with her surf. Right and left, the streets take you waterward. Its extreme downtown is the battery, where that noble mole is washed by waves, and cooled by breezes, which a few hours previous were out of sight of land. Look at the crowds of water-gazers there.\n---\nCall me Ishmael- I thought i would sail the world Driving off the spleen Growing grim about the mouth\nI find myself pausing Before coffin warehouses and The rear of every funeral. This is my substitute for pistol and ball.\nCato throws himself upon his sword; All men cherish very nearly the same feelings. There now is your insular city; Coral reefs - commerce surrounds it. The streets take you waterward- Noble mole washed by waves and cooled by breezes. Look, crowds of water gazers.\n---\n**An erasure poem derived from that seminal opening to Herman Melville\u0026rsquo;s Moby Dick\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/04/01/1-call-me-ishmael/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"01 - moby dick - call me ishmael\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/01-moby-dick-call-me-ishmael.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[ \u003ca href=\"http://lovecraftzine.com/2015/03/27/lovecrafts-cthulhu-and-melvilles-moby-dick-cosmic-echoes-from-the-ocean-depths/\"\u003eImage Source\u003c/a\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCall me Ishmael.Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sailabout a little and see the watery part ofthe world.It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth. Whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people\u0026rsquo;s hats off—then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the ocean with me.There now is your insular city of the Manhattoes, belted round by wharves as Indian isles by coral reefs—commerce surrounds it with her surf. Right and left, the streets take you waterward. Its extreme downtown is the battery, where that noble mole is washed by waves, and cooled by breezes, which a few hours previous were out of sight of land. Look at the crowds of water-gazers there.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NaPoWriMo Day 1 - Call Me Ishmael"},{"content":"\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/collections/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/nigeria-2013/\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"ekp-chaos\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ekp-chaos.jpg?w=300\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/better-man-in-30-days/\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"30 Days to a Better MAN\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/30daysbmlogo.jpg?w=300\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/napowrimo15/\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"NaPoWriMo15\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/napowrimo15.png?w=300\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/a-year-of-rambling-wildly/\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Pen-and-Paper\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/pen-and-paper.jpeg?w=300\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Collections"},{"content":"A few of the more interesting pieces I stumbled on on the web during March\u0026hellip; Enjoy\nOn Spock- Gukira: Leonard Nimoy died, and amidst the outpouring of grief and the eulogies, I found I related most with this piece by Gukira who said it better than I ever could I do not have a single Spock moment—an image or narrative that stays with me. Unlike those who know how to write about TV and movies, I cannot recall a single episode, at least not by name. When I was younger, when I first encountered Spock in Nairobi, in reruns from the 80s, I encountered him as gesture: as the arched eyebrow, as the grip that caused others to faint, as the Vulcan mind meld.\nMarissa Mayer has completed Step One - Stephen Levy (Medium): On the Marissa Mayer effect at Yahoo; She found Yahoo, despite its persistently huge audience, a sclerotic artifact of the desktop era, overly dependent on fading display ads, short of engineering talent and absolutely nowhere in mobile. And now the company is back on track. There are hundreds of new engineers, and an energized culture. Last year it reaped over a billion dollars of revenue in mobile ads — a business that didn’t exist at Yahoo when Mayer arrived. It bought Tumblr, which has 460 million users and is growing faster than Instagram. Yahoo has also built a system that allows app developers — the royalty of the new mobile age — to popularize and monetize their products. Meanwhile, Yahoo apps have won Apple Design Awards for two years running, and the company boasts over 500 million mobile users.\nValentine (Why There Would Be No Quiet Revolution Without My Husband)- Susan Cain (LinkedIn): From the Author of Quiet, a moving tribute in our post modern world of how much difference a supportive partner can still make. I, in contrast, had written a poem. OK, a few poems. They were mostly about my love life, and they were clearly insignificant compared to Ken’s work in the world. Still, one evening I gathered my courage and handed him a sheaf of them, biting my nails as I anticipated his response. It came the next day, in an e-mail with big, 48 point letters: “Holy Shit. Keep writing. Drop Everything. Write. WRITE WOMAN, WRITE.” He wasn’t kidding about the “drop everything” part. This was not the bland encouragement of the experienced guy with a big book being kind to the young girlfriend and her poems. He wanted me to sacrifice for the craft of writing – and he, as my supportive partner, was prepared to do the same. He meant every word of that e-mail. I would find out just how deeply he meant it in the years to come.\n4. As migrants we leave home in search of a future, but we lose the past - Gary Younge (The Guardian): Another emotive piece on the immigrant life (other pertinent reads - Finding a home in the apocalypse; Always Returning).\nMigration involves loss. Even when you’re privileged, as I am, and move of your own free will, as I did, you feel it. Migrants, almost by definition, move with the future in mind. But their journeys inevitably involve excising part of their past. It’s not workers who emigrate but people. And whenever they move they leave part of themselves behind. Efforts to reclaim that which has been lost result in something more than nostalgia but, if you’re lucky, less than exile. And the losses keep coming. Funerals, christenings, graduations and weddings missed – milestones you couldn’t make because your life is elsewhere.\n5: DC Talk and the influence of faith fortifying songs - Trevin Wax (The Gospel Coalition): Fascinating trip down memory lane to growing up in CCM in the 90\u0026rsquo;s and the pervasive influence of DC Talk which continues to this day in the solo career of TobyMac and the \u0026rsquo;takeovers\u0026rsquo;; Kevin Max as frontman for Audio Adrenaline and Michael Tait for the Newsboys, other iconic CCM players from that time.\n1990’s CCM, for all the faults of its corny creativity (many of which are even more glaring and obvious as time goes by), was successful in one key sense. It gave me and my generation a different narrative. It was a sub-culture, yes, but no matter much some may sneer, it was a culture, and cultures are formative. Twenty years later, it’s the element of “fortifying faith” in so many dcTalk songs that has stuck with me. And for that, I’m grateful.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/03/26/the-longform-wrap-3/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA few of the more interesting pieces I stumbled on on the web during March\u0026hellip; Enjoy\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://gukira.wordpress.com/2015/02/27/on-spock/\"\u003eOn Spock\u003c/a\u003e- Gukira: Leonard Nimoy died, and amidst the outpouring of grief and the eulogies, I found I related most with this piece by Gukira who said it better than I ever could\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI do not have a single Spock moment—an image or narrative that stays with me. Unlike those who know how to write about TV and movies, I cannot recall a single episode, at least not by name. When I was younger, when I first encountered Spock in Nairobi, in reruns from the 80s, I encountered him as gesture: as the arched eyebrow, as the grip that caused others to faint, as the Vulcan mind meld.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Longform Wrap #3"},{"content":" ---\nIf you could count the times I\u0026rsquo;d say you are forgiven It\u0026rsquo;s more than the drops in the ocean\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/03/22/on-repeat-hawk-nelson-drops-in-the-ocean/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/bZH13wFGffg?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you could count the times I\u0026rsquo;d say you are forgiven\nIt\u0026rsquo;s more than the drops in the ocean\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Repeat: Hawk Nelson - Drops In The Ocean"},{"content":" The end of the day Remember the days When we were close to the edge And we\u0026rsquo;ll wonder How we made it through the night The end of the day Remember the way We stayed so close till the end We\u0026rsquo;ll remember it was me and you\nI have been listening a lot to the Lighthouse Family again, not for any particular reason beyond the fact that scrolling through my music collection a couple of weeks ago, I stumbled on \u0026lsquo;High\u0026rsquo; their song from 1998 and got sucked down the proverbial rabbit hole that is YouTube. A few hours later, I was left with a slew of memories from two seasons of my life, and memory lanes I hadn\u0026rsquo;t been down in a while.\nI first \u0026lsquo;met\u0026rsquo; High in the days before I went away to University, when mindless TV was anathema, and TV watching - if huddled around our old Black \u0026amp; White National Panasonic TV with my parents and siblings could be termed \u0026lsquo;watching\u0026rsquo; - was restricted to the news; Sunday evenings and Frank Olize\u0026rsquo;s Newsline being the most memorable of those times. Two adverts from that season of life seem engrained in my memory - the St Moritz one with High as the sound track and that seminal Joy soap one where blokes spilled papers from their briefcases, tripped themselves up and swooned under the influence of the inner beauty unleashed by that soap (didn\u0026rsquo;t work for me by the way, thanks false advertising!).\nGiven my restricted TV time, my contact with High was limited to the snippets I picked up from that commercial. It would be a few years later, that I would \u0026lsquo;meet\u0026rsquo; the rest of the song. One infernal Benin afternoon, whilst hitching a ride from the University gate to our Faculty in a friend\u0026rsquo;s beat up Corolla and sandwiched between four other people in the back seat, High came up on his cassette player. My initial reaction was one of disbelief then elation, as though I\u0026rsquo;d just met a long lost relative. I ended up borrowing the tape that evening, and after I had held on to it for over a month, my friend offered to \u0026lsquo;dub\u0026rsquo; a copy for me - that was the only way he was going to get the tape off me in a usable state. Something about the lyrics of the song succinctly captured the season of life I was in - Engineering Maths, over crowded drawing rooms and lecture theatres and the Thursday bête noire that was Engineering Drawing sure felt like a dark December I needed rescuing from.\nMuch later I would learn about the duo and their Newcastle connections and then go on to ingest all their material I could lay hands on - even Tunde Baiyewu\u0026rsquo;s solo material after the split from Paul Tucker. The key ingredients which got me hooked on to their music remain things which I look out for - easy listening, engaging lyrics and the silky smooth vocals. I suspect they\u0026rsquo;re one of the duos I\u0026rsquo;d think seriously about buying tickets to go see live, if they ever got back together or went on tour.\nSomeday, it\u0026rsquo;ll all be over\u0026hellip;\nThat\u0026rsquo;s a sentiment I could use remembering in my current season of life\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/03/19/on-life-and-a-song/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/zqQS9PCZ8dA?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe end of the day\nRemember the days\nWhen we were close to the edge\nAnd we\u0026rsquo;ll wonder\nHow we made it through the night\nThe end of the day\nRemember the way\nWe stayed so close till the end\nWe\u0026rsquo;ll remember it was me and you\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Life, and a Song"},{"content":" \u0026amp;t=253\n---\nYou split the sea So I could walk right through it All my fears were drowned in perfect love You rescued me So I could stand and sing I am a child of God\nRight up there with my other Bethel Music favourite - You Make Me Brave\u0026hellip;\nHT to QuirkyTims\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/03/15/no-longer-slaves/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/f8TkUMJtK5k?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\u0026amp;t=253\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou split the sea\nSo I could walk right through it\nAll my fears were drowned in perfect love\nYou rescued me\nSo I could stand and sing\nI am a child of God\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRight up there with my other Bethel Music favourite - \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Hi-VMxT6fc\"\u003eYou Make Me Brave\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Repeat - No Longer Slaves - Bethel Music"},{"content":"\n[ Source]\nThey clamber aboard at Upminster - they being man, boy and girl - eventually ending up on the seat opposite us. We are on the C2C service from Ockendon towards London Fenchurch Street, the first leg of what we hope will be an uneventful train ride into town; towards Tottenham Court Road for a pitstop at Dominion Theatre for Hillsong. Of the trio who disrupt what peace we\u0026rsquo;ve had so far, the girl ends up by the window, the man by the aisle and the boy - who can\u0026rsquo;t have been more than 2 or 3 - in between them. The most noticeable thing about the man is his rather tight shirt, one which his stomach strains at ever so slightly and his flip flops. If I were a betting man, I\u0026rsquo;d place him as some sort of suburb dwelling city slicker, kicking about with the family on a weekend, slightly overdoing casual in the process, perhaps as his way to compensate for being cooped up in a suit and tie all week.\nIn the little maelstrom generated by their arrival, I decide to move one seat over, upon which the girl gestures to someone behind me, just outside my line of sight, someone she calls mum. From this I surmise that they are man, wife, very young son and teenage daughter. The buggy \u0026lsquo;Mum\u0026rsquo; has beside her strengthens my belief that the boy can\u0026rsquo;t be more than two or three; that and the excited curiosity with which he engages his father, firing off question after question at him with no respite. The green arrows above the door (magic door his father says), the yellow lights which flash around the main door controls at each train stop and the picture of the dog on the wall (an ad for the RSPCA) are all my memory picked up from the litany of questions asked.\nShe - the sister that is - for her part, once all are settled in, and the train is off again, picks up some notes and begins to pore over them. In the twenty or so minutes we share space as our train chugs into town it turns out she is studying for an exam, one she can ill afford to not pass, if her studious, furrowed brow of concentration, is anything to go by. The contrast between her and her brother can\u0026rsquo;t have been starker - he infinitely curious, free and inquisitive, she intensely focused on not making another misstep on the exam that looms for her.\n\u0026ndash;\nLife shit happens they say; and between keeping up with the roles and duties we assume by nature of our place in family and society at large, and the expectations that come with them, curiosity and inquisitiveness can take a back seat to all the serious, mature things life demands of us. Watching the little boy and his indulging father left me with the thought that maybe sometimes the journey itself is as important as the destination. Quite rightly perhaps, one does have to focus on the wheres, the end goals of life and its constituent phases. The journey though will throw up interesting and sometimes difficult sections which we will have to work around, with wide eyed enthusiasm and curiosity. Or maybe not?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/03/12/about-town-of-trains-and-being-curious/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/c2c-insides1.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[ \u003ca href=\"http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Interior_of_357018.jpg\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey clamber aboard at Upminster - they being man, boy and girl - eventually ending up on the seat opposite us. We are on the C2C service from Ockendon towards London Fenchurch Street, the first leg of what we hope will be an uneventful train ride into town; towards Tottenham Court Road for a pitstop at \u003ca href=\"/2015/03/01/freedom-is/\"\u003eDominion Theatre for Hillsong\u003c/a\u003e. Of the trio who disrupt what peace we\u0026rsquo;ve had so far, the girl ends up by the window, the man by the aisle and the boy - who can\u0026rsquo;t have been more than 2 or 3 - in between them. The most noticeable thing about the man is his rather tight shirt, one which his stomach strains at ever so slightly and his flip flops. If I were a betting man, I\u0026rsquo;d place him as some sort of  suburb dwelling city slicker, kicking about with the family on a weekend, slightly overdoing casual in the process, perhaps as his way to compensate for being cooped up in a suit and tie all week.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Of trains... And being curious"},{"content":" .. A deep work (what happens in you is greater than what happens to you, and is deeper than the workings of the circumstances and situations that frame our daily life), a quick work (God takes a long time to do something quick - as long as it takes for us to turn away from what ever else we look to for help on to Him) and a lasting work (what happens through you is meant to outlast you, and true success is measured by how much it empowers the next generation to extend the work that we do). Or so says the phenomenal Joel A\u0026rsquo;Bell whom I stumbled on in today\u0026rsquo;s Hillsong London pitstop..\nWas also great to hear the worship team reprise This is Living from the Young \u0026amp; Free Album. Sadly they didn\u0026rsquo;t get to do the Lecrae rap bit.. :(\nNew month, new focus, new energy, given how much February sucked on so many levels\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/03/01/freedom-is/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/tsJEmLkphrI?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e.. A \u003cem\u003edeep\u003c/em\u003e work (what happens in you is greater than what happens to you, and is deeper than the workings of the circumstances and situations that frame our daily life), a \u003cem\u003equick\u003c/em\u003e work (God takes a long time to do something quick  - as long as it takes for us to turn away from what ever else we look to for help on to Him) and a \u003cem\u003elasting\u003c/em\u003e work (what happens through you is meant to outlast you, and true success is measured by how much it empowers the next generation to extend the work that we do). Or so says the phenomenal \u003ca href=\"http://hillsong.com/people/joel-abell\"\u003eJoel A\u0026rsquo;Bell\u003c/a\u003e whom I stumbled on in today\u0026rsquo;s Hillsong London pitstop..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Freedom Is..."},{"content":"Firmly mired in the middle of my February read, Ted Thompson\u0026rsquo;s debut novel The Land of Steady Habits, no thanks to a gruelling schedule at work with criminal deadlines, although I did manage to complete a profile of Selma star David Oyelowo for the church newsletter I occasionally write in. What intrigued me about that in the first place was how open he has been about his faith through out his career from theatre to Hollywood. Fascinating read, if I say so myself. Other than that most of my February reading was web based longform, a few of the more interesting ones being highlighted below:\n1. Biblical Reasons to Doubt the Creation Days were 24-hour periods - Justin Taylor (The Gospel Coalition): Interesting read, particularly coming from someone firmly ensconced in the camp of biblical inerrancy, key quote:\nContrary to what is often implied or claimed by young-earth creationists, the Bible nowhere directly teaches the age of the earth. Rather, it is a deduction from a combination of beliefs, such as (1) Genesis 1:1 is not the actual act of creation but rather a summary of or title over Genesis 1:2-2:3; (2) the creation week of Genesis 1:2-2:3 is referring to the act of creation itself; (3) each “day” (Heb. yom) of the creation week is referring to an 24-hour period of time (reinforced by the statement in Exodus 20:11); (4) an old-earth geology would necessarily entail macroevolution, hominids, and animal death before the Fall—each of which contradicts what Scripture tells us; and (5) the approximate age of the earth can be reconstructed backward from the genealogical time-markers in Genesis.\n2. Ten Years of Google Maps, from Slashdot to Ground Truth - Liz Gannes (\u0026lt;Re/code\u0026gt;): Google Maps, ubiquitous as it now is, is only Ten Years old. Liz Gannes charts its origin story from birth to the pervasive product it now is. And the quest for innovation is not sated yet, by any means.\nThe early history of Google Maps ends there. Most of the seminal Google Maps team members have moved on, but to a person they recall working on Maps as the most fulfilling and successful project of their careers. They still take it personally when they hear of bugs in the product or complaints about misguided redesigns.\nToday, Geo is one of Google’s main product divisions. Ground Truth remains an ongoing project, and Google developed tools to keep its maps updated through direct user contributions. The division continues to be acquisitive, buying Zagat and Waze and Skybox in recent years. Street View has mapped the Grand Canyon and the canals of Venice. And Google’s maps have laid the groundwork for its most ambitious project yet — self-driving cars.\n3. Why I\u0026rsquo;m Still A Catholic - Nicole Callahan (Salon): Reflecting on remaining Catholic in spite of disagreements with doctrine and how defining herself as Catholic somehow feels like a crucial part of her heritage.\nDespite my disagreements, my weaknesses, my failures as a member of the Catholic Church, I can’t do anything but remain in it, though I’ve long since abandoned any pretense of being a great Catholic. Like all American Catholics, I flout and complain about and struggle to comprehend Church teaching; I emphasize the things I find easy to agree with, and minimize those that bother me. But while I am a bad Catholic, and I know it, I am also a practicing one. I have figured out that I’m just the kind who stays.\nThough I can understand all the reasons why other people lapse and leave, I can’t seem to manage unbelief. Nor can I turn my back on the church that still gives me a home, a place to belong, when I so often feel that I don’t truly belong anywhere else. This might make my faith sound like a “crutch.” It very well might be. At times I feel that I cannot function, cannot stay on my feet, without it.\n4. What does your selfie say about you - The Next Web:\nSelfies also allow us to exert a greater level of control over how others perceive us online, and this is a major appeal. Thanks to front facing camera phones, we can take countless photos of ourselves until we have an image that depicts us exactly the way we want – an image that we’re happy to share with the online world. Interestingly, recent research suggests that this “selective self presentation” may actually enhance our self-esteem and boost our confidence.\n5. An Ode to the Aux Cord - Eric Hulting (Medium):\nFew things exemplify that [instant gratification] more than the AUX cord. Literally any song that exists on your phone or the internet is within your reach once you get in your car. It’s cathartic, spiritual even, to have that level of free will over what you listen to. Last road trip I took, I listened to something like 100 different songs from like 50 different albums\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/02/26/bits-bobs-and-writing-elsewhere/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFirmly mired in the middle of my February read, Ted Thompson\u0026rsquo;s debut novel \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Land-Steady-Habits-Ted-Thompson/dp/0316186562/\"\u003eThe Land of Steady Habits\u003c/a\u003e, no thanks to a gruelling schedule at work with criminal deadlines, although I did manage to \u003ca href=\"http://www.fountainoflove.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content\u0026amp;view=article\u0026amp;id=587\"\u003ecomplete a profile\u003c/a\u003e of Selma star \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Oyelowo\"\u003eDavid Oyelowo\u003c/a\u003e for the church newsletter I occasionally write in. What intrigued me about that in the first place was how open he has been about his faith through out his career from theatre to Hollywood. Fascinating read, if I say so myself. Other than that most of my February reading was web based longform, a few of the more interesting ones being highlighted below:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bits, Bobs and Writing Elsewhere..."},{"content":"\n[ Source]\nWhen I was seventeen, I was sure that I would be married by the time I turned twenty-seven. I knew the date, Saturday the 7th of July 2007, who she would be and the song we would say our vows to. That year was my first away from home at University in a different city, one in which I cut my teeth creating a budget, spending money as I chose and defending my results to my father at the end of each month - all very responsible and grown up - or at least so I thought. There was no real science – or thought for that matter - to the timing, merely a wild stab in the dark. Ten years seemed far enough into the future to feel like forever, and my big Uncle F who seemed to embody adulthood perfectly turned twenty seven that year, or maybe thirty. Reality, I would later find out, was far more intention and hard slog than hit, hope and wishful thinking.\n\\\\\\*\nThursday nights at Union Square, with the milling masses of people camped out at the various eating places and shops, are perhaps the clearest confirmation of what I learned as a seventeen year old, that we as a species are wired for love and loving. If you believe the 2013 predictions, Britons splurged nearly £1bn for Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day, with the average spend just under £120. Across the world, Japanese, Thais, Indonesians and Taiwanese splurged a tad more, the equivalent of £173 on average. A 2015 survey in America by the National Retail Federation, projected a total spend in excess of $18.9bn (£12.2bn). Valentine’s Day therefore does continue to capture the imagination as The Day to be romantic, one on which we indulge ourselves and our love interests.\nThat we are now busier, and more stressed out, than at any other time in the history of our species seems to have done little to dampen our enthusiasm for love. We have in the main co-opted technology to our cause. By almost every measure (size, revenue, number of service providers at least), online dating is big business – £2bn and growing; the most astonishing statistic perhaps being that one in five relationships now starts online. Social media perhaps also has had a part to play; conflating time and space into a continuum in which separation is defined by a few mouse clicks or bursts of data from any one of a plethora of messaging apps bobbing around the ether via our ubiquitous wingmen, our cell phones and tablets, rather than by physical distance .\nIn spite of all the love and loving we seem to gravitate towards, marriage as an institution appears to be in decline. We as a species are waiting longer to marry, and when we do, there are fewer marriages, and more divorces, across Europe. Across the pond in America, the situation is as dire, the headline number being a thirty per cent reduction in the marriage rate per 1000 between 1990 and 2011. Clearly, between hooking up and marrying there lies some sort of bottleneck, a rate limiter that constrains conversion from romantic connections into marriage.\n\\\\\\*\nOne possible explanation for this apparent disconnect is, at least in the West, that marriage, or more specifically living together, can carry an economic penalty. The rise of the welfare state, and its ever increasing generosity, means that at least in some scenarios, it makes more economic sense to preserve separateness in the eyes of the law, as opposed to tying up and losing benefits in the process. This factor perhaps impacts more strongly on persons more likely to need welfare due to lower earnings but it is an effect reproduced in the US also, as identified by research conducted by Heritage..\nBeyond the economic disincentive, there are also a number of perception issues within the wider culture. One of such is that marriage is inherently limiting, succinctly captured by The Big Bang Theory’s Howard Wolowitz in the The Vartabedian Conundrum Episode:\n“There\u0026rsquo;s a whole buffet of women out there, and you\u0026rsquo;re just standing in the corner, eating the same deviled egg over and over again”.\nAnother perception problem might be that marrying is increasingly being seen as an addendum to life, something to be progressed only after several other more critical things have been checked off. True, marrying for the heck of it, without proper preparation or thought as to how to deal with the responsibilities that come in its wake, is somewhere between foolhardy and irresponsible, but the delay trap can sometimes be self perpetuating for no real benefit. Delaying marriage to focus on getting an education, work and other critical life skills for successful adult life does correlate with lower divorce rates as research in the US by the National Marriage Project concludes. There are costs associated with this though, particularly to do with enjoying the freedoms of the single life a little too much at times. The same report concludes:\nTwenty somethings who are unmarried, especially singles, are significantly more likely to drink to excess, to be depressed, and to report lower levels of satisfaction with their lives, compared to married twenty somethings”\nA third societal influence is perhaps the rise of the personality cult when it manifests itself in an overly explicit focus on looking out for oneself only. Only the best will suffice, the narrative suggests, as such the guy or girl next door can only ever be a barely passable 5.5 whilst we are rip roaring 10s on the desirability scale. Whatever glamorous attractions they had disappear forever once you\u0026rsquo;ve heard them fart five times in a row after far too much cheese or seen them wake up looking like \u0026lsquo;crap\u0026rsquo;.\nIncreasingly relaxed societal norms around cohabiting also contribute, I suspect. With relational needs – often sex, but also the emotional support and commitment an intimate relationship provides – no longer limited to the context of marriage, there is also less of an incentive to ‘buy the cow’ in a sense, seeing as the milk is often available for free.\n\\\\\\*\nI would be hard pressed to describe what my seventeen year old self felt as love. There was a certain element of excitement, and perhaps delirious joy, associated with what I felt, or thought I felt, but the cold hard evidence suggests that that in itself is never sufficient. Paul\u0026rsquo;s seminal chapter on love paints a picture that majors on the focus, work and intentionality that sharing life in the real world requires rather than the warm fuzzy feelings we as a species associate with love and loving. What cannot be in serious dispute on the other hand though is that a sense of duty alone, without the buzz and excitement, seems like a consignment to purgatory at best, or a living hell at worst. Where the balance is is a question I am still unable to answer. Eight years and counting after my Big Virtual Wedding which was not, it is clear that I am still none the wiser, having cycled through a few of these phases myself. Perhaps the chaps at Wait But Why put it most succinctly:\nMarriage isn’t the honeymoon in Thailand—it’s day four of vacation #56 that you take together. Marriage is not celebrating the closing of the deal on the first house—it’s having dinner in that house for the 4,386th time. And it’s certainly not Valentine’s Day. Marriage is Forgettable Wednesday. Together.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/02/19/on-loving-and-not-marrying/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"I-DO-Marriage-Series\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/i-do-marriage-series.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[ \u003ca href=\"http://www.truthdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/I-DO-Marriage-Series.jpg\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen I was seventeen, I was sure that I would be married by the time I turned twenty-seven. I knew the date, Saturday the 7th of July 2007, \u003ca href=\"/2009/03/16/finally-the-truth-about-di/\"\u003ewho she would be\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz53l-x_i5E\u0026amp;safe=active\"\u003ethe song we would say our vows to\u003c/a\u003e. That year was my first away from home at University in a different city, one in which I cut my teeth creating a budget, spending money as I chose and defending my results to my father at the end of each month - all very responsible and grown up - or at least so I thought. There was no real science – or thought for that matter - to the timing, merely a wild stab in the dark. Ten years \u003cem\u003eseemed\u003c/em\u003e far enough into the future to feel like forever, and \u003ca href=\"/2010/01/03/10-years-on/\"\u003emy big Uncle F\u003c/a\u003e who seemed to embody adulthood perfectly turned twenty seven that year, or \u003cem\u003emaybe\u003c/em\u003e thirty. Reality, I would later find out, was far more intention and hard slog than hit, hope and wishful thinking.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Loving, and (Not) Marrying..."},{"content":"\n[ Source]\nOne day you wake up with a sense of hunger, as though someone - or something - dredged the innards of your soul and all you want to do is talk to Him. The tug is so strong – and insistent – that you think nothing of kneeling on the cold, hard floor and pouring out your heart. It seems to work because by the time you’re done, you feel light headed and ready, ready to take on the world, bad guys, ghouls and all.\nSome other days your prayer feels like an intense coffee date; playful, happy, somewhat giggly and intimate. You come away at the end of it all feeling like you’ve sat in your favourite corner of your favourite coffee shop; ginger bread latte and waffles to hand, swung your feet beneath the table with the odd knee touch, your voice only a smidgen above a murmur and caught up on life, love and everything.\nSometimes the beauty of a sunset or an unexpected rainbow will knock you out and like a flood of words to the lips, prayer will rise, the sense of presence and of being near somehow convincing you that there is a wider meaning to everything, and that the show - colours splashed as though on your canvas - has been crafted especially for you. Maybe you might cry, or sing a little too loudly with gusto, but all told you’ll come away with the unshakeable sense that He was there.\nSome days you’ll find yourself floating, lost in the crowd, the collective drone of shared ablutions dragging you along like the receding tide drags an unwilling swimmer out to sea. Unlike the swimmer you don’t resist, allowing yourself to be carried along, soaking in all the energy in.\nSome days it will feel like a war of attrition. You, and what you want on one side, Him and his sovereign will on the other. You plead your case, the same words you’ve used every day for the past nine lives. You might rant a bit, about being the good guy, and about how the bad things which seem to insist on happening to you and yours speak the lie to his being good. You moan about the existential crisis his failings are bringing on. You might cry yourself hoarse, and come close to shaking your fist in his face in anger. Somehow you won\u0026rsquo;t. You\u0026rsquo;ll stop just short of the line between despondence and plain rebellion. You\u0026rsquo;ll convince yourself that there must be a bigger point to everything.\nTomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, you will return in quiet contemplation. Whether He will or He won’t, you realise that life goes on at a steady clip. You find acceptance, difficult as it may be.\n---\nI didn’t get the one thing I prayed most about last year. At times there was an overwhelming sense of faith that it would happen, at others it felt like I was chatting up a brick wall. What I can not deny however is that with time I am finding acceptance, and the niggling thought at the back of my mind that maybe that was the whole point of everything, changing me.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/02/12/on-praying-on-changing/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Man-In-Prayer-Christian-Stock-Photo\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/man-in-prayer-christian-stock-photo.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[ \u003ca href=\"http://www.mygracewaychurch.com/intercessory-prayer/\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne day you wake up with a sense of hunger, as though someone  - or \u003cem\u003esomething\u003c/em\u003e  - dredged the innards of your soul and all you want to do is talk to Him. The tug is so strong – and insistent – that you think nothing of kneeling on the cold, hard floor and pouring out your heart. It seems to work because by the time you’re done, you feel light headed and ready, ready to take on the world, bad guys, ghouls and all.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On praying, and changing..."},{"content":"\n[ Source]\nWhen my father would tan my hide - which was often in the years between turning twelve and escaping to University when I turned seventeen - he would send one of the many cousins who lived with us to fetch his preferred instrument, a lean, mean pankere, roll up his sleeves and matter-of-factly deliver a canning of epic proportions. The speed with which the instrument materialised time and time again - in spite of my best efforts - had me convinced that my cousins took a certain perverse, gleeful joy in seeing my bum tanned. Any number of infractions could have been the trigger for one of those in those days - taking apart his treasured gramophone for the heck of it (and not being able to put it back together again a la Humpty Dumpty), sneaking off to \u0026lsquo;dessert\u0026rsquo;, the patch of red earth where endless games of football took place - and young men where introduced to cigarettes and girls if you believed my mother, and once resorting to my fists to settle an altercation with E, the sharp mouthed imp who seemed to delight in getting under my skin. Early on, the tears flowed in copious amounts, until I mastered the act of tensing my buttocks just enough to mitigate the pain, the odd faint moan escaping my gritted teeth the only concession I allowed myself. Custom and practice dictated that, upon completion, I would have to say thanks and then sit through a debriefing session where my failings would be analysed, and alternate behavioural practices highlighted. In retrospect, the canning - intense as it was - was never truly the worst outcome. Infinitely worse was being left to stew in silent contemplation, particularly where my failings had occurred outside the confines of the house on 39th; my sense of guilt being complicated by the uncertainty around how much, if any, my father knew of my misdemeanours.\n---\nPunishment as a consequence of crime or offending is primarily regulatory. By inflicting pain, discomfort or a penalty of some sort, punishment acts as a disincentive, conditioning the behaviour of the members of the collective towards what is ostensibly for their good, and more importantly, the greater good of the collective. In society, these limits of acceptable behaviour are codified in rules, laws and regulations with the justice system providing the framework for deciding appropriate punishment.\nIn the home, the limits of acceptable behaviour are largely part of an unwritten social contract - parents have a duty of care to their offspring, and responsibility for passing on the body of knowledge of social mores, the elements of a worldview and core values which accrete over time into the culture that defines the specific religious, ethnic and social space within which the family operates. Offspring on their part implicitly trust what is being provided for them - at least at first – and agree to operate within the boundaries their parents set, however arbitrary these might seem. As the offspring age, and hopefully develop the mental capacity for interrogating their own spaces, they add to, delete from and modify the premises of the body of knowledge they have been handed, keeping it fluid, relevant and appropriate for being handed over to the generation they themselves will cater for.\nBeyond the obvious regulatory objectives of punishment, there is a sense in which punishment is redemptive - that much I gleaned from the fall out in my heady teenage years. I suspect the redemption punishment brings is premised on two things - that the offender can come to terms with what they have done with a measure of contrition, and that the punishment exacted is somehow seen to be commensurate to the offence committed. In a sense, the offender has to be seen to have paid for the disruption before reintegration into the wider collective can take place - being able to contribute to the greater good of the collective is the upside to reintegration and rehabilitation.\n---\nIn conversation over the weekend with a friend, the Ched Evans case came up. Following his release from prison after a rape conviction, his attempts to get back into football have floundered, largely due to the public outcry, and the threat of the withdrawal of sponsorship from the various football clubs who have mooted the idea of re-signing him. I expressed the opinion during said conversation that punishment could be redemptive, and that in this case having been released from prison, he should be allowed to get on with his life, whatever shape or form that might take. I was quickly reminded - sternly I might add - of how the girl in question has had her own life overturned having to change her name and change location several times over the last five years after being outed on twitter. She is unlikely to ever be able to just get on with her life, which makes the premise of commensurate punishment somewhat difficult to achieve here.\nHaving said that - and I am not pretending that I even remotely understand the nuances of the case, and if he was/or was not innocent as he has maintained - surely the premise of punishment in the law is that having served his sentence, and being registered on the violent and sex offender register rehabilitation is in order? By no means am I suggesting that Ched Evans is the victim here; I am merely pondering how rehabilitation and reintegration square with his situation. It is a difficult conversation - particularly given his relative profile - and the fact that he maintains his innocence. I wonder though if any of the two or so people who still stop by these pages might deign to offer an opinion? Fire away if you do!!!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/02/05/on-crime-and-punishment/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"pankere_\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/pankere_.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[ \u003ca href=\"https://www.etsy.com/listing/185615975/the-school-matron-rattan-otk-punishment\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen my father would tan my hide - which was often in the years between turning twelve and escaping to University when I turned seventeen - he would send one of the many cousins who lived with us to fetch his preferred instrument, a lean, mean \u003cem\u003epankere\u003c/em\u003e, roll up his sleeves and matter-of-factly deliver a canning of epic proportions.  The speed with which the instrument materialised time and time again - in spite of my best efforts - had me convinced that my cousins took a certain perverse, gleeful joy in seeing my bum tanned. Any number of infractions could have been the trigger for one of those in those days - taking apart his treasured gramophone for the heck of it (and not being able to put it back together again a la \u003cem\u003eHumpty Dumpty\u003c/em\u003e), sneaking off to \u0026lsquo;dessert\u0026rsquo;, the patch of red earth where endless games of football took place - and young men where introduced to cigarettes and girls if you believed my mother, and once resorting to my fists to settle an altercation with E, the sharp mouthed imp who seemed to delight in getting under my skin. Early on, the tears flowed in copious amounts, until I mastered the act of tensing my buttocks just enough to mitigate the pain, the odd faint moan escaping my gritted teeth the only concession I allowed myself. Custom and practice dictated that, upon completion, I would have to say thanks and then sit through a debriefing session where my failings would be analysed, and alternate behavioural practices highlighted. In retrospect, the canning - intense as it was - was never truly the worst outcome. Infinitely worse was being left to stew in silent contemplation, particularly where my failings had occurred outside the confines of the house on 39th; my sense of guilt being complicated by the uncertainty around how much, if any, my father knew of my misdemeanours.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Crime and Punishment"},{"content":"Veridia - Furious Love\nBut You say I am beautiful I don\u0026rsquo;t need the world\u0026rsquo;s approval Only you madly pursue me And jealously tell me I am worthy of Furious love\n---\nRapture Ruckus - Volcano (feat Jonathan Thulin)\nCan\u0026rsquo;t hold me down Can\u0026rsquo;t hold me back Bout to blow like a volcano It\u0026rsquo;s not the end, time to begin Bout to blow like a volcano\n---\nJosh Osho - Redemption Days\nFor the Holy day cometh when you chose your destination A man sacrifice his life for salvation So we can sing Bob Marley songs of redemption You a believer or non-believer, there\u0026rsquo;s no exception I walk through the ashes when the Lord burn the sinners bare footed, all draped out in linens Repentant, I lived though sacrifice and now I wait my eternal residence in paradise I walk the righteous path through the garden of eden with the enlightened mind I got from the knowledge of readin' hard to believe I achieve through the divine intervention I’m a soldier I’ll be standing on the day of redemption\n---\nGlory - John Legend ft Common\n\u0026amp;safe=active\nOne day, when the glory comes It will be ours, it will be ours Oh, one day, when the war is one We will be sure, we will be here sure Oh, glory, glory Oh, glory, glory\n---\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/02/02/the-playlist/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eVeridia - Furious Love\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ts?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut You say I am beautiful\nI don\u0026rsquo;t need the world\u0026rsquo;s approval\nOnly you madly pursue me\nAnd jealously tell me\nI am worthy of\nFurious love\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRapture Ruckus - Volcano (feat Jonathan Thulin)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/obrv8ElPOwQ?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCan\u0026rsquo;t hold me down\nCan\u0026rsquo;t hold me back\nBout to blow like a volcano\nIt\u0026rsquo;s not the end, time to begin\nBout to blow like a volcano\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Playlist #1"},{"content":"In addition to completing Moon Walking with Einstein, The Pioneer Detectives and significantly denting my copy of The Best American Essays 2014, my 2015 reading has consisted of loads of longform, which I am curating via Pocket. Below are a few of the more interesting pieces that caught my eye this month:\n1. Learning to Drive - Adam Gopnik (The New Yorker): What we learn when we learn to drive?\n\u0026hellip; Driving a car more like walking on a sidewalk, [is] full of recognitions and hand waving and early avoidance, tamping down the sudden shocks that the combustion engine is heir to\u0026hellip;\nI saw that driving was in another way civilization itself: self-organizing, self-controlling, a pattern of agreement and coalition made at high speed and, on the whole, successfully. “Just signal and slide over,” Arturo would urge me on the highway, and, as I signalled, other cars—other drivers—actually let me slide over!\n2. Writing Your Way To Happiness - Tara Parker-Pope (The New York Times) : The benefits of expressive writing?\nLike Siri, I have numerous explanations for why I don’t find time for exercise. But once I started writing down my thoughts, I began to discover that by shifting priorities, I am able to make time for exercise.\n“When you get to that confrontation of truth with what matters to you, it creates the greatest opportunity for change\u0026quot;.\n3. Selma was a Spiritual Endeavour for Me -Alissa Wilkinson and Morgan Lee (Christianity Today): David Oyelowo on playing Dr King in Oscar nominated (best picture) Selma:\n.. every film I do can be edifying, can be something that points toward I believe to be true: I\u0026rsquo;m not one to shy away from darkness in movies, as long as there is light. As long as the light overwhelms the darkness, then you\u0026rsquo;ll find me in the midst of that story. That\u0026rsquo;s what I aspire to do because I know it to be true in my own life. I don\u0026rsquo;t think I\u0026rsquo;ve done a film that doesn\u0026rsquo;t demonstrate that—the darkness being overwhelmed by the light.\n4. The Secret Life of Passwords - Ian Urbina (The New York Times) : Keepsake passwords;\n\u0026hellip;ritualize a daily encounter with personal memories that often have no place else to be recalled. We engage with them more frequently and more actively than we do, say, with the framed photo on our desk. “You lose that ritual,” [Miah said,] “you lose an intimacy with yourself.”\n5. The Little Bug That Could - Michael Frankel (Medium): On travelling across the continental US in a Volkswagen Beetle to welcome a grandchild;\nThe Bug and I rolled into the Tampa Bay area still under waves of thunder­storms, alternating downpours with steamy sunshine. You could almost see the recently dropped rain rising off the pavement as steam. The grand tour of the union was coming to an end. We covered seventeen states in 6,000 miles. The top was down for 5,300 of those miles — a new personal-all-time-best. I consumed seventy-five cups of coffee on the road, almost all of them McDonald’s secret, piping-hot recipe. I averaged eighty miles per cup. The longest dry run between McDonald’s restaurants was 258 miles from Fallon to Eli, Nevada on Route 50. Along with the coffee, I ate six dozen granola bars and countless pretzels.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/01/29/2015-reading-jan/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn addition to completing \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moonwalking-Einstein-Science-Remembering-Everything/dp/0141032138\"\u003eMoon Walking with Einstein\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pioneer-Detectives-distant-spacecraft-Einstein-ebook/dp/B00DV5SERW/\"\u003eThe Pioneer Detectives\u003c/a\u003e and significantly denting my copy of \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-American-Essays-2014/dp/0544309901\"\u003eThe Best American Essays 2014\u003c/a\u003e, my 2015 reading has consisted of loads of longform, which I am curating \u003ca href=\"http://getpocket.com/users/*em14010384618333b92/feed/all\"\u003evia Pocket\u003c/a\u003e. Below are a few of the more interesting pieces that caught my eye this month:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1. \u003ca href=\"http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/02/drivers-seat?mbid=rss\"\u003eLearning to Drive\u003c/a\u003e - Adam Gopnik (The New Yorker): What we learn when we learn to drive?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026hellip; Driving a car more like walking on a sidewalk, [is] full of recognitions and hand waving and early avoidance, tamping down the sudden shocks that the combustion engine is heir to\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2015 Reading #1"},{"content":" Moonwalking with Einstein - Joshua Foer The Pioneer Detectives -Konstantin Kakaes The Best American Essays 2014 - JJ Sullivan (ed) The Land of Steady Habits - Ted Thompson Sexual Detox - Tim Challies NW - Zadie Smith Crafting the Personal Essay - Dinty W Moore What\u0026rsquo;s so Amazing About Grace - Phillip Yancey How To Be Alone - Jonathan Franzen The Best American Essays 2013 - Cheryl Strayed (ed) The Seven Good Years - Etgar Keret Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez - Richard Rodriguez The Children Act - Ian McEwan The Things They Carried- Tim O\u0026rsquo;Brien Something to Answer For - P.H. Newby ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015-reading/","summary":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moonwalking-Einstein-Science-Remembering-Everything/dp/0141032138\"\u003eMoonwalking with Einstein\u003c/a\u003e - Joshua Foer\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Pioneer-Detectives-spacecraft-Einstein-ebook/dp/B00DV5SERW\"\u003eThe Pioneer Detectives\u003c/a\u003e -Konstantin Kakaes\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Best-American-Essays-2014/dp/0544309901\"\u003eThe Best American Essays 2014\u003c/a\u003e - JJ Sullivan (ed)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Land-Steady-Habits-Ted-Thompson/dp/0316186562/\"\u003eThe Land of Steady Habits\u003c/a\u003e - Ted Thompson\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sexual-Detox-Guide-Guys-Sick/dp/1453807284/\"\u003eSexual Detox\u003c/a\u003e - Tim Challies\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/NW-Zadie-Smith/dp/0141036591\"\u003eNW\u003c/a\u003e - Zadie Smith\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crafting-The-Personal-Essay-Non-Fiction-ebook/dp/B005FWYTFA\"\u003eCrafting the Personal Essay\u003c/a\u003e - Dinty W Moore\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Whats-So-Amazing-About-Grace/dp/0310245656/\"\u003eWhat\u0026rsquo;s so Amazing About Grace\u003c/a\u003e - Phillip Yancey\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-be-Alone-Jonathan-Franzen/dp/0007153589\"\u003eHow To Be Alone\u003c/a\u003e - Jonathan Franzen\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-American-Essays-Cheryl-Strayed/dp/0544103882\"\u003eThe Best American Essays 2013\u003c/a\u003e - Cheryl Strayed (ed)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Seven-Good-Years-Memoir/dp/1594633266\"\u003eThe Seven Good Years\u003c/a\u003e - Etgar Keret\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hunger-Memory-Education-Richard-Rodriguez/dp/0553272934\"\u003eHunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez\u003c/a\u003e - Richard Rodriguez\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Children-Act-Ian-McEwan/dp/0099599635\"\u003eThe Children Act\u003c/a\u003e - Ian McEwan\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Things-They-Carried-Flamingo/dp/0006543944/\"\u003eThe Things They Carried\u003c/a\u003e- Tim O\u0026rsquo;Brien\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Something-Answer-For-P-H-Newby/dp/0571243258\"\u003eSomething to Answer For\u003c/a\u003e - P.H. Newby\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"2015 Reading"},{"content":"\n[ Source]\nAmidst the hurly burly that was the last quarter of 2014 at work - not helped by the unease set off by sliding oil prices, and questions around the future viability of North Sea oil and gas given lifting costs and taxes - the crazy gang team at work made time out to head across town for a day to reflect on how we\u0026rsquo;d performed through the year and agree objectives for the 2015. For what it\u0026rsquo;s worth it was good craic, much better than I expected given the strong personalities within the team, and the sense of simmering conflict, even though it was a tad too reliant on woozy, zen-ish things like sitting in a circle and taking time out to reflect in silence.\nAs we huddled around the sandwich tables chewing away on sandwiches and bacon rolls and sipping coffees, we were offered a question for reflection, one we would expatiate on later over the course of the morning. The question was to come up with a movie or a song that best described how we felt about our day job. The responses were as interesting as they were varied, ranging from It\u0026rsquo;s a Hard Knock Life from the musical Annie to Ocean Rain by Echo and the Bunny Men, indicative of the general sense of being overwhelmed by fighting fires and being under appreciated across the group. I might have over thought it a bit - my repertoire of movies isn\u0026rsquo;t exactly exhaustive - before I eventually settled for Raid on Entebbe.\nBased on the 1976 rescue of the passengers and crew of Air France flight AF-139 from Tel Aviv following its hijack by members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, it chronicled the difficult deliberations involved in reaching a decision to sanction a commando operation in Entebbe, Uganda, 2500 miles and several hostile countries away. In the end, although largely a success, Yonatan Netanyahu, and 3 hostages ended up dead; a fourth hostage was murdered, ostensibly on Idi Amin\u0026rsquo;s orders, having been sent to the hospital due to illness. Certainly not Africa\u0026rsquo;s brightest hour by all accounts.\nLooking back, I suspect I went for Raid on Entebbe largely because my role over the last few years has increasingly felt more like that of a commando than a rust geek, putting out fires rather than pontificating over their remote and immediate causes. Ultimately, it has been about managing risk - identifying, quantifying, evaluating and mitigating the risk to the environment, people and the business from the interactions of materials and the internal and external service environments we put them in. In an ideal world, I\u0026rsquo;d replace every bit of leaking pipe with 25Cr or Titanium, significantly reducing the probability (in most cases) of a repeat failure. The reality though is that the cost of doing that on a large scale would be entirely prohibitive; which is where I earn my bacon, pretending to find finding non-obvious solutions to corrosion and materials problems which represent value for money - the best bang for the buck within reason.\nSadly, or thankfully, Rust never sleeps, likewise I have to keep trying\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/01/22/of-rust-and-metaphors/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"yonatan-yoni-netanyahu-630x305\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/yonatan-yoni-netanyahu-630x305.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[ \u003ca href=\"http://sofrep.com/8714/operation-thunderbolt-hostage-rescue-entebbe-airport/\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmidst the hurly burly that was the last quarter of 2014 at work - not helped by the unease set off by sliding oil prices, and questions around \u003ca href=\"http://www.woodreview.co.uk/documents/UKCS%20Maximising%20Recovery%20Review%20FINAL%2072pp%20locked.pdf\"\u003ethe future viability of North Sea oil and gas\u003c/a\u003e given lifting costs and taxes - the crazy gang team at work made time out to head across town for a day to reflect on how we\u0026rsquo;d performed through the year and agree objectives for the 2015. For what it\u0026rsquo;s worth it was good \u003cem\u003ecraic\u003c/em\u003e, much better than I expected given the strong personalities within the team, and the sense of simmering conflict, even though it was a tad too reliant on woozy, \u003cem\u003ezen-ish\u003c/em\u003e things like sitting in a circle and taking time out to reflect in silence.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Of Rust, and Metaphors"},{"content":" Scottish-independence-referendum-flags\nA few months ago, people across the length and breadth of the nation of Scotland went to the polls to answer the question, \u0026ldquo;Should Scotland be an independent country?” At stake was the very future of the United Kingdom, and Scotland’s place in it. On one hand, the governing Scottish National Party staked its reputation on a ‘Yes’ vote, alongside the Scottish Greens and the Scottish Socialists under the aegis of Yes Scotland, whilst Scottish Labour, the Scottish Conservative Party, and the Scottish Liberal Democrats took a pro-Union Stance under the Better Together banner.\nAs the vote count came to an end on the morning of September 19th in victory for the Better Together campaign, what became clear was that the keenly contested campaign had revealed deep fissures in the very fabric of the Nation. The romance of nationalism and the historical antecedents notwithstanding (Scotland as a distinct entity has existed in some shape or form since about 840 AD and 2014 was the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn which saw the English army defeated by the forces of King of Scots Robert the Bruce), economic considerations, fair and equitable distribution of wealth and protecting access to the NHS in the face of the (real or imagined) threat of its privatisation featured strongly as a subject of contention.\nThe HAVES vs HAVE NOTS narrative seemed supported by analysis of the voting patterns which showed strong correlations between greater unemployment and support for independence, and age above retirement with support for staying with the Union (perhaps due to concerns over pensions).\nhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-29255449\nThe immediate aftermath involved clashes between Unionists and independence supporters. As recently as October, a pro - independence rally in Glasgow still managed to attract over 6,000 people, perhaps indicative that even the passage of time has done little to soothe the sense of grievance a significant proportion of the nation still feels.\nThe challenge going forward therefore is one of reconciliation; recreating a sense of togetherness and genuine belief in all and sundry that the nation belongs equally to everyone - rich, poor, old, young and old alike. That sense can only be fostered by delivering on the sound bites trundled out by both sides of the campaign, mainly a fairer, more productive, empowered Scotland.\nThere is an economic argument for a fairer, more egalitarian Scotland. Equal opportunities and lower unemployment will deliver greater productivity, and enable more people contribute to the state in the form of taxes, rather than constitute a drain the system.\nThere will also be benefits, purely from the perspective of enlightened self-interest. It stands to reason that crime, social delinquency and violence are likely to drop as more people are gainfully employed. Those who are not, if they have access to the opportunities to improve and are catered for the interim will also see less of an incentive to crime.\nThe arguments for social justice go beyond secular and economic ones; there is also a biblical imperative. Passages like Deuteronomy 15:11 - For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land’, being a case in point.\nTime and time again, the call to ‘do good and seek justice (Isaiah 1:17), not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor (Zech 7:9,10), defend the rights of the poor and needy (Prov 31:8,9), to do justice and love kindness (Micah 6:8) and protect the resident alien, the fatherless and the widow (Jeremiah 22:3) are repeated throughout the Old Testament. When Israel failed to heed this call, they were punished severely by God (Amos 5:11-15, Ezekiel 16:49,50).\nElsewhere a social justice component is explicitly commanded as part of true and acceptable worship - knowing the rights of the poor (Proverbs 29:7), letting the oppressed go free, sharing bread with the hungry and homeless (Isaiah 58:12) as well as visiting the orphan and the widow (James 1:27).\nJesus himself, after being tempted and returning to Galilee in the power of the Holy Spirit chose to reveal himself in the Synagogue in his home town of Nazareth by reading from the passage in Isaiah which spoke of his mission to proclaim the good news and set at liberty those who were oppressed (Luke 4; 18, 19). Beyond that, he also highlighted acts of kindness as one of the things we will be judged by at his return (Matthew 25:31-46). The Apostles also weighed in in their writings - John enjoined us to love not in word but in deed (1 John 3:17,18), Paul in distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality (Romans 12:13) and James to treat all without partiality (James 2:1-4)\nThe danger of all this is to end up flying the flag of social justice, for its own sake alone, as an end in itself or as an opportunity to ship sounds bites, hog the limelight and portray ourselves as good citizens. However as Christians, everything we do on earth occurs within a context - that of being Jesus’ hands and feet on earth, utilising the resources, skills and time that he has given us to further His kingdom. In these days in which the popular narrative is one of the death of the church and its increasing irrelevance, being champions of social change, in our communities - our next door mission fields - may well be one way that the tide can be turned, providing a door of opportunity to ‘ do all for the Glory of God’.\n\\\\\\*\nOriginally written for my Church Newsletter, reproduced here for archival purposes.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/01/15/reflecting-on-the-scottish-referendum-a-call-to-social-justice/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/scottish-independence-referendum-flags.jpg\"\n         alt=\"Scottish-independence-referendum-flags\" width=\"1000\"/\u003e \u003cfigcaption\u003e\n            \u003cp\u003eScottish-independence-referendum-flags\u003c/p\u003e\n        \u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA few months ago, people across the length and breadth of the nation of Scotland went to the polls to answer the question, \u0026ldquo;Should Scotland be an independent country?” At stake was the very future of the United Kingdom, and Scotland’s place in it. On one hand, the governing Scottish National Party staked its reputation on a ‘Yes’ vote, alongside the Scottish Greens and the Scottish Socialists under the aegis of \u003cem\u003eYes Scotland\u003c/em\u003e, whilst \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Labour\"\u003eScottish Labour\u003c/a\u003e, the \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Conservative_Party\"\u003eScottish Conservative Party\u003c/a\u003e, and the \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Liberal_Democrats\"\u003eScottish Liberal\u003c/a\u003e  Democrats took a pro-Union Stance under the \u003cem\u003eBetter Together\u003c/em\u003e banner.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Reflecting on the Scottish Referendum: A Call to Social Justice"},{"content":"\nEach year, my Christmas party silly season kicks off earlier than the last - this time on the 24th of November - the venue being the soon to close Marcliffe set in the lush woodlands of the Royal Deeside. We are there at the behest of the black and minority ethnic engineering association, for an evening of music, dance, networking and speeches to celebrate the fabulous year they have had of making engineering sexy to BME kids across the ‘shire. My initial response of excitement when news of the gala breaks segues into one of trepidation as the day draws near, the black tie dress code nothing like my far more typical jeans and t-shirt fare. On the day, just before leaving my house, I find out that I have somehow failed to spot the one key fact, arrivals being scheduled for 6.30pm, not the 7pm I have planned for, cue a rushed final phase of preparation and a quick hop into my old banger for the drive across town. I arrive almost forty five minutes late, thanks to a wrong turn and some traffic down Great Western road. In the end, it turns out I really shouldn\u0026rsquo;t have been that worried, people are still arriving at 8.30pm, african time I guess. The event itself goes well - overly posh food aside - I get to prance and pose for pictures with a few old chums, and a wide range of people; current students, professionals across a range of Engineering professions and a number of industry stalwarts. By the time I sneak off at 11.30pm, there is no doubt in my mind it has been a thoroughly engaging evening.\n\\\\\\*\nThe Friday afterwards, I am at the Stage Door off Rosemount for a far less formal event, invited out by the team I work with at the motherlode, work being used very loosely here given how little face time I actually get with them. Plan is to kick things off with drinks at 5pm and then a set meal for 6pm. By the time I arrive at five minutes to six, my crowd is no where to be seen, still loading up on the brew. The first few people begin to show up at five past six, with very nearly a full complement by six-thirty by which time I am ravenous. D somehow ends up lost with a dead battery across town, which provides plenty of comic relief material. Meal done and dusted at very nearly 8.30pm, the younger crowd - and quite a few older ones too - decide they want to hit a couple of pubs to wrap up. Seeing as my day started at 5.45am, I am in no state to join in and plead tiredness, to quite a few raised eyebrows. The small silver lining is that on my way out, I get hit on by a somewhat attractive woman - never mind she was a bit woozy, clearly having had way too much to drink.\n\\\\\\*\nGig number three is the Young Adult\u0026rsquo;s group party at D’s. It turns out a damp squib of sorts, the turnout being far less than I recall for a long while. I suspect it being sandwiched between preparations for our show piece holiday event, the Christmas Carol service amongst others, and a slew of stalwarts who have elected to take an early Christmas are to blame. Plus side is I get to take away several packs of rice, gizzdodo and pepper soup when I leave at just past 10.30pm on the day\n\\\\\\*\nFor the 15th and 16th I am away in Manchester, swotting for - and then writing - my final exam of the year. Having had to work full pelt on a number of emerging issues at work right up to the day before impacted my ability to create time to study, so understandably I find the exam itself iffy. I help myself to one of the works omelettes at Frankie and Benny\u0026rsquo;s to help myself forget, just before hopping on to the tram for Piccadilly gardens. Fortuitously, at Cornbrook, I find out that the tram line extension to the airport is now in place, and hop on to that, halving my journey - and leaving a few friends and family cross at me - in the process.\n\\\\\\*\nI’m into work the next day, back to the hurly burly that has been December, getting just enough done to show up with an element of credibility to a meeting on the 18th. That turns out to be the last credible bit of work I do on the day as it’s also the day for our traditional christmas lunch as an Operations Team. Drinks start off at 12 - I have a gin and tonic to get myself into the groove (number 10 I reckon) - followed by a set lunch. I have chicken soup as a starter, Turkey as the main and cheese cake for dessert. Beyond the food which is typically passable, the highlight usually is the raffle, and the opportunity for expressing the typically acerbic Scottish variant of British humour it provides. At lunch I end up next to one of the bigger wigs; as we chat it turns out he does have a proper engineering background - a technical PhD as opposed to an MBA - and I get to gush a bit too much on rust and my future plans - to my chagrin in retrospect, blame the gin and tonic. We all have a good laugh, helped along by a free bar. For my ten pound investment in the raffle I win a bottle of whisky.\n\\\\\\*\nI toy with not attending the church’s tech team meet up on the 19th - yet another late day at work and meetings nearly putting paid to my participation - but a few sternly worded comments from F give me the kick up the back side I require. I miss the bowling though, arriving just in time to sit in for dinner. Venue is the Frankie and Benny\u0026rsquo;s close to my house, a brisk walk and the nip in the air clear my head sufficiently enough to not be a grump of epic proportions. Loads of meat balls, and great conversation later, it’s a proper Friday evening of chilling and friendly banter - a fitting end to the week and a slew of christmas gigs for the year.\n\\\\\\*\nOne of the more head scratching - and truth be told happy - things that happens to me does on the 24th. I catch the 727 at mid day to the airport, enroute Heathrow for a catch up with B. At the security screening desk it turns out there are more security folk than fliers, the irony of which is not lost on us travellers. For good measure, no thanks to forgetting to remove my watch, I get the enhanced pat down, and my phone swabbed, which in the end ends up being fortuitous as it delays me enough for a certain portly gentleman to slide up to me. Quite the cheerful bloke, he says the one thing we have all noticed but haven’t vocalised, about the security team out numbering flyers. On a whim, he offers to buy me a beer. When I decline, and upon being pressed by him, I accept a coffee instead. At the bar, he flirts so charmingly with the bar tender she is beetroot red by the time we grab our drinks and head off to a table. In a different life, and a different skin he might have been my friend S, from under grad. In the thirty minutes we spend together, we manage to drag four other people into our happy bubble, get to swap war stories about our various professions and he gets snogged by one of the guys, all very love actually-esque.\nLondon goes by quickly; hanging with B, food (loads of), dish washing and meat chopping duties as assigned, and yet another Xmas party number - a far more family friendly, lower key event than the lot I’ve been dragged through up here in Aberdeen - help the time pass quickly enough until I am being sped all the way to Heathrow to catch my flight back to my version of civilisation.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/01/08/wrapping-up-the-christmas-party-silly-season/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"marcliffe_road\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/marcliffe_road.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach year, my Christmas party silly season kicks off earlier than the last - this time on the 24th of November - the venue being the soon to close \u003ca href=\"http://www.marcliffe.com/\"\u003eMarcliffe\u003c/a\u003e set in the lush woodlands of the Royal Deeside. We are there at the behest of the black and minority ethnic engineering association, for an evening of music, dance, networking and speeches to celebrate the fabulous year they have had of making engineering sexy to BME kids across the ‘shire. My initial response of excitement when news of the gala breaks segues into one of trepidation as the day draws near, the black tie dress code nothing like my far more typical jeans and t-shirt fare. On the day, just before leaving my house, I find out that I have somehow failed to spot the one key fact, arrivals being scheduled for 6.30pm, not the 7pm I have planned for, cue a rushed final phase of preparation and a quick hop into my old banger for the drive across town. I arrive almost forty five minutes late, thanks to a wrong turn and some traffic down Great Western road. In the end, it turns out I really shouldn\u0026rsquo;t have been \u003cem\u003ethat\u003c/em\u003e worried, people are still arriving at 8.30pm, african time I guess. The event itself goes well - overly posh food aside - I get to \u003ca href=\"https://www.flickr.com/photos/83849590@N06/\"\u003eprance and pose for pictures\u003c/a\u003e with a few old chums, and a wide range of people; current students, professionals across a range of Engineering professions and a number of industry stalwarts. By the time I sneak off at 11.30pm, there is no doubt in my mind it has been a thoroughly engaging evening.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Wrapping up the Christmas Party Silly Season"},{"content":"Three main achievements will make 2015 a \u0026lsquo;perfect\u0026rsquo; year, to all intents and purposes, viz:\nSpiritual growth as evidenced by a regular routine of bible study and prayer A new Technical M\u0026amp;C role at an oil and gas operator Getting married The wider goals and targets I\u0026rsquo;m looking to achieve for the year though, aligned with my personal SWOT analysis and the refocused Life Plan are:\nSpiritual Achieve 80% Daily Bible Reading and Prayer - explore the Lectio Divina process Average 6 (of 8) church days per month Attend FOL Morning Prayers twice a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) – 80% target Physical and Health Get fitter – YE target is 15% body fat, weight under 80kg Get blood pressure below 140/90 consistently (explore potassium replacement/ supplements as a quantified self project) Average 6 hours of sleep/day \u0026gt;80% of the time Use the gym 3 times a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) – target 80% Track sodium and attempt to bring within recommended limits Social and People: Track B contact time (Target \u0026gt; 1 hour per day); track completions in Habit List Host a hangout for my 2015 birthday (Aberdeen) Drag my London Blogger peeps today for a meal over summer 2015 (CaramelD, Simeon, NoLimit, ToniAnni, Aloted, MizKeji) Maintain weekly phone calls home to Dad Career \u0026amp; Work Become staff M\u0026amp;C Engineer at an O\u0026amp;G Operator; Attend monthly industry working group meetings – target 80% of months with a meeting (one of ICorr, IMarEST or AFBE) – track in Habit List Deliver Work Projects TI Anomaly Risk Review TI Vibration Fatigue Strategy and Implementation ECE Project Procedure Updates - Integrity Risk Screening (PoF Guidance, DAF Risk Assessment) MU Integrity Management - Inspections and Topside Pressure System Integrity Financial: Save 30% of net earnings, Reduce total spend; 2015 YE target of £35k Grow net worth by 50% (total - investments + savings + pension growth,+ assets, etc) Rebalance net worth and elements; buy a house, build ISA back up to 10k, invest excess in index funds Mental and Personal Development: Deliver on a 25 book reading plan (Aim to cover Christian Classics, Literary Classics, Popular Fiction, Current Christian \u0026amp; Non-fiction with 5 each per category) Blog here at archive.rustgeek.me at least once a week (Plan is to post something \u0026gt;500 words every Tuesday) Learn to write VBA for Excel and Macros Learn to play a musical instrument - need to decide between the acoustic guitar and the saxophone, target is to present something at eXpressions 2015) Attend Structural Integrity course at Imperial College Causes \u0026amp; Charity: Catch up on my first fruit offering from pay rise in Q1 2013 (as a one time gift if possible at the end of February) Write to Moises and RosieMarie twice each during the year General, Projects and Bucket List Items Complete a modified Whole30 or Ketogenic Diet for an entire month Walk or run 5 miles daily for a month Read 5 Booker Prize Winners (Bucket List) Attend the Edinburgh Fringe Festival Watch the Ball drop in New York\u0026rsquo;s Time Square ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2015/01/01/2015-goals/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThree main achievements will make 2015 a \u0026lsquo;perfect\u0026rsquo; year, to all intents and purposes, viz:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSpiritual growth as evidenced by a regular routine of bible study and prayer\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA new Technical M\u0026amp;C role at an oil and gas operator\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGetting married\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe wider goals and targets I\u0026rsquo;m looking to achieve for the year though, aligned with my personal \u003ca href=\"/2014/12/23/the-life-plan-swot-analysis/\"\u003eSWOT analysis\u003c/a\u003e and the refocused \u003ca href=\"/2014/12/21/rethinking-the-life-plan/\"\u003eLife Plan\u003c/a\u003e are:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSpiritual\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAchieve 80% Daily Bible Reading and Prayer - explore the \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lectio_Divina\"\u003eLectio Divina\u003c/a\u003e process\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAverage 6 (of 8) church days per month\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAttend FOL Morning Prayers twice a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) – 80% target\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePhysical and Health\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGet fitter – YE target is 15% body fat, weight under 80kg\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGet blood pressure below 140/90 consistently (explore potassium replacement/ supplements as a quantified self project)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAverage 6 hours of sleep/day \u0026gt;80% of the time\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUse the gym 3 times a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) – target 80%\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTrack sodium and attempt to bring within recommended limits\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSocial and People:\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTrack B contact time (Target \u0026gt; 1 hour per day); track completions in Habit List\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHost a hangout for my 2015 birthday (Aberdeen)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDrag my London Blogger peeps today for a meal over summer 2015 (CaramelD, Simeon, NoLimit, ToniAnni, Aloted, MizKeji)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaintain weekly phone calls home to Dad\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCareer \u0026amp; Work\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBecome staff M\u0026amp;C Engineer at an O\u0026amp;G Operator;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAttend monthly industry working group meetings – target 80% of months with a meeting (one of ICorr, IMarEST or AFBE) – track in Habit List\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeliver Work Projects\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTI Anomaly Risk Review\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTI Vibration Fatigue Strategy and Implementation\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eECE Project\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProcedure Updates - Integrity Risk Screening (PoF Guidance, DAF Risk Assessment)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMU Integrity Management - Inspections and Topside Pressure System Integrity\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFinancial:\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSave 30% of net earnings,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReduce total spend; 2015 YE target of £35k\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrow net worth by 50% (total - investments + savings + pension growth,+ assets, etc)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRebalance net worth and elements; buy a house, build ISA back up to 10k, invest excess in index funds\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMental and Personal Development:\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeliver on a 25 book reading plan (Aim to cover Christian Classics, Literary Classics, Popular Fiction, Current Christian \u0026amp; Non-fiction with 5 each per category)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBlog here at archive.rustgeek.me at least once a week (Plan is to post something \u0026gt;500 words every Tuesday)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLearn to write VBA for Excel and Macros\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLearn to play a musical instrument - need to decide between the acoustic guitar and the saxophone, target is to present something at eXpressions 2015)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAttend Structural Integrity course at Imperial College\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCauses \u0026amp; Charity:\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCatch up on my first fruit offering from pay rise in Q1 2013 (as a one time gift if possible at the end of February)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWrite to Moises and RosieMarie twice each during the year\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGeneral,  Projects and \u003ca href=\"/40-things-by-40/\"\u003eBucket List Items\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComplete a modified \u003ca href=\"http://whole30.com/\"\u003eWhole30\u003c/a\u003e or \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketogenic_diet\"\u003eKetogenic\u003c/a\u003e Diet for an entire month\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWalk or run 5 miles daily for a month\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRead 5 Booker Prize Winners (Bucket List)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAttend the Edinburgh Fringe Festival\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWatch the Ball drop in New York\u0026rsquo;s Time Square\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"2015 Goals"},{"content":"General 2014 was an emotional wringer of a year, perhaps the most difficult one I\u0026rsquo;ve ever had, thanks in part to losing H, and O, but also because of difficult transitions at work. All in all, it\u0026rsquo;s been a largely forgettable year, with spots of delirious joy in between. Here, in each of the seven focus areas undergirding the life plan are a little bit more detailed thoughts on how my 2014 went with a (R)ed, (A)mber or (G)reen indicator.\nSpiritual: AMBER Improved attendance at church over 2013, primarily due to improved commitment to attending midweek church in Q3 and Q4. Struggled, as I have for the past few years, with committing to a daily practice of prayer, worship and meditation. Big spurt, again in Q3/Q4 thanks to the NIV Men\u0026rsquo;s Devotional Bible. Struggled with trying to make sense of loss all year, given H and O\u0026rsquo;s passing this year. I suspect this will be an ongoing one for the next few years at least. Physical \u0026amp; Health: AMBER Kept physical activity levels up, averaged 6 miles per day through the year, slightly down from YE 2013 Marginally better sleep; more time in bed, less time awake, lower number of awakenings ~ 5.8 hours asleep from 6.5 hrs in bed on average, longest sleep was on the 15th of February. For the life of me, I can\u0026rsquo;t remember what might have trigged that ( I know I didn\u0026rsquo;t cry myself to sleep though, Val or no Val.. ) Lost gains from 2013 in weight loss, up 6kg from YE 2013 to ~ 90kg. Loads of Papa John\u0026rsquo;s, Nandos and KFC to blame without question. Less control of blood pressure, inched upwards towards the end of the year, correlated with weight, and all those high salt content fast food. Losing my memory - at least I think so.. It might just be old age, but\u0026hellip; Career \u0026amp; Work: GREEN New R\u0026amp;Rs defined with emphasis on a specialist Corrosion \u0026amp; Materials role and the required skill sets; Issues across the patch created opportunities to leverage my skills in support of other assets Social \u0026amp; People: AMBER Took a long hard look at things and realised the thing with K was heading no where; and then I met B Lowlights for the year were teething problems with unlearning solitude and juggling my people commitments amidst all the work and personal issues that defined the year, something I have struggled with for a long time. Financial: RED Failed to meet my 30% of net earnings target for the year, only achieved in 5 months of the year (January, March, May, November and December) Managed to recover my pension funds - significant boost to the net worth; kicked off the process of retrieved my stranded UX5 pension also. Should receive feedback in the new year. Overall, I spent more than I earned in 2014. Main spend drivers were helps and charity, purchases and OpEx with the excesses incurred here accounting for ~35% of overall 2014 spend. Oil price and associated Naira value loss impacted contribution of Nigerian funds (fixed deposit and stocks) to net worth (~£3k loss vs YE 2013) Mental \u0026amp; Personal Development: GREEN Passed the API 571 exam (Advanced Corrosion \u0026amp; Materials) and received certification documents; waiting on the results from API 580 exam (Advanced Risk Based Inspection) in December; Progressed the NACE Senior Corrosion Technologist Certification; notified of success in late December Managed to read 16 books from the 30 planned; a few key titles - Albert Camus\u0026rsquo; The Outsider, Zadie Smith\u0026rsquo;s On Beauty, Charles Duhigg\u0026rsquo;s The Power of Habit and John Green\u0026rsquo;s somewhat over praised The Fault in Our Stars Causes \u0026amp; Charity: GREEN Wrote each of my sponsored children (Moises and RosieMarie) once each, sent a special gift to RosieMarie at Christmas (and her birthday which is early in 2015) Helped family members out significantly over the course of the year; downside was this was a key contributor to poor financial performance. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/12/31/year-end-review-2014/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGeneral\u003c/strong\u003e\n2014 was an emotional wringer of a year, perhaps the most difficult one I\u0026rsquo;ve ever had, thanks in part to \u003ca href=\"/2014/08/13/the-way-the-world-ends-on-loss-and-lostness/\"\u003elosing H\u003c/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"/2014/02/16/on-repeat-7-emeli-sande-abide-with-me/\"\u003eO\u003c/a\u003e, but also because of \u003ca href=\"/2014/02/28/the-end-of-the-beginning/\"\u003edifficult transitions at work\u003c/a\u003e. All in all, it\u0026rsquo;s been a largely forgettable year, with spots of delirious joy in between. Here, in each of the seven focus areas undergirding \u003ca href=\"/2014/12/21/rethinking-the-life-plan/\"\u003ethe life plan\u003c/a\u003e are a little bit more detailed thoughts on how my 2014 went with a (R)ed, (A)mber or (G)reen indicator.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Year End Review - 2014"},{"content":" ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/12/31/2014-in-personal-charts/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e","title":"2014 in (Personal) charts"},{"content":" Teaching My Mother How To Give Birth - Warsan Shire The Outsider - Albert Camus Merry Christmas, Alex Cross - James Patterson The Map of Love - Ahdaf Soueif Finally Free: Fighting For Purity with the Power of Grace - Heath Lambert The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do and How To Change - Charles Duhigg On Writing - Steven King Love At First Click - Laurie Davis The Fault in Our Stars - John Green Everyday is for the thief- Teju Cole On Beauty - Zadie Smith Don\u0026rsquo;t Tell Mum I work on the Oil Rigs - Paul Carter The Inheritance of Loss - Kiran Desai Frank Sinatra Has A Cold: And Other Essays - Gay Talese Another Man\u0026rsquo;s War - Barnaby Phillips A Delicate Truth - John le Carré ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/12/31/the-year-in-reading-2014/","summary":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Teaching-Mother-Give-Birth-Mouthmark/dp/1905233299\"\u003eTeaching My Mother How To Give Birth\u003c/a\u003e - Warsan Shire\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Outsider-Penguin-Modern-Classics/dp/0141198060\"\u003eThe Outsider\u003c/a\u003e - Albert Camus\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Merry-Christmas-Alex-Cross-19/dp/0099576449\"\u003eMerry Christmas, Alex Cross\u003c/a\u003e - James Patterson\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Map-Love-Ahdaf-Soueif/dp/0747545634\"\u003eThe Map of Love\u003c/a\u003e - Ahdaf Soueif\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Finally-Free-Fighting-Purity-Power-ebook/dp/B00A9USCLK\"\u003eFinally Free: Fighting For Purity with the Power of Grace\u003c/a\u003e - Heath Lambert\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Power-Habit-What-Change-ebook/dp/B006WAIV6M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text\u0026amp;ie=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1395950352\u0026amp;sr=1-1\u0026amp;keywords=the+power+of+habit\"\u003eThe Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do and How To Change\u003c/a\u003e - Charles Duhigg\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/On-Writing-Stephen-King/dp/1444723251\"\u003eOn Writing\u003c/a\u003e - Steven King\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-First-Click-Ultimate-Online-ebook/dp/B008J2G76M\"\u003eLove At First Click\u003c/a\u003e - Laurie Davis\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Fault-Stars-John-Green/dp/0141345659/\"\u003eThe Fault in Our Stars\u003c/a\u003e - John Green\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Every-Day-Thief-Teju-Cole/dp/0812995783\"\u003eEveryday is for the thief\u003c/a\u003e- Teju Cole\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beauty-Zadie-Smith/dp/014101945X\"\u003eOn Beauty\u003c/a\u003e - Zadie Smith\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dont-Tell-Mum-Work-Rigs/dp/1857883772\"\u003eDon\u0026rsquo;t Tell Mum I work on the Oil Rigs\u003c/a\u003e - Paul Carter\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Inheritance-Loss-Kiran-Desai-ebook/dp/B002RI9VYO\"\u003eThe Inheritance of Loss\u003c/a\u003e - Kiran Desai\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Frank-Sinatra-Has-Cold-Classics/dp/0141194154\"\u003eFrank Sinatra Has A Cold: And Other Essays\u003c/a\u003e - Gay Talese\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Another-Mans-War-Britains-Forgotten/dp/1780745222\"\u003eAnother Man\u0026rsquo;s War\u003c/a\u003e - Barnaby Phillips\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/A-Delicate-Truth-John-Carr%C3%A9/dp/0241965187\"\u003eA Delicate Truth\u003c/a\u003e - John le Carré\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"The Year In Reading 2014"},{"content":"A review of the goals I set out to achieve in 2014.\nLearn to drive, buy a car: Completed (Passed driving test in April, bought a car in October- completed) Buy a house: Progressed (Made an unsuccessful offer for a city centre apartment. Waiting on feedback on further developments as winning bid seemed to have fallen through, definitely one to focus on in 2015) Improve professionally: Completed (Certified to API 571 - Advanced Corrosion and Materials in April and NACE Senior Corrosion Technologist in December, wrote API 580 exam, waiting on results in Q1 2015) Find two mentors, meet once a month to catch up and review where I am: Progressed (Held regular meetings with O through the year, met G twice and K once, another action to follow up and KPI through 2015) Travel: Completed (8 London Trips, 2 Manchester ones and an enforced Nigeria trip; failed to complete my Great North American Road Trip for the 35th, one to chase up next year also) Develop a daily practice of prayer, bible study and meditation: Progressed (Bought NIV Devotional Bible and tracked completions in Habit List) Blog for 30 days straight: Completed (Used the Art of Manliness 30 Days to a Better Man challenge as a template) Save minimum of 30% of net earnings, reduce annual spend to pre-2013 levels (£30k): Failed (Car purchase, helps for family and travel to Nigeria made saving especially difficult) Communicate and Engage the people in my life better: Progressed (Call Dad once a week now, need to give B the focus she also needs as we progress,wrote to sponsored children once each and sent a Christmas gift to RosieMarie) Deliver on the 30 book reading plan: Failed (Managed 16 of the 30, should do better) Community Engagement - Church Publications, Tech and Young Adults Group: Completed (Delivered four articles for the publications team and helped with video edits and script delivery for the Broadcasting/ Tech team, c0-sponsored the Young Adults Christmas party) Get fit and lean: Failed (Up to 90kg in weight and measured body fat at 23%; epic fail) All in, there or thereabouts with three clear failures (savings and the reading plan). Clear focus areas for 2015 already standing out then I guess.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/12/30/2014-actions/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA review of the \u003ca href=\"/2014/01/03/2014-the-plan/\"\u003egoals\u003c/a\u003e I set out to achieve in 2014.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLearn to drive, buy a car: Completed (Passed driving test in April, bought a car in October- completed)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuy a house: Progressed (Made an unsuccessful offer for a city centre apartment. Waiting on feedback on further developments as winning bid seemed to have fallen through, definitely one to focus on in 2015)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eImprove professionally: Completed (Certified to API 571 - Advanced Corrosion and Materials in April and NACE Senior Corrosion Technologist in December, wrote API 580 exam, waiting on results in Q1 2015)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFind two mentors, meet once a month to catch up and review where I am: Progressed (Held regular meetings with O through the year, met G twice and K once, another action to follow up and KPI through 2015)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTravel: Completed (8 London Trips, 2 Manchester ones and an enforced Nigeria trip; failed to complete my Great North American Road Trip for the 35th, one to chase up next year also)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDevelop a daily practice of prayer, bible study and meditation: Progressed (Bought NIV Devotional Bible and tracked completions in Habit List)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBlog for 30 days straight: Completed (Used the Art of Manliness 30 Days to a Better Man challenge as a template)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSave minimum of 30% of net earnings, reduce annual spend to pre-2013 levels (£30k): Failed (Car purchase, helps for family and travel to Nigeria made saving especially difficult)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCommunicate and Engage the people in my life better: Progressed (Call Dad once a week now, need to give B the focus she also needs as we progress,wrote to sponsored children once each and sent a Christmas gift to RosieMarie)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeliver on the 30 book reading plan: Failed (Managed 16 of the 30, should do better)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCommunity Engagement - Church Publications, Tech and Young Adults Group: Completed (Delivered four articles for the publications team and helped with video edits and script delivery for the Broadcasting/ Tech team, c0-sponsored the Young Adults Christmas party)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGet fit and lean: Failed (Up to 90kg in weight and measured body fat at 23%; epic fail)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll in, there or thereabouts with three clear failures (savings and the reading plan). Clear focus areas for 2015 already standing out then I guess.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2014 Actions..."},{"content":" \u0026amp;safe=active\nMerry Christmas and a Happy New Year\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/12/25/light-of-christmas-owl-city-feat-tobymac/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/23rntfd6qC8?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\u0026amp;safe=active\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerry Christmas and a Happy New Year\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Light of Christmas - Owl City (feat TobyMac)"},{"content":"Key 2015 Actions\nAttend one professional meeting per month - ICorr, IMarEST or NACE Aberdeen - to build professional network and create opportunities to volunteer (AFBE) Learn VBA programming for Excel Speak up more/ contribute more vocally at meetings - aim to contribute at least once per work/team meeting Explore options to close pipelines/subsea/design skills gaps ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/12/23/the-life-plan-swot-analysis/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"swot_2014\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/swot_2014.png\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey 2015 Actions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAttend one professional meeting per month - ICorr, IMarEST or NACE Aberdeen - to build professional network and create opportunities to volunteer (AFBE)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLearn VBA programming for Excel\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSpeak up more/ contribute more vocally at meetings - aim to contribute at least once per work/team meeting\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExplore options to close pipelines/subsea/design skills gaps\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"Building the Life Plan - My SWOT Analysis"},{"content":"Several times over the last couple of years, different pieces of my life plan have been documented; seven priorities, three life goals and five core values to name a few. A milestone birthday and the looming end to the year felt like triggers for a thorough review of these various bits and pieces, the objective being to meld these bits and bobs documented at different times into a coherent whole - if that was indeed possible. Thankfully one of the guidance documents that under pinned some of the earlier envisioning activities was Matt Hyatt\u0026rsquo;s Creating Your Personal Life Plan, which I still had a copy of. That provided some of the high level guidance for this review, modified to better fit my thinking of where I am at the moment. So here goes.\nThe Premise Life does not occur in vacuo, but is lived in the context of community, with different elements (individuals, groups and/or organisations) interacting together. Sociologists capture these interactions - actions and qualities - as \u0026lsquo;roles\u0026rsquo;. If life consists of these interactions, it is not a huge stretch to then suggest that success in life consists of excelling in the various roles an individual has to fill; little daily, weekly, monthly and yearly successes adding up into a life well lived.\nRoles, Spheres of Influence and Interaction Clusters One\u0026rsquo;s roles - multiplied as they necessarily must be, can be clustered into a number of broadly similar categories, ones which I have chosen to call i nteraction clusters. These represent broadly similar groupings based on the number of people they affect (a sphere of influence) and social proximity, how closely related the two entities for which the role exists are. Based on these, my roles cluster into three main groups namely;\nPersonal: High proximity, Small Sphere of Influence (~1 to 20) Professional: Medium proximity, Medium sphere of influence (~20 to 1000) Public: Low proximity, Large sphere of influence (\u0026gt;1000) My roles (current and future) thus fall into the groupings as below: Envisioning Success Borrowing from Michael Hyatt’s Creating Your Personal Life Plan, success can be envisioned for each interaction cluster as below:\nPersonal:\nI am a loving husband of one wife and a father to two great children – preferably a son and a daughter. In these roles I provide, protect, lead and love them, am their biggest fan and live a life that is a role model for them to follow. In my role as a son to my parents, I respect, honour and provide for them as well as constructively engage and communicate with them, keeping them in the loop as I plan and do life. As a brother to my siblings, I provide leadership and stability, contributing to family life and ensuring we exist as a close-knit community of upwardly mobile siblings, each successful in our own right both professionally and in personal life. As a friend, I participate in mutually beneficial, sharpening relationships with my close friends, cherishing their time and companionship and prioritising them over the wider connections I may have.\nProfessional\nAs a peer or colleague, I deliver work of the highest standard, both as part of a team and when required to deliver as an IndividualTechnical Specialist. When working with others, as a boss ( or team leader) in addition to leading by example in delivering work of an extremely high quality, I treat everyone else with respect and value, taking time out to know them as individuals and ensuring the right atmosphere for them to flourish is created. Within the context of work I provide mentorshipto other less competent members of the team, and seek and receive mentorship for myself as required. As a Technical Specialist, I am dedicated to keeping myself on the cutting edge of knowledge in my (Corrosion, Materials and Inspection) discipline.\nPublic\nAs a Global Citizen, I hold dual nationality (one more in addition to my Nigerian one), and have settled long term into life in a great city. There, I live a life that is above board, in keeping with the laws of the land and the socio-political context in so far as it doesn’t go against my Judeo-Christian worldview. In the wider community, as a Responsible Social Citizen I contribute to life, supporting worthy causes, engaging the less privileged as appropriate and contributing to a vibrant conversation in the social sphere by voting and engaging with the wider social issues in my community. Beyond that, as a committed member of a local church, I contribute to life within that context and serve in some capacity. The over arching desire is to leave something of value in the lives of all I am acquainted with.\nThe Life Plan In essence: Three Life Goals (one for each interaction cluster) and Seven Focus Areas, from which an Annual set of personal goals and targets, and an overarching five year plan are derived, the key elements being as below:\nLife Goals Focus Areas Annual and 5 year Plans (At least) One overarching (SMART) goal for each focus area; with metrics for tracking and review (monthly, quarterly and annually). Previous versions (developed a lot less robustly are available by searching the Annual Goals tag.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/12/21/rethinking-the-life-plan/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSeveral times over the last couple of years, different pieces of my life plan have been documented; \u003ca href=\"/2011/12/05/seven-priorities-for-life/\"\u003eseven priorities\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"/2013/06/16/the-life-plan/\"\u003ethree life goals\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"/2014/06/01/day-1-define-your-core-values/\"\u003efive core values\u003c/a\u003e to name a few. A \u003ca href=\"/2014/08/15/turning-thirty-five/\"\u003emilestone birthday\u003c/a\u003e and the looming end to the year felt like triggers for a thorough review of these various bits and pieces, the objective being to meld these bits and bobs documented at different times into a coherent whole - if that was indeed possible. Thankfully one of the guidance documents that under pinned some of the earlier envisioning activities was \u003ca href=\"http://michaelhyatt.com/creating-your-life-plan\"\u003eMatt Hyatt\u0026rsquo;s Creating Your Personal Life Plan\u003c/a\u003e,  which I still had a copy of. That provided some of the high level guidance for this review, modified to better fit my thinking of where I am at the moment. So here goes.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Rethinking the Life Plan"},{"content":"\n[ Source]\nWhilst rustling through my documents at the weekend - I forget what prompted the decision to take on the Sisyphean task of rummaging through drawers filled with several years\u0026rsquo; worth of papers of varying vintage - it struck me that it was now nearly five years to the day since I dragged myself, bags in tow, off the East Coast train from Newcastle to Aberdeen to begin a new life of sorts. Ditching my Nigerian job for grad school 18 months before meant that nostalgia - and twenty-something years\u0026rsquo; worth of memories - counted for little; pragmatism was very much the defining consideration. In a sense, Newcastle, and then Aberdeen afterwards was about tearing everything up and starting afresh from scratch, pretty much the recovery from a self-imposed apocalypse. The driver for that decision was a sense of injustice at the Nigerian work environment; five years of being unaligned (being from the minority in a minority state didn’t help), a sense of having hit a glass ceiling and the desire to prove myself on a global sense all contributing.\nI had a soft landing. Unlike some of my peers who had dependants and money issues to focus on, I had the good fortune of cashing in on my Nigerian stock market investments just before the big crash and did not require supplemental income from overnight stints at the Greggs warehouse across town, or tours of duty as a night club bouncer or a as a security guard to make ends meet. That coupled with my not inconsiderable experience acquired whilst working my way up the ranks at a global major in my discipline deluded me into thinking making the transition would be a cinch\nThe first few months of job hunting with little tangible success, bar the odd interview here and there, put a big dent in that super sized ego. What confidence that was left ebbed quickly with each dead end; being replaced by a hardened pragmatism as the reality that my Nigerian experience – global major player or not – was discounted out here began to sink in. With slightly lower expectations, fitting in and becoming one of the guys became the imperative, even when it meant ditching my very passable Nigerian accent for a (perceived) posher sounding imitation RP version, cobbled together from years of watching British sitcoms. My otherness was a perceived liability, one to be sacrificed on the altar of pragmatism.\nBetween distance and time working together to conflate memory with imagination, and less pressure as some of the aspirations of those early years become either solid achievements or at least seem far more attainable than they once were, I am finding that that hard, pragmatic stance is slowly yielding, being replaced by a more nostalgic notion of home. This notion of home is one that I find seeks out sameness, emphasises commonality and seeks to build community; the difference between cringing inwardly at the overdressed Nigerian bloke on the 727 to the airport speaking loudly into his cell phone in Yoruba and smiling wistfully at the memory it teases out of the mental ether of my friend M and his (well-earned) reputation for classic Awe-bred razzness.\nTwo events last week reinforced the sense of a far more nostalgic perception of home for me. First off, at around mid-day on Wednesday, I got an external phone call at work. That happens fairly regularly on any given day except that on this occasion it was from a vendor I had only started using at work in the last few months. By the time the conversation safely navigated the terse, opening introductions – not helped by the fact that we both sounded a lot different from how we used to in the throes of 500 LT, and she had a Scottish surname these days - it turned out that my caller had spotted my name in an email she had been forwarded. After privately wrestling with the pros and cons of reaching out, she had decided to give me a call to confirm if I was the self-same person she’d known in the past. I was, it turned out she’d been a class mate of mine in under grad. We spent a fair few minutes catching up; who was where now, and who we had stayed in touch with or hadn’t. We agreed to catch up in person if we were ever in the same city over the next few months. Thinking over the conversation later, the sobering thought I couldn’t shake off was that with confirmation that she lived and worked a few hundred miles away from me, there were now only four or so people from the top ten finishing positions in my final year class still living and working in Nigeria. Clearly, tearing everything up and starting over isn’t something a lot of my peers are averse to.\nLater, on Friday, whilst waiting for some hot water for a cup of tea, I ran into one of the cleaning lads. The sum of our conversations prior to the day was nodded greetings when our paths crossed. A little digging revealed that he was Nigerian, and was working part time with the service company that manages the facilities in the building I work at. Having just wrapped up a Masters degree, he was working part time to make a little cash whilst waiting on applications and interviews. Not a real surprise given that Nigerian students tend to drift to this city, oil capital of Europe. What was more than a little surprising was that he had also graduated from my Nigerian alma mater, and was from the area in which I had spent my own formative years. Our conversation naturally segued into our memories of studying at my previous department. The academic landscape has changed considerably over the intervening years – two deaths, a couple of lecturers who have been lured by the call of big bucks into oil, and a number of retirements – with a few of the young Graduate Assistants from my time blossoming into lynchpins of the departments. As to future plans, he was eyeing up a few PhD options across the globe, the current socio-political climate not being particularly geared towards easing the progress from studying to work in my corner of the world. When the subject of my previous experience came up, he seemed befuddled that I had decided to chuck it all in and start over. There it came out that for the right job, Nigeria would be his preferred destination. For him, nostalgia clearly won over pragmatism.\nImplicit in both conversations was the sense that we are always returning, our current locations as homes in name only, dictated by the pragmatics of life rather than any overarching sense of love or attachment. Interestingly, even B - Scottish Husband notwithstanding - mooted the idea of returning to Nigeria in the (distant) future in an expatriate capacity to work for big oil. Maybe for my children, without the hang ups of a past life, a past home and nuclear family in the motherland, the choice will be a lot more clear cut, but for me and my generation I suspect this battle between head and heart, between pragmatism and nostalgia is one we will have to get used to. In a sense, we are always returning.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/12/18/always-returning/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"border_agency_2413087b\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/border_agency_2413087b.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[ \u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/9710265/Bogus-student-warnings-ignored.html\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhilst rustling through my documents at the weekend - I forget what prompted the decision to take on the Sisyphean task of rummaging through drawers filled with several years\u0026rsquo; worth of papers of varying vintage - it struck me that it was now \u003ca href=\"/2009/12/18/the-last-day-again/\"\u003enearly five years to the day\u003c/a\u003e since I dragged myself, bags in tow, off the East Coast train from Newcastle to Aberdeen to begin a new life of sorts. Ditching my Nigerian job for grad school 18 months before meant that nostalgia - and twenty-something years\u0026rsquo; worth of memories - counted for little; pragmatism was very much the defining consideration. In a sense, Newcastle, and then Aberdeen afterwards was about tearing everything up and starting afresh from scratch, pretty much the recovery from a self-imposed apocalypse. The driver for that decision was a \u003ca href=\"/2009/10/01/the-life-of-a-lost-son/\"\u003esense of injustice\u003c/a\u003e at the Nigerian work environment; five years of being unaligned (being from the minority in a minority state didn’t help), a sense of having hit a glass ceiling and the desire to prove myself on a global sense all contributing.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Always Returning"},{"content":"A few thoughts – with the benefit of a few months since losing H - on living and learning\u0026hellip;\nLife’s lessons are neither bleeding obvious nor palatable. All we possess for sure are the moments that we share with our friends and loved ones. The challenge is to enjoy and maximise the moments, not putting off the kind word, the lingering touch, or the act of kindness we know they deserve.\nMore on the livelytwist blog\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/12/14/did-we-do-any-learning-5/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA few thoughts – with the benefit of a few months \u003ca href=\"/2014/08/13/the-way-the-world-ends-on-loss-and-lostness/\"\u003esince losing H\u003c/a\u003e - on living and learning\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLife’s lessons are neither bleeding obvious nor palatable. All we possess for sure are the moments that we share with our friends and loved ones. The challenge is to enjoy and maximise the moments, not putting off the kind word, the lingering touch, or the act of kindness we know they deserve.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Did We Do Any Learning - Savouring Memories"},{"content":" \u0026amp;safe=active\n♫ I can hold You to Your Word, You\u0026rsquo;re never wavering,You won\u0026rsquo;t turn, For I am sure, You are the Promise Keeper\nMore:\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/11/23/promise-keeper-fred-hammond/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/gc94wLSruNI?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\u0026amp;safe=active\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e♫\nI can hold You to Your Word,\nYou\u0026rsquo;re never wavering,You won\u0026rsquo;t turn,\nFor I am sure, You are the Promise Keeper\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.metrolyrics.com/promise-keeper-lyrics-fred-hammond.html\"\u003eMore\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Promise Keeper - Fred Hammond"},{"content":"For Mag 246: Highway\nA sense that Time has Stood dead still, yet hurtled by; This us, déjà vu\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/11/20/deja-vu/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"http://magpietales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/mag-246.html\"\u003eMag 246\u003c/a\u003e: Highway\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"highway-magpietales\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/highway-magpietales.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA sense that Time has\nStood dead still, \u003cem\u003eyet\u003c/em\u003e hurtled by;\nThis \u003cem\u003eus\u003c/em\u003e, déjà vu\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Déjà vu"},{"content":"Monday Driving into work on Monday morning, the sense is one of wonder at where the weekend went. Not so long ago – my knackered brain thinks – it was Friday afternoon, and thoughts of a restful weekend filled my mind but here, tottering on the verge of a return to work, the memory of the weekend already seems like a blur. Looking back, the two things that stand out are a cringe worthy gaffe, one occasioned by a particularly blatant reading of a certain situation on my part, and a head scratching conversation with S.\nLater this week, the team at work has an away day pencilled in, one which it must be said the vast majority of us are not overly keen on. I suspect our collective irritation has not been helped by the instruction to come with two objects that symbolise the team for us – one for how it has been and one for how we would like it to be in the future. All sort of Zen-ish, feely, metaphorical stuff, but not being one for exercising my brain unduly over the weekend, I find myself fretting over what to take by the time Monday rolls in. One part of me wants to take a rotten banana in as my now object, given how dysfunctional I feel the team is at the moment. In the end I decide to leave the decision for another day, opting to buy a golf ball as my future object; in my mind a sphere and its surface to volume ratio is the closest thing to an efficient object I can grab at short notice.\nBy the time night comes around, that sense of disquiet has eased off slightly; an extended conversation with Sister #1 helps. Later as I lie in bed mulling over the events of the day and my conversation with S, what ifs and maybes loop continuously through my mind, not helped by the fact that the conversation with S goes far better than I could have hoped for, historical antecedents notwithstanding. Sometime between sheep number 4,597 and infinity, I fall asleep to a mercifully dreamless sleep.\nTuesday I choose to walk into work on Tuesday, the nip in the day notwithstanding. Invigorated by the fresh air – or perhaps the copious amounts of green tea I down – I’m down to inbox zero by 10am. After that it’s a meeting with a service provider keen to sell some new-fangled technology to the team. That meeting, which ends just after lunch, goes like a breeze; the usefulness of the tech being pretty much self-evident for the application we require it for.\nAfter lunch I am half way through some paper work when I get an email from the gaffer. It transpires that I have been volunteered for a trip offshore the next day; I am assured it will be a quick night’s trip only, and that a requirement for a slightly above average materials knowledge is the reason why I have been volunteered. The rest of the day passes quickly – briefings to come up to speed on the scope of the trip, check-in details and a quick chat with the chaps more familiar with the specifics of the situation. I finally manage to extricate myself from the mad house at 5.45pm, by which time I am rueing my decision to not drive into work. The silver lining is that the team away day which I was worrying about is canned, ostensibly to allow us focus on the pressing issues at hand.\nAt home, I debate the merits of driving the next day to the airport, decide it is safest to call a cab instead – traffic on the way to the airport in the morning can be a nightmare – and get it all set up with the City’s taxi rank. Such is my intense focus that is only at 11pm, in the middle of my night time catch up with B that I realise my passport is still down in London.\nWednesday I wake up just before my alarm, set for 5.30am, goes off. Last night’s dishes are the first order of business. I battle a dense layer of charred rice for the better part of fifteen minutes before a semblance of cleanliness comes to my pot. I rush through my washing up, final checks to confirm I have packed all I need and a response to my email from last night about my passport. From the looks of it, I will need a dispensation to fly – better than nothing I guess. I drop my old passport in my bag just in case.\nI hop into my taxi, traffic is not light, but it does move on at a fairly reasonable clip. The driver and I pass the time in light conversation, beginning with the usual suspects – where I am originally from, how long I have been in the country for, how long I’m booked to be offshore for, where I work and such. When I mention I’m due out for a day only, he laughs, unlikely for this time of the year he adds. I agree, not forgetting my luck with the weather (only once on my previous seven trips offshore have I returned as planned, no thanks to the weather.) .\nThe conversation moves on to other subjects as we head down Great Northern road towards the notorious Haudagain Roundabout. Falling oil prices, North Sea lifting costs per barrel and the potential impact on business in the city also get discussed as we inch along towards the airport. In between, I fire off an email to the gaffer, alerting him to the situation with my passport.\nBy the time we arrive the wheels have started churning, a flurry of emails ends in my getting a dispensation to fly with a copy of my passport. There is still time for Google Drive to nearly prove my Achilles heel. Having shared a copy of my passport with the lady at the check-in desk via Google Drive, it turns out she can only view it with a goggle account. In the end I have to log on to her machine, download a copy and then send it off to her office printer before I get checked in. Thankfully I am at the end of the queue and don’t hold anyone up. On this evidence, a return to Dropbox as my default cloud storage is required.\nI arrive offshore at just past 11.30am, listen to the site induction, get introduced to the high and mighty and hop off to my lodgings. The agreement is for us all to have a huddle after lunch to kick off the program of activities which has dragged me offshore this time. The meeting goes well; short, quick and frank, after which I get asked to provide an ‘expert’ opinion on the subject at hand. I offer as much information as I have and then leave the rest of the team to it. I spend the rest of the evening catching up with the offshore team, given it\u0026rsquo;s my first time out here.\nThursday The plan is to have a wash up meeting with the work party to discuss findings and then break up to prepare for the return trip. Just after the briefing, I hear I’ll have to spend an additional day. It is for a good cause though as the chap who’ll be taking \u0026lsquo;my\u0026rsquo; seat has a holiday lined up.\nOut here boot covers, ostensibly to ensure dirty boots don\u0026rsquo;t get worn within the accommodation modules, are the rage and I end up running through quite a few as I walk about the plant. In between, I get more conversation time with the various supervisors, running over data collection for a different project I have on the horizon. The conversations about me that I over hear are good, helped perhaps by the fact that I\u0026rsquo;ve worked with a couple of the guys on a different platform before; my we’re all in it together spiel also helps I reckon. The chopper eve mind set kicks in at some stage - all I can think about is home.\nFriday\nOvernight it feels like the platform is rocking a lot more than I have grown accustomed to. The next morning, my suspicions are confirmed when the Planner who seat next to the desk I have commandeered shows me the weather report, with wind speeds in excess of 60 knots. Outside the wind is howling, and the waves at the cellar deck crash with increasing regularity.\nWe still go through the motions - bags dragged up to the admin office, checked in and safety brief watched - even though it is clear there\u0026rsquo;ll be no flight given the conditions. I spend the time at the desk catching up on email. The disillusionment is palpable. A couple of the guys are due off on Monday, the potential impacts of my not getting off on schedule are not something they want to consider.\nSaturday Morning brings bitter sweet news - the weather has improved enough for a flight to be put on, even though it\u0026rsquo;s a shared one The slightly bitter news is that a medivac situation is the priority.\nWe check in, watch the safety brief again,and head back to the offices to get the day started. This time, remembering that I\u0026rsquo;ve got the Kindle Cloud Reader set up on my portable Chrome version, I fire up John le Carré A Delicate Truth. It’s a good, if cultured read - far more nuanced than the swash buckling Nick Carter/ James Bond-esque sorts I gobbled up growing up. I enjoy it so much that I am up till 11.30pm reading. In between I have lunch - a dubious mix of chips, roast turkey and chili beans; and then dinner - more of the same topped up with a plum and apricot flapjack tart with custard that tastes heavenly.\nSunday My on-off flight out is back on, apparently. When the heli-admin tells me that, I tell her I’ll believe when I see the helicopter coming in. She laughs. Far more seriously my paltry five day stint is far less critical than a number of people who are nudging the three week mark.\nWe go through the routine again, this time getting interrupted as we watch the helicopter safety brief by a general platform alarm. We go the full hog - from mustering to getting counted off and then wait whilst the OIM speaks over the tannoy to give us information. About twenty minutes later, we’re stood down and allowed to return to our various endeavours.\nSometime after 11am, the chug of the in bound helicopter rises to a din as it hovers above. We - the three of us joining this flight - drag our bags upstairs and get led into the helicopter for the ninety minute flight back to the \u0026lsquo;Deen. Thankfully, sleep takes over after a few minutes, the rhythm of the rotor blades and the bland monotony of the never ending water all around lulling me to sleep.\nThankfully, the sun is out in Aberdeen when we arrive, small mercies given that out here, summer (and sunshine) lasts for two days only.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/11/13/a-week-s-worth/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMonday\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"starbucks_\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/starbucks_.jpg\"\u003e\nDriving into work on Monday morning, the sense is one of wonder at where the weekend went. Not so long ago – my knackered brain thinks – it was Friday afternoon, and thoughts of a restful weekend filled my mind but here, tottering on the verge of a return to work, the memory of the weekend already seems like a blur. Looking back, the two things that stand out are a cringe worthy gaffe, one occasioned by a particularly blatant reading of a certain situation on my part, and a head scratching conversation \u003ca href=\"/tag/s/\"\u003ewith S\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Week's Worth..."},{"content":"For Mag244 - Passing Time,\nDaylight drives The delightful linger Of last Night’s Dreams Down deserted streets.\nThe memories of lost days Are all that we have left, Distorted by the Edge of Now, As it pales Into the grey haze Of accreting history\nHere, on the edge of Reality is a sense Of treading water, Of marking time Of trawling a parched, Bland land, Of War And peace, and silence And of Endings\nThey say this Is what it is:\nWaiting for the delight Of coming Night We pine for the relief Of New Dreams- In saecula saeculorum\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/11/04/passing-time/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"http://magpietales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/mag-244.html\"\u003eMag244\u003c/a\u003e - Passing Time,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/blick-dick.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"blick, dick\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/blick-dick.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDaylight drives\nThe delightful linger\nOf last Night’s Dreams\nDown deserted streets.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe memories of lost days\nAre all that we have left,\nDistorted by the Edge of Now,\nAs it pales\nInto the grey haze\nOf accreting history\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere, on the edge of\nReality is a sense\nOf treading water,\nOf marking time\nOf trawling a parched,\nBland land, Of War\nAnd peace, and silence\nAnd of Endings\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Passing Time..."},{"content":"Sleepless\u0026hellip; :(\n---\nEvery day I rise I wake up to find You\u0026rsquo;re surrounding me with endless mercy You renew my mind You\u0026rsquo;re bringing me to life Oh God\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/11/03/dan-bremnes-beautiful/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSleepless\u0026hellip; :(\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/F5v7oKXLhY0?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery day I rise\nI wake up to find\nYou\u0026rsquo;re surrounding me with endless mercy\nYou renew my mind\nYou\u0026rsquo;re bringing me to life\nOh God\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Dan Bremnes - Beautiful..."},{"content":"\nBaselines\nWeight - 87kg, 26.1% body fat (Tanita Body Composition Monitor) Waist - 88cm, Hips - 108cm, The Plan\nExercise every day - Run (Gym or outdoors) on alternate days, body strength straining at home on other days; utilise the fitnut plan from work. Eat well - Resetting the diet to same time last year - no grains, rice or gluten containing food; meat, nuts and vegetables primarily ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/10/31/the-day-weight-loss-challenge/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/before1.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"before1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/before1.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/before2.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"before2\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/before2.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBaselines\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeight - 87kg, 26.1% body fat (Tanita Body Composition Monitor)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWaist - 88cm,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHips - 108cm,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Plan\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExercise every day - Run (Gym or outdoors) on alternate days, body strength straining at home on other days; utilise the fitnut plan from work.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEat well - Resetting the diet to same time last year - no grains, rice or gluten containing food; meat, nuts and vegetables primarily\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"The 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge"},{"content":" A large pizza, roast chicken topped off with a Ben \u0026amp; Jerry\u0026rsquo;s. Proof - if ever any was needed - that I need a step change ASAP\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/10/16/not-my-finest-hour/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/food1.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"food\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/food1.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\nA large pizza, roast chicken topped off with a Ben \u0026amp; Jerry\u0026rsquo;s. Proof - if ever any was needed - that I need a step change ASAP\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Not my finest hour..."},{"content":"\nThe things with kids - at least non-Nigerian ones, if my experience was indicative - is that they do not hesitate to call BS-ing adults out. In a moment of subtle pressure - and not for the first time - the unofficial God daughter got me to agree to take them for a meal to the Frankie \u0026amp; Benny\u0026rsquo;s across the road from mine. At the time, I was only slightly worried - it was late August, and the school holidays were not till October. I assumed that the kids, being kids, would have forgotten by the time October rolled along. My bunch didn\u0026rsquo;t, which was how I ended up dragging two children - with a third, the chief instigator, planning to arrive after a birthday party - through the doors at just past 12.30 on a Saturday afternoon; as far removed from my typical Saturday as could be. No gym, or light cleaning or an early Cineworld movie to look forward to.\nHaving managed to get everyone seated, and settled in at our assigned table which thankfully was tucked away from the hustle and bustle, we ordered our drinks - a diet Pepsi for me, a Tango for their father, fruit shoots for them; and then food. The peace and quiet that came with their intense concentration on food lasted no more than a few minutes, the first toilet break the precursor to a game of me too in which both V and M alternated toilet breaks. It didn\u0026rsquo;t help that the adjoining table was chock full of excitable children either, whose craned necks and general restiveness captured the attention of my crowd, once they had downed their meal.\nF, who has evolved into a precociously talented - not young, her words not mine - nine year old, joined us an hour later. Being the bundle of energy she is, she lit the place up like a banshee, getting her usually more reserved baby sister a lot more agitated in the process. I think we did OK - between her father and I - also managing to catch up a few key issues deferred from our last proper catch up a couple of months ago. All told, we were pretty much done in two hours flat, bar last minutes requests for ice cream instigated by F, and channeled through her baby sister. In fairness to her, she did pick up toilet escorting duties after she\u0026rsquo;d downed her meal, allowing the adults a bit more catch up time.\nPlenty of positives all round, if I say so myself, not least of which was my Favourite Uncle creds surviving in tact for another season. Labouring up the stairs to my house having bade all and sundry goodbye, with my jacket fitting a bit too snugly from all the food, the one niggle at the back of my mind was a sense of slight unease. If the strategic five year plan comes together, this - without the get away clause and with the potential for diapers and late nights - could be my life. That, is still more than a wee bit scary.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/10/14/brunch/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/brunch.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"brunch\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/brunch.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe things with kids - at least non-Nigerian ones, \u003ca href=\"/2009/09/13/what-not-to-say-to-your-nigerian-father/\"\u003eif my experience was indicative\u003c/a\u003e - is that they do not hesitate to call BS-ing adults out. In a moment of subtle pressure - and \u003ca href=\"/2012/04/04/false-dawns-god-daughter-shenanigans-and-an-unexpected-meetup/\"\u003enot for the first time\u003c/a\u003e - the \u003cem\u003eunofficial\u003c/em\u003e God daughter got me to agree to take them for a meal to the Frankie \u0026amp; Benny\u0026rsquo;s across the road from mine. At the time, I was only \u003cem\u003eslightly\u003c/em\u003e worried - it was late August, and the school holidays were not till October. I assumed that the kids, being kids, would have forgotten by the time October rolled along. My bunch didn\u0026rsquo;t, which was how I ended up dragging two children - with a third, the chief instigator, planning to arrive after a birthday party - through the doors at just past 12.30 on a Saturday afternoon; as far removed from my typical Saturday as could be. No gym, or light cleaning or an early Cineworld movie to look forward to.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Brunch..."},{"content":"\nOnly a few days ago, the sun was out - weakly warm but out regardless, even though the first day of autumn was officially past. As I made my daily lunch time walk from the office to the Boots Store at the back end of Union Square, the sense was one of making hay whilst the sun still shone, enjoying the final blast of warmth, before Autumn took hold. An old lady, bless her heart, bumped into me as we waited for the little green man before crossing the road into the parking lot adjacent to work. In fairness to her I had my nose in my phone - make of that what you will - but that little bump did create the context for a short quick chat whilst we waited. Not so long ago, the arrival of spring, and the warmth it portended was the focus.\nSummer ended up a damp squib of sorts, bifurcated as it was by the events of last July - that made July pretty much a month to forget. August fared little better, the bright spots in an otherwise dreary existence being a milestone birthday and B’s first hop into Aberdeen. September and October fared slightly better with four books downed in quick succession, the kid brother completing his MSc in and then preparing to take the next steps on the journey to his Canadian dream with his first job. As I found out, impromptu trips are more than a little expensive, my bank balance doesn’t look like it will recover from this summer any time soon, with the prospect of a quick hop into Canada to come. Comfort eating returned also - Pizzas, Nandos, and the odd KFC providing sustenance to the detriment of all the weight lost from last year.\nThese days, leaves litter the ground, a carpet of glowing reds and golden browns a reminder that Summer is well and truly a thing of the past for yet another season. The last brush with Summer too has faded, leaving us with the far more typical wet, cold and windy weather that is our lot up here. There is a very real counting-down-to-the-end-of-the-year feel to everything, not helped by the spate of Christmas party invites which kick off the Christmas Party silly season. In a sense, the change in the weather feels like a beginning in reverse; an opportunity to, like the trees shedding their leaves, hunker down, shed the excesses and focus on the key things through the coming winter months. In the end, change is the only constant they say - birth, growth, spawning new life and death continuing in an infinite loop, like the seasons change, and yet stay the same. Not there yet then - with respect to finding a new normal - but a large part of the journey feels complete. Progress then, if slow and steady rather than quick and painless\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/10/07/finally-fall/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/autumn-in-madeira-jacek-yerka.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"autumn-in-madeira jacek yerka\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/autumn-in-madeira-jacek-yerka.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly a few days ago, \u003ca href=\"http://metro.co.uk/2014/09/24/britain-looks-forward-to-an-indian-summer-as-warm-weather-predicted-for-october-4879814/\"\u003ethe sun was out\u003c/a\u003e - weakly warm but out regardless, even though \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_equinox\"\u003ethe first day of autumn\u003c/a\u003e was officially past. As I made my daily lunch time walk from the office to the Boots Store at the back end of Union Square, the sense was one of making hay whilst the sun still shone, enjoying the final blast of warmth, before Autumn took hold. An old lady, bless her heart, bumped into me as we waited for the little green man before crossing the road into the parking lot adjacent to work. In fairness to her I had my nose in my phone - make of that what you will - but that little bump did create the context for a short quick chat whilst we waited. Not so long ago, \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/04/the-march-wrap-reboots-london-and-bits-and-bobs/\"\u003ethe arrival of spring\u003c/a\u003e,  and the warmth it portended was the focus.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Finally, Fall..."},{"content":"A few of the interesting bits and bobs I\u0026rsquo;ve stumbled on over the last few days\nHope for a cleaner, cheaper, oil less future just became a wee stronger. Nigeria beware? @forakin on why we should all blog. For a more in depth analysis, Andrew Sullivan\u0026rsquo;s seminal piece from 2008 offers a longer read. The £11bn conundrum. The scale of the problem or an opportunity? Khoi on the design of the iPhone 6. Unimpressed is the word Education as a tool for disrupting and challenge paradigms - the NY Times weighs in. Ebola contained.. Phew - Elon Musk, on Mars On lightning, and being struck by it. On Gabriel Garcia Marquez and the Modern Novel. Pay and gender gaps, closing? ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/10/04/links-04-10-2014/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA few of the interesting bits and bobs I\u0026rsquo;ve stumbled on over the last few days\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHope for a cleaner, cheaper, oil less future just \u003ca href=\"http://actu.epfl.ch/news/cheap-hydrogen-fuel-from-the-sun-without-rare-meta/\"\u003ebecame a wee stronger\u003c/a\u003e. Nigeria beware?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/forakin\"\u003e@forakin\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"http://www.akinblog.nl/2014/09/thought-picnic-on-why-we-should-all-blog.html\"\u003ewhy we should all blog\u003c/a\u003e. For a more in depth analysis, Andrew Sullivan\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/11/why-i-blog/307060/\"\u003eseminal piece from 2008\u003c/a\u003e offers a longer read.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe £11bn conundrum. The \u003ca href=\"http://rt.com/uk/191932-drugs-sex-uk-gdp/\"\u003escale of the problem\u003c/a\u003e or an opportunity?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKhoi on the \u003ca href=\"http://www.subtraction.com/2014/09/30/iphone-6-looks/\"\u003edesign of the iPhone 6\u003c/a\u003e. Unimpressed is the word\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEducation as a tool for disrupting and challenge paradigms - the NY Times \u003ca href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/28/opinion/sunday/frank-bruni-the-wilds-of-education.html\"\u003eweighs in\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEbola \u003ca href=\"http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/09/30/us-health-ebola-containment-idINKCN0HP29U20140930\"\u003econtained\u003c/a\u003e.. Phew -\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eElon Musk, \u003ca href=\"http://aeon.co/magazine/technology/the-elon-musk-interview-on-mars/\"\u003eon Mars\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOn lightning, \u003ca href=\"http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/nature/The-Body-Electric.html\"\u003eand being struck by it\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOn Gabriel Garcia Marquez \u003ca href=\"http://www.themillions.com/2014/10/the-truce-between-fabulism-and-realism-on-gabriel-garcia-marquez-and-the-modern-novel.html\"\u003eand the Modern Novel\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePay and gender gaps, \u003ca href=\"http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2014/10/gender-changes-among-top-earners.html\"\u003eclosing\u003c/a\u003e?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"Links 04.10.2014"},{"content":" Somehow last Friday, I found myself at Nandos. Somehow doesn’t quite tell the full story given it had more than a hint of conscious effort to it, and my history with the darned place. I suspect it had more to do with a sense of longing than anything else seeing as the last time I was here was in early July. Then, the closest thing to the distinctly autumnal chill I now felt was the distant memory of spring’s tail as she ambled past, urged on by our nearly - but not quite summery - summer. I managed to score my regular table, number 11, proceeding to order the self-same meal I have ordered on each of the 100 + times since May 2012 that I’ve been here – half a chicken in lemon and herb, and a mixed leaf salad.\nExtra hot sauce and cutlery in hand, I managed to navigate the maze of tables and chairs to my seat before that odd feeling of being watched compelled me to look up, upon which I caught the eye of an old friend I hadn’t seen since his short sojourn in Norway back in 2010. Dropping all, I made my way to the table he was sat at, where his wife and children were digging into a bowl of olives waiting for their own order.We shared a chest bump, to the consternation of more than a few onlookers.\nThis man! You still dey do this your Voltron moves abi? It was a reference to my gift of invisibility. Enquiries with more than a few mutual friends had failed to turn up my current whereabouts. In my defense, the one friend who might have known was offshore, and had been for the better part of three weeks already. We made small talk – interspersed with regular rather loud handshakes - during which it transpired he had been in town for a couple of weeks already, holidaying with his family, taking the opportunity to escape from the bedlam that is Nigeria, most especially the old motherlode I used to work at. In the space of five minutes or so, I’d caught up on a lot – a steady stream of exits form the old mother lode, which expatriate was back in the country as a contract consultant and what high flier had earned a move to Houston, and of course the developing Ebola story.\nThe Scottish referendum - I am as yet still undecided – came up too. In theory, I’m in favour of a ‘Yes’ vote, but neither argument has been put forward particularly compellingly enough to me so far. His take was a cautionary tale – based on his experience of Norway - about high taxes, and the North Sea oil numbers which depending on who you talk to might not be so secure after all. That the SNP which has made a big song and dance of protecting the NHS actually has underfunded it, or s o the fact checkers say, hardly builds any confidence me that they\u0026rsquo;ve got a clue. All done and dusted, we swap phone numbers with a promise to catch up properly before he heads off to Nigeria, leaving me to reflect on my way home on just how small margins of coincidence can be. Nandos does have a reputation for being the defacto Nigerian embassy in Aberdeen, at least so says Tolu Ogunlesi. One suspects he should know, even though some would disagree.\nThe theme of running into old acquaintances continues over the weekend. Sorting out my groceries at my local ASDA after my Saturday morning gym session, and the movies to go see Into the Storm, I run into another old chum - this time an old school mate from Nigeria. He wants to chat a bit more and offer commiserations, aisles at the mall chock full of people are hardly the place for that, and I am neither keen nor remotely interested in being dragged all the way back so I speed him up and move on with a promise of a phone call to catch up properly.\nBy the time I am headed home, my weekend has pretty much ended. All that is left is for me to settle in with my copy of Gay Talese\u0026rsquo;s Frank Sinatra Has A Cold, and while away what is left of the Saturday. By and large, it is pretty much back to regular programming at mine, not quite perfect but an ever more stable, new normal.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/09/09/about-town-conversations-nandos-and-catching-up-on-reading/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSomehow last Friday, I found myself at Nandos. \u003cem\u003eSomehow\u003c/em\u003e doesn’t quite tell the full story given it had more than a hint of conscious effort to it, and my history with the \u003cem\u003edarned\u003c/em\u003e place. I suspect it had more to do with a sense of longing than anything else seeing as the last time I was here was in early July. Then, the closest thing to the distinctly autumnal chill I now felt was the distant memory of spring’s tail as she ambled past, urged on by our nearly - but not quite summery  - \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/07/about-town-172800-seconds-of-summer/\"\u003esummer\u003c/a\u003e.  I managed to score my regular table, number 11, proceeding to order the self-same meal I have ordered on each of the 100 + times since May 2012 that I’ve been here – half a chicken in lemon and herb, and a mixed leaf salad.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Town - Conversations, Nandos and Catching Up on Reading"},{"content":"Rude awakening from my GP visit a few days ago with my weight in the region of 90kg from the 82 I weighed at the start of the year - this represents a very comprehensive regression. The target is to return to 80kg by YE. The Plan?\nWhole30, starting on 2nd September. Drink 2 litres of water daily; start the day off with a litre of ice cold water and drink green tea exclusively during the day. Exercise thrice a week - 30 mins each time In tandem with the above, the plan is to wake up my various attempts at self tracking -very much against the Whole30 ethos I might add.\nFitbit Flex - Tracking steps, sleep, active minutes, calories burned; The iHealth BP5 for tracking Blood Pressure and Pulse, Cardiio on my iPhone will provide pulse data throughout the day at various activity levels; The Fitbit Aria for weight and (rudimentary) body fat measurements Myfitnesspal - For pulling the various bits of information together. Fingers crossed. :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/09/01/baselines/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/08/mixed-bag/\"\u003eRude awakening\u003c/a\u003e from my GP visit a few days ago with my weight in the region of 90kg from the 82 I weighed at the start of the year - this represents a very comprehensive regression. The target is to return to 80kg by YE. The Plan?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/\"\u003eWhole30\u003c/a\u003e, starting on 2nd September.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDrink 2 litres of water daily; start the day off with a \u003ca href=\"http://greatist.com/health/drink-cold-water-fast-fat-loss\"\u003elitre of ice cold water\u003c/a\u003e and drink green tea exclusively during the day.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExercise thrice a week - 30 mins each time\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn tandem with the above, the plan is to wake up my various attempts at self tracking -very much against the Whole30 ethos I might add.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Baselines..."},{"content":"Popped into the GP\u0026rsquo;s for my six monthly blood pressure review. Mixed results - good on the blood pressure count (124/82), bad on the weight (up to 88.5kg from a low of 82kg at the turn of the year). Way too much pizza messing with my metabolism I guess. Roll on the Whole30 then - 2 days in!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/08/27/mixed-bag/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePopped into the GP\u0026rsquo;s for my six monthly blood pressure review. Mixed results - good on the blood pressure count (124/82), bad on the weight (up to 88.5kg from a low of 82kg at the turn of the year). Way too much pizza messing with my metabolism I guess. Roll on the Whole30 then - 2 days in!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Mixed Bag"},{"content":"Turning thirty-five could not have come at a less opportune moment - given the summer of loss that we have had. The silver lining though is that it offers an opportunity to pause, take stock and ask oneself what the focus for the next few years should be. My life plan has come together in bits and bobs over the last few years - three life goals, seven priorities and five core values, a tad incoherent if the truth must be told.\nWith the advantage of hindsight, and the opportunity to think and look ahead, a sense of coherence has slowly come to the fore as a framework for my life plan - three levels of connection (core, professional and social) with a life goal for each, with the seven priorities being dimensions or focus areas for improvement which will ensure the life goals are met.\nFor the next five years of my life, I\u0026rsquo;m hoping to deliver one key goal for each life dimension as below:\nSpiritual - Lead at some level in church Physical and Health - Weigh between 75 and 80kg with 14% body fat. Mental and Personal Development - Acquire an Advanced Materials Engineering PhD or MRes Social and People - Marry the girl of my dreams Work and Career - Become Lead Corrosion and Materials Engineer or Technical Authority at an Oil Major Financial - Grow networth to £500k Causes and Charity - Visit sponsored children in Malawi and/or Phillipines ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/08/15/turning-thirty-five/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTurning thirty-five could not have come at a less opportune moment - \u003ca href=\"/2014/08/13/the-way-the-world-ends-on-loss-and-lostness/\"\u003egiven the summer of loss\u003c/a\u003e that we have had. The silver lining though is that it offers an opportunity to pause, take stock and ask oneself what the focus for the next few years should be. My life plan has come together in bits and bobs over the last few years - \u003ca href=\"/2013/06/16/the-life-plan/\"\u003ethree life goals\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"/2011/12/05/seven-priorities-for-life/\"\u003eseven priorities\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"/2014/06/01/day-1-define-your-core-values/\"\u003efive core values\u003c/a\u003e, a tad incoherent if the truth must be told.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Turning Thirty Five - The Strategic Five Year Plan"},{"content":"\nIt is sometime after 5pm – between chomping down on a very meaty beef burger and swigging from a can of apple juice - that the call comes in. Up until then, I have been having the exact weekend I had in mind when I dragged myself away from work to catch the 727 to Aberdeen Dyce airport a few days earlier: go-karting and then a BBQ, with the prospect of Lakeside shopping with B. to come. The scene is one of self-indulgent relaxation; two grills fully stocked with burgers, chicken drumsticks and barbecue meat on the go, little children running about, wives and girlfriends munching on burgers and sharing intimate gossip moments, and men standing around the grill sipping from cans and surveying the scene - wife, 2.5 kids, picket fence and a few hundred quid to burn on a splurge in tow. It takes a while – probably the better part of ten minutes - before the gravity of the news begins to sink in. When I return to the three-way conversation I was having before the call, B senses there is something wrong. In response to her quizzical look, I motion for her to break out of the conversation and explain what has happened. All told, twenty minutes after hearing the news – give or take – my mood has morphed from indulged, self-congratulation to inner turmoil as I attempt to digest the news in the relative quiet of B’s.\nIt is nearly 10pm before my brain wakes up. I fire an email off to the team leader at work to let him know I\u0026rsquo;ll be out for a couple of weeks, ask the TwitterVerse for pointers to quick tickets for Lagos and call M. for an update on the situation and how A.’s holding up. Twitter delivers – I end up grabbing tickets for a return flight on Arik, as well as get an email from the work asking to be kept in the loop as things evolve. By the time B. hauls me off to my hotel, it is nearly 12.30am – seven hours and some after the news broke. Things are still very fluid at this stage, what is becoming clear is that the next few weeks will be a long hard slog.\nThe hours between getting the news and reaching a semblance of acceptance pass like a blur, largely in silent contemplation whilst I run over the last weeks’ worth of communication with H. The last time we spoke, our conversation had been one of those ones where skirting seriousness was more important than the conversation itself, with barely a nod to the multiplied elephants in the room. It was only the second time we were talking after a big row – certain things we had come to regret had been said – hence the extreme carefulness. With the reality of loss beginning to sink in, the overwhelming feeling is one of lingering regret. With the benefit of hindsight, the time we had – limited unbeknownst to us – would have been better spent focusing on all the things we shared rather than our issues of significant dissent.\nI finally get home - after navigating massive delays on the M25, a 90 minute delay on my flight out of Heathrow and having to buy my own toilet paper at MMA to – to pick up on meets and greets. They come in their numbers – an endless stream of people - some come crying, some with choice sound bites in tow, others sit in respectful, contemplative silence.\nThe numbers passing through are something I struggle with. I have always believed that loss is intensely personal and private, something which has guided my interactions with people in the past. As such whilst the meet and greets are great, my initial reaction to them is one of irritation, considering them a distraction of sorts. When we as the immediate family have a first quick chat to define the expectations for a program of activities, I am in favour of a quick, simple sequence, focused on us and a few good friends. Unfortunately I am in the minority, the consensus that we arrive at is for a program spread over three days with multiple requirements to provide food and refreshments for people who will attend. That seems counterintuitive to me - wasteful even - given the expense involved.\nOver the course of the next few weeks my position would soften somewhat. The sort of life that H lived – with interactions across multiple spectra - meant that there were loads of people genuinely feeling a sense of loss. That helps me come to terms with the expanded program being proposed. Others\u0026rsquo; grief is every bit as real, if less intense as mine.\nLooking back, 2014 has been an interesting year in deaths so far. Of the trio of friends A. had in his St John Bosco\u0026rsquo;s College days, he alone remains alive. Of H.’s trio from undergrad, Aunt L alone remains. For those who had not succumbed to the ineluctable call of death, the passage of time is etched in their very bodies – faced deeply lined, sagging body parts and lumbered with aches and pains of varying descriptions. Even the little kids, barely out of their diapers I took care of many years ago, have all morphed into near teens and adults. Placed in the context of my upcoming birthday a few days after I have planned to return, the underlying narrative is one of transience and the inescapable fragility of life.\nBeing part of planning and executing H.’s final journey allowed me to take a long look back. What was incontrovertible was that H. left a significant legacy. The outpouring of grief, the support in cash and kind that rolled in, and the emotional tributes that were given were proof incontrovertible of that. Her story is one of succeeding against the odds by dint of perseverance and trail blazing – multiple scholarships and prizes academically, noted contributions to world class work over a 34 year career, and a life that was lived in consonance with her Christian worldview. Somewhere in between she met A., who credits the heights that he reached in his own career to the stability she brought to the home front as she kept things running smoothly in the background.\nWith loss, I find that I swing between three responses. An initial stage of denial where I struggle with accepting the reality of loss and absence, and then when that is no longer a plausible position, I attempt to find a new normal. In tandem with that there is a desire to make sense of our loss, given our, and H’s worldview. That life as we know it has changed forever is not in doubt. A. seemed a lot more gaunt than I recall when I first saw him. His eyes were rheumy, and bloodshot – not a lot of sleep and loads of private tears to blame for that. Life as he has known it for more than 40 years has involved H. in some capacity, I worry as to what the new normal for him might be.\nWith death, ‘normal’ changes irretrievably. The equilibrium, if one is ever reached, is a new, radically different, dynamic one one with new behaviours, modified expectations and present realities. Someone was, and then is not, the facts are what they are and no equilibrium can change that. For me, finding a new equilibrium revolved around four things – immersing myself in planning for the funeral, spending quality time with the sisters and their children, catching up with B, and reading. I managed to wrap up three books – Paul Carter\u0026rsquo;s Don\u0026rsquo;t Tell Mum I Work on the Rigs, Zadie Smith\u0026rsquo;s On Beauty and Kiran Desai\u0026rsquo;s The Inheritance of Loss.\nOne morning as we took a breather from the hectic, gruelling pace of planning, my Aunt S stepped into the room which had evolved into a sanctum of sorts for me, my one oasis of quiet amidst the turmoil. There she proceeded to initiate a lengthy conversation around marriage, or more specifically my delay in closing it out. That was a scene that would recur throughout the weekend. Mrs E. put it a little more subtly – hinting that our new normal needed to include a celebration to get us all excited again. In their own way, these were attempts at coping - by attempting to focus their energy and attention on a potential future event, rather than the particularly difficult one at hand.\nIn tandem with loss in this case was a sense of lostness. My earliest memories of growing up are inextricably linked to H; her bowls of soup and Sunday afternoon cooking marathons the most lucid reminders of how she kept two homes ticking along steadily in two different cities. Given the events of the past few years, and my ever increasing isolation from Nigeria, H. was an essential link to Nigeria. With her gone, there is a sense of even more Lostness. That sense was never more obvious than in my interactions with the extended family, my less than stellar language abilities making difficult conversations even more awkward. There was a sense of nakedness - being thrust out of a protective cocoon into bright, harsh light. What tenuous links that remain were even more weakened by the dysfunction on display. The frustrating, harsh reality of working in the medical profession in Nigeria (by some weird coincidence some two thirds of the family gets their bread and butter from the field) was a subject of numerous conversations. Unlike me, most of the others seemed quite keen to tough it out. The final nail in the coffin of patriotism was delivered on the morning of the funeral. For a chance to take control of the 2,000 naira \u0026lsquo;bathing fee\u0026rsquo;, the head of the team of morticians at the morgue somehow contrived to lock up the items we had delivered for preparing the body for burial, preventing the nightshift team from completing the task. That two thirds of the family worked in the self same teaching hospital, and we had made multiple trips to ensure there were no hitches on the day counted for little. One wonders how those without family members working there fare.\nThe question of loss and what sense there could be made of it was one we wrestled with all through. The biblical narrative suggests that life on earth is infinitesimal compared to life beyond it. Within that context, death is merely a passage to another life, a portal into another space-time continuum. That much was repeated in varying forms over the course of my three weeks by various people. The reality of loss though is a lot more personal, time does blunt the keenness of pain – and helps promote a return to a new normal - but I suppose until time does her work, no amount of philosophising will suffice.\nI found the three weeks of conversations, mourning, planning and burying a huge strain. By the time it had all been wrapped up, all I wanted to do was to get away from everything, and begin to breathe again, hence the plan to leave straight after event number three – a thanksgiving service in church. When time to leave finally came, I found it difficult to up sticks and just leave. Three weeks were the most I had spent bonding with my family in more than ten years - since before my UX5 days. Nearly an hour behind plan, I was eventually in a cab speeding towards Benin and the airport. Beyond that was Lagos, sleep overnight and then a return to Aberdeen via London.\nThis is only three weeks in – by no means have we reached our new normal yet. A large part of what that will become is still up in the air – A still has work in the city, I plan to make Aberdeen the hub around which I ‘ do life in a great church and a great city’, there is a lot of paper work to sort out before some semblance of real normalcy can be restored. What is not debatable is that life is incredibly fragile – birth and death its epigraph and hypograph. If visions of cold lifeless forms strewn over tables in a morgue - which remain seared in my memory - are anything to go by, TS Elliot put it most succinctly:\nThis is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/08/13/the-way-the-world-ends-on-loss-and-lostness/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/lhr.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"LHR\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/lhr.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is sometime after 5pm – between chomping down on a \u003cem\u003every\u003c/em\u003e meaty beef burger and swigging from a can of apple juice - that the call comes in. Up until then, I have been having the exact weekend I had in mind when I dragged myself away from work to catch the 727 to Aberdeen Dyce airport a few days earlier: go-karting and then a BBQ, with the prospect of Lakeside shopping with B. to come. The scene is one of self-indulgent relaxation; two grills fully stocked with burgers, chicken drumsticks and barbecue meat on the go, little children running about, wives and girlfriends munching on burgers and sharing intimate gossip moments, and men standing around the grill sipping from cans and surveying the scene - wife, 2.5 kids, picket fence and a few hundred quid to burn on a splurge in tow. It takes a while – probably the better part of ten minutes - before the gravity of the news begins to sink in. When I return to the three-way conversation I was having before the call, B senses there is something wrong. In response to her quizzical look, I motion for her to break out of the conversation and explain what has happened. All told, twenty minutes after hearing the news – give or take – my mood has morphed from indulged, self-congratulation to inner turmoil as I attempt to digest the news in the relative quiet of B’s.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Way The World Ends: On Loss, and Lostness"},{"content":"I spoke on behalf of the family at H\u0026rsquo;s funeral. The plan was to go over the points raised here in sequence, mid way through it, I broke down and cried uncontrollably. Here is the original text, for the record\u0026hellip;\nMy earliest, lucid memories of growing up are inextricably linked to green bowls of soup and stew, and Sunday afternoon cooking marathons. Back in those days, in the early eighties, extenuating circumstances required that the family lived in two homes in two different cities. One of the enduring images from that time is the meticulous attention to detail and the foresight to plan long term with which both homes were run with incredible efficiency.\nLike the archetypical Proverbs 31 woman, I believe I speak for the family in saying that our Mother was the one who kept everything ticking behind the scenes. She was never one to shy away from a kind word here, a gift there, an open home to all and sundry and a stern word when occasion demanded it. She didn’t suffer fools gladly. Her story of doggedness, determination and achievement, goes all the way back to her early years in Ibillo where she against all odds insisted on, and obtained an education by dint of persistence. The word of God was a key component of her life from meeting Christ to meeting the one love of her life. 1st Corinthians 10:13 was a particular favourite of hers. One of her favourite non-biblical expressions was John Donne’s dictum – No Man is an Island. The depth, breadth and reach of the life she lived showed it wasn’t one she only paid lip service to; she lived by it too.\nMummy, you made it clear that we, your family were you priority and your God given Assignment. Your life mirrored the Word of God, which you read constantly. You were constantly at our father’s side, always supporting him. Nothing could separate you two, not even us your children. You had a vision for each of our lives and worked with us to build roadmaps for achieving them. For each of us you were our strongest motivation, biggest fan, and sternest critic where deserved.\nYour impact on young people under the aegis of a number of organisations you worked with, most notably NIFES, was wide ranging. The recurring thing friends, acquaintances and people we come across testify to is how your influence permeates all our lives. The undying work you did remains a proof that you were not just a mother, you were a hero. Humanly speaking, we cry because the vacuum left cannot be filled by anyone but as Christians, our worldview dictates that our view of earth and life on it is temporal and fleeting.\nAlthough you have left us early, we know without a shadow of doubt that like Paul you fought a good fight, finished the course and kept the faith. We look forward with anticipation to the crown of righteousness the Lord, the righteous judge and our LORD on the day of his appearing.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/08/06/for-h-what-i-wanted-to-say/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/mum_.png\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Mum_\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/mum_.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cem\u003eI spoke on behalf of the family at H\u0026rsquo;s funeral. The plan was to go over the points raised here in sequence, mid way through it, I broke down and cried uncontrollably. Here is the original text, for the record\u0026hellip;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy earliest, lucid memories of growing up are inextricably linked to green bowls of soup and stew, and Sunday afternoon cooking marathons. Back in those days, in the early eighties, extenuating circumstances required that the family lived in two homes in two different cities. One of the enduring images from that time is the meticulous attention to detail and the foresight to plan long term with which both homes were run with incredible efficiency.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"For H: What I wanted to say..."},{"content":"\nIf you accept the recurrent narrative - regurgitated without so much as a bated eyelid by everyone from office mates to cab drivers - summer out here lasts a mere 172,800 seconds; two days. Making my way home, by way of the ASDA superstore, it is not hard to accept that as fact, given there are scores of people milling about, or seated in the outdoor stalls the pubs on Castlegate - most notably Black Friars, Carltons and Sinatras - have managed to set up. The two recurring decimals are pints of golden brew and bare arms of all shapes and colours; the sun deigned to shine in all its glory today, and we its doting worshippers have come out to play.\nAt the store, I find myself stuck in a line which is only inching along slowly, even though it is a tad shorter than the others. When it is my turn, I find that the till keeper is not dressed in the normal green garb of the ASDA check out assistant, but rather in a pair of unofficial jeans and a t shirt. The cause of the delays soon come to light. It would appear that he is not someone who normally mans the tills, he has to receive guidance from the attendant in the booth next to his from time to time - a much younger kid than he is by all accounts. Shopping done and dusted, I leave wondering if I have just witnessed first hand the teething pains of re-skilling, or more likely the floor manager stepping in to help get the queue moving.\nWith time I am finding out that there is a certain method to the madness of banal conversation. Drilled down to the bare essentials it is largely about feigning just enough interest to appear engaged - uhhms and ahhs inserted into the dialogue at the right times - whilst steering very well clear of any difficult subjects that might break the thin veneer of enforced civility, the point being to ruffle as few feathers as possible. I suspect it is that acquired reflex that makes me - not entirely out of context - bring up the JayZ song, Hard Knock Life when our Friday afternoon office lunch time conversation segues into the far too serious territory of death, faith and the afterlife. It does achieve the intended effect as we are drawn from the brink of an entirely unnecessary conversation into the safer realms of an argument around who the credits for the line should go to. I eat humble pie in the end - blame my tv starved childhood- when wikipedia confirms that the refrain from what is universally accepted as JayZ’s seminal rap song - is actually a sample from Annie the Musical. So much for my pretensions to being cultured. The positives though are well taken - saved from the brink of another difficult conversation.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/07/15/about-town-172800-seconds-of-summer/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_0645.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"IMG_0645\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_0645.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you accept the recurrent narrative - regurgitated without so much as a bated eyelid by everyone from office mates to cab drivers - summer out here lasts a mere 172,800 seconds; two days. Making my way home, by way of the ASDA superstore, it is not hard to accept that as fact, given there are scores of people milling about, or seated in the outdoor stalls the pubs on Castlegate - most notably Black Friars, Carltons and Sinatras - have managed to set up. The two recurring decimals are pints of golden brew and bare arms of all shapes and colours; the sun deigned to shine in all its glory today, and we its doting worshippers have come out to play.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Town:  172,800 seconds of summer..."},{"content":"All Things New has quickly become my favourite song from the 2014 Hillsong Worship Album - No Other Name\n---\nMy faith is in things unseen Bringing life where it has not been Speaking things that are not As if they were I am alive in You\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/07/06/on-repeat-21-all-things-new-hillsong-worship/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/hillsong-worship-no-other-name.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"hillsong-worship-no-other-name\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/hillsong-worship-no-other-name.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/hillsongworship/allthingsnew.html\"\u003eAll Things New\u003c/a\u003e has quickly become my favourite song from the 2014 Hillsong Worship Album - \u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/no-other-name-live/id886056642\"\u003eNo Other Name\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy faith is in things unseen\nBringing life where it has not been\nSpeaking things that are not\nAs if they were\nI am alive in You\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Repeat #21 - All Things New - Hillsong Worship"},{"content":"\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/07/01/kpis-and-reviews-june/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/06june.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"06June\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/06june.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"KPIs and Reviews - June 2014"},{"content":"Day 30 - Get a straight razor shave\n---\nFortunately or unfortunately, facial hair isn\u0026rsquo;t something I\u0026rsquo;m abundantly blessed with; a point both MsOreoluwa and ToniAnni have variously pointed out doesn\u0026rsquo;t bode well for finding Mrs S. I went for the next best thing, a shaved head at the Turkish Barbers on the corner of Crown and Union in the \u0026lsquo;Deen. Can\u0026rsquo;t really complain about the look, if I say so myself.\nThat brings the 30 day challenge to a close. Thanks to OluSimeon and SingleNigerian for providing much needed accountability as we plodded through the last thirty days. There were quite a few interesting challenges - defining values from Day 1, finding a mentor from Day 3, reconnecting with an old friend from Day 7, writing a letter to my father on Day 14 and a love letter from Day 28 which I intend to revisit again at some stage over the next few months/ years\u0026hellip; Good stuff!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/30/day-30-get-a-straight-razor-shave/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDay 30 - \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/29/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-30-get-a-straight-razor-shave/\"\u003eGet a straight razor shave\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/shaved-head.jpeg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"shaved head\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/shaved-head.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFortunately or unfortunately, facial hair isn\u0026rsquo;t something I\u0026rsquo;m abundantly blessed with; a point both \u003ca href=\"http://lettersfromroyalty.blogspot.co.uk/\"\u003eMsOreoluwa\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"http://tonianni.com/\"\u003eToniAnni\u003c/a\u003e have variously pointed out \u003ca href=\"http://www.cbsnews.com/news/women-prefer-men-with-facial-hair-according-to-study/\"\u003edoesn\u0026rsquo;t bode well for finding Mrs S\u003c/a\u003e. I went for the next best thing, a shaved head at the Turkish Barbers on the corner of Crown and Union in the \u0026lsquo;Deen. Can\u0026rsquo;t really complain about the look, if I say so myself.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Day 30 - Get a straight razor shave"},{"content":"Day 27 - Start a Book: Currently ten books into my thirty book plan for the year. Have two on the go at the moment - Jostein Gaarder\u0026rsquo;s Sophie\u0026rsquo;s World and Zadie Smith\u0026rsquo;s On Beauty. Hopefully I manage to complete them by the end of next month.\nDay 28 - Write a Love Letter: Very much work in progress. I suspect this is one I will have come back to again and again. What is clear is that it wasn\u0026rsquo;t love at first sight by any account - I am far too rational for that - but over time I find a bond building, and increasing joy in the simple things.\nDay 29 - Conquer a fear: The fear I had to conquer was picking up the phone and calling my father, made especially difficult because we had a big fall out last weekend, and certain things I\u0026rsquo;m not entirely proud of were said. There and done then with minimal fuss. Hopefully we can make this work better going forward\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/29/27-28-29-better-man-in-30-days/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDay 27 - \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/26/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-27-start-a-book/\"\u003eStart a Book\u003c/a\u003e: Currently \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/reading/2014-books/\"\u003eten books\u003c/a\u003e into my thirty book plan for the year. Have two on the go at the moment - Jostein Gaarder\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sophies-World-Novel-History-Philosophy/dp/1857992911\"\u003eSophie\u0026rsquo;s World\u003c/a\u003e and Zadie Smith\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/On-Beauty-Zadie-Smith/dp/0141026669/\"\u003eOn Beauty\u003c/a\u003e. Hopefully I manage to complete them by the end of next month.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDay 28 - \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/27/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-28-write-a-love-letter/\"\u003eWrite a Love Letter\u003c/a\u003e: Very much \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/day-28-write-a-love-letter/\"\u003ework in progress\u003c/a\u003e. I suspect this is one I will have come back to again and again. What is clear is that it wasn\u0026rsquo;t love at first sight by any account - I am far too rational for that - but over time I find a bond building, and increasing joy in the simple things.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#27, 28, 29 - Better Man in 30 Days"},{"content":"when i first saw you it was not love at first sight - but somehow i sensed it was the start of something momentous. for the first few weeks my mind was elsewhere - stuck in a pain induced haze from the last one i thought could be thd one - against my better judgement. truth was i was stuck in an infinite loop, a bullet train headed to no where but\nthings are different here, there are days when the emotions are front and centre but behind all that there is the sense of safety, and peace that i can leave my heart safe in your hands and not be afraid.\nwe have made new memories - tender moments in the main. 56 days and counting, can only hope there are\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/28/day-write-a-love-letter/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ewhen i first saw you it was not love at first sight - but somehow i sensed it was the start of something momentous. for the first few weeks my mind was elsewhere - stuck in a pain induced haze from the last one i thought could be thd one - against my better judgement. truth was i was stuck in an infinite loop, a bullet train headed to no where but\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Day 28 - Write a Love Letter"},{"content":"Day 26 of the Better Man in 30 days challenge - Take the Marine Corp Fitness Test\n---\nManaged the 3 mile in 29.5 minutes (includes the very leisurely 3 minute warm up), 46 crunches in 2 minutes and a barely there 4 pull ups for a total of 95 from a maximum 300 points possible. Not great but better than I thought given how a certain HIIT youtube video kicked my ass on Day 24.\nFeels like a KPI I should track going forward. Hopefully I can keep improving on my score as I get fitter and healthier.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/27/day-26-take-the-marine-corp-fitness-test/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDay 26 of the Better Man in 30 days challenge - \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/25/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-26-take-the-marine-corps-fitness-test/\"\u003eTake the Marine Corp Fitness Test\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eManaged the 3 mile in \u003ca href=\"http://therustgeek.tumblr.com/post/90046756858/marinecorpfitnesstest-bettermanin30days-at\"\u003e29.5 minutes\u003c/a\u003e (includes the very leisurely 3 minute warm up), 46 crunches in 2 minutes and a barely there 4 pull ups for a total of 95 from a maximum 300 points possible. Not great but better than I thought given how a certain HIIT youtube video kicked my ass on \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/24-25/\"\u003eDay 24\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Day 26 - Take The Marine Corp Fitness Test"},{"content":"Took day 24 a tad too far - no thanks to this video(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNZe01hqMW8).. Knackered! No debts of any description so will pass on Day 25\u0026hellip;\nHome stretch!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/25/24-25/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTook \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/23/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-24-play/\"\u003eday 24\u003c/a\u003e a tad too far - no thanks to this video(\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNZe01hqMW8)\"\u003ehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNZe01hqMW8)\u003c/a\u003e.. Knackered! No debts of any description so will pass on \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/24/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-25-start-a-debt-reduction-plan/\"\u003eDay 25\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHome stretch!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#24, 25"},{"content":"Day 22 - Improve your posture and Day 23 - Learn a manual skill\n---\nI didn\u0026rsquo;t need the prompt to tell me I had terrible posture. Managed to set up my chair at work as intended - to provide better support to my lower back and at the right height. Hopefully I begin to reap the dividends of improved posture, not least a less prominent keg.\nOn manual skills; I installed ceiling fans for fun in my undergraduate days and still know my way with a soldering iron, a legacy of my previous pastime - tinkering with the innards of dead radios. I happen to also be the go to guy when my buddy O needs to set up a new bed or move stuff around in his house\u0026hellip; Could use a few more automobile related skills as I haven\u0026rsquo;t changed a flat tire in nearly six years. Have to but that Z4 roadster first (and win the lottery before that or something).\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/23/days-22-23/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDay 22 - \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/21/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-22-improve-your-posture/\"\u003eImprove your posture\u003c/a\u003e and Day 23 - \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/22/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-23-learn-a-manual-skill/\"\u003eLearn a manual skill\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI didn\u0026rsquo;t need the prompt to tell me I had terrible posture. Managed to set up my chair at work as intended - to provide better support to my lower back and at the right height. Hopefully I begin to reap the dividends of improved posture, not least a \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdominal_obesity\"\u003eless prominent keg\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn manual skills; I installed ceiling fans for fun in my undergraduate days and still know my way with a soldering iron, a legacy of my previous pastime - tinkering with the innards of dead radios. I happen to also be the go to guy when my buddy O needs to set up a new bed or move stuff around in his house\u0026hellip; Could use a few more automobile related skills as I haven\u0026rsquo;t changed a flat tire in nearly six years. Have to but that Z4 roadster first (and win the lottery before that or something).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Days 22, 23"},{"content":"Day 21 of the Better Man in 30 days challenge - Write Your Own Eulogy\n---\nBorn in the late seventies in the shadows of the Somorika mountain range in the then Bendel State of Nigeria, the few months he spent there before high tailing it across the country to Ife where his mother was studying for a degree set the tone for the rest of his life - pretty much not bound to any physical location but an aspiring global citizen. Seven or so months in Ife were followed by a couple of years in Imeri, then Igueben and then Benin where his academician father was studying for a PhD. The back end of the eighties saw a move to the adjoining town of Ekpoma where he would spend the bulk of his childhood.\nGrowing up, he quickly garnered a reputation for quiet analysis, often eschewing the limelight in most of the settings that he moved in. A reputation for academic excellence quickly grew, the highlight of which a long running tussle with a particular classmate for the top position out of a class of just over a hundred spread out over five arms. The first few years went to E, but after the Junior Secondary school exams, AJ left all and sundry in his slip stream, culminating in a city wide leading six alphas in his O\u0026rsquo;levels just before heading off to University in Benin, the place of his early years.\nAt University, the accolades continued, albeit tempered by the rawness of youth. Mechanical Engineering had its attractions as did fiction and being an active member of a campus fellowship. A Chevron scholarship helped mitigate the cost of studying in a different city in those terrible Abacha years, especially for academics.A chance decision to intern at a steel plant would change his career forever, sowing the seeds for a love of metals and corrosion that would define his illustrious career. After a year spent serving the nation in the relative backwaters of Ilorin, AJ\u0026rsquo;s first stint was with an oil major where he was one of five fresh graduates selected from a nation wide interview and assessment process. He would spend five years there, learning the ropes before becoming a program lead in his final year. As part of that role, he developed a novel solution to a particularly intractable pipeline cleaning problem that resulted in yet another award - for dedication to duty and technical excellence. After the oil major years, grad school in Newcastle, UK followed after which more work in the corrosion and materials field followed.\nhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/12FwV1IC09Y7gziuqr6d0DBf634kbUjjFfzqe2gCH6uM/edit\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/22/day-21-write-your-own-eulogy/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDay 21 of the Better Man in 30 days challenge - \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/20/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-21-write-your-eulogy/\"\u003eWrite Your Own Eulogy\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBorn in the late seventies in the shadows of the Somorika mountain range in the then Bendel State of Nigeria, the few months he spent there before high tailing it across the country to Ife where his mother was studying for a degree set the tone for the rest of his life - pretty much not bound to any physical location but an aspiring global citizen. Seven or so months in Ife were followed by a couple of years in Imeri, then Igueben and then Benin where his academician father was studying for a PhD. The back end of the eighties saw a move to the adjoining town of Ekpoma where he would spend the bulk of his childhood.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Day 21 - Write Your Own Eulogy"},{"content":"Day 20 of the Better Man in 30 days challenge - Perform Service\n---\nFalls on the day when I volunteer with the Tech team at church\u0026hellip; Obviously from behind :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/20/day-20-perform-service/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDay 20 of the Better Man in 30 days challenge - \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/19/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-20-perform-service/\"\u003ePerform Service\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFalls on the day when I volunteer with the Tech team at church\u0026hellip; Obviously from behind :)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/serving.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"serving\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/serving.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Day 20 - Perform Service"},{"content":"Day 19 of the Better Man in 30 Days Challenge - Schedule a Physical Exam\n---\nI am required to get an offshore medical every two years which covers quite a few of the items specifically referenced on the challenge viz blood pressure, weight/BMI, vision, lung function and audiometry. ECGs, bloods and urinalysis get taken six monthly for other reasons hence I consider the challenge covered between both. The main exclusion is the probing and probing of the man parts for potential prostrate problems.\nOut of interest I contacted one of the private health insurance providers around and got quoted a fee in the range of £590 for a full health check. One to stick in the budget for Q2 2015 then, unless someone can point me in the direction of a Groupon deal. :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/19/day-19-schedule-a-physical-exam/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDay 19 of the Better Man in 30 Days Challenge - \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/18/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-19-schedule-a-physical-exam/\"\u003eSchedule a Physical Exam\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI am required to get an \u003ca href=\"http://www.abermed.com/services/medical-assessments.html#oguk\"\u003eoffshore medical\u003c/a\u003e every two years which covers quite a few of the items specifically referenced on the challenge viz blood pressure, weight/BMI, vision, lung function and audiometry. ECGs, bloods and urinalysis get taken six monthly for other reasons hence I consider the challenge covered between both. The main exclusion is the probing and probing of the man parts for potential prostrate problems.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Day 19 - Schedule a Physical Exam"},{"content":"Day 18 of the Better Man in 30 days challenge - Find Your N.U.T.s\n---\nYour Non-negotiable, Unalterable Terms that is. For me these are inextricably linked to the Core Values from Day 1- Faith, Family, Continuous Improvement, Mentoring and Health. Soooo, here goes:order:\nLiving out a real world faith - continuously seeking ways to translate the undergirding principles of love and consideration for others, and social justice - will be the single most important thing that will guide my relationships with others; I will honour my daily spiritual practice and journaling; My family, and adequately fulfilling the various roles I play in it - Son,Brother, (future) Husband and Father - will always take precedence over other considerations; I will schedule regular (monthly at least) time to go through plan-do-review cycles for each of my core connections and the roles I play in them - friends and family, professional and within the wider civil/social context; I will take care of my body - eating well and exercising. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/18/day-18-find-your-n-u-t-s/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDay 18 of the Better Man in 30 days challenge - \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/17/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-18-find-your-n-u-t-s/\"\u003eFind Your N.U.T.s\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYour \u003cstrong\u003eNon-negotiable, Unalterable Terms\u003c/strong\u003e that is. For me these are inextricably linked to the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/day-1-define-your-core-values/\"\u003eCore Values from Day 1\u003c/a\u003e- Faith, Family, Continuous Improvement, Mentoring and Health. Soooo, here goes:order:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLiving out a real world faith - continuously seeking ways to translate the undergirding principles of love and consideration for others, and social justice - will be the single most important thing that will guide my relationships with others;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI will honour my daily spiritual practice and journaling;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMy family, and adequately fulfilling the various roles I play in it - Son,Brother, (future) Husband and Father - will always take precedence over other considerations;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI will schedule regular (monthly at least) time to go through \u003cem\u003eplan-do-review\u003c/em\u003e cycles for each of my core connections and the roles I play in them - friends and family, professional and within the wider civil/social context;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI will take care of my body - eating well and exercising.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"Day 18 - Find Your N.U.T.s"},{"content":"Day 17 of the Better Man in 30 days challenge - Talk to three strangers.\n---\nOne of the more difficult challenges for me, given spontaneity and friendliness are not exactly my forte. Just about pulled through though I think\nRan into a (relatively) new (Nigerian) start in the building I work at whilst on my way out to grab lunch from M\u0026amp;S. A quick search in the people directory - and a dive into LinkedIn - turned up an interesting factoid - even though his current job description is as far away form it as it possibly can be, his first degree is in Materials and Metallurgy. Chatted up the sales attendant at M\u0026amp;S whilst she was running my items though the scanner. The lunch time shift can be draining given it is as much of a revolving door/capacity optimisation exercise as there can be. I swear her eyes lit up when I asked how her day was (I might have imagined it only though). Blew over an hour on a good natter with the office mates, something I\u0026rsquo;ve not done a lot of lately given all the (far more) serious things that have been on my mind lately..Totally claiming this as in my humble opinion it fulfils the spirit of the challenge :) Another one I should work a tad harder towards improving on..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/17/day-17-talk-to-three-strangers/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDay 17 of the Better Man in 30 days challenge - \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/16/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-17-talk-to-3-strangers/\"\u003eTalk to three strangers\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the more difficult challenges for me, given \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/about/\"\u003espontaneity and friendliness are not exactly my forte\u003c/a\u003e. Just about pulled through though I think\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRan into a (relatively) new (Nigerian) start in the building I work at whilst on my way out to grab lunch from M\u0026amp;S. A quick search in the people directory - and a dive into LinkedIn - turned up an interesting factoid - even though his current job description is as far away form it as it possibly can be, his first degree is in Materials and Metallurgy.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChatted up the sales attendant at M\u0026amp;S whilst she was running my items though the scanner. The lunch time shift can be draining given it is as much of a revolving door/capacity optimisation exercise as there can be. I swear her eyes lit up when I asked how her day was (I might have \u003cem\u003eimagined\u003c/em\u003e it only though).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBlew over an hour on a good natter with the office mates, something I\u0026rsquo;ve not done a lot of lately given all the (far more) serious things that have been on my mind lately..Totally claiming this as in my humble opinion it fulfils the spirit of the challenge :)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother one I should work a tad harder towards improving on..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Day 17 - Talk to Three Strangers"},{"content":"Fell behind on the Better Man in 30 days challenge thanks to a quick trip down south to sort out passport issues amongst other things. Methinks I\u0026rsquo;ve largely caught up now.\nDay 9 - Take a woman on a date: Caught up with J at at the Rodozio Rico over the weekend. No selfies were allowed, this will have to suffice as proof.\nDay 14 - Write a letter to your father: A bit of a mixed bag here really given the fact that age and time have mellowed the quite strong views I held to in the past. Doesn\u0026rsquo;t help that like me he\u0026rsquo;s not really an emotionally engaged person. Loads to be thankful for but quite a few areas we could have done better at. Fingers crossed going forward I guess\nDay 15 - Make a meal: Not my greatest culinary effort ever but I’m blaming having to rustle up dinner at 11.45pm for this. The seared haddock and brocolli did taste grand, if I say so myself :)\nDay 16 - Create a budget: Created one at the beginning of the year. Updated it today to better reflect a few changes in goals going forward.\n:)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/16/day-16-create-a-budget-and-catching-up/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFell behind on the  \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/30/30-days-to-a-better-man-wrap-up/\"\u003eBetter Man in 30 days\u003c/a\u003e challenge thanks to a quick trip down south to sort out passport issues amongst other things. Methinks I\u0026rsquo;ve largely caught up now.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDay 9 - \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/08/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-9-take-a-woman-on-a-date/\"\u003eTake a woman on a date\u003c/a\u003e: Caught up with J at at the \u003ca href=\"http://www.rodiziorico.com/\"\u003eRodozio Rico\u003c/a\u003e over the weekend. No selfies were \u003cem\u003eallowed,\u003c/em\u003e \u003ca href=\"http://instagram.com/p/pO4zdjq3CT/\"\u003ethis\u003c/a\u003e will have to suffice as proof.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDay 14 - \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/13/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-14-write-a-letter-to-your-father/\"\u003eWrite a letter to your father\u003c/a\u003e: A bit of a \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/day-14-write-a-letter-to-your-father/\"\u003emixed bag here\u003c/a\u003e really given the fact that age and time have mellowed the quite strong views I held to in the past. Doesn\u0026rsquo;t help that like me he\u0026rsquo;s not really an emotionally engaged person. Loads to be thankful for but quite a few areas we could have done better at. Fingers crossed going forward I guess\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Day 16 - Create a Budget.... and catching up"},{"content":"Dear Dad,\nMy earliest memories of us are of me perched on my small chair looking up to you whilst you swotted into the early hours of the night, huge coffee mugs making their procession down your throat with the regularity of clockwork. It must have been back in ‘85, as in my memories I see Gracie . there too, right in the middle of your PhD years back in Benin.\nThose early years were ones of camaraderie and friendship, me the Luke Skywalker to your Obi Wan Kenobi. Those were happy days - wolfing down fried dodo straight off the pan, evening strolls to airport road for suya and loads of travel.\nThe more enduring memories of the latter years are more spartan and austere - more father rather than friend. Extreme spankings with implements ranging from used car fan belts, special kobokos and the infamous pick pin.\nThe change - and what might have caused it - is something I have pondered for very many years. Might it have been losing Gracie, or the pressures the Babaginda and Abacha years put on your meagre earnings as an academic? We might have just grown apart, my natural, quiet stubbornness not helping my cause.\nYou were unstinting in your commitment to providing and caring materially and spiritually though, ensuring that I delivered on my early academic promise. Many years, two degrees and ten years of working later, the obvious conclusion is the training you delivered worked.\nThese are difficult words to write, given the sum total of our physical conversations this year stand at just over ten minutes over seven attempts. I guess if I had to wrap this up it would be to say thanks for the hard lessons. If we had the chance to do us over again, I can only hope we make a better meal of connecting emotionally..\nYours,\nAJ\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/16/day-14-write-a-letter-to-your-father/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDear Dad,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy earliest memories of us are of me perched on my small chair looking up to you whilst you swotted into the early hours of the night, huge coffee mugs making their procession down your throat with the regularity of clockwork. It must have been back in ‘85, as in my memories I see Gracie \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/11/for-gracie/\"\u003e.\u003c/a\u003e there too, right in the middle of your PhD years back in Benin.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Day 14 - Write a Letter to Your Father"},{"content":"\nCleaned out the closet and identified a couple of bags of old clothes that need ditching. Plan is to leave them out for any of the charities who send bags around from time to time. Paper and mail, and electronics need doing. Solid if unspectacular start - the hard work here starts now I think.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/13/day-13-declutter-your-life/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/clutter_190.png\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"clutter_190\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/clutter_190.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCleaned out the closet and identified a couple of bags of old clothes that need ditching. Plan is to leave them out for any of the charities who send bags around from time to time. Paper and mail, and electronics need doing. Solid if unspectacular start - the hard work here starts now I think.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Day 13 - Declutter Your Life"},{"content":"Day 12 of the Better Man in 30 days challenge - Create Your Bucket List\n---\nCurrently working through my bucket list - aptly (if I say so myself) tagged 40 things by 40 seeing the 40th birthday is the next major birthday on the horizon - and no I am not 35 yet.. Closed out a few things already some of which include making CEng, losing 20kg and taking a boat ride down the Chicago river. A few stand out as sore points on which I have made zero progress whatsoever on - visiting the children I sponsor via WorldVision and reading every book that has been awarded the Man Booker prize being prime examples.\nDeciding to take action on getting on the Advanced Materials PhD program I have made loads of noise about but done bugger all to progress. Fired off a couple of emails to profs at one of the Universities I\u0026rsquo;d be looking to study at.\nFingers crossed.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/12/day-12-create-your-bucket-list/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDay 12 of the Better Man in 30 days challenge - \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/11/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-12-create-your-bucket-list/\"\u003eCreate Your Bucket List\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCurrently working through my bucket list - aptly (if I say so myself) tagged \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/40-things-by-40/\"\u003e40 things by 40\u003c/a\u003e seeing the 40th birthday is the next major birthday on the horizon - and no I am not 35 \u003cem\u003eyet..\u003c/em\u003e Closed out a few things already some of which include making CEng, losing 20kg and taking a boat ride down the Chicago river. A few stand out as sore points on which I have made zero progress whatsoever on - visiting the children I sponsor via WorldVision and reading every book that has been awarded the Man Booker prize being prime examples.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Day 12 - Create Your Bucket List"},{"content":"In ship shape\u0026hellip;. As far as I can tell\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/11/day-11-give-yourself-a-testicular-exam/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn ship shape\u0026hellip;. As far as I can tell\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Day 11 - Give Yourself a Testicular Exam"},{"content":"Day 10 of the Better Man in 30 days challenge - Memorize \u0026lsquo;if\u0026rsquo;\n---\nTwo upsides to exercising the memory stood out from the prompt - improved writing and a more interesting personality. Unfortunately, I am blaming my mental fatigue from the last month of swotting exams for my less than stellar performance on this challenge. The plan - if I can call it that - is to keep plodding away at it till the end of the month. If I succeed, and I work up the courage, I just might place a recording of the poem from memory on here..\nAs for Day 9? Sometime over this weekend that should get done and dusted.. If all fails, there\u0026rsquo;s always Nandos :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/10/day-10-memorize-if/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDay 10 of the Better Man in 30 days challenge - \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/09/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-10-memorize-if/\"\u003eMemorize \u0026lsquo;if\u0026rsquo;\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo upsides to exercising the memory stood out from the prompt - improved writing and a more interesting personality. Unfortunately, I am blaming my mental fatigue from the last month of swotting exams for my less than stellar performance on this challenge. The plan - if I can call it that - is to keep plodding away at it till the end of the month. If I succeed, and I work up the courage, I just might place a recording of the poem from memory on here..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Day 10 - Memorize 'If'"},{"content":"Another one which was on the plan for 2014 in any case - middling performance not withstanding. The app of choice is DayOne - on my Mac, iPad and iPhone. The choice of time is first thing in the morning, hopefully that will help set the tone for the day and help kick off the day introspectively.\nFingers crossed, the next few weeks will tell how this latest iteration goes.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/08/day-8-start-a-journal/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAnother one which was on the plan for 2014 in any case - middling performance not withstanding. The app of choice is \u003ca href=\"http://dayoneapp.com/\"\u003eDayOne\u003c/a\u003e - on my Mac, iPad and iPhone. The choice of time is first thing in the morning, hopefully that will help set the tone for the day and help kick off the day introspectively.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFingers crossed, the next few weeks will tell how this latest iteration goes.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Day 8 - Start a Journal"},{"content":"Day 7 of the Better Man in 30 days Challenge - Reconnect with an Old Friend\n---\nThe challenge was to reconnect with an old friend, by letter, email or phone (not Twitter). Cheated (slightly) as I did my reconnection over iMessage. A tad more in keeping with the spirit of reconnecting than a letter given the back and forth of instant messaging I think.. Or not.. Claiming this as done though, regardless. :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/07/day-7-reconnect-with-an-old-friend/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDay 7 of the Better Man in 30 days Challenge - \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/06/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-7-reconnect-with-an-old-friend/\"\u003eReconnect with an Old Friend\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe challenge was to reconnect with an old friend, by letter, email or phone (not Twitter). Cheated (slightly) as I did my reconnection over iMessage. A tad more in keeping with the spirit of reconnecting than a letter given the back and forth of instant messaging I think.. Or not.. Claiming this as done though, regardless. :)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Day 7 - Reconnect with an Old Friend"},{"content":"Day 6 of the Better Man in 30 days challenge - Update Your Resume\n---\nAnother apt prompt - given I\u0026rsquo;ve been feeling like I could use a job change for a while, and I have only just received pass notification from another exam in April. Another day, another review which shows I am headed in the right direction but am still missing some critical research skills\u0026hellip; That PhD can\u0026rsquo;t be put off for much longer at this rate :(\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/06/day-6-update-your-resume/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDay 6 of the Better Man in 30 days challenge - \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/05/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-6-update-your-resume/\"\u003eUpdate Your Resume\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother apt prompt - given I\u0026rsquo;ve been feeling like \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/02/the-end-of-the-beginning/\"\u003eI could use a job change for a while\u003c/a\u003e, and I have only just received pass notification from another exam in April. Another day, another review which shows I am headed in the right direction but am still missing some critical research skills\u0026hellip; That PhD can\u0026rsquo;t be put off for much longer at this rate :(\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Day 6 - Update Your Resume"},{"content":"Day 5 of the Better Man in 30 days challenge – Cultivate Your Gratitude\n---\nQuite a few things to be thankful for, in no particular order:\nFriends who consistently come through. Needing to make a significant wire transfer earlier this week, a quick call to a couple of old chums resulted in a speedy resolution. Top lads C and O. Family - warts and all. And mine, myself included, do have warts! J whose patience with my stuttering, complicated self is a refreshing breath of air; Work - and the opportunities it has presented over the last ten years and counting. A certain stint somewhere in my past still keeps opening doors. Grateful. The internet and how easily it provides solutions - stumbled on an excel tutorial on spark-lines which might have saved a side project I am working on. Not one of the things I miss about those heady Eket days it must be said. (Not so) Little children, particularly F, my friend O\u0026rsquo;s precocious daughter. Hanging with her gives me hope for the future. I am not too damaged to make a half decent dad. Success in one more exam, no lengthy post nominals to append to my name unfortunately but small steps in the right direction I think. Health - no new major scares (as far as I know). Great work conversations - currently talking an old work friend through a weighty decision. That she and I are still in contact nearly five years after we last worked together is so much more reassuring given my current work situation. And Nandos \u0026ndash; \u0026rsquo;nuff said. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/05/day-5-cultivate-your-gratitude/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDay 5 of the Better Man in 30 days challenge – \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/04/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-5-cultivate-your-gratitude/\"\u003eCultivate Your Gratitude\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eQuite a few things to be thankful for, in no particular order:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFriends who consistently come through. Needing to make a significant wire transfer earlier this week, a quick call to a couple of old chums resulted in a speedy resolution. Top lads C and O.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFamily  - warts and all. And mine, myself included, do have warts!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJ whose patience with my stuttering, complicated self is a refreshing breath of air;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWork - and the opportunities it has presented over the last ten years and counting. A certain stint somewhere in my past still keeps opening doors. Grateful.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe internet and how easily it provides solutions - stumbled on an excel tutorial on spark-lines which might have saved a side project I am working on. Not one of the things I miss about those heady Eket days it must be said.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e(Not so) Little children, particularly F, my friend O\u0026rsquo;s precocious daughter. Hanging with her gives me hope for the future. I am not too damaged to make a half decent dad.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSuccess in one more exam, no lengthy post nominals to append to my name unfortunately but small steps in the right direction I think.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHealth - no new major scares (as far as I know).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGreat work conversations - currently talking an old work friend through a weighty decision. That she and I are still in contact nearly five years after we last worked together is so much more reassuring given my current work situation.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd Nandos \u0026ndash; \u0026rsquo;nuff said.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"Day 5 - Cultivate Your Gratitude"},{"content":"Day 4 of the Better Man in 30 days challenge - Increase your testosterone\n---\nThe \u0026lsquo;symptoms\u0026rsquo; pretty much describe me at the moment, even though I like to think the drivers are slightly different for me, given I am chasing a lot of things at the moment. In an ideal world, #9 would have been the perfect shoo, but real life dictates, and I went with actions 6, 7, 8. Lunch was a Boots salad bowl whilst dinner was grilled chicken topped up with almonds as a snack.\n#1 and #4 are long term targets which I have consistently failed to achieve. Thanks to this challenge the focus on sleep length (and quality) and meditative journaling is one I need to bring back. Come the end of the month, one hopes I\u0026rsquo;ll have better news to report on that score.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/04/day-4-increase-your-testosterone/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDay 4 of the Better Man in 30 days challenge - \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/03/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-4-increase-your-testosterone/\"\u003eIncrease your testosterone\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u0026lsquo;symptoms\u0026rsquo; pretty much describe me at the moment, even though I like to think the drivers are slightly different for me, given I am chasing a lot of things at the moment. In an ideal world, #9 would have been the perfect shoo, but real life dictates, and I went with actions 6, 7, 8. Lunch was a Boots salad bowl whilst dinner was grilled chicken topped up with almonds as a snack.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Day 4 - Increase Your Testosterone"},{"content":"Day 3 of the Better Man in 30 days Challenge - Find a Mentor\n\u0026mdash;\nIn thinking through today\u0026rsquo;s challenge, I realised there is a shed load of historical mentors I had to acknowledge - the Artful dodger (so nicknamed by his own father no less) whose MO always seemed to be to stay just on the right side of the law at all times (he was the inspiration to go into engineering), OO, the social studies teacher who intervened when yours truly was nabbed trying to pilfer a book from the secondary school library, Dr K at the Steel plant where I interned in 2000 who sowed the seeds of an appreciation for materials in me and DEL and MMK who held my hand as I took my first shaky steps as a rust geek back between 2003 and 2008. All that is part of why mentoring and mentorship are core values I intend to hold on to dearly both as a giver and a recipient.\nFor today\u0026rsquo;s challenge, three gentlemen stand out.\nOO\u0026rsquo;s a bloke I count as a friend. We connected strongly from our first meeting when I made the move up north after Newcastle. He has featured heavily in my professional life since then, providing much needed guidance when I first set off on my quest to make CEng. He has successfully made the transition from working in Nigeria, returning to school for graduate studies and excelling at work after that. A big bonus is that his (now) nine year old daughter keeps me well grounded, providing a much needed connection to my inner future father. K leads the tech team I volunteer with in church. As a fellow introvert, he continuously impresses me with how he goes out of his way to draw out the more introverted team members, ensuring that our often soft voices are not lost in the bedlam of decision making. In addition to his responsibilities as Tech Team leader, he manages to juggle work (at an employer of the same ilk as UX5), and a young family. F is someone I am less familiar with but who from a distance fits the template - slightly older, married with a young family and succeeding professionally, topped off with being the lead pastor at a church plant just outside town. Our interactions have been limited to the context of a publications team I volunteer with at church. My action - and I\u0026rsquo;ll pop back in here to update on how it\u0026rsquo;s gone - is to set up a face to face with K and kick off an informal mentorship as OO already counts as one in a sense. On the balance of the evidence, I need a few non-church/ work pals. Wild, young and free (single) men apply within\u0026hellip; :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/03/day-3-find-a-mentor/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDay 3 of the Better Man in 30 days Challenge - \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/02/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-3-find-a-mentor/\"\u003eFind a Mentor\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u0026mdash;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn thinking through today\u0026rsquo;s challenge, I realised there is a shed load of historical mentors I had to acknowledge - the Artful dodger (so nicknamed by his own father no less) whose MO always seemed to be to stay just on the right side of the law at all times (he was the inspiration to go into engineering), OO, the social studies teacher who intervened when yours truly was nabbed trying to pilfer a book from the secondary school library, Dr K at the Steel plant where I interned in 2000 who sowed the seeds of an appreciation for materials in me and DEL and MMK who held my hand as I took my first shaky steps as a rust geek back between 2003 and 2008. All that is part of why mentoring and mentorship \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/day-1-define-your-core-values/\"\u003eare core values\u003c/a\u003e I intend to hold on to dearly both as a giver and a recipient.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Day 3 - Find a Mentor"},{"content":"Day 2 - Shine Your Shoes\nShining my shoes is usually not top of my to dos on any given day, given I consider them functional items of clothing rather than providing any aesthetic value. Notwithstanding, in the spirit of the challenge I decided to give my favourite, battle hardened Doc Martens some love.. From the looks of it, there\u0026rsquo;s still some life left in those beasts. Given my sense of pride and accomplishment upon completing today\u0026rsquo;s task, I suspect I\u0026rsquo;ll strut about a tad more than usual in the office tomorrow. :) Or maybe I\u0026rsquo;m just being overly enthused with my dodgy technique..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/02/day-2-shine-your-shoes/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDay 2 - \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/01/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-2-shine-your-shoes/\"\u003eShine Your Shoes\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShining my shoes is usually not top of my to dos on any given day, given I consider them functional items of clothing rather than providing any aesthetic value. Notwithstanding, in the spirit of the challenge I decided to give my favourite, battle hardened Doc Martens some love.. From the looks of it, there\u0026rsquo;s still some life left in those beasts. Given my sense of pride and accomplishment upon completing today\u0026rsquo;s task, I suspect I\u0026rsquo;ll strut about a tad more than usual in the office tomorrow. :) Or maybe I\u0026rsquo;m just being overly enthused with my dodgy technique..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Day 2 - Shine Your Shoes"},{"content":"\nThese have gone through several iterations in the past, but having taken time again to consider this the five below stood out as my core values. It\u0026rsquo;s obvious I need to work on several of these to make them front and centre, given the reality of my life in certain areas doesn\u0026rsquo;t reflect these values. But don\u0026rsquo;t they say a problem identified is half solved?\nFaith: God, faith and how these interact in the real world and translate to personal and worldview integrity. Family : Nuclear and the future family :) Continuous Improvement: In three main areas - professionally, relationally and in delivering on the stated objective of contributing to life in the civic space. The intent is to actively seek out opportunities to learn both formally and informally for self improvement and a broadened knowledge base; challenging myself in the three main areas identified above. Mentoring: As someone who has benefitted greatly from the input of knowledgeable others both in my personal and professional life, taking an active interest in the lives of others with the aim of improving them is something I want to do more of. Health and Healthy Living: The \u0026lsquo;rigours\u0026rsquo; of being a hands on rustgeek demand that I pass a medical exam every two years. The numbers from the last check in 2013 were a real wake up call - no thanks to shed loads of pizza and salt. That prompted a rethink and serious action to get the weight and junk food binges down to good effect. Getting healthy, staying healthy, leveraging technology to identify and eliminate risk factors and all the little decisions that feed into that has to be be more of a focus going forward. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/01/day-1-define-your-core-values/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/30/30-days-to-a-better-man-wrap-up/\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"30daysbmlogo\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/30daysbmlogo.gif\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese have gone through \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/12/seven-priorities-for-life/\"\u003eseveral iterations in the past\u003c/a\u003e, but having taken time again to consider this the five below stood out as my core values. It\u0026rsquo;s obvious I need to work on several of these to make them front and centre, given the  reality of my life in certain areas doesn\u0026rsquo;t reflect these values. But don\u0026rsquo;t they say a problem identified is half solved?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFaith:\u003c/strong\u003e God, faith and how these interact in the real world and translate to personal and worldview integrity.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFamily\u003c/strong\u003e : Nuclear and the future family :)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eContinuous Improvement:\u003c/strong\u003e In three main areas - professionally, relationally and in delivering on the stated objective of contributing to life in the civic space. The intent is to actively seek out opportunities to learn both formally and informally for self improvement and a broadened knowledge base; challenging myself in the three main areas identified above.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMentoring\u003c/strong\u003e: As someone who has benefitted greatly from the input of knowledgeable others both in my personal and professional life, taking an active interest in the lives of others with the aim of improving them is something I want to do more of.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHealth and Healthy Living\u003c/strong\u003e: The \u0026lsquo;rigours\u0026rsquo; of being a hands on rustgeek demand that I pass a medical exam every two years. The numbers from the last check in 2013 were a real wake up call - no thanks to shed loads of pizza and salt. That prompted a rethink and serious action to get the weight and junk food binges down to good effect. Getting healthy, staying healthy, leveraging technology to identify and eliminate risk factors and all the little decisions that feed into that has to be be more of a focus going forward.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"Day 1: Define Your Core Values"},{"content":"Time and time again one finds himself back here, searching for what, one knows not. Between life, work and the issues inherent in them, my big resolve to do life in 30 day chunks limped along before dying in March. What little time to breathe I had was spent swotting for a couple of exams, critical components of the personal development plan for the year.\nComing into June, I thought the Better Man in 30 days challenge from the Art of Manliness represented a good, meaty challenge to get my teeth into, a potential keystone habit if you like. For one, manliness and man-making represent a key strand that runs through and undergirds the Life Plan. In addition, blogging for an entire month was also one of the ideas for a thirty day challenge at the beginning of the year. Thanks to the two twitter BFFs - OluSimeon and SingleNigerian, any doubts I might have had about going through with the plan have been nuked thanks to public accountability.\nAlongside this, I will be giving focus to four other challenges through June - Whole30 where I give up dairy, grains and such for a month, daily journaling, a re-commitment to daily prayer and bible study, and complete abstinence from coffee and fizzy drinks. Two or three of these are a rehash of things I tried to do earlier in the 30 day challenge cycle.\nFingers crossed though.. Fight this!!!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/06/01/intermissions/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTime and time again one finds himself back here, searching for what, one knows not. Between life, work and the issues inherent in them, my big resolve to do life in \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/30-day-challenge/\"\u003e30 day chunks\u003c/a\u003e limped along before dying in March. What little time to breathe I had was spent swotting for a couple of exams, critical components of the personal development plan for the year.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComing into June, I thought the \u003ca href=\"http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/30/30-days-to-a-better-man-wrap-up/\"\u003eBetter Man in 30 days challenge\u003c/a\u003e from the Art of Manliness represented a good, meaty challenge to get my teeth into, a potential keystone habit if you like. For one, manliness and man-making represent a key strand that runs through and undergirds \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/06/the-life-plan/\"\u003ethe Life Plan\u003c/a\u003e.  In addition, blogging for an entire month was also one of the ideas for a thirty day challenge at the beginning of the year. Thanks to the two twitter BFFs - \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/olusimeon\"\u003eOluSimeon\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/singlenigerian\"\u003eSingleNigerian\u003c/a\u003e, any doubts I might have had about going through with the plan have been nuked thanks to public accountability.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Intermissions...."},{"content":"On a typical day, the scene that meets the eye at the head of the airport taxi rank is one of barely controlled chaos - the line of passengers snaking along into the distance, two or three cabs pulling up every few minutes to whittle away at the edgy crowd and the harried dispatcher somehow managing to maintain a semblance of sanity in the middle of it all defining the mad half hour immediately following the arrival of an inbound flight. Today there is a line of taxis and no passengers waiting. Two men - and a woman - stand at the head of the taxi rank, talking. Their conversation is deep and intense - there are hands flailing about, gesturing wildly and a few guffaws here and there - such that I have to clear my throat to attract their attention. At the second time of clearing my throat, I succeed. They split up like people surprised, maybe even a little guilty. The woman - who must be the dispatcher given her fluorescent yellow jacket - waves me in the direction of the car at the head of the line, a jet black Audi. One of the men standing and chatting turns out to be the driver, his keys remotely popping the trunk as I dump my bags and as he makes his way to the driver’s side of the car.\nTraffic is light as we make our way off the taxi rank and join the road towards town. At first we ride in silence, me fiddling with my phone, he keeping his eyes trained on the road. When he speaks, his choice of ice breaker is to ask where I have come in from. He guesses London – I correct him - Manchester. I add that it was boiling hot, almost summer-ish out there. He smiles – a neither here nor there version that reeks of resignation. Through the windscreen, the sight is one of grey clouds, overcast. The road itself has the slight sheen that can only have been from a light shower.\nHasn\u0026rsquo;t really been warm up here, he says, in response to my question as to how it has been up here. Not that I would know, he adds. He goes on to explain that he is the designated carer for his 86 year old mother. Taxi driving - this gig - is his diversion, his chance to escape he says, to get air and space. Feisty woman she is though. Between her and my wife, I get all the orders I need to obey. I nod sagely through it all and laugh out loud at the gag about getting orders. We moan mutually about wives and being ordered about – my imagination standing me in good stead.\nWeather gripe done, we move on to our next favourite subject – holidays. I explain Manchester wasn\u0026rsquo;t a holiday for me – exams, I add. Corrosion and Materials - when he probes further. That brings a glint to his eyes. His son works in the rust business too, or used to, before decamping to the subsea projects world. The bugger is well paid from the looks of it he says. One senses a slight element of resentment beneath the pride.\nWe talk a bit more as we inch forward through the traffic towards the Huadagain round about, Aberdeen’s best known traffic bottle neck. Over the course of the next ten minutes he muses about his early offshore career – pressure testing subsea modules for the Brents 30+ years ago, being involved in a few other commissioning projects before returning to the tried and tested fishing boat. I might have made a ton of money myself if I’d stayed working offshore, he says a hint of regret in his office.\nI mention that the Brents are being prepared for decommissioning as we speak – end of life and such like. It’s a life time since his days. By now we are parked outside my flat. I thank him, pay the fare, £17.20 – he gives me change back unlike his compatroiot down south – and get out to grab my bags, life, death and re-birth taking centre stage in mind all over again.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/05/21/cabbie-conversations/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOn a typical day, the scene that meets the eye at the head of the airport taxi rank is one of barely controlled chaos - the line of passengers snaking along into the distance, two or three cabs pulling up every few minutes to whittle away at the edgy crowd and the harried dispatcher somehow managing to maintain a semblance of sanity in the middle of it all defining the mad half hour immediately following the arrival of an inbound flight. Today there is a line of taxis and no passengers waiting. Two men - and a woman - stand at the head of the taxi rank, talking. Their conversation is deep and intense - there are hands flailing about, gesturing wildly and a few guffaws here and there - such that I have to clear my throat to attract their attention. At the second time of clearing my throat, I succeed. They split up like people surprised, maybe even a little guilty. The woman - who must be the dispatcher given her fluorescent yellow jacket - waves me  in the direction of  the car at the head of the line, a jet black Audi. One of the men standing and chatting turns out to be the driver, his keys remotely  popping the trunk as I dump my bags and as he makes his way to  the driver’s side of the car.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Cabbie Conversations"},{"content":" \u0026amp;feature=kp\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/05/18/on-repeat-20-planetshakers-the-anthem/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/OfgIfy7UXm4?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\u0026amp;feature=kp\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Repeat: #20 - Planetshakers - The Anthem"},{"content":"\nThe sense is part foreboding, part nonchalance - if both feelings can coexist - and sitting in the departure lounge at Aberdeen airport, waiting - seemingly interminably - for the announcement of my flight to Manchester does little to ease those feelings. Back in January when I decided the API 571 exam was going to be one of my key personal development deliverables for the year, April seemed a lifetime away. Now, on the eve of the exam, the harsh reality hits home squarely not helped by the bad weather which has led to the delay of the inbound flight. The mood around the waiting room is one of tired resignation. It is chock full, fuller than I have ever seen it, perhaps a result of all the flights bunched up. Added to that for me is hunger, having skipped breakfast and hopped down to Boots at work for a meal deal lunch; hardly the sort of fare my inner Nigerian subsists on on a normal day.\nWe get the announcement we have all been dying for a further forty five minutes later, and board the flight - nearly three hours later than we should have left. Thankfully, the flight is shorter than advertised, we arrive just past 9.30pm. It is still raining. It might be my tired mind but for a brief moment I wonder if this is indeed Manchester not Aberdeen, given the deluge of biblical proportions pelting us as we make the short walk from the steps to the terminal building. My hotel is across town in Salford Quays so I make a beeline for the taxi rank. The driver of the one I get is in the middle of some conversation - one of such importance that he carries on for all of the twenty five plus minute journey. Our only communication is a brief pause within his soliloquy, as he indicates that the fee will be £22.30 - I hand £23.00 to him, he gives me no change in return. The bugger!\nCheck-in at the hotel is a breeze - the front desk assistant finds my name without needing to eyeball my printed off reservation slip. The room I have assigned is on the third floor. When walk in and dump my bags, I find the view very much to my liking - decorated in soft, white in the main and looking out on to the bright lights of the quayside. It is much larger than typical for the similar prices I\u0026rsquo;ve paid down in London. True to its \u0026lsquo;budget\u0026rsquo; moniker though, there is no proper restaurant of note within the premises, there is a sandwich bar, which I attack, plumping for (yet another) bacon and egg sandwich and two bottles of water. So much for healthy eating.\nThe next morning, I am up by 5.30am, study till 7.00am and then head downstairs to reception to grab a sandwich and a diet coke for breakfast. Having had a look in google maps I plot a route to the exam venue. It is a fifteen minute walk away, pretty much through the centre of town. This I confirm when after paying for my sandwich I ask the small crowd of six clustered around the reception desk in a meeting of some sort. First turn on the left past the traffic lights and follow the curve of the metro is the advice the woman who appears to be the chairing the little huddle gives me.\nThe musty smell of wetness is overpowering when I turn into a side street en-route the Victoria - proof definitive of just how wet Manchester is I guess. Not since Nigeria in the rainy season have I smelled something this intense. When I arrive at the Victoria building - at just past 8.00am, there is only one other person hanging around the building. He is in the middle of what must be his pre-game ritual, fag in mouth, peering into an iPad. My arrival seems to make his mind up for him as he nods in my direction, puts away his ipad and holds the door open for me. At the lifts I step in before him and punch the button for the seventh floor.\nExam today he asks? when he notices we are headed for the same floor. I nod. It turns out he is around for a Microsoft exam of some sort. I explain I have got an API one - that brings as much cognition out of him as water in the middle of the Sahara.\nThe first Prometric staff arrives ten minutes later. She nods a greeting as she takes us in a sweeping gaze. After swiping herself in and knocking a few things about for another couple of minutes, she opens the main doors and lets us in. Ten minutes later, they appear to be ready for us and we commence the exam sign in procedures - ID documents, a quick pat down and then bags and coats stowed away in lockers. By the time I am signed in for my exam a fourth and fifth person have arrived. The exam itself is one of those - not terrible, but not a roaring success either. Given it is based on the ability to recall a slew of facts - pressures, temperatures, pH levels and material compositions, one either knows the right answers or doesn\u0026rsquo;t and I finish inside 90 minutes from the 4 hours allotted. . Having gone over the questions two more times to bottom out which exactly I’m sure of and which I am not, I decide I have had enough and punch out. On my way back I take a different route, ending up with a gorgeous view of water in one of the basins. On a whim, I make a pit stop at a Frankie and Bennys. An English breakfast downed - and £10 lighter - I feel a tad better, dodgy exam or not.\nI plan to meet up with my friends E and C later in the day. We agree on somewhere central - Piccadilly Gardens - and by 1pm I hop onto the tram from Salford Quays towards the city centre. Chugging along at a steady pace, one gets the sense that Manchester is all red brick and high rise buildings - a bit blind man meets elephant I guess. They are ten minutes late. Whilst waiting, I pretend to be interested in the notices at the Piccadilly Gardens tram stop.The sun is out, and there are loads of people about - burkas, veils, jeans and tees and skimpy skirts and tank tops all coexisting, peacefully it seems. The joys of multiculturalism I guess. To my left two guys and three girls, hardly teenagers I think, materialise, blowing smoke all over . After a few seconds it becomes clear what it is they are trying to achieve - the age old male-female detente . They succeed - it seems - because by the time I’m heading off to meet E and C, they are all a happy huddle - swapped cigarettes included. Whilst waiting, I post a picture of the wheel - I get a quick call back from someone I haven\u0026rsquo;t met in a while who now happens to live in Manchester. We agree to meet up for five thirty.\nI grab coffee and a waffle with E and C and catch up . It\u0026rsquo;s been three years since we last met, the bulk of the intervening communication occurring via facebook and instagram - terrible I know. They are great sport, but have to leave in just an hour thanks to prior engagements. We agree to speak more often going forward - small positives I guess.\nWaiting for J, I stumble on a piece of interpretative dance in the gardens themselves. A group of musicians from the Gambia thrill the crowd with their repertoire of dance and music. It is so engaging from time to time people from the crowd join in in the frenzied dancing. It keeps me occupied, and when the bucket comes around, I drop a fiver. Very enjoyable it has been.\nJ is delayed - he finally shows up at six thirty. By this time, the sunshine has vanished replaced by a biting wind and overcast skies.I rue my decision to ditch my fleece for only a wind breaker. Three black guys and an asian try to rile a police community support officer. One of them, clearly aggrieved, goes off in a rant about being subservient and being slaves to the system. The PCSO doesn\u0026rsquo;t as much as bat an eyelid. He\u0026rsquo;s clearly seen and heard a lot more. I move off - the last thing I want to do is to be caught up in something I have no business in. J arrives, and we grab a burger, seat on one of the benches and chat. We go over the usual - work, Nigeria, and the pressures from our parents to marry or be damned. Life I guess.\nBy Sunday, I am mentally drained and end up not going to church - terrible given how much I have looked forward to going in Manchester. I blame stumbling on a blog which wasn\u0026rsquo;t very complimentary of the one I wanted to attend for dissuading me. I do go out though - a final meetup up with R is planned at the gardens again. She does her nerd creds no harm by dragging me across to the Central Library - it\u0026rsquo;s impressive, circular facade one that intrigues me. It is however locked so we don\u0026rsquo;t get to see the insides. Lunch is a KFC three piece meal wolfed down with a diet pepsi. On the way back, we run into a number of street acts - Iron man, with whom I get to score a picture, and some bloke levitating as it were.\nPretty much tired and sleepy, I make my way to the train station for the airport. Under five pounds it is this time.. The next time, there will be no cabs for sure.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/05/13/about-town-a-mancunian-frolic-of-sorts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/img_0329.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"IMG_0329\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/img_0329.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sense is part foreboding,  part nonchalance - if both feelings can coexist - and sitting in the departure lounge at Aberdeen airport, waiting - seemingly interminably - for the announcement of my flight to Manchester does little to ease those feelings. Back \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/01/2014-the-plan/\"\u003ein January\u003c/a\u003e when I decided the \u003ca href=\"http://www.api.org/certification-programs/individual-certification-programs-icp\"\u003eAPI 571 exam\u003c/a\u003e was going to be one of my key personal development deliverables for the year, April seemed a lifetime away. Now, on the eve of the exam, the harsh reality hits home squarely not helped by the bad weather which has led to the delay of the inbound flight. The mood around the waiting room is one of tired resignation. It is chock full, fuller than I have ever seen it, perhaps a result of all the flights bunched up. Added to that for me is hunger, having skipped breakfast and hopped down to Boots at work for a meal deal lunch; hardly the sort of fare my inner Nigerian subsists on on a normal day.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Town: A Mancunian frolic of sorts..."},{"content":"\nMy father, very much like me, is not a great talker- the sum of our conversation over the course of the year is little more than fifteen minutes. In the main these - 3 minutes here, 2 there, and 5 there have mainly come about as intermissions, snuck in between typically lengthy conversations with my mother - if her constant probing and interrogating can count as conversations. When I wake up to find a couple of missed calls from him on my phone , a whatsapp message from my kid sister, and a BBM message from my brother - all relating to the fact that my father has been trying to get hold of me- it sets the alarm bells in my head off. After arriving from my weekend trip to the middle of nowhere (link) I ordered the largest, most decadent pizza I could from PapaJohns - with a barbecue chicken side- devoured it and promptly fell into my bed for sleep, which was how I ended up oblivious to the clamour for my attention.\nResigning myself to whatever it might be, I call him, bracing myself for whatever it might be. It turns out, it has to do with a conference down south he wants to attend- he wants guidance on visa applications, money transfers and all the associated arrangements required to smoothen his first trip out of Nigeria in a while. it was from my. Not quite any of the urgent, life threatening things my mind had invented then. we chit chat, a bit after that, work at mine, failed driving test and all get a mention, and then an uncomfortable silence. My unease increases exponentially.\nSo\u0026hellip;. He begins, have you called K yet? I haven\u0026rsquo;t and really don\u0026rsquo;t intend to. She is the doctor daughter of a friend of a friend of Mum\u0026rsquo;s whose folk perhaps as agitated by the lack of visible progress towards marrying as mine are have somehow dreamed up this match.\nI explain, I\u0026rsquo;ve had a lot on my plate- offshore, work, eyeing a job change and the like. I assure him I have it on the front burner though..\nMy father disagrees, by his estimation, if I had even a hint of seriousness, I would have placed the phone call to K, and or being on a flight to nigeria already. He thinks I\u0026rsquo;m overly focused on progressional development .\nYou know, people are worried too, they ask me what\u0026rsquo;s happening all the time.\nBy now my irritation has built up a head- the people who are worried won\u0026rsquo;t be in a marriage with me I interject. I may have overdone my curt ness as he falls silent, our little attempt at detente dying as quickly as it rose\u0026hellip;\nThe resignation in his voice is palpable. It\u0026rsquo;s alright, just call her, OK?\nI mumble a response back, just before I terminate the call\u0026hellip; Bait and switch, classic\u0026hellip;. My folks are getting better at this!!!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/04/15/bait-and-switch/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/icn_heroimage-1.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"icn_heroimage-1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/icn_heroimage-1.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy father, very much like me, is not a great talker- the sum of our conversation over the course of the year is little more than fifteen minutes. In the main these - 3 minutes here, 2 there, and 5 there have mainly come about as intermissions, snuck in between typically lengthy conversations with my mother - if her constant probing and interrogating can count as conversations. When I wake up to find a couple of missed calls from him on my phone , a whatsapp message from my kid sister, and a BBM message from my brother - all relating to the fact that my father has been trying to get hold of me- it sets the alarm bells in my head off. After arriving from my weekend trip to the middle of nowhere (link) I ordered the largest, most decadent pizza I could from PapaJohns - with a barbecue chicken side- devoured it and promptly fell into my bed for sleep, which was how I ended up oblivious to the clamour for my attention.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bait and Switch..."},{"content":"\nWide awake, with not even a lingering hint of sleep to becloud my eyes, I pause to ponder the day that lies ahead of me. Difficult as it may be to wrap my head around them, the facts are what they are. It is very nearly six months since I last made the journey that lies ahead of me. Back then, LK was the developing conundrum, one that those days spent in the middle of nowhere ended up resolving, ultimately to my pain - not that I knew that at the time. My alarm snaps me out of my little reverie - I have a 6.00am check-in at the other end of town to contend with, and a 15 minute walk to catch the bus that will haul me across town - small margins for error given it is already 4.05am.\nA bath, shave and a quick swig of water done, I heft my two bags onto my shoulders - two changes of clothes and work boots and covies in one, my laptop in the other - and make my way down King’s Street and then across to Broad Street where it turns out I have a ten minute wait till the 727 chugs along to pick us up. There is one other person in the bitter cold, she hops on to the number 11 after a few minutes, leaving me all along again till ta second co traveller appears at ten minutes past the hour. He doesn’t disappear - into the number 17 when it comes. The quiet wetness is that bit more bearable for company - silent though it is.\nOn to the 727 we are the only ones who are aboard, the driver’s reply to my muttered greeting is terse - a hint of an Eastern European accent to boot. Ear phones plugged in, I settle in to my chair , Tenth Avenue North my music of choice on this bitter cold morning. Somewhere between the Great Northern Road stop and the Bucksburn Police station, five or so others hop on, and my silent companion from Broad Street morphing into a pilot\u0026rsquo;s uniform, with as much efficiency as women who go from hag to wag on the tube.\nWe arrive at the airport at 5.30am - good time seeing the advertised time of arrival was meant to be 5.35am. My flight is only the second one so check-in for the first flight is still ongoing - it stretches for a further fifteen minutes, due , it turns out to particularly stringent checks today. I have to flash my passport and vantage card, get patted down quite intrusively and have my bag unpacked and repacked by the young lady who is conducting the baggage checks for me. My inner jacket doesn\u0026rsquo;t fit into my knapsack when she tries to fit it. She is apologetic about it - a small hassle for me - I opt to have it on me for addition to the big bag that gets tacked on to the flight for jackets and other small items.\nThe flight to Scatsta is quick - Scatsta ends up drier - and feels warmer - than Aberdeen does, even though it is nearly 300 miles closer to the North Pole. The quirks of my wet, cold and windy corner of Ruralshire I guess. The call to suit up comes at about 10.00am. It should take just under an hour but we end up with our feet on fairly stable ground - for what it’s worth - in an hour and thirty minutes. We make a pit stop on the NS platform, where the helicopter gets refuelled - and one of the pilots vanishes for nearly fifteen minutes. It is the first time in my six trips offshore where this has happened. If the motions the other passengers who like me are forced to disembark whilst all this goes on are anything to go by - the pilot has had the need to take a sudden shit.\nIt is very nearly 11.30m before I get to squirm out of my boiler suit, go through the shortened version of an induction and then dump my bags in the room I’ve been assigned. Long day coming up from the looks of it, given it is still not yet 12.00 noon.\n--- The room I am assigned, it turns out, I will have to share with a chap on the night shift. The slight positive is that it will give us both a measure of privacy – whilst I am sleeping he will be working, and vice versa. It does means too though that my morning ablutions are completed in a tip-toe of sorts. By 6.00 am I am done, and I head out to the galley to grab a cup of tea to kick start my day. On the way I run into G from my last trip. We shake hands, a little too firmly as we exchange pleasantries in the hallway. Six months ago, we had bonded over bad weather and a delayed flight that meant that a two day trip for me – and a three week one for him – ended up stretching an additional five days. This time, he is due off the day before I am to go. ‘ Thank goodness’ he says, ‘ at least you won’t be a Jonah on my flight this time’. I smile and walk away – his acerbic wit is one that is growing on me.\nI run into G again at 9.30am, the small matter of a spread of bacon rolls, cheese toast and cheese cake attracting a small crowd of six for a tea break and a natter. G is sat in the massage chair across from me, one of the guys, a Ross County football fan is the butt of his wit this time. The night before a couple of contentious referring decisions gifted G’s home town club a win over County, and he never one to miss the chance to goad a fellow human obliges. For once I am glad to be out of the eye of the storm.\nI dig into a bacon roll – doubled and a lorne sausage for good measure and enjoy the spectacle. M has a bacon roll too, and having downed that, at G’s encouragement digs into half a cheese toast. That, as I find out over the next few days provides plenty fodder for G to rib M about his weight.\nJust after lunch B stops by to alert me to the fact that my flight out on Monday is over booked – I’ll thus be spending an additional day. A bit of a nuisance given I have driving lessons booked for Tuesday evening. I toy with cancelling them to avoid losing my fee but decide to hold fire just yet. I guess given my luck, there was always the sneaky suspicion that it might come to this (it’s the fourth time out of six i’ll be delayed an extra day at least\n---\nSunday starts off early for me, the situation with the bloke on the night shift not exactly helping matters. At the mid-morning tea break, a new face shows up – a Canadian drilling engineer with a love for dirt bikes and trucks. He seems a pleasant enough guy, and take no offence to G’s ribbing about his love for cheese cake and the pin-ups splashed across his computer desktop.\nLunch is beef roast. I grab a couple of slices of roast beef with a small portion of curried rice - my nod to my stop start low carb diet, and at the chef\u0026rsquo;s insistence some haggis. Between mouthfuls of roast beef, I get sucked into a conversation on cars. A number of the guys are eyeing up sports cars – Jaguars, Audis and the like – out of my price range, even if I did not have the small matter of passing the driving test to contend with. I hum and ahm at the right moment, taking in the brake horse power, the number of cylinders and the acceleration stats with the right amount of (feigned) admiration I hope. For dessert, I have pick up two pieces of cheese cake - #4 and 5 over the last three days. On my return, I find the seat next to mine has been filled by K. The conversation has taken a slight detour into diet territory. K’s on a modified Atkins one, where he’s sworn off carbs. Uncomfortable territory given how much cheese cake I have downed so far.\nSometime after dinner, P stops by with slightly more relevant news – a medevac on Monday means a second flight will be put on, and I just might make it to the beach on the same day I am planned for a change – some consolation. J emails to check up on me - I give her a call and we chat about how the weekend has panned out. Hectic at hers, slightly less so at mine but plenty to look forward to on Monday.\n---\nMonday passes in a blur - tense anticipation ruling the day as first I am informed the original flight I should be on has been cancelled. I am promised a later one will arrive at 1.45pm. In the end, it arrives at 4.00pm. Late enough to have had lunch but not dinner. By the time it touches down in Scatsta, it is nearly 6.15pm. We spend another 30 minutes waiting, before we wing our way back to the \u0026lsquo;Deen.\nI am far too tired to care at this stage - I must come across as a right grump to the cab driver as after three or so attempts to make small talk, the ride passes in somewhat uncomfortable silence. All that is left by the time I arrive at my door, at very nearly 7.30pm, is to order a large Papa Johns, devour it in short order and fall into my bed fully clothed till the gentle vibration of my phone alarm the next morning jolts me back to life.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/04/08/about-town-on-yet-another-return-to-the-middle-of-nowhere/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/img_0234.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"IMG_0234\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/img_0234.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWide awake, with not even a lingering hint of sleep to becloud my eyes, I pause to ponder the day that lies ahead of me. Difficult as it may be to wrap my head around them, the facts are what they are. It is very nearly six months since \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/11/mis-matched/\"\u003eI last made the journey\u003c/a\u003e that lies ahead of me. Back then, \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/lk/\"\u003eLK\u003c/a\u003e was the developing conundrum, one that those days spent in the middle of nowhere ended up resolving, ultimately to my pain - not that I knew that at the time. My alarm snaps me out of my little reverie - I have a 6.00am check-in at the other end of town to contend with, and a 15 minute walk to catch the bus that will haul me across town - small margins for error given it is already 4.05am.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Town : On (yet another) return to the middle of nowhere"},{"content":"\nDown South, the overwhelming narrative is one of a spring in full flow, cue a flood of selfies on Instagram and Facebook, complete with the obligatory sunglasses, sleeveless tops and sandals. Up here, in my North Eastern corner of Ruralshire, the best that we have had is six degree weather and intermittent sunshine - not quite spring, but very nearly as good as it gets up here, being thankful that we are not having snow in March like we did last year.\nMarch pretty much sped by - leaving in its trail a raft of ups and downs. For one, my on-off dalliance with LK was finally put to the sword, common sense finally prevailing over blind, senseless hope. Six months and some of walking on egg shells, being treated like crap and being used a a dump for wildly swinging emotions have been exchanged for clarity and distance - still slightly hurting but a step in the right direction.\nIn one week from hell, I got a tooth pulled out, flunked my driving test spectacularly and got turned down for the dream job - a mid level rust geek role at a Company I had always wanted to work for since my (Nigerian) under graduate days. Being on the verge of turning 35, coming up to 5 years in my current role and changes to the operational status of the plant I support have all been elements of the perfect storm which seems to have hit a tad early.\nIt has not been all doom and gloom though - J\u0026rsquo;s been a refreshing breath of fresh air by all accounts, and (finally) some clarity around my current work situation. Catching Zara MacFarlane at the Aberdeen Jazz Festival, thanks to boredom at the office and some googling was also a highlight. Rocking at the Blue Lamp, she delivered a nuanced performance, high in energy at times but also deep and sombre at times. Much value for money, the one blight on the night being that I ended up sat at the same table as someone I had done lunch with in the past who spectacularly failed to recognise me. Some impact i must have left I guess!\nThe monthly lunches with the guys from work have become a staple. This time we returned to the Bistro Verde to take in the fantastic sea food on offer. It delivered as usual, if the service was somewhat slow this time. Calamari, Gin and tonics and pan fried haddock set me in the mood for an extended weekend of luxuriating, capped off by meeting J in London, Hillsong and a fabulous kebab in Harrow after being dragged through the Currys computer aisles by C.\nIn books, I ended up completing two - half way through a third. Much progress given how February delivered zero completed books. Both books, by some quirk had to do with the making and breaking of habits - Charles Duhigg\u0026rsquo;s New York Times bestseller The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do, and How to Change and Heath Lambert\u0026rsquo;s Finally Free: Fighting for Purity with the Power of Grace. Both books take an ax to the root of habits from different perspectives - Duhigg\u0026rsquo;s the more pop science based approach with Heath Lambert\u0026rsquo;s a very much biblically focused one. Two of the better reviews I stumbled on provide a good summary of both books - Business Week on The Power of Habit and Tim Challies on Finally Free.\nIn other news, I somehow managed to pick up 3kg in weight. Those darned two for one Tuesdays from PapaJohns be damned :(\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/04/01/the-march-wrap-reboots-london-and-bits-and-bobs/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/march_collage.png\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"march_collage\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/march_collage.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDown South, the overwhelming narrative is one of \u003ca href=\"http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/mar/30/uk-basks-weather-hotter-spain\"\u003ea spring in full flow\u003c/a\u003e, cue a flood of selfies on Instagram and Facebook, complete with the obligatory sunglasses, sleeveless tops and sandals. Up here, in my North Eastern corner of Ruralshire, the best that we have had is six degree weather and intermittent sunshine - not quite spring, but very nearly as good as it gets up here, being thankful that we are not having snow in March like \u003ca href=\"http://weatherspark.com/history/28750/2013/Aberdeen-Scotland-United-Kingdom\"\u003ewe did last year\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The March Wrap - Reboots, London and Bits and Bobs..."},{"content":" You Can’t Start The Next Chapter Of Your Life If You Keep Re-Reading The Last One\u0026hellip;\nI still had LK\u0026rsquo;s contact details on my phone, and about once a week I would send her a whatsapp message to see how she was getting on; even though our conversations usually involved her unloading on her issues on me - work, friends not taking her seriously anymore and the like. For one, it sent a message that I was still available - a tad too available even, and perhaps that I wasn\u0026rsquo;t entirely over her. Given the background, her unwavering declaration of not being interested romantically in me and her self declared complexity, it was always crass stupidity on my part..\nWhile I was at it, I finally did the needful and wiped out all traces of contact information for S, Tee, O and F\u0026hellip; So.. here\u0026rsquo;s to spring cleaning\u0026hellip; And new beginnings\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/03/19/spring-cleaning-1/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou Can’t Start The Next Chapter Of Your Life If You Keep Re-Reading The Last One\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI still had \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/lk/\"\u003eLK\u003c/a\u003e\u0026rsquo;s contact details on my phone, and about once a week I would send her a whatsapp message to see how she was getting on; even though our conversations usually involved her unloading on her issues on me - work, friends not taking her seriously anymore and the like. For one, it sent a message that I was still available - a tad \u003cem\u003etoo\u003c/em\u003e available even, and perhaps that I wasn\u0026rsquo;t entirely over her. Given the background, her unwavering declaration of not being interested romantically in me and her self declared complexity, it was always crass stupidity on my part..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Spring cleaning..."},{"content":"Still slightly depressed from all that’s happened to rock my world over the last few weeks, I drag myself down to Union Square having left work thirty minutes early. I am hoping that a little window shopping – and fresh air – will do my foul mood some good. Thirty minutes later, having made a pit stop at TK Maxx, mooched around Sole Trader and JD Sports I find myself at the Jones shop, pondering the wisdom or otherwise of splurging on a gorgeous pair of Timberland boat shoes I have found.\nSo engrossed am I that I do not notice the floor assistant at my elbow, until she coughs – apologetically – in a bid to get my attention.\nCan I help you today Sir, she asks, when seemingly every other ruse in the book has failed to get my attention. I swivel round to face her. She is dressed in all black - shirt, skirt, tights and shoes - except for a sliver of silver in the shape of a name tag with the name Emma scrawled across it.\nI explain that I am in the market for new boat shoes but can’t seem to find anything in size 11. She takes the size 9 ones I have picked up from the display away to have a look, returning in ten minutes to say those are the only sizes left. She offers to order them up on the store’s online portal but having given it some thought I decline the offer - two weeks is a lot of time to spend waiting on an impulse buy, I reason.\nPerhaps you could try our shop further down Union Street, she asks, as I make to leave. The store she is trying to describe isn\u0026rsquo;t one I am familiar with, her long winded description of how I can find it - down past the junction of Union and Crown Streets being of little use. My confusion must be apparent because her older colleague, looking on from across the room comes across to help out.\nLook for it on your left as you head towards the junction of Holburn and Union, she says. If you’re at the Soul Bar you’ve missed it. The Soul Bar indeed is one that I recognise, and have been at quite a few times. As I make my way out of the shop to head towards Holburn, I overhear the older woman telling the younger one to use the pubs as a reference. Apparently us blokes like our tipple.\nI end up at A’s place on Sunday afternoon, after whatever dopamine boost my new shoes bring has worn off; a mini moviethon helping Saturday pass. Non Stop, Ride Along and The Book Thief being the movies of choice. I run into him on Sunday afternoon after church, whilst picking my way through the clutch of after church greeters and hangers. I stop to have what I think will be a quick chit-chat but end up catching up over a number of different things we haven’t all year and getting invited over for lunch.\nAt his house we talk about my recent girl problems and my solution - assembling a strategy committee. A home cooked meal, hang out with his kid and a lengthy conversation around the key changes I need to make to my failing girl strategy later, it is very nearly 6.30pm on Sunday. His - and his wife\u0026rsquo;s advice - is that a re-branding of sorts is what I need, my reserved nerd image being ditched for a more trendy, suave, urbane one. We agree to touch base later in the month for a mini splurge - and driving practice\nSomehow it is Sunday evening again, Monday beckons - another weekend survived.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/03/11/getting-directions-movie-thons-and-sunday-afternoon-conversations/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eStill slightly depressed from \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/03/the-end-wrapping-up-project-lk/\"\u003eall that’s happened\u003c/a\u003e to rock my world over the last few weeks, I drag myself down to Union Square having left work thirty minutes early. I am hoping that a little window shopping – and fresh air – will do my foul mood some good. Thirty minutes later, having made a pit stop at TK Maxx, mooched around Sole Trader and JD Sports I find myself at the Jones shop, pondering the wisdom or otherwise of splurging on a gorgeous pair of Timberland boat shoes I have found.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Getting Directions, Movie-thons and Sunday afternoon conversations"},{"content":" ---\nLet\u0026rsquo;s keep it moving in a forward motion, If we can hold on, we can cross this ocean, There\u0026rsquo;s no sense in lettin\u0026rsquo; our emotions, Get in the way, until the door keeps closin'\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/03/09/on-repeat-thousand-foot-krutch-forward-motion/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/eV15CCXweAg?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLet\u0026rsquo;s keep it moving in a forward motion,\nIf we can hold on, we can cross this ocean,\nThere\u0026rsquo;s no sense in lettin\u0026rsquo; our emotions,\nGet in the way, until the door keeps closin'\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Repeat: #10 - Thousand Foot Krutch - Forward Motion"},{"content":"I never sent this though - in retrospect, I should have, and drawn a line under the sordid, heart rending affair that was my dalliance with LK. Source:\nI have given our prospective Thursday evening meetup a lot more thought. Under different circumstances - if we didn’t have the ‘us’ elephant in the room - I would have no reservations whatsoever with popping into London to see you. I enjoy your company that much, and have genuinely looked forward to every second we’ve spent together.\nI get the sense that you are, or are close to being, at a critical irritation threshold on the ‘us’ subject (as I also perhaps am). Admittedly, and to my shame, I am under no illusions whatsoever that this state of affairs has been largely precipitated by my persistence - most of it unplanned - in not letting things be, and to flow. For that I must apologise.\nGiven this background, and the specific events which have precipitated this meetup, I fear we would be unable to just enjoy being together on a night out and suggest that we cancel. You’re away to Paris, and it’s unfair and selfish of me to drag you through this on the eve of your departure, distracting you from focusing on and looking forward to, having the thoroughly pleasurable time out there you fully deserve.\nIn retrospect, you’re quite right in wanting to be cautious, and to protect yourself from harm - considerations which apply to me too. In my case, I have allowed my heart overrule my natural inhibitions - which is neither safe, right nor wise; especially given the fact that the body of evidence here hardly supports overruling caution. With the privilege of hindsight, and a semblance of objectivity, what we really are at best are two adults who enjoy each other’s company, have largely congruent worldviews and a sufficient number of shared interests to be able to converse and not grate each other by our difference. A lot more evidence than that is required to be able to make the sort of decisions I have selfishly asked of you - again something I am not entirely proud of, and for which I apologise.\nFor the record, I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting you and getting to know the little I have of you in the past four months. Thinking of you awakened - and still does - an intense feeling of wanting to care for, protect, honour and spend as much time with and around you. That you could unlock such feelings in such a short space of time, and that these have overridden my rational, pragmatic thought processes is both a tribute to your engaging personality and my admiration for the focus and determination with which you appear to take life head on.\nI accept that the evidence - the cold hard facts of what we know about each other - is more consistent with your more cautious (and eminently sensible) position, and in retrospect believe that the sort of unreserved conclusions about us and the future I somehow reached are overly optimistic and border on the foolish and premature. My inevitable conclusion from the foregoing is that in the near term, both our interests are best served by some time apart - for you, to continue with the thinking processes under girding your decision if there is still one to make, and for me to undertake a period of intense soul searching, one outcome of which I hope will be arriving at a place where my emotional investment is at a level consistent with the reality of where we are now.\nThese are difficult words to write, and it is with much thought, consideration and agonising both for my own future emotional health and yours that I have reached this conclusion. As someone who unreservedly accepts the Sovereignty of God in all things, I can only lean on the hope implicit in the acceptance of that sovereignty; that if we are meant to be, we will, and will survive time apart. If not, we will just have to keep it moving, and trust that God in his Wisdom knows best.\nThoughtfully and Respectively Yours,\nAJ\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/03/07/for-lk-what-i-wanted-to-say/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eI never sent this though - in retrospect, I should have, and drawn a line under the sordid, heart rending affair that was my dalliance with LK.\u003c/em\u003e \u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/shutting-the-door-lk.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Shutting-the-Door-LK\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/shutting-the-door-lk.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"http://hisdailydose.org/2014/08/07/closing-door-time-desperation/\"\u003eSource:\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have given our prospective Thursday evening meetup a lot more thought. Under different circumstances - if we didn’t have the ‘us’ elephant in the room - I would have no reservations whatsoever with popping into London to see you. I enjoy your company that much, and have genuinely looked forward to every second we’ve spent together.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"For LK : What I wanted to say..."},{"content":"As suspected, my neither here nor there dalliance with LK sputtered to it\u0026rsquo;s pretty much inevitable death. That the trigger - in her words - was a relationship seminar the day before rather than plain old irritation was more the surprise rather than that it came to that.\nIn retrospect, I committed way too much, way too soon. If there is a lesson here it is to go slow- let the interest be known but not drop all inhibitions and lose all the mystery. There is a sense of de ja vu here - back to square zero again after five or so months, multiple dates, a start that promised much but ends yet again in the dreaded friend zone.\nMy friend C thinks I chase the wrong women - given the wretched run I am on, it is becoming increasingly difficult to not agree with her. N and her hubs think I could use a do over, a proper rebranding of my packaging to better showcase my inner qualities. First off is a shopping spree to sort out my wardrobe malfunctions. Let the re-brand begin :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/03/03/the-end-wrapping-up-project-lk/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAs \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/02/the-sense-of-an-ending/\"\u003esuspected\u003c/a\u003e, my neither here nor there dalliance with \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/lk/\"\u003eLK\u003c/a\u003e sputtered to it\u0026rsquo;s pretty much inevitable death. That the trigger - in her words - was a relationship seminar the day before rather than plain old irritation was more the surprise rather than that it came to that.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn retrospect, I committed way too much, way too soon. If there is a lesson here it is to go slow- let the interest be known but not drop all inhibitions and lose all the mystery. There is a sense of de ja vu here - \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/10/starting-over/\"\u003eback to square zero\u003c/a\u003e again after five or so months, multiple dates, a start that promised much but ends yet again in the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/10/friend-zoned/\"\u003edreaded friend zone\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The End... Wrapping up Project LK"},{"content":" ---\nIf You were a Star.. I\u0026rsquo;d follow you home by Heart\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/03/02/on-repeat-avalon-feat-aaron-neville-by-heart-by-soul/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/tVYu5NiSSGw?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf You were a Star.. I\u0026rsquo;d follow you home by Heart\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Repeat: #9 – Avalon (feat. Aaron Neville) - By Heart, By Soul"},{"content":"Getting fit and lean is one of my key deliverables for 2014. The health effects being obvious, given my borderline LVH diagnosis from 2013, and an increasing desire to ditch my keg for a veritable six pack (hello ladies :). The general consensus seemed to be that the Paleo diet was a great way to achieve the calorie restrictions required to achieve that, whilst I work on defining the exercise component to that. Over the course of the 28 days of February, I managed 20 completions, slightly improved over the January numbers for challenge #1, but still far short of the full complement.\nIn my defence the black holes were primarily driven by external factors, team lunches and events I had to attend or other meetups where fiddling with the menus was frowned on quite a fair bit. It is a challenge I want to carry forward, with more realistic expectations in place and a lot more rigour.\nOn a more positive note, Challenge #1 from January appears to be a habit that is slowly being ingrained into my morning routine, with a 100% adoption in February. :)\nFor March, the challenge is to complete Tim Challies 31 Days of Purity Challenge, as well as build on the habits from January and February. Fingers crossed on this one.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/03/01/day-challenge-use-the-paleo-diet/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/01/2014-the-plan/\"\u003eGetting fit and lean\u003c/a\u003e is one of my key deliverables for 2014. The health effects being obvious, given my \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/08/waking-up/\"\u003eborderline LVH diagnosis\u003c/a\u003e from 2013, and an increasing desire to ditch my keg for a veritable six pack (hello ladies :). The general consensus seemed to be that the Paleo diet was a great way to achieve the calorie restrictions required to achieve that, whilst I work on defining the exercise component to that. Over the course of the 28 days of February, I managed 20 completions, slightly improved over the January numbers for challenge #1, but still far short of the full complement.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"30 Day Challenge #2: Use the Paleo Diet"},{"content":"\nWhen I first came here, it was not love at first sight. There was no instant click, no immediate sense of belonging; only a sense of tentativeness.The call that set it all off had come out of the blue one Tuesday afternoon, from a Manager I didn\u0026rsquo;t work for directly. My first response was to email the guy I actually did work for - he took a day and a half to get back to me - by which time the moving train had gathered speed. After less than three months back at the mother lode, following a six month stint sequestered in a client office, I was on the move again.\nThere was the small matter of a mini interview to navigate before all that -which I managed alright at. And then there was the settling in, to a different, less organised way of working, and new people to meet on both sides of the fence.\nThat little exchange at the start of everything would end up setting the tone for everything other thing that would happen over the course of the next three years (and counting) - the sense of being kept at arms length, doing my own thing as long as the coffers at the mother lode kept swelling due to my endeavours.\nThere have been good memories - the banter which went a tad too far more often than not, the introduction to G\u0026amp;Ts (the gentleman’s brew), team lunches and the three or four truly great work mates I made. There were near escapes too - Azerbaijan came calling, as did Nigeria (a few times). By and large one survived, and dare I say left an impact - delivering on the job under pressure at times in a way that drew grudging respect from more than a few people.\nFor the last time today, the taps were turned off on the little corner of the North Sea I have been the resident rustgeek for. I never forged the sort of bond with M as I did with UX5 from a few years ago, nevertheless there is the sense of loss and beyond that the question of what the next big challenge will be.\nIt certainly is not the end, more like the end of the beginning as Churchill once famously said, but for me it feels only natural to pause and ponder what the next move will be. There are a number of design sized gaps in my resume which this natural juncture feels like a good time to begin to seek ways to plug.\nThe ideal next role? London or it’s environs, focused on subsea and pipelines and with loads of ‘core’ corrosion and materials content. The last five years have been spent largely in an Inspection and Asset Integrity role to the detriment of the more technical, M\u0026amp;C skill areas .\nWhat is not in doubt is the certainty of uncertainty. The next move will not be sudden - there is yet some life left in the old dog that is M. And wherever one ends up, there will be new memories.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/02/28/the-end-of-the-beginning/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"MURCHISON-02\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/murchison-02.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen I first came here, it was not love at first sight. There was no instant click, no immediate sense of belonging; only a sense of tentativeness.The call that set it all off had come out of the blue one Tuesday afternoon, from a Manager I didn\u0026rsquo;t work for directly. My first response was to email the guy I \u003cem\u003eactually did\u003c/em\u003e work for - he took a day and a half to get back to me - by which time the moving train had gathered speed. After less than three months back at the mother lode, following a six month stint sequestered in a client office,  I was on the move \u003cem\u003eagain.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The End of the Beginning"},{"content":"Against my better judgement I WhatsApped LK whilst she was in Paris to say I\u0026rsquo;d thought a lot of her on the day, and that I hoped that she\u0026rsquo;d had a blast so far.. Very nearly 12 hours after she\u0026rsquo;s been in London, over 36 since she read the message, and two profile picture changes later, she hasn\u0026rsquo;t deemed it fit to respond in any shape or form.\nGuess whatever ambiguity there was about the need to ease myself off has slowly resolved itself. It is very much an ending of sorts now..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/02/24/epic-fail/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAgainst my better judgement I WhatsApped LK whilst she was in Paris to say I\u0026rsquo;d thought a lot of her on the day, and that I hoped that she\u0026rsquo;d had a blast so far.. Very nearly 12 hours after she\u0026rsquo;s been in London, over 36 since she read the message, and two profile picture changes later, she hasn\u0026rsquo;t deemed it fit to respond in any shape or form.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGuess whatever ambiguity there was about the need to ease myself off has slowly resolved itself. It is \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/02/the-sense-of-an-ending/\"\u003every much an ending of sorts\u003c/a\u003e now..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Epic Fail..."},{"content":" --- I wanna know a song can rise From the ashes of a broken life And all that’s dead inside can be reborn Cause I’m worn\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/02/23/on-repeat-tenth-avenue-north-worn/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/UUEy8nZvpdM?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e---\nI wanna know a song can rise\nFrom the ashes of a broken life\nAnd all that’s dead inside can be reborn\nCause I’m worn\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Repeat: #8 - Tenth Avenue North - Worn"},{"content":"Having given the subject of my proposed trip to London to see LK a lot of thought, I resolved that the sensible thing was not to go through it. Two main things stood out in my head as valid reasons for this position - she was due to go away for a much deserved holiday the day after and didn\u0026rsquo;t deserve to go under a cloud, and perhaps more importantly I felt we were at a level of irritation at which constructive conversation was well nigh impossible. I thus penned a lengthy email exploring my feelings and explaining my decisions which I intended to send through to her after we had had a quick chat.\nWhen I broached the subject of the trip on Wednesday night, and provided a summary of the rationales behind my decision, she asked if reconsidering was something I was willing to do, on the condition that the \u0026lsquo;us\u0026rsquo; elephant wouldn\u0026rsquo;t come up. That I enjoy her company very much is something I have gone on record to affirm and re-affirm. It was thus a no-brainer to do just that.\nThe flight to London was delayed at Aberdeen thanks to ticketing problems, late arrivals and all the other things that can go wrong, meaning I arrived a full 30 minutes behind schedule, which perhaps set the tone for a slightly awkward start to our evening. A flurry of text messages were waiting on my mobile by the time I got off the underground and managed to orient myself at the Waterloo Station.\nDinner @ Cote was brilliant - our shared calamari starter was ace, my steak was flavour full, if the chips were a bit salty, and we capped the evening off by sharing a Praline Crêpe which I thought was very good. I am famously non fussy with food, so perhaps my opinion counts less, but LK did seem like she enjoyed her meal too. All in all, it was a pleasant if understated evening, one we managed to navigate without segueing into dodgy, choppy waters.\nFrom a being friends perspective, it was a great thing to do; enjoy each other\u0026rsquo;s company and have a relaxed evening. From a defining a way forward one, it was far less a roaring success. As my little thought experiment surmised, what LK and I know about each other is more consistent with her position, one of cautiously inching forward, rather than mine which is increasingly looking optimistic and foolhardy. As I do, she has quirks of character which might worry me in the long run. My love language is quality time and I suspect that if I truly loved someone, I might not bear being away from them for an extended period. Between her natural personality, her much noted need for \u0026lsquo;her\u0026rsquo; time and space, and the lurking desires to go away for an extended period to work across West Africa, that we would necessarily be apart for an extended period is a real and present threat. Bottom line is that based on what I know so far, it\u0026rsquo;s no slam dunk that we wouldn\u0026rsquo;t have any major fall outs based on how we both process people and relationships - quite differently.\nComing away from the dinner and catch up, the overwhelming sense I had was one of a lack of resolution. Not helped by the fact that she turned and hopped onto her bus without so much of a wave back, or a text upon arrival to confirm she\u0026rsquo;d arrived safely. I did text to confirm that she did though, at the time my N9 from Caring Cross finally arrived at Harlington Corner, well past 1.00am.\nOne has the sense that it is an ending of sorts. Perhaps there is a need on my part to ease off and scale back on my emotional entanglement here, hopefully so that I can arrive at a level more consistent with what LK and I really are at the moment - good friends who may potentially grow a romantic connection in the future. It may be time to truly go back to the drawing board, lose the expectations and just enjoy being me, and being friends.\nNext day on the way to the airport, I got a message from her - somewhat cryptic given how out of keeping with the conversation we had been having at the time it was - You\u0026rsquo;re an awesome guy. If any one sentence encapsulates the ambiguity between LK it was just that. Whilst it was a great sentiment to express, given the lack of context, me the pragmatist ended up left with more questions than answers - is there an unspoken but at the end of the sentence or was this just a compliment for me to accept for a start?\nI am probably over-thinking it.. But I really wish things were a little easier and clearer.. The alternative may be to just up and leave\u0026hellip; The goat of my ambiguity aversion doesn\u0026rsquo;t do hazy very well.. :(\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/02/20/the-sense-of-an-ending/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHaving given the subject of my proposed trip to London to see \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/lk/\"\u003eLK\u003c/a\u003e a lot of thought, I resolved that the sensible thing was not to go through it. Two main things stood out in my head as valid reasons for this position - she was due to go away for a much deserved holiday the day after and didn\u0026rsquo;t deserve to go under a cloud, and perhaps more importantly I felt we were at a level of irritation at which constructive conversation was well nigh impossible. I thus \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kxq9OgaZN0s0vdkiw7j0fa2DOxebNe4zdzjulZDJ5Fs/edit?usp=sharing\"\u003epenned a lengthy email\u003c/a\u003e exploring my feelings and explaining my decisions which I intended to send through to her after we had had a quick chat.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Sense of An Ending"},{"content":"LK and I somehow ended up having yet another conversation on the never quite clearly defined subject of \u0026lsquo;us\u0026rsquo;. Having gone ahead to send through a gift for Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day, I did feel a little bit miffed that my efforts had merely provoked a very understated reaction. One thing led to another and I ended up letting rip a broadside around the uncertainties I was having to carry around this connection. All this over whatsapp, and at work, which was criminal on my part I must say.\nWe eventually decided it was best to have a face to face conversation. She is away on holiday in a couple of days, I can take the Friday off and pop into London to get this sorted. My mindset at the moment is very much one of just below my critical irritation threshold.. Part of me thinks it\u0026rsquo;s not a great idea to be doing the face to face seeing how worked up we are, but perhaps what we need is just that to kick us out of our (self-inflicted) misery and get on with life\u0026hellip; Or not.. :(\nSigh\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/12/17/tipping-point/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/lk/\"\u003eLK\u003c/a\u003e and I somehow ended up having yet another conversation on the never quite clearly defined subject of \u0026lsquo;us\u0026rsquo;. Having \u003ca href=\"/2014/02/08/conversations-and-conundrums/\"\u003egone ahead\u003c/a\u003e to send through a gift for Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day, I did feel a little bit miffed that my efforts had merely provoked a very understated reaction. One thing led to another and I ended up letting rip a broadside around the uncertainties I was having to carry around this connection. All this over whatsapp, and at work, which was criminal on my part I must say.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Tipping point?"},{"content":"For O, who bailed too soon\u0026hellip;\n---\nIn life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/02/16/on-repeat-7-emeli-sande-abide-with-me/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor O, who bailed too soon\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/MmtRlEIIZnQ?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Repeat: #7 – Emeli Sande - Abide With Me"},{"content":"For LK, and the Mag I wish there were no ifs Or buts, or lingering maybes - But only the delirium Of the re-memory of your face, Etched in my heart like The ravines a swollen river Carves in broken shale.\nI wish there was no ochre coloured space; this drizzled, empty place, stained with this ache from the itch of a thousand broken pieces\nOh that there were between you and I - a half uttered invitation. I would cross seven mountains, seven valleys and seven swollen river beds too, to pour a libation at your feet, and revel in this delirium…\nI wish there were no ifs, no buts, no reluctant maybes Yet all that is left here Like a bad song played relentlessly In my head, is a sad, dull knowing Of loss, and the sense Of a difficult ending\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/02/14/wishes-re-memory/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/lk/\"\u003eLK\u003c/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"http://magpietales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/mag-206.html\"\u003ethe Mag\u003c/a\u003e  \u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/mag206.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Mag206\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/mag206.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI wish there were no ifs\nOr buts, or \u003cem\u003elingering\u003c/em\u003e maybes -\nBut only the delirium\nOf the re-memory of your face,\nEtched in my heart like\nThe ravines a swollen river\nCarves in broken shale.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI wish there was no\nochre coloured space;\nthis drizzled, empty place,\nstained with this ache\nfrom the itch of\na thousand broken pieces\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOh that there were\nbetween you and I -\na half uttered invitation.\nI would cross seven mountains,\nseven valleys and\nseven swollen river beds too,\nto pour a libation\nat your feet, and revel\nin this delirium…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Wishing on a Re-memory"},{"content":" ---\n\u0026hellip; No matter how many times I break You promise always to keep me safe You\u0026rsquo;re my rescue when I\u0026rsquo;m spinning outta control\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/02/09/on-repeat-hawk-nelson-faithful/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/rTN9cnJ8U9M?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026hellip; No matter how many times I break\nYou promise always to keep me safe\nYou\u0026rsquo;re my rescue when I\u0026rsquo;m spinning outta control\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Repeat: #6 – Hawk Nelson – Faithful"},{"content":"Fundamentally, I do like you, but there is a but.\nMy initial elation very quickly vanished, to be replaced with a more pragmatic mix of angst, exasperation and some curiosity. LK and I had been chatting, catching up, and following up after my London trip, the main driver for which was a (second) date with her. After church at Hillsong - always a great bonus on these trips - I made my way towards the Angel Station where we\u0026rsquo;d planned to meet and then do lunch and talk.\nShe arrived just after 2pm, looking gorgeous, her multiple layers of wraps against the cold notwithstanding. Lunch was Italian at Jamie\u0026rsquo;s, after which we had one of our better conversations. I felt a lot more at ease this time than the first time at our coffee shop, less tentative, for want of a better word.\nThree hours later, our wide ranging conversation had all but ended, it was too rainy to do anything more and she had a bus to catch, so I walked her to her bus station, at which point I asked the salient question around me being keen to take our connection to the next level, if there was one. Typically, her response was understated.. Essentially defaulting to her needing to have a serious think to chew over everything.\nThat was the background to our conversation that Saturday morning, during which it turned out she did like me, but not physically. Not the first time I\u0026rsquo;ve been given the you\u0026rsquo;re awesome but speech, but on this occasion we resolved to let things flow naturally as they have and see. Not quite the clarity I was looking for, but also not the slammed door in my face it might have been.\nSo, LK and I remain in that nearly just friends zone. I\u0026rsquo;ve gone on record to let her know I am attracted to her, and enjoy her company and all. In fairness to her, she’d gone on record previously to say that chemistry was a biggie for her.. I just didn\u0026rsquo;t pick up on that.\nThe plan, if that can be considered one, is to give IT - this poorly defined connection between LK and I - February. Maybe send a Valentine\u0026rsquo;s gift in her way to reiterate my interest and then see how February pans out. If I do not get the sense of progress, it might just be the trigger to wrap things up and scale back my emotional investment to such a level that is commensurate to being just friends. It will be - admittedly - difficult, given how well/ far I feel we have come in the past three months\u0026hellip; But it is what it is, I guess\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/02/08/conversations-and-conundrums/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFundamentally, I do like you, but there is a but.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy initial elation very quickly vanished, to be replaced with a more pragmatic mix of angst, exasperation and some curiosity. LK and I had been chatting, catching up, and following up after my London trip, the main driver for which was  a (second) date with her. After church at Hillsong - always a great bonus on these trips - I made my way towards the Angel Station where we\u0026rsquo;d planned to meet and then do lunch and talk.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Conversations and Conundrums"},{"content":" Between Albert Camus\u0026rsquo;The Outsider and Ahdaf Soueif\u0026rsquo;s The Map of Love, my 2014 reading has gotten off to a solid, if unspectacular start, both these books seeming to occupy opposite extremes of the emotional engagement continuum.\nIn The Outsider, two excellent summaries of which can be found here and here, Albert Camus’ protagonist, Meursault, is defined by his (lack of) emotional reaction to the death of his mother; My mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don’t know - he says, and the subsequent problems that causes for him when he ends up getting sucked into a conflict that was never his to begin with, but which ends in murder.\nPost conviction, as he awaits execution, the themes of detachment and a refusal to show emotion - refusing to plead self defence, or to pretend to feel more pain at the death of his mother continue, factors which the prosecution uses to portray him as a callous, deadened, premeditated murderer. After an intense confrontation with the prison chaplain, his final thoughts with respect to his impending death are to hope that there will be many spectators on the day of his execution and that they would greet him with cries of hatred.In contrast, Soueif\u0026rsquo;s book- which she started out writing as a ‘tawdry romance’- is a maelstrom of emotion - two love stories, three women and two cross cultural liaisons separated by a hundred years of Egyptian nation building.Anna, the English widow, goes to Egypt in an attempt to rebuild her life after losing her husband to the ravages of a mind destroyed by the excesses of the British Empire in Sudan. There, having being kidnapped, she ends up becoming friends with Layla, whose brother a leading nationalist, Sharif al-Baroudi, she eventually marries leading to repercussions and distrust from both sides of the Empire-Nationalist divide in the Egypt of the day.The catalyst for discovering the story is a trunk Isabel, a divorced American journalist, is left by her mother, and a burgeoning love affair with an Egyptian conductor - Omar in New York. His suggestion that she take the trunk to Egypt to get help translating some of the papers written in Arabic brings woman #3 into the equation, Omar’s sister Amal.The contrast with The Outsider is stark. I had loads of favourite, intimate tender moments, my favourite passage being the one in which having sent his first bride back to her parents, ostensibly to remove the weight of his family name being associated with them, his mother genuinely worried stops by to have a chat around helping him meet the need \u0026lsquo;which God has lawfully ordained for men\u0026rsquo;. He bows his head and delivers a response I would do well to share with my own mother when she gets antsy with me for not too dissimilar a reason:\nWe are living in difficult times and it is not enough for a person to be interested in his home and his job - in his personal life. I need my partner to be someone to whom I can turn, confident of her sympathy, believing her when she tells me I\u0026rsquo;m in the wrong, strengthened when she tells me I\u0026rsquo;m in the right. I want to love, and be loved back.\nTwo other books round up my January reading - Warsanshire\u0026rsquo;s (who needs no introduction really) Teaching My Mother How To Give Birth and James Patterson’s Merry Christmas, Alex Cross, an airport impulse buy at Waterstones on my last jaunt to London. All told, one month in, four books are done and dusted. Good progress given how 2013 went in books.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/02/05/2014-reading-the-january-wrap/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBetween Albert Camus\u0026rsquo;\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Outsider-Penguin-Modern-Classics/dp/0141198060\"\u003eThe Outsider\u003c/a\u003e and Ahdaf Soueif\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Map-Love-Ahdaf-Soueif/dp/0747545634/\"\u003eThe Map of Love\u003c/a\u003e, my \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/reading/2014-books/\"\u003e2014 reading\u003c/a\u003e has gotten off to a solid, if unspectacular start, both these books seeming to occupy opposite extremes of the emotional engagement continuum.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn The Outsider, two excellent summaries of which can be found \u003ca href=\"http://www.camus-society.com/the-stranger-summary.html\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/stranger/canalysis.html\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e,  Albert Camus’ protagonist, Meursault, is defined by his (lack of) emotional reaction  to the death of his mother; \u003cem\u003eMy mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don’t know\u003c/em\u003e - he says,  and the subsequent problems that causes for him when he ends up getting sucked into a conflict that was never his to begin with, but which ends in murder.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2014 Reading - The January Wrap"},{"content":" Al Mohler on The Marks of Real Manhood Andy Stanley - The New Rules for Love, Sex and Dating eHarmony - 10 Things That Make You Perfect Boyfriend Material Francis Chan - God is Faithful (@ Passion 2013) How to Pick Your Life Partner - Part 1, Part 2 ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/resources/","summary":"\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAl Mohler on \u003ca href=\"http://www.boundless.org/adulthood/2009/the-marks-of-manhood\"\u003eThe Marks of Real Manhood\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAndy Stanley - \u003ca href=\"http://northpoint.org/messages/the-new-rules-for-love-sex-and-dating\"\u003eThe New Rules for Love, Sex and Dating\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eeHarmony - \u003ca href=\"http://www.eharmony.co.uk/relationship-advice/relationships/2014/01/10-things-that-make-perfect-boyfriend-material#.Uvfom0J_tss\"\u003e10 Things That Make You Perfect Boyfriend Material\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrancis Chan - \u003ca href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2VZEPC4iKA\"\u003eGod is Faithful\u003c/a\u003e (@ Passion 2013)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHow to Pick Your Life Partner - \u003ca href=\"http://waitbutwhy.com/2014/02/pick-life-partner.html\"\u003ePart 1\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://waitbutwhy.com/2014/02/pick-life-partner-part-2.html\"\u003ePart 2\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Resources"},{"content":" It has been a weird week of sorts at mine - death and a bloke I knew fairly well, and a not quite friend zoning by LK... Thankful regardless\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/02/02/on-repeat-hillsong-with-everything/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/rSCE8uLuTJY?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt has been a weird week of sorts at mine - death and a bloke I knew fairly well, and a not quite friend zoning by \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/lk/\"\u003eLK.\u003c/a\u003e.. Thankful regardless\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Repeat: #5 - Hillsong - With Everything"},{"content":"Challenge #1 was to develop a regular routine of prayer and bible study in the morning before heading out to work. The idea was to leverage the Hillsong Maximised Life Devotional - the plethora of social options by which it was delivered an incentive to complete this task. Overall though, I only managed 18 completions from 30, my longest streak being 4 days - terrible.\nGiven the above, the plan for February is to continue with this challenge as well as add the Paleo diet to the list of habits for February 2014. The key expectations are to stay off sugar, grains and cereals, legumes, dairy and wheat, drink 2 litres of water daily, and Nandos (phew).\nAs always, the completions will be tracked through Habit List, which is becoming one of my key apps for the year already.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/02/01/day-challenge-daily-prayer-and-bible-study/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eChallenge #1 was to develop a regular routine of prayer and bible study in the morning before  heading  out to work. The idea was to leverage the \u003ca href=\"http://hillsongcollected.com/maximised-life\"\u003eHillsong Maximised Life Devotional\u003c/a\u003e - the plethora of social options by which it was delivered an incentive to complete this task.  Overall though, I only managed 18 completions from 30, my longest streak being 4 days - terrible.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/jan-30-day-challenge.png\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"jan-30-day-challenge\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/jan-30-day-challenge.png?w=596\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGiven the above, the plan for February is to continue with this challenge as well as add \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic_diet\"\u003ethe Paleo diet\u003c/a\u003e to the list of habits for February 2014. The key expectations are to stay off  sugar, grains and cereals, legumes, dairy and wheat, drink 2 litres of water daily,  and Nandos (phew).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"30 Day Challenge #1: Daily Prayer and Bible Study"},{"content":"Francis Chan at Passion 2013:\nDo you believe\u0026hellip;.That God is looking at you regardless of what you\u0026rsquo;ve done going \u0026lsquo;I\u0026rsquo;ll buy you back? I know you\u0026rsquo;re faithless but I never stop being Faithful, pursuing you, loving you\u0026hellip; And as long as it is still called today, as long as you\u0026rsquo;re still breathing, right now you\u0026rsquo;ve got a chance. I\u0026rsquo;ll buy you back right now. I\u0026rsquo;ll take you back\u0026hellip; You just lay it at the cross.\n#Comforting\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/01/30/quotable-francis-chan/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.francischan.org/\"\u003eFrancis Chan\u003c/a\u003e at \u003ca href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2VZEPC4iKA\"\u003ePassion 2013:\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDo you believe\u0026hellip;.That God is looking at you regardless of what you\u0026rsquo;ve done going \u0026lsquo;I\u0026rsquo;ll buy you back? I know you\u0026rsquo;re faithless but I never stop being Faithful, pursuing you, loving you\u0026hellip; And as long as it is still called today, as long as you\u0026rsquo;re still breathing, right now you\u0026rsquo;ve got a chance. I\u0026rsquo;ll buy you back right now. I\u0026rsquo;ll take you back\u0026hellip; You just lay it at the cross.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Quotable.. Francis Chan"},{"content":"In her own words, she is complex in a can of cute. Slouched in my favourite chair by my window, with the sound of passing cars, their occasional horn toots and the odd police siren as the soundtrack to my evening, up until then I had been having a chilled, if lethargic evening natter.\nI had one eye on the evolving tactical battle on my FM2013 Liverpool save and the other on my phone whilst we talked, before we segued into the subject of personality types and tests. Thanks to books like Quiet and Networking for Those Who Hate Networking, I am increasingly secure in owning up to being introverted - which was probably why without too much thinking I owned up to being INTJ. Her initial response was to ask me to translate that into real English; I promptly emailed her a link to the sixteen personalities INTJ page. That set off a bout of good natured teasing and banter at my expense - not that I minded. LK is delightfully great to talk to; her brand of acerbic, intelligent, thoughtful conversation delivered in a voice so soft one would assume she couldn\u0026rsquo;t hurt a fly is one that I have taken a great liking to over the past three months. Teasing over, I pressed her to take the test herself, knowing just how much insight into her personality it would provide and looking for canon fodder to retaliate. That was the setting for her declaration, in the aftermath of which I found myself soberly considering just what the potential ramifications of the revelation might be.\nSo don’t you want to run away? she asked. My response after a few seconds of deep thought was not yet, which was the truth.. Something about this woman intrigues me no end. It certainly doesn’t hurt that she’s gorgeous, intelligent, does great conversation very well and evidently has a heart for God, critical items on the list. The rest of our conversation after that was a lot more serious, less playful, less frivolous.\nShe did find the time and space to fire a parting shot in my direction. As with every onion, she said, there are always a few layers that are a tad bit difficult to peel.. So patience will be hugely required.. Do you have it?\nSomewhere in my head, me the pragmatist was left wondering if there wasn\u0026rsquo;t something a tad ominous about this\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/01/28/a-question-of-patience/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn her own words, \u003cem\u003eshe is complex in a can of cute\u003c/em\u003e.  Slouched in my favourite chair by my window, with the sound of passing cars, their occasional horn toots and the odd police siren as the soundtrack to my evening, up until then I had been having a chilled, if lethargic evening natter.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI had one eye on the evolving tactical battle on my FM2013 Liverpool save and the other on my phone whilst we talked, before we segued into the subject of personality types and tests. Thanks to books like \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quiet-power-introverts-world-talking/dp/0141029196\"\u003eQuiet\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Networking-People-Who-Hate-Underconnected/dp/1605095222\"\u003eNetworking for Those Who Hate Networking\u003c/a\u003e, I am increasingly secure in owning up to being introverted - which was probably why without too much thinking I owned up to being INTJ. Her initial response was to ask me to translate that into \u003cem\u003ereal\u003c/em\u003e English; I promptly emailed her a link to the \u003ca href=\"http://www.16personalities.com/intj-personality\"\u003esixteen personalities INTJ page\u003c/a\u003e. That set off a bout of good natured teasing and banter at my expense - not that I minded. LK is delightfully great to talk to; her brand of acerbic, intelligent, thoughtful conversation delivered in a voice so soft one would assume she couldn\u0026rsquo;t hurt a fly is one that I have taken a great liking to over the past three months. Teasing over, I pressed her to  take the test herself, knowing just how much insight into her personality it would provide and looking for canon fodder to retaliate. That was the setting for her declaration, in the aftermath of which I found myself soberly considering just what the potential ramifications of the revelation might be.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Question of Patience..."},{"content":" Because this fits in right with my mood just now\u0026hellip; And got an airing at Hillsong London too :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/01/26/on-repeat-pharrell-williams-happy/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/y6Sxv-sUYtM?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBecause this fits in right with my mood just now\u0026hellip; And got an airing at Hillsong London too :)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Repeat: #4 - Pharrell Williams - Happy"},{"content":"I want to cover you With words. Ink dots Jumbled together Until they blur Into a scrawl, confused Like the light From a thousand scattered beads\nI want to hide myself Within the haze Of my re-memory - To somehow, between life And the afterglow From my tired brain, Re-create the time and space That reality stole.\nBut your blank, pure Whiteness mocks me, I find the things I want to say don’t come\nBetween you and I - And the pregnant silence Of fitful contemplation Is a wall Of all the things I may never, Ever say.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/01/23/white-paper/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI want to cover you\nWith words. Ink dots\nJumbled together\nUntil they blur\nInto a scrawl, confused\nLike the light\nFrom a thousand scattered beads\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI want to hide myself\nWithin the haze\nOf \u003cem\u003emy\u003c/em\u003e re-memory -\nTo somehow, between life\nAnd the afterglow\nFrom my tired brain,\nRe-create the time and space\nThat reality stole.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut your blank, pure\nWhiteness mocks me,\nI find the things\nI want to say don’t come\u003c/p\u003e","title":"White paper...."},{"content":"Aperitivo, on Bon-Accord Street, is where this year\u0026rsquo;s Christmas silly season kicks off for me, and coming so soon after my return from Nigeria - with all the food I was force fed - part of me cringes at the thought of yet more food. In the end my desire to avoid giving yet more ammunition to the AJ-is-a-snob brigade makes me decide to attend. I just about make it to the party, keeping G waiting on the corner of Union and Bon-Accord for almost fifteen minutes. It is a terrible time to be out and about; it is piddling, there is a strong wind and Union Street is chock full of the rush hour traffic at just before six pm. In going home first, rather than directly from work, my gamble has failed spectacularly; missing the bus from across the road at home meaning I have to walk briskly to cover the twenty minute walk in fifteen. G - never the type to let an opportunity to lay in to someone - does give me a right going as we walk the short distance from the junction towards our final destination for the night after I arrive. It matters little that we are the first ones in by ten minutes past six, or that the table has been booked for a seven pm start.\nWe order gin and tonics whilst we wait for the rest of our party to show up. They do eventually, between ten and twenty minutes later. Our host, held up by a power cut due to the atrocious weather, arrives somewhere in between, waving us over to a private lounge which she had reserved for the purpose of drinks for an hour before dinner\u0026rsquo;s due at seven pm. Confusion resolved then. I grab my third gin and tonic of the night, joining in the yakking until we all sit down to dinner. Dinner for me is a fried calamari starter and a costolette di agnello for a main. The food takes a while to come through, being served in three or four batches. By the time we are all done, and several bottles of red wine later, it is very nearly ten pm, and home time for me. As I grab my coat, I overhear two of the guys talking about hitting Espionage. Loads of energy to expend yet.. O_o.\n---\nA week later, I am at the Monkey House for our now annual Christmas ritual - drinks, and then a large, hearty Indian meal at the Nazma. Walking up the road from the Monkey House, it all feels very Christmassy, the city lights above Union Street glowing bright against the dark skies as we walk along, all our personal niggles from work forgotten - for one night at least.\n---\nParties #3 and 4 take place the Saturday after. The Tech team at church – choc full with very married people and their children – has us all out on the 14th to catch up on food, pepper soup and Nigerian music. It is slow going at first, like all things Nigerian with our penchant for African time, but it does start rocking two hours in. By then, we – our small group of single peeps camped out in our own little corner of the room- have made a few frantic calls to our contacts at the other party across town – and made up our minds to slip out quietly. We pile into U’s car just shy of 8.30pm and hop the three or so miles across.\nWhen we pour in through the door at party #4, things are a little more raucous – blame shed loads of young people and too much food. I shake a few hands as I am ushered to a seat at the corner next to my friends R and P. A plate of rice, some coleslaw and fried chicken gets dumped in my lap in short order. My one surviving image from the party is me with the plate in my lap, shaping up a victory sign/ trying to prevent a picture of myself being taken. I clearly succeed at neither. Sometime later, S. waltzes in, making for a few awkward moments. Thankfully, we are off in a few - major danger averted.\n---\nParty #5 sees us return to the Albyn for my third straight year. The plan is to kick off with drinks for an hour before seating down to lunch and the raffle. G has had way too much to drink by the time the food arrives. That, and his form for being an inveterate windup, account for the extreme irritation I am feeling by the time we break up for the raffle. Between sips of cognac, gin and tonics and tomato soup, I get a book recommendation for 2014 - Vikram Seth\u0026rsquo;s A Suitable Boy. That, and the spicy haggis and beef I have as a main, more than make up for the evening. At the earliest opportunity, after my well documented rotten luck with raffles plays out yet again, I slip off to my house and some peace at last.\n---\nFor the second year running, I get invited to my friend O’s house, which ends up being my sixth Christmas related event of the month. He drops by mine to pick me up after a not so quick Christmas morning service at church. The kids usually are the highlights of this one for me – I get to faff around and act like I am a big kid all over again. The youngest V and I have a tenuous relationship. She, as she has grown older, has become less trusting and icier towards strangers. By the time the evening ends, she and I are rolling all over the rug together, to her Mum’s surprise. Such is the strength of the bond that we have built by the end of the evening that she insists on accompanying us when her dad drops me off at mine. That and the bowl of soup, additional rice and turkey bits I get in a bag to take away, make it a super Christmas for me. :)\n---\n---\nFor a last Christmas do, my friend O and I head out to the Soul Bar on Union Street. Their chicken fahitas are the best I have had. And two or three times each year, I have gone back since my first time there in 2010. It is a quiet, guys only evening out. In another time and space, we would moan about our wives at this.. :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/01/06/christmas-in-eight-days/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/aperitivo.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"aperitivo\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/aperitivo.jpg?w=660\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.aperitivoaberdeen.com/\"\u003eAperitivo\u003c/a\u003e, on Bon-Accord Street, is where this year\u0026rsquo;s Christmas silly season kicks off for me, and coming so soon after my \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/nigeria-2013/\"\u003ereturn from Nigeria\u003c/a\u003e - with all the food I was \u003cem\u003eforce fed -\u003c/em\u003e part of me cringes at the thought of yet more food. In the end my desire to avoid giving yet more ammunition to the \u003cem\u003eAJ-is-a-snob\u003c/em\u003e brigade makes me decide to attend. I just about make it to the party, keeping G waiting on the corner of Union and Bon-Accord for almost fifteen minutes. It is a terrible time to be out and about; it is piddling, there is a strong wind and Union Street is chock full of the rush hour traffic at just before six pm. In going home first, rather than directly from work, my gamble has failed spectacularly; missing the bus from across the road at home meaning I have to walk briskly to cover the twenty minute walk in fifteen. G - never the type to let an opportunity to lay in to someone - does give me a right going as we walk the short distance from the junction towards our final destination for the night after I arrive. It matters little that we are the first ones in by ten minutes past six, or that the table has been booked for a seven pm start.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Christmas... In Eight Days"},{"content":"The prospect of poor health, a milestone birthday of sorts and all round malaise kicked off what was a great plan (in my opinion at least) to deliver change over the course of a year, which as I am wont to do, I tagged with the lofty title ‘ The Year of Living Dangerously\u0026rsquo;. It started off well – at least with regards to chasing up 52 small changes but the initial enthusiasm seeped out, prompting an attempt to gee myself up for a restart.\nLife is in a bleh-ish, ok state just now - the life plan is pretty much bottomed out, with the critical success definitions in place and clear. What is clear though is that a step change is required to go from where I am to what I have spelled out in the plan. For 2014, the big idea is to identify one change in each main category, which if implemented diligently over the course of the year will leave me in a much better place to achieve those long-term goals than I am now.\nIn detailing these goals, two main resources have framed the direction and strategy - Andy Stanley’s One Thing message (thanks to Ore for hooking me up with Andy) Matt Cutts\u0026rsquo;30 day challenge TED Talk from 2011 (thanks to Miss.Fab) for that.\nThe plan, if I can call it one, is to follow up the actions in backlog - 2011, 2012 and 2013 and then to focus on delivering one improvement in each of the three dimensions of life I am focused on. These are:\nCommunication and engagement with regards to my core connections (Life Goal #1) Improve professionally by chasing a couple more professional certifications for my Materials and Corrosion specialty (Life Goal #2) Follow up on my commitments in my local church tech team/ volunteer my skills for any value adding opportunities as they come up (Life Goal #3) On a personal development front, books like Quiet and Networking for those who hate networking highlighted the advantages being an introverted, nerd type bring to my various connections. The 2014 focus will be looking to understand my specific manifestations of introversion and leveraging them in the various roles I fill in my life.\nAs much as is possible, the 2014 goals will be implemented as 30 day challenges to improve the probability of them sticking.\nTo wrap up then - here\u0026rsquo;s the 2014 plan; in 12 things.\nLearn to drive, buy a car - target March 2014 Buy a house - target June 2014 Improve professionally API 571 ICP API 580 ICP NACE Senior Corrosion Technologist Find and engage two personal mentors; schedule regular monthly meetings K and O for personal life, Pastor G for spiritual accountability Travel UK City Breaks (x3) The Great North American Road Trip Develop a daily practice of prayer, bible study and journaling Complete National Blogging Month - utilise 30 days to a better man Save minimum of 30% of net earnings through YE Communicate and engage the key people in my life Build a list of the critical 10 connections Develop a schedule - daily, weekly, monthly as appropriate Write to sponsored children once a quarter Deliver on the 30 book reading plan - post a monthly wrap up of books read in the month. Engage the wider Church and Aberdeen community Write for the church magazine - deliver four articles minimum Maintain Broadcasting Team engagement Engage the Young Adults group more - focus on delivering an improved social media engagement strategy for the group Get fit and lean Weigh 79kg (lose 3 more kg) Drop to 15% body fat Develop defined abs - six pack and toned arms/ general fitness Here\u0026rsquo;s to a year of small changes\u0026hellip; :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2014/01/03/2014-the-plan/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe prospect of poor health, a milestone birthday of sorts and all round malaise kicked off what was a great plan (in my opinion at least) to deliver change over the course of a year, which as I am wont to do, I tagged with the lofty title ‘ \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/08/waking-up/\"\u003eThe Year of Living Dangerously\u003c/a\u003e\u0026rsquo;. It started off well – at least with regards to chasing up 52 small changes but the initial enthusiasm seeped out, prompting an attempt to gee myself up for a \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/10/starting-over/\"\u003erestart\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2014 - The Plan"},{"content":"In women, or the lack thereof of\u0026hellip; L who proved a bridge too far. In retrospect we were much too different, and there were loads of warning signs. O with whom I had the \u0026lsquo;you\u0026rsquo;re a great guy but convo\u0026hellip; Si for whom I popped into town just before she conveniently picked up a stomach bug, and bailed on me F who I\u0026rsquo;d had a crush on, on and off for three years and counting, but with whom the stars never aligned\u0026hellip; Tee who handed me my second friend zone convo of the year Somewhere in between I swore off the dream to snag the all Nigerian chic.. Or not\u0026hellip; 2014 may yet shed more light on this.\nIn Books\u0026hellip; Quite a few, most notable being\u0026hellip; Quiet - Susan Cain Networking for Those Who Hate Networking- Devora Zack The Practice of His Presence - Brother Lawrence The Outsider - Albert Camus And the Mountains Echoed - Khaled Hosseini The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy A small list no thanks to all the reading I had to do for work :(\nIn Work\u0026hellip; Made CEng Passed the ASME Level 2 exam Deferred my NACE exam.. A great excuse for heading out to Houston in 2014 if ever one was needed. Was head hunted for a role in the Caucasus. Promoted with a significant pay rise in my current role as a reward for turning that down.\nIn bucket list items\u0026hellip; Read my fourth Booker. Was head hunted for a job that paid above 100k pa gross Lost 15 kg, big bonus was being able to fit into my size 34 jeans from 2008 again :)\nIn Travel Nigeria twice London four times and more Did my first Hillsong Europe conference since 2010\nIn Apps\u0026hellip; Wunderlist - revolutionised my Task Management practice, and provided much needed focus on a few key tasks through the second half of the year, adding recurring tasks and sorting out the battery hogging problems made it even more useful Evernote - made note taking and link curation a blast. Still haven\u0026rsquo;t maximised its utility but I suspect I just may make a few more steps along that path in 2014 DayOne- Made the practice of Journaling front and centre for me, again in the latter part of the Year.. Loving it. Momento made pooling my Social Media activity (FB, Twitter, Blog feed and Instagram mainly) a cinch.. Top marks. The Kindle App came in handy for catching up on books amidst all the activity I was sucked into during the year - pity the IT folk at work messed up the Chrome settings, impacting my ability to use the Kindle Cloud Reader. Calorie and activity management depended heavily on my Fitbit flex/One (pity the strap on the Fitbit flex was terrible) and My Fitness Pal. Definitely looking to keep both through 2014\nIn Summary There.. Or thereabouts\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/12/31/2013/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn women, or the lack thereof of\u0026hellip;\u003c/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/01/about-town-christmas-recap/\"\u003eL\u003c/a\u003e who proved a bridge too far. In retrospect we were much too different, and there were loads of warning signs.\n\u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/02/unravelled/\"\u003eO\u003c/a\u003e with whom I had the \u0026lsquo;you\u0026rsquo;re a great guy \u003cem\u003ebut\u003c/em\u003e convo\u0026hellip;\n\u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/02/about-town-london-balling/\"\u003eSi\u003c/a\u003e for whom I popped into town just before she conveniently picked up a stomach bug, and bailed on me\n\u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/03/the-darned-friend-zone/\"\u003eF\u003c/a\u003e who I\u0026rsquo;d had a crush on, on and off for three years and counting, but with whom the stars never aligned\u0026hellip;\n\u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/10/friend-zoned/\"\u003eTee\u003c/a\u003e who handed me my second friend zone convo of the year\nSomewhere in between I swore off the dream to snag the all Nigerian chic.. Or not\u0026hellip; 2014 may yet shed more light on this.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2013..."},{"content":"\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/12/31/intersections-on-jrr-tolkien/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"elsewhere - tolkien\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/elsewhere-tolkien.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Intersections - On JRR Tolkien"},{"content":" And the Mountains Echoed - Khaled Hosseini The Sound of Things Falling - Juan Gabriel Vasquez Fine Boys - Eghosa Imasuen The One: A Realistic Guide to Choosing Your Soul Mate - Ben Young \u0026amp; Sam Adams Jesus, My Father, The CIA and Me: A Memoir of sorts - Ian Morgan Cron Networking for people who hate networking - Devora Zack. The Practice of the Presence of God - Brother Lawrence Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a world that can\u0026rsquo;t stop talking - Susan Cain The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/12/31/the-year-in-reading-2013/","summary":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/And-the-Mountains-Echoed-ebook/dp/B00B0X4PIO/\"\u003eAnd the Mountains Echoed\u003c/a\u003e - Khaled Hosseini\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Sound-Things-Falling-ebook/dp/B0093K1ILS/\"\u003eThe Sound of Things Falling\u003c/a\u003e - Juan Gabriel Vasquez\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fine-Boys-ebook/dp/B008PTFM9M/\"\u003eFine Boys\u003c/a\u003e - Eghosa Imasuen\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-One-Realistic-Choosing-ebook/dp/B000VSMT0U\"\u003eThe One: A Realistic Guide to Choosing Your Soul Mate\u003c/a\u003e - Ben Young \u0026amp; Sam Adams\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jesus-Father-The-CIA-ebook/dp/B0052FT38I\"\u003eJesus, My Father, The CIA and Me: A Memoir of sorts\u003c/a\u003e - Ian Morgan Cron\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Networking-People-Hate-Underconnected-ebook/dp/B003VIWTYI/\"\u003eNetworking for people who hate networking\u003c/a\u003e - Devora Zack.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.ccel.org/ccel/lawrence/practice\"\u003eThe Practice of the Presence of God\u003c/a\u003e - Brother Lawrence\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quiet-power-introverts-world-talking/dp/0141029196\"\u003eQuiet: The Power of Introverts in a  world that can\u0026rsquo;t stop talking\u003c/a\u003e - Susan Cain\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/God-Small-Things-Arundhati-Roy/dp/0006550681\"\u003eThe God of Small Things\u003c/a\u003e - Arundhati Roy\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"The Year In Reading 2013"},{"content":"In the end this trip - all ten days of it - was about absolution for sins yet to be committed. Unbeknownst to everyone I strove to meet up with, if I had my way, Nigeria would not feature on the holiday destination list for the next three years at least. So this was the last guilty splurge - the second time this year - where I sought to inhale as much of Nigeria and family as I could, like a free-diver does with oxygen before submerging.\nChaos was a constant - bubbling under at all times and at others taking centre stage. The bedlam that was driving in the wrong lane on the Benin Shagamu road, no thanks to the ongoing road works, but also the intransigence of the bus drivers plying the road.\nThe scourge of kidnapping once again hit close home. I suppose the heady mix of students being free for all of five months due to the ASUU strikes, and the increasingly vocal narrative of lecturers as fat cows creates a volatile situation which one or two miscreants may have exploited, to the detriment of a couple of my parents friends.\nThere were bright spots too though - adoption, ever a thorny issue - came up in a conversation with the Mom. She was quite accepting of it, strangely. It must be my intransigence in getting her a grand child at work.\nSister #2 is a Psychiatry Resident at a teaching Hospital around town. Given how much of the system she knows, it was no surprise her considered opinion was that a lot more needed to be done with regards to mental health. Hopefully that is an area that gets improved over the next few years.\nWith all these things - there\u0026rsquo;s a sense of nostalgia. A sense of loss that belies my overwhelming state of mind - lostness\u0026hellip;. Such is the life of a lost son, I suppose.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/12/27/chaos-and-nostalgia-postscript/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn the end this trip - all ten days of it - was about absolution for sins yet to be committed. Unbeknownst to everyone I strove to meet up with, if I had my way, Nigeria would not feature on the holiday destination list for the next three years at least. So this was the last guilty splurge - the second time this year - where I sought to inhale as much of Nigeria and family as I could, like a free-diver does with oxygen before submerging.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Chaos and Nostalgia.. Postscript"},{"content":" ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/12/20/in-pictures-bits-and-bobs/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e","title":"In pictures.. Bits and Bobs..."},{"content":"---\nI get my sister\u0026rsquo;s old room back. I have been way for so long that I have to go back two house moves to the time I still had a room here, one that I shared with the kid brother in the house on 3rd Street.\nI spend the bulk of the five days I spend in total in a haze of sorts - thanks to the ASUU strike, there\u0026rsquo;s precious little going on about town. NEPA does it\u0026rsquo;s very best to limit how much access to my devices I get, battery life being a significant issue of sorts.\nI do get to sort out my bank problems, a spanking new ATM is delivered in time for me to avoid having to pay significant penalties for using my UK debit card in Nigeria. The nieces are good sport - V\u0026rsquo;s all of nearly four years old, G\u0026rsquo;s nearly nine months and A\u0026rsquo;s nearly seven. They take to the two christmas bears I get them very well. The difference between both G and A can\u0026rsquo;t be more obvious - one\u0026rsquo;s quiet, friendly and easily amused by my tech, the other is agitated, bubbly and keen to be up and about.\nMum, as always, manages to throw in a visit to the tailor. The downside, or upside depending on how you look at it, of being away all this while is I have missed a number of events and the associated scurrying about to get the entire brood kitted in matching clothes.\nThe tailor is a long term friend of the family - she\u0026rsquo;s privy to my F debacle from 2009 - I wonder if it is pity in her eyes when she tries to make small talk as I get measured for my danshiki. God go do am, my brother, is her parting shot. I suppose there can never be too much of praying on one\u0026rsquo;s behalf.\nI don\u0026rsquo;t get to see T and his kid - bad form on my part, I leave a gift for them and my trusty MacBook Air for sister #1\u0026rsquo;s who\u0026rsquo;s been pining for a functional laptop.\nAll told, it\u0026rsquo;s about catching up with family, and resting up. Nothing fancy, nothing out of the ordinary, just enjoying being home.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/12/17/chaos-and-nostalgia-5/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/dead_bat_ng.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"dead_bat_NG\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/dead_bat_ng.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI get my sister\u0026rsquo;s old room back. I have been way for so long that I have to go back two house moves to the time I still had a room here, one that I shared with the kid brother in \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/06/3-journeys-end-red-tape-and-finally-a-breather/\"\u003ethe house on 3rd Street\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI spend the bulk of the five days I spend in total in a haze of sorts - thanks to the ASUU strike, there\u0026rsquo;s precious little going on about town. NEPA does it\u0026rsquo;s very best to limit how much access to my devices I get, battery life being a significant issue of sorts.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Chaos and Nostalgia...5"},{"content":"--- By 7.20am, I am in a cab, speeding towards the Yaba Motor Park. The plan is to grab a seat on an early bus to Benin, and then on to Ekpoma. Overnight my Mum has tried to call me several times. My gamble - forwarding my UK mobile to a Skype Out number- has failed spectacularly; no thanks to the dodgy internet I\u0026rsquo;ve got. The forwarded calls come in but I can\u0026rsquo;t answer them with any decent quality. :( That early on a Sunday morning, Lagos is already agog – blaring loud speakers, shrill cries of hawkers and bus conductors alike and a steady stream of pedestrians.\nAt the park, three buses are being filled concurrently - one has the luxury of a a DVD player and screen and air conditioning, the other has only air conditioning, the third is the RyanAir (link) equivalent - no frills, no fancy, basic get-you-there service. I plump for the mid-tier option - handing over 2,600 Naira. There are four more spaces to fill - I settle into the back seat to wait. The loader, a small, wiry, quick witted man whose deeply etched face belies his boy sized body hops about, keeping us entertained with his brand of wit and sarcasm.\nThe middle row of seats – and one on the first row – is taken up by four women who seem to be part of a traveling party. They have that settled, stolid unflappable-ness of middle aged safety, accompanied with a few tufts of greying hair peeking out from beneath their head scarves. It seems like they have been attending a church convention of some sort. The woman in the front seat who appears to be the leader of the group – reminisces almost to herself, given the lack of comments from the others – on how well a certain person preached the night before.\nAfter another hour of waiting in which the six or so people who have arrived at the Edegbe Line stand opt for either of the other options but not our mid-tier one, I decide to pay for an extra street to speed things up. The bonus is I won’t have to worry about managing my hand carried bag of extra gifts for the nieces and my parents, and the chance to ease the discomfort I am already feeling from squashing my legs into the tight space I have afforded.\nTwo last two passengers to arrive join me at the back – a much older husband and wife pair, I assume. She is carrying a small purse, whilst he drags a large traveling case. When they speak, it is in faintly accented tones – I place them as academics of some sort. My hunch is proved right when it turns out they have UNIBEN connections and remember my father from back in the day.\nWe finally get the bus loaded up – the exits blocked completely by the various odds and ends we are all traveling with. I shudder inwardly at the prospects of escape if a fire breaks out.\nJust before we head out, the posse of women break out in singing and clapping, followed by an extended payer for journey mercies, and protection from armed robbers and all the other dangers of the road, apparently – thank goodness I think to myself.\nThe journey passes without significant incident – bar the few potholes our bus clangs through. To be fair, the road is in a much improved state than I recall – for portions of it, we have to switch the side of the road we use – which leads to some confusion.\nAt Ore - we break for food; I end up grabbing plantain chips, coke and some suya. Missing my regular hotel in Lagos threw the spanner in the works for my first night suya/ chicken republic staple. Ore makes amends.\n--- Benin… We arrive just after 2.00pm. Speeding past Precious Palm Royal, and then UNIBEN in short order, there is at once a lot of and yet little change visible. What is immediately obvious is that a lot of building has been completed since I last passed through these parts. To the right of the main gate, a row of freshly built banks stand, new, clean, resplendent, no doubt profiting from being repositories of all the various fee accounts the university creates.\nAfter I come off the bus from Lagos, I find a bus headed for New Benin motor park to kick off the second phase of my journey. It has just rained - odd for early November. In the midst of the bedlam that is the motor park, someone calls my name; or at least I think so. Not in the mood for any mindless prattle, and using the fact that my earphones are plugged in as an excuse - I feign not hearing.\nWe are all sweaty in the tightly packed bus. Packed as tightly as we are, the air doesn\u0026rsquo;t get a lot of circulation, bearing the various smells it is saddled with - cray fish and garri from the ghana-must-go across from me, and a motley of other smells given off by the open gutters around. Salvation comes when we finally move off, the forced draughts clearing the dense, suffocation that has settled upon us like a blanket. We complete the 80-ish kilometres in just over an hour, the imposing facade of the University gate welcoming us to town. All that is left is the intermittent stopping to offload people, their luggage and their wares. By the time we are past the city centre and heading towards the outskirts, we have been whittled down from fifteen to less than six.\nAt the last stop there are just two of us - a woman who looks vaguely familiar and I. We hop off the bus, claim our baggage and attempt to hail a cab. She catches my eye and seemingly after weighing it for a bit asks me if I\u0026rsquo;m not an S. I reply in the affirmative. It turns out she works at the primary school I attended back in the 80\u0026rsquo;s.\nYou haven\u0026rsquo;t changed much since your sister\u0026rsquo;s\u0026rsquo;s wedding she says - I laugh and try to make small talk until I am saved by an okada heeding her call. Grett your mum for me she says. I wave as she disappears, borne by the bike rider.\nI surprise my parents by walking the last few kilometres from the bus stop home. They are surprised – you have always been quietly stubborn mom says.\nHome.. Is always home.. As will a fiercely independent child remain\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/12/16/chaos-and-nostalgia-4/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"---\"\u003e---\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/lagos_bus.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"lagos_bus\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/lagos_bus.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy 7.20am, I am in a cab, speeding towards the \u003cem\u003eYaba\u003c/em\u003e Motor Park. The plan is to grab a seat on an early bus to Benin, and then on to Ekpoma. Overnight my Mum has tried to call me several times. My gamble - forwarding my UK mobile to a Skype Out number- has failed spectacularly; no thanks to the dodgy internet I\u0026rsquo;ve got. The forwarded calls come in but I can\u0026rsquo;t answer them with any decent quality. :( That early on a Sunday morning, Lagos is already agog – blaring loud speakers, shrill cries of hawkers and bus conductors alike and a steady stream of pedestrians.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Chaos and Nostalgia...4"},{"content":"--- I wake up to singing - slightly muffled but loud enough to filter through to that neither here nor there place between sleep and waking up, where ambient sounds meld into dreams, or whatever it is conscious people do with their brains. When I make my way downstairs, it turns out it is the hotel staff having morning prayers.\nI am low on cash, I half start to prepare to go out before I am minded to ask my friend V, who confirms an ATM is my best bet. I end up walking a few kilometres to the nearest bank, a Zenith Bank, and empty my cash passport in the process; 20,000 naira should cover an extra day\u0026rsquo;s hotel costs and the transport fare by road from Lagos to Benin which is next on the agenda.\nThe rest of the afternoon is spent lazing around - TV, internet surfing and lunch at a KFC which I stumble on amidst my morning walkabout. Trying to decide what to buy, I find it more than a tad different than the KFC I’m used to. For one they have meals that include rice, and also have a very crispy variety of chicken. The equivalent of my regular three- piece variety meal is the hungry meal - for 1800 naira - three pieces of crispy, chicken, chips and a Pepsi. No obsessing over what that will do to my calorie counting numbers for the year, mind.\n--- Late afternoon, I get the call I have been waiting for. It\u0026rsquo;s third time lucky for meeting M - three years and some in the making. The plan is to catch up somewhere on the island - she suggests The Palms, after a bit of back and forth as she\u0026rsquo;s attempts to sort out transport.\nI hop into a cab - a far more reasonable thousand naira the fare this time - and head out from my Ikeja hide out to the Island. By the time I arrive, M is no where to be find - typical woman I dare say - but in this case for good reason on her part.\nWaiting in front of the palms, the overwhelming sense is of being surrounded by proper middle class self indulgence - a milling mass of young-ish, upwardly mobile families tumbling out of their SUVs, 2.5 kids and poorly dressed relative in tow. The odd toddler on the way out has a huge ice cream cone to his mouth, a defence against the searing heat at 3.00 in the afternoon, I suppose. Besides my irritation at being made to wait, there is the genuine trepidation at the possibility of running into some of my old chums - my old playground at UX is only a stone\u0026rsquo;s throw away. I am hardly dressed like the triumphant returnee - my bushy hair, week old stubble and weight loss more indicative of someone who has fallen into hard times. My worst fears are realised when I run into one such bloke. He has his three kids, and wife in tow, and is pushing a trolley full of an assortment of tinned food. We shake hands - Good to see you he says, giving me the eye. I shrug, came in on Friday night, on to Benin tomorrow morning I quickly add. I give the wife a hand shakes and rub the head of the boisterous six year old who was barely born the last time I saw them. We mouth a few more pointless banalities, before he shoots off with a promise to call. I am too used to these things to hold my breath over that.\nI wait for another thirty minutes before M calls to advise she is stuck in traffic a few kilometres away. I wander into the MTN store to try to sort out a Nano-SIM for my iPad with an eye to the journey ahead. By the next morning I will be winging it 400km to the east where wifi, if it exists will be the equivalent of dragging water out of rock. As I head out mission accomplished twenty minutes later, someone approaches me asking for money.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/12/15/chaos-and-nostalgia-3/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"----img_\"\u003e--- \u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/img_1614.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"IMG_1614\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/img_1614.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI wake up to singing - slightly muffled but loud enough to filter through to that neither here nor there place between sleep and waking up, where ambient sounds meld into dreams, or whatever it is conscious people do with their brains. When I make my way downstairs, it turns out it is the hotel staff having morning prayers.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI am low on cash, I half start to prepare to go out before I am minded to ask my friend V, who confirms an ATM is my best bet. I end up walking a few kilometres to the nearest bank, a Zenith Bank, and empty my cash passport in the process; 20,000 naira should cover an extra day\u0026rsquo;s hotel costs and the transport fare by road from Lagos to Benin which is next on the agenda.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Chaos and Nostalgia...3"},{"content":"---\nSource\nNightfall….It is very nearly half past seven when we begin our final descent into Lagos. From the window, all that is visible is a thick, dense darkness, interrupted by clusters of lights here and there.\nI’m surprised it’s not totally dark out there, my seat mate ventures. I shrug. Maybe generators I say. He seems unconvinced. Over the course of the last 6 hours, and some, he and I have conversed intermittently – first about the busyness that engulfs travel hubs like Schiphol and Heathrow, and La Guardia where the first leg of his flight originated. Then a moan about the delays in the cabin crew delivering head phones to use – from which it transpires that on his La Guardia – Schiphol leg he had to ask for them before he got them. The antics of our dear Bini granny also provide fodder for our intermittent, light hearted chatting. Descending into Lagos changes the bent of our conversation into something decidedly more Nigeria focused – mainly how in a few short minutes our motley of people who queued almost impeccably at Schiphol would disintegrate into a seething, boiling mass of one-uppers and corner cutters.\nWe land, smoothly, much smoother than I can recall in a long time, prompting the entire complement of passengers to break out in spontaneous applause. As the plane taxies, in blatant disregard of the announcement over the tannoy to keep seat belts buckled and mobiles switched off, the click-click of unbuckled seat belts resounds all over the cabin, and more than one person whips out their phone to make a loud phone call.\nIt takes nearly ten minutes before we get the chance to disembark. Once the hot, humid air hits, it seems the last restraints around our inner beasts are cast off. A woman stumbles on the stairs headed towards immigration; the surge of people barely takes notice, stepping over and around her in the quest to be early at the desks. She hurls a few choice Yoruba insults to the crowd around her with the extended five finger salute. No one takes any particular notice. By the time I reach the immigration desks, our line – reserved for us Nigerian passport holders – has snaked all the way back, curled upon itself many times over. The air has a certain thickness to it, sweltering, boiling; raging even.\nIn the rush and tumble, a young man inserts himself close to the front of the queue. Given how tangled it is, it a minor miracle no one else tried to imitate him, at first at least. Once the non-Nigerian passport queues disappear, and the free hands do not offer themselves up in our service, things become a little less clear cut on our line. A grandmother, in a show of extreme bravado, walks calmly to the head of the queue, mouthing off about how she’s been stuck on the same part of the line whilst others who came after her have jumped the queue. I distinctly remember her hauling several duty free shopping bags behind me on the amble from the plane into the airport..\nAs feared, I spend the greater part of two hours waiting to find my bag. I could have sworn there are at least five or six three to five minute sections when nothing new drops out of the chute on to the conveyor belt. When I finally find it, I drag it behind me and head towards the exit. Very nearly two-thirds of the flight is still waiting for their bags.\n---\nOn these jaunts, I have a fairly simple MO designed around blending in imperceptibly. Dressed simply, usually with too much hair, I try to wear my best impression of a weary student, mentally preparing myself such that somewhere between clearing immigration and hitting the exits, I am very nearly fully primed to utilise the full gamut of my pidgin English.\nThis time, braced to face the gauntlet of SIM-card, taxi, and money changing hustlers, I walk eyes straight ahead ignoring their insistent drone. One outside, I cast my eyes around looking to find a cab driver I might fancy. I settle on one, his boyish charm, perhaps best encapsulated by his Chelsea tee and New York Yankees baseball cap.\nHe asks for 5,00 naira to run me the nine or so kilometres to my usual budget hotel in Opebi. I insist 3k is less of a rip-off. He moans about how as a younger guy I should understand – clearly my poor student demeanour isn’t fooling him. We settle for 3.5k, after it emerges that I do not actually have a confirmed reservation at the hotel. Apparently it’s a Friday night and between leery old men and their consorts hiding away for weekends of debauchery, travellers and gigs in town, hotel spaces are at a premium on Friday nights. I shrug – we’ll see what we will see.\nWe make good progress once we escape the traffic snarls around the airport. Thirty minutes later we are on Allen Avenue, where our good progress gets halted. Babes dey o, he says – all kinds, lepa, orobo, 10k for short time. You go relax tire men.. He is pointing at a row of scantily clad women lining the streets, and strutting about. displaying their \u0026lsquo;wares\u0026rsquo; in too tight outfits.\nThe traffic eases. By the time we reach the hotel, they have run out of spaces. The cab driver offers to run me to a good place - his words - for 500 naira extra. Too tired to haggle, I accept. There will be no chicken republic for me from the looks of it.\nWe end up somewhere on Awolowo road. The only spare room is one which the AC doesn’t work. Normally goes for 22,000 naira, the Manager advises, but because of the AC, we’ll let it out for 15,000. I take up the offer – a large fan should do me fine I reason, bar the noise. I order a plate of fried rice with peppered goat meat – not Chicken Republic fare, but I’m hungry enough to eat anything.\nIt takes another 30 minutes before it arrives at my room - parting with 2,200 naira in the process. The bonus is the complementary internet service over wifi. I whatsapp a few of the usual suspects - Tee holidaying in Chicago, K in London and B. Somewhere in between, I fall asleep.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/12/14/chaos-and-nostalgia-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/hollandis.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"hollandis\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/hollandis.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"http://images01.olx.com.ng/ui/7/31/53/1367301859_503292853_1-Pictures-of--Original-Ankara-hollandis.jpg\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNightfall….It is very nearly half past seven when we begin our final descent into Lagos. From the window, all that is visible is a thick, dense darkness, interrupted by clusters of lights here and there.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eI’m surprised it’s not totally dark out there\u003c/em\u003e, my seat mate ventures. I shrug. \u003cem\u003eMaybe generators\u003c/em\u003e I say. He seems unconvinced. Over the course of the last 6 hours, and some, he and I have conversed intermittently – first about the busyness that engulfs travel hubs like Schiphol and Heathrow, and La Guardia where the first leg of his flight originated. Then a moan about the delays in the cabin crew delivering head phones to use – from which it transpires that on his \u003cem\u003eLa Guardia\u003c/em\u003e – \u003cem\u003eSchiphol\u003c/em\u003e leg he had to ask for them before he got them. The antics of our dear \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/12/chaos-and-nostalgia/\"\u003eBini granny\u003c/a\u003e also provide fodder for our intermittent, light hearted chatting.  Descending into Lagos changes the bent of our conversation into something decidedly more Nigeria focused – mainly how in a few short minutes our motley of people who queued almost impeccably at Schiphol would disintegrate into a seething, boiling mass of \u003cem\u003eone-uppers\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003ecorner cutters.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Chaos and Nostalgia... 2"},{"content":"I Wheeling my suitcase – out of breath and breaking a small sweat – I arrive at the check- in counter a mere ten minutes before boarding is scheduled to commence. I am Lagos bound, via Amsterdam, thanks to a few extra holidays earned from being stuck in the middle of nowhere by the vagaries of the weather in October. Even though I have had over a month to plan, and pack, I have ended up facing the very real conundrum of having to decide between a pair of blue Levi’s jeans and blue Lee Cooper’s- difficult choice mind, and pondering if a phone and tablet might meet my computing needs this trip; enabling me to dispense with a laptop for the next ten days..\nIn my defence, a late flurry of activity both at work and in the team I volunteer in at church have contributed to why I have left things this late; as well as the need to travel as light as possible with an eye to not having to check-in any luggage. The plan is to catch the 7.00am 727 bus to the airport, leaving me plenty of time to scale security. In the end, I miss both the 7.00am and 7.20am departures from Union Square, and only have the dexterity of the cab driver, and a burst of speed from me between the drop off point and the check-in desk to thank for making it at the time I have.\nThe vast majority of the fliers seem to have already gone through – the only other person at the check-in a few desks removed looks Nigerian. There is no further confirmation required when the animated conversation he is involved in with the lady checking in his luggage turns out to be entirely about 7 kilograms of excess luggage. When she speaks, it is in short, terse, Dutch accented words, insisting he has to fork out the extra money required to cover the excess. Given the size of both checked in bags, and his carry-on luggage, my only surprise is that he is only 7kg over the limit, the bulging seams of his carry-on testament to more than a few iterations of the pack, weigh, unpack, reweigh routine.\nMy plea – delivered in my best imitation of a posh British accent, and an engaging smile – gets short shrift. I am directed with a rather dismissive wave of the hand to try to fit my trolley suitcase into the designated checking spot. As suspected, no amount of pushing and shoving can get it to fit in, the offending appurtenance being the rather large wheels. I return to the check-in desk and go through the process of checking in my bag, more than a little disappointed. Business done and dusted, the check-in attendant’s mien changes into a more conciliatory one.\n‘It’s a full flight from Schiphol to Lagos today, on any other day I might have been able to help’. It doesn’t change anything for me I think to myself. Across from me, the other chap has fared no better. As we both leave the check-in counters to scale security we share that pained look of mutual, self-righteous suffering.\nNo mind them o, them no wan help jare. I nod my agreement, the thought of facing baggage reclaim at MMA hardly easing my mood. Never mind that rules are rules and we both fell afoul of them…\nII The flight to Schiphol from Aberdeen passes quickly, the snow covered mountains of northern Aberdeenshire replaced by clouds once we reach cruising height, and then water as we swing outwards on towards Amsterdam over the North Sea.\nA few seats across, and in front of me a party of eight excitable women sit. American accents are my guess as they chatter continuously. They look like they are having a ball - one is a writer of some sort, her MacBook getting lots of use as she hammers out what looks like a chapter of book, or a travelogue, judging by the pictures she flips through intermittently – a month’s worth of weird and wonderful picture I guess at. From the snippets of the conversations I pick up, their plan is to stop over in Amsterdam and then on by train to some other city I don\u0026rsquo;t catch.\nAt Schiphol, I grab my stuff and make my way to the D gate. Just how full the flight truly is becomes obvious when I find the queue in front of the Nigerian boarding gate is already snaking around the corner, with quite a few people already passed through security. The check-in attendant in Aberdeen wasn’t so much of Grinch after all I think to myself.\nI have a mooch around the duty free shops; a couple of bottles of perfume for my parents should ease the welcome - not even my black sheep/lost son/ prodigal affectations can absolve me of arriving empty handed. For my nieces, I grab a couple of Christmas teddies, affectively named Ginger and Fred. They are favourites with travellers, the lady at the till tells me. I\u0026rsquo;m indifferent, at nearly 12 euros a pop, the nieces had best be pleased with them! There is a wait of about an hour after I scale check-in, before priority boarding is announced, and then the rest of us cattle class travellers have the joy of boarding.\nMaking my way to 37J, i find my path blocked by a slightly older woman. She is trying - and failing - to stuff her carry-on luggage into the overhead compartment. I suspect it is at least a tad longer than the one I was forced to check-in back in Aberdeen. Whilst fuming inwardly, I catch sight of a younger woman seated in 37H. She has her glasses perched on her nose, natural hair all wiry and loose and a certain geekish charm. She is half turned, looking up at the woman blocking my path. Mentally, I start to think up a suitably charming chat up line. It takes nearly twenty or so more seconds before the woman succeeds in forcing her luggage in, and I get free rein to head towards my seat. It turns out that the woman is her mother, and she asks me nicely if I wouldn’t mind sitting in 35H - we\u0026rsquo;d like to sit together she explains. So much for my world class chat up line - never mind the fact that a few years ago I once spent all of a night out swapping glances with a woman in green.\nMy reward for giving up my seat is to plump my behind down firmly in a seat next to a quiet looking bloke. He looks the classic upwardly mobile Nigerian - glasses, clean shaven, very short hair and an iPhone which he types into from time to time. We nod a greeting as I detangle my seat belts, dump my jacket and settle in. The slight positive just might be a quieter flight for me\u0026hellip;\nOne of the last people to come aboard is a middle aged woman dressed in blue hollandis who coughs a dry, rasping cough as she crashes into her seat.\nI don run tire today, this col’ no go kill persin o, she declares rather loudly, for our benefit I suspect. My seat partner and I share a look and cringe. I suspect she is form the Benin area, my worst fears being confirmed when she hurls a koyo o!! across to someone she spots trying to use the loo just before take-off. She fits just the mental caricature I have in my head of some dour, matronly, Bini market woman returning from a month spent taking care of grandchildren.\nAfter that, all that we hear and see are the last flurry of text messages and phone calls as people get in touch with friends, loved ones and perhaps business associates to advise of final boarding and take-off which is only a few minutes away now.\nWaiting our turn to take off with the queue of aircraft waiting to go visible through the window, it turns out my seat mate has flown from New York’s La Guardia earlier in the day.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/12/13/chaos-and-nostalgia/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"i\"\u003eI\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/flying.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"flying\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/flying.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWheeling my suitcase – out of breath and breaking a small sweat – I arrive at the check- in counter a mere ten minutes before boarding is scheduled to commence. I am Lagos bound, via Amsterdam, thanks to a few extra holidays earned from being \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/11/mis-matched/\"\u003estuck in the middle of nowhere\u003c/a\u003e by the vagaries of the weather in October. Even though I have had over a month to plan, and pack, I have ended up facing the very real conundrum of having to decide between a pair of \u003cem\u003eblue Levi’s\u003c/em\u003e jeans and \u003cem\u003eblue Lee Cooper’s-\u003c/em\u003e difficult choice mind, and pondering if a phone and tablet might meet my computing needs this trip; enabling me to dispense with a laptop for the next ten days..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Chaos and Nostalgia..."},{"content":"\nIt is a cold, crisp morning; the sort that draws an involuntary wince when the twin comforts of a snuggie, and the remnants of warm tea are withdrawn somewhat suddenly. Having not visited the gym in two weeks and a few days - blame my trip to the middle of nowhere, not my laziness - the plan is to drag myself there at some stage over the course of the day. The dry, sunny vista that greets my eyes looking out onto Pittodrie beguiles me into kitting myself out in my gym get-up; which is how at the ungodly hour of 9am on a Saturday I am high tailing the 700 yards or so from my house to the gym. The forty-five minute amble on the treadmill passes by uneventfully enough - today there are neither svelte, graceful does nor brawny, over-fit ones to terrorise me, or show me up for the lazy bum I am..\nFour minutes into my slow down routine, I catch sight of F, in the full length mirror, she is waving excitedly.. Behind her is her father..\nAJ!!!!! He hollers, when I come off the treadmill, wiping my brow and breathing heavily..\nYou never talk true for this gym matter o.. That girl must have you in her armpit..\nI laugh. He and I have this ongoing conversation where he insists the sole reason I am still doing the gym thing is that some woman of some description has me cornered. Just how I could have gone from a couch loving, NCIS/Big Bang Theory bing-er to one who goes to the gym twice or more each week beats his imagination.\n[In the interest of full disclosure, both Q. and S. were obsessive gym-ers; nothing of course developed from those liaisons.]\nHe insists the weight loss is significant too. Bar the odd day on which the extra space in my favourite pair of jeans is obvious, I don\u0026rsquo;t see any evidence of that. While we are talking, trading these volleys of accusation and counter accusation, someone else walks past with two children in tow. It\u0026rsquo;s an old classmate of mine from my Newcastle days..\nDoing very well with the gym thing pal, he says.. Keep it up, he adds, punching me lightly in my stomach. F. rolls her eyes, like only a woman can. Her father stifles a laugh as he throws me a knowing look\u0026hellip; I shrug a bit, inwardly chuffed that the hard work of the summer of living dangerously appears to be paying off already..\nOn this evidence, I suppose I can claim to be there, or perhaps thereabouts?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/11/11/there-or-thereabouts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"IMG_1466\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/img_1466.jpg?w=620\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is a cold, crisp morning; the sort that draws an involuntary wince when the twin comforts of a \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleeved_blanket\"\u003esnuggie\u003c/a\u003e, and the remnants of warm tea are withdrawn somewhat suddenly. Having not visited the gym in two weeks and a few days - blame my trip to the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/11/mis-matched/\"\u003emiddle of nowhere\u003c/a\u003e, not my laziness - the plan is to drag myself there at some stage over the course of the day. The dry, sunny vista that greets my eyes looking out onto Pittodrie beguiles me into kitting myself out in my gym get-up; which is how at the ungodly hour of 9am on a Saturday I am high tailing the 700 yards or so from my house to the gym. The forty-five minute amble on the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/07/firsts/\"\u003etreadmill\u003c/a\u003e passes by uneventfully enough - today there are neither svelte, graceful \u003cem\u003edoes\u003c/em\u003e nor brawny, over-fit ones to terrorise me, or show me up for the lazy bum I am..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"There, or thereabouts..."},{"content":"Feeling chilly in the westerly breeze is how BBC weather describes the start to the day, and walking briskly from my house to the bus station, I ponder just how right that prediction is in spite of how well I think I am wrapped up - thermal undershirt, long sleeves, a fleece and a wind breaker notwithstanding. I have always thought it interesting just how well predictions of lousy well work as opposed to ones which promise warm, dry spells, or not. Confirmation bias maybe?\nI make a pit stop at the office to grab a (free) coffee and give my email a last eyeball to confirm there is nothing waiting that might need action over the next few hours I\u0026rsquo;ll be out of commission, before I hop on to the 727 to the airport. It is a quick run today and I make it into the airport in 30 minutes flat, in time to tack myself on to the back end of the check-in queue which has begun to build.\nThe small talk is about the storms which have hit down south - disruptions, trees crashing into homes and the truly sad story of a young boy being swept out to sea dominate - and the apparent suicide of Jimmy Savile\u0026rsquo;s driver. Thankfully, up here in our corner of WetVille, we have been spared the worst of the storms. The line inches forward steadily, everyone goes through the now regular routine - show passport, weigh bags, confirm any medications, weigh self, confirm contact and details are correct on the electronic travel database and then hop off to the baggage screening area. When it is my turn I do the same, finding that my employers have failed to include an updated medical in my record. Thankfully I am due out before the current one expires so it\u0026rsquo;s no real biggie.\nI drag myself on to the baggage check area and dump my shoes and belt as I walk through the full body scanner. I walk towards the security guard for a pat down, noticing a few chuckles as I do so, but oblivious to the fact that they are directed at me.\nGreat pair, pal, the guard remarks with a smile playing on the edges of his lip as he points to my feet. My bemusement turns in the instant I look downward into an inward cringe of embarrassment. I have somehow showed up on the one day of the month I will walk about in my socks with a non-matching pair.. In my defence, my day has already being a pretty long one, even though it\u0026rsquo;s only 10am.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/11/04/mis-matched/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"IMG_1329\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/img_1329.jpg\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFeeling chilly in the westerly breeze\u003c/em\u003e is how BBC weather describes the start to the day, and walking briskly from my house to the bus station, I ponder just how right that prediction is in spite of how well I \u003cem\u003ethink\u003c/em\u003e I am wrapped up - thermal undershirt, long sleeves, a fleece and a wind breaker notwithstanding. I have always thought it interesting just how well predictions of lousy well work as opposed to ones which promise warm, dry spells, or not. \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias\"\u003eConfirmation bias\u003c/a\u003e maybe?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Mis-matched"},{"content":"\nThe one slight positive from the events of the last few weeks has got to be the opportunity to start over. For one it is a big reset of sorts, one from which I hope I can learn. Rock bottom/ square zero\u0026rsquo;s great in that regards - having hit there, the only way is up, if there is any movement that is.\nLooking back over the year so far, and the bevy of girl shaped failures that litter it, an overt eagerness to gain clarity and definition appears to be one of the key recurring hurdles at which I have fallen. At first it was due to the need to gain some sort of closure on the wife plan as the 34th birthday loomed, and then the pressure to demonstrate progress to the hordes of interested, knowledgeable others.\nCold, hard facts are cold hard facts, but in making progress the hard questions need to be asked I suppose - why, what, where and who. Why do I want to get married or be in a relationship, What are the critical roles such a one might fill/ requirements and characteristics they would necessarily have, and where I might be able to meet them. Allied to those questions I suppose is also the who one - are there any current acquaintances who might tick all the right boxes but whom for what ever reason I have overlooked?\nChurch today sort of went over similar ground - talking about the cross and how we as individuals need to take up our cross and make a difference by bringing our body under.; the perfect rallying cry I guess. It promises to be an intense period of soul searching, raking over old wounds and hopefully getting healing. Going in there is no plan as such - just a number of decisions I hope I can hold myself to over the next few days and things I hope I can achieve at the end of the next three months.\nTake a break from actively chasing women: Andy Stanley\u0026rsquo;s challenge to take time off from women to develop the right, godly attitudes to them hit close to home. Here\u0026rsquo;s hoping I can do this for three months in the first instance Spend time understanding me - personality, temperaments, inter personal skills, dress and style, etc Bottom out exactly what I am looking for in a spouse, and how I can become the sort of person such a one if on the look out for. Pray.. And study the bible\u0026hellip; A lot! I have settled on three months - 90 days being a nice tidy number as well as the critical length of time required for the brain to reset itself. There have been a few false starts so far, not least the year of living dangerously from a few months ago, but this time I hope it\u0026rsquo;s not just about me and my ability to plan details. God and I have to rock this one.. Really have to\u0026hellip;\nCurrently listening to: Dead Come To Life - Jonathan Thulin\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/10/31/starting-over/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Enough_is_enough.1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/enough_is_enough-1.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe one slight positive from the events of the last few weeks has got to be the opportunity to start over. For one it is a \u003ca href=\"http://www.baggagereclaim.co.uk/breakups-and-new-relationships-offer-opportunities-to-break-old-habits/\"\u003ebig reset of sorts\u003c/a\u003e, one from which I hope I can learn. Rock bottom/ square zero\u0026rsquo;s great in that regards - having hit there, the only way is up, if there is any movement that is.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLooking back over the year so far, and the bevy of girl shaped failures that litter it, an overt eagerness to gain clarity and definition appears to be one of the key recurring hurdles at which I have fallen.  At first it was due to the need to gain some sort of closure on the wife plan as the 34th birthday loomed, and then the pressure to demonstrate progress to the hordes of interested, knowledgeable others.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Starting over..."},{"content":"\nI am carefully arranging the items in my shopping basket to make room for the 1800g tin of milk I have just taken off the shelf when someone to my left blurts out - Brossss.. Your Nidoooo milk no get part 2 o!\nSo engaged in that most banal of tasks have I been that I have not noticed him until he has spoken, pretty much directly into my left ear, I might add. When I look up, his face has a vague familiarity to it. I give it a few seconds before I give up trying to place the face, and assume he is someone I have run into at church, or one of the multiplied baby birthdays I have been forced to attend this year. I smile and explain my thinking behind grabbing the big tin - I come to this African shop on the corner of George and Fraser’s only so often, and for what it’s worth I try to make it worth my while.\nIt must be nearly three months in fact since I last came this way - replacing garri with Irish potatoes and palm-oil laden egusi soup with steamed broccoli and chicken breast made the detour redundant - but today a feening for soft, squishy, bread washed down with the thick, delicious gooeyness of Nido milk, with just enough water to give it the consistency of ice cream - is what has won over my resolve, enticing me into showing up here.\nWhen the young man on my left doesn’t move on after my explanation, I begin to suspect there is a little more to this meeting than just a casual comment.\nYou been dey Engine for UNIBEN abi?\nI nod tentatively, still wondering where all this might lead. He breaks out into a broad grin as he explains he spent a year in my corner of the world, sharing jokes, bed-bug infested couches and the odd fiver for bread and groundnut in the Hall 3 common room, which I insisted on making my reading spot, bang in front of the TV.\nI ask him what\u0026rsquo;s brought him into town. He explains he\u0026rsquo;s been interviewing for a role at one of the corrosion rust consultancies in town. I explain I work in the field these days, and share a few choice thoughts about the rife dysfunction in that organisation. He shrugs - Make dem take me first o. All these one na tori, he says. Given the patchy job scene, I have to agree.\nVery nearly four years since I moved up North, the ‘Deen hasn’t lost its ability to spring surprises in the shape of old, lost connections. And apparently even back in them UNIBEN days, I had a thing for Nido milk\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/10/22/african-shop/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/nido_.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Nido_\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/nido_.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI am carefully arranging the items in my shopping basket to make room for the \u003cem\u003e1800g\u003c/em\u003e tin of milk I have just taken off the shelf when someone to my left blurts out - \u003cem\u003eBrossss.. Your Nidoooo milk no get part 2 o!\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo engaged in that most banal of tasks have I been that I have not noticed him until he has spoken, pretty much directly into my left ear, I might add. When I look up, his face has a \u003cem\u003evague\u003c/em\u003e familiarity to it. I give it a few seconds before I give up trying to place the face, and assume he is someone I have run into at church, or one of the multiplied baby birthdays I have been forced to attend this year. I smile and explain my thinking behind grabbing the big tin - I come to this African shop on the corner of George and Fraser’s only so often, and for what it’s worth I try to make it worth my while.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"African shop..."},{"content":"I\u0026rsquo;d like to think that looking for sympathy has never been my thing, but if it was, the circumstances of the tiff with Tee were never going to get me any. Nothing epitomised that better than my veritable wing woman K. In fairness to her, she had voiced several concerns over a month ago when the noises about moving to America had begun to get louder. It was in fact one of those conversations that led to her concluding that I was hell bent on getting myself hurt.\nThe fact that I trip to London I should have made to attend a mixer was axed by yours truly without any sensible explanations only served to make it worse, which was why I took a long deep breath and settled in before I dialled her mobile a full three days after the fact.\nZim was a little less scathing. As a bloke who understands what the friend zone feels like and who has had experience of it himself, there was empathy - but nothing much besides. Makes the one about lying in your bed as you make it close to home I suppose.\nSister #1 insists my five straight losses in the arena of love either mean I am looking in the wrong places or need spiritual help from the likes of MFM. I am inclined to think what is required isn\u0026rsquo;t a root and branch approach but a slight tweak to the meeting and hooking up strategy..\nIt\u0026rsquo;s been nearly a week now\u0026hellip; Slowly sinking in\u0026hellip;.learning to forget and soldiering on\u0026hellip; :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/10/17/sinking-in/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;d like to think that looking for sympathy has never been my thing, but if it was, the circumstances of the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/10/friend-zoned/\"\u003etiff with Tee\u003c/a\u003e were never going to get me any. Nothing epitomised that better than my veritable wing woman K. In fairness to her, she had voiced several concerns over a month ago when the noises about moving to America had begun to get louder. It was in fact one of those conversations that led to her \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/10/going-nowhere-fast/\"\u003econcluding\u003c/a\u003e that I was hell bent on getting myself hurt.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sinking in..."},{"content":"Sinking\u0026hellip; and feeling for rock bottom is the sense of where I feel I am at the moment; very much like the proverbial lead sinking in water. The thing with Tee rather than being the primary cause of this latest bout of malaise helped precipitate it, not least being the most recent of a string of setbacks in the girl department running through the year.\nThere’s work, and the fact that the guys I currently work for recently lost a major service contract they had held for the better part of 8+ years. With that has come the potential for staff moves, down-sizing and all the other fun and games associated with trying to bring overhead down. Even though my own role seems safe amidst this sea of change, there is the additional complication of the particular client I support shuttering activity on the plant I work for. My UK visa is tied to my employer so the uncertainty associated with work, or not working does leave the mind in jitters. Another layer of complexity is the fact that I want to do something different. Having spent the greater part of the last 10 years - since December 2003 - in topside pressure system asset integrity, I do want to get my teeth into subsea materials and corrosion a lot more than my current role might allow\u0026hellip;\nOn the spiritual side of things, God and I are in a limbo of sorts, thanks in part to a number of long standing non-conformances. The year of living dangerously was meant to kick start a radical change of direction in that category of life, but unfortunately nothing much has changed. I appear to have tried to change too much too soon, tried to do it all alone and depended too much on my ability to plan and work details. Clearly something has to give - different outcomes can only come about from different actions..\nSo here I am sinking.. Hoping that maybe if my feet reach rock bottom, that might be the jolt I need to gain upward/forward motion :(\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/10/16/season-of-uncertainty/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSinking\u0026hellip; and feeling for rock bottom is the sense of where I feel I am at the moment; very much like the proverbial lead sinking in water. The \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/10/friend-zoned/\"\u003ething with Tee\u003c/a\u003e rather than being the primary cause of this latest bout of malaise helped precipitate it, not least being the most recent of a string of setbacks in the girl department running through the year.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere’s work, and the fact that the guys I currently work for recently lost a major service contract they had held for the better part of 8+ years. With that has come the potential for staff moves, down-sizing and all the other fun and games associated with trying to bring overhead down. Even though my own role seems safe amidst this sea of change, there is the additional complication of the particular client I support shuttering activity on the plant I work for. My UK visa is tied to my employer so the uncertainty associated with work, or not working does leave the mind in jitters. Another layer of complexity is the fact that I want to do \u003cem\u003esomething\u003c/em\u003e different. Having spent the greater part of the last 10 years - since December 2003 - in topside pressure system asset integrity, I do want to get my teeth into subsea materials and corrosion a lot more than my current role might allow\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Season of Uncertainty"},{"content":"Tee and I had the talk, from which it transpired she wants/ can only be just friends with me.\nThe bulk of that conversation was her version of the well-worn, if clichéd it\u0026rsquo;s not you, it\u0026rsquo;s me spiel.. One can only handle being told about being a great guy with a great heart so many times before it begins to ring hollow, like the copout I have always felt it is…\nOur paths are headed in different directions – America beckons for her, whilst for me the ‘Deen feels like home.. Having once toyed extensively with the idea of upping sticks and heading to America myself – and again love, or what felt like it was the primary driver for that – I had felt it wasn’t such a deal breaker on this occasion\u0026hellip;\nMore importantly for me, she feels like with all the upcoming change in her life, she is unable to commit to someone in the near future…And I suppose therein lies the bitter blow… Being willing to countenance a move away from the ‘Deen is unlikely to change anything from the looks of it..\nOnce again, a connection I felt was strong and mutual has ended up petering out\u0026hellip; I am beginning to wonder if there isn\u0026rsquo;t some underlying problem here..\nI suppose there is a somewhat dirty-grey silver lining.. It’s a big reset.. Back to square zero with a clean slate…\nYet Again…\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/10/14/friend-zoned/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/tee/\"\u003eTee\u003c/a\u003e and I had \u003ca href=\"http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=DTR\"\u003ethe talk\u003c/a\u003e, from which it transpired she wants/ can only be \u003cem\u003ejust friends\u003c/em\u003e with me.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe bulk of that conversation was her version of the well-worn, if clichéd \u003cem\u003eit\u0026rsquo;s not you, it\u0026rsquo;s me\u003c/em\u003e spiel.. One can only handle being told about being a great guy with a great heart so many times before it begins to ring hollow, like the copout I have always felt it is…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Friend Zoned..."},{"content":"It is very nearly a month since I gave the #52SmallChanges project any kind of intentionality. I could blame a mini season of depression occasioned by my fixation on S, or the fact that I have upcoming exams I am freaking out about, or work - which I have had loads of.\nBottom line is I haven’t been on the money with regards to the small changes I was meant to be progressing through till the next birthday. The barely there silver lining though is besides the \u0026lsquo;get more sleep\u0026rsquo; change, I\u0026rsquo;ve pretty much kept up with the new habits I have picked up in the first three weeks.\nSo, this is me waking up again, rebooting; with change #4: Keep a food journal\nCurrently listening to Change My Life - Ashes Remain\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/10/06/rebooting-change-4/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt is \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/09/small-change-3-get-off-your-couch/\"\u003every nearly a month\u003c/a\u003e since I gave the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/52smallchanges/\"\u003e#52SmallChanges\u003c/a\u003e project any kind of intentionality. I could blame a mini season of depression occasioned by \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/10/going-nowhere-fast/\"\u003emy fixation on S\u003c/a\u003e,  or the fact that I have upcoming exams I am freaking out about, or work - which I have had loads of.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBottom line is I haven’t been on the money with regards to the small changes I was meant to be progressing through till the next birthday. The barely there silver lining though is besides the \u0026lsquo;get more sleep\u0026rsquo; change, I\u0026rsquo;ve pretty much kept up with the new habits I have picked up in the first three weeks.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Rebooting... Small Change #4: Keep a food journal"},{"content":"Against my better judgement – and that not for the first time – I call S on Sunday evening. Predictably she doesn’t answer her phone. The first and only acknowledgement of the missed call comes on Tuesday night, a full fifty-two hours later, when she texts to apologise for missing my call, citing being tied up with chores and ironing.\nGiven she is someone I have been trying to get a face to face with since early July; and who pulled out of yet another agreement in principle to meet up the Thursday before the Sunday on which I call her citing busyness again; it does begin to strain the limits of credulity to imagine these are just random, real limitations on time as opposed to a fully intentional strategy to avoid meeting up.\nMy continued fixation with meeting up has a lot to do with gaining closure – at least in my head. Given it all seemed so great for the first three months, I’m keen to understand what went wrong and what I can do to avoid that with the next person I meet and who I feel could be a potential long term connection. My friend K describes my mental state as merely showing a remarkable ability to seek out punishment; perennially holding out for the unavailable woman rather than the girl next door who actually thinks my quirky, geeky self is worth a punt.\nWith S, I suppose if it wasn’t clear enough before, it is now… S and I are going nowhere fast, except maybe downhill… And for my sanity, I need to do something radical to get her out of my head.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/10/03/going-nowhere-fast/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAgainst my better judgement – and that \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/falling-for-my-dalglish-conjecture/\"\u003enot for the first time\u003c/a\u003e – I call S on Sunday evening. Predictably she doesn’t answer her phone. The first and only acknowledgement of the missed call comes on Tuesday night, a full fifty-two hours later, when she texts to apologise for missing my call, citing being tied up with chores and ironing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGiven she is someone I have been trying to get a face to face with since early July; and who pulled out of yet another agreement in principle to meet up the Thursday before the Sunday on which I call her citing busyness again; it does begin to strain the limits of credulity to imagine these are just random, real limitations on time as opposed to a fully intentional strategy to avoid meeting up.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Going nowhere... fast"},{"content":"Standing at the window looking out - as I am wont to do on most slow Fridays - waiting for our old, creaky coffee machine to piddle out water for my cup of tea, G. asks me if I am ‘talent’ spotting.\nI do not ask what exactly he means, but there can be no ambivalence here. The coffee machine sits right next to a large window, with a view which although largely taken up by monolithic grey, granite buildings does include enough of the perennially busy street to provide a feast for sore eyes on most days. Unfortunately on this occasion there is no talent to be spotted. It is that nearly dead period just before lunch hours kick in across the city where most serious talent is locked behind desks squirrelling away at work rather than strutting their stuff across the streets. The clear nip in the air also means that what sparse talent there might be is very well covered up, the skimpy summer outfits now replaced by coats and scarves. G. and I moan about the weather - it is predicted to hover between 10 and 14 degrees all weekend with a smattering of showers here and there; hardly the kind of weather to inspire any serious weekend plans. The darned autumn I suppose.\nEarly on Saturday morning, I drag myself out of bed, plod in my slippers to my kitchen and grab my now regular morning cup of water. All around there is a dense greyness - thick and heavy like a cloak smothering the horizon - which does little to assuage my lethargy.\nIn the end, I just about make it to the gym – the sense that a rubicon of sorts might be crossed if I don’t make it for a third straight Saturday is the coup de grâce to my vacillation. It is my regular bit of self-flagellation where my keg-bearing, barely-fit self inevitably ends up flanked by delectable, incredibly fit, well-toned women in skimpy outfits seemingly designed to promote their prime assets. As always, these fine specimens of the human species proceed to run at great speeds and for extreme lengths of time whilst I lumber along. In my defence, I am keen to not hurt my knees again - at least that is how I deal with being hopeless at keeping up with these goddesses.\nHaving flopped about and pretended to run for all of forty minutes, it is home time for some cereal and yoghurt (surely I am not the only one who has a liking for steaming hot oats doused in fat free yoghurt). I run a hot bath and proceed to get my hovel of a room into a slightly more habitable state. An hour later, various items of clothing have been stashed away with the laundry popped into the machine; at which time my conscience is sated enough to allow me go see a movie at the Beach Boulevard. This time it is About Time, the Richard Curtis film about a time traveling bloke who uses his powers to re-jig his countless faux pas in the quest for love, helping his London host become a renowned playwright by helping the lead character remember his previously fluffed lines. It reeks too much of Love Actually to me - there are only so many ways you can juggle a mix of philosophical voiceovers, Bill Nighly, British accents and a sappy love theme. Not that I mind too much though, given I have re-watched Love Actually every Christmas since 2006 *cringe*\nThat sets the tone for the rest of the weekend – football manager on my MacBook, re-runs of the Big-Bang Theory and extended BBM sessions with the kid brother are the only things I get up to till it is Sunday morning and church time.\nNot bad going.. I think\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/09/24/talent-spotting-couch-surfing-and-getting-the-autumn-blues/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eStanding at the window looking out - as I am wont to do on most \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/08/an-english-man-abroad-of-sorts/\"\u003eslow Fridays\u003c/a\u003e - waiting for our old, creaky coffee machine to piddle out water for my cup of tea, G. asks me if I am ‘talent’ spotting.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI do not ask what \u003cem\u003eexactly\u003c/em\u003e he means, but there can be no ambivalence here. The coffee machine sits right next to a large window, with a view which although largely taken up by monolithic grey, granite buildings does include enough of the perennially busy street to provide a feast for sore eyes on most days. Unfortunately on this occasion there is no talent to be spotted. It is that nearly dead period just before lunch hours kick in across the city where most serious talent is locked behind desks squirrelling away at work rather than strutting their stuff across the streets. The clear nip in the air also means that what sparse talent there might be is very well covered up, the skimpy summer outfits now replaced by coats and scarves. G. and I moan about the weather - it is predicted to hover between 10 and 14 degrees all weekend with a smattering of showers here and there; hardly the kind of weather to inspire any serious weekend plans. The darned autumn I suppose.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Talent spotting, couch surfing and getting the autumn blues..."},{"content":"Tee and I have somehow segued into friend zone territory - catching up once a day on average to share the minutiae of life, moan about our respective bosses and all the other things working adults who live alone find the time to complain about.\nShe has had a lot on her plate lately between work, illness and family visits, as I have been with work and my urgent trip down south to Sheffield to sort out the small matter of a visa.\nThe fall out of all that has been that we have somehow settled into a routine; one in which all urgency and drive to gain definition and clarity has been lost, probably because I am wont to not be selfish in pushing for it amidst all that is going on.\nSomehow in the mix, the conversation with S. which hasn\u0026rsquo;t still happened did get previewed. It confirms what I\u0026rsquo;d largely suspected - she\u0026rsquo;s still got a bit of resolution and closure required before she can move on from the ex-BF..\nSo between steady routine with Tee and the uncertainty with S., it does feel like one is treading water\u0026hellip;\nSigh :(\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/09/20/treading-water/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/09/london-again/\"\u003eTee\u003c/a\u003e and I have somehow segued into friend zone territory - catching up once a day on average to share the minutiae of life, moan about our respective bosses and all the other things working adults who live alone find the time to complain about.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe has had a lot on her plate lately between work, illness and family visits, as I have been with work and my urgent trip down south to Sheffield to sort out the small matter of a visa.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Treading water..."},{"content":"From the 52 Small Changes book:\nAn active mind cannot exist in an inactive body\n- General George S. Patton\nLast week\u0026rsquo;s change didn\u0026rsquo;t exactly go down very well - my fitbit sleep data suggests I didn\u0026rsquo;t do as well as I thought I would (averaged 6 hours 7 minutes of sleep as against 5 hours 52 minutes the week before); still shy of the 7 hour target. On a slightly more positive note, my water drinking challenge continues apace, thanks to my 600ml mug perched right next to my bed it seems.\nThis week the challenge is to get more active, something I am already doing a lot of between walking to and from work, church and the shops and going to the gym thrice a week.\nFor the plan this week, two main things stand out as potential focus areas:\nTake an active lunch - not have lunch at my desk this week but go somewhere further than I usually do (loads of different places in Union Square :)) Take the stairs at work rather than the elevator. Currently listening to: Hope Will Lead Us On - Barlow Girl\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/09/08/small-change-3-get-off-your-couch/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFrom the \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/52-Small-Changes-Healthier-ebook/dp/B0056J4ER0\"\u003e52 Small Changes\u003c/a\u003e book:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn active mind cannot exist in an inactive body\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e                                                                                    - General George S. Patton\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/09/small-change-2-get-your-zzzs/\"\u003eLast week\u0026rsquo;s change\u003c/a\u003e didn\u0026rsquo;t exactly go down very well - my fitbit sleep data suggests I didn\u0026rsquo;t do as well as I thought I would (averaged 6 hours 7 minutes of sleep as against 5 hours 52 minutes the week before); still shy of the 7 hour target. On a slightly more positive note, my water drinking challenge continues apace, thanks to my 600ml mug perched right next to my bed it seems.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Small Change #3 - Get off your couch"},{"content":"From my current read, Ben Young and Dr Sam Adams\u0026rsquo; book - The One: A Realistic Guide to Choosing Your Soul Mate.\nIs there chemistry? Are you sexually/ physically attracted to your partner? Is your relationship natural? Do things flow naturally or are you spending a lot more time resolving issues than demonstrating a natural fit? Would this be a good friend? If the chemistry was removed, is it someone you\u0026rsquo;d want to be with, whose company you enjoy? Can you accept his or her personality as is? Could you spend the rest of your life with the person as they are? Would you want your kids to be like him or her? Could you envision a future in which your children turn out like him or her? Oh and to pass the test, it must be \u0026lsquo;Yes\u0026rsquo;, 100%\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/09/06/5-tests-of-compatibility/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFrom my current read, Ben Young and Dr Sam Adams\u0026rsquo; book - \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-One-Realistic-Choosing-ebook/dp/B000VSMT0U\"\u003eThe One: A Realistic Guide to Choosing Your Soul Mate\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIs there chemistry? Are you sexually/ physically attracted to your partner?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIs your relationship natural? Do things flow naturally or are you spending a lot more time resolving \u003cem\u003eissues\u003c/em\u003e than demonstrating a natural fit?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWould this be a good friend? If the chemistry was removed, is it someone you\u0026rsquo;d want to be with, whose company you enjoy?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCan you accept his or her personality as is? Could you spend the rest of your life with the person \u003cem\u003eas they are\u003c/em\u003e?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWould you want your kids to be like him or her? Could you envision a future in which your children turn out like him or her?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOh and to pass the test, it must be \u0026lsquo;Yes\u0026rsquo;, 100%\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"5 Tests of Compatibility"},{"content":"Battery of tests done and dusted - ECGs, Ultrasound, a plethora of bloods, and numerous appointments with my GP and one up at ARI with the consultant Cardiologist.\nThe news is there\u0026rsquo;s nothing majorly wrong with yours truly\u0026rsquo;s heart - bar some borderline LVH, attributable to the elevated blood pressures I have been carrying for a while.\nFrom now on it will be a steady daily diet of blood pressure meds - calcium channel blockers in the first place and then an ACE inhibitor to try to reverse the LVH\u0026hellip;\nI almost celebrated by downing a KFC three piece meal..\n#Thankful\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/09/05/all-clear-almost/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBattery of tests done and dusted - ECGs, Ultrasound, a plethora of bloods, and numerous appointments with my GP and one up at ARI with the consultant Cardiologist.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe news is there\u0026rsquo;s nothing majorly wrong with yours truly\u0026rsquo;s heart - bar some borderline LVH, attributable to the elevated blood pressures I have been carrying for a while.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom now on it will be a steady daily diet of blood pressure meds - calcium channel blockers in the first place and then an ACE inhibitor to try to reverse the LVH\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"All clear... Almost..."},{"content":"\nI first moot the idea of meeting up with Tee casually one Saturday evening, between getting a snapshot of her calendar for the next few months - it is chock full with work and travel - and getting tips for scaling back on my coffee drinking, after which it turns out that there are no airports in her corner of the world. That puts the downer on any inclinations to jump on a flight on my part - I famously never travel anywhere I\u0026rsquo;ll have to sit still for more than 8 hours - until she mentions she might be in London sometime over the next few weeks. It turns out I only get four days notice, and I barely have time to sort out fights and holidays, hop on a flight and appear in London.\nShe is someone I\u0026rsquo;ve wanted to meet in person for a while. Since we were introduced, we\u0026rsquo;ve restricted ourselves to a telephone conversation now and again, and the odd picture swap on WhatsApp - hardly enough to get a sense for what makes her tick or if indeed she just be might the future Mrs S. :)\nI end up not getting a holiday approved, eventually settling for a quick 36 hour round trip - up to London at mid day on Saturday and back into the \u0026lsquo;Deen for 8pm on sunday night. That leaves me just enough time to get to the gym on Saturday morning, grab my weekly groceries, shower and catch the 727 to the airport at Dyce for my 1.25pm flight.\nIn the end, my Saturday morning does not work like a well oiled machine. The gym opens 15 minutes late, ASDA\u0026rsquo;s slightly more full than I recall for a Saturday morning, and I end up back home for just past 11.45am. By the time I have showered, and tossed a pair of jeans and a change of clothes in my bag, it is nearly 12.10pm; too late to catch the 727 so I high tail it to the taxi rank on Union Street and grab a cab, thanks to whose dexterity and quick thinking, I end up at the airport and clear security five minutes before the boarding announcement is made.\nBy the time I arrive in London, to much wetter, chillier weather than the last time, all that is on my mind is to find my way to the obscure hotel I have booked in Central London and some food. It takes me the better part of an hour and thirty minutes to reach the hotel via the Piccadilly Line to Cockfosters and the Victoria Line to Oxford Circus. Food ends up being Nandos, thankfully spotted as I made my way thanks to Google Maps via a few backstreets to the hotel. Intermittent text messages between myself and Tee end up being the inspiration to soldier on amidst all my tribulations.\nAs I always do on these trips, I make a pitstop at the Dominion Theatre for Hillsong, fortuitously they have a guest speaker on the day, Dr Mal Fletcher on the subject of Being a Marketplace Transformer and how Christians need to engage and transform it rather than ignore it for our bubbles. It is a fitting start to what turns out to be a great day about town.\nTee turns out to be way more gorgeous than her pictures suggest, and we have enough of shared interests to have a wide ranging conversation about anything and everything; so much so that over per-peri chicken and coke zero we talk for so long it is nearly 5pm by the time I reluctantly pull away for the wild race to Heathrow.\nThree train changes later, I make it through security at Heathrow, barely in time again; thankful for a delayed flight than ever before, and giddy at just how great an evening I have had.. Somewhere in my heart, my inner romantic hopes that I may have just met theOne :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/09/03/london-again/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/o2.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"o2\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/o2.jpg?w=620\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI first moot the idea of meeting up with Tee casually one Saturday evening, between getting a snapshot of her calendar for the next few months - it is chock full with work and travel - and getting tips for scaling back on my coffee drinking, after which it turns out that there are no airports in her corner of the world. That puts the downer on any inclinations to jump on a flight on my part - I famously never travel anywhere I\u0026rsquo;ll have to sit still for more than 8 hours - until she mentions she \u003cem\u003emight\u003c/em\u003e be in London sometime over the next few weeks. It turns out I only get four days notice, and I barely have time to sort out fights and holidays, hop on a flight and appear in London.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"London, Again"},{"content":"From the 52 Small Changes book:\nSleep is the best meditation\n- Dalai Lama\nLast week\u0026rsquo;s small change went fairly well - bar the odd day on which one coffee just didn\u0026rsquo;t sort me out. By the end of the week, I was reaching instinctively for my 600ml bottle of water to kick start my day, before anything else. The slightly harder challenge was staying off the cokes, which I did for the most part except for two days - along with a green leaf salad for Wednesday for lunch and on Friday afternoon during my monthly catch up with O. at Nandos. All told there has been noticeable improvement in the quantity of water (and green tea) I drink, which can\u0026rsquo;t be such a bad thing.\nSleep has never been my forte. For as long as I can remember, I have been a terrible sleeper. My fitbit data only buttresses that fact, which makes the timing of small change #2 particularly apt.\nThe Plan\nBuy blackout blinds for my room to eliminate outside sources of light Stream smooth jazz music primarily to create a sleepy ambience as sleep time draws near Adjust my sleep schedule - I currently wake up around about 5am regardless of when I go to bed. The idea is to try to go to bed by 10pm at the latest. Drink a cup of decaffeinated herbal tea to ease off into sleep. Currently listening to: Forward Motion - Thousand Foot Krutch\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/09/01/small-change-2-get-your-zzzs/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFrom the \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/52-Small-Changes-Healthier-ebook/dp/B0056J4ER0\"\u003e52 Small Changes\u003c/a\u003e book:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSleep is the best meditation\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Dalai Lama\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLast week\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/08/small-change-1-drink-up/\"\u003esmall change\u003c/a\u003e went fairly well - bar the odd day on which one coffee just didn\u0026rsquo;t sort me out. By the end of the week, I was reaching instinctively for my 600ml bottle of water to kick start my day, before anything else. The slightly harder challenge was staying off the cokes, which I did for the most part except for two days - along with a green leaf salad for Wednesday for lunch and on Friday afternoon during my monthly catch up with O. at Nandos. All told there has been noticeable improvement in the quantity of water (and green tea) I drink, which can\u0026rsquo;t be such a bad thing.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Small Change #2 - Get Your ZZZs"},{"content":"\nFrom the 52 Small Changes Book:\nWater is the driving force of nature\n- Leonardo Da Vinci\nOr as Fela once famously sang, water no get enemy.\nUp until a month ago, Cokes were my default drink, in all its forms - diet, regular, zero and a few non conventional forms too [mixed with all sorts of other liquids], which is why this first small chnage will need some serious getting used to.\nThe Plan\nReplace coffees with green tea. Target is to scale back to one morning coffee each day at most.\nBuy a 1L stainless steel water bottle and keep it topped up at my desk through work.\nStraight off the bat, upon waking up, I will down a cup of water to kick start my day.\nSimples :)\nCurrently listening to: You Are- Colton Dixon\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/08/25/small-change-1-drink-up/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/52_small_changes_-_coverlr.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"52_Small_Changes_-_CoverLR\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/52_small_changes_-_coverlr.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/52-Small-Changes-Healthier-ebook/dp/B0056J4ER0\"\u003e52 Small Changes\u003c/a\u003e Book:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWater is the driving force of nature\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Leonardo Da Vinci\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOr as \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fela_Kuti\"\u003eFela\u003c/a\u003e once famously sang, \u003cem\u003ewater no get enemy.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUp until a month ago, Cokes were my default drink, in all its forms - diet, regular, zero and a few non conventional forms too [mixed with all sorts of other liquids], which is why this first small chnage will need some serious getting used to.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Small Change #1 - Drink Up"},{"content":"I suppose there are worse ways to spend your birthday than being stuck behind a desk, being one of two members of the team available from a full complement of five, praying and hoping no emergency pops up requiring you to suit up and go offshore at short notice. Thankfully that, getting sent offshore, didn\u0026rsquo;t happen; and I had the pleasure of spending Friday away from work, catching up with myself\u0026hellip;\nFirst up was the movie 2 Guns, to set me off on an indulgent potter around the Beach Boulevard, ending up with a super-sized rib, chicken and shrimp meal at TGIFridays, the first time I was going back there since I kicked off my latest regime of healthy, smaller sized eating. Truth be told, much improved blood pressure readings from the GP\u0026rsquo;s gave me the latitude to wolf that down, and boy did I enjoy it.\nI did manage to run into an old chum - odd given this was 2pm on a Friday, when he should have been at work. It turned out it was a colleague\u0026rsquo;s birthday and they were out celebrating.\nAs birthdays go, the phone calls were the highlight. The god daughter F. called and sang me my very own \u0026lsquo;Happy Birthday\u0026rsquo; song, complete with hip hip hip, hurray !, as did her Mum and Dad. Mum sent the predictable bible laced SMS, complete with an instruction to read and digest Matthew 6, Sis #1 called and put her 3 year old on the line too, Sis #2 BBMed, Kid Bruv Whatsapped, with a few back and forths. Such is my life, and the variety of interactions I have with my family.\nAll told, it could have been worse, the key thing was the introspection this has all kicked off. Hello the Year of Living Dangerously.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/08/19/goings-on-the-almost-botched-birthday-edition/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI suppose there are worse ways to spend your birthday than being stuck behind a desk, being one of two members of the team available from a full complement of five, praying and hoping no emergency pops up requiring you to suit up and go offshore at short notice. Thankfully that, getting sent offshore, didn\u0026rsquo;t happen; and I had the pleasure of spending Friday away from work, catching up with myself\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Goings On: The almost botched birthday edition"},{"content":"To the Year of Living Intentionally, or dangerously…\nBetween standing on the cusp of the 34th birthday, and getting a diagnosis of borderline LVH, I have come very close to freaking out more than a few times over the last few weeks. More so perhaps because in stumbling on an early copy of the 5 year plan - written back in the day when I was an excitable 26 year old with the dream job and the dream girl, and all the important people in my life the small matter of a six hour road trip away - just how far off target in quite a few categories I still am was made very clear.\nThat prompted the Big Question - What if I committed to a year of changing and improving everyday rather than allowing life just happen to me? What if I identified 12 things/ focus areas to work through in my 34th year, such that by conscious change and deliberate action by the time the clocks chime in the start of year 35, I am significantly closer to closing out all the actions on that 5 year plan of antiquity – and am a much better person to boot?\nThere will be benefits to the year of living intentionally. For one, at the end of the year, if I do this right, I will be in a much better place spiritually, socially/ relationally and career wise. Additionally, seeing through a focused program for an entire year will do a lot for my personal confidence and self-esteem and provide opportunities to develop a practice of personal discipline.\nHillsong Conference Europe was a great launchpad – messages from Brian Houston, Judah Smith and Louie Giglio all included a let-go-and-trust-God theme, something my over-analytical brain has historically found hard to do.\nSooo.. On to the plan – and the key deliverables for the year.\nDevelop a daily practice of prayer, bible study and meditation Complete a mental reboot\u0026hellip; Develop a practice of healthy eating and living Use the gym/ exercise thrice a week; aim to weigh 82kg Cut out cokes and sodas of all sorts, replace with water and green tea Improve diet - High potassium, low sodium food, more vegetables, lower calories Meet, chase and date the one, end up in a position to be able to marry or at least commit fully to someone in a year’s time. Resolve my relationships with my parents - a wife and children deserve a better connection with my wider family Lay down roots in the UK Get a UK driver’s license Buy a house Learn something new each day Post the learnings/ ideas to Instagram, Flickr or a blog; Practice the discipline of journaling and sharing. Close out outstanding Professional Development actions – NACE Snr Corrosion Technologist Certs \u0026amp; API 571/580. Develop physical maturity Develop critical DIY skills Learn to swim Develop a properly balanced worldview (and clearly articulate them) in at least three key dimensions – faith, social justice, politics, Write up a 2500 word essay on the key facets of my worldview - will need to decide on what key aspects to focus on. Develop moral maturity – shut down all my activities which may not stand proper scrutiny. Improve relational skills Learn to engage people in crowds and as individuals, Speak up more in public at work, and in personal relationships. Grow into a leadership role of some sort in church (Media \u0026amp; Tech?) Complete Brett Blumenthal’s 52 small changes: One Year to a Happier, Healthier You. For a rallying cry, I have to turn to the words of Francis Chan from his Passion 2013 message, God Is Faithful:\nI want to know that I am battling and doing something with my life… There’s actually the joy of a soldier, walking out of a battle all bloodied and cut up because he’s went and did something\nCurrently overdosing and bobbing my head to: Dangerous - Group One Crew.\nResources\nThe Marks of Real Manhood – Al Mohler (Part 1, Part 2) The New Rules for Love, Sex and Dating – Andy Stanley A Guy’s Guide to Marrying Well – Boundless The secret to changing habits – Lifehacker ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/08/18/waking-up/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTo the Year of Living Intentionally,  or \u003cem\u003edangerously…\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBetween standing on the cusp of the 34th birthday, and getting a diagnosis of borderline \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_ventricular_hypertrophy\"\u003eLVH\u003c/a\u003e, I have come very close to freaking out more than a few times over the last few weeks. More so perhaps because in stumbling on an early copy of the 5 year plan - written back in the day when I was an excitable 26 year old with the dream job and the dream girl, and all  the important people in my life the small matter of a six hour road trip away - just how far off target in quite a few categories I still am was made very clear.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Waking Up"},{"content":"As I think about the future Mrs S, the list becomes more and more condensed, shrinking to what I think are the 4+1 non-negotiables. This time I thought I\u0026rsquo;d give some thought to articulating a little bit more just what each of those non-negotiables translates to in plain English.. So here goes\u0026hellip;\nA passion for God, children and a balanced Judeo-Christian worldview Christian, serve in church in some capacity whilst not actively looking to go the whole hog of becoming a missionary to Nepal (trust me I\u0026rsquo;ve met someone who wanted to do just that). :) Willing to explore the more liberal expressions of Christian theology (à la Hillsong/ other interdenominational churches rather than a typically Nigerian one). The same sense of long term direction Has a defined life plan with targets over the next 5+ years that I can contribute to; Considers the UK, US or Canada as home in the near to medium term at least; Wants to have or adopt children (2 max) Great conversation Someone interested enough in me to want to stay in touch; Is able to converse on a range of issues and topics including football, faith/ worldview etc An appreciation of the arts Reads and appreciates reading Gets CCM and can relate to quite few of the usual suspects (Hillsong, Delirious, Switchfoot, Audio Adrenaline, Third Day, Tenth Avenue North :) ) Not opposed to catching a play at the opera or a movie from time to time. A compatible genotype ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/08/11/the-list/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAs I think about the future Mrs S, \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/intermission-what-a-bloke-wants/\"\u003ethe list\u003c/a\u003e becomes more and more condensed, shrinking to what I think are the 4+1 non-negotiables. This time I thought I\u0026rsquo;d give some thought to articulating a little bit more just what each of those non-negotiables translates to in plain English.. So here goes\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA passion for God, children and a balanced Judeo-Christian worldview\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChristian, serve in church in some capacity whilst not actively looking to go the whole hog of becoming a missionary to Nepal (trust me I\u0026rsquo;ve met someone who wanted to do just that). :)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWilling to explore the more liberal expressions of Christian theology (à la Hillsong/ other interdenominational churches rather than a typically Nigerian one).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe same sense of long term direction\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHas a defined life plan with targets over the next 5+ years that I can contribute to;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eConsiders the UK, US or Canada as home in the near to medium term at least;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWants to have or adopt children (2 max)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGreat conversation\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSomeone interested enough in me to \u003cem\u003ewant\u003c/em\u003e to stay in touch;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIs able to converse on a range of issues and topics including football, faith/ worldview etc\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAn appreciation of the arts\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReads and appreciates reading\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGets CCM and can relate to quite  few of the usual suspects (Hillsong, Delirious, Switchfoot, Audio Adrenaline, Third Day, Tenth Avenue North :) )\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNot opposed to catching a play at the opera or a movie from time to time.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA \u003cem\u003ecompatible\u003c/em\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/11/for-gracie/\"\u003egenotype\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"The List"},{"content":"Seems like you\u0026rsquo;re having a ball for one, the ginger haired man who had seemingly popped out of nowhere said to me as I attempted to retrieve my cup of tea, and turn around at the same time.\nEpic fail. I managed to do neither, very nearly tipping my life giving cup of tea over in the process. I had been waiting on our epileptic coffee maker to finish pissing a shot of hot water into my cup, passing the time by whistling to myself and looking out with longing for the clear, sunny day that was out there, just beyond my reach for the next few hours.\nThe most I could do for a reply, given how startled by his sudden appearance I was, was to mumble something about TGIF counting for something at least, at which we both smiled.\nIt had been a relatively quiet Friday up until then - Fridays in the summer months tend to be like that on this current work gig as half the team takes alternate Fridays off. Thanks to the sunshine I had slipped into a reverie of sorts, mentally gearing myself up for a long and lazy weekend - hence my whistling - until said ginger haired man popped up and ruined my little party.\nWe ended up at the coffee table, I leafing through the Times Sports pages and he the Press and Journal. That was the little accident of happenstance that led to him asking me what part of Africa I was from.\nNigeria, I replied to which he flashed a satisfied, slightly smug - I thought - smile.\nI very nearly guessed that! You seemed to have the two things I\u0026rsquo;ve come to expect from Nigerians - a great, happy personality and good English.\nI laughed at that - pointing out that having to learn an official language does wonders for your ability, more so if it is the formal language of discourse between people from 252+ ethnic groups.\nHe nodded. Must be something having to manage all those ethnicities in a country that size.\nI nodded in agreement, mentioning that in my home state of Edo, there were at least seven fairly distinct ethnic groups with numerous language and custom delineations within them.\nIt turned out that he\u0026rsquo;d never worked in Nigeria, despite having worked across the African oil patch from Algeria\u0026rsquo;s Hassi R\u0026rsquo;Mel, via a number of stints in Libya, Egypt and Angola to Esso\u0026rsquo;s Doba development across the border in Chad.\nMissed opportunity pal! I told him. His response was a smile and then a slip into a slightly more reflective mood.\nNigeria never did work out for me. Had a few opportunities to work out of Calabar and Warri. Pay was great but the wife never was comfortable with the security situation.\nWe were quiet for a few minutes. Until he interjected, again.\nI did work with a Nigerian bloke once - offshore Angola.\nI looked up as he proceeds to reel off a tale about some bloke called Boma. They\u0026rsquo;d been drilling offshore Angola back in 2003 - Boma the drilling engineer aboard had shown up to a morning meeting late one day. The drilling supervisor had had a few choice words to say about him in his absence but Boma, ever the jovial, friendly chap had shrugged it off.\nThe drilling supervisor wouldn\u0026rsquo;t let up, leaving Boma with no choice but to pull a sheaf of papers from the side pocket on his coveralls.\nYou know, if I hadn\u0026rsquo;t stayed up late correcting your English, he told the drilling supervisor, I would have been here earlier. The man across the table from me swears the report was riddled with red ink. That definitely shut the drilling supervisor up for good he swears, to everyone else\u0026rsquo;s satisfaction. Said Supervisor had a reputation for being a right twat, apparently.\nWe fell silent for a few more minutes with only the rustling of the turning pages breaking our moment of introspection. After a while, he stood up, stretched and yawned.\nHave to run off mate.\nHe extended his hand for a handshake as I made to leave also.\nIqbal\u0026rsquo;s the name. Yours is? Seni, I replied, taking his outstretched hand. He must have spotted my furrowed brow as I tried to process the unspoken question - how did a very English man have a Muslim name, and live and work in Scotland.\nLong story, mate. Short version is I\u0026rsquo;m English and Muslim, the wife is Tunisian.\nI nod as it finally sunk in. That might just have explained why after all his interest in African oil, he did not make a pit stop in Nigeria.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/08/06/an-english-man-abroad-of-sorts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/coffee-machine2.jpeg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"coffee machine\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/coffee-machine2.jpeg?w=620\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cem\u003eSeems like you\u0026rsquo;re having a ball for one,\u003c/em\u003e the ginger haired man who had seemingly popped out of nowhere said to me as I attempted to retrieve my cup of tea, \u003cem\u003eand\u003c/em\u003e turn around at the same time.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEpic fail.\u003c/em\u003e I managed to do neither, very nearly tipping my life giving cup of tea over in the process. I had been waiting on our epileptic coffee maker to finish pissing a shot of hot water into my cup, passing the time by whistling to myself and looking out with longing for the clear, sunny day that was out there, just beyond my reach for the next few hours.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"An English man abroad... Of sorts"},{"content":"\nLondon was warm, a tad too warm if the truth must be told. And dry - well, except for that wretched Saturday evening, which in keeping with my rotten luck with these things, was the one day I decided to be out and about into the wee hours of the morning. Other than that, the contrast with the ‘Deen couldn’t have been starker – wet, barely nudging 19 degree weather and warm, dry, 26 degree weather and sunshine, separated by the small matter of sixty five minutes of flying.\nI had barely managed to catch my flight to London this time, ending up forgetting my Oyster card as I frantically tossed jeans, t-shirts, shoes and my trusty MacBookAir into my holdall after falling asleep in a state of turmoil. For the umpteenth time, an attempt to get a sit-down with S. failed collosally - it is slowly beginning to sink in that I may be barking up a wrong tree here. Five missed calls and two voice mails from my friend J., didn’t help soothe my mind either. I ended up soaking wet, at 7.20am, having walked the mile between my house and the train station to drop off a package for him. That early start also meant I skipped breakfast, which was why my first action after scaling baggage reclaim at Heathrow was to head off to the Giraffe for a coke and a sandwich. An hour later, I was seated on the Piccadilly line for Cockfosters, hoping to get off at Kings Cross\nAcross from me, a man sat, hunched forward, headphones in, swaying almost imperceptibly from side to side to whatever music he was listening to. His face had that calm, meditative mien of one at peace with the world and himself, his sandals, shorts and a simple t-shirt with \u0026lsquo;Chicago\u0026rsquo; sprawled over the front somehow adding to the image of quiet, simple, acceptance. On the other side from him, an Indian woman sat, hands folded in her lap, eye shut as though fast asleep.\nBy the time we were past the Hatton Cross station, our carriage was standing room only. A woman and her daughter - she had on the most garish eye lash extensions I have ever seen - had joined the carriage, a family of five - a man, a woman, two teenage sons and a young daughter who could not have been more than seven or eight.\nThe heat wave had been all over the news - which had prepared me somewhat - leaving images of shirtless, pot-bellied hairy men on the underground seared deeply on my memory. As I hauled my stuff off at the Old Street underground station having switched over at King\u0026rsquo;s Cross, I was inwardly thankful for having avoided anything that dramatic.\nThe main driver for London on this occasion was the Hillsong Europe Conference, and given how much anticipation I had had prior to actually flying, it didn\u0026rsquo;t fail to deliver. Making my way across the Northern line to London Bridge and then the Jubilee line to North Greenwich, there were dots of people clearly excited about what was coming. The sense of anticipation only heightened the closer one got to North Greenwich at which point just outside the O2 the lines had begun to form even before the scheduled 5.50pm front door opening.\nUpon arrival, I joined the back of one of the lines as it inched slowly towards the doors where we were meant to swap our electronic tickets for wrist bands. Somewhere in between, I fell into conversation with a bloke who introduced himself as P. His story, as it spilled out, was one of deep desperation and sadness - apparently he was broke and needed a tenner to sort out a few bills. I ended up parting with £20. In retrospect, given how many names he dropped in the seven minutes or so we spoke for - including a few Nigerian ones - I may have been had; not that I minded much given how pumped up I was.\nThe conference itself was fab - Brian Houston\u0026rsquo;s call to embrace Holy Mystery rang very true with the stirring I\u0026rsquo;d been having about learning to not make everything about my ability to plan and anticipate problems. Judah Smith was funny as always, repeated a few of the jokes I\u0026rsquo;d heard since I\u0026rsquo;d committed to preparing for conference by listening to his church podcast but managed to place The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard in a new light for me. Louie was Louie. #NuffSaid. All told, it was well worth the money, time and energy expended, that I may have made a couple of new friends was a great bonus to tack on.\nThe one complaint my friends south of the border usually have is that I don\u0026rsquo;t come down as often as they might wish. Each trip thus tends to morph into an exercise in optimisation; trying to cram as many meetups into a weekend as possible.\nI ended up not meeting Si. A combination of bad planning on my part and having to sort my bags out on Sunday morning at the Dominion meant the little window we had vanished quickly.\nI did get to catch E. at Nandos on Friday, at the back end of the conference. And she was great company for what it was worth, at 11pm on a Friday night, clearly knackered from what had been a busy week for her.\nMy friend K. has always been my one counter cultural, rebel, overly liberal acquaintance - and when it was certain I would be in London long enough to meet up, it was with some trepidation that I agreed to. For starters we argued about where we\u0026rsquo;d meet - a Starbucks for coffee or a pub for drinks. We ended up at a pub somewhere around Old Street. We got on famously, no issues there,; I ended up accompanying her in the piddling rain as she burnt through three fags in the 2 hours and some we\u0026rsquo;d spent.\nThese jaunts are usually incomplete without the obligatory airline gaffe. This time, my flight from Heathrow ended up delayed by an hour and thirty minutes. The culprit, a stuck partition between first class and economy.\nSMH.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/08/01/of-journeys-and-returns/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/compare22.png\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"compare2\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/compare22.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLondon was warm, a tad too warm if the truth must be told. And dry - well, except for that wretched Saturday evening, which in keeping with my rotten luck with these things, was the one day I decided to be out and about into the wee hours of the morning. Other than that, the contrast with the ‘Deen couldn’t have been starker – wet, barely nudging 19 degree weather and warm, dry, 26 degree weather and sunshine, separated by the small matter of sixty five minutes of flying.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Of Journeys and returns"},{"content":"Besting 500 calories in one gym session\u0026hellip;.\nThe future Mrs S best be pleased :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/07/29/firsts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBesting 500 calories in one gym session\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/exercise_5002.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"exercise_500\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/exercise_5002.jpg?w=620\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe future Mrs S best be pleased :)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Firsts..."},{"content":"Back in \u0026lsquo;94 when Delirious was still the house band for The Cutting Edge, a local youth event run by the Arun Community Church in Littlehampton, doing music full time didn’t look feasible, nor was the possibility of multiple Dove Awards and a Grammy nomination. In fact between leading worship at the cutting edge events and keeping up with a hectic schedule of gigs across the UK, the group that would become arguably the UK’s greatest Christian contemporary music exports had to hold down day jobs to keep things ticking.\nSong writer Martin Smith recalls being inspired by the seaside of Devon during a family holiday:\nWe were on holiday as a family. We were in Devon, staying in an old farmhouse. It overlooked the sea and the hills and the mountains. It really was, sit on the edge of a hill, pre-kids, being able to dream a bit more, I grabbed an acoustic guitar. That song just wrote itself in about five minutes.\nAlmost twenty years since then (seventeen since it made the cut on 1997\u0026rsquo;s Cutting Edge), it is a song that has consistently ranked amongst the most influential, and widely sung, praise and worship songs, been covered multiple times by artistes as diverse as Mercy Me, Sonic Flood and Hillsong United. Smith, now a solo artist since the disbandment of the band in 2009 still continues to be surprised by how much a simple song, cobbled together in five minutes continues to bless lives around the world. That is perhaps one of the more compelling themes of the Gospel, God’s Providence and Sovereignty in choosing to use things which are not the greatest or brightest and which do not have the greatest back stories to great effect.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/07/27/the-story-behind-the-song-i-could-sing-of-your-love-forever-delirious/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBack in \u0026lsquo;94 when \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delirious%3F\"\u003eDelirious\u003c/a\u003e was still the house band for The Cutting Edge, a local youth event run by the \u003ca href=\"http://www.aruncommunitychurch.com/\"\u003eArun Community Church\u003c/a\u003e in Littlehampton, doing music full time didn’t look feasible, nor was the possibility of multiple Dove Awards and a Grammy nomination. In fact between leading worship at the cutting edge events and keeping up with a hectic schedule of gigs across the UK, the group that would become arguably the UK’s greatest Christian contemporary music exports had to hold down day jobs to keep things ticking.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Story Behind The Song: I Could Sing of Your Love Forever - Delirious?"},{"content":"\nIn differential calculus:\nthe point on a curve where the curvature changes sign from +ve to -ve or vice versa; analogous to a point on a bend where the steering is momentarily straight whilst turning from left to right or vice versa\nIn real life:\nthe precise moment it finally sinks into a bloke\u0026rsquo;s thick skull that the girl he\u0026rsquo;s had a crush on for the past month is about to ease him into the friendzone\nO bummer!\nI suppose there might be a silver lining somewhere amongst all this. After all it is a chance to go back to the drawing board, devoid of options, to re-imagine the search; root and branch, rather than small tweaks here and there.\nSo here\u0026rsquo;s to learning; unlearning, relearning, and better luck/ success next time.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/07/17/point-of-inflection/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/inflection2.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"inflection\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/inflection2.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflection_point\"\u003edifferential calculus\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe point on a curve where the curvature changes sign from +ve to -ve or vice versa; analogous to a point on a bend where the steering is momentarily straight whilst turning from left to right or vice versa\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn real life:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe precise moment it finally sinks into a bloke\u0026rsquo;s thick skull that the girl he\u0026rsquo;s had a crush on for the past month is about to ease him into the friendzone\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Point of Inflection"},{"content":"\nIn line at my GP\u0026rsquo;s, waiting for an audience with the receptionist who I want to confirm an appointment with, I find myself growing impatient despite being only the fifth person in line. It looks, and feels, like everyone and their dog opted to stop by today. It is a warm day and there are at least ten people in various stages of repose on the chairs scattered around the waiting room. Inwardly I am cursing myself and my daftness for choosing lunch to do this. At the head of the queue, a large-ish woman engages the receptionist in a conversation of sorts - if speaking two unrelated languages can be classed as a conversation. She, like me, has an appointment to confirm, unlike me she needs an interpreter to pass her query across. The dour, matronly receptionist seems to be at a loss, unable to determine what is an appropriate response besides saying repeatedly \u0026lsquo;The nurse is not in yet, she\u0026rsquo;ll call for you when she has an interpreter on the line\u0026rsquo;. Six times and five minutes later, she has made no headway, and the woman has held the line up for all of that time. Our saving grace is the nurse calling out \u0026lsquo;Olga\u0026quot;, allied with a name I can\u0026rsquo;t recall. Recognising her name, she makes her way to the consulting room to be attended to. Needless to say, I am not at my most gracious at the delay - unnecessarily so.\nThe GP visit has been occasioned by an unexpected bout of malaise. By my standards, four hours and some of sleep is plenty, but over the last few days even that has been about as attainable as a snow storm in the Sahara. I am hoping to have a chat with the GP, get all my vital signs checked, particularly my blood pressure and gain reassurance that nothing major is amiss.\nThat malaise ends up being unresolved, at least up until Friday when I get dragged out by my friend Q. for peri-peri chicken at Nandos. On a slightly positive, it provides ample material for my return to the3six5NG\nIn other, even more positive news, it is 8 days to the Hillsong Conference Europe, and I am preparing - by listening over and over to Louie Giglio\u0026rsquo;s message from Passion 2013 as well as Judah Smith\u0026rsquo;s and bobbing along to Glorious Ruins. Over the weekend, I got confirmation that my friend E who I haven\u0026rsquo;t seen since the back end of last year will be attending, even more incentive to look forward to some time away from the \u0026lsquo;Deen since my quick trip to Nigeria in February.\n#Can\u0026rsquo;tWait\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/07/16/goings-on-a-few-quick-hits/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/chicken2.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"chicken\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/chicken2.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn line at my GP\u0026rsquo;s, waiting for an audience with the receptionist who I want to confirm an appointment with, I find myself growing impatient despite being only the fifth person in line. It looks, and feels, like everyone and their dog opted to stop by today. It is a warm day and there are at least ten people in various stages of repose on the chairs scattered around the waiting room. Inwardly I am cursing myself and my daftness for choosing lunch to do this. At the head of the queue, a large-ish woman engages the receptionist in a conversation of sorts - if speaking two unrelated languages can be classed as a conversation. She, like me, has an appointment to confirm, unlike me she needs an interpreter to pass her query across. The dour, matronly receptionist seems to be at a loss, unable to determine what is an appropriate response besides saying repeatedly \u0026lsquo;The nurse is not in yet, she\u0026rsquo;ll call for you when she has an interpreter on the line\u0026rsquo;. Six times and five minutes later, she has made no headway, and the woman has held the line up for all of that time. Our saving grace is the nurse calling out \u0026lsquo;Olga\u0026quot;, allied with a name I can\u0026rsquo;t recall. Recognising her  name, she makes her way to the consulting room to be attended to. Needless to say, I am not at my most gracious at the delay - unnecessarily so.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Goings on - A few quick hits..."},{"content":"There is the wider life plan (updated here), and then this, an attempt to build a bucket list as my life marches inexorably on to the 40th birthday in 2020. In no particular order then, here goes:\nMeet, fall in love with, actively chase and marry the woman of my dreams (who loves me back in the same way). Visit with sponsored children and their families for two weeks. Save one year\u0026rsquo;s living expenses (~30k) in an (untouched) ISA Start or complete a PhD Publish a book (currently considering a book of poems or essays around the ambivalence of ageing, and turning 40 with the working title - The Crux of The Matter: Occasional Essays on Everything) Save 30% of my net earnings over the decade from 2009 to 2019. Learn a second language. Properly articulate my world view (in a series of blog posts, what I believe?) Read every book that has been awarded the Man Booker Prize (currently read 9). Acquire a second nationality Take the significant other on a two week boat cruise Complete a 10k race for charity Take a two week holiday and document the visit in a travelogue. Sleep in the outdoors. Write a blog for 365 consecutive days (aim for 2016?) Launch \u0026lsquo;The Integrity Business\u0026rsquo; - my Corrosion, Materials, Welding and Inspection consultancy - or become Corrosion and Materials Technical Authority at an Oil Major (currently TA at a small Oil \u0026amp; Gas company as at YE 2015). Watch the Ball drop in New York\u0026rsquo;s Time Square live. Visit Brazil - complete a \u0026lsquo;pilgrimage\u0026rsquo; to the Statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio. Watch a Champions League final live Tour Anfield See one of Third Day, Delirious, Hillsong United or Rebecca St James live in concert. Get a private pilot licence. Learn to play the guitar Learn to swim Visit the New Seven Wonders of Nature. Walk the Edinburgh Royal Mile/Attend the Fringe Festival Travel the route of the Orient Express by train (Paris to Istanbul) Visit the sites of the Seven Churches referenced in Revelations 3 Travel by train from London to Athens. Visit the Detroit Institute of Art Drive down Route 66 in America See the pyramids in Egypt Take a ride in a hot air balloon Climb the Eiffel tower Completed\nSponsor a child (Done with WorldVision Nov 11, 2010 and Compassion UK in 2013) Lose twenty kilograms, maintain an 80kg weight(+/- 2kg) - achieved end January 2014; targets now revised to 80kg + 15% body fat. Buy a city centre flat (2 bed, 2 baths) done 30.01.2015 Attain a P.Eng or C.Eng status in an Engineering discipline Be head hunted for a job that pays greater than £100k (offered, but turned it down :( ) Take a boat ride down the Chicago River and take a river tour. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/40-things-by-40/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThere is the \u003ca href=\"http://www.therustgeek.me/2013/06/the-life-plan/\"\u003ewider life plan\u003c/a\u003e ( \u003ca href=\"http://therustgeeksblog.wordpress.com/2014/12/21/rethinking-the-life-plan/\"\u003eupdated here\u003c/a\u003e), and then this, an attempt to build a bucket list as my life marches inexorably on to the 40th birthday in 2020. In no particular order then, here goes:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMeet, fall in love with, actively chase and marry the woman of my dreams (who loves me back in the same way).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVisit with sponsored children and their families for two weeks.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSave one year\u0026rsquo;s living expenses (~30k) in an (untouched) ISA\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart or complete a PhD\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublish a book (currently considering a book of poems or essays around the ambivalence of ageing, and turning 40 with the working title - \u003ca href=\"https://www.evernote.com/l/AhuWH0LGlLNOELoY69sj7lWap_CndR9o_As\"\u003eThe Crux of The Matter: Occasional Essays on Everything\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSave 30% of my net earnings over the decade from 2009 to 2019.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLearn a second language.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProperly articulate my world view (in a series of blog posts, what I believe?)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRead every book that has been awarded the \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_Booker_Prize\"\u003eMan Booker Prize\u003c/a\u003e (currently read 9).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAcquire a second nationality\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTake the significant other on a two week boat cruise\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComplete a 10k race for charity\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTake a two week holiday and document the visit in a travelogue.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSleep in the outdoors.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWrite a blog for 365 consecutive days (aim for 2016?)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLaunch \u0026lsquo;The Integrity Business\u0026rsquo; - my Corrosion, Materials, Welding and Inspection consultancy  - or become Corrosion and Materials Technical Authority at an Oil Major ( \u003ca href=\"http://therustgeeksblog.wordpress.com/2015/12/06/new-old-jobs-a-testimony-of-sorts/\"\u003ecurrently TA at a small Oil \u0026amp; Gas company as at YE 2015\u003c/a\u003e).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWatch the Ball drop in New York\u0026rsquo;s Time Square live.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVisit Brazil - complete a \u0026lsquo;pilgrimage\u0026rsquo; to the Statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWatch a Champions League final live\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTour Anfield\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSee one of Third Day, Delirious, Hillsong United or Rebecca St James live in concert.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGet a private pilot licence.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLearn to play the guitar\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLearn to swim\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVisit the \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New7Wonders_of_Nature\"\u003eNew Seven Wonders\u003c/a\u003e of Nature.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWalk the Edinburgh Royal Mile/Attend the Fringe Festival\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTravel the route of the Orient Express by train ( \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orient_Express\"\u003eParis to Istanbul\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVisit the sites of the Seven Churches referenced in Revelations 3\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTravel by train from London to Athens.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVisit the Detroit Institute of Art\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDrive down Route 66 in America\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSee the pyramids in Egypt\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTake a ride in a hot air balloon\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClimb the Eiffel tower\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"40 things by 40"},{"content":"\nI was the first person in, just before 4.00pm. I had no choice but to RSVP in the affirmative when my friend O.\u0026rsquo;s invite to his house warming party finally arrived, largely because I had harassed encouraged him strongly into putting it together. He had just bought a house on the other side of town, and starved of hanging out time, I\u0026rsquo;d seized upon that as an excuse to badger him into setting something up.\nPumping his hand, as I kicked off my shoes and stepped onto his lush persian rug, I could just make out the silhouette of his daughter and her two friends playing in the back garden whilst their mothers put the finishing touches to the cow leg pepper-soup that would be our starter. The room was already infused with the smell of lemon grass and suya spice as the large cauldron of pepper soup just about began to simmer.\nF., Uncle Seni\u0026rsquo;s here\u0026hellip;. O. hollered as I made my way to the back garden. I had to duck as an inflated rubber ball, a felele, bounced up in the air in my direction. The kids had been starved of attention before my appearance and seemed very keen to engage me in a game of football. I had to oblige, alternating between playing the goal keeper and the penalty taker as we ran up a small sweat in the back yard.\nSo engrossed was I that I didn\u0026rsquo;t know for how long the other woman helping with the cooking had stood in the doorway watching us play. She did clear her throat to get my attention eventually, simmering plate of pepper soup in tow for a first bite of the evening. At that time it was just past 4.45pm, and I was still the only guest around for a party that was meant to have kicked off at 4.00pm.\nThe next guests to arrive were N. and his wife, strolling in at ten minutes past five, a bottle of red wine in tow as their contribution to the festivities. Cork popped, and glasses passed we all stood round the kitchen table chatting and catching up on all things that we\u0026rsquo;d all missed in our corner of the world. Soon after, another young couple arrived with their rambunctious toddler in tow; sometime after that the first big plates of fried rice had begun to wing their way for us to dig in and savour; proper Nigerian fare.\nSometime after 7.00pm, we had a full complement , as with all things Nigerians, the men had somehow drifted away into a small huddle as did the women. The bottles of beer might have had something to do with the loudness of the conversation, the virtual table banging and the wrought emotions as the conversation segued into the murky waters of the intractability of the Nigerian problem, corruption and all the other safe topics fairly well-off people in the diaspora moan about their home country.\nI found the noise a little too much for me, ending up in the extension to the living room, next to the garden. A few minutes later, baby K. sauntered in, extending her arms wanting to be carried. I obliged, just before she promptly fell asleep on my lap.\nI may have fallen asleep myself because the next thing I remembered was Mrs N. plumping into the seat next to me. She, ever the gracious seeker of introverted partiers, had noticed I wasn\u0026rsquo;t amongst the guys talking loudly and gesturing wildly, and had taken it upon herself to find me.\nShe relieved me of baby K, laying her to sleep in her cot nearby and then returned to converse. I\u0026rsquo;d been itching to have a conversation with Mrs N. about B. the current cause of my latest phase of over-thinking :\u0026quot;\u0026gt;. She obliged, listening graciously as I moaned about her penchant for not responding to text messages in a timely manner or her extreme attention to work (she\u0026rsquo;s the one person I can safely say is more of a workaholic than I am, no mean feat).\nIt was past 9.00pm when the crowd began to thin out. Baby K. was still asleep, peacefully oblivious of the ruckus we\u0026rsquo;d kicked up. As I dropped off what must have been my third plate of fried rice, I remember being thankful that I would have no part in the clean up after the storm.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/07/09/house-warming/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/09-july_-2013-house-warming3.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"09.july.2013-house warming\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/09-july_-2013-house-warming3.jpg?w=620\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI was the first person in, just before 4.00pm. I had no choice but to RSVP in the affirmative when my friend O.\u0026rsquo;s invite to his house warming party finally arrived, largely because I had harassed encouraged him strongly into putting it together. He had just bought a house on the other side of town, and starved of hanging out time, I\u0026rsquo;d seized upon that as an excuse to badger him into setting something up.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"House Warming..."},{"content":"The bright warm sunshine that streamed in through the office windows – whilst I was hard at work on Friday afternoon - vanished in time for the weekend, true to form. Up here in my little corner of the world, the one gripe that we all - rich, poor, cab driver, CEO, native born or immigrant - share, is the weather and its propensity to turning on a whim at the most inopportune of moments.\nFor the last hour of work, I had fantasised about the weekend, and all the fun exciting things I was going to get up to - an hour at the gym, lunch and then a movie with Q., a house warming party at O.’s and an extended video editing session at the church I do life at.\nIt was only 8.30am before my genuine enthusiasm for the weekend was worn away by the weather, leaving my well laid plans in tatters. It was classic wet, cold and windy, and just the sight of the fog rolling in over Pittodrie from the relative warmth of my kitchen window did my lethargy no end of good. I did manage to drag myself to the gym on Saturday morning – thanks to the tenacity of my god daughter. She and her dad O. attend early start swimming classes at the city gym I use, and the one time I didn’t plan on being there at the same time that she would, I ended up being squealed to over the phone. In fairness to her, she’s one of my biggest fans, bragging non-stop to her Mom and Uncle about how fit I have become - burgeoning belly keg or not.\nGym done and dusted, it turned out my friend Q. was no longer up for a movie - we\u0026rsquo;d wanted to see Man of Steel- so I did the next best thing for me which was to head home and grab lunch. Lunch was a cup of oats with skimmed milk, microwaved, whilst I looked out of my window at the foggy horizon.\nLunch done, I ended up on my couch, curled up with a book, and an eye on the TV and re-runs of The Big Bang Theory. The book was Juan Gabriel Vasquez\u0026rsquo;s \u0026rsquo; The sound of Things Falling\u0026rsquo; (Telegraph review here), a meandering tale of chance encounters, a disillusioned law professor and an ex-convict somehow ending up with intertwined lives in the aftermath of Columbia\u0026rsquo;s drug wars and the death of Pablo Escobar.\nBy the time I was wrapping up the book, it was well past 11pm - the house warming party had been missed and dinner ended up being another (bigger) bowl of cereal, which was how I ended up spending well nigh all of my Saturday indoors.\nThe plus side was I\u0026rsquo;d finally completed a book in 2013 - it\u0026rsquo;s been a piss poor year (non-academic) reading wise for me - and I felt well rested\u0026hellip;\nLife\u0026rsquo;s good\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/07/02/about-town-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe bright warm sunshine that streamed in through the office windows – whilst I was hard at work on Friday afternoon - vanished in time for the weekend, true to form. Up here in my little corner of the world, the one gripe that we all - rich, poor, cab driver, CEO, native born or immigrant - share, is the weather and its propensity to turning on a whim at the most inopportune of moments.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Town"},{"content":"\nThe lyrics:\n---\u0026mdash;- When my courage ends Let my heart find strength In Your presence\nSelah\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/07/01/glorious-ruins/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/gloriousruins2.png\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"GloriousRuins\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/gloriousruins2.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"http://www.songlyrics.com/hillsong-church/glorious-ruins-lyrics/\"\u003elyrics\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u0026mdash;-\nWhen my courage ends\nLet my heart find strength\nIn Your presence\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSelah\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Glorious Ruins"},{"content":"Distilled into three main components:\nBe the best husband, father, brother, son and friend I can be; Excel in (Corrosion, Materials and Welding) Engineering; Live in, and contribute to life in, a great church and a great city. Not quite as simple as it sounds, but tiny first steps are all that count, no?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/06/16/the-life-plan/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDistilled into three main components:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBe the best husband, father, brother, son and friend I can be;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExcel in (Corrosion, Materials and Welding) Engineering;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLive in, and contribute to life in, a great church and a great city.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot quite as simple as it sounds, but tiny first steps are all that count, \u003cem\u003eno?\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The life plan..."},{"content":"\nIt is a bright, sunny day outside. On the radio as I come in, the weather forecast - tacked on to the end of the news broadcast on the BBC - promises great things for the weekend; 12 to 15 degrees and sunshine, loads of it. If there is any doubt that our summer, typically bipolar at best is finally here, this dispels it.\nInside, in the open plan office I share with the team at work, it is quiet. It is early too, just past 8.00am and I am the only one in; perfect timing to chase down my regular Friday piece of junk food and savour the quietness – unusual in the last year I have worked here. That was the back story to how, and why I was humming in my head and chewing noisily on a bit of roll and bacon as I ambled towards the coffee machine for a free brew to wash down my breakfast.\nI have already hit the button on our old, creaky coffee machine when I spot the two of them in the corner. They are speaking in hushed tones, one has a hand on the other’s shoulder, the other has her head bowed and is pressing a very wet handkerchief to her nose. I hear her sniffle, and conclude she has been crying.\nIt has always seemed to me that time slows down when you want it to speed up – Friday afternoons after lunch are a case in point, as are long flights with only dodgy movies for company, or worse inveterate snorers. This, discomforting emotions all bared, ranks with the worst of those.\nI don’t know who is more embarrassed, the crying woman or me. I wait the seemingly interminable 30 seconds it takes for my cup to fill up, nod an apology and head off, suitably quietened.\nAt my desk, looking out across the room it is still bright and sunny outside. Inside, there is the slight tinge of sadness for what I know not.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/06/14/stumbled-on-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/deserted2.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"deserted\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/deserted2.jpg?w=620\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is a bright, sunny day outside. On the radio as I come in, the weather forecast - tacked on to the end of the news broadcast on the BBC -  promises great things for the weekend; 12 to 15 degrees and sunshine, loads of it. If there is any doubt that our summer, typically bipolar at best is finally here, this dispels it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInside, in the open plan office I share with the team at work, it is quiet. It is early too, just past 8.00am and I am the only one in; perfect timing to chase down my regular Friday piece of \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/05/cheat-day/\"\u003ejunk food\u003c/a\u003e and savour the quietness – unusual in the last year I have worked here. That was the back story to how, and why I was humming in my head and chewing noisily on a bit of roll and bacon as I ambled towards the coffee machine for a free brew to wash down my breakfast.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Stumbled on"},{"content":"In the immediate aftermath of the Woolwich murder, once that truly harrowing video had surfaced and the Nigerian connection was first mooted, I found myself cast in the unwilling role of the Nigerian \u0026rsquo;expert\u0026rsquo; at work. For most of the people in my corner of the world, I was the most handy Nigerian they could talk to. The odd attempt to parlay it into banter did come up, but for the most part, these were people looking to get some perspective on what was both vicious and senseless.\nMy initial response was one of disavowal. Afghanistan has never really being a bog standard concern of the typical Nigerian as far as I am aware, neither is the typical Nigerian so disconnected from self preservation that he/she would take to causes without a personal dimension of gain involved. Additionally, the name being bandied about that night on twitter wasn\u0026rsquo;t Northern Nigerian in origin, precluding a Boko Haram connection.\nThe initial media reaction predictably focused on the Nigerian heritage of the two suspected attackers. The BBC\u0026rsquo;s Nick Robinson went as far as using the cringe-worthy turn of phrase \u0026lsquo;of Muslim appearance\u0026rsquo;, which he later apologised for. There were a number of \u0026lsquo;reprisal attacks’ - the likes of the EDL using the opportunity to perpetuate their own brand of dialogue.\nInterestingly, within the wider circle of my (Nigerian) friends and colleagues, there was a certain reluctance to discuss the attack. Eventually, the reluctance did seem to go away, replaced by two main narratives - one largely focused on the privileged life the perpetuators led (these were young men born and bred in Britain, so the narrative goes, who were radicalised in the UK and had nothing to do with Nigeria) and the other focused on how just much harder the lives of law abiding Nigerians the world over, already stigmatised enough by the green passport , would be thanks to the additional scrutiny they would be afforded at border posts.\nBarely a year ago, the likes of Mo Farah, Lutalo Mohammad, Nicola Adams and others were roundly feted as heroes post the London Olympics. In fact, a few days after Woolwich, Andrew Osagie, a name as Nigerian as they come would be roundly hailed for his performance at the IAAF Diamond League Meet in new York.\nI suppose therein lies the conundrum of the visible immigrant - acceptance is tenuous at best, predicated on good behaviour, and heroic action. :(\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/06/06/woolwich-aftermath/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn the immediate aftermath of the \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Woolwich_attack\"\u003eWoolwich murder\u003c/a\u003e, once that truly harrowing \u003ca href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9DbRMIlQ5A\"\u003evideo\u003c/a\u003e had surfaced and the Nigerian connection was first mooted, I found myself cast in the unwilling role of the Nigerian \u0026rsquo;expert\u0026rsquo; at work. For most of the people in my corner of the world, I was the most handy Nigerian they could talk to. The odd attempt to parlay it into banter did come up, but for the most part, these were people looking to get some perspective on what was both vicious and senseless.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Woolwich, the aftermath"},{"content":"\nAn egg, two sausages, a slice of bacon and a hash brown.. All on a roll.. #Delish\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/05/31/cheat-day/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/2013-05-31-07-34-37.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"2013-05-31 07.34.37\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/2013-05-31-07-34-37.jpg?w=620\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn egg, two sausages, a slice of bacon and a hash brown.. All on a roll.. #Delish\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Cheat Day..."},{"content":"The one last, irrevocable act that settles the inevitability of these trips is the phone call, typically sometime between 3.30pm and 5.00pm, confirming a check-in time for the next day. Beyond that, it is a fairly straight forward routine - wake up just past 5.00am, sort out my morning ablutions and then proceed to drag my two pieces of luggage down Park Road, up Kings and up to the bus station just outside Union Square. Thereafter there is a wait - between five and twenty minutes depending on when I arrive - before the 727 to the airport begins its crawl towards Dyce and the airport.\nThat ride, typically a 30 minute one, is largely spent in silence, punctuated only by bell presses alerting the driver to people\u0026rsquo;s need to alight as required; their stern, mostly tired faces, hardly inspiring conversation. Outside, there is only a steady stream of early morning commute traffic, and the overwhelming grey of dull, bland buildings to view, until the final stretch of the A96 where some greenery mercifully appears to break the depressingly monotonous view.\nToday\u0026rsquo;s trip lasts just a little over 35 minutes, a snarl getting off Great Northern Road ensuring we spill over the allotted time. Delay notwithstanding, I arrive with plenty of time to grab a coffee before proceeding to the counter to check-in for my flight which is planned to leave by 10.45am.\nCheck-in is quick. The frazzled woman at the front desk runs me through the routine - passport checked, vantage card eyeballed, bags weighed, quick step on the scale and then the check to confirm my stored details are still correct - and then waves me through to baggage check in.\nI join the lengthening queue in front of the full body scanning machine as it inches along. When it is my turn, the man on the other side motions for me to step through. I do not set off any alarms today. My bags get scanned, and then taken apart and searched. I get the all clear after two minutes and some, and then proceed to get my jacket, belt and shoes back on.\n9.10 am… My day has just begun.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/05/30/journey-no-where/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe one last, irrevocable act that settles the inevitability of these trips is \u003cem\u003ethe\u003c/em\u003e phone call, typically sometime between 3.30pm and 5.00pm, confirming a check-in time for the next day. Beyond that, it is a fairly straight forward routine - wake up just past 5.00am, sort out my morning ablutions and then proceed to drag my two pieces of luggage down Park Road, up Kings and up to the bus station just outside Union Square. Thereafter there is a wait - between five and twenty minutes depending on when I arrive - before the 727 to the airport begins its crawl towards Dyce and the airport.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Journeying to the middle of nowhere"},{"content":"[contact-form][contact-field label=\u0026lsquo;Name\u0026rsquo; type=\u0026lsquo;name\u0026rsquo; required=\u0026lsquo;1\u0026rsquo;/][contact-field label=\u0026lsquo;Email\u0026rsquo; type=\u0026lsquo;email\u0026rsquo; required=\u0026lsquo;1\u0026rsquo;/][contact-field label=\u0026lsquo;Website\u0026rsquo; type=\u0026lsquo;url\u0026rsquo;/][contact-field label=\u0026lsquo;Comment\u0026rsquo; type=\u0026lsquo;textarea\u0026rsquo; required=\u0026lsquo;1\u0026rsquo;/][/contact-form]\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/contact/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[contact-form][contact-field label=\u0026lsquo;Name\u0026rsquo; type=\u0026lsquo;name\u0026rsquo; required=\u0026lsquo;1\u0026rsquo;/][contact-field label=\u0026lsquo;Email\u0026rsquo; type=\u0026lsquo;email\u0026rsquo; required=\u0026lsquo;1\u0026rsquo;/][contact-field label=\u0026lsquo;Website\u0026rsquo; type=\u0026lsquo;url\u0026rsquo;/][contact-field label=\u0026lsquo;Comment\u0026rsquo; type=\u0026lsquo;textarea\u0026rsquo; required=\u0026lsquo;1\u0026rsquo;/][/contact-form]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Contact"},{"content":"Hi, I’m AJ, a Materials \u0026amp; Corrosion Engineer (hence TheRustGeek), Recovering (Spiritual) Prodigal, Enneagram 5/ INTJ and Liverpool FC fan, in no particular order. For worth its worth, I find myself increasingly drawn to to the Parable of the Prodigal Son, my connection being in two dimensions; one of faith and a continuing struggle in that aspect and that of being in a far country, twice removed.\nRustGeeking apart, I find myself increasingly fascinated by Complex Systems, particularly the adaptive sort, risk/ risk management and how data science and analytics tools can be deployed successfully in the physical asset integrity management space which most of my work to date has been in. Knowledge Representation and Reasoning is also an area I am keenly interested in, particularly from the perspectives of future proofing myself as a knowledge economist from the \u0026ldquo;scourge\u0026rdquo; of Large Language Models. I firmly believe that Graph Theory and its Network Science sub-domain is a fundamental paradigm through which to understand the world. Since falling into the used Thinkpad rabbit hole in 2019, I have primarily run Linux (currently Fedora) on Thinkpads rescued from eBay.\nThanks to a Mum who had a significant library of literary classics from Shakespeare to Soyinka, I found books and the escape they can provide. I fancy trying my hand at writing – creative non-fiction and poetry being the primary genres I delve into here.\nMost of what I write on here will be banal, mundane, navel gazing stuff but I hope that once in a while something profound will rise to the fore as I use this as a space to write and therefore think.\nGo on, don\u0026rsquo;t be scared. Drop in and say hi.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/about/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHi, I’m AJ, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.velvetjobs.com/job-descriptions/corrosion-engineer\"\u003eMaterials \u0026amp; Corrosion Engineer (hence TheRustGeek)\u003c/a\u003e, Recovering (Spiritual) Prodigal, Enneagram 5/ INTJ and Liverpool FC fan, in no particular order. For worth its worth, I find myself \u003ca href=\"/2021/06/25/being-prodigal-an-origin-story/\"\u003eincreasingly drawn to to the Parable of the Prodigal Son\u003c/a\u003e, my connection being in two dimensions; one of faith and a continuing struggle in that aspect and that of being in a far country, twice removed.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRustGeeking apart, I find myself increasingly fascinated by Complex Systems, particularly the adaptive sort, risk/ risk management and how data science and analytics tools can be deployed successfully in the physical asset integrity management space which most of my work to date has been in. Knowledge Representation and Reasoning is also an area I am keenly interested in, particularly from the perspectives of future proofing myself as a knowledge economist from the \u0026ldquo;scourge\u0026rdquo; of Large Language Models. I firmly believe that Graph Theory and its Network Science sub-domain is a fundamental paradigm through which to understand the world. Since \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/\"\u003efalling into the used Thinkpad rabbit hole in 2019\u003c/a\u003e, I have primarily run Linux (currently Fedora) on Thinkpads rescued from eBay.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About"},{"content":"Thirty odd people, myself included, cluster around a table in a somewhat private corner of the Monkey House. Once a quarter, the guys and girls from work all pile in here to de-stress, and let our hair down. Rumour has it that after enough beers have gone around, fortuitous slips centred around what certain bosses actually think about certain staff have been known to occur. Usually, the evening starts with a few beers and nibbles - fish fingers, spring rolls, and all the other light food we\u0026rsquo;d collectively call small chops in my other world, the small matter of a few thousand miles away.\nThree beers in, I find myself somehow wedged between two women from a different group within my larger team. Besides the odd \u0026lsquo;Hi\u0026rsquo; tossed across the hall way as I have passed them on the way to the shared printer, or the even more occasional chit-chat at the coffee machine, these are not people I would consider myself particularly well acquainted with.\nIn allowing myself to be stuck at this end of the table, I have perhaps made my most grievous mistake. The conversation that begins around my being single - uncomfortable enough as it were - eventually segues in to the even less comfortable territory of botched spray tans, gelish application and removals, and endless harping on about a perceived slight; a contractor had used one of the ladies\u0026rsquo; parking space without asking.\nIt takes all of my will power to not physically run, but I survive, long enough to seize the arrival of a fresh platter of nibbles as an escape clause.\nPhew!!!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/05/20/first-world-problems/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThirty odd people, myself included, cluster around a table in a somewhat private corner of the \u003cem\u003eMonkey House\u003c/em\u003e. Once a quarter, the guys and girls from work all pile in here to de-stress, and let our hair down. Rumour has it that after enough beers have gone around, fortuitous slips centred around what certain bosses actually think about certain staff have been known to occur. Usually, the evening starts with a few beers and nibbles - fish fingers, spring rolls, and all the other light food we\u0026rsquo;d collectively call \u003cem\u003esmall chops\u003c/em\u003e in my \u003cem\u003eother\u003c/em\u003e world, the small matter of a few thousand miles away.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"First World Problems"},{"content":"[ted id=1741]\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/05/20/why-30-is-not-the-20-meg-jay/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[ted id=1741]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"TED Talks: Why 30 is not the new 20 - Med Jay PhD"},{"content":"She taps me on the shoulder, seemingly after several attempts to get my attention. In my defence, I have my earphones plugged in, cranked up to the maximum as usual, and have my hands in my fully done up jacket, braced up for the nip in the air, a far cry from the fairly balmy weather we’d had for all of three days that week.\nI am waiting for the Number 5 bus from Seafield Shops to Union Street, at a little before 20 minutes to 5pm, and besides the slowly lengthening line of cars on the opposite side of the road queuing up to get off Seafield on to Springfield road, there is an uncertain quietness to everything. At the time she tapped my shoulder, the only thing on my mind besides the cold was clearing my head of PRENs, Carbon equivalents, hydrogen embrittlement and all the other buzz words my ears had been filled up with at the training course I was on.\nThe bus can\u0026rsquo;t have left yet? She asks, when it is clear she now has my attention as I pull my earphones out of my ears.\nI want to respond with a retort along the lines of I’m still here, silly, but one look at her wrinkled face peeking out from beneath the scarf she has on head and tied up beneath her chin, slight stoop and thick blue jacket perishes the thought from my mind. My grandmother would roll in her grave if I so much as disrespected this woman I think.\nIt doesn’t leave till ten minutes to five, I finally respond, just before she shuffles over to the bus timetable and traces the next run with her finger. Finally convinced she lets out a whiff of pent up breath and seems to relax a little bit more.\nWe share a few moments of uncomfortable silence where it seems she sizes me up. I must cast a sorry picture – overgrown bushy hair, dirty brown moccasins, blue jeans and a knapsack.\nYou don\u0026rsquo;t live around here, no? I respond with a shaken head and explain that I am only in the vicinity thanks to a training course I am at, at the hotel across the street.\nAh, I see. You’re Nigerian though? I nod in the affirmative. Uncomfortable silence broken we share a moan about the cold weather and how summer only lasts two days in our corner of the world. Somewhere in the midst of our idle chatter she lets on that her son worked for Shell in Port Harcourt in the mid 90s.\nHe’s away to Australia now though, she adds. Left in 2006, she lets out a sigh, evocative in my mind of a pining mother, much in the way mine might bemoan my seemingly lack of application in delivering a daughter in-law to her pronto.\nLabour’s sold the country down the river, she adds. I maintain silence. These are dodgy waters to be treading. Presumably Labour’s selling the country down the river has something to do with their less than glorious record, the perception that is, on immigration and border controls.\nWe are saved by the appearance of the Bus down the road, Two stops away. Here it is she says. I nod, surreptitiously plugging in my right ear bud back in. The bus arrives, and I let her get on first inspite of her attmepts to wave me on first.\nI plant my bum in a seat in front, just behind the driver. She seats in one of those reserved for the elderly and promptly whips out a Sudoku book\nTwenty minutes later, we’ve snaked our way on to Union Street. I am dropping off at the last Union Street stop, just before the bus goes up Union Grove. She presses the bell and shuffles off three stops before mine.\nAs she gets off, she waves when she goes past me.\nStay happy son..\nI have no riposte for that.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/05/17/west-end-conversations/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eShe taps me on the shoulder, seemingly after several attempts to get my attention. In my defence, I have my earphones plugged in, cranked up to the maximum as usual, and have my hands in my fully done up jacket, braced up for the nip in the air, a far cry from the fairly balmy weather we’d had for all of three days that week.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI am waiting for the Number 5 bus from Seafield Shops to Union Street, at a little before 20 minutes to 5pm, and besides the slowly lengthening line of cars on the opposite side of the road queuing up to get off Seafield on to Springfield road, there is an uncertain quietness to everything. At the time she tapped my shoulder, the only thing on my mind besides the cold was clearing my head of PRENs, Carbon equivalents, hydrogen embrittlement and all the other buzz words my ears had been filled up with at the training course I was on.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"West End Conversations"},{"content":"I woke up to five missed calls on my phone. I had felt, rather than heard its insistent buzz deep within lalaland but sheer tiredness had kept me from waking up. Instead, the phone\u0026rsquo;s chirpy ringtone somehow ended up blending itself in with the background to some weird dream I promptly forgot on waking.\nOf the five missed calls, three were from my mother, one from my father\u0026rsquo;s phone and one from a private number. This has more or less become her standard M.O. - when she feels I am intentionally refusing to answer her phone calls that is. That she\u0026rsquo;d called five times suggested it was important, so I groaned inwardly, punched in the numbers for my calling card and made the phone call to Nigeria.\nThe full repertoire of grunted, fairly redundant greetings done, she proceeded to the core of the reason why she\u0026rsquo;d called.\n\u0026ldquo;So \u0026lsquo;Seni, I hear you young people now find wives on facebook\u0026rdquo;\n\u0026ldquo;Mummy\u0026rdquo;, I reply in best son voice, \u0026ldquo;where did you hear that from? Facebook is just a website for staying in touch with old friends\u0026rdquo;\n\u0026ldquo;That\u0026rsquo;s not what I heard\u0026rdquo; she replies before she launches into a ten minute tale. Some distant friend of the family, who I had met two or three times at most, who is now retired had scrapped his savings together and sent his son abroad to study at one of my former Universities. Post graduation, he\u0026rsquo;d found a job in London and was doing quite well by all accounts until he found a wife \u0026ldquo;off Facebook\u0026rdquo; my mother insists and got married to her.\nA year later, he\u0026rsquo;d lost his job, it turned out she had been a fraud of sorts (she\u0026rsquo;d lied about where she worked amongst all other things), and he was back in Nigeria trying to find a job. Somewhere in between talk of having visited some medicine man in an attempt to suss out the cause of his misfortune and all the other \u0026lsquo;spiritual\u0026rsquo; sleuthing a traditional Nigerian does..\nMy mother\u0026rsquo;s point - important enough for her to try to call me five times in quick succession - was that one wrong move such as finding a wife off face was dangerous. And I needed to be warned/ have my ear pulled to remind me\u0026hellip; When it had all wrapped up and the telephone conversation had ended. I sighed and returned to whatever remnants of sleep I could eke out.\nIt was only 8.30am\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/05/13/facebook-fail/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI woke up to five missed calls on my phone. I had felt, rather than heard its insistent buzz deep within \u003cem\u003elalaland\u003c/em\u003e but sheer tiredness had kept me from waking up. Instead, the phone\u0026rsquo;s chirpy ringtone somehow ended up blending itself in with the background to some weird dream I promptly forgot on waking.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf the five missed calls, three were from my mother, one from my father\u0026rsquo;s phone and one from a private number. This has more or less become her standard M.O. - when she feels I am intentionally refusing to answer her phone calls that is. That she\u0026rsquo;d called five times suggested it was important, so I groaned inwardly, punched in the numbers for my calling card and made the phone call to Nigeria.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Facebook Fail"},{"content":"In retrospect, it was the best weekend to have been away from work - but I didn\u0026rsquo;t know that three weeks ago when on a whim I decided I needed an extended break. It just so happened that Thursday morning, which was my last work day of the week, brought with it the slight irritation of an unwelcome work event that needed a response. That event ended up spawning a response that had burgeoned into a full-fledged emergency of sorts - complete with the mindless, headless running around centred on being visible and being seen to be doing stuff, however pointless - by midmorning on Friday, by which time I was sauntering casually down Links Road, up the beach Esplanade and then unto the Boulevard with the sun on my back, tempered by a cool breeze from the sea and the barely perceptible sound of the waves lapping the shoreline, the sound track to what was a very leisurely stroll.\nThe feeling was one of peace, of uninterrupted solitude and of at-oneness with nature, a feeling heightened by the rabbits scurrying about in the grass and the birds chirping merrily away. The plan was to amble on in a loop, back up Links road and then homewards, to my 2015 FM2013 AC Milan save, where as the precociously talented AJ McSedge, I was on the fast track to league, cup and champions league double number 3. Finding myself at Cineworld for a breather, with ads for the opening day of Iron Man 3 bang in my face, I made up my mind quickly and decided a pit stop was a no-brainer.\nThere were only three other people in the queue for tickets, served by just one attendant. Two of them – a pox upon them – had that love lust ravaged look of horny teenagers, seemingly less able to walk straight than keep their hands off each other in what was a very public place at the most unreasonable hour of 11am. The other person, a tall, fairly muscular bloke had on a jacket with splotches of what looked like carpet glue, my best guess being that he was a joiner or handy man of sorts looking to use some downtime to catch Iron Man 3.\nIt turned out three other people had already settled into their seats in the cinema for a grand total of seven. I found my way to the topmost row, slouched in my assigned chair and proceeded to slowly whittle down my pile of nachos alternated with sips of coke as the endless parade of trailers and ads rolled by before it was time for the movie. Iron Man was ok, the movie that is, when I could focus on watching it without the distraction of mumbling from the two lovebirds who ended up sat within a few feet of me.\nIn the end, I tacked on lunch at TGI Fridays, copping a seat with a view looking out to the now less sunny, but still miraculously dry, beach front, surrounded by scores of people doing lunch in pairs and threes with my steak, chicken and shrimp combo and an appletizer for company. My leisurely stroll continued after that hearty lunch, completing the loop I\u0026rsquo;d terminated at Cineworld.\nIt was nearly 5pm by the time I finally allowed myself to log back in to work email, ostensibly to assure myself nothing life threatening had happened. There were the usual back and forth, pointless work emails.. And one particularly snide one from my verbal sparring partner, sarcastically applauding me for perfecting the art of vanishing\u0026hellip;\nA big pox upon him!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/05/07/bunnies-movies-vanishing/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn retrospect, it was the best weekend to have been away from work - but I didn\u0026rsquo;t know that three weeks ago when on a whim I decided I needed an extended break. It just so happened that Thursday morning, which was my last work day of the week, brought with it the slight irritation of an unwelcome work event that needed a response. That event ended up spawning a response that had burgeoned into a full-fledged emergency of sorts - complete with the mindless, headless running around centred on \u003cem\u003ebeing visible\u003c/em\u003e and being \u003cem\u003eseen to be doing\u003c/em\u003e stuff, however pointless - by midmorning on Friday, by which time I was sauntering casually down Links Road, up the beach Esplanade and then unto the Boulevard with the sun on my back, tempered by a cool breeze from the sea and the barely perceptible sound of the waves lapping the shoreline, the sound track to what was a very leisurely stroll.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About town - Bunnies, Movies and perfecting the art of vanishing"},{"content":"It was meant to be a quick year off work- away from what had quickly degenerated into a morale sapping, five-year-plan derailing slog complete with over-paid and over-pampered expat bosses more keen to leave a boot in to demonstrate their continuing relevance than develop fresh graduates. That year\u0026rsquo;s appraisal was the final straw - the spiel about the ranking process being an assessment of the best and the brightest and the slowest driver in a Formula 1 race being a darned good driver somehow put the lie to being ranked firmly in the middle percentile AND yet being offered a position of greater authority.\nI took the first opportunity to bail - grad school, pipelines and the prospect of a study leave for it all seemed a good safe bet. All unpaid, but with an almost iron-clad guarantee of a return to the very well paid job I had, or so I thought.\nAll that was not to be, the official company line was they couldn\u0026rsquo;t find a role that fit my skills and experience.\nAt first the lostness was intentional, a purposeful forgetting of the past and its accoutrements - an attempt to isolate myself from the longing and nostalgia for dirty, rowdy, yet loveable Lagos. And I didn\u0026rsquo;t go back for the first three years.\nThese days, it\u0026rsquo;s more a case of never quite fitting in - neither in Nigeria, nor in the cold, wet and windy corner of the world I have squirrelled away in..\nIt\u0026rsquo;s been 4 years, 7 months and 17 days but yet there is no abatement of the inner lostness.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/05/06/on-lostness/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt was meant to be a quick year off work- away from what had quickly degenerated into a morale sapping, five-year-plan derailing slog complete with over-paid and over-pampered \u003cem\u003eexpat\u003c/em\u003e bosses more keen to leave a boot in to demonstrate their continuing relevance than develop fresh graduates. That year\u0026rsquo;s appraisal was the final straw - the spiel about the ranking process being an assessment of the best and the brightest and the slowest driver in a Formula 1 race being a darned good driver somehow put the lie to being ranked firmly in the middle percentile AND yet being offered a position of greater authority.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Lostness"},{"content":"The cliff notes version\nFinally rid myself of L; new mobile number, deleted contacts and minimal face to face time appear to be working here Met S at N\u0026rsquo;s party - great conversation, opera lover and left handed woman\u0026hellip;. :) Was beginning to think the Lord didn\u0026rsquo;t make geek chics anymore.. My one slip up was failing to ask for her number or BBM *silly me* ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/04/30/on-s/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe cliff notes version\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFinally \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/01/in-retrospect-wrapping-up-the-l-debacle/\"\u003erid myself of L\u003c/a\u003e; new mobile number, deleted contacts and minimal face to face time appear to be working here\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMet S at N\u0026rsquo;s party - great conversation, opera lover and left handed woman\u0026hellip;. :) Was beginning to think the Lord didn\u0026rsquo;t make geek chics anymore.. My one slip up was failing to ask for her number or BBM *silly me*\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"On S..."},{"content":".. is a lot of time to spend in introspection, curled up tight into a ball (or sprawled out like an amorphous mass in my case), unable to lift my head and throat as they were being bombarded by the triune forces of a sore, swollen throat, a fever and a banging headache to boot. And think did I – when I was not obsessively googling home remedies for what turned out to be some flu strain sent from hell.\nIt started innocuously enough as a slightly sore throat on Friday evening, one which I felt strong enough to shake off. My late night out in the cold with Media and Tech from church certainly didn’t help, but by Saturday evening I was a quivering wreck, barely able to swallow or even move my head. I managed to make church, making a pitstop at Boots to grab a pack of lemsips and strepsils, which did nada to ease my discomfort.\nIt would take several iterations (lemsip\u0026gt;strepsils\u0026gt;strepsils extra strength\u0026gt; throat numbing sprays\u0026gt; ibuprofen+) before I would find something that eased my pain enough to allow me down the huge quantities of fluids my throat needed to regenerate itself and heal.\nThe upside to all this? An ever clear conviction that this dude needs to sort himself out ASAP – the single, isolated life’s not worth it at all. A one liner for this discovery?\nA bloke needs a wife, like a Nigerian man loves his fried chicken.\nAnd no, a wife is not to be gobbled up….\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/04/17/the-upside-to-being-ill/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e.. is a lot of time to spend in introspection, curled up tight into a ball (or sprawled out like an amorphous mass in my case), unable to lift my head and throat as they were being bombarded by the triune forces of a sore, swollen throat, a fever and a banging headache to boot. And think did I – when I was not obsessively googling home remedies for what  turned out to be some flu strain sent from hell.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Upside to being Ill"},{"content":"To all accounts, she could have been the right woman, at the right time, in the right place on the relationship continuum, but for the small matter of 3,000 miles making navigating the treacherous waters of getting to know her essentially from scratch that bit more difficult. We did have great conversations (maybe not great, but better than I have with most) with a range of shared interests that we explored.\nI suspect I may have missed quite a few lead in points to make my more than passing interest known. I didn\u0026rsquo;t\u0026hellip; And it sort of came out in a round about way, in a Friday night no less, that she\u0026rsquo;d recently began to see someone again..\nAs someone I count as a real friend, I am happy for her - she does deserve a great guy. On a personal level it kind of sucks being in the friend zone - but then I may have missed/failed to seize the opportunity when it may have been available\u0026hellip;\nIf there\u0026rsquo;s one thing the 2013 project needs, it\u0026rsquo;s some steely resolve to go with the desires in my head. Sigh\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/04/01/the-darned-friend-zone/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTo all accounts, she could have been the right woman, at the right time, in the right place on the relationship continuum, but for the small matter of 3,000 miles  making navigating the treacherous waters of getting to know her essentially from scratch that bit more difficult.  We did have great conversations (maybe not great, but better than I have with most) with a range of shared interests that we explored.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The darned friend zone..."},{"content":"\n#WheresTheHoustonJobWhenYouNeedIt\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/03/13/about-town-snow-bound/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/houstonwhenyouneedit.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"HoustonWhenYouNeedIt\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/houstonwhenyouneedit.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#WheresTheHoustonJobWhenYouNeedIt\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Town - Snow Bound"},{"content":"If I dialed down my definition of success to its most basic, it would have three (or four) components:\nExcel in (Corrosion \u0026amp; Materials) Engineering; Be the best husband, father, son, brother and friend I can be; Live in, and contribute to life in, a great city and a great church. Simple enough, I guess. Unless you\u0026rsquo;re me with a well documented attention to detail – often bordering on over-thinking – with which every little, simple decision segues into a long, drawn out exercise in Planning, Reviewing and Risk v. Reward Assessment.\nThis year, I thought five things would occupy me and my attention, only four of which I have any sort of control over. Some progress has been made in attaining those – the CEng’s bagged, my work experience document for the NACE exam has been approved (there’s the small matter of an 8 hour exam left) and Mum’s much better and is back to work now.\nOverall, excelling in Engineering is progressing apace and Aberdeen - wet, windy and all - ticks a few boxes on the great place to live checklist. Sure Lagos, London, Newcastle or Houston would be much better places to live for the plethora of entertainment options, and great churches, they provide but Aberdeen\u0026rsquo;s good enough at the moment. It is in the becoming a great husband and father that I am failing, and flailing badly. Truth be told, my dating life/non-dating life is a right mess at the moment. Whilst I may not have done anything particularly untoward, I\u0026rsquo;ll have to admit I have picked up defective behaviours which do not necessarily treat women right, commodifying them, and treat them primarily as objects to be evaluated for wife potential rather than as individuals, friends and sisters in their own right.\nBarely four months into the year I am already feeling jaded and burnt out. The overwhelming sense I have is one of having tried too hard in these few short months – being overly eager might have been one of the reasons the L thing fell through.\nThe recovery plan? Give things a year – take a year off actively chasing jobs, or women or money and instead focus on investing in me – NACE certs, understanding myself and my personality and closing out my girl knowledge gaps.\nThere are nagging doubts in my mind of course – the really top jobs don’t get advertised all the time, great women don’t stay on the market for so long and sometimes being a first mover confers a significant advantage – but deep down, I know there’s the need to make a step change. Albert Einstein’s often quoted as saying doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different results is one definition of insanity. That’s the driver for seeking a step change….\nAt least, that’s the plan.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/03/11/giving-it-a-year/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIf I dialed down my definition of success to its most basic, it would have three (or four) components:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExcel in (Corrosion \u0026amp; Materials) Engineering;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBe the best husband, father, son, brother and friend I can be;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLive in, and contribute to life in, a great city and a great church.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimple enough, I guess. Unless you\u0026rsquo;re me with a well documented attention to detail – often bordering on over-thinking – with which every little, simple decision segues into a long, drawn out exercise in Planning, Reviewing and Risk v. Reward Assessment.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Giving it a Year"},{"content":"[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9huooelamNA\u0026amp;w=540 ] Carry Me - Josh Wilson ————————– ♫ I\u0026rsquo;m at the end of myself/ I know I\u0026rsquo;ve got nothing left/ Feels like I\u0026rsquo;m stuck in the valley of the shadow of death/ And I\u0026rsquo;ve been down here so long/ I just can\u0026rsquo;t find my way out/ Oh God I don\u0026rsquo;t stand a chance/ Unless You carry me now ♫\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/03/10/11-carry-me-josh-wilson/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9huooelamNA\u0026amp;w=540 ]\nCarry Me - Josh Wilson\n————————–\n♫ I\u0026rsquo;m at the end of myself/ I know I\u0026rsquo;ve got nothing left/ Feels like I\u0026rsquo;m stuck in the valley of the shadow of death/ And I\u0026rsquo;ve been down here so long/ I just can\u0026rsquo;t find my way out/ Oh God I don\u0026rsquo;t stand a chance/ Unless You carry me now ♫\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#11 - Carry Me - Josh Wilson"},{"content":"A job offer - The right role, for more than the right pay in the wrong location, and not just the wrong location but one that will most certainly draw a line under my life as I have known it for the last four years.\nA girl - The right girl by all accounts, whom I have known/ crushed on for the better part of three years with whom the context has never been right.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/03/08/crossroads-again/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA job offer -\u003c/strong\u003e The right role, for more than the right pay in the wrong location, and not just the wrong location but one that will most certainly draw a line under my life as I have known it for the last four years.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA girl -\u003c/strong\u003e The \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/intermission-what-a-bloke-wants/\"\u003eright girl\u003c/a\u003e by all accounts, whom I have known/ crushed on for the better part of three years with whom \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/11/right-girl-right-time-wrong-context-or-not/\"\u003ethe context\u003c/a\u003e has never been right.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Crossroads, Again"},{"content":"The woman clutched my arm. The first wave of feeling that hit me - when my mind frozen for an instant by the brazen grab - was fear, and then confusion, as she peered intently into my face with not even the faintest hint of recollection bouncing about in my head. She wasn\u0026rsquo;t wearing the flowing robes of an aladura prophetess, thus ruling out a smash-and-grab prophesy as the reason for her intrusion. Something about the deeply lined face, the light grey hair peeking out from underneath her tight head wrap and her uber thick lenses left me positively unsettled.\nYou don\u0026rsquo;t remember me, she asked; her iron clad grip loosening as her face retracted to a safe distance, a hint of disappointment at the lack of a flicker of recognition in mine showing on her face.\nVaguely familiar, was all I could mutter as she finally let go of my hand as one who had suddenly discovered she had been hanging on to an eel.\nBala, Mrs Bala, she mouthed her name several times as though by dint of repetition her words could penetrate my thick skull. It might have done just that because from the name, a whole avalanche of memories came rushing in, connecting the older, more lined face thrust out of the blue into mine on the corner of a very business market street with five years of history. She had taught sunday school at the church I attended intermittently back in my undergraduate days - when my parents had succeeded in dragging me along - before I discovered the ploy of escaping to University on Sunday morning pleading the need to close out piled up assignments. Now convinced this was no precursor to a kidnap attempt I must have loosened perceptibly because the next thing she did was to offer me a hug, which I accepted, and then to quiz me rapid fire about life, work and the inevitable wife and children banana skin.\nWe heard you got a job at XCorp. You be big man now O, so tey you come forget us! Me, Mrs Bala? Na sooooo? Tricky recollections navigated, she had lapsed into a less formal, pidgin english based lingua.\nI tell her I left XCorp in 2008, grabbed a masters degree, am weighing up the next move to yet another far flung corner of the world and am yet still unmarried.\nWhere be this place sef, ehn OJ? Shey dem no still dey comot people head for there? I don\u0026rsquo;t know if it is concern or just plain ignorance. I explain the little I know. It\u0026rsquo;s not the bastion of liberal, self-indulgent, cosmopolitan life that\u0026rsquo;s New York\u0026rsquo;s Queens or London\u0026rsquo;s West End but its no battle scared, devil\u0026rsquo;s romping place either.\nWetin you dey go find for there sef? She sighs in resignation. Your mummy is happy with you going there? This time it IS concern, her forehead had developed its now familiar crease of worry.\nI nod in the jaded, beaten manner of one who has had this conversation one too many times for the past few days. She shakes her head and then suddenly as though awoken by a synapse firing she dips into her bag and begins to rummage within it, eventually coming up with her cell phone.\nEhennn! Back to pidgin English, I sigh inwardly thinking I may have finally escaped here. She has her eyes fixed on me intently now.\nP* sef never marry. She was around three months ago. She has a masters too, from abroad. She throws that in, perhaps hoping that some shared experience might help circumvent my perceived \u0026lsquo;pickiness\u0026rsquo;. She goes on to extoll P\u0026rsquo;s values - head screwed on right, solid job at some Lagos auditing firm, and most importantly someone whose familial antecedents we both know very well. She scribbles some digits on a sheet of paper somehow exhumed from her purse and thrusts it in my face.\nThat\u0026rsquo;s her number. Call her o!! God might have orchestrated this meeting for this purpose. She is back in her stern sunday school teacher/ up and coming Mother-In-Israel mode. I nod respectfully, push the folded sheet into my shirt pocket and return to my humble boy pose - head slightly bowed, eyes averted and hands clasped together at my back. She smiles one last full toothed smile, waves and continues on her journey, leaving me wondering what just hit me.\nA few paces after I\u0026rsquo;ve escaped her clutches, the piece of paper with the phone number has morphed into a crushed ball of wet mush and nestles in the gaping mouth of a broken sewer pipe. Unless God now specialises in the business of breaking up marriages for single blokes, there will be no dice with Mrs P\nSent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/03/05/pimping-mrs-p/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe woman clutched my arm. The first wave of feeling that hit me - when my mind frozen for an instant by the brazen grab - was fear, and then confusion, as she peered intently into my face with not even the faintest hint of recollection bouncing about in my head.  She wasn\u0026rsquo;t wearing the flowing robes of an \u003cem\u003ealadura prophetess,\u003c/em\u003e thus ruling out a smash-and-grab prophesy as the reason for her intrusion. Something about the deeply lined face, the light grey hair peeking out from underneath her tight head wrap and her uber thick lenses left me positively unsettled.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Pimping Mrs P"},{"content":"Just because\u0026hellip;\nAJ McSedge CEng does have a nice ring to it, if I say so myself\u0026hellip; Leaving XCorp in 2008 does feel that bit more justified now.. :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/03/04/thankful/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eJust because\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/aj-mcsedge-ceng.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Aj McSedge CEng\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/aj-mcsedge-ceng.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAJ McSedge CEng does have a nice ring to it, if I say so myself\u0026hellip; Leaving XCorp in 2008 does feel that bit more justified now.. :)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Thankful.... "},{"content":"American Idol alum (Season 11) Colton Dixon\u0026rsquo;s \u0026lsquo;You Are\u0026rsquo;\n[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM8hxE-j4T8\u0026amp;w=540 ]\n---\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026ndash; ♫ When I can\u0026rsquo;t find the words to say how much it hurts/ You are the healing in my heart/ When all that I can see are broken memories/ You are the light that\u0026rsquo;s in the dark ♫\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/03/03/10-colton-dixon-you-are/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAmerican Idol alum (Season 11) Colton Dixon\u0026rsquo;s \u0026lsquo;You Are\u0026rsquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM8hxE-j4T8\u0026amp;w=540 ]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e---\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026ndash;\n♫ When I can\u0026rsquo;t find the words to say how much it hurts/ You are the healing in my heart/ When all that I can see are broken memories/ You are the light that\u0026rsquo;s in the dark ♫\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#10 - Colton Dixon - You are"},{"content":"\nSir Farouk does a far more eloquent job than I have ever managed of explaining what we\u0026rsquo;ve been trying to do for the past six weeks with #the3six5NG project - creating a crowd sourced diary of Nigerian perspectives from 365 people for 365 days. Inspired by the Len Kendall and Daniel Honigman created the3six5, we\u0026rsquo;d set out to create our own \u0026rsquo;local\u0026rsquo; the3six5, for Nigeria and Nigerians.\nI had the honour of kicking things off yesterday with a meditation of sorts on the interactions between birth, new beginnings and the perpetual motion machine that my life has evolved into over the last three years. Others have signed up to share a snippet of their world for all of March 2013. April is filling up.\nDo stop by, have a read and get inspired to sign up to contribute your own perspective. You know you want to! :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/03/02/kicking-off-the3six5-project/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"the3six5-logo\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/the3six5-logo.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSir Farouk does a \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://moacn.wordpress.com/2013/03/01/the3six5ng-project/\"\u003efar more eloquent job\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e than I have ever managed of explaining what \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://the3six5ng.wordpress.com/author-list/the3six5ng-mods/\"\u003ewe\u0026rsquo;ve\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e been trying to do for the past six weeks with \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://the3six5ng.wordpress.com/the3six5ng/\"\u003e#the3six5NG\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e project - creating a crowd sourced diary of Nigerian perspectives from 365 people for 365 days. Inspired by the Len Kendall and Daniel Honigman created \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://the3six5.posterous.com/\"\u003ethe3six5\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e, we\u0026rsquo;d set out to create our own \u0026rsquo;local\u0026rsquo; the3six5, for Nigeria and Nigerians.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI had the honour of \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://the3six5ng.wordpress.com/2013/03/01/march-1-2013-aj-mcsedge/\"\u003ekicking things off yesterday\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e with a meditation of sorts on the interactions between birth, new beginnings and the perpetual motion machine that my life has evolved into over the last three years. Others have signed up to share a snippet of their world for all of \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://the3six5ng.wordpress.com/author-list/author-list-march-2013/\"\u003eMarch 2013\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e. \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://the3six5ng.wordpress.com/author-list/april-2013/\"\u003eApril\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e is filling up.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Kicking off the3six5NG Project"},{"content":"Met FF for a coffee whilst in Lagos. Prior to that I\u0026rsquo;d felt like she\u0026rsquo;d checked all my boxes bar the genotype one. Meeting up for a coffee was the physical chemistry \u0026rsquo;test\u0026rsquo; for me and I felt we passed it in glowing colours. She looked smashing in a pink, floral dress and red shoes and we did have great conversation.\nFortuitously, my married friends I\u0026amp;A dropped me off and picked me up and did pick up on her great personality. Problem is I do not know if she likes me like that. I suppose I could ask, but given the small matter of a few miles, and my history of crucially misjudging interest in the past, there\u0026rsquo;s a cross roads of sorts. Rotating out of Lagos for a few months on the potential new job will help in this regard, I think.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/03/01/ff/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMet FF for a coffee whilst in Lagos. Prior to that I\u0026rsquo;d felt like she\u0026rsquo;d checked all my boxes bar the genotype one. Meeting up for a coffee was the physical chemistry \u0026rsquo;test\u0026rsquo; for me and I felt we passed it in glowing colours. She looked smashing in a pink, floral dress and red shoes and we did have great conversation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFortuitously, my married friends I\u0026amp;A dropped me off and picked me up and did pick up on her great personality. Problem is I do not know if she likes me like \u003cem\u003ethat.\u003c/em\u003e I suppose I could ask, but given the small matter of a few miles, and my history of crucially misjudging interest in the past, there\u0026rsquo;s a cross roads of sorts. Rotating out of Lagos for a few months on the potential new job will help in this regard, I think.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"FF"},{"content":"And so I decided I\u0026rsquo;d had enough of being neither here nor there with TOj, and asked her if she was seeing someone. The good news was that she wasn\u0026rsquo;t; the somewhat crushing bad was that in her words, there wasn\u0026rsquo;t even a sliver of interest in yours truly\u0026hellip;..\n#Unravelled\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/02/16/unravelled/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAnd so I decided I\u0026rsquo;d had enough of being neither here nor there with TOj, and asked her if she was seeing someone. The good news was that she wasn\u0026rsquo;t;  the somewhat crushing bad was that  in her words, there wasn\u0026rsquo;t even a sliver of interest in yours truly\u0026hellip;..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Unravelled\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Unravelled"},{"content":"\nImage Source\nI catch myself sighing - Laboured breath held, And then expelled Like the unsteady, Weary chug of a steam Locomotive as it drags Its weighty backsides Up a steep incline. My dreams, a hurried, Harried concoction Of fevered, whispered Half phrases and fearsome Visions of a searing inner fire Haunt me, my mind Slowly numbed by the intense, Unforgettable clarity of a growing insanity And the delirium of delusion. The first time I saw you You were a distant- blob of light, bright pink, shimmering red, blazing sun- shine, driving dirty, grey snow into the corner of Kings and Guilds. Between there and here Is something irretrievably broken a gangrenous, festering sore That refuses to heal, its ochre Colour, the colour of dried blood. I catch myself sighing, Laboured breath held And then expelled slowly Like a puff of cigar smoke. But in the distance, Like a storm cloud bringing rain after a drought Is the redemption of the forget-ting ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/02/14/forgetting/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/prabhatblogbrokenheart.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Prabhat+Blog+Broken+Heart\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/prabhatblogbrokenheart.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImage \u003ca href=\"http://www.heatherboersma.com/teen-tuesday-what-to-do-with-a-broken-hearth/\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"highlight\"\u003e\u003cpre tabindex=\"0\" style=\"color:#f8f8f2;background-color:#272822;-moz-tab-size:4;-o-tab-size:4;tab-size:4;-webkit-text-size-adjust:none;\"\u003e\u003ccode class=\"language-fallback\" data-lang=\"fallback\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI catch myself sighing -\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLaboured breath held,\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd then expelled\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLike the unsteady,\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeary chug of a steam\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLocomotive as it drags\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIts weighty backsides\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUp a steep incline.\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMy dreams, a hurried,\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHarried concoction\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOf fevered, whispered\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHalf phrases and fearsome\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVisions of a searing inner fire\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHaunt me, my mind\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSlowly numbed\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eby the intense,\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUnforgettable clarity\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eof a growing insanity\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd the delirium of delusion.\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe first time I saw you\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYou were a distant-\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eblob of light, bright pink,\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eshimmering red, blazing sun-\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eshine, driving dirty,\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003egrey snow into the\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ecorner of Kings and Guilds.\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBetween there and here\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIs something irretrievably broken\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ea gangrenous, festering sore\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThat refuses to heal, its ochre\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eColour, the colour of dried blood.\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI catch myself sighing,\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLaboured breath held\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd then expelled slowly\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLike a puff of cigar smoke.\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBut in the distance,\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLike a storm cloud bringing rain after a drought\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIs the redemption of the forget-ting\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\u003c/div\u003e","title":"Forgetting"},{"content":"\nThe little kid - he\u0026rsquo;s barely eleven months - plods after his mother, hanging onto her left leg, and bawling. She has her hair swept back, hidden by the folds of the scarf she has around her head, is bedecked in baggy pants and has that forlorn, tired look only the hassle of splitting her attention between steaming pots of rice, partly boiled chicken and her 11 month old bundle of energy can cause.\nI shouldn\u0026rsquo;t have been there. A mere three months prior to that I had sworn off hanging around babies, thanks to a particularly unsavoury experience in which a much younger friend of a friend of a friend thrice removed had managed to reach levels of tactlessness I hadn’t known previously, but the lure of meeting up with an old acquaintance had proved too strong. Sometime in mid 2008, she had been the smoking hot, part-Delta, part-Akwa Ibom vixen Chemical Engineering intern keen to get her teeth stuck into the rarefied world of corrosion. Her introduction had been the kindling that set fire to the tinderbox that was the testosterone filled cluster that was a group of thirteen plus blokes in various phases of singleness. Like all women, assured in the knowledge of the influence she had, she broke a few rules, played the lads against each other and left more than a fews single blokes heart broken by the time her six month tour was up. She had emailed out of the blue to say she was stopping in London for a couple of days on holiday, wondering if I might be keen for a meet up. A few phone calls, hurried flight bookings and with every rule in my book about traveling at short notice broken, here I was trying my very best to distract a kid, seemingly intent on making his mother trip up whilst she tried to make dinner.\nThe flight up to Luton had been largely forgettable, bar being filled up to the rafters, the default facial expression on everyone\u0026rsquo;s faces the barely cognisant vacantness of knackered-ness. It didn\u0026rsquo;t help that the cheap, budget airline we had opted for ended up delaying the flight - the inbound leg from some exotic Norwegian town had had to battle a strong head wing and came in late - nor that the near full complement of passengers meant the cabin crew had to work miracles to fit everyone\u0026rsquo;s luggage in. Finally settled in a full hour behind schedule, I promptly stuck my nose in my book - I have been re-reading Yusef Komunyakaa\u0026rsquo;s poetry collection Pleasure Dome - keen to avoid any unnecessary banter. An hour and twenty minutes later, I find myself safely deposited on the tarmac at Luton with the small matter of a shuttle to the Luton parkway and then the First Capital Connect to St Pancras to navigate. Nearly an hour later, I am standing just outside St. Pancras trying to find the cheap hotel I have booked, on Google Maps. It takes a few mis-turns, a detour into a not very helpful kebab shop and a fortuitous glance at a street name before I find the right turn on to Argyle square and the comfort of a warm bed.\nSi ended up not showing up - she\u0026rsquo;d caught a bug of some sorts and was too woozy to be out and about in a city she didn\u0026rsquo;t know too well - leaving me with a big hole in my schedule to fill on Saturday morning. My regular Hillsong pit stop was not to be for another day, the promise of hot moi-moi could not be cashed in till late on Sunday, and there was nothing particularly exciting on TV, so I did the next best thing and phoned up my friend V, which was how I ended up in his kitchen, chatting with his wife whilst helping her with her cooking, remotely.\nShe, disciplinarian extraordinaire budding aunt-in-waiting, did put me to good use - when she wasn\u0026rsquo;t needling me about being single and my reputation for being an intellectual snob of sorts. I put in a good shift - if I say so myself - with the chicken, ensuring the fiery chili sauce was well mixed in before it was grilled, and keeping an eye on the fried rice whilst she gave the young man her undivided attention for a while. I did get my reward - two packs of fried rice and chicken pieces with two bottles of malt to take away on my return journey to my hovel on the edge of St. Pancras. The kid and I? We did bond, spectacularly too. An unintended consequence is I may have identified the little groom for that ever elusive 2014 wedding.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/02/13/about-town-london-balling/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"londonbridge\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/londonbridge.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe little kid - he\u0026rsquo;s barely eleven months - plods after his mother, hanging onto her left leg, and bawling. She has her hair swept back, hidden by the folds of the scarf she has around her head, is bedecked in baggy pants and has that forlorn, tired look only the hassle of splitting her attention between steaming pots of rice, partly boiled chicken and her 11 month old bundle of energy can cause.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Town - London Balling"},{"content":"TOj and I have maintained extensive conversations over the last couple of weeks or so. But in what must surely count for an oddity, the outcome of the conversations is the sense of being neither here nor there. It might be the fact that we have always known each other in a different context that\u0026rsquo;s added a layer of awkwardness to it all.\nThe big question, looming large at the back of my mind therefore is if it\u0026rsquo;s time to cut my losses to ensure we remain just friends, or if it\u0026rsquo;s worth the gamble of finding out how she feels about me.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/02/08/neither-here-nor-there/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTOj and I have maintained extensive conversations over the last couple of weeks or so. But in what must surely count for an oddity, the outcome of the conversations is the sense of being neither here nor there. It might be the fact that we have always known each other in a different context that\u0026rsquo;s added a layer of awkwardness to it all.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe big question, looming large at the back of my mind therefore is if it\u0026rsquo;s time to cut my losses to ensure we remain just friends, or if it\u0026rsquo;s worth the gamble of finding out how she feels about me.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Neither here nor There"},{"content":" Worn - Tenth Avenue North ---\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026ndash; ♫ Let me see redemption win /Let me know the struggle ends /That you can mend a heart that\u0026rsquo;s frail and torn /I want to know a song can rise /From the ashes of a broken life /And all that\u0026rsquo;s dead inside can be reborn /Cause I\u0026rsquo;m worn ♫\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/02/03/5-worn-tenth-avenue-north/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/UUEy8nZvpdM?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWorn - Tenth Avenue North\n---\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u0026ndash;\n♫ Let me see redemption win /Let me know the struggle ends /That you can mend a heart that\u0026rsquo;s frail and torn /I want to know a song can rise /From the ashes of a broken life /And all that\u0026rsquo;s dead inside can be reborn /Cause I\u0026rsquo;m worn ♫\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#5 - Worn - Tenth Avenue North"},{"content":" The fantastically named Ashes Remain - and their back story.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/01/27/4-on-my-own-ashes-remain/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/HMfzLTTET2E?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe fantastically named Ashes Remain - and \u003ca href=\"http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Ashes_Remain_The_band_from_Baltimore_with_a_message_of_hope_for_troubled_times/45691/p1/\"\u003etheir back story\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#4 - On My Own - Ashes Remain"},{"content":"Post London, TOj and I have kept in touch - primarily extended conversations about everything; work, life, failed loves and the stereotypes of Nigerian dudes in London as being primarily baby mama creators rather than the marrying kind.\nNot sure where that leaves me, being the never married, single-since-April-2011 dude who has only being in two relationships all his life. We do have a knack for great conversations between us, it must be said, in addition to all the elements of the future Mrs S spreadsheet that she checks.\nSwitching to a Blackberry in January now look like a stroke of genius - thanks to that we\u0026rsquo;ve been able to keep in touch fairly cheaply via BBM and WhatsApp as opposed to needing to send actual SMSs.\nIf there\u0026rsquo;s anything my failed dalliance with L taught me, it is that great conversations count for nothing in the overall scheme of things. Clarity and definition are it!\nFingers crossed\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/01/26/subtly-falling-or-not/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePost \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/01/london-calling/\"\u003eLondon\u003c/a\u003e, TOj and I have kept in touch - primarily extended conversations about everything; work, life, failed loves and the stereotypes of Nigerian dudes in London as being primarily baby mama creators rather than the \u003cem\u003emarrying\u003c/em\u003e kind.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot sure where that leaves me, being the never married, \u003cem\u003esingle-since-April-2011\u003c/em\u003e dude who has only being in two relationships all his life. We do have a knack for great conversations between us, it must be said, in addition to all the elements of the future Mrs S spreadsheet that she checks.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Subtly falling, or not..."},{"content":"Back\u0026hellip; Tired.. But excited in the main.\nThe flight to Luton was delayed both ways (Note to self avoid Luton/ EasyJet like a plague unless it is absolutely necessary) - the small positive being that I saved a shed load of money over what I would have paid had I gone for the full BA shebang through Heathrow. What Luton did though was put pressure on my return trip, I had to catch the First Capital Connect from Victoria to Luton as early as 3pm to make my flight which meant I ended up having to cut short what turned out to be a surprisingly decent weekend away.\nUncle C and I got along well enough. We did have the odd, awkward chat but a promise to visit London more regularly in future resolved that and meant we ended things on as amicable as basis as two gentlemen from different generations, and with different opinions on how finding Mrs S should proceed, could be.\nI met up briefly with Mrs H - got fed to my ears with a motley of hot soups and pounded yam - and met TOj for a coffee. She looked just as well as I remember, slightly leaner and taller - it might have been heel assisted. All in all we did have a good, general hour of easy conversation on a wide range of subjects. Definitely potential here, if we can move past our shared history or inaction that is.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/01/20/london-calling-a-post-moterm/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBack\u0026hellip; Tired.. But excited in the main.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe flight to Luton was delayed both ways (Note to self avoid Luton/ EasyJet like a plague unless it is absolutely necessary) - the small positive being that I saved a shed load of money over what I would have paid had I gone for the full BA shebang through Heathrow. What Luton did though was put pressure on my return trip, I had to catch the First Capital Connect from Victoria to Luton as early as 3pm to make my flight which meant I ended up having to cut short what turned out to be a surprisingly decent weekend away.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"London Calling - A post-moterm"},{"content":" Uplifting and depressing in equal measure..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/01/20/3-will-you-still-love-me-tomorrow-amy-winehouse/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/T-WuaPdaP3c?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUplifting and depressing in equal measure..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#3 - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow - Amy Winehouse"},{"content":"London calls\u0026hellip; Having manfully beaten its lure over the holidays to enable a much needed season of introspection, I had to cave in to summons over the phone from my Uncle C, especially because he and el madre seemed to be in cahoots on this one.\nOstensibly, the reason for the summons are my lack of endeavour in the girl stakes. My strategy has been to keep them in the dark on the details of my love life/ non-love life. Somehow Uncle C convinced Mum that our corner of the world up in Scotland is a hell hole of sorts with next to zero prospects of meeting eligible women, hence the need to get me out there in London.\nGiven the way my Christmas holiday ended up, with L and memories of E, truth is I could use a break from the tedium of life in Aberdeen, free food and board are strong incentives too, if I must add.\nOn a side note, Mrs H and I got talking one of these evenings and the subject of a (still single) mutual friend came up. Said mutual friend, TOj, is someone I had a crush of sorts on aeons ago. I have a sneaky suspicion that more than a few words (in a good way hopefully) have been exchanged between her and Mrs H\u0026hellip;. Being pimped out might just be a new fact of life I have to deal with, in addition with being a weird, sensitive 30+ dude.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/01/15/london-calling/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLondon calls\u0026hellip; Having \u003ca href=\"/2013/01/07/about-town-christmas-recap/\"\u003e\u003cem\u003emanfully\u003c/em\u003e beaten its lure over the holidays\u003c/a\u003e to enable a much needed season of introspection, I had to cave in to summons over the phone from my Uncle C, especially because he and el madre seemed to be in cahoots on this one.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOstensibly, the reason for the summons are my lack of endeavour in the girl stakes. My strategy has been to keep them in the dark on the details of my love life/ non-love life. Somehow Uncle C convinced Mum that our corner of the world up in Scotland is a hell hole of sorts with next to zero prospects of meeting eligible women, hence the need to \u003cem\u003eget me out there\u003c/em\u003e in London.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"London calling..."},{"content":" Pity it\u0026rsquo;s their last song.. Lyrics here.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/01/13/2-hope-will-lead-us-on-barlowgirl/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/w53tTRDD5W0?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePity it\u0026rsquo;s their last song.. Lyrics \u003ca href=\"http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/barlowgirl/hopewillleaduson.html\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#2 - Hope Will Lead Us On - BarlowGirl"},{"content":"\nAnd so I survived my first Aberdeen Christmas in a long while. It was with more than a little trepidation that I faced the end of the year; the niggling thought at the back of my mind initiated by the sudden realisation that my policy of disengaging from the myriad friendzoneships I was mired in had left me with no real excuse to make what had become fairly regular trips across the pond. Newcastle and London, as always, were temptingly good options - Newcastle because of the old school mates still down there, and London for the promise of piping hot moi-moi and the chance of a first face to face in near on two years with my super wing-woman K. Given my memories of my one and only Aberdeen Christmas to date - bucket loads of snow, lugging suitcases on to and off trains as I made the move up North, and missing a rendezvous with the only guy I knew in town at the time - I suppose my fears were justified if not entirely expected.\nIt didn\u0026rsquo;t take very long, after the long and drawn out Christmas party silly season wore itself out, for the exodus to begin - OO fled to Nigeria on the 7th, Izz following a week later on the 12th and L on the 19th. By the time I headed into work on the morning of the 24th of December, my normally bustling commute was a ghost of itself; and from the corner of Castle and King\u0026rsquo;s, Union street was about as empty as I had ever seen it - save for the odd person ambling along casually as I was. At work, there were only eight people on my floor - all of us time writing contractors, for whom the lure of a full day’s pay for a half-day’s work proved too strong for us. Three hours later, the fourth floor was all but empty, and by the time O dragged myself downstairs at 3.00pm, the main revolving doors had been shut.\nGeorge, the fairly ancient, gregarious ex Royal Marine was the only one at Reception at that time, and as I made to slip by he caught my eye and waved me over. Over the course of the year, he and I had shared more than a few moments of borderline irksome banter - thanks in part to my work mentor who insisted on making my love life, or the absence of one, and my fixation on corrosion the subject of our lunch time prattle. [In what was probably not all too unexpected, I did return from my Nigeria holiday to a picture of a Nigerian wedding plucked off the Internet with my head photo shopped on with the caption \u0026rsquo;the secretive bridegroom\u0026rsquo;.]\nNot trying to slip one past my blind side today son are you? he says, his tell-tale half smile in full effect as I walk the few feet to his desk, giving his out stretched hand a firm handshake. I laugh and reply that given his location, even the Flash wouldn\u0026rsquo;t be able to slip by unnoticed.\nYous the last one out the building today young man, he says giving me a raised eyebrow. My standard reply -which I give once again- is to lay the blame for a bungled (imagined in my head entirely apparently) romance with the intern who filled in at reception for a month in September at his feet. We trade accusation and counter accusation before we segue into a chat on Christmas plans. I mention I\u0026rsquo;ll be in Aberdeen over the entirety of the holidays, same as he will, except for the fact that he will have to come in every other day till the 31st.\nGo get pissed young man! It’s Christmas, and forget corrosion. I laugh, wave and head out on to the street, still smiling at his parting shot.\nChristmas morning itself was dry and warm – for this time of the year – with temperatures hovering in the region of 6 degrees C. First up was church, and an NCIS Season One marathon, at least that was the plan. By the time I made it into church a full ten minutes late, there were barely twenty other people around, loads of us still struggling with the Christmas morning blues. Church fills up slowly, turning from a sea of red seats with gaily dressed people scattered around into a profusion of colours as people dressed to the nines turn up, almost like a time lapse video of a flower blooming. What was perhaps most surprising was that church finished in an hour five minutes - a record of some sort in my opinion.\nChurch done and dusted, I shook a few friendly hands, with one side hug thrown in for good measure, and made the quiet walk home to my couch, with only the prospect of watching Love Actually to look forward to. Thankfully, my friend B\u0026rsquo;s wife had other thoughts, giving me a phone call at just shy of 2pm. The incentive of free food and company were too much to refuse and I accept her offer. Thirty minutes later I was seated on their couch with F, their precocious eight year old, sharing what she had been reading recently with me - an assortment of fairly tales which I have a hard time keeping up with - and her 9 month old sister stretching her hands in my direction asking to be carried. I obliged them both, between sips from a plate of awesomely fiery pepper soup. When Mrs K sticks her head through the door and finds me smothered by both kids. She insists it makes a pretty picture, one that she quickly captured on her camera phone for future reference, as she put it. Christmas lunch was a hearty affair - fried rice, wine, and a whole roasted turkey, pieces of which remained in my fridge for reheating until New Year\u0026rsquo;s morning.\nThe next few days till New Year\u0026rsquo;s Eve pass in a blur - marathon sessions of football manager on my laptop at night till I eventually fall asleep, sleep ins the next morning, a quick bite grabbed and then off to the movies to see whatever\u0026rsquo;s on offer. I take in Silver Linings Playbook, Seven Psychopaths, Jack Reacher, Pitch Perfect, parental guidance and finish the NCIS Season one DVDs over the course of the next few days\nWhen I stumble into work for a couple of hours on the 31st to clear my inbox, I don’t quite know if I’ve enjoyed my holiday or not. The three things which are not in any doubt whatsoever are that I hung out way too much with babies and children, my favourite pair of jeans fit a little too snugly at the waist, and L didn\u0026rsquo;t call.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/01/07/about-town-christmas-recap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"abz2013\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/abz2013.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd so I survived my first Aberdeen Christmas in a long while. It was with more than a little trepidation that I faced the end of the year; the niggling thought at the back of my mind initiated by the sudden realisation that my policy of disengaging from the myriad \u003cem\u003efriendzoneships\u003c/em\u003e I was mired in had left me with no real excuse to make what had become fairly regular trips across the pond. Newcastle and London, as always, were temptingly good options - Newcastle because of the old school mates still down there, and London for the promise of piping hot \u003cem\u003emoi-moi\u003c/em\u003e and the chance of a first face to face in near on two years with my super wing-woman K. Given my memories of my one and only Aberdeen Christmas to date - bucket loads of snow, lugging suitcases on to and off trains as I \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/12/the-last-day-again/\"\u003emade the move up North\u003c/a\u003e, and missing a rendezvous with the only guy I knew in town at the time - I suppose my fears were justified if not entirely expected.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Town: The Recapping Christmas Edition"},{"content":"The most resounding lesson I learned in 2012 - on the subject of dating - was that I had had the wrong focus. In writing up lists, developing strategies and being gung-ho about the women in my life, I may have missed the point. If I must make true progress through 2013, a paradigm shift of sorts is most required.\nIn focusing almost exclusively on finding a wife, I may have focused far too much on the what and the potential whos and not enough on myself and the key question - am I living the sort of life the man the sort of woman I would want to marry would commit to? The great woman whose life I am meant to improve (even as she significantly improves mine) will have certain standards and values which I have to meet. If I gave myself a really good, long hard look I have to admit that although I meet most of the financial, physical and social criteria such a woman might want, my various worldview issues mean that I am not in a place to deliver the sort of spiritual leadership such a woman would crave.\nI may also have - in focusing intensely on the whos - rushed things a little (case in point being my L debacle), upending the friendship \u0026gt; courting \u0026gt; marriage paradigm in favour of a more rushed ask-her-out phase.\n2013 has got to be the year of unlearning, relearning and hopefully getting better at me. Al Mohler\u0026rsquo;s seminal distillation of true manhood has to become the manual for living.. So help me God.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/01/06/paradigm-shifts-real-manhood-and-lessons-to-relearn/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe most resounding lesson I learned in 2012 - on the subject of dating - was that I had had the wrong focus. In \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/12/rejigging-the-list/\"\u003ewriting up lists\u003c/a\u003e, developing \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/weighing-up-the-options/\"\u003estrategies\u003c/a\u003e and being gung-ho about the women in my life, I may have missed the point. If I must make true progress through 2013, a paradigm shift of sorts is most required.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn focusing almost exclusively on finding a wife, I may have focused far too much on the \u003cem\u003ewhat\u003c/em\u003e and the potential \u003cem\u003ewhos\u003c/em\u003e and not enough on myself and the key question - am I living the sort of life the man the sort of woman I would want to marry would commit to? The great woman whose life I am meant to improve (even as she significantly improves mine) will have certain standards and values which I have to meet. If I gave myself a really good, long hard look I have to admit that although I meet most of the financial, physical and social criteria such a woman might want, my various worldview issues mean that I am not in a place to deliver the sort of spiritual leadership such a woman would crave.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Paradigm shifts, Real Manhood and Lessons to relearn"},{"content":" My favourite part:\nAnd I will run to You And find refuge in Your arms And I will sing to You Cause of everything You are\nLyrics Here.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/01/06/1-steady-my-heart-kari-jobe/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/BJi?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMy favourite part:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd I will run to You\nAnd find refuge in Your arms\nAnd I will sing to You\nCause of everything You are\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLyrics \u003ca href=\"http://www.metrolyrics.com/steady-my-heart-lyrics-kari-jobe.html\"\u003eHere\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#1 - Steady My Heart - Kari Jobe"},{"content":" Definitely blown, and I think at its core the failed dalliance was of my own making in being too keen. Given the year I\u0026rsquo;d had - with close on 18 months without any interest in females as I sought to deal with the lingering wounds and the fall out from the last serious relationship - I suppose I could be forgiven for letting go too quickly when a smart, attractive young woman who ticked all the critical boxes suddenly came into the picture. I\u0026rsquo;d sworn I was over E a year ago, but not until the fates conspired to bring L my way did the realisation that I had grossly understated the extent of the pain I still was in sink in.\nIt was the excuses around meeting up that did it - the constant prattle around being very busy juxtaposed starkly against the various activities, the dinners, the other meetups and the seeming reluctance to answer phone calls that gave the lie to that excuse. Me the romantic, ever the overly indulgent, smitten persona sought to rationalise the hard evidence away, but Me, the Pragmatist always sensed there was more to the reluctance than mere coincidence.\nThere was a brief respite - the three days in December where a chance occurrence provided the opportunity to have the chat that - to me at least had seemed like the big elephant in the room. There were wooly clarifications offered - No, she hadn\u0026rsquo;t been avoiding me, Any awkwardness had been entirely in my over-thinker\u0026rsquo;s head, and perhaps most importantly she was not actively looking to meet or date any one at the moment. The promise to stay in touch as a trip outside the country loomed went the way of all others - explained away on the basis of network connectivity problems. The woolliness of that particular palliative showed itself soon enough, like all the others.\nThere were positives though - the three or four times we hung out rekindled my interest in females, snatching my lost enjoyment of great company from the very jaws of depression. I also did find God, or he found me as I hadn\u0026rsquo;t done anything different from what I\u0026rsquo;d done in the past - my friend O suspects it was due largely to the civilising influence of a woman, I hold my own counsel on the subject.\nAll in all then, Man down, but not out\u0026hellip; Like a bullet train in full flow, I\u0026rsquo;ll lick my wounds and soldier on\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/01/05/in-retrospect-wrapping-up-the-l-debacle/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/sEhy-RXkNo0?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDefinitely blown, and I think at its core the failed dalliance was of my own making in being too keen. Given the year I\u0026rsquo;d had - with close on 18 months without any interest in females as I sought to deal with the lingering wounds and the fall out from the last serious relationship - I suppose I could be forgiven for letting go too quickly when a smart, attractive young woman who ticked all the critical boxes suddenly came into the picture. I\u0026rsquo;d sworn I was over E a year ago, but not until the fates conspired to bring L my way did the realisation that I had grossly understated the extent of the pain I still was in sink in.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"In retrospect - wrapping up the L debacle"},{"content":" Develop a daily practice of meditation, prayer and journaling Complete 40 consecutive days of prayer Make morning prayer meetings @ FOL three times a week (M, W, F) Weigh 80kg Gym thrice a week (M,W, S) Improve eating habits - cut down on eba, soup and rice Use myfitnesspal.com as food journal Save 30% of Net earnings Min of £1k per month Target 12k extra saved this year Improve Professionally, get Chartered engineer status Receive feedback on IMarEST CEng application ASME Level 2 Plant Inspector/ NACE Snr Corrosion Technologist certification Register for a PhD in corrosion, materials and or welding (Newcastle/ Manchester/Cranfield) Get a driver’s license: Pass theory test, Get a driving teacher on retainer Get 20 hours practice in Get full driver’s license Resolve long term settlement options Base plan - Remain in Aberdeen + progress professional development opportunities(see #4 above) Only seek to leave Aberdeen if US/ Canada/Australia opportunities open up Resolve my dating conundrums; target being in a stable committed relationship by YE 2013: Clear all people I’m currently stuck in the friend zone with, gain clarity (Mo, Fola, Ese etc Gain knowledge about Dating and Relationships the Godly way; Prayerfully pursue the woman God has prepared. Find a spiritual mentor Take 2 main trips Nigeria US (Depending on where I am with Project M by Q3 2013) Oklahoma ? Houston Spain or Portugal Complete a writing project - the3six5N Buy a house (2 bed) Requirements: 2 bed room flat, city centre apartment, parking space, etc tba ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/01/01/archive/","summary":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDevelop a daily practice of meditation, prayer and journaling\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComplete 40 consecutive days of prayer\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMake morning prayer meetings @ FOL three times a week (M, W, F)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeigh 80kg\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGym thrice a week (M,W, S)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eImprove eating habits - cut down on eba, soup and rice\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUse myfitnesspal.com as food journal\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSave 30% of Net earnings\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMin of £1k per month\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTarget 12k extra saved this year\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eImprove Professionally, get Chartered engineer status\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReceive feedback on IMarEST CEng application\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eASME Level 2 Plant Inspector/ NACE Snr Corrosion Technologist certification\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRegister for a PhD in corrosion, materials and or welding (Newcastle/ Manchester/Cranfield)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGet a driver’s license:\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePass theory test,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGet a driving teacher on retainer\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGet 20 hours practice in\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGet full driver’s license\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eResolve long term settlement options\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBase plan - Remain in Aberdeen + progress professional development opportunities(see #4 above)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOnly seek to leave Aberdeen if US/ Canada/Australia opportunities open up\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eResolve my dating conundrums; target being in a stable committed relationship by YE 2013:\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClear all people I’m currently stuck in the friend zone with, gain clarity (Mo, Fola, Ese etc\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGain knowledge about Dating and Relationships the Godly way;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePrayerfully pursue the woman God has prepared.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFind a spiritual mentor\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTake 2 main trips\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNigeria\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUS (Depending on where I am with Project M by Q3 2013)\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOklahoma ?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHouston\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSpain or Portugal\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComplete a writing project - the3six5N\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuy a house (2 bed)\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRequirements: 2 bed room flat, city centre apartment, parking space, etc\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003etba\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"2013 - The Plan"},{"content":"It will have been five years this year since I made the decision to up sticks, pack in the life I had lived up till that time and head out in the great unknown that was grad school, and what it would ultimately lead to a hiatus from Nigeria.\nOn paper I had a good life. A job that left me squarely ensconced in the safe, settledness of middle class Nigerian life, the prospect of a final salary pension with the option of cashing out at age 45 if I so wished, and the almost cast iron guarantee of an average 20% pay rise every two years thanks to an aggressive union.\nAll was however not well. A couple of high profile equipment failures at the plant I worked left everyone\u0026rsquo;s teeth on edge - with quite a few unreasonable demands being placed on one\u0026rsquo;s time and energy. I regret to admit that I cracked under the pressure and in April began to actively seek the out ball that was grad school.\nThat would be the initiator of a new season of lostness, exacerbated by the intense politics around my proposed return after the degree following which I lost every modicum of loyalty I might still have had left.\nFive years down the road, there is a sense of being caught between two worlds. One world for which the heart pines, and hopes against hope will get its act together soon; the other world for which the head pleads for the opportunities it provides both in the near and medium term.\nHome is where the heart is after all, or isn\u0026rsquo;t it?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2013/01/01/between-two-worlds/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt will have been five years this year since I made the decision to up sticks, pack in the life I had lived up till that time and head out in the great unknown that was grad school, and what it would ultimately lead to a hiatus from Nigeria.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn paper I had a good life. A job that left me squarely ensconced in the safe, settledness of middle class Nigerian life, the prospect of a final salary pension with the option of cashing out at age 45 if I so wished, and the almost cast iron guarantee of an average 20% pay rise every two years thanks to an aggressive union.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Between Two Worlds..."},{"content":"Dickens most eloquently captured the paradox that was the year I had in that most evocative of openings to A Tale of Two Cities:\nIt was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. We had everything before us, we had nothing before us,\nMilestones, surprise meetings, nostalgic memories, nights outs with the guys from work, a Nigeria trip and a wedding, difficult conversations, un-requited \u0026rsquo;love\u0026rsquo; and a keenly felt dose of disappointment all contributed to what was an unusually topsy-turvy year. If I had to find one turn of phrase to caption the year, it would be that it was a season of detoxification, and that in many more ways than I had imagined at the beginning of the year.\nOn a positive note, there is a lot more clarity around a number of the uncertainties that followed me into the new year - and given what lies ahead, that just might be all that counts\u0026hellip;\n#Selah\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/12/31/2012-the-wrap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDickens most eloquently captured the paradox that was the year I had in that most evocative of openings to \u003ca href=\"http://www.gutenberg.org/files/98/98-h/98-h.htm\"\u003eA Tale of Two Cities\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. We had everything before us, we had nothing before us,\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2012 - The wrap"},{"content":"2012 was to be the the year of just 12 things. If I learned anything it is that life\u0026rsquo;s far removed from the order and clarity of an excel spreadsheet complete with target dates and milestones. Most importantly perhaps was that I gave living a good go in 2012, whether that was a success or not is a whole other conversation.\nSo here goes:\nDevelop a daily practice of meditation, prayer and journaling: I struggled with this all year - and for a variety of reasons, not least because work ebbed and flowed through the year, God and I didn\u0026rsquo;t see eye to eye for the larger part of the year and my 2012 was an emotional roller coaster. I did improve over 2011, but real work, and focus, are required through 2013 on this. Thankfully, I stumbled on this post on the Justin Taylor blog. That should come in handy I suppose. Lose 20kg: I lost 7 kg - returning to the weight I was in 2008 when I left my Nigerian job. Walking to and from work each day certainly helped, but the big kick came post November when I joined a gym and cycled twice a week for 30 minutes. Losing the remaining 13kg has to be a focus area for 2013 - if I do not end up adding a few more thanks to the swathe of Christmas parties and the associated gin and tonics and rich pudding I had to down all through December. Read (and review) 25 books in 2012: I read the books - a grand total of twelve - and bar three barely there reviews, this was a colossal failure. Call parents and siblings once a week: This was the one area I excelled in. A particularly testy November/ December required a lot more phone calls to the family than I am used to. The one small positive from all that is that we have bonded and grown together as a family. Save £1,000 a month: Plan was to cut out the soft loans which I typically never got back and scaling back on my gadget buying sprees. I did pretty well here until December - and I am blaming the emotional turmoil of navigating my season of detox for the retail therapy I needed to pull through. :) Get Chartered Engineer status: Ended up gaining professional membership of two institutes. Spending the greater part of the year waiting on a slot for the professional review interview meant this slipped. A chance opening in December ensured I did get the PRI sorted, January should bring confirmation of what the decision is - hopefully it\u0026rsquo;s a pass and I can check the CEng box after 8+ years of working! Get a driver’s license: This was about an EPIC fail as possible - I never even got to take the theory test. Resolve long term settlement options: I flip-flopped on this. At some stage I was certain that the future lay in Canada, and I actually seriously began interviewing for a role in the cold, wintry realms of Fort McMurray. Then L happened, the details of the role I was chasing didn\u0026rsquo;t quite fit what I wanted (more tailored towards someone with refining and sour gas corrosion experience as against my oil/gas/condensate/offshore pipelines experience and I fell out of love with the idea of (yet another) move. In a sense there was resolution, I am more likely to remain in Aberdeen, unless something significant happens to change my views, which given the history is not unlikely. Resolve my dating and meeting issues: I did end up de-cluttering my head - in a round about way after nearly eighteen months of moping around. Strangely, it took meeting L, and getting to enjoy her company, to give me the jolt I needed to let go and realise there was a whole sea of smart, likeable women out there. Small mercies, even though it doesn\u0026rsquo;t look like L and I will work out after all. Complete FAN integration: Plan was to reengage with the Youth group at church as a way to get some more activity into my life. I did end up leaving this late - the year end party was a blast, and I did sign up to get more involved. Fingers crossed. Re-engage with FOL service: 2011 was a year to forget - 2012 was marginally better - even though God did find me in early November. Hopefully 2013\u0026rsquo;s a lot better with my rengagement with the technical/ media team and the Youth group. Find a mentor: My friend O became a defacto mentor through the course of the year as I pulled my CEng application together and worked through my girl issues, as were Izz and Dee my wing-women-in-chief. On the work front MrG was more pain and bother than help, but it was all in good spirit and helped to ease my various work related transitions through the year. All told, again a fairly reasonable year - a few misses/ near misses but overall ending in a better place than where I started the year\u0026hellip; Hoping 2013\u0026rsquo;s a lot better too, and the momentum from the last two months of the year carries over. :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/12/31/the-twelve-things-wrap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e2012 was to be the the year of just \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/01/2012-in-twelve-things/\"\u003e12 things\u003c/a\u003e. If I learned anything it is that life\u0026rsquo;s far removed from the order and clarity of an excel spreadsheet complete with target dates and milestones. Most importantly perhaps was that I gave living a good go in 2012, whether that was a success or not is a whole other conversation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo here goes:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDevelop a daily practice of meditation, prayer and journaling:\u003c/strong\u003e  I struggled with this all year - and for a variety of reasons, not least because  work ebbed and flowed through the year, God and I didn\u0026rsquo;t see eye to eye for the larger part of the year and my 2012 was an emotional roller coaster.  I did improve over 2011, but real work, and focus, are required through 2013 on this. Thankfully, I stumbled on \u003ca href=\"http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2012/12/27/reading-the-bible-in-2013/\"\u003ethis post\u003c/a\u003e on the Justin Taylor blog. That should come in handy I suppose.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLose 20kg:\u003c/strong\u003e I lost 7 kg - returning to the weight I was in 2008 when I left my Nigerian job. Walking to and from work each day certainly helped, but the big kick came post November when I joined a gym and cycled twice a week for 30 minutes. Losing the remaining 13kg has to be a focus area for 2013 - if I do not end up adding a few more thanks to the swathe of Christmas parties and the associated gin and tonics and rich pudding I had to down all through December.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead (and review) 25 books in 2012:\u003c/strong\u003e I read the books - a grand total of twelve - and bar \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/category/fabreads/\"\u003ethree barely there reviews\u003c/a\u003e, this was a colossal failure.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCall parents and siblings once a week\u003c/strong\u003e: This was the one area I excelled in. A particularly testy November/ December required a lot more phone calls to the family than I am used to. The one small positive from all that is that we have bonded and grown together as a family.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSave £1,000 a month:\u003c/strong\u003e Plan was to cut out the soft loans which I typically never got back and scaling back on my gadget buying sprees. I did pretty well here until December - and I am blaming the emotional turmoil of navigating my season of detox for the retail therapy I needed to pull through. :)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGet Chartered Engineer status:\u003c/strong\u003e Ended up gaining professional membership of two institutes. Spending the greater part of the year waiting on a slot for the professional review interview meant this slipped. A chance opening in December ensured I did get the PRI sorted, January should bring confirmation of what the decision is - hopefully it\u0026rsquo;s a pass and I can check the CEng box after 8+ years of working!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGet a driver’s license:\u003c/strong\u003e This was about an EPIC fail as possible - I never even got to take the theory test.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResolve long term settlement options:\u003c/strong\u003e I flip-flopped on this. At some stage I was certain that the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/10/about-town-ambles-musings/\"\u003efuture lay in Canada\u003c/a\u003e, and I actually seriously began interviewing for a role in the cold, wintry realms of Fort McMurray. Then \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/10/girl-crush-hypothetically/\"\u003eL happened\u003c/a\u003e, the details of the role I was chasing didn\u0026rsquo;t quite fit what I wanted (more tailored towards someone with refining and sour gas corrosion experience as against my oil/gas/condensate/offshore pipelines experience and I fell out of love with the idea of (yet another) move. In a sense there was resolution, I am more likely to remain in Aberdeen, unless something significant happens to change my views, which given the history is not unlikely.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResolve my dating and meeting issues:\u003c/strong\u003e I did end up \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/12/2012-the-year-of-the-detox/\"\u003ede-cluttering my head\u003c/a\u003e - in a round about way after nearly eighteen months of moping around. Strangely, \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/10/girl-crush-hypothetically/\"\u003eit took meeting L\u003c/a\u003e, and getting to enjoy her company, to give me the jolt I needed to let go and realise there was a whole sea of smart, likeable women out there. Small mercies, even though it doesn\u0026rsquo;t look like L and I will work out after all.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eComplete FAN integration:\u003c/strong\u003e Plan was to reengage with the Youth group at church as a way to get some more activity into my life. I did end up leaving this late - the year end party was a blast, and I did  sign up to get more involved. Fingers crossed.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRe-engage with FOL service:\u003c/strong\u003e 2011 was a year to forget - 2012 was marginally better - even though God did find me in early November. Hopefully 2013\u0026rsquo;s a lot better with my rengagement with the technical/ media team and the Youth group.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFind a mentor:\u003c/strong\u003e My friend O became a defacto mentor through the course of the year as I pulled my CEng application together and worked through my girl issues, as were Izz and Dee my wing-women-in-chief. On the work front MrG was more pain and bother than help, but it was all in good spirit and helped to ease my various work related transitions through the year.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll told, again a fairly reasonable year - a few misses/ near misses but overall ending in a better place than where I started the year\u0026hellip; Hoping 2013\u0026rsquo;s a lot better too, and the momentum from the last two months of the year carries over. :)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2012: The Twelve Things Wrap"},{"content":"Although a year and some ago I thought I had truly gotten over the pain of the EJ debacle, I still managed to spend Christmas stateside attending a wedding, hanging with mutual friends and kind of hoping I would run into her. Neither happened, and when push came to shove I couldn\u0026rsquo;t bring myself to take the short hop across town to the city where she now lived. Coming into 2012 then, the targe t was to resolve a number of the other friendzoneships I had somehow gotten sucked in over the years.\nClarity would end up being delivered spectacularly through the year - hanging with R when she passed through my city in March confirmed what we both knew since our undergraduate days, that we were great as wingmen/women for each other, but lousy at everything else besides, my hankering for my Dalglish conjecture came and went - appropriately chided of course, P and I managed to let crazy work schedules and a significant time difference wreck what had seemed like a pretty good start, and then there was L.\nL was the kick up the backside I needed: smarts, attractiveness, a big heart for God and children and an appreciation of the arts ensured she ticked all my critical boxes. It helped that she was also in the same city (for a change!) and we had similar work interests. Being around her put the last eighteen months in perspective and showed me quite starkly what I had missed by failing to move on. We didn\u0026rsquo;t quite work out - my penchant for complicated women rearing it\u0026rsquo;s head one more time - but the one thing meeting her did was finally hammer home what my wing-women extraordinaire Izz \u0026amp; Dee had harped on all year round - that I needed to get off my backside and explore.\nOnce again, there have been lessons learned this year - that there is a shed load of stuff I need to learn about me, about women, about my long term direction and the type of woman I am attracted to. That, and a paradigm shift of sorts, perhaps best articulated by Clay Christensen in his book How Will You Measure Your Life:\nThe path to happiness (in a relationship) is about finding someone who you want to make happy, someone whose happiness is worth devoting yourself to.\nI suspect that when/if the annals of my life are written in the future, 2012 will feature prominently as the year of the big reset, the year wherein the penny dropped. All told, it’s been a year of pruning, spring cleaning, gaining clarity and working out the toxins and nascent hurts from the past. I suspect 2013 will be the year of learning and re-learning… And hopefully finding and building… ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/12/27/2012-the-year-of-the-detox/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAlthough a  year and some ago I thought I had truly \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/10/full-circle-the-anatomy-of-a-heart-break/\"\u003egotten over\u003c/a\u003e the pain of the EJ debacle, I still managed to spend Christmas stateside attending a wedding, hanging with mutual friends and kind of hoping I would run into her. Neither happened, and when push came to shove I couldn\u0026rsquo;t bring myself to take the short hop across town to the city where she now lived. Coming into 2012 then, \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/01/2012-in-twelve-things/\"\u003ethe targe\u003c/a\u003e t was to resolve a number of the other \u003cem\u003efriendzoneships\u003c/em\u003e I had somehow gotten sucked in over the years.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2012 - The Year of the Detox"},{"content":"For prompt 148 at the Magpie Tales, a repost.\n[![Andy Magee - homeward](/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/andy-magee-homeward.jpg)](/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/andy-magee-homeward.jpg) Though tears like a river course down like rain, And your heart by cupid’s fiery barbs is rent. Although your cracked voice breaks out in wails, And hell with all its fury and fiends seem sent. Be still, Stay strong, you’ll make it home.\nThough fear like a cloak your mind enshrouds, And rabid voices, your reasoning besiege. Though Night descends, your dreams to hound, And heart beats resonate to a symphony of rage. Be still, Stay strong, you’ll make it home.\nTears will fall down, but they only last so long, Fiery barbs in time, will lie as cold as ash. Cracked voices soon will yield to flowing tongues, And hell with all its fury will soon seem all too brash. Your fears? They’ll fade away like the chimes of bells once rung, The voices in your head will soon seem not so harsh. The light will come, and night’s darkness leave unsung\nWith heart beats racing to a different dialogue, You’ll finally see, you really made it home.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/12/17/148-homeward/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"http://magpietales.blogspot.com/2012/12/mag-148.html\"\u003eprompt 148\u003c/a\u003e at the Magpie Tales, a \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/04/finally-home/\"\u003erepost\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"highlight\"\u003e\u003cpre tabindex=\"0\" style=\"color:#f8f8f2;background-color:#272822;-moz-tab-size:4;-o-tab-size:4;tab-size:4;-webkit-text-size-adjust:none;\"\u003e\u003ccode class=\"language-gdscript3\" data-lang=\"gdscript3\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e[\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e[Andy Magee \u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e-\u003c/span\u003e homeward](\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e/\u003c/span\u003ewp\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e-\u003c/span\u003econtent\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e/\u003c/span\u003euploads\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e/\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color:#ae81ff\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e/\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color:#ae81ff\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e/\u003c/span\u003eandy\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e-\u003c/span\u003emagee\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e-\u003c/span\u003ehomeward\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e.\u003c/span\u003ejpg)](\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e/\u003c/span\u003ewp\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e-\u003c/span\u003econtent\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e/\u003c/span\u003euploads\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e/\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color:#ae81ff\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e/\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color:#ae81ff\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e/\u003c/span\u003eandy\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e-\u003c/span\u003emagee\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e-\u003c/span\u003ehomeward\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e.\u003c/span\u003ejpg)\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eThough tears like a river course down like rain,\nAnd your heart by cupid’s fiery barbs is rent.\nAlthough your cracked voice breaks out in wails,\nAnd hell with all its fury and fiends seem sent.\nBe still, Stay strong, you’ll make it home.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThough fear like a cloak your mind enshrouds,\nAnd rabid voices, your reasoning besiege.\nThough Night descends, your dreams to hound,\nAnd heart beats resonate to a symphony of rage.\nBe still, Stay strong, you’ll make it home.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#148 - Homeward"},{"content":"For Prompt #145 at the Magpie Tales, and PawPaw, who left too soon.\nHis broken memory no longer can relate to her gentle touch- Or the quiet reassurance of her gnarled fingers atop his wrinkled skin. Or the long faded recollection of the taste of smoked bush meat chased down his thirsty throat by frothy cups of sweet palm wine. He no longer can remember the smell- of moth balls – hanging like a pall, around her clothes a wispy cloud driven out from before the eastward Sun as it streaks across the sky. But the dirty red chair constant like the sun remains- a signpost to a past he can no longer reach A place where once Upon a Life there was a love And a bond so strong Though he barely remembers He still can\u0026#39;t quite forget ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/11/27/amnesia/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ca href=\"http://www.magpietales.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/mag-145.html\"\u003ePrompt #145\u003c/a\u003e at the Magpie Tales, and PawPaw, who left too soon.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Red-Chair\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/red-chair.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"highlight\"\u003e\u003cpre tabindex=\"0\" style=\"color:#f8f8f2;background-color:#272822;-moz-tab-size:4;-o-tab-size:4;tab-size:4;-webkit-text-size-adjust:none;\"\u003e\u003ccode class=\"language-gdscript3\" data-lang=\"gdscript3\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHis broken memory\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eno longer can relate\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eto her gentle touch\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e-\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOr the quiet reassurance\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eof her gnarled fingers\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eatop his wrinkled skin\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOr the long faded recollection\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eof the taste of smoked bush meat\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003echased down his thirsty throat\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eby frothy cups\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eof sweet palm wine\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHe no longer can\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eremember the smell\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e-\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eof moth balls \u003cspan style=\"color:#960050;background-color:#1e0010\"\u003e–\u003c/span\u003e hanging\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003elike a pall, around her clothes\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ea wispy cloud driven out\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003efrom before the eastward Sun\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eas it streaks across the sky\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBut the dirty red chair\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003econstant like the sun remains\u003cspan style=\"color:#f92672\"\u003e-\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ea signpost to a past\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ehe can no longer reach\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA place where once\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUpon a Life there was a love\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd a bond so strong\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThough he barely remembers\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHe still can\u003cspan style=\"color:#e6db74\"\u003e\u0026#39;t quite forget\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\u003c/div\u003e","title":"Amnesia"},{"content":"Thankful for:\nMore progress on Mum\u0026rsquo;s health - not quite the all clear yet, but she\u0026rsquo;s strong enough to speak clearly and has been discharged. Chemo continues though. #SmallMercies More progress on the two main job fronts I am exploring - met the second HR person from the CNRL hiring team, got an email from the Recruiter for the Maersk role giving updates. Big next week coming up for these two roles as it were. Finding God, or Him finding me, which sounds more like it because I haven\u0026rsquo;t done anything significantly different. Thankful for the new phase of quiet confidence I am in at the moment. #GodRocks Song of the week: History - Matthew West.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/11/22/thankful-thursday/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThankful for:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMore progress on Mum\u0026rsquo;s health - not quite the all clear yet, but she\u0026rsquo;s strong enough to speak clearly and has  been discharged. Chemo continues though. #SmallMercies\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMore progress on the two main job fronts I am exploring - met the second HR person from the CNRL hiring team, got an email from the Recruiter for the Maersk role giving updates. Big next week coming up for these two roles as it were.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFinding God, or Him finding me, which sounds more like it because I haven\u0026rsquo;t done anything significantly different. Thankful for the new phase of quiet confidence I am in at the moment. #GodRocks\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSong of the week: \u003ca href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzULBZe9Flg\"\u003eHistory - Matthew West\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Thankful Thursday #47"},{"content":"For the good, and the not so good \u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/11/18/on-repeat-when-the-tears-fall-the-newsboys/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor the good, and the not so good \u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/vtF0bFhs?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e","title":"On Repeat: When The Tears Fall - The Newsboys"},{"content":"In his 2012 book, How Will You measure Your Life, Clay M Christensen attempts to analyse three key life pursuits from the perspective of the theories he teaches to his MBA students at Harvard Business School, looking to extract ideas which when applied to life will ensure that the outcomes we get are aligned with the outcomes we say we want. The three areas he concentrates on are Career, Relationships and the very aptly captioned \u0026lsquo;Staying Out of Prison\u0026rsquo;. A few highlights:\nCareer Christensen describes the way to finding happiness as:\nIn order to really find happiness, you need to continue looking for opportunities that you believe are meaningful, in which you will be able to learn new things, to succeed and be given more and more responsibility to shoulder.\nThe process of finding these rewarding opportunities, the theory suggests, involves continuously evaluating the outcomes from a deliberate strategy against one from an emergent strategy. [Deliberate strategies are designed to achieve anticipated outcomes. Emergent strategies on the other hand evolve from having to optimise around opportunities and threats we can\u0026rsquo;t (or haven\u0026rsquo;t) anticipated. More information here]\nThree key components to achieving this goals are identified as:\nIdentify Your Priorities: Money often is the default metric, but it can be misleading. Herzberg\u0026rsquo;s Theory of Motivation sheds some more light on the difference between hygiene factors and motivational factors. Find the balance between deliberate and emergent strategies: The key issue is finding the balance between calculation and serendipity form the looks of it. Honda\u0026rsquo;s entry into the US motorbike market is highlighted as a classic example of how an emergent strategy can trump a deliberate one. Finding the balance though can be difficult, hence the use of a discovery based planning process to assess the relative chance of success of a deliberate strategy versus an emergent one. Execute the strategy: The distinction between merely paying lip service to a strategy and actually implementing one is made time and time again. And it is in how we allocate our resources that our true strategy is shown. Strategy is not what you say it is, it is how you allocate your resources - time, money and energy - through your hundreds of everyday decisions. Our lives are modelled as businesses - family, career, relationships etc - each requiring an investment of our resources. This is complicated by the time frames over which pay offs occur, and we are often tempted to focus on initiatives which deliver value rather over the long term. Key Quotes:\nIf the decisions you make about where you invest your blood, sweat and tears are not consistent with the person you aspire to be, you\u0026rsquo;ll never become that person\nRelationships The premise here is that the greatest and longest lasting sources of happiness or sadness in our lives will come from our relationships and connections. The business theory applied here is Bhide\u0026lsquo;s good capital and bad capital framework which simply stated is that in the initial phase of building investors should be patient for growth and impatient for profit, i.e. find a small to medium scale strategy that works, and only then begin to address the up-scaling issues.\nKey points:\nTime scales are of importance: There is a risk in trying to sequence life. By the time we need a harvest, we may not have one! The job-to-be-done theory: The causal mechanism of every purchase of a good or service is that we have a job that needs doing, and the service fills the role. The big question for our relationships then should be what \u0026lsquo;job\u0026rsquo; are we being hired for in each of our relationships. On a relational level, the key to happiness is counterintuitive; the path to happiness is about finding someone who you want to make happy, someone whose happiness is worth devoting yourself to. And in sacrificing for something worthwhile, you deeply strengthen your commitment to it. Building Capability: Three components to capability - resources, processes and priorities. Resources are the what of value creation, ie the raw materials that we turn into value Processes are the how, ie how we turn resources into value Priorities are the why, ie our decision matrices, culture etc. More:\nMoney Quote (For finding a spouse):\nThe path to happiness is about finding someone who you want to make happy, someone whose happiness is worth devoting yourself to.\nStaying out of jail - the ethics question A great summary of the marginal thinking trap\u0026rsquo;s over at the HBR.\nMoney Quote:\nThe safest road to hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts\n- CS lewis\nFinally, On Purpose Three components of purpose.\nA likeness (the target destination, anticipated personality traits hoping to be built), A commitment Metrics for measuring progress towards attaining the likeness His talk at TEDxBoston on YouTube, and a great precis at the Harvard Business Review website.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/11/16/fabreads-how-will-you-measure-your-life-clay-christensen/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn his 2012 book, \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Will-Measure-Your-Life-ebook/dp/B006I1AE92/ref=tmm_kin_title_0\"\u003eHow Will You measure Your Life\u003c/a\u003e, Clay M Christensen attempts to analyse three key life pursuits from the perspective of the theories he teaches to his MBA students at Harvard Business School, looking to extract ideas which when applied to life will ensure that the outcomes we get are aligned with the outcomes we \u003cem\u003esay\u003c/em\u003e we want. The three areas he concentrates on are Career, Relationships and the very aptly captioned \u0026lsquo;Staying Out of Prison\u0026rsquo;. A few highlights:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#FabReads - How Will You Measure Your Life - Clay Christensen"},{"content":"Thankful for:\nProgress with Mum\u0026rsquo;s health. Got sucked into an emergency surgery but by all accounts she\u0026rsquo;s getting close to the all clear. Progress on two main job chasing fronts - CNRL \u0026amp; Maersk. Fingers crossed! Finally reaching a place where I am slowly weaning myself off my intense fixation on L. Three day work weeks, and options aplenty to pick and choose form. Bring on the harvest dear God!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/11/15/thankful-thursdays-4/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThankful for:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProgress with Mum\u0026rsquo;s health. Got sucked into an emergency surgery but by all accounts she\u0026rsquo;s getting close to the all clear.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProgress on two main job chasing fronts - CNRL \u0026amp; Maersk. Fingers crossed!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFinally reaching a place where I am slowly weaning myself off my intense fixation on \u003ca href=\"/tag/l/\"\u003eL\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThree day work weeks, and options aplenty to pick and choose form.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBring on the harvest dear God!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Thankful Thursdays #46"},{"content":"Between too many cooks - my friend OO was overly keen to play match maker and may have spilled too much information - and my being a little bit too keen for meetups and hangouts, my girl crush might have been spooked :(\nI do need my life back - the controlled, spread sheet driven, ordered experience that it used to be, not one filled with long nights tossing and turning, pondering innumerable what-ifs and why/why not my messages have not been replied\u0026hellip;..\nThis whole infatuation/loving/getting to know someone business sucks.. And I may just rid myself of it for good!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/11/14/blown-or-not/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBetween too many cooks - my friend OO was overly keen to play match maker and may have spilled too much information - and my being a little bit too keen for meetups and hangouts,  \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/10/girl-crush-hypothetically/\"\u003emy girl crush\u003c/a\u003e might have been spooked :(\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI do need my life back - the controlled, spread sheet driven, ordered experience that it used to be, not one filled with long nights tossing and turning, pondering innumerable what-ifs and why/why not my messages have not been replied\u0026hellip;..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Blown...Or Not"},{"content":"There are only so many taxi rides that you can take before you begin to pick up on the subtleties of maintaining inane conversations. And if your default mode of transport is a taxi, you have no choice but to cultivate the art, unless awkward silence is your forte. Here then in no specific order are the non threatening things that keep coming up for me in my journeys in the Aberdeen area.\nMoan about the weather: If it\u0026rsquo;s nice and sunny, complain that it might rain and ruin your plans. If it\u0026rsquo;s rainy, moan away. One of the guys at work, who\u0026rsquo;s been up here since like forever once told me joke about the city. On his first day up here as an offshore construction engineer, he was chomping at the bit a little, wanting to get some materials delivered offshore. His older, wiser boss took him aside to a stretch of land overlooking the harbour and asked him what he could see. As he recalls, it was a clear bright day with only a little cloud, and he told his boss so. The boss\u0026rsquo;s answer - when it\u0026rsquo;s clear, know that it will rain tomorrow, if it is not, then it\u0026rsquo;s raining already! Be prepared to discuss holiday plans: Perhaps it is due to the general consensus that the weather is lousy, but I find that cab drivers are keen to discuss holiday plans. The last cabbie I hired had a trip planned to Tenerife. I had to oblige him with a spun-on-the-fly tale about my holiday planned to Houston this year over Christmas. Be prepared to talk about \u0026lsquo;where you\u0026rsquo;re originally from\u0026rsquo;: You will be asked where you\u0026rsquo;re originally from - and if you\u0026rsquo;re Nigerian like I am you\u0026rsquo;ll likely hear an anecdote about the country. Thanks to the length of time the likes of Shell, Sparrow and OIS/Oceaneering have been involved in the industry in Nigeria, more often than not I run into cab drivers who have pulled a stint in Port Harcourt, or who know someone who has. There is also a growing Nigerian community - current students, ex students and staff on International postings also swell the complement of Nigerians, which makes for good banter with cab drivers. Be prepared to hear a moanful earful about the City Council: Scotsmen have a reputation for being miserable sods. \u0026lsquo; Legend\u0026rsquo; - and I use that as loosely as possible - has it that copper fire was formed inadvertently as two Scotsmen fought over two pennys in the street. My favourite moan has to be the one where the cab drivers complains about having to pay a 500 pound registration fee to be able to pick up custom from the train station. In the interest of keeping the conversation flowing, I usually hum and ahh and toss in a word of mock outrage from time to time. In reality, I probably don\u0026rsquo;t care. Know your football: Once in a while, I have had to entertain football questions, from Scotland being lousy at the game to how dire the Aberdeen team are. Have an opinion on Sir Ian Wood and the Union Terrace Gardens project. More recently a key moan topic has been the botched city centre revamp, bulk of peeps detest the plans It\u0026rsquo;s not all doom and gloom, on the odd occasion you will run into an Ian McEwan lover. Savour those moments!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/11/12/about-town-the-essential-guide-to-aberdonian-cab-conversations/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThere are only so many taxi rides that you can take before you begin to pick up on the subtleties of maintaining inane conversations. And if your default mode of transport is a taxi, you have no choice but to cultivate the art, unless awkward silence is your forte. Here then in no specific order are the non threatening things that keep coming up for me in my journeys in the Aberdeen area.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Town: The Essential Guide to (Aberdonian) Cab Conversations"},{"content":"Rediscovered thanks to UCB Radio\nLyrics here:\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/11/11/on-repeat-outta-my-mind-anthem-lights/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eRediscovered thanks to \u003ca href=\"http://www.ucb.co.uk/mainpage2.cfm\"\u003eUCB Radio\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/AT9Ieal8TMo?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLyrics \u003ca href=\"http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/anthemlights/outtamymind.html\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Repeat: Outta My Mind - Anthem Lights"},{"content":"Delirium, for the We Write Poems prompt Osmosis;\nYou catch her eye on the corner of King\u0026#39;s and Guild\u0026#39;s, rush of bright pink, blush. Gaze, furtive. A coy smile works its way across her face, before she disappears. A bird, startled as by a twig snapped underneath the lumbering feet of her unwary hunter- Half dream, half mirage, half stolen, garbled- fairy tale. You feel the fever- dry skin, throbbing head. Unrequited memory like the force of a hammer against rock, a blunt axe, Patagonian rosewood, a caged bird, tethered to it\u0026#39;s roost. Your siren\u0026#39;s sung- her half song, half lure. And like five bowstrings plucked till worn- all you have is the unsated thirst of your delirium. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/11/09/130-osmosis/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDelirium\u003c/em\u003e, for the \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://wewritepoems.wordpress.com/\"\u003eWe Write Poems\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e prompt \u003ca href=\"http://wewritepoems.wordpress.com/2012/11/01/prompt-130-osmosis/\"\u003eOsmosis\u003c/a\u003e;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"highlight\"\u003e\u003cpre tabindex=\"0\" style=\"color:#f8f8f2;background-color:#272822;-moz-tab-size:4;-o-tab-size:4;tab-size:4;-webkit-text-size-adjust:none;\"\u003e\u003ccode class=\"language-fallback\" data-lang=\"fallback\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYou catch her eye\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eon the corner of King\u0026#39;s\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eand Guild\u0026#39;s, rush\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eof bright pink, blush.\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGaze, furtive.\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA coy smile\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eworks its way\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eacross her face,\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ebefore she disappears.\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA bird, startled as by\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ea twig snapped underneath\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ethe lumbering feet\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eof her unwary hunter-\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHalf dream, half mirage,\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ehalf stolen, garbled-\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003efairy tale.\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYou feel the fever-\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003edry skin, throbbing head.\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUnrequited memory like\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ethe force of a hammer\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eagainst rock, a blunt axe,\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePatagonian rosewood, a caged bird,\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003etethered to it\u0026#39;s roost.\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYour siren\u0026#39;s sung-\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eher half song, half lure.\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd like five bowstrings\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eplucked till worn-\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eall you have\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eis the unsated thirst\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eof your delirium.\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\u003c/div\u003e","title":"#130 - Osmosis"},{"content":"Canada: The country after my heart, thanks to stumbling on a description of the low population, arctic in Kurt Koch\u0026rsquo;s demons and Demonology. Problem is the relatively high entry cost for me - uprooting myself from my life of the last three years, loss of income and the costs of chasing further studies required to break into that part of the world.\nA girl: The girl I think I like enough to, in the words of Clay Christensen, devote my life to making happy; and who has only just moved to Aberdeen and is adamant she\u0026rsquo;s got a two year plan before she buggers off to Nigeria.\nAustralia: The future, land of opportunities and growth in oil and gas, and one which has popped up fairly regularly in my conversation lately both at work and with trusted knowledgeable others. Plus side is I can progress permanent residence without leaving the UK.\nThe Dream role: Back in Operations support as a Corrosion \u0026amp; materials engineer for an oil and gas producer with a reputation for great work, opportunities, international exposure and great remuneration.\nThe problem: Finding a means to meld these disparate directions into a coherent whole, or at least find the optimum solution to the problems!\n:(\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/11/06/crossroads/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCanada\u003c/strong\u003e: The country after my heart, thanks to stumbling on a description of the low population, arctic in Kurt Koch\u0026rsquo;s demons and Demonology. Problem is the relatively high entry cost for me - uprooting myself from my life of the last three years, loss of income and the costs of chasing further studies required to break into that part of the world.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA girl\u003c/strong\u003e: The girl I think I like enough to, in the words of Clay Christensen, devote my life to making happy; and who has only just moved to Aberdeen and is adamant she\u0026rsquo;s got a two year plan before she buggers off to Nigeria.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Crossroads"},{"content":" ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/11/04/the-day-before-you-matthew-west/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/FmqF?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e","title":"The Day Before You - Matthew West"},{"content":" Further to your application for the position of ***, I am writing to advise that you have not been selected for interview on this occasion.\nWe have received other applications from candidates whose skills and experience more closely matched the role criteria. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the interest you have shown in this role and we hope our decision will not deter you from applying for any other suitable vacancies in the future.\nKind regards,\nThis was the email I received sometime on Friday, quite frankly out of the blue. Thanks to the fantastic run I had been on, I had become slightly too big for my own boots, turning down job offers time and time again and even going as far as thinking I had the current job I was chasing nailed after a screening interview I thought I\u0026rsquo;d aced. The hiring agent who facilitated the interview emailed to say they were keen to have a face to face in town, and I\u0026rsquo;d begun to prepare for it until the email, hence my surprise\u0026hellip;\nI suppose every bloke needs something to bring him down a notch or two once in a while and keep him grounded. I shall eat my chunk of humble pie and go back to the drawing board\u0026hellip;\nI needed reminding\u0026hellip;\nA bloke can do no worse than believe his own hype.\n#LessonsLearned\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/11/03/humble-pie-d/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFurther to your application for the position of ***, I am writing to advise that you have not been selected for interview on this occasion.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe have received other applications from candidates whose skills and experience more closely matched the role criteria. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the interest you have shown in this role and we hope our decision will not deter you from applying for any other suitable vacancies in the future.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Humble pie-d"},{"content":" It is no real surprise that I wake up on Saturday morning with an overwhelming urge to leave my house and let the cold, crisp air clear my head; a succession of events having left me feeling emotionally over extended as though more activity had been packed into the preceding two week period than the entirety of the year before that. My friends O and Alf must bear some of the responsibility for catalyzing those events, as does a not quite out-of-the-blue response to an application I had, almost as a matter of last resort, tossed out three months before. A brown roll and an egg chased down with a cup of strong black coffee and a quick Google search later, I am awake enough to grab my water proof jacket and head out into the streets with the Torry Battery as my destination.\nThe walk down Park Street, on to Virginia Street and then on to Market Street is one I have made countless times over the past three years, from home to work, church, Nandos or any of the other recurring decimals that have marked my life in this corner of the world, and I make it once more almost mindlessly. There are people just like me – jackets fully done up, earphones plugged in, walking briskly perhaps drawn out by the promise of warmer weather in what just might be the warmest day left of the year, if the weatherman is to be believed.\nBy the time I make Market Street, I am slightly out of breath, the brisk pace I have adopted a little too much for my increasingly pudgy self. Waiting to swing across from Market Street on to Guild, I end up saved by the long tailbacks at the traffic lights. At first I chalk it down to too many people being about, trying to get into Union Square but as I go further I find out there has been a car crash and a police car parked sideways across the road to preserve evidence is the reason for the hold up. The whine of the ambulance attending the scene is the one indication that this is a fairly recent car crash. Given the glass shards all over and the very nearly flattened front panel of the sedan, it is no wonder an ambulance is steaming through double time. A change in the lights allows me cross over quickly and then begin the portion of my walk I will have to depend fully on Google Maps for.\nBy now I have recovered my breath, and I quicken pace again, cross North Esplanade West, Victoria Bridge and turn into Torry, our very own Aberdonian Ajegunle. An old woman shawl drawn tightly around her shoulders, slightly bowed stands just past Victoria Bridge looking out onto the River Dee where an orange lifeboat chugs along, completing trials of some sort. I pause briefly to catch the moment myself, take a picture and then move on. These are not quite the best parts of town to be ambling about in if the truth must be told - my one unpleasant Aberdeen incident occurred here on these streets just a few paces removed when a clearly inebriated wannabe pirate complete with a black eye patch lobbed a slur in my direction. Rumour – direct from the mouth of a cab driver mind – has it that a dead body was found in some dark alley a few weeks ago too.\nThe Skandi Marstein is chugging into port when I navigate the left turn off Victoria road through a dense smell of rotten fish and onto an observation post overlooking the harbour. An old woman, slightly bowed and a mixed race kid with Malcolm Gladwell-esque hair are the only other people in sight - he prancing about with all the energy of a five year old, she barely keeping up with the questions he is rattling off. I wait a few moments as the Skandi completes its manoeuvres, seizing the opportunity to share in the unfettered joy of the little boy.\nFrom there on, it\u0026rsquo;s a fairly quiet walk up to the battery. The rest of my amble passes without event until I arrive at the battery. It is deserted, a Scottish flag planted squarely on a mound at its centre a proud, unyielding attestation to its history. And even in this most auspicious of places, the boys from Torry have left their mark.\nOnly now has the enormity of the change I have tottered on the edge of, for the past year and some, began to sink in; and with its sinking in comes the overwhelming urge to maintain by every means possible the tenuous hold I have on the present, imperfections and all. The small matter of a year and some ago I had an Aberdeen version of my Newcastle moment from 2008, and in that moment I decided to bet my future - and those of the future Mrs S, Ethan Jon and Elaine Jade on swapping wet, cold and windy Aberdeen for wet, cold and arctic Eastern Canada. In the intervening period I managed to maintain a sense of normalcy by pretending it was all an academic exercise in permutations and combinations, playing various what-ifs against each other. The undeniable existence of an offer letter in my post box must count as the very present trigger, which has now shaken me out of my reverie and awakened me to the very real need to take a decision in the next few weeks.\nIf it\u0026rsquo;s any consolation, I may only be swapping an old Scotland for a New Scotland\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/10/29/about-town-ambles-musings/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt is no real surprise that I wake up on Saturday morning with an overwhelming urge to leave my house and let the cold, crisp air clear my head; a succession of events having left me feeling emotionally over extended as though more activity had been packed into the preceding two week period than the entirety of the year before that. My friends O and Alf must bear some of the responsibility for catalyzing those events, as does a not quite \u003cem\u003eout-of-the-blue response\u003c/em\u003e to an application I had, almost as a matter of last resort, tossed out three months before. A brown roll and an egg chased down with a cup of strong black coffee and a quick Google search later, I am awake enough to grab my water proof jacket and head out into the streets with the \u003ca href=\"http://www.aboutaberdeen.com/torry-battery-aberdeen.php\"\u003eTorry Battery\u003c/a\u003e as my destination.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Town: Ambles and Musings..."},{"content":"iLike\u0026hellip;\nBeneath Your Beautiful - Labrinth ft. Emeli Sande [ Lyrics]\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/10/28/on-repeat-labrinth-sande/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eiLike\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/bqIxCtEveG8?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBeneath Your Beautiful - Labrinth ft. Emeli Sande [ \u003ca href=\"http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/labrinth/beneathyourbeautiful.html\"\u003eLyrics\u003c/a\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On repeat....."},{"content":"Thankful for:\nCrushes: For the buzzzzzz they bring, the hint of delirious joy, and Everything! Work mates: And banter laid on a bit too heavy at times, but the sense of being fully integrated gives off a good feel for me. 4 day work weeks: Off to Edinburgh this weekend. Four day week this week and next, #Bliss ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/10/25/thankful-thursdays-3/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThankful for:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCrushes\u003c/strong\u003e: For the buzzzzzz they bring,  the hint of delirious joy, and Everything!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWork mates\u003c/strong\u003e: And banter laid on a bit too heavy at times, but the sense of being fully integrated gives off a good feel for me.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4 day work weeks\u003c/strong\u003e: Off to Edinburgh this weekend. Four day week this week and next, #Bliss\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Thankful Thursdays #43"},{"content":"I think I have a crush.\n\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; And what is perhaps most disconcerting about the waxing and waning of this particular attraction is just how atypical its advent has been. For one she is well and truly outside the +/- 2.5 year band that I once swore to live and die by… And perhaps most importantly, the sum of our interaction over the last one month, one week and six days has been fifteen emails, five phone calls and one handshake; hardly a compelling oeuvre for a bloke whose standard MO - bar the not exactly happily-ever-after spring mis adventure from 2009 - has primarily been based on weighing pros and cons, extensive googling due diligence and incremental engagement rather than a full on pursuit.\nMy friend Des seems to think there\u0026rsquo;s at least something to explore, but I suspect it might just be a case of cake cravings on her part (she\u0026rsquo;s called dibs already on providing the little bride)\u0026hellip; Me the cynic thinks it\u0026rsquo;s more molehill than mountain and that lurking just beyond the edge of what little I know are revelations bound to kick this delirium into touch\u0026hellip; Me the pragmatist agrees with Des, and thinks it would at least be useful practice, bringing me closer to the magic 12 number which supposedly is the ideal number of partners required to define our dating baseline.\nMe the analytical, in the few quiet moments the cacophony in my head allows me, wonders if there\u0026rsquo;s some low risk, non-intrusive way of closing the knowledge gap and progressing the opportunity (which may or may not be there)\u0026hellip; Or if a wild plunge isn\u0026rsquo;t the way to go here\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; After all someone once said doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result was insanity\u0026hellip;.\nOr not\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/10/23/girl-crush-hypothetically/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI \u003cem\u003ethink\u003c/em\u003e I have \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/theOOhj/status/259274396223561728\"\u003ea crush\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; And what is perhaps most disconcerting about the waxing and waning of this particular attraction is just how \u003cem\u003eatypical\u003c/em\u003e its advent has been.  For one \u003cem\u003eshe\u003c/em\u003e is well and truly outside the +/- 2.5 year band that I once swore to live and die by… And perhaps most importantly, the sum of our interaction over the last one month, one week and six days has been fifteen emails, five phone calls and one handshake; hardly a compelling \u003cem\u003eoeuvre\u003c/em\u003e for a bloke whose standard MO - bar the not exactly \u003cem\u003ehappily-ever-after\u003c/em\u003e spring \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/08/a-passing-fancy/\"\u003e\u003cem\u003emis\u003c/em\u003e adventure from 2009\u003c/a\u003e - has primarily been based on weighing pros and cons, extensive googling due diligence  and incremental engagement rather than a full on pursuit.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Girl Crush-ing... Hypothetically...."},{"content":"Spent the weekend migrating my emails and documents between computers and stumbled on this email exchange, which I was cc\u0026rsquo;ed on, from my days on the fringes of the student association during my MSc a few years ago.. Our (Nigerian) verbosity is almost certainly genetic, I think! Enjoy!\nDear Comrades,\nHaving perused and assimilated the content of this mail, I awaited intelligent responses from the house on this germaine issue that has precipitated. Fortunately it seems the house finds this subject too mundane, trivial and bereft of credibility, with contents premised on lack of tact and knowledge of due process in electorial affairs. However in the spirit of comradeship,I have taken it upon my humble self to initiate this thread which I hope will serve to enlighten our Exco on how these state affairs are conducted for a laudable house as ours.\nFirst for a process like this an electorial board or committee is inaugurated, comprising of unbiased members of house who are not serving on any executive position. This committee unanimously decides the parametric confines of the electoral process, enact necessary laws to guide the elections and if need be, place particular conditions contesting candidates must satisfy .\nLet me reinforce that the N*******e Nigerian Students Association is a laudable, magnificient body of high caliber persons from diverse schools of thought, underscored with the essence of superb intellectual capacities. As such it behoves that the way we conduct our affairs as collective ambassadors of our great nation in the diaspora with robust respect for due process. While I have no misgivings whatsoever about proper introductions in this electoral process, I maintain that the manner in which the matter has been presented reeks of disdain and maladministration of rights.\nIf the present members of Exco (who never delivered any manifestos, or introductions as to their persons or the suitability of their candidatures would treat us with the respect we deserve as Nigerian intellectuals in the diaspora, then they should put in place the necessary political infrastructure required for this exercise in a properly coordinated way. If however, Comrade A***o has put it upon herself to be the champion of this political mediocrity, I believe it is our responsibility to point out errors. For avoidance of doubt, let me state that this is no bandwagon of kangaroos for which two hybrids monkeys have been invited to dance.Rather, we are in the process of electing representatives who we expect to serve us as a body and if we cant afford a grandiose electoral body, let us at least have the skeletal structure to serve the same purpose rather than indulge in flimsy, whimsical mail sending exercises.\nLet me state here that this call goes to the President of the Association to do the needful and not hide behind imcompetent disciples as we find this not acceptable for us as positive thinking intellectuals.\nI rest my case.\nI remain,\nComrade OM\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/10/22/stumbled-on/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSpent the weekend migrating my emails and documents between computers and stumbled on this email exchange, which I was cc\u0026rsquo;ed on, from my days on the fringes of the student association during my MSc a few years ago.. Our (Nigerian) verbosity is almost certainly genetic, I think! Enjoy!\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDear Comrades,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHaving perused and assimilated the content of this mail, I awaited intelligent responses from the house on this germaine issue that has precipitated. Fortunately it seems the house finds this subject too mundane, trivial and bereft of credibility, with contents premised on lack of tact and knowledge of due process in electorial affairs. However in the spirit of comradeship,I have taken it upon my humble self to initiate this thread which I hope will serve to enlighten our Exco on how these state affairs are conducted for a laudable house as ours.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Stumbled on..."},{"content":"Thankful for:\nProgress: After moaning on and on about being seemingly at a stand still my grad school applications appear to be moving again - received admission documents to the Welding Engineering program at Kirkland Lake, my Nigerian transcripts and references I\u0026rsquo;d requested from one of my old mates back in Nigeria. Timely pick-me-ups: My small circle of friends comes through time and time again. This time I am thankful for the one buddy who responded to my (admittedly attention seeking :p tweet) about hurtling on, my cryptic expression for the phase of life where I feel like I am at a stand still. There was a whole back story to that, but I\u0026rsquo;m thankful for the listening ear. Knowledgeable others: That I remain single is not for want of trying on my friends\u0026rsquo; parts. Even though it sometimes feels like meddling, I have to admit it gives me a wee boost to know that they feel like I have unique selling points that will improve the lives of their sisters, nieces and best friends. :) That\u0026rsquo;s my reason and I\u0026rsquo;m sticking to it. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/10/18/thankful-thursdays-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThankful for:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProgress:\u003c/strong\u003e After  moaning on and on about being seemingly at a stand still my grad school applications appear to be moving again - received admission documents to the Welding Engineering program at Kirkland Lake, my Nigerian transcripts and references I\u0026rsquo;d requested from one of my old mates back in Nigeria.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTimely pick-me-ups\u003c/strong\u003e: My small circle of friends comes through time and time again. This time I am thankful for the one buddy who responded to my (admittedly attention seeking :p tweet) about \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/theOOhj/status/258671161062354946\"\u003ehurtling on\u003c/a\u003e, my cryptic expression for the phase of life where I feel like I am at a stand still. There was a whole \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/10/baby-birthdays-failed-detente-and-motherly-ultimatums/\"\u003eback story\u003c/a\u003e to that, but I\u0026rsquo;m thankful for the listening ear.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKnowledgeable others:\u003c/strong\u003e That I remain single is not for want of trying on my friends\u0026rsquo; parts. Even though it sometimes feels like meddling, I have to admit it gives me a wee boost to know that they feel like I have unique selling points that will improve the lives of their sisters, nieces and best friends. :) That\u0026rsquo;s my reason and I\u0026rsquo;m sticking to it.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Thankful Thursdays #42"},{"content":"In what must be a first for me, I get invited to a birthday party over WhatsApp. Truth be told, there were mitigating circumstances. Although the parent in question and I have some tenuous familial connection - my grand father and her grand mother somehow managed to get entangled in the far distant haze that is a few generations ago - she and I haven\u0026rsquo;t stayed much in touch, in spite of us living the the small matter of the length of Union Street apart. I suppose the invitation was one last hopeful punt in my direction. If it was, it worked, the twin attractions of something to do on a Saturday afternoon and proper Nigerian food proving too strong for even I the quintessential recluse. Izzy, the kid in question had just turned One, and her parents keen to celebrate the milestone were putting together a small get together for the guys; for that I was very much a willing eater.\nI arrive at fifteen minutes past the hour. Given our Nigerian predilection for African time, I have figured that this is a considered compromise between not being the first bum on a seat and not keeping the hosts waiting. It turns out I have timed my arrival horribly; the only other person besides the chief host by the time I arrive is a Caucasian woman and her two children, with the next person strolling in leisurely at thirty minutes past the hour. Arriving early does prove useful though, as I am pressed into service putting finishing touches to the placement of cups and drinks on the tables.\nIt turns out to be a fairly well attended event. There are quite a few people I have not seen in a while, each with their children in tow. Both parents have connections to my alma mater and it shows. I end up sharing a table with yet another distant family member, one who was also a contemporary of my youngest brother. He has his girlfriend on his arm when he breezes in just after 2pm, and a few handshakes and a quick swig of Don Simon later, he plumps into a seat next to me. We talk, about Nigeria, about Aberdeen and the looming winter, about work and future plans. He thinks he\u0026rsquo;ll head off to Nigeria in the next three to five years, I think that elusive PhD needs putting back on the front burner.\nThe one blot, on a personal level for me, is an extended encounter with the brash tactlessness of a friend of a friend. When he finds out we all went to the same University but that I graduated two years before he commenced studies, he straight away asks which of the children chasing birthday ballons near by are mine. I reply I have none, and am not married, which is his cue to waffle on about how I am wasting time. I am minded to give him a telling off, but given the context and the fact that our host would most assuredly come down on his side, I hold my peace and move off to grab some food instead. In that little six minute and some exchange is all the background and proof that has typically driven my avoidance of these events.\nOn the subject of my mother, the last few weeks have been somewhat frosty. In a sense she has been feeling the absence of the kid brother who\u0026rsquo;s upped sticks and headed back to full time study in a different country. Being the fairly accessible ear, she has tended to dump on me. Her mood has not been helped by my uncle down south and his ongoing meddling. True to type, and perhaps influenced by all the things I have going on in my life at this point in time, I opted for withdrawal and managed communication to limit the opportunities for irritation. This weekend I decide to try to mend fences by initiating a call and allowing her unload. Needless to say, she does a lot of the talking, and manages to add an ultimatum at the end.\nMothers! Sigh.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/10/15/baby-birthdays-failed-detente-and-motherly-ultimatums/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn what must be a first for me, I get invited to a birthday party over WhatsApp. Truth be told, there were mitigating circumstances. Although the parent in question and I have some tenuous familial connection - my grand father and her grand mother somehow managed to get entangled in the far distant haze that is a few generations ago - she and I haven\u0026rsquo;t stayed much in touch, in spite of us living the the small matter of the length of Union Street apart. I suppose the invitation was one last hopeful punt in my direction. If it was, it worked, the twin attractions of \u003cem\u003esomething\u003c/em\u003e to do on a Saturday afternoon and proper Nigerian food proving too strong for even I the quintessential recluse. Izzy, the kid in question had just turned One, and her parents keen to celebrate the milestone were putting together a small get together for the guys; for that I was very much a willing \u003cem\u003eeater.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Baby Birthdays, failed détente and motherly ultimatums"},{"content":" [Source] I seem to have the knack for choosing the shittiest days to go offshore. Last November I end up stuck for an extra three days, thanks to Ambisagrus going berserk and my helicopter flight getting cancelled. Speaking to the heli-admin late on Monday as I confirm my booking, I have her take a quick look at the weather forecast; she confirms there are no extraordinary weather events forecast for the rest of the week. Satisfied, I confirm my check-in time and head out to pack my bags and plan.\nWhen I wake up the next morning, it is to gale force winds and rain. Steaming cup of coffee in hand, looking out from my kitchen window, the streets - and Pittodrie in the distance - are a distant haze, shrouded in a fine mist with leaves and twigs tossed and blown around like meat in a giant cooking pot over wood. By the time I get dressed and jump into the cab I have called, it is a little quieter but the aftermath of the storm we have been battered by remains - bin bags floating around King\u0026rsquo;s and boughs ripped off trees onto the road the least of my worries.\nIt might be the weather, but the cab driver has the heater on full blast and has the radio tuned to the weather report. He is atypically taciturn; the one thing he does say to me as we hit the long tail backs on the final turn to the airport is \u0026lsquo;You\u0026rsquo;re nae going anywhere today pal\u0026rsquo;. Given the weather conditions - I secretly hope he is right. What he doesn\u0026rsquo;t know then- and what I get to find out eventually - is that by some quirk of nature, the weather\u0026rsquo;s a whole lot better up in the Shetlands and any doubts about the trip are quickly dispelled when I am called up to check in and screened.\nIt turns out that the flight up north is actually the smoothest I remember - so much for my having second thoughts about the trip. Safely landed on the platform, glasses off whilst trying to divest myself of my immersion suit, someone taps my shoulder. In the hazy, barely there, seeing men as trees world that is mine without my glasses, I make out the silhouette of the platform\u0026rsquo;s head honcho. He is a bloke I have previous history with - we once argued opposing ends of a decision a few months into my current role, and our relationship has been frosty at best (at least to me). Sensing my discomfiture, he stretches out his hand for a firm handshake and proceeds to welcome me on to his turf.\n- You\u0026rsquo;ll stop by the office for a wee chat when you\u0026rsquo;re settled in, aye?\nHe says it in the manner of a half question, half statement - implied request laced with more than a hint of a threat that my interests might best be served by having the chat. I nod my acceptance, as he moves off, before he tosses over his shoulder almost like an afterthought.\n-The galley\u0026rsquo;s staying open longer, you\u0026rsquo;d better hurry and grab lunch.\nWe had arrived around 1.30pm, a full hour after lunch had been served. A skeletal lunch had been laid out, but given the state the motley crew of the new arrivals were in, it was very likely that the food would be gone in next to a flash. By the time I run through the safety video and all, my worst fears are confirmed, the dregs of the food left do not appeal to me and I end up being extra thankful for the bacon roll I grabbed whilst waiting for the second leg of my flight earlier in the day. It is not till 3.30 pm before I get to see the head honcho again. It is the very much more relaxed setting of the coffee table. As per custom, the guys lay out a modest spread of roll and biscuits to go with our tea and coffee during the regular breaks. I find myself seated right next to him to the right. We make small talk, my primary contact is on hand to ease us into conversation, and we hit it off much better than I ever recall. He has a few concerns over the small project I\u0026rsquo;ve taken a decision to defer to next year and he minces no words in telling me so. Thankfully, I have my \u0026rsquo; we\u0026rsquo;re all in it together\u0026rsquo; speech at the ready - about how I am as much an underling in the overall scheme of things as he is and merely executing orders. Whether he buys it or not is unclear, but all told we have a much more amiable conversation than we have had in a while.\nAt dinner, I share a table with a couple of the lads - one is ex Royal Marines, the other is an ex (Music) school teacher who took his chance at reinvention a mere fifteen years ago. Several NDT tickets down the line, he\u0026rsquo;s now one of the lead techs, earning way more than he would have as a teacher. On the odd occasion he still thinks back wistfully at what might have been had he remained a school teacher, usually when the subject of wives and their shopping sprees comes up, which is often a lot on these trips. The ex Royal Marine, Dusty Dan, named for the extra layer of grime his coveralls tend to pick up regales us between sips of tomato soup and bites of bread of his ordeal at the hands of the wife at an Ikea shop. Dragged out early one Saturday morning ostensibly to shop for furniture for an upcoming baby, he ends up being dragged to each and every corner of the Ikea, criss-crossing every square inch multiple times as his wife meanders her way through the items on display. Three hours later, still no closer to any major purchases and almost dead on his feet, he is allowed the one bit of respite he has grown to look forward to on these interminable trips - 10 meat balls and mash at the Ikea restaurant.\nOh the bliss of married life!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/10/08/on-my-return-to-the-middle-of-nowhere/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"highlight\"\u003e\u003cpre tabindex=\"0\" style=\"color:#f8f8f2;background-color:#272822;-moz-tab-size:4;-o-tab-size:4;tab-size:4;-webkit-text-size-adjust:none;\"\u003e\u003ccode class=\"language-fallback\" data-lang=\"fallback\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e[Source]\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eI seem to have the knack for choosing the \u003cem\u003eshittiest\u003c/em\u003e days to go offshore. Last November I end up stuck for an extra three days, thanks to \u003ca href=\"http://www.celtnet.org.uk/gods_a/ambisagrus.html\"\u003eAmbisagrus\u003c/a\u003e going berserk and my helicopter flight getting cancelled. Speaking to the heli-admin late on Monday as I confirm my booking, I have her take a quick look at the weather forecast; she confirms there are no extraordinary weather events forecast for the rest of the week. Satisfied, I confirm my check-in time and head out to pack my bags and plan.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On My Return to the Middle of Nowhere"},{"content":"Three years ago, I was really bitter about my Nigeria experience. Not a lot had changed since then, and arguably the country in general is in worse shape with a President more content to remain in power than effect change from the looks of it, and committing gaffes by the dozen\u0026hellip; Sigh.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/10/01/nigeria/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThree years ago, I was \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/10/the-life-of-a-lost-son/\"\u003ereally bitter\u003c/a\u003e about my Nigeria experience. Not a lot had changed since then, and arguably the country in general is in worse shape with a President more content to remain in power than effect change from the looks of it, and \u003ca href=\"http://www.ynaija.com/the-latest-presidential-gaffe-president-jonathans-aides-scramble-to-defend-him-over-his-independence-day-lie/\"\u003ecommitting gaffes\u003c/a\u003e by the dozen\u0026hellip;  Sigh.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Nigeria @52"},{"content":"\nAlthough it is only September, there has been a certain nippiness to the last few Aberdonian mornings. If I believed the weather app on my phone – and the state of my ears when my brisk twenty minute walk ends with my bum at my office desk suggests that this is the case - it has barely been warmer than 7 deg C on each of the last few mornings I have walked in to work. Besides the early morning chill, fall has remained frustratingly true to type; too warm to warrant breaking out the full shebang of a knee length winter coat, but yet too cold to be out and about with only a wind breaker for protection. If how many people already sport winter coats is anything to go by, I\u0026rsquo;m up there in the upper 10% in the hardiness stakes. When it slips out in an unguarded moment of banter with my mother, she thinks it is silly. I suspect all it will take to prove her right is coming down with the flu, if history is any judge, a clogged nose awaits me in the not too distant future.\nOne of those days, on my way back from work, I make a detour to the Co-op on Union to grab some mid-week groceries and end up running into an old acquaintance from a previous work project who has since moved on to other things. Hands filled with bags of fruit and all the other things a culinarily challenged single bloke stuffs himself with on a Thursday night, we stand just outside The Monkey House and chat. We eventually end up talking work, the people changes in my current neck of the woods and the prospects of pastures new further afield, and with almost his last words before he hops off in pursuit of his bus, he leaves me with a statement which is both true and depressing in equal measure; more depressing because a few weeks earlier a departing member of my work team - and there have been quite a few over this summer of discontent - had said something similar in pretty much the same words.\nSaturday brings some respite from the fall weather, and the sun peeks out long enough to brings some cheer and warmth. Encouraged by that, and enticed by the opportunity to eyeball dolled up bridesmaids, free food and hang with the lads, I make my way to the Music Hall to attend a wedding reception. The lad signing away his freedom is a friend from work, and if what we\u0026rsquo;ve heard is true, it promises to be a pretty massive celebration in the Egba tradition. After a close to two hour wait, we eventually gain access to the reception venue and find out I have the \u0026lsquo;misfortune\u0026rsquo; of being sat at a table between my friend O, his friend K and two very married women with children. The closest thing to eye candy is a full table away, and is involved in a very animated conversation with a dapper bloke in a black suit and a bow-tie. When the party gets started it doesn\u0026rsquo;t disappoint. Each dignitary and family member introduced is led to the \u0026lsquo;high table\u0026rsquo; with a song and a dance - the mother of the groom dances in from a side entrance to the rear of the hall before dancing all the way back up front and then onto her seat, flanked by her not inconsiderable entourage. The bride and the groom dance in too, eventually, sashaying to a selection of songs topped off by the apt, if the worldview implications do not rile your sensibilities that is, P Square song Chop my Moni. The rest of us with severely limited dancing abilities watch from afar and applaud the contortions and the agility with which they are performed, in what precious little space the various photographers and an iPad wielding family member afford us.\nFood and drinks arrive in due course - catfish pepper soup chased down with apple juice and then a buffet of epic proportions containing rice in all shades and forms and - rumour had it - pounded yam and egusi soup for those in the know. The best man might have had a little too much to drink because when he kicks off the toasting his ramble segues into decidedly dodgy territory, the groom\u0026rsquo;s prior relationships and liaisons taking centre stage. He does recover gracefully though and completes the toast without spilling any salacious details.\nIt is a few minutes past seven pm when I nod my goodbyes to the people I have shared a table with, collect my things and head out on to the still relatively busy streets. There is a slight chill beginning to descend as sunset approaches and I stuff my hands in my pockets to keep them warm; my choice of a simple blazer proving not quite as wise as I\u0026rsquo;d thought at first. As I walk briskly down Union towards my simple lodgings, the one thought I have been trying to retrieve from the dark parts of my memory finally surfaces - it\u0026rsquo;s almost a year to the day since, running into today\u0026rsquo;s groom at a house warming party, he\u0026rsquo;d excitedly mentioned he\u0026rsquo;d met the One. As I recall, I had smirked inwardly at the time.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/09/24/seasons-of-discontent-a-nigerian-wedding-and-other-musings/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"road_\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/road_.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough it is only September, there has been a certain nippiness to the last few Aberdonian mornings. If I believed the weather app on my phone – and the state of my ears when my brisk twenty minute walk ends with my bum at my office desk suggests that this is the case  - it has barely been warmer than 7 deg C on each of the last few mornings I have walked in to work. Besides the early morning chill, fall has remained frustratingly true to type; too warm to warrant breaking out the full shebang of a knee length winter coat, but yet too cold to be out and about with only a wind breaker for protection. If how many people already sport winter coats is anything to go by, I\u0026rsquo;m up there in the upper 10% in the hardiness stakes. When it slips out in an unguarded moment of banter with my mother, she thinks it is silly. I suspect all it will take to prove her right is coming down with the flu, if history is any judge, a clogged nose awaits me in the not too distant future.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Seasons of discontent, a Nigerian wedding and other musings"},{"content":"For the prompt Breakfast at the Magpie Tales\nBreakfast, 1921, Fernand Leger\nhold your head- steady between your hands; bow your head as though in supplication- and let the strong, sweet scent slowly wafting up- hit you. see your face- faint silhouette, three day stubble, matted hair- and tired eyes reflected in the cup and bow in reverence to its quickening power. wrap your hands around its base and feel the warmth. drink deep, swirl it\u0026#39;s dregs in your mouth\u0026#39;s backparts and let the waves of unfettered joy course through your veins give in - and kneel in full surrender to the joy of your dark, black cup. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/09/10/breakfast-or-a-crappy-ode-to-coffee/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor the prompt \u003ca href=\"http://magpietales.blogspot.com/2012/09/mag-134.html\"\u003eBreakfast\u003c/a\u003e at the Magpie Tales\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/leger-fernand-breakfast-1921.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Leger, Fernand breakfast-1921\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/leger-fernand-breakfast-1921.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBreakfast\u003c/em\u003e, 1921, Fernand Leger\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"highlight\"\u003e\u003cpre tabindex=\"0\" style=\"color:#f8f8f2;background-color:#272822;-moz-tab-size:4;-o-tab-size:4;tab-size:4;-webkit-text-size-adjust:none;\"\u003e\u003ccode class=\"language-fallback\" data-lang=\"fallback\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ehold your head-\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003esteady between your hands;\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ebow your head\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eas though in supplication-\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eand let the strong,\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003esweet scent\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eslowly wafting up-\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ehit you.\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003esee your face-\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003efaint silhouette,\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ethree day stubble,\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ematted hair-\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eand tired eyes\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ereflected in the cup\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eand bow in reverence\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eto its quickening\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003epower.\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ewrap your hands\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003earound its base\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eand feel the warmth.\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003edrink deep, swirl it\u0026#39;s dregs\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ein your mouth\u0026#39;s\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ebackparts\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eand let the waves\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eof unfettered joy\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ecourse through your veins\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003egive in -\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eand kneel\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ein full surrender\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eto the joy\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eof your dark,\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eblack cup.\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\u003c/div\u003e","title":"Breakfast (or a crappy ode to coffee)"},{"content":" ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/09/09/a-hankering-for-simpler-days/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/kn6-c223DUU?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e","title":"(A Hankering for) Simple(r) Days..."},{"content":" WHEN MY MOTHER was angry with me, which was often, she said, ‘The Devil led us to the wrong crib'\nSo begins Jeanette Winterson\u0026rsquo;s autobiography, a meditation of sorts on growing up adopted and the descent into dystopia that was her childhood; spent growing up in a Pentecostal home being groomed to be a missionary. It is a childhood that is quintessentially evangelical, replete with very regular church meetings, Biblical literalism, corporeal punishment and a feening for the apocalyptic dawn of the next world to the detriment of the enjoyment of this one. Looming large in that phase of growing up is the image of her adoptive mother, a controlling creature, intensely fundamentalist and addicted to her cigarettes, who both in her quiet moments and in her moments of rage ruled the roost,with the young Jeanette and her adoptive father as collateral damage. Being adopted, and the uncertainties this brings to family relations is a recurring motif in the book, and her successful search to find her birth mother takes us through an emotional wringer.\nA few choice quotes:\nOn the waves of Pakistani immigration to the North West of England:\nThen, as now, nobody talked about the legacy of Empire. Britain had colonised, owned, occupied or interfered with half the world. We had carved up some countries and created others. When some of the world we had made by force wanted something in return, we were outraged.\nOn forgiveness:\nHappy endings are only a pause. There are three kinds of big endings: Revenge. Tragedy. Forgiveness. Revenge and Tragedy often happen together. Forgiveness redeems the past. Forgiveness unblocks the future.\nOn writing:\nIt took me a long time to realise that there are two kinds of writing; the one you write and the one that writes you. The one that writes you is dangerous. You go where you don’t want to go. You look where you don’t want to look.\nIn the end, she evolves into perhaps the antithesis of an evangelical missionary - she falls in love with a woman - which prompts the statement from her mother which becomes the title of the book.\nListen to the Radio Open Source interview here.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/09/05/1-j-winterson-why-be-happy-when-you-could-be-normal/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWHEN MY MOTHER was angry with me, which was often, she said, ‘The Devil led us to the wrong crib'\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo begins Jeanette Winterson\u0026rsquo;s autobiography, a meditation of sorts on growing up adopted and the descent into dystopia that was her childhood; spent growing up in a Pentecostal home being groomed to be a missionary. It is a childhood that is quintessentially evangelical, replete with very regular church meetings, Biblical literalism, corporeal punishment and a feening for the apocalyptic dawn of the next world to the detriment of the enjoyment of this one. Looming large in that phase of growing up is the image of her adoptive mother, a controlling creature, intensely fundamentalist and addicted to her cigarettes, who both in her quiet moments and in her moments of rage ruled the roost,with the young Jeanette and her adoptive father as collateral damage.  Being adopted, and the uncertainties this brings to family relations is a recurring motif in the book, and her successful search to find her birth mother takes us through an emotional wringer.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"J. Winterson: Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal"},{"content":"\nThree quarters of the way through the year, I find I still have just under three weeks of holidays left - and that does not include the productivity black-hole that is the last week of December when all and sundry truly grinds to a halt. Once again, in spite of my plans to not be in this situation, I have ended up hoarding holidays again, the plan being to use them as a make weight in lieu of notice as my plan to swap cold, windy, Aberdeen for the slightly warmer, but more rural climes that are Kirkland Lake. The BossMan has made it clear there will be no carry overs this year, and he has made sure to ping the appropriate warning email in my direction in addition to the automated ones sent by our holiday tracking software. All told after one too many reminders, I log on to Teamseer and fire off holiday requests for an extended weekend.\nNewcastle, for all the right reasons, (NCLC, landmarks, relatively low costs and the friends I still have left there) usually comes up trumps whenever I have a few days to kill but the prospect of attending a buddy\u0026rsquo;s night out ends up being the final push that swings the pendulum firmly in favour of London. That, and the chance to catch Hillsong London for the first time since my all too brief appearance at the 10th year anniversary in 2010. With the luxury of a week to plan, I promise myself the mistakes from last time won\u0026rsquo;t be repeated. I book a flight to Heathrow with plenty of time to spare, and get a hotel in the Heathrow area to make sure I am well rested and primed up by the time the party gets swinging by 10pm. What I don\u0026rsquo;t bargain for is my topsy-turvy relationship with milky weak tea landing a sucker punch, one where I ended up passing so much gas I am doubled over in bed by 8pm, running to the loo every so often. Needless to say, all thoughts of partying fade to a distant memory as I try to wait out the diarrhoea. I wake up the next morning fully rested with a faint rumbling the only relic of my night of pain consoling myself at missing what arguably was the core reason for heading to London with the prospect of catching Hillsong London at the Dominion Theatre. Morning ablutions done and dusted, I plot my route on google maps and commence my eighty minute rigmarole via foot, bus and tube to Tottenham Court Road.\nHillsong - I arrive at 11.20am, shake hands with one of the welcome team dressed in black with dreads and a hint of an East African accent in the greeting he lobs in my direction through a plastered on smile and make my way up the flight of stairs to the back row where the remaining seats are. The kids are just heading off to children\u0026rsquo;s church and I squeeze myself past two women chatting excitedly oblivious of the goings on in front before I plod down besides them. The service is all I remember and have missed - rockish music, lights, great visual effects, MacBooks and iPads proudly displayed and jeans and t-shirts all round. Glyn Barrett from Manchester\u0026rsquo;s Audacious church brought the message on The Promise of God, somehow managing to throw in an anecdote from City\u0026rsquo;s sensational title win from last May and kissing a stranger\u0026rsquo;s sweaty, bald head.\nPost Hillsong, I call up my friend O, and we arrange to meet up in the vicinity of the O2 Arena - another poignant place as it was here that the Hillsong 10th Anniversary was held. We grab lunch - I am famished and nearly dead on my feet - and watch Arsenal rip Liverpool to shreds at Anfield in the league. Again, not since Newcastle have I watched a game in a pub.\nI never got to see the buddy on whose account I came to London in the first place, but a bonus was running into one of the guys from my old Nigerian job. We got to swap stories about who was still with the company or not and all the shenanigans and hassles of being the Corrosion Engineer in a firm whose primary focus is producing oil and gas.\nIt is only a quick two day break, but the joys of no dishes, chillaxing and chocolate fudge cake have no compare, at least in my opinion.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/09/03/weekends-of-debauchery-blasts-from-the-past-and-a-return-to-a-home-of-sorts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"dominion theatre\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/dominion-theatre.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThree quarters of the way through the year, I find I still have just under three weeks of holidays left - and that does not include the productivity black-hole that is the last week of December when all and sundry truly grinds to a halt. Once again, in spite of my plans to not be in this situation, I have ended up hoarding holidays again, the plan being to use them as a make weight in lieu of notice as my plan to swap cold, windy, Aberdeen for the slightly warmer, but more rural climes that are Kirkland Lake. The BossMan has made it clear there will be no carry overs this year, and he has made sure to ping the appropriate warning email in my direction  in addition to the automated ones sent by our holiday tracking software. All told after one too many reminders, I log on to Teamseer and fire off holiday requests for an extended weekend.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weekends of debauchery, blasts from the past and a return to a home of sorts"},{"content":"\nIt was my birthday a few weeks ago, and what should have been a routine, barely noticeable bump on the flat line that has become the ultra predictable, safety first, thirty-something year old life that is my lot somehow morphed into a swirling mess of mildly depressive emotions. The trigger was an epiphany of sorts, one that I had no business having. If having that epiphany was odd, where it hit was even odder - midway through my morning ablutions, just before the commode gave way to a four minute duel with sensodyne and a power toothbrush. Leading up to it, I was stoking along nicely, keeping up with my annual birthday ritual - deactivating my facebook account, turning off all but my private phone and lobbing a text message in the direction of the one friend I know whose birthday is in the same week as mine.\nI would blame the perfect storm that was the accretion of several niggles for tipping me over the edge this time. My Nigerian inquisition, subtle reminders from my father - ostensibly in jest - about how at the age I was turning he\u0026rsquo;d met my mother, a not entirely cerebral dalliance with my friend Q, and a general feeling of malaise all played their parts, as did an emotionally fraught two week period where an event in the life of the bloke I count as a work mentor shook me up majorly. There was also the small matter of waiting on three big decisions - vacillating between pumped up anticipation as resolution seemed near and the dull listlessness that boredom, and the sense of nothing happening, seemed to spawn.\nFour key conversations ended up defining the period - three random ones which helped kick me out of my funk, and one not quite random one. If there is anyone in my circle of friends who\u0026rsquo;s earned the right to give me a kick in the gonads and shake me out of any bouts of moroseness, it is my friend Kizz. Between twice uprooting her life to go live outside her comfort zone, expending it for a darn good cause in far away lands and soldiering on in the battle for love, no one has epitomised for me the get-on-with-it-ness and gumptionrequired to enjoy life. She delivered - one morning texting back and forth as I wove my way to work, head bowed seemingly by the weight of the world on my shoulders and irritated by the piddling rain, she listened to me moan on and on about the lousiness of the life I thought I had and how waiting on a few big decisions had me feeling depressed. She let me blow on for a few minutes and then proceeded to give me a gentle rollicking - if those can be gentle - pointing out all the good things I have had happen to me in 2012, for which I should have been thankful. Suitably chided, I slunk into work, grabbed a large coffee - thankful for summer Fridays and the joy s of having the office all to myself - and promised myself I would be more thankful.\nA few days later, I got sucked into yet another cerebral conversation with Q - about all things work, and how my old nemesis from a Nigerian assignment had come right back into the picture at work. Somewhere in the morass of all the things she talked about, she dropped a nugget, a three legged stool model for deciding what was a good job, namely, a good role that one enjoyed, team mates that one liked enough to work with, and a company one was proud to work for. On that scale, I\u0026rsquo;m 2 for 3, which didn\u0026rsquo;t seem that bad after all.\nThe not so palatable conversation was one I needed to have - if only for the clarity it brought to what at best was an awkward situation. Way back in May I\u0026rsquo;d sensed (and that not for the first time) that certain thresholds had been crossed, but like all foolhardy blokes on a mission I chose to soldier on in blind hope, biding my time. August provided the opportunity to bite the bullet and seek clarity. That I half expected the response I got did little to mitigate the keenness of the disappointment. Paradoxically, it provided some much needed relief too, not least for the opportunity to deal with a certain elephant in the room and firmly draw a line in the sand. I suppose if being once bitten leaves one twice shy, being twice bitten should put paid to any lingering bits of foolishness.\nBirthday eve did bring some cheer in the form of a phone call from the buddy I jokingly call my Strategy Specialist (she still hasn\u0026rsquo;t sent my Big Bang Theory box set though), as well as my god daughter and her kid brother singing me my very own \u0026lsquo;Happy Birthday\u0026rsquo;. No thanks to my Linkedin profile, one of the guys from work found out it was my birthday, and surprised me with a paid for lunch at Union Square\u0026rsquo;s TGIF the Friday after.\nIt was Jorge Luis Borges who said, in his beautifully sad meditation on love and loss, \u0026rsquo; With every goodbye you learn.\u0026rsquo; Here there have been lessons learned, and re-learned if the truth must be told, not least of which seems to be that the only thing that piques my creativity is emotional turmoil.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/08/31/milestones-lessons-unintended-intermissions/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/birthday_500.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"birthday_500\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/birthday_500.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was my \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/08/re-birth/\"\u003ebirthday\u003c/a\u003e a few weeks ago, and what should have been a routine, barely noticeable bump on the flat line that has become the ultra predictable, \u003cem\u003esafety first\u003c/em\u003e, thirty-something year old life that is my lot somehow morphed into a swirling mess of mildly depressive emotions. The trigger was an \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/07/milestones-life/\"\u003eepiphany of sorts\u003c/a\u003e, one that I had no business having. If having that epiphany was odd, where it hit was even odder - midway through my morning \u003cem\u003eablutions,\u003c/em\u003e just before the commode gave way to a four minute duel with sensodyne and a power toothbrush. Leading up to it, I was stoking along nicely, keeping up with my annual birthday ritual - deactivating my facebook account, turning off all but my private phone and lobbing a text message in the direction of the one friend I know whose birthday is in the same week as mine.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Milestones, lessons learned and unintended intermissions"},{"content":"For the prompts Far far landing on We Write Poems and Mag 130 on the Magpie tales\nthe distance claimed you - seven rivers, seven valleys and seven mountains too. fuzzy memories,shadows wrapped around browned skin - like a caul - hide you; till like a distant shimmering mirage you fade into the space where sky meets earth and where like a pilgrim I have been drawn by the call of the muezzin. the old women by the river tell tales- of muttered blessings of redemption, and of rebirths where like butterflies shedding their cocoons we may arise in peace on that far flung, far far landing. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/08/13/far-far-landing/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor the prompts \u003ca href=\"http://wewritepoems.wordpress.com/2012/08/09/prompt-118-far-far-landings/\"\u003eFar far landing\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"http://wewritepoems.wordpress.com/\"\u003eWe Write Poems\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"http://magpietales.blogspot.com/2012/08/mag-130.html\"\u003eMag 130\u003c/a\u003e on the \u003ca href=\"http://magpietales.blogspot.com\"\u003eMagpie tales\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/farfarlanding.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"farfarlanding\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/farfarlanding.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"highlight\"\u003e\u003cpre tabindex=\"0\" style=\"color:#f8f8f2;background-color:#272822;-moz-tab-size:4;-o-tab-size:4;tab-size:4;-webkit-text-size-adjust:none;\"\u003e\u003ccode class=\"language-fallback\" data-lang=\"fallback\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ethe distance claimed you -\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eseven rivers, seven valleys\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eand seven mountains too.\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003efuzzy memories,shadows\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ewrapped around browned skin -\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003elike a caul - hide you;\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003etill like a distant\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eshimmering mirage\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eyou fade into the space\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ewhere sky meets earth\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eand where like a pilgrim\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI have been drawn\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eby the call of the muezzin.\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ethe old women\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eby the river tell tales-\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eof muttered blessings\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eof redemption, and of rebirths\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ewhere like butterflies\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eshedding their cocoons\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ewe may arise in peace\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eon that far flung,\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003efar far landing.\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\u003c/div\u003e","title":"Far far landing..."},{"content":"An altogether forgettable weekend - and at my age they all are - is bookended by a pit stop at Union Square for lunch with a friend of a friend. A random conversation a couple of weeks ago about (yet another) mutual friend and my lack of proactivity had ended up in a challenge of sorts being issued in my direction. Three phone calls later - with a few text messages thrown in - I end up making my way up the stairs towards the safe bet that is Nandos for a quick bite and chat. I arrive early - knowing Union Square, getting a table can be a hassle on sunny Sunday afternoons - the added advantage being that I get to see her first, and the satisfaction that she fits the image I have of her in my head. We order simple food - lime and herb flavoured chicken with a mixed leaf salad for me and a ratatouille for her and bottomless drinks and make small talk over the course of an hour and a half. All told it is a pleasant afternoon, and but for the fact that I have dodgy genes, and family history I would already be inventing scenarios involving white picket fences and 2.1 kids in my head. :) Given the choice, I would most certainly like an encore by all accounts.\nMy friend O arrives at my house a few minutes after I get home. His wife has visitors from church - all women- and he takes the opportunity to make himself scare. Being just around the corner from him, I end up being the default host. We settle in to catch up, and the subject of Nigeria inevitably comes up. The shambolic showing at the Olympics gets our juices agitated especially, and we end up throwing in the mis-use of federal character and the educationally less developed state criterion to water down academy entry requirements in Nigeria. The one thing that this guarantees is that it leaves us unduly agitated and down right depressed at the cesspool that is Nigeria.\nAll too soon, between grocery shopping, church and marathon football manager saves, the weekend runs away and it is 8.30pm on a Sunday night - inevitably bringing the spectre of Monday morning front and centre to my mind. It\u0026rsquo;s the second week since the paths of Ms Bitchy Boss from my Nigerian assignment and mine have crossed again, almost five years apart. It turns out that I am not the only one with whom she has history. It has been a quiet return so far, deep down in my mind, her return is just another more incentive to take that PhD search a tad bit more seriously.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/08/13/sunday-delights-deconstructing-the-nigerian-conundrum-and-difficult-work-moments/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAn altogether forgettable weekend - and at my age they all are - is bookended by a pit stop at Union Square for lunch with a friend of a friend. A random conversation a couple of weeks ago about (yet another) mutual friend and my lack of proactivity had ended up in a challenge of sorts being issued in my direction. Three phone calls later - with a few text messages thrown in - I end up making my way up the stairs towards the safe bet that is Nandos for a quick bite and chat. I arrive early - knowing Union Square,  getting a table can be a hassle on sunny Sunday afternoons - the added advantage being that I get to see her first, and the satisfaction that she fits the image I have of her in my head. We order simple food - lime and herb flavoured chicken with a mixed leaf salad for me and a ratatouille for her and bottomless drinks and make small talk over the course of an hour and a half.  All told it is a pleasant afternoon, and but for the fact that \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sickle_cell_trait\"\u003eI have dodgy genes\u003c/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/11/for-gracie/\"\u003efamily history\u003c/a\u003e I would already be inventing scenarios involving white picket fences and 2.1 kids in my head. :) Given the choice, I would most certainly like an encore by all accounts.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sunday delights, deconstructing the Nigerian conundrum and difficult work moments"},{"content":"For the prompt at Magpie Tales. I couldn\u0026rsquo;t shake the impression of distance from my mind (he is looking in her direction, whilst she is looking into the distance) A Dinner Table at Night, 1884, John Singer Sargent\nThere is silence here - There is fear, and the dense Stultifying pall of hurt- and of memories unresolved. I have been here before- On the cusp of this uncharted Sea, tottering on the edge Of this yawning chasm, willing Myself like a puppet on a string To not tip over, to not Be swallowed up in the flames Of the Sango death ritual; Like a mannequin sinks- Weighed down by a necklace Of milestones - into the depths Of a cold calm sea. Water drops glistening In the subtle shade of red lamps, Wine shimmering in the barely there light Cannot fade the gloom; And in her eyes as she looks away For one last time Is the cold detached lost-ness Of a tomorrow that will never be. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/08/06/a-dinner-table-at-night/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor the prompt at \u003ca href=\"http://magpietales.blogspot.com/2012/08/mag-129.html\"\u003eMagpie Tales.\u003c/a\u003e I couldn\u0026rsquo;t shake the impression of distance from my mind (he is looking in her direction, whilst she is looking into the distance)\u003c/em\u003e \u003cimg alt=\"dinnertableatnight\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/dinnertableatnight.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA Dinner Table at Night\u003c/em\u003e, 1884, John Singer Sargent\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"highlight\"\u003e\u003cpre tabindex=\"0\" style=\"color:#f8f8f2;background-color:#272822;-moz-tab-size:4;-o-tab-size:4;tab-size:4;-webkit-text-size-adjust:none;\"\u003e\u003ccode class=\"language-fallback\" data-lang=\"fallback\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere is silence here -\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere is fear, and the dense\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStultifying pall of hurt-\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eand of memories unresolved.\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI have been here before-\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOn the cusp of this uncharted\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSea, tottering on the edge\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOf this yawning chasm, willing\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMyself like a puppet on a string\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTo not tip over, to not\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBe swallowed up in the flames\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOf the Sango death ritual;\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLike a mannequin sinks-\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeighed down by a necklace\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOf milestones - into the depths\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOf a cold calm sea.\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWater drops glistening\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn the subtle shade of red lamps,\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWine shimmering in the barely there light\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCannot fade the gloom;\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd in her eyes as she looks away\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFor one last time\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIs the cold detached lost-ness\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOf a tomorrow that will never be.\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\u003c/div\u003e","title":"A Dinner Table At Night"},{"content":"More of the same fare form the last few months I think:\nMoSli\u0026rsquo;s gone dark this last week, prior to that we had good conversations, even providing [largely unhelpful] thoughts on some dresses she was looking to order for her big 3-0 birthday jaunt. Mme.P emailed out of the blue - I\u0026rsquo;d missed the opportunity to catch up with her when she was in London and quite frankly I was beginning to think it was an opportunity that was long lost., fingers crossed Meesha and I have had two telephone conversations which ended very well if i say so, and we\u0026rsquo;ve a meetup planned. On a strategy level, I do need to get some clarity in my head. Have been reading the He\u0026rsquo;s Just Not That Into You, and I suppose some of the excuses hit close home. Long story short, if I really am into a girl, I have to toss off my natural reservations and let her know\u0026hellip;.. Interesting\nFirst off TheBee this weekend then\u0026hellip; Fingers crossed\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/08/05/the-dating-wrap-1/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMore of the same fare form the last few months I think:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMoSli\u0026rsquo;s gone dark this last week, prior to that we had good conversations, even providing [largely unhelpful] thoughts on some dresses she was looking to order for her big 3-0 birthday jaunt.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMme.P emailed out of the blue - I\u0026rsquo;d missed the opportunity to catch up with her when she was in London and quite frankly I was beginning to think it was an opportunity that was long lost., fingers crossed\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMeesha and I have had two telephone conversations which ended very well if i say so, and we\u0026rsquo;ve a meetup planned.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn a strategy level, I do need to get some clarity in my head. Have been reading the \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hes-Just-That-Into-Understanding/dp/0743544676\"\u003eHe\u0026rsquo;s Just Not That Into You\u003c/a\u003e, and I suppose \u003cem\u003esome\u003c/em\u003e of the excuses hit close home. Long story short, if I really  am into a girl, I have to toss off my natural reservations and let her know\u0026hellip;.. Interesting\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Dating Wrap #4"},{"content":"\nThe sun is out, belatedly, and in its weakly warm, barely there, almost autumnal pall I feel a small sense of relief that summer has not passed us by in its entirety out here in our little wind swept corner of the world. Not since the back end of May have we had weather remotely resembling summer; and with this tiny sliver of sunshine comes the urge to go out and do something. Thankfully Union Square with all its delights - and sun bathed open spaces - is only a brisk ten minute walk away from work, so I make a few phone calls and get my two friends from across town to agree to a meetup to catchup over lunch. We end up - and there must be no prizes for guessing here - at Nandos and we order our now standard fare, a platter of peri-peri chicken and a variety of sides to share. I go for a mixed leaf salad - between Sister #1 and the Irish drinkard, calorie counting has become my new obsession. My buddies, not shackled by the need to rein in bulging waistlines - both go for other less healthy options; OOO going for two sides of rice and Og going for a large serving of peri-peri salted chips. Between placing my initial order, and getting my loyalty card swiped, it turns out my last but one visit has entitled me to an extra half serving of chicken, which I add to my current order. All told we end up binging on a chicken and a half in the hour we spend there. Fully fed, with sagging guts and brains groaning at the small matter of another four hours of work, we down our coffees and leave to start heading back up to work. Having safely dispatched them to their cars, I settle in on one of the benches in front of the Union Square building to catch another half hour of sunshine before heading back to work.\nThis weekend the main objective is to make a pit stop at the Peacock Visual Arts Centre for Contemporary art. Nestled in the inauspicious surroundings that are the dark alleys, grey facades and, quite honestly, intimidating faces that define Castle Street in my mind\u0026rsquo;s eye (thanks to the bits I see on my daily walk to work), I have never given the sign at its entrance anything more than a cursory glance. It has taken an unlikely sequence of events - being hounded to find a hobby that involves more than reading a book in my room by my unofficial strategy consultant, then taking to twitter to search for accounts related to Aberdeen and then stumbling on the @TheKiosque account - I find out there is more to the Peacock Centre, and that Alina \u0026amp; Jeff Bliumis\u0026rsquo;Language barrier and other obstacles exhibition opens there this weekend. I have to ask the young woman at the till at Barnados next door before I locate the entrance after I have dragged myself out of bed and into jeans and a crumpled shirt with a jacket on Saturday morning, but it is well worth the effort in the end. I find the exhibition small but intriguing. The collection appeared to be in three parts - one themed along the lines of having thoroughfares obstructed by books on language and identity, a second titled \u0026lsquo;Cultural Tips for new Americans providing witty, if over stated explanations for peculiar Americanisms like male to male hugs (they have a book too) and a final section of postcards with words and images seemingly from various immigration brochures. There was a Nigerian card too.\nExhibition viewing done and dusted I decide I need to grab some groceries and begin to head back out to Union Street to my usual Co-op shop. I find the road closed off and a man in a Tartan entertaining a rapidly swelling crowd, alongside his partner dressed in a dog\u0026rsquo;s costume. There is also the distant sound of drums and bagpipes. It turns out that Saturday the 28th is this year\u0026rsquo;s Tartan Day, and I have fortuitously stumbled on the Tartan Parade. In short order, the marching band comes through, up Union Street to where I am positioned close to the Sheriff Court where at a bellowed command they turn left to salute the Mayor (I think), who is dressed in his own tartan of course. My groceries are promptly forgotten as I take the chance to revel in the gaiety of it all - funny happy people, music and being literally lost in the crowd - a glimpse into Scottish culture I suppose.\nAll told, rain or not - and it did rain in fits and starts - I had what was arguably my most enjoyable weekend in a long time. The only downer being the nagging thought at the back of my mind that I may have discovered the joys of this city a little too late, in what -if I had my way - just might be, my last year here.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/07/30/about-town-slivers-of-summer-art-in-the-deen-and-stumbling-on-my-first-tartan-parade/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"tartan_parade\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/tartan_parade.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sun is out, belatedly, and in its weakly warm, barely there, almost autumnal pall I feel a small sense of relief that summer has not passed us by in its entirety out here in our little wind swept corner of the world. Not since the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/05/roasting/\"\u003eback end of May\u003c/a\u003e have we had weather remotely resembling summer; and with this tiny sliver of sunshine comes the urge to go out and do something. Thankfully Union Square with all its delights - and sun bathed open spaces - is only a brisk ten minute walk away from work, so I make a few phone calls and get my two friends from across town to agree to a meetup to catchup over lunch.  We end up - and there must be no prizes for guessing here - at Nandos and we order our now standard fare, a platter of peri-peri chicken and a variety of sides to share. I go for a mixed leaf salad - between \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/08/calorie-counting/\"\u003eSister #1 and the Irish drinkard\u003c/a\u003e, calorie counting has become my new obsession. My buddies, not shackled by the need to rein in bulging waistlines - both go for other less healthy options; OOO going for two sides of rice and Og going for a large serving of peri-peri salted chips. Between placing my initial order, and getting my loyalty card swiped, it turns out my last but one visit has entitled me to an extra half serving of chicken, which I add to my current order. All told we end up binging on a chicken and a half in the hour we spend there. Fully fed, with sagging guts and brains groaning at the small matter of another four hours of work, we down our coffees and leave to start heading back up to work. Having safely dispatched them to their cars, I settle in on one of the benches in front of the Union Square building to catch another half hour of sunshine before heading back to work.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Town: Slivers of summer, art in the 'Deen and stumbling on my first Tartan Parade"},{"content":"\nA sudden bout of hunger assails me just before the clock chimes 5.00pm and I find myself making a detour - turning left at Guild Street and then making a beeline for the KFC on Union Street. Usually at this time of the day the singular focus is to get myself home, settle on my couch with a bowl of cold cereal and unwind with a Big Bang Theory/How I Met Your Mother TV marathon. Even the spectre of steaming morsels of eba potentially chasing themselves down my throat in short order is not enough to draw me home - the coup de grâce is, I suspect, the fact that it has been the better part of six months since I have savoured the fiery goodness of battered, deep fried chicken.\nIt takes all of seven minutes between arriving and finally getting my fare set on my table and being set to dig in. One bite in, someone calls my name, loudly. Out of the corner of my eye I catch sight of a bloke I used to know. A few months ago, he had left the current employer in a huff - word around the office was that there had been a disciplinary issue involved. He has company - three females and two blokes besides him. He walks up to my seat and pumps my free hand in that overstated, uniquely Nigerian way - \u0026ldquo;Ol\u0026rsquo; boy, na your eye be this\u0026rdquo;? he asks rhetorically. \u0026ldquo;Na me o\u0026rdquo;, I reply, a reply that ends up merely being the prelude to a barrage of greetings until I am rescued by one of the ladies who catches his eye. He excuses himself and leads them to the till.\nFour minutes later he is back, having got them to place orders - a giant bargain bucket and two large Pepsis. We catch up on what he has been up to since he moved on - chasing up graduate studies and applying to new jobs. \u0026ldquo;Nothing concrete yet, just a few leads to follow up\u0026rdquo;, he quickly adds. I nod, intelligently I hope, and give him a quick run down of where I have been so far. He left under a cloud, one so intense that the Boss was compelled to send out an email to every one assuring us that it was a one off, and further departures were not planned. As such, it is no little discomfort that I have to endure as we attempt to make small talk. I am saved again by his companions who by this time have finally ordered their food and have located a seat to settle in. I shake his hand as he prepares to leave, assuring him that I would be more than happy to provide a reference if required. Deep down, I hope it all gets sorted out without my involvement.\nOn my way home, my stomach filled to its brim with chicken, I fire an app to stream music to enliven my stroll. These days the gidilounge app has become my first resort in moments where mindlessly listening to music is required. In between listening and picking my way through the throng of people walking in the opposite direction to me, a line in a song jumps out and grabs my attention. I never quite catch the song in its entirety but it includes something about being \u0026lsquo;hot like atarodo\u0026rsquo;. I chuckle to myself as a memory forces itself to the fore of my mind. Many years ago, in the peak of the Abacha years, my mother took to buying tomatoes and pepper in bulk to stretch the family\u0026rsquo;s meagre income. She would leave the baskets to us to wash up and then drag off to the local mill a few streets away to be turned into her very own purée. This would be steamed to drive off water and then stored in her freezer to be used in making stew from time to time. On one of those days, I went from washing atarodo to taking a leak too quickly, transferring the fiery material unto my nether regions to great discomfort. It took a prompt cold bath, and more scrubbing than I care to remember to douse the fire in my pants to a manageable level. The one small positive from that experience was being excused from picking atarodo from then on till I eventually moved away to University. Small positives, after all I guess.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/07/16/chance-meetings-moments-of-discomfort-life-in-a-song/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"kfc_union\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/kfc_union.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA sudden bout of hunger assails me just before the clock chimes 5.00pm and I find myself making a detour - turning left at Guild Street and then  making a beeline for the KFC on Union Street. Usually at this time of the day the singular focus is to get myself home, settle on my couch with a bowl of cold cereal and unwind with a \u003cem\u003eBig Bang Theory/How I Met Your Mother\u003c/em\u003e TV marathon. Even the spectre of steaming morsels of \u003cem\u003eeba\u003c/em\u003e potentially chasing themselves down my throat in short order is not enough to draw me home - the \u003cem\u003ecoup de grâce\u003c/em\u003e is, I suspect, the fact that it has been the better part of six months since I have savoured the fiery goodness of battered, deep fried chicken.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Town: Chance Meetings, Moments of Discomfort and a life-in-a-song moment"},{"content":"Measured against the original iteration of the five year plan, my life couldn\u0026rsquo;t be more off target than it is at the moment - I had myself getting married at 26 with two children done and dusted by the time I turned 30, a PhD being progressed, and being on course to retire at 40. At the time I was sitting on the veritable cash cow that was a plum job assuring integrity for a Nigerian operator, and the thoughts of retiring at forty were in part due to the very generous pension provisions at the time.\nBetween then and now, I gambled on taking a leave of absence to complete a Masters degree, the Nigerian stock market crashed and took along with it a sizeable proportion of my retirement pot, and the thing with F tanked faster than a kite weighted down by a huge stone. On the surface, the last 33 years have been an unmitigated disaster, a tale of a prodigiously talented dude who has failed to achieve the most that he could. The truth though is amidst it all, there are bright spots, successes for which I can be thankful for regardless. So here goes;\nI completed a masters degree - I didn\u0026rsquo;t make the distinction I thought I would (the issues with DrB in 2009 ensured I was too distracted to study very seriously, I only have myself to blame of course though). Completing it with no resits was more than the bulk of my class achieved though. I got a job - half my MSc class was Nigerian and we graduated at just the wrong time, when the recession hit and all the pipeline projects we were eyeing dried up faster than a raisin in the baking heat of the Sahara dessert. After the debacle that was my failed attempt to return to my Nigerian job, I ended up interviewing for my current role a week after my post study work permit came through with a January start agreed in short order. As at the last count, a significant number of my mates from that year were back in Nigeria or dating British passport holders as a means to extending their stays in the country. I met EJ. Even though that died eventually, those nine months were pure bliss. Great conversations, someone to share the minutiae of life with and all the other trappings of being in a committed long distance relationship. I learned a lot about myself in those nine months - beneath my steely exterior there are soft, gentle bits that can be touched. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/07/14/reflection-some-things-to-be-thankful-for/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMeasured against the original iteration of the five year plan, my life couldn\u0026rsquo;t be more off target than it is at the moment - I had myself getting married at 26 with two children done and dusted by the time I turned 30, a PhD being progressed, and being on course to retire at 40. At the time I was sitting on the veritable cash cow that was a plum job assuring integrity for a Nigerian operator, and the thoughts of retiring at forty were in part due to the very generous pension provisions at the time.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Reflection - Some things to be thankful for"},{"content":"As far as epiphanies go, I suspect my latest one - bang in the middle of stooping to grab some soap whilst running a warm shower - stands right there as one of the more unexpected. The epiphany was the realisation, somewhat belatedly from the looks of it, that any pretensions of continuing youth I may have retained no longer hold water. Where once I could hide behind being under 30, and then being just over 30, turning 33 means that I am nearer 35 than 30. There goes what was at best a tenuous grip on wannabe coolness!\nThe feeling of having aged is perhaps hammered home more forcibly because I had more than a few interesting conversations with the Father \u0026amp; Mother during my Nigeria trip. I am at the age where my father met my mother, and given the absolute lack of options (yet another lead appears to have degraded in quality from solid to a barely there email-once-in-three-weeks affair), there is neither a wife, nor the attendant 2.5 kids nor a white picket fence on the horizon. From where I stand, it does look like I am tottering at the edge of the yawning chasm of a career focused life, with no roots in any one place, the only laughter from children being from when the god children come around.\nThis is one age related milestone I cannot say I have looked forward to very much given all the above. Depressing much, or an opportunity to develop a leaner, meaner me? To be honest I do not know any more. :(\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/07/13/milestones/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAs far as epiphanies go, I suspect my latest one - bang in the middle of stooping to grab some soap whilst running a warm shower - stands right there as one of the more unexpected. The epiphany was the realisation, somewhat belatedly from the looks of it, that any pretensions of continuing youth I may have retained no longer hold water. Where once I could hide behind being \u003cem\u003eunder 30\u003c/em\u003e, and then being \u003cem\u003ejust over 30\u003c/em\u003e, turning 33 means that I am nearer 35 than 30. There goes what was at best a tenuous grip on \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/04/30-is-the-real-cool/\"\u003ewannabe coolness\u003c/a\u003e!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Milestones"},{"content":"The worst thing is the waiting - the alternative flip-flopping between the giddy heights of anticipation and the cold, calculated, calmness of detached pragmatism. Somehow or the other I have managed to find myself waiting on responses back from a whole slew of people - the Professor I am looking to work with on the Welding Program at Northern, the PRI Coordinator who needs to revert with a date for my Professional Review Interview and the neither here nor there email and skype exchanges between myself and Mlles S and P.\nWho would have thunk it? Sigh\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/07/10/waiting/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe worst thing is the waiting - the alternative flip-flopping between the giddy heights of anticipation and the cold, calculated, calmness of detached pragmatism. Somehow or the other I have managed to find myself waiting on responses back from a whole slew of people - the Professor I am looking to work with on the Welding Program at Northern, the PRI Coordinator who needs to revert with a date for my Professional Review Interview and the neither here nor there email and skype exchanges between myself and Mlles S and P.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Waiting"},{"content":"The one thing I feared would happen post Sister #2\u0026rsquo;s wedding was that the pressure to deliver on a steady relationship and marriage would get ratcheted up a few notches, and boy did it happen! the very next morning, Mum tried to visit with the kid brother and I, ostensibly to catch up with us, with the subtle undertone of trying to find out what our demob plans were.\nWe managed to escape on that morning, but we could only do so for so long. I eventually got a right good earful, with a few recommendations tossed in my direction for follow up - not bad in and of themselves except for the small matter of the fact that these were people from church I didn\u0026rsquo;t know, and hadn\u0026rsquo;t seen for close on ten years.\nAt the end of May, I had ended up torching all the potentials for various reasons with only Mlle.P and Mlle.S being the remaining viable options. The situation remains the same - I\u0026rsquo;ve had a few more conversations with both of them; MlleP takes busyness to a whole \u0026rsquo;nother level - otherwise it\u0026rsquo;s all going steady at mine. No real commitments to/from anyone yet, even tohugh I would dearly love to have a sense of one one way or the other.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/07/04/the-dating-wrap-iii/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe one thing I feared would happen post Sister #2\u0026rsquo;s wedding was that the pressure to deliver on a steady relationship and marriage would get ratcheted up a few notches, and boy did it happen! the very next morning, Mum tried to visit with the kid brother and I, ostensibly to catch up with us, with the subtle undertone of trying to find out what our demob plans were.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe managed to escape on that morning, but we could only do so for so long. I eventually got a right good earful, with a few recommendations tossed in my direction for follow up - not bad in and of themselves except for the small matter of the fact that these were people from church I didn\u0026rsquo;t know, and hadn\u0026rsquo;t seen for close on ten years.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Dating Wrap III"},{"content":"I struggled to not slip into an overly pessimistic, dystopian view of Nigeria with all its troubles. In the few intervening years I have been away, the Nigerian tragedy has hit close home. As with most other people, it turned out that the Dana air crash had claimed a fairly recent acquaintance of my father’s as it did a couple of friends of friends of Sister #1. It also transpired that she - whether by some quirk of fate, divine orchestration, or plain old chance - had resigned from her poorly paid job as a doctor in the police officers hospital the Friday before the Monday Boko Haram’s bloodbath hit the IG’s offices. One day late and that could have gotten really personal.\nThe kidnap-for-ransom scourge has also hit close home. Only a few months before I popped into town, a friend of the family had been snatched at gunpoint and whisked to an unknown destination. Thankfully, the small matter of a few millions helped salvage his life, and avert what could have been a major disaster. Around town, I was baffled by the long queues at the ATMs in my little corner of the world, until I was told that the banks had been hit by armed robbers so many times they had scaled down to maintaining only skeletal services. Apparently, the ATMs were the only functional banking facilities left in town.\nUncle P, usually the unequivocal great Nigeria apologist, was a lot more mellow this time, conceding that we (minorities in a minority state) seemingly had little place in the ongoing evolution of Nigeria. Apparently a few changes at work had opened up his eyes to the harsh reality of just how ethnically fractured, and political, working in Nigeria really was.\nI would be remiss to think that portions of my family were not part of the problem. My last morning at Aunt G’s house she, typically the quintessential dedicated teacher, was still sipping her cup of Earl Grey\u0026rsquo;s by 9.00am. I didn\u0026rsquo;t have the heart to issue a scathing rebuke in respect of her slipping work ethic - in the harsh brightness of the morning light, the grey in her hair and the lines etched by years of unrequited hard work were very obvious. I got the impression she had simply given up working hard whilst waiting for a reward that may or may not only be in heaven. My unwillingness to take her up on that might also not have been unrelated to the hour long grilling I got on the subject of the failed dalliance with F.\nMidway through Sister #2\u0026rsquo;s wedding, as the hall swelled beyond its capacity, I took the opportunity to give up my seat to one of the Professors whose sense of African time was impeccable and headed outside to get some fresh air. I ended up sitting at one end of a wooden bench with the kid brother on the other side and the niece in between. I should have known being in such an exposed location was an unwise move – an error of judgement I paid very dearly for when I was cornered by an old teacher of mine. She was quite excited that I had managed to make it home – she had studied at Newcastle very many years ago and was keen to swap observations on the city. I did my best to sound measured and intelligent, as did she, before our conversation eventually segued into the present and what we were all up to. She was keen to understand my motivations for leaving the job I used to have – I gave her my usual seeking a technical challenge answer – which didn’t exactly convince her as I could see. Her boys, all three of them had been contemporaries of mine; one was now stateside and was married with three children, the middle one stilled worked at my old company in Lagos and the little one was now chasing a PhD in Wales. He had been a headstrong, unruly teenager the last time I saw him, keener to hang at the local game arcades that were springing up at the time than to study. She, like almost every one else who cornered me, wrapped up her little ‘homily’ by tossing in a reminder that as all the women were now gone, it was up to us lads to provide the next wedding.\nMy trusty old blackberry – packed almost as an afterthought – ended up proving the saviour on many a bored day, so much so that I was sorely tempted to switch to a BB plan on my return. Commonsense, and all the reasons I retired it in the first place eventually won over any nostalgic attachments to the device.\nIn a sense this wasn’t about chasing the abstraction of closure, rather it was about re-memory and reacquainting myself with the past in all its reiterations and reinventions. It was about time, and its passage, and how nothing seemed to have changed visibly and of how only when one looked back at the past from a sufficiently distant future reference point was it possible to see that life had evolved. I do not remember, but I suspect I once read somewhere that:\n\u0026lsquo;Time passes, and in it\u0026rsquo;s wake leaves no marks as to its passage – but in the faces of the ones that we have known for the longest of times we see etched in the wrinkles and the receded, greyed hair lines that time in passing has lulled us in a false sense of sameness, but in the births and deaths, we find that life reinvents itself again and again.\nThis was something that I learned over and over again.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/06/30/0-postscript/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI struggled to not slip into an overly pessimistic, dystopian view of Nigeria with all its troubles. In the few intervening years I have been away, the Nigerian tragedy has hit close home. As with most other people, it turned out that the Dana air crash had claimed a fairly recent acquaintance of my father’s as it did a couple of friends of friends of Sister #1. It also transpired that she - whether by some quirk of fate, divine orchestration, or plain old chance - had resigned from her poorly paid job as a doctor in the police officers hospital the Friday before the Monday Boko Haram’s bloodbath hit the IG’s offices. One day late and that could have gotten really personal.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"0. Postscript"},{"content":"MMA International\nOn a clear, cloudless day, Amsterdam from above looks like a patch work quilt, its greenery criss-crossed by a network of canals, an endlessly repeating pattern; broken only by the shore line, and a little further out the silhouettes of oil rigs, an enduring monument to the Dutch pride of place in the scavenging of North Sea Oil.\nOn the morning of my return to cold, wet and windy Aberdeen, I find myself half asleep, mentally pulling myself up by my very own bootstraps to remain awake as my City Hopper makes the hour forty five minute hop from Amsterdam to Aberdeen. Ever since an ever so slight snore embarrassed me a few years ago, I have tried to minimise future risks by limiting how often I fall asleep in public places. There were mitigating circumstances then - EJ might be best placed to tell if I indeed snore as a matter of course - I had stayed up all night studying just before a class test and I was very very knackered.\nThe flight was fuller than the hop in the opposite direction at the start of my journey. From the number of sharply dressed suits and skirts, the number of brief cases and portmanteaus and the fact that it was an early morning flight, these could only have been people coming in for business meetings in the famous Oil Capital of Europe.\nMy fight with sleep was manful - aided by two shots of espresso when the stewardess rolled her trolley my way and asked what I wanted for a drink and by the time my flight arrived, I was clear eyed enough to take on immigration. On all my jaunts, I am yet to be subjected to extended searches beyond what is usual, so as I made the quick stroll from the plane towards immigration I was mentally looking forward to a quick breeze through, a short stop at the carousel and then a cdab to the comfort of my bed. Unfortunately, for the first time I was hauled over by a police man as I made to squeeze past him. He asked a few questions - where I was coming from, what I was doing in the UK and how long I had been away for. I gave him the requisite answers and then he let me grudgingly go. A few feet further ahead I was also hauled over by customs who insisted on doing a search of my luggage. Thankfully, my return to Lagos was hurried and I had no food stuff in my bag. Upon coming up short he tried to make small talk - asked me what I did, I mentioned I was a corrosion engineer which ended up leading us down a discussion on cathodic protection and zinc anodes and all what not. After three to five minutes of corrosion talk, he let me go, finally letting on that in a past life he was a mariner, and had seen huge blocks of zinc used as sacrifical anode systems.\nI gave him my pasted on smile, inwardly furious at the delay, retrieved my bag and headed on out, to the cab rank, with the wind grabbing at my jacket and alight drizzle - typical Aberdeen fare!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/06/30/6-the-return/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/mma_final.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"MMA_final\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/mma_final.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cem\u003eMMA International\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn a clear, cloudless day, Amsterdam from above looks like a patch work quilt, its greenery criss-crossed by a network of canals, an endlessly repeating pattern; broken only by the shore line, and a little further out the silhouettes of oil rigs, an enduring monument to the Dutch pride of place in the scavenging of North Sea Oil.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the morning of my return to cold, wet and windy Aberdeen, I find myself half asleep, mentally pulling myself up by my very own bootstraps to remain awake as my City Hopper makes the hour forty five minute hop from Amsterdam to Aberdeen. Ever since an ever so slight snore \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/01/embarrased-and-then-a-gene-for-making-friends/\"\u003eembarrassed me\u003c/a\u003e a few years ago, I have tried to minimise future risks by limiting how often I fall asleep in public places. There were mitigating circumstances then  - EJ might be best placed to tell if I indeed snore as a matter of course - I had stayed up all night studying just before a class test and I was very very knackered.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"6. The Return"},{"content":"\nMy return to Benin was less about closure than reacquainting myself with the past all over again. As feared, there was an immediate fall out from the wedding – the next morning, Mother was at the door of the room I was sharing with the kid bro wanting to chat, and there could be no uncertainty about what her primary objective was. It was thus expedient to engineer a move away to the relatively low pressure of Aunt G’s back in Benin. I had an official reason for upping sticks and bailing - chasing up transcripts for the Welding Engineering PhD I may or may not require after all. The other unofficial reason was to catch up with Cousin E and her baby, Dara, the fifth and final member of the clan born since the last time I was out here.\nI find there is a spanking new park just outside the University\u0026rsquo;s main gate where all the buses plying the routes from town are required to offload their passengers. I don\u0026rsquo;t remember what used to be there, but right there now there is a row of shiny new shops offering everything from a cold drink to quick passports and internet access. There are Security men at the gate, armed with a baton and a metal detector. My satchel, slung casually across my neck isn\u0026rsquo;t unobtrusive enough to squeak through, and I have to submit to a check and a peek into my bag.\nI toy with the idea of jumping onto one of the buses plying the routes from the main gate to the various stops within, but I finally decide to walk to avoid the hassle of chasing change (I don\u0026rsquo;t know what the fares are anymore and I am light on small denominations). The walk to Exams and Records is short and quick, the only downside being that I end up in one puddle too many, ruining my shoes in the process. From afar I catch sight of the new bursary building, its façade and red signage furnished in the signature Zenith Bank style [it turned out that the building had indeed being paid for by Zenith Bank].\nThere is no one in the office I am meant to hand in my application fees to. A few metres away, a menagerie of people bedecked in sporting garb run aimlessly on the lawn. To my untrained eye, it looks too random to be anything but concerted play - Aunt G later confirms that there is some form of group exercise thing which certain departments have instituted. Just why, at the not exactly early time of 10.30am on a Wednesday, these exercises are still ongoing leaves me bemused. I eventually find someone to attend to me, and then proceed to complete the application process. Job done, I take a stroll down towards the engineering building via the main cafeteria.\nThe old main café was a big part of my life back in the day. Back then when I was fairly active on the campus fellowship scene, I attended twice a week there, and also read there. In my final year, I would eventually make the acquaintance of a petite, medical student E who would sometimes leave her books under my care whilst she dashed off on some jaunt or the other to her medical hostel lodgings. On this occasion I find its forecourt busy - there are cars parked around and one or two traders under the trees just in front of it, and various business centre lackeys trying to convince passers-by to stop over and use their photocopying machines. The one thing I am in desperate need of is the one they don\u0026rsquo;t have - an internet connection of any sort. The once bustling UB Technologies cafe within the building is under lock and key. I can only walk on, hoping I have merely chosen a bad day to try to surf the internet, and not that a perhaps iconic institution has gone under.\nThe once familiar haunts of the Engineering building looked the same – well almost. The notice board looked a lot less bare than I remembered. Back in the day there was almost always a conference announcement or a notice to students or the other.The door leading to the dean’s office though has had an upgrade – burglary proof metal bars protect it, and a flashing blue sign above it show the way. Out front, where there used to be an eatery where we would go grab lunch in between classes, there was a new building with the sign internet café. It was unfortunately not in use – it was securely locked, and the padlocks looked like they hadn’t been disturbed in a while. There was also a new building next to it – some sort of hall with ‘ETF 2008 project’ emblazoned on it’s side.\nMy time on campus done, my final pit stop is at Aunt G\u0026rsquo;s. Her gateman, one that I do not recognise insists there is no one I know at home, and offers me a dirty, rain beaten bench for a seat till someone comes through. Thankfully Cousin E rescues me when I give her a phone call and find out she is actually at home after all. We catch up - her life back in Nigeria as a house officer in UBTH, juggling motherhood and her fledgling career, and navigating a marriage from across the sea. Glad for the help, she hands the kid over to me for some uncle-niece bonding.\nAunt G has aged since the last time I saw her - being a three time grandmother cannot have helped either. In agreeing to sleep over, I have gambled on her not having enough time to give me an earful. She had been a big fan of F from day zero, and I got an earful over the phone when she heard that we were history. This being the first time I am physically seeing her since then, I am braced for a barrage which never comes. She does ask though, and I give her my version of the story. Ageing seems to her mellowed her a wee bit. Papa G and I have a quick chat on his return, his own concern primarily being the future - a return to Nigeria, marriage and how my parent s are. It is almost 11pm when my various conversations wrap up. All in all it has been difficult territory navigated fairly safely, I think.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/06/30/5-old-haunts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/man_cafe.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"man_cafe\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/man_cafe.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy return to Benin was less about closure than reacquainting myself with the past all over again. As feared, there was an immediate fall out from the wedding – the next morning, Mother was at the door of the room I was sharing with the kid bro wanting to chat, and there could be no uncertainty about what her primary objective was. It was thus expedient to engineer a move away to the relatively low pressure of Aunt G’s back in Benin. I had an official reason for upping sticks and bailing - chasing up transcripts for the Welding Engineering \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/an-omen-or-not/\"\u003ePhD\u003c/a\u003e I may or may not require after all. The other unofficial reason was to catch up with Cousin E and her baby, \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tweets/?s=dara\"\u003eDara\u003c/a\u003e, the fifth and final member of the clan born since the last time I was out here.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"5. In Which I return to old haunts"},{"content":"You know that the bride’s wedding gown will be ultra conservative as will be those for the bridal train. There will be no low cut, cleavage accentuating, eye candy-ish, strapless nonsense, and the hems will be at least an inch below the knee.\nYou know that there will be at least ten different preachers – each with the belief that he is a colossus in his own right - and where both bride and groom are PKs, they might be nearer fifty than not. You know that the program will be tweaked to provide an opportunity for every one of them to do something – give a word of admonition, pray, or lead the reading of the vows, or take a thanksgiving offering. You know that every speech and every prayer will be interminably long, as though there were an unofficial contest with a prize for the longest, most colourful speech. You know that it will be baking hot, and dry, because the powers that be have ‘decreed’ that there will be no rain.\nYou know that there will be a whole lot of non-subtle symbolic references – the bride and groom feeding each other will be reinvented as a holy communion, and the first dance will be a thanksgiving dance, not just a dance.\nYou know that the Mothers in Israel will be visible, and not just for the intricate whorls and loops of their obstructive head gear. You know that there will be oddly timed shouts of hallelujah, accompanied by hand clapping and the garish sounds of tambourines gone berserk. And when every one lines up to dance out to the front for the offering they will hold up the line by their unbridled dancing.\nYou know that the lead Bishop will arrive late, sweeping in with his entourage of bible carriers and anointing oil holders. You know that it will be as though someone pressed a big reset button, and oblivious of the baking heat he will insist on laying hands and praying all over again.\nYou know that the two hour service will stretch into three, and only some quick thinking will prevent it from extending even further. You know the picture taking session will be a full event in and of itself – the youth choir she once led will want a separate picture, as will all of the spiritual heavyweights who have ‘sown into her life’.\nAnd you know, that somewhere on row 76, in the crevice formed by the junction of the half open side door and a disused speaker, there will be a bloke slouched in a chair, his unruly hair the least of the oddities around him, alternately squinting and then stifling a yawn, and every now and then scribbling frantically inside his little black book.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/06/30/4-on-a-nigerian-pk-wedding/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eYou know that the bride’s wedding gown will be ultra conservative as will be those for the bridal train. There will be no low cut, cleavage accentuating, eye candy-ish, strapless nonsense, and the hems will be at least an inch below the knee.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou know that there will be at least ten different preachers – each with the belief that he is a colossus in his own right - and where both bride and groom are PKs, they might be nearer fifty than not.  You know that the program will be tweaked to provide an opportunity for every one of them to do something – give a word of admonition, pray, or lead the reading of the vows, or take a thanksgiving offering. You know that every speech and every prayer will be interminably long, as though there were an unofficial contest with a prize for the longest, most colourful speech. You know that it will be baking hot, and dry, because the powers that be have \u003cem\u003e‘decreed’\u003c/em\u003e that there will be no rain.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"4. On A Nigerian PK Wedding"},{"content":" Deserted... The House on the corner of 3rd and 12th. The sun had began to lose some of its unblinking menace by the time my overloaded bus laboured up the final incline and began its descent into Ekpoma. Although we had made steady progress on the Lagos to Benin leg, navigating the maze of the Uselu - Lagos road and finding my way to the Big Joe motor park across town had taken a while and it was well past four pm before I found my not particularly comfortable seat on a bus to Ekpoma.\nThe short hop from Benin to Ekpoma is one that I have made more times than I care to remember. From my early years – spent living with my father as he made his name as a young academic whilst Mother managed a family in a different city – to my five and some years of undergrad study, that commute – and on a good day it is only a 45 minutes journey – came to define my life. Time and time again, I managed to time my sleeps so well that as whatever vehicle I was in was labouring up the hill into town I would awake to the welcome of home just over the horizon.\nHome, the little brown house on the corner of 3rd and 12th no longer exists in the sense that no one lives there on a permanent basis anymore. My mother, like all women, has had her moments of impulse buying – her closet of shoes and never worn clothes are a testament to that – but one of her more prescient actions was to pay all of 2,000 naira for a piece of land somewhere on the outskirts of town very many years ago. Thanks to that inspired purchase and an Architect friend of the family, a couple of years ago they were able to join the trickle of people moving out of the University owned quarters to their very own place. The one downside of that – besides all the memories associated with that house which I may have lost for good – was that it was impossible for me to locate it myself. I thus had to call for the parentals to pick me up from the motor park.\nBy this time it was inching closer to 5.30pm, and all that was on my mind was a cold glass or bottle of something, a nice bath and some sleep; unbeknownst to me I would have to navigate a further two hours before those simple quotidian pleasures were granted me. My father decided - without recourse to me of course - that it would be expedient to make a pit stop at the hall that had been organised for the wedding reception. The plan was to hang around a little to chat with the women helping to clean it up and decorate it before heading on home.\nIt proved to be an inspired decision as it turned out. Some local council chieftain had set himself up as judge and jury in his own small court and decided that this was the perfect time to smoke out tthe \u0026lsquo;culprits\u0026rsquo; behind what he felt was a conspiracy to defraud the local council. He insisted, much to the chagrin of all of us, that we would not get access until a receipt was produced. Fortunately or unfortunately, there was only a letter of approval from earlier in the year as the receipt had being lost in the intervening period. Multiple phone calls to the officers in charge of the building and even the council chairman failed to resolve the matter as our crusader decided he held all the aces, even against the mediation of his own boss. Very nearly an hour, a fresh payment - backed up by a signed receipt - and a covert picture capturing the exchange of the money on a phone was what it eventually took before access was finally granted, at which time it was too late to get the place properly cleaned up as initially planned. So much for a chilled out time with the family; everyone’s mood was foul to say the least.\nMy ordeal is far from over though. It turns out that Aunt Liz has had major trouble locating the house on the edge of town. In describing the location to her and her driver, Mother has made the mistake of using the wrong landmark. There are two seminaries with similar sounding names in different parts of town. Mother has given a description with the wrong one, and they have ended up quite some distance from where they should be for pickup. I get sent to sort them out - with only my mobile for company. When I do not find them where they should be, a flurry of phone calls follows before I realize the problem is in the description. They finally stop off at a well known junction and I walk till I find them.\nNow truly hungry and tired, I have to plaster on a smile on my face and make small talk as I join her car and direct them in person for the last few kilometres. She has always had her agenda - and certain things I do not want to talk about are usually on them - but I somehow manage to steer the conversation into less controversial matters. Her twin boys - firm favourites of mine from my time spent with them in the 2000\u0026rsquo;s - are always a good diversion and I end up getting a good earful of their current situation.\nIt is almost 7pm by the time we eventually pull in, and I leave the Aunt and my Mother to catch up as they always do, whilst I make a bee line to the kitchen. Thankfully Sister#1 had done some boiling and frying. Whilst I have been trying to bring home the Aunt, the kid brother who had made the trip from up north himself on the day had arrived a few minutes before I did, so there was enough relatively young company to engage with. All it lacked was Sister #2 who was away getting a proper coiffure in preparation for her big day and niece #1.\nIt was almost 9pm before we all got together - the kid brother and I having our meal standing up, Sisters #1 and #2 filling us in all the happenings we had missed, and the niece being all coy and shy around us. Not since the back end of 2007 have we all been in the same place together with feeling the pressure of a performance on our shoulder, and never more has it felt like I have missed this for far too much.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/06/30/3-journeys-end-red-tape-and-finally-a-breather/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"highlight\"\u003e\u003cpre tabindex=\"0\" style=\"color:#f8f8f2;background-color:#272822;-moz-tab-size:4;-o-tab-size:4;tab-size:4;-webkit-text-size-adjust:none;\"\u003e\u003ccode class=\"language-fallback\" data-lang=\"fallback\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDeserted... The House on the corner of 3rd and 12th.\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe sun had began to lose some of its unblinking menace by the time my overloaded bus laboured up the final incline and began its descent into Ekpoma. Although we had made steady progress on the Lagos to Benin leg, navigating the maze of the Uselu - Lagos road and finding my way to the Big Joe motor park across town had taken a while and it was well past four pm before I found my not particularly comfortable seat on a bus to Ekpoma.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"3. Journey's end, red tape and finally a breather"},{"content":" Hawker, Lagos Plan A was to catch a flight from Lagos into Benin and then a bus for the final leg of the trip to the small university town of Ekpoma, where the wedding was to hold, but the events of the last few weeks ensured that the one thing my mother insisted on was that the journey out of Lagos would be by road. I thus had to brace myself to navigate the tortuous 3oo km+ trip from Lagos into Benin with minimum fuss.\nEarly the next morning, I rushed a bath, skipped breakfast and then found out that the 1.5 star diggs I was staying at actually had a cab service. The pleasant surprise was that he was a cabbie I had used a lot in the past, and that he had managed to recognise me despite the passage of time and the extra kilograms. Somewhere on the road as we drove towards the Yaba section of town, the slim margins between life and death were enacted right before our eyes as only his braking sharply and swerving enabled us avoid sweeping a motorbike and its three occupants into the yawning chasm of a gutter. A few choice strings of abuse later – both given and received by the driver of my cab – we were back on our way, grateful that all we had had was a minor intermission, not the full blooded inquisition that a more serious crash would have occasioned.\nOur first pit stop was at Jibowu where we found out that there were no more scheduled trip at the Edo Line offices. We then had to make the final run in to the Edegbe Motor park at Yaba. We found several buses, all in different stages of being filled up. I had to settle for a seat at the back of one, and in addition to the transport fare fork out nearly an arm and a leg for my one box. The park was a bee hive of activity, a menagerie of hawkers milling around offering items as varied as pre-paid mobile phone recharge cards and supposedly genuine 24k gold. Like a human scrolling billboard they jostled for position in the mind and the eyes of us trapped passengers, hoping to make a killing by dint of repetition. One hawker, peddling ‘ice-cold la casera’ ended up in a verbal spat with a passenger over her pricing - apparently the bottle she was trying to fob off for 170 naira costs a mere 140 just around the corner. There were also all sorts of books being sold - a book of poems, nursery rhymes and one that particularly piqued my interest - a collection of 150 text messages supposedly crafted to make any woman giddy with focused flirtation. Unfortunately my wallet was lost in my jacket, stuck between my bag and the flabs of the buxom woman who was seated, impassive, next to me.\nThe final piece of the pre-travel routine was the obligatory preacher, the incongruity of his three piece suit, extra large bible and booming voice perhaps offset by the very practical face towel with which he dabbed his shiny forehead, which leaked sweat like a rafia basket filled with water. After a quick word of exhortation, he proceeded to bind and cast \u0026rsquo;every demons\u0026rsquo; of bloodshed on the high way, and declared we would arrive safely at our destination - a small ritual that prompted the pressing of a few naira into his hands by other more impressed passengers as he launched into his support the ministry spiel.\nThe trip to Benin was steady, not spectacular. As it turned out, the driver of the bus was a gracefully greyed man who looked to be at least within touching distance of 60, and it showed in how he piloted the bus. He was content to ignore the rants and raves of the excitable passengers keen to get off to a flying start and maintain a steady pace. Aside of a few snarls in the flow of traffic at certain points – one was occasioned by the FRSC attending a recent crash where a lorry filled with Coca Cola bottles had somehow crashed into the road divder and overturned, turning the road into a collage of dark brown liquid, glass shards and red coke covers - we made steady time. The one thing that particularly irked me - and forgetting my phone charger in the \u0026lsquo;Deen meant I had to be frugal with what power I had left - was how many loud telephone conversations went on for the first hour of the trip, at full pelt. There was a young woman (apparently a student) playing the age old game of Dad v. Mum to draw out an extra 100,000 naira from her parents to fund whatever lifestyle she had in Benin, a man seemingly at the centre of a family feud sending instructions to an accomplice to break open a box he had left somewhere and retrieve certain items, and another calmly informing what sounded like an ex girlfriend that he was in town briefly and would like to meet up.\nSomewhere around Ore, the bus stopped for a break – the driver going to have lunch in one of the places around, whilst the rest of us made do with what we could. Whilst sauntering along the road, I found suya being made, and at the urging of the Mallam (I really didn\u0026rsquo;t need any persuasion) I took a taster. 1,000 naira lighter, with a bottle of malt in my lap I was back in the bus, waiting for the journey to resume.\nI must have fallen asleep - the sameness of greenery broken only by the odd bump as a bridge is traversed must have lulled me - because the next time I am aware of my surroundings, the bus is packed by the road side offloading a young woman and her box next to a board welcoming all and sundry to Igbinedion University Okada. She seems young, probably in her very early twenties and was dressed very simply. I had briefly wondered why she had an iPad complete with a magic cover sticking out from her hand bag, but I suppose given the astronomical fees charged there, an iPad was small beans. Given the history I have had in the past with the school - F spent five wasted years there before she upped sticks and went elsewhere, and Cousin B narrowly escaped being stuck on the treadmill there - the one brief thought that passes through my mind as the bus is loaded up again and we begin to move is to hope that she hasn\u0026rsquo;t fallen prey to the Ponzi scheme that is that University\u0026rsquo;s medical school.\nIn due course we arrived in Benin - Oluku junction with its truck lined roadsides, the precious Palm Royal Hotel and UNIBEN Main Gate in quick order were the prelude to the bedlam that was the Uselu -Lagos road with its half crazed okada riders, buses, trucks and overly exuberant teenagers with cars. The normally impassable roads at this time of the day - around about 2pm - have been made worse by closures for road works; sections of the road are in varying stages of being expanded to six lanes. I suppose the short term pain is a small price to pay if it ends up resolving the larger issue of congestion and drainage. In a nod to the increasingly real threat of abduction, the expatriate site engineer managing the section between Uselu market and the fork in the road where it snakes towards Ring Road or New Benin Market is guarded by three armed soldiers in a white Isuzu truck. Just how inflated the costs will be as a result of needing to provide a security detail, and no doubt appeasing restive youth, remains to be seen.\nIt is campaign season in Edo State. Posters of Comrade Adams Oshiomole and his deputy litter the billboards of the city. As is the norm, quite a few of them feature various interest groups - I seem to remember a few by the Bini Youth, the association of tipper drivers and others - keen to align themselves with the powers and ingratiate themselves. The clarion call seems to be that a vote for the Comrade is a vote for progress and continuity. To be fair the roads seem to be in much better shape than I remember them from a few years ago. We had to navigate a few back streets to avoid the long tail backs, and that brought to the fore just how much road repair work had been completed in the last few years. The schools too have also been given significant face lifts – new buildings, fresh licks of paints and Coca Cola branded signs indicating the names of the school. There is also the expected billboard with the Comrade’s face on it, proclaiming him the saviour of the school system. I am not the only one who notices – one of the passengers mentions in passing just how relieved he is to see improvements in the city as a whole and wonders why there is even a sliver of doubt that the powers that be would allow a swift return to power for the incumbent. Someone else responds dismissively, insisting that he is an upstart and that he will be trounced at the polls. There is some to-and fro which quickly gets heated, until the first proposer of a second term refuses to reply anymore. If there is one thing this has impressed all over in my mind, it is that politics remains a deeply emotive subject, fractured along ethnic lines and completely disconnected from performance or suitability in this my little corner of red earth.\nThere will be time in the next few days to return to this city and reacquaint myself with it after my season of insulation, but now all I get is a flying pit stop on the flight to the place called home.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/06/24/2-road-trips-small-margins-red-earth/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"highlight\"\u003e\u003cpre tabindex=\"0\" style=\"color:#f8f8f2;background-color:#272822;-moz-tab-size:4;-o-tab-size:4;tab-size:4;-webkit-text-size-adjust:none;\"\u003e\u003ccode class=\"language-fallback\" data-lang=\"fallback\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display:flex;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHawker, Lagos\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlan A was to catch a flight from Lagos into Benin and then a bus for the final leg of the trip to the small university town of Ekpoma, where the wedding was to hold, but the events of the last few weeks ensured that the one thing my mother insisted on was that the journey out of Lagos would be by road. I thus had to brace myself to navigate the tortuous 3oo km+ trip from Lagos into Benin with minimum fuss.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2. Road trips, small margins and a return to the city of red earth"},{"content":"As I stand, satchel slung across my shoulder waiting for the call to board the KLM flight from Schipol to Lagos, I think back wistfully to a similar scene just over three years ago, when I stood within the Departures Lounge at the Murtala Mohammed Airport making the transit in the opposite direction. Then, as with now, it was a wedding - that of Sister #1 - that had lured me across the miles, outside the safety of what had been a year of near total insulation, back to Nigeria. In truth, the time and the distance have been mere blips on the timeline of life, but so total has the lostness been that it almost feels like I need to be reacquainted with everything all over again.\nThe six-hour thirty minute flight from Schipol to Lagos passed eventually – aided by flitting in and out of sleep, watching (very) old episodes of The Big Bang Theory and How I met Your Mother and failing woefully (in my admittedly half-hearted attempts) to catch the eye of one of the air hostesses; an almost otherworldly beauty with small lithe hands and an almost permanently plastered smile. Although the flight was reasonably full, I somehow had the luxury of having an aisle seat with three empty seats either side of me. Surprisingly, given my preference for being left alone on these jaunts, I found myself feeling the aloneness a little bit too keenly at times, like being marooned on my very own atoll. The captain’s voice over the tannoy announcing descent into Lagos for the final thirty minutes of the flight jarred me out of any lingering bouts of sleepiness or self-pity, and ensured I was quite alert by the time I lugged my satchel and ambled on through the walkway through to passport control.\nI joined the steady stream of people ambling on towards passport control. At the end of the walkway, there was an immigration officer, kitted in the dull brown uniform, directing us with animated hand gestures into two lines. \u0026ldquo;Nigerian passports, here; foreign passports there\u0026rdquo; , he kept saying as each new wave of passengers poured out of the walkway into what was a small waiting room with barriers. Just ahead was a suite of three desks; each manned by two immigration officers. Two of those desks serviced the line for Nigerian passport holders which had quickly swelled and snaked all the way backwards.\nClose to the head of our queue was a man dressed entirely in white, his flowing galabeya contrasting with the black shoes peeking out from beneath them. He was standing to one side of the queue and speaking into his phone when I attached myself to the end of the queue. Soon after he finished someone, dressed in the brown of immigration but with a lot more colourful adornments than the people at the desks in front of us, walked up to him, conferred a little and then extricated him and what must have been his bag boy from the queue. With a curt nod to the officials at the desk he swept past them with his bag carrier in tow, heading for the priority luggage carousel.\nAs our line continues to inch along, I notice a little cluster around a man in front of me, where our line doubles back on itself for the final time before terminating at the desks. His face looks vaguely familiar, and there are quite a number of handshakes and poses for photographs going on. My suspicion that he is a Nollywood persona is confirmed when in reply to a young woman gushing over him and proclaiming him a star he insists - in that slightly disinterested, studiously self-deprecating style of faux humility - that he is no star, just Kanayo O. Kanayo. The woman who has offered the ‘star’ moniker is left to stutter and move on.\nThree people ahead of me, two men are engaged in an animated conversation about the merits and demerits of traveling light. One – a pudgy looking gentleman with a protruding stomach - insists his preference is to always travel light, although his wife usually has other intentions, never passing up the opportunity to stuff his luggage with the last clothes she\u0026rsquo;s acquired. The other – dressed very casually in shorts and a sleeveless vest shares his secret magic bullet for navigating that particular peeve – leaving the booking of his flight till the last possible moment. Some how I get the impression these are not two people who have been previously acquainted, but are people who think there might be longer term benefit in staying in touch. Mr. P odgyBelly asks for Mr. HipWannabe\u0026rsquo;s phone number. Replying in a tone of voice a tad bit too loud, he replies - \u0026ldquo;I haven\u0026rsquo;t been back here in a while, I\u0026rsquo;ll have to give you my United Kingdom number. That\u0026rsquo;s fine isn\u0026rsquo;t it?\u0026rdquo; They exchange phone numbers and then continue yapping on about some other subject. Behind me I hear a muffled hiss. The young woman behind me has as much time for that little bit of showoffishness as I do, precious little.\nWhen my turn at the desk arrives, the first of the officials takes a cursory look at my passport and hands it on to the official seated next to him. He opens it too, flips through a few pages and asks me what I am doing outside Nigeria. \u0026ldquo;Studying\u0026rdquo;, I reply. My cover on these trips - useful to avoid the inevitable \u0026lsquo;any thing for us question\u0026rsquo; - is to insist that I am a poor broke student. On this occasion my bushy hair and my school boyish satchel slung across my shoulder appear to satisfy him and he waves me through. The girl behind me, with whom I had shared a snicker at the behaviour of Mr HipWannabe gets a far more thorough grilling, involving a question about Kwara State, and where she is from within the state. It takes me a further twenty minutes before I spot my checked in luggage chugging along on the carousel towards me. All told in just over forty-five minutes, I am all clear and heading out towards the gates for a cab.\nThe one essential skill I have never mastered is the art of haggling. That war of attrition, an often slow laborious dance of offer and counter offer towards an amicable centre from two usually widely differing starting points, often seemed to me like a pointless waste of time. Two counter offers in I give up, accepting his (at least to me) highly inflated price of four thousand to run me into the Opebi area of town. I console myself with gaining five hundred naira; less than his initial offer. He must have sensed I felt I had been had - or I had truly been had and his concience wouldn\u0026rsquo;t give him rest - because all through the trip he ran a monolouge of how hard the country was and how he was having to eke out a living. The cornerstone of his argument? The fact that at a relatively early 8.30pm there was already a clutch of scantily dressed women close to the Allen Roundabout getting their hustle on early. That was one argument I had no answer for.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/06/24/1-eastwards/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAs I stand, satchel slung across my shoulder waiting for the call to board the KLM flight from Schipol to Lagos, I think back wistfully to \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/04/back-and-thoughts-on-people-and-airport-lounges/\"\u003ea similar scene\u003c/a\u003e just over three years ago, when I stood within the Departures Lounge at the Murtala Mohammed Airport making the transit in the opposite direction. Then, as with now, it was a wedding - that of Sister #1 - that had lured me across the miles, outside the \u003cem\u003esafety\u003c/em\u003e of what had been a year of near total insulation, back to Nigeria. In truth, the time and the distance have been mere blips on the timeline of life, but so total has the \u003cem\u003elostness\u003c/em\u003e been that it almost feels like I need to be reacquainted with everything all over again.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"1. Eastwards"},{"content":"Back, knackered but thankful\u0026hellip; To big resets, (almost) clean slates and ninth lives\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/06/20/0000-reset/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBack, knackered but thankful\u0026hellip;  To big resets, (almost) clean slates and  ninth lives\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"[0,0,0,0] - Reset"},{"content":"A few weeks ago when I sat down to identify the five or six things that would make 2012 the perfect year, one of the things that eventually came to the fore was carrying over zero holidays in to next year. That by itself shouldn\u0026rsquo;t have been significant, but between hoarding my holidays for what I thought would be quarterly jaunts westward and my eventual withdrawal into my time honoured silo, I ended up needing a flurry of trips late in the year to claw back what was a huge holiday backlog. Even that was not enough, I ended up losing four days having carried over the maximum seven days into the new year.\nA trip to Nigeria beckons this time, something which created quite a few coffee room talking points with my team mates at work given the latest news out of Nigeria. Regardless of my lost son affectations, she still has her attractions - perhaps even more so now than before. There is the small matter of the niece with whom the extent of my communication has been her baby babble as she has tried to distract her mother during numerous telephone conversations. [I haven\u0026rsquo;t quite forgiven her for stubbornly insisting on arriving two days late, missing the opportunity to share my birthday with me, for which I fully intend to find some way to surreptitiously give her ear a little pinch in retaliation]. As well, there is the other sister\u0026rsquo;s wedding, and then fourteen days later one between two of my old friends in a different part of the country; both weddings nicely book-ending my stay. Around those key drivers are a myriad of other births, marriages, promotions and the odd death and breakup to share - quotidian joys (and sorrows) which my decision to remain stuck in my corner of the world has kept me insulated from. Thanks to a couple of supermoms off Twitter [@ aloted and @ Mz_SoupaWoman], I shall be dragging a few boxes of age-appropriate gifts in my wake. That should help promote some uncle-niece bonding, as well as deflect some of the vitriol that might be lobbed in my direction when it transpires I have pinched a few ears!\nOverall, I suspect it will be an intriguing trip, perhaps even something to be looked forward though in some respects. Besides the obligatory suya based dinner on the first night back, the only other culinary delight on my mind is a big steaming calabash of ekpang nkukwo. I sincerely hope that my old haunt on the corner of Grace Bill and Park that served that as its speciality still exists. I sense there will be a few awkward moments too. In getting the baby sister married off, the final buffer the kid brother and I have had between us and el Madre\u0026rsquo;s cross hairs is being eased out of the equation. Once the dust from the dancing feet and swaying hips has settled down, and everyone has recovered from the exertions of planning and executing a wedding, I fully expect to be the recipient of a full on heart to heart chat, part of the reason why I intend to spend a lot of the time on the road, and why I accepted to attend the other wedding across the country. There is also the distinct possibility that Mlle. F will be putting in an appearance - if my sources have it right, she might be attending with the arms of a certain young man draped protectively around her shoulders. That is most assuredly not a sight for my sore eyes, but closure of any sort cannot be a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination.\nI would like to think I have the capability to write some Noo Saro-Wiwa-esque Nigeria travelogue, or perhaps more appropriately mindlessly ape Teju Cole\u0026rsquo;s now extinct blog of a similar genre but something tells me between the food, the activity, and the spectre of work looming in the back of my mind I will have my hands full. I suppose the least that I can do is at least try. After all, as they say, imitation is the greatest form of flattery.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/06/07/nigeria-bound/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA few weeks ago when I sat down to identify the five or six things that would make 2012 the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/05/the-perfect-year/\"\u003eperfect year\u003c/a\u003e, one of the things that eventually came to the fore was carrying over zero holidays in to next year. That by itself shouldn\u0026rsquo;t have been significant, but between hoarding my holidays for what I thought would be quarterly jaunts westward and my eventual withdrawal into my time honoured silo, I ended up needing a flurry of \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/falling-for-my-dalglish-conjecture/\"\u003etrips\u003c/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/01/westward/\"\u003elate in the year\u003c/a\u003e to claw back what was a huge holiday backlog. Even that was not enough, I ended up losing four days having carried over the maximum seven days into the new year.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Nigeria Bound..."},{"content":"In one of those strange turns that life alone can throw up, one of the lasses the guys were trying to get me to hook up with a scant two weeks ago got married in Nigeria.\nI had ambled on to Facebook early on Sunday monday for a quick look around when I saw another friend had liked a picture on my stream. It was a picture of a dark skinned lady and a caucasian, so my interest was naturally piqued. Upon clicking further, it became clear that it was said lass getting married. Considering she lives and works in my city, there is no plausible explanation for all this being hatched and delivered in the two weeks since my buddy had tried to make the hook up. So much for his assertion that he was completely plugged in!\nI suppose there is a life lesson there:\nBeware of the dude who claims to have the inside track on a girl\u0026rsquo;s dating/ relationship life, especially when they are not family.\nSelah.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/06/03/close-calls-or-not/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn one of those strange turns that life alone can throw up, one of the lasses the guys were trying to \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/05/pouring-when-it-rains/\"\u003eget me to hook up\u003c/a\u003e with a scant two weeks ago got married in Nigeria.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI had ambled on to Facebook early on Sunday monday for a quick look around when I saw another friend had liked a picture on my stream. It was a picture of a dark skinned lady and a caucasian, so my interest was naturally piqued. Upon clicking further, it became clear that it was said lass getting married. Considering she lives and works in my city, there is no plausible explanation for all this being hatched and delivered in the two weeks since my buddy had tried to make the hook up. So much for his assertion that he was completely plugged in!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Close calls.. or not"},{"content":"Somehow, my increasingly regular Friday evening/night conversations with Mlle.M had an interesting segue. We had been catching up on weekend plans at the time I believe when we somehow got into the dodgy waters of traditional gender roles, and how they are expressed in modern (Nigerian) marriages and relationships.\n[The overwhelming feedback I get from the women I talk to is the Nigerian man out there at the moment, irrespective of how learned he is, is one who expects a certain domestication in his women, often with a big dollop of subservience. My experience doesn\u0026rsquo;t fit that narrative though.]\nOn traditional gender roles then my considered opinion is that rather than define specific roles and responsibilities they provide a framework within which partners are free to evolve what works best for them given their particular circumstances. There will be a natural division of the roles - I suspect women and mothers will in all probability tend to feature more in the nurture stakes whilst men and fathers will feature more on the provision side of things - but ultimately a relationship is about two people deciding to fuse their lives. The minimum expectation is that reasonableness applies.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/06/02/on-traditional-gender-roles/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSomehow, my increasingly regular Friday evening/night conversations with Mlle.M had an interesting segue. We had been catching up on weekend plans at the time I believe when we somehow got into the dodgy waters of traditional gender roles, and how they are expressed in modern (Nigerian) marriages and relationships.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[The overwhelming feedback I get from the women I talk to is the Nigerian man out there at the moment, irrespective of how learned he is, is one who expects a certain domestication in his women,  often with a big dollop of subservience. My experience doesn\u0026rsquo;t fit that narrative though.]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On traditional gender roles... "},{"content":"A few days ago, mid way through a telephone conversation with one of the lads I used to work with in my UX5 days, the delectable lass who joined a few months before I was due to leave overheard our conversation and asked to speak with me.\nEven back then, in those early days of 2008, I was the bloke with a 5 year rolling plan complete with milestones, leading and lagging indicators and a roadmap. Her question had an air of inevitability to it; it had to do with the current iteration of the plan. Sadly, I could not give her the reassurances she was seeking – namely that the plan was still on track, and that an invite – amongst other things – would be winging it’s way to her Nigerian post box in the not too distant future.\nThe one thing I could not have factored into those – admittedly bullish plans - was the uncertainty around a few of the critical outcomes on which the plan flew or sank. I couldn’t have known that what looked like a door temptingly left ajar was in fact a door on its way to slamming shut with my finger stuck between it and the door frame; or that what felt like nirvana two years later would spontaneously combust over one big thing. The uncertainties have not somehow dissolved into thin air with time. Au contraire, they in all probability have somehow become greater. More important because the outcomes are now more critical than before, and also because the interdependencies are even more convoluted.\nIn an ideal world, I suppose one would be able to tell with a reasonable amount of certainty what certain outcomes would be, without having to resort to Bayesian techniques, or applying the relational equivalent of hit and hope. Or maybe, like my mother insists, I am simply over thinking it - micromanaging my outcomes so much that I end up not doing anything or losing the sense of adventure and unpredictability that not having all those backup plans brings.\nOr maybe not\u0026hellip;..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/06/01/certainly-uncertain/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA few days ago, mid way through a telephone conversation with one of the lads I used to work with in my \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/11/ux5-the-memories/\"\u003eUX5\u003c/a\u003e days, the delectable lass who joined a few months before I was due to leave overheard our conversation and asked to speak with me.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven back then, in those early days of 2008, I was the bloke with a 5 year rolling plan complete with milestones, leading and lagging indicators and a roadmap. Her question had an air of inevitability to it; it had to do with the current iteration of the plan. Sadly, I could not give her the reassurances she was seeking – namely that the plan was still on track, and that an invite – amongst other things – would be winging it’s way to her Nigerian post box in the not too distant future.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Certainly Uncertain...."},{"content":"Since the end of Q1 edition, quite a few changes have occurred. It turned out that in addition to the worldview issues Q and I had, she was also a carrier of the haemoglobin S trait (like I am). Given the family history I have got with losing the sister Gracie all those many years ago to sickle cell disease, that effectively put an end to any further involvement.\nInterestingly, all the other potentials from the last update have more or less slipped off the front burner. AJ effectively broke contact, and I quite frankly made no effort to keep in touch, Ify\u0026rsquo;s proximity (and the fact that she lives close by) probably means that there are no real opportunities to progress in that direction anymore; and as for TheB, I suspect I am well and truly over her. Liz got back in touch after quite a few months, and we had a frank conversation, however I think we may have crossed the rubicon here.\nIn other, slightly better news, I do hope Mlle.P and Mlle.S prove to be the real deal.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/05/31/the-dating-wrap-may/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSince the end of Q1 edition, quite a few changes have occurred. It turned out that in addition to the worldview issues \u003cstrong\u003eQ\u003c/strong\u003e and I had, she was also a carrier of the haemoglobin S trait (like I am). Given the family history I have got with \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/11/for-gracie/\"\u003elosing the sister Gracie\u003c/a\u003e all those many years ago to \u003ca href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001554/\"\u003esickle cell disease\u003c/a\u003e, that effectively put an end to any further involvement.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInterestingly, all the other potentials from the last update have more or less slipped off the front burner. AJ  effectively broke contact, and I quite frankly made no effort to keep in touch, Ify\u0026rsquo;s  proximity (and the fact that she lives close by) probably means that there are no real opportunities to progress  in that direction anymore; and as for TheB, I suspect I am well and truly \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/05/0-closure-end-of-an-era/\"\u003eover her\u003c/a\u003e.  Liz got back in touch after quite a few months, and we had a frank conversation, however I think we may have crossed the rubicon here.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Dating Wrap - May 2012"},{"content":"in the space above your head I see his face- And the memory of The us that once was Floods back, In a moment.\nI see his eyes And the glee And I recognise Like the inevitable cold sweat of a bad night\u0026rsquo;s dream that we have leapt across the edge of the river of no return\nIf I had the chance To tell you one last thing I might tell a tale Of a thousand parts Or sing a song To cast a spell so Time would stand still Or maybe silence May be all there is To see and be.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/05/30/if-i-had-the-chance-to-tell-you-one-last-thing/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ein the space\nabove your head\nI see his face-\nAnd the memory of\nThe us that once was\nFloods back,\nIn a moment.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI see his eyes\nAnd the glee\nAnd I recognise\nLike the inevitable\ncold sweat of\na bad night\u0026rsquo;s dream\nthat we have leapt across\nthe edge of the\nriver of no return\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf I had the chance\nTo tell you\none last thing\nI might tell a tale\nOf a thousand parts\nOr sing a song\nTo cast a spell so\nTime would stand still\nOr maybe silence\nMay be all there is\nTo see and be.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"If I had the chance to tell you one last thing"},{"content":"I have spent the last few days offsite attending the SPE\u0026rsquo;s Oilfield Corrosion Conference in Aberdeen. When the email invite first came through, I knew I had to be part of it. The one main gripe I have about my job is the lack of real technical content in it on an ongoing basis. I tend to get sucked into the fire fighting, reactive mode that prevents me from applying my specialist Corrosion \u0026amp; Materials engineering knowledge.\nIt was good to see what my peers (if I can call them that seeing they are so far ahead of me technically :) ) are up to, put faces to names I\u0026rsquo;d heard of in the past and catch up/ socialise with a few old friends. There was also the awkward moment where I ran into the Corrosion Manager at the firm I turned down after what seemed like a good interview just over a year ago. If I had to summarise my learnings I would pick a number of points viz:\nThere is a lot of work going on in the Academia and consulting which doesn\u0026rsquo;t get through to the industry quickly enough The day to day operations support integrity engineer role is not one I want to remain in for very long and as a corollary to both these points, The PhD in Materials \u0026amp; Welding needs to get back on the agenda ASAP. On a sightly less happy note, I got a message about one of the (Nigerian) lads at work getting fired. Truth is he\u0026rsquo;s had issues for quite a while now which the boss had put up with quite a bit, but it still rankles that he was cut off. I do not have all the facts, but I suppose in a sense it\u0026rsquo;s also a failure of the mentorship and people\u0026rsquo;s development system. It must be quite a burden when the boss, especially in a close knit group like mine, has to take a decision to let go of someone.\nIn other news, I am off to Nigeria in eight days. There\u0026rsquo;s the small matter of my baby sister\u0026rsquo;s wedding, as well as the niece I am yet to see and a few loose financial ends to tie up. The step sister and the rest of the family have had drifted apart majorly over the years, and one of my objectives this trip is to try to seek her out and reconnect. Family is too precious to cut off permanently.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/05/29/bitter-sweet/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI have spent the last few days offsite attending the \u003ca href=\"http://www.spe.org/events/ofcs/2012/\"\u003eSPE\u0026rsquo;s Oilfield Corrosion Conference\u003c/a\u003e in Aberdeen. When the email invite first came through, I knew I had to be part of it. The one main gripe I have about my job is the lack of real technical content in it on an ongoing basis. I tend to get sucked into the fire fighting, reactive mode that prevents me from applying my specialist Corrosion \u0026amp; Materials engineering knowledge.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bitter-sweet"},{"content":"For the prompt Strange Bedfellows at Sunday Scribblings:\nStuck in the middle, Between the Me I used to be, And the Me I want to be, Is the Me I am now. And like perfect strangers - Waking up in the same bed After a liquor doused night and debauchery to forget, They can\u0026rsquo;t relate To just how different They really are.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/05/27/strange-bedfellows/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor the prompt \u003ca href=\"http://sundayscribblings.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/321-strange-bedfellows.html\"\u003eStrange Bedfellows\u003c/a\u003e at Sunday Scribblings:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStuck in the middle,\nBetween the Me I used to be,\nAnd the Me I want to be,\nIs the Me I am now.\nAnd like perfect strangers -\nWaking up in the same bed\nAfter a liquor doused night\nand debauchery to forget,\nThey can\u0026rsquo;t relate\nTo just how different\nThey really are.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Strange Bedfellows"},{"content":"Thankful for:\nWork mentors, again For blokes who care enough to stake their reputations on my success. I wish I could do more to \u0026lsquo;deserve\u0026rsquo; these wonderful people in my life.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/05/24/thankful-thursdays-21/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThankful for:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWork mentors, again\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor blokes who care enough to stake their reputations on my success.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI wish I could do more to \u0026lsquo;deserve\u0026rsquo; these wonderful people in my life.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Thankful Thursdays #21"},{"content":"Eight years ago, I was a wee lad, barely 23, fresh off my year of serving the nation in the foothills of Sango; with the mellifluous, if unintelligible, sounds of the music that consistently wafted upwards from the traders that surrounded my very modest lodgings at Maraba still ringing in my ears. I was none the wiser of the ways of the world at the time – like the good son of my Mother that I still was, in addition to being the pitifully shy, introspective bloke, I still greeted older males and females as ‘Sir’ and’Ma’ - a predisposition which perhaps made me fall prey to the shenanigans of a couple of police men on my first day at work.\nThat first job was the dream; and each day I was in it, I went in with great gusto happy to contribute my quota and more. Sadly, in retrospect, I suspect I could have done a lot better than I did out of it. I left it a month shy of my fifth year anniversary; missing out on the plaque, the car loan, and the furniture grant I would have gotten. The years since then have made me more pragmatic (some would say more cynical), but if I had the chance to do it differently, I suspect I would change quite a few things. So here goes, in no order of importance.\nEsoteric specialities count for nothing: My fascination with metallurgy and rust was born during my six month internship at one of the moribund steel mills in Nigeria. Four of those months were spent under the wing of a bloke who learned his trade from the Russian steel makers of his day. His enthusiasm infected me, and when the chance for selecting a specialty on my first job came, I opted to go down the rust route. In addition to the seeds sown by said old boss, the lure of eventually becoming a specialist in an obscure discipline was a big draw. In retrospect it wasn\u0026rsquo;t a good move. Aside of the satisfaction - and that dubious at best - of speaking a technical language no one else on the ALT spoke, the dividends were few and far between. And when it was appraisal time the high fliers were the drilling lads who delivered barrels of crude oil in the hundreds; the critical pitting temperature of 22Cr duplex counted for nothing. Irrespective of whatever HR spiel you’re fed about the ‘Corporate Culture’, the social context of work is almost always more important: The HR suits - the word around town was that quite a few of them were Harvard MBAs - never missed an opportunity to remind us of how we were working for a truly global company with tons of development opportunities open to us. What they failed to add was that the Corporate Culture of objective assessments, rewarding high performing employees and attracting and retaining top talents was superimposed on the Nigerian culture of deferring to people in authority and tribal cabals. By the time yours truly realised he was the minority in a minority state, it was probably much too late to rescue my career. Nine times out of ten how you say what you say is more important than what you actually say: It may have been because we were new hires, fresh out of college with the most important metric of success being our ability to learn, but time and time again, the one dude who consistently put his foot in his mouth, resumed work at 9am when the rest of us had been in since 8.30 or earlier but never shirked the chance to speak up was the one who got the plaudits early on. It wasn\u0026rsquo;t so much that he was crap, and spewed crap and rubbed everyone the wrong way, it was that when first year appraisals were done, he was somehow ranked highest of us all, and got a cushy transfer to Houston for a three year stint. There might have been the influence of a few high up relatives, but I can only chalk his meteoric rise down to him being willing to put himself out there in the eye of others. A particular case in point stands out. The choke on a high sand producing well had failed for the umpteenth time and we were sitting in on a 5 whys sessions. The said dude promptly declared loudly that the failure had occurred due to brittle fracture. Every metallurgist worth their high school diploma knows that brittle fracture occurs when a metal loses ductility when it\u0026rsquo;s cooled below its ductile-brittle transition temperature, not when it is clearly eroded by high flow velocity fluids with entrained solids! Alignment is 9/10th of the law, the other 1/10th is visibility: I learned late - I was already mentally out of the door at the time - that every manager has a pet project, the one (or more) deliverable he is betting his two year stint on. The first boss’s one was staffing and growing the group – hence the slew of new hires including yours truly that he brought in over an 18 month period. The next one’s though was controls – ensuring that every task we did – routine or not – had an appropriately documented procedure which had been peer reviewed and was stored in a retrievable format. The next one from the group who got the cushy assignment to the relatively heady heights of a file totting Lagos office was the one lad who submitted the most inane of near-miss reports and effectively acted as his Ops Manager\u0026rsquo;s PA. In male dominated work environments, delectable females wield a lot of (understated) power: Our Technical Administrator was a delectable Efik woman who could not have been a lot much older than us, but she sure made sure we felt her presence, even though she was only a contractor. She ran everything from organising our monthly tea and biscuits, stationery, and passing documents to the big boss for signing off. Inevitably in her time, she also ran her eyes over a few documents requiring high level clearance. A quick chat a few weeks ago revealed a telling fact, the big boss had asked for her opinion of quite a number of us as part of his canvassing the opinion of \u0026lsquo;knowledgeable others\u0026rsquo;. The first essential of taking over a new role is rubbishing the work the ones who came before did: Time and time again, the time honoured tradition espoused by people who took over roles that had been done passably by others was to bad mouth the previous regime. Sadly! The mirthless grin is an art form that must be conquered: The mirthless grin, a quick expansion of the lips to form a grin, barely discernible but there quickly became the de facto greeting - quick enough to show recognition, but devoid of any real emotion. Though shalt have a vice, as long as it is a shared one: Mid way through my last year on the job, I realised that there were both tribal and activity based cabals. One Monday or the other we would come across clusters of people sharing stories of their latest exploits in painting the town red. Unsurprisingly, these people seemed to earn moves to the same places at the same time. Us lads with no discernible vices never got a look in. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/05/21/eight-things-i-wished-i-knew-eight-years-ago/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eEight years ago, I was a wee lad, barely 23, fresh off my year of \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/02/that-nysc-year/\"\u003eserving the nation\u003c/a\u003e in the foothills of Sango; with the mellifluous, if unintelligible, sounds of the music that consistently wafted upwards from the traders that surrounded my very modest lodgings at Maraba still ringing in my ears. I was none the wiser of the ways of the world at the time – like the good son of my Mother that I still was, in addition to being the pitifully shy, introspective bloke, I still greeted older males and females as ‘Sir’ and’Ma’ - a predisposition which perhaps made me \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/04/in-which-i-recall-my-memories-of-being-a-new-hire/\"\u003efall prey to the shenanigans\u003c/a\u003e of a couple of police men on my first day at work.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Eight things I Wished I knew Eight Years Ago..."},{"content":"Thankful for:\nCourteous road users: The final crossing before I make the right turn up the tiny road to my apartment is about as busy as it gets by the time I drag myself home. There are people turning left into the big housing complex just down the road from me, people going to see movies at the beach and all that. I often spend five or more minutes waiting for the traffic to lighten up enough for me to make a dash across the road. This week, I have had the delight of having a couple of drivers stop to allow me cross, even when they have not had to. Resolution: How I managed to get sucked into a spat at work beats me, but I ended up exchanging almost seven emails trying to defend a technical call I made on a work item. The downside of being the Asset Integrity guy is I often have to insist on cutting back production to allow safe operation of the asset I support, and that doesn\u0026rsquo;t really sit well with the production guys. Thankfully, I took a break from the to-ing and fro-ing and allowed a day pass before sending my final reply. That and common sense prevailed in allowing us reach a compromise. Good starts: From time to time opportunities arise at work where I get to demonstrate my technical depth. This week, I had to respond to a technical question from one of the older colleagues. Being able to provide detailed answer made my smile inwardly to myself - thankful for the grounding in Corrosion and Materials I got from my first gig at XOM. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/05/17/thankful-thursdays-20/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThankful for:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCourteous road users:\u003c/strong\u003e The final crossing before I make the right turn up the tiny road to my apartment is about as busy as it gets by the time I drag myself home. There are people turning left into the big housing complex just down the road from me, people going to see movies at the beach and all that. I often spend five or more minutes waiting for the traffic to lighten up enough for me to make a dash across the road. This week, I have had the delight of having a couple of drivers stop to allow me cross, even when they have not had to.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResolution:\u003c/strong\u003e How I managed to get sucked into a spat at work beats me, but I ended up exchanging almost seven emails trying to defend a technical call I made on a work item. The downside of being the \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrity_engineering\"\u003eAsset Integrity\u003c/a\u003e guy is I often have to insist on cutting back production to allow safe operation of the asset I support, and that doesn\u0026rsquo;t really sit well with the production guys. Thankfully, I took a break from the to-ing and fro-ing and allowed a day pass before sending my final reply. That and common sense prevailed in allowing us reach a compromise.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGood starts:\u003c/strong\u003e From time to time opportunities arise at work where I get to demonstrate my technical depth. This week, I had to respond to a technical question from one of the older colleagues. Being able to provide detailed answer made my smile inwardly to myself - thankful for the grounding in Corrosion and Materials I got from my first gig at XOM.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Thankful Thursdays #20"},{"content":"The morning after the evening when I finally decided I had had enough - of playing second fiddle to all the lasses who were or were not in my life, of being the simple nice guy whose remit was providing the shoulder to cry on and all, and seeking unilateral closure via radical surgery, I got a text message from MmeK. Apparently, she’d not been feeling very well, which was the driver for the extended period of silence. That turned out to merely be the first salvo in what would be a barrage, seemingly orchestrated by whoever runs the world, to test my staying-away-from-women resolve.\nFirst off I got a phone call from my friend KC at work, where he asked me what my \u0026lsquo;spec\u0026rsquo; was. I suspect my lack of progress on the wife front had once again been a conversation filler at work, and he had decided to act ASAP. My default blowing off strategy failed to achieve anything, leaving me with needing to dust up a refresh of my list for his perusal. I eventually did, sparking off a catalogue of events that ended up with me being emailed a photograph of an admittedly delectable looking young lady.\nMy friends across the pond were\u0026rsquo;t loathe to join in either as one of the lads I had not heard from in a long while weighed in with a phone call ostensibly to catch up. Our conversation eventually segued into the slightly less comfortable waters of wives and non existent girlfriends. The summary of our almost two hour conversation was that I got emailed a phone number for one of his old friends in the Aberdeen area.\nAt work too, the guys have seized on the fact that I am heading off to Nigeria to attend my kid sisters wedding, their enthusiasm shown no less by photo-shopping my head on to a picture of a Nigerian bride and groom they somehow plucked out of the air!\nSo it\u0026rsquo;s all set off it seems. Fingers crossed as I ponder where this new fanged attempts at marrying me off will lead to.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/05/16/pouring-when-it-rains/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe morning after the evening when I finally \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/05/0-closure-end-of-an-era/\"\u003edecided\u003c/a\u003e  I had had enough - of playing second fiddle to all the lasses who were or were not in my life, of being the simple nice guy whose remit was providing the shoulder to cry on and all, and seeking unilateral closure via radical surgery, I got a text message from MmeK. Apparently, she’d not been feeling very well, which was the driver for the extended period of silence. That turned out to merely be the first salvo in what would be a barrage, seemingly orchestrated by whoever runs the world, to test my \u003cem\u003estaying-away-from-women\u003c/em\u003e resolve.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Pouring when it rains"},{"content":"Sometime between sending an SMS that went unanswered for very nearly a day and me slipping into one of my more pensive moments, something clicked in my head - TheB is not for me. My trip westward at the back end of last year had come at some personal cost. I had been invited for an interview at one of the Nigerian multi-nationals, and given the job description, it seemed a fairly reasonable job that fit in with my longer term life direction. I chose instead to head out to Chicago, prioritising clarity around my situation with TheB higher than snagging a dream Nigerian job. Unfortunately my nervousness and her busy-ness ended up putting paid to any serious conversations.\nMissing that window of opportunity perhaps was the point of inflection, the turning point from where everything headed downhill irrevocably. Given that, I still managed to limp along - chipping in with a valentine\u0026rsquo;s gift, and generally trying to keep a conversation going. Somehow though, me-the pragmatist has finally won this war of attrition with me-the romantic.\nIt does feel like a loss of sorts - but given the events of 2009, I was probably flogging a dead horse from day zero in any case. So it\u0026rsquo;s one more radical disconnection from my life. If there is one thing I think I deserve, it is a shot at loving a woman who loves me back, not one I\u0026rsquo;m having to chase interminably.\nSo this is me, doing the big reset, and hoping there are happier days ahead.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/05/13/closure-the-end-of-an-era/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSometime between sending an SMS that went unanswered for very nearly a day and me slipping into one of my more pensive moments, something clicked in my head - TheB is not for me. My trip westward at the back end of last year had come at some personal cost. I had been invited for an interview at one of the Nigerian multi-nationals, and given the job description, it seemed a fairly reasonable job that fit in with my longer term life direction. I chose instead to \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/falling-for-my-dalglish-conjecture/\"\u003ehead out to Chicago\u003c/a\u003e, prioritising clarity around my situation with TheB higher than snagging a dream Nigerian job. Unfortunately my nervousness and her busy-ness ended up putting paid to any serious conversations.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"0 - Closure (The end of an era)"},{"content":"If I had the power to invent a perfect 2012 it would have:\nA new £60k+ job in the subsea and pipelines corrosion and materials engineering sector (I think I am finally reaching saturation point with the whole topsides asset integrity engineering thing in the UK, I could use a subsea materials and welding role somewhere sunnier, like Houston or Perth :) ) Me as a Chartered Engineer Meeting TheOne (if indeed she still exists) Resolving my long term settlement options Sealed with a 100 pound seed offering at church too\u0026hellip; Fingers crossed\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/05/11/the-perfect-year/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIf I had the power to invent a perfect 2012 it would have:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA new £60k+ job in the subsea and pipelines corrosion and materials engineering sector (I think I am finally reaching saturation point with the whole topsides asset integrity engineering thing in the UK, I could use a subsea materials and welding role somewhere sunnier, like Houston or Perth :) )\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMe as a Chartered Engineer\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMeeting TheOne (if indeed she still exists)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eResolving my long term settlement options\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSealed with a 100 pound seed offering at church too\u0026hellip; Fingers crossed\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The perfect year...."},{"content":"I may have met a woman who checks a lot of the boxes on my (pared down) list:\naged between 27 and 29, Nigerian, a clear sense of direction and self worth, a largely Christian world-view, great at conversation, and a deep appreciation and interest in the arts and travel. The only snag is she\u0026rsquo;s half way around the world, and the last time I let myself go very quickly, I ended up burnt (with TheB). Given my history with LDRs, I would be loath to knowingly get into one. The truth though is that I may just be getting ahead of myself here\u0026hellip;. Sigh\u0026hellip;\nUpdate - 14th May: I may indeed have been getting ahead of my self. MmeK appears to have totally gone off grid again\u0026hellip; Oh well\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/05/05/getting-ahead-of-myself/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI may have met a woman who checks a lot of the boxes on my (pared down) \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/intermission-what-a-bloke-wants/\"\u003elist\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eaged between 27 and 29,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNigerian,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ea clear sense of direction and self worth,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e a largely Christian world-view,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003egreat at  conversation,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eand a deep appreciation and interest in the arts and travel.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe only snag is she\u0026rsquo;s half way around the world, and the last time I let myself go very quickly, I ended up burnt (with TheB).  Given my history with LDRs, I would be loath to knowingly get into one. The truth though is that I may just be getting ahead of myself here\u0026hellip;. Sigh\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Getting Ahead of Myself"},{"content":"There is treading water. And then there is lostness and the bland, depressing sameness, of everything.\nThere are bad night’s dreams. And then there are visions of the night - in which one writhes and like a knotted string snarled back upon itself one- finds himself at the self same starting point.\nIn the beat of the drums of the delirious priest and the frenzied dance that is our Faustian pact, Hope like a stubborn root - peeks out from between a rock and a hard place. And the unwilling lethargy of a quiescent dawn is forgotten, as it fades like the memory of a quick frolic in the shade of water side palms dies in the heat of a baking desert sun.\nBut in the rarefied quietness of our seasons of re-memory we find - that for all our sweat, and all our pain, and the make belief of hope and delirious joy, we still remain, kept in check In the self same holding pattern\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/05/04/holding-pattern/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThere is treading water.\nAnd then there is \u003cem\u003elostness\u003c/em\u003e\nand the bland, depressing\nsameness, of everything.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are bad night’s dreams.\nAnd then there are visions\nof the night - in which\none writhes and like\na knotted string snarled\nback upon itself one-\nfinds himself at the\nself same starting point.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the beat\nof the drums of the\ndelirious priest\nand the frenzied dance\nthat is our Faustian pact,\n\u003cem\u003eHope\u003c/em\u003e like a stubborn root -\npeeks out from between\na rock and a hard place.\nAnd the unwilling lethargy\nof a quiescent dawn\nis forgotten, as it fades\nlike the memory of a\nquick frolic in the shade\nof water side palms dies\nin the heat of a\nbaking desert sun.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Holding Pattern"},{"content":"Thankful for:\nSummer Fridays and the chance to focus on some of the more proactive/strategic components of my role at work Conversations with my Uncle F: Even though I moan about his \u0026lsquo;interference\u0026rsquo; at times, the one thing I cannot argue with is he\u0026rsquo;s walked the self same paths I\u0026rsquo;m currently walking, and he does have a good head and good intentions. Improved work relationships: Our shared office space has been seeing a lot more laughter lately. Even though some of it is banter I\u0026rsquo;m having to lap up, I have to say I\u0026rsquo;m thoroughly enjoying myself this year from the looks of things. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/05/03/thankful-thursdays-18/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThankful for:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSummer Fridays\u003c/strong\u003e and the chance to focus on some of the more proactive/strategic components of my role at work\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConversations with my Uncle F\u003c/strong\u003e: Even though I moan about his \u0026lsquo;interference\u0026rsquo; at times, the one thing I cannot argue with is he\u0026rsquo;s walked the self same paths I\u0026rsquo;m currently walking, and he does have a good head and good intentions.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eImproved work relationships:\u003c/strong\u003e Our shared office space has been seeing a lot more laughter lately. Even though some of it is banter I\u0026rsquo;m having to lap up, I have to say I\u0026rsquo;m thoroughly enjoying myself this year from the looks of things.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Thankful Thursdays #18"},{"content":"\nI caught my first whiff of light headedness half way through my second pint of Guinness Extra Cold – in all its frothy, 3.5 degree chilled gloriousness. The group from work – ever happy for an excuse to hit the town and splurge on the brew – had decided they were up for a second night out, a mere two months after our February jaunt, and that on a Wednesday evening no less.\nWe gathered at the Irish Malones bar; I arrived the small matter of five minutes before we were due to start to meet a sizeable number of people settled in, already downing a few tasters. There was no discernible pattern to how the group had aggregated, although it was clear the drilling and reservoir lads were having their usual love-in slightly to one side of the building, and the six or so ladies from Planning were chattering away excited at the other end.\nI made my way to the bar and ordered my Guiness Extra Cold – wikipedia had promised it would be a very tolerable 4.3% ABV laced meal in a glass (a wee bit over my usual Becks fare, but I expected I would be able to handle it). A few sips into my drink, I caught the eye of my current work mentor, mid way through the very animated conversation he was having from his enviable position, sequestered between two buxom women. I went across, got introduced and proceeded to participate in the conversation, my participation being limited to interjecting now and again with oohs and ahhs at the colourful details of some altercation from a previous outing way before my time here.\nSomewhere between downing my first pint and starting off my second, I was saved by the arrival of the finger food – an assortment of meatballs, fish fingers and spring rolls, with several sauces to choose from. I went for the compendium approach – having a little of everything to ensure I had sampled the lot. True to my insular, anti-social leanings, I flirted briefly with the thought of heading home early. There were mitigating circumstances this time though – my lightheadedness, and the insistent growling of my hungry stomach - but the lure of watching the evening’s football (Real Madrid went on to lose on penalties at home to Bayern Munich) proved too strong. Thankfully, staying turned out to be the correct decision as the game provided enough of a talking point, and dragged on long enough to allow me dilute my alcohol with a diet coke.\nI may have learned only one thing from this night out – I still have a ways to go to building my alcohol resistance. That, and the quip from my work mentor who insisted in mock horror at my choice of Guinness extra cold, that a true gentleman only drank gin-and-tonic.\n[gallery ]\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/05/01/weekday-debaucheries/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"malones_500\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/malones_500.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI caught my first whiff of light headedness half way through my second pint of \u003ca href=\"http://www.guinness.com/en-gb/thebeer.html\"\u003eGuinness Extra Cold\u003c/a\u003e – in all its frothy, 3.5 degree chilled gloriousness. The group from work – ever happy for an excuse to hit the town and splurge on the brew – had decided they were up for a second night out, a mere two months after our February jaunt, and that on a Wednesday evening no less.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weekday debaucheries..."},{"content":"Thankful for:\nWork Mentors: I have begun pulling together my chartered engineer application as part of my big push to gain traction on my 12 things in 2012 program for the year. Part of the process requires getting sponsorship from a senior colleague. This week I am thankful for the implicit confidence my work colleagues have in me. As a bonus, the forms have been filled out and are almost good to ship off. Accountability: I asked one of the lads O to hold me accountable to deliver on a number of tasks over the course of the week, and he duly delivered. This week I am thankful for his interest and willingness to make time out to remind me of the deliverables. Travel plans: Thankful for reasons to travel to Nigeria and booked holidays. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/04/26/thankful-thursdays/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThankful for:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWork Mentors:\u003c/strong\u003e I have begun pulling together my chartered engineer application as part of my big push to gain traction on my 12 things in 2012 program for the year. Part of the process requires getting sponsorship from a senior colleague. This week I am thankful for the implicit confidence my work colleagues have in me. As a bonus, the forms have been filled out and are almost good to ship off.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAccountability:\u003c/strong\u003e I asked one of the lads O to hold me accountable to deliver on a number of tasks over the course of the week, and he duly delivered. This week I am thankful for his interest and willingness to make time out to remind me of the deliverables.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTravel plans:\u003c/strong\u003e Thankful for reasons to travel to Nigeria and booked holidays.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Thankful Thursdays"},{"content":"Recovered from an old computer\u0026hellip;. The joys of spring cleaning, I guess\u0026hellip; Apologies for any one who finds the pidgin English excessively \u0026lsquo;conc\u0026rsquo;\nNot too long ago I resumed at one of the much vilified companies in Nige… No complaints from me though, as long as them roger me my small thing at the end of the month and dem no kidnap me - No long thing.. I went to complete my in-processing a few weeks ago. Over serious naijaboy like me go organize better trouser and korrect shirt, come tuck-in with my glasses and fresh hair cut. Mehn.. Me sef trip na, as I look myself for mirror o.. Note to self – Next time take a photograph for posterity’s sake!\nBut sha police na the same everywhere o, whether dem stand for road or dem be Security Specialist, all na the same o\u0026hellip;\nLike a real ju-man, I arrived there well ahead of time. 8 am sharp, I don tanda for the gate, meanwhile na 10 o\u0026rsquo;clock dem talk for the letter o. The gate was closed as expected. But I just waited anyways. One police man come dey eye me one kind. Me self dey pose na, like wetin concern me, na Oga I come see o, not police.\nMaybe the police come dey suspect sha, cos after a while he walked up to me. Like a well brought up Naija boy, I come greet the guy.\nMe: Good morning sir,\nPoliceman: Yes, Ken I help you? You have been loitering around here for a while\nShoo – persin wey seat down for bench outside gate, na loitering be that?\nMe: Yes please, I need to see Mr ** in HR\nMaybe I was imagining it, but the police man was suddenly more alert.\nPoliceman: Do you have an appointment? You can’t just see him like that. He is very busy especially on Tuesdays.\nBefore nko? Which one concern me concern day of the week? Shebi I get letter\nMe: Yes I do, I have a letter.\nMistake number one, telling him I had a letter. Mistake number two having my appointment letter in the top section of my portmanteau.\nPoliceman: Oh you do? Lemme have a look at it. I need to verify the signatures.\nNaïve me, promptly delved into my portmanteau begin find the letter o.\nMe: Here it is.\nSee wahala o, police man dey jack the letter like say na JAMB exam o..\nPoliceman: Ermm, young man, follow me. You need to speak to my superior officer.\nOmo, one kain fear begin grip me sha o, Abi na fake letter dem send give me? Superior officer ke? Na so dem go bundle me go kirikiri o.. And some kain string faced community boys dey outside gate dey try peep sha.\nAnyhow, superior officer turned out to be one woman with a very Igbo-itic skin color. I come dey believe small sha, say if e too hard I go beg am as Mummy. There was a barrier – like the stuff at banks, so I stayed outside it. She motioned for me after a while.\nMummyPolice: *No long thing*, come over.\nI jejely waka enter the barrier go meet the woman o. I dey use style spy her name tag whether I go fit see her name, no be lie na one Ibo name like that sha.\nMummyPolice: Do you have any identification? I mean how can we verify that this is you? A lot of you young men are into impersonation.\nHaba! Impersonation ke? Me wey don drop my ID card for school and Nige no gree give me National ID card. How I wan take prove say I be me?\nThankfully, my ID card from my bank account as a corper was in my wallet. I presented that. Mummy police dey eye the ID card like say na rat poison o.. After much sha, she looked up..\nMummy Police: Okon, give Mr *** a call and see if he is expecting this young man and take him in if he is.\nNo be small relief flood my body o.. I jejely collected my letter while Police Man placed a call to Oga’s Secretary.\nPoliceMan: Madam, his secretary says they have been expecting him, I’ll take him over.\nMummy Police: All right then, just make it snappy.\nPolice man prepared a temporary gate pass for yours truly and proceeded to lead me through. The guy just dey try walk side by side with me. Which pattern?\nAs we neared the office, the guy cleared his throat,\nPoliceMan: Ah, e be like say you know persin for HR o, because company never employ for like 5 years o.\nWhich one the guy come dey speak pidgin na? after all im hassling me?\nMe: No o, na just God do am o.. My papa na lecturer for University o.. Im no know anybody o.\nPoliceMan: Mbok! Na so una dey always talk! Na the office be this sha. O boy e don better for you o. Anything for your man? At least make me sef drink beer follow you celebrate o.. U know say na me call you enter that time o, u for still dey outside.\nOlodo, so na small thing you dey find before come make u dey try harass me.\nMe: Oga, Nothing dey today, I still dey come here tomorrow, I go roger una small thing tomorrow\nThe guy no wan waka comot o. Thankfully secretary saw me through the glass door and motioned for me to come over.\nMe: Oga, thank you, I no dey run, I full ground. I go represent..\nAs the guy see say nothing go drop , he turned to walk away.\nOloshi, im wan panic correct Naija boy before! Nonsense!\nAs God would have it, dem charter company car go drop us for hotel, so norrin’ doing for the police man..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/04/26/in-which-i-recall-my-memories-of-being-a-new-hire/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRecovered from an old computer\u0026hellip;. The joys of spring cleaning, I guess\u0026hellip; Apologies for any one who finds the pidgin English excessively \u0026lsquo;conc\u0026rsquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot too long ago I resumed at one of the much vilified companies in Nige… No complaints from me though, as long as them roger me my small thing at the end of the month and dem no kidnap me - No long thing..  I went to complete my in-processing a few weeks ago. Over serious naijaboy like me go organize better trouser and korrect shirt, come tuck-in with my glasses and fresh hair cut. Mehn.. Me sef trip na, as I look myself for mirror o..  \u003cem\u003eNote to self – Next time take a photograph for posterity’s sake!\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"In which I recall my memories of being a new hire..."},{"content":"This year I decided I would only have seven focus areas - from which twelve things for 2012 were derived. Interestingly, whilst there has been progress in some areas, quite a few other areas have been the equivalent of a Lagos traffic jam for progress. 114 days in, here\u0026rsquo;s my review.\nDevelop a daily practice of prayer and meditation: This has come along in fits and starts. there definitely has been some progress, but nothing sustained so far. I\u0026rsquo;d rate myself as \u0026lsquo;poor\u0026rsquo; here. Lose 20 kg: An epic fail here. I suspect I may have actually gained half a kilogram! Read and review 25 books: Currently on book number four. No real reviews have been completed so far. I\u0026rsquo;ll need to decide a format and start progressing these ASAP. Call Parents and siblings at least once a week: I\u0026rsquo;ve made some progress on here with phone calls, but again not on the level of consistency that I\u0026rsquo;d be hoping for. Save £1,000 each month: One of the areas where I\u0026rsquo;d say I have performed very well. Get Chartered Engineer Status: In progress, I hope to send in my initial applications this May and kick start the process of getting C.Eng registration through the IMarEST. Get a Driver\u0026rsquo;s Licence: A couple of false starts here. The intent is to get the CEng application done and dusted and then focus on studying for the theory test and passing it in May 2012. Resolve long term settlement options: Canada featured heavily in the plan for a while, but at the moment it\u0026rsquo;s looking like the UK is the base plan. The intent is to sort out the CEng status and then take it from there. Resolve my dating issues: Not quite progress here. Met Q who ticks a lot of the boxes (geek, recovering bookworm, under 31 yrs of age, Nigerian with the added benefit of real life mutual friends/ connections). The one quirk is she\u0026rsquo;s very into the Grail Message thing which ended up scuttling my dalliance with EJ from back in the day. I\u0026rsquo;m not quite sure I can risk lettnig my heart go when there are these issues. FAN integration/FOL Service: One word, abysmal. Find a mentor: Some progress, O\u0026rsquo;s essentially become my non work mentor what with his interest in getting me married and his listening ears, and the three gorgeous kids he\u0026rsquo;s got. :) On the work front, I\u0026rsquo;m getting along quite nicely with the QNX* team now - RG seems like a good candidate for a work mentor. Getting him to sponsor my CEng application cxould be the key. Finding a hobby: New item on the lsit, thanks to pressure from CS \u0026amp; NP at QNX and my buddy Chizz. I\u0026rsquo;ve signed up for the company touch rugby team - hopefully that pans out nicely. All in all, there\u0026rsquo;s been areas of progress and some of none. The top targets for Q2 through end of June are getting the CEng application through, passing the theory test and heading off to Nigeria.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/04/24/114-days-in/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis year I decided I would only have \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/12/seven-priorities-for-life/\"\u003eseven focus areas\u003c/a\u003e - from which \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/01/2012-in-twelve-things/\"\u003etwelve things for 2012\u003c/a\u003e were derived.  Interestingly, whilst there has been progress in some areas, quite a few other areas have been the equivalent of a Lagos traffic jam for progress. 114 days in, here\u0026rsquo;s my review.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDevelop a daily practice of prayer and meditation:\u003c/strong\u003e This has come along in fits and starts. there definitely has been some progress, but nothing sustained so far. I\u0026rsquo;d rate myself as \u0026lsquo;poor\u0026rsquo; here.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLose 20 kg:\u003c/strong\u003e An epic fail here. I suspect I may have actually gained half a kilogram!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead and review 25 books:\u003c/strong\u003e Currently on book number four. No real reviews have been completed so far. I\u0026rsquo;ll need to decide a format and start progressing these ASAP.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCall Parents and siblings at least once a week:\u003c/strong\u003e I\u0026rsquo;ve made some progress on here with phone calls, but again not on the level of consistency that I\u0026rsquo;d be hoping for.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSave £1,000 each month:\u003c/strong\u003e One of the areas where I\u0026rsquo;d say I have performed very well.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGet Chartered Engineer Status:\u003c/strong\u003e In progress, I hope to send in my initial applications this May and kick start the process of getting C.Eng registration through the IMarEST.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGet a Driver\u0026rsquo;s Licence:\u003c/strong\u003e A couple of false starts here. The intent is to get the CEng application done and dusted and then focus on studying for the theory test and passing it in May 2012.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResolve long term settlement options:\u003c/strong\u003e Canada featured heavily in the plan for a while, but at the moment it\u0026rsquo;s looking like the UK is the base plan. The intent is to sort out the CEng status and then take it from there.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResolve my dating issues:\u003c/strong\u003e Not quite progress here. Met Q who ticks a lot of the boxes (geek, recovering bookworm, under 31 yrs of age, Nigerian with the added benefit of real life mutual friends/ connections). The one quirk is she\u0026rsquo;s very into the Grail Message thing which ended up scuttling my dalliance with EJ from back in the day. I\u0026rsquo;m not quite sure I can risk lettnig my heart go when there are these issues.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFAN integration/FOL Service:\u003c/strong\u003e One word, abysmal.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFind a mentor:\u003c/strong\u003e Some progress, O\u0026rsquo;s essentially become my non work mentor what with his interest in getting me married and his listening ears, and the three gorgeous kids he\u0026rsquo;s got. :) On the work front, I\u0026rsquo;m getting along quite nicely with the QNX* team now - RG seems like a good candidate for a work mentor. Getting him to sponsor my CEng application cxould be the key.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFinding a hobby:\u003c/strong\u003e New item on the lsit, thanks to pressure from CS \u0026amp; NP at QNX and my buddy Chizz. I\u0026rsquo;ve signed up for the company touch rugby team - hopefully that pans out nicely.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll in all, there\u0026rsquo;s been areas of progress and some of none. The top targets for Q2 through end of June are getting the CEng application through, passing the theory test and heading off to Nigeria.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"114 days in..."},{"content":"\nThe monument to the Gordon Highlanders.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/04/11/about-town-abz-1/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/tribute-to-the-gordon-highlanders.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"tribute to the gordon highlanders\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/tribute-to-the-gordon-highlanders.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe monument to the \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Highlanders\"\u003eGordon Highlanders\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Town"},{"content":"Joshua Harris on \u0026lsquo;Sanctuary moments\u0026rsquo; (ones where God steps into our lives to impact change in us) from the message \u0026lsquo;Is He Enough? (New Attitude 2004) [ mp3]\n… I am not advocating for you that you wait for some sort of mystical experience. I want you to have a sanctuary moment here at new Attitude, but you know what, that\u0026rsquo;s not going to look like some moment in worship where God just wipes you out, knocks you on the floor, takes away your desire for marriage and sex, and really fills you with a hatred for the opposite sex and you stand up and say I\u0026rsquo;ve had my sanctuary moment. No…\nIt means obeying James 4:8 which says come near to God and he will come near to you. wash your hands you sinners, purify your hearts you double minded. It means getting serious about rooting sin out of our lives, it means getting serious about turning away form worldliness, and double mindedness. It means reading and studying god\u0026rsquo;s word. It means seeking god with all your heart, it means pursuing him in prayer, it means embracing fellowship in a local church, and all of these things are the means and the actions by which we can live not just sanctuary moments, but sanctuary lives.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/04/08/joshua-harris-on-sanctuary-moments/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.covlife.org/about/pastors/joshua_harris\"\u003eJoshua Harris\u003c/a\u003e on \u0026lsquo;Sanctuary moments\u0026rsquo; (ones where God steps into our lives to impact change in us) from the message \u0026lsquo;\u003ca href=\"http://www.sovereigngracestore.com/Product/A2115-01-51/Is_He_Enough_MP3_DOWNLOAD.aspx\"\u003eIs He Enough\u003c/a\u003e? (New Attitude 2004) [ \u003ca href=\"http://www.sovereigngracestore.com/Product/A2115-01-51/Is_He_Enough_MP3_DOWNLOAD.aspx\"\u003emp3\u003c/a\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e… I am not advocating for you that you wait for some sort of mystical experience. I want you to have a sanctuary moment here at new Attitude, but you know what, that\u0026rsquo;s not going to look like some moment in worship where God just wipes you out, knocks you on the floor, takes away your desire for marriage and sex, and really fills you with a hatred for the opposite sex and you stand up and say I\u0026rsquo;ve had my sanctuary moment. No…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Joshua Harris on 'Sanctuary Moments'"},{"content":"\nIn the week that saw a cloud of gas leak from Total\u0026rsquo;s North Sea Elgin-Franklin field, the scramble for gas offshore Mozambique continues apace as Anadarko and Cove announce further finds, adding to the significant plays booked by ENI in 2011. The BBC’s Antonia Quirke ponders the impact exploiting these resources will have on this hitherto pristine corner of the world:\nThere is a sense on Vamizi of anxious anticipation. Some hope that the Mozambique government will run the project well and money will filter down to the islands which are particularly poor. Many people have feared the worst from the start. An islander tells me that when they heard that gas had been found to both the north and south, they watched all night as the illuminated exploration vessels searched and searched ever closer to their shores.\nWe stood on the sand, he said, and prayed it would not be found right here, thanking Allah when the vessels moved on.\nThe vast majority of African countries have not managed natural resources very well. Oil in Nigeria’s Niger Delta and Equatorial Guinea, and diamonds in Sierra Leone and the DR Congo are perhaps the most obvious examples of natural resources fuelling fat cat dictatorships, internal strife and burgeoning insurgencies - arguably with the connivance of the West. Tullow in Ghana and Uganda appear to be setting about it the right way; one can only hope that Mozambique uses this as a unique opportunity to build an industry from the ground up, learning to avoid the pitfalls that have befallen others who have gone before.\nListen to the podcast here.\nImage from the Imagine Africa website.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/04/06/the-friday-read-gas-mozambique/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/vamizi-island-private-villa-suluwillo-aerial.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"vamizi-island-private-villa-suluwillo-aerial\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/vamizi-island-private-villa-suluwillo-aerial.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the week that saw a cloud of gas \u003ca href=\"http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/26/total-north-sea-emergency-idUSL6E8EQ6Q220120326\"\u003eleak\u003c/a\u003e from Total\u0026rsquo;s North Sea \u003ca href=\"http://uk.total.com/activities/elgin_franklin.asp\"\u003eElgin-Franklin field\u003c/a\u003e, the scramble for gas offshore Mozambique continues apace as Anadarko and Cove \u003ca href=\"http://www.worldoil.com/Anadarko_Cove_Energy_find_further_gas_in_Mozambique.html\"\u003eannounce further finds\u003c/a\u003e, adding to the significant plays booked by ENI in 2011. The BBC’s Antonia Quirke \u003ca href=\"http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01f1kfd#p00qqgqy\"\u003eponders\u003c/a\u003e the impact exploiting these resources will have on this hitherto pristine corner of the world:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is a sense on Vamizi of anxious anticipation. Some hope that the Mozambique government will run the project well and money will filter down to the islands which are particularly poor. Many people have feared the worst from the start. An islander tells me that when they heard that gas had been found to both the north and south, they watched all night as the illuminated exploration vessels searched and searched ever closer to their shores.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Friday Read: Gas is all around..."},{"content":"Better late than never, thankfulness was supposed to be one of my 12 focus areas for 2012. Here goes in any case:\nNew starts, new beginnings and the christening of god daughter number 3 Both bosses concurrently on holiday - doesn\u0026rsquo;t happen all the time, useful to have a few days where I\u0026rsquo;m free to set my own agenda Progress at work - leak in the plant which turned out well given I was on top of the issues right from the get go Reconnecting with old friends - the beauty of having an oddly spelled surname is it\u0026rsquo;s instantly recognisable. Friends who care - who take my singleness as a significant enough concern to try to hook me up ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/04/05/thankful-thursdays-1/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBetter late than never, thankfulness was supposed to be one of my 12 focus areas for 2012. Here goes in any case:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNew starts, new beginnings and the christening of god daughter number 3\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBoth bosses concurrently on holiday - doesn\u0026rsquo;t happen all the time, useful to have a few days where I\u0026rsquo;m free to set my own agenda\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProgress at work -  leak in the plant which turned out well given I was on top of the issues right from the get go\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReconnecting with old friends - the beauty of having an oddly spelled surname is it\u0026rsquo;s instantly recognisable.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFriends who care - who take my singleness as a significant enough concern to try to hook me up\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"Thankful Thursdays"},{"content":"\nThe mini heat wave that was, threatened to leave nerves frayed and tempers flared all week in Room 3.26 before - like a duplicitous conman - it vanished as abruptly as it had arrived. It just so happened that the air conditioning - perhaps suddenly burdened by the heat load and the multiplied tinkering of the occupants of the various offices in our section - huffed and puffed to an untimely death; leaving us in varying degrees of grumpiness. I had taken half the Friday off, looking to spend the afternoon strolling leisurely up and down Union Street, binging on the copious amounts of skin that had suddenly appeared, coaxed out by the warmth from beneath the bland greys and austere blacks that had been the standard fare for the last few months. The flirty weather had other plans though, and Friday morning arrived with a chill in its wake putting the dampers on any thoughts of prancing about town. I promptly cancelled my holiday, resigning myself to a full day of number crunching and copious amounts of milky, weak tea. So much for an early return to warm, sunny days!\nMy weather induced malaise extended through to Saturday morning - until some wily scheming from the god daughter finally lured me off my back side. I was in the middle of a telephone conversation with her father - wrapped in a snuggie for warmth and with re-runs of NCIS on TV for company - when she interjected to remind me of a promise I had somehow failed to deliver on. A year and some ago, she had turned five, smack in the middle of my North American jaunt. The promise of an afternoon out on my tab had been the only way to placate her at the time, something I had hopelessly failed to deliver on. At her insistence, no doubt egged on by her father, we agreed to meet up at 1.00pm for a walk down to the centre of town to grab lunch and chat. It was barely one o\u0026rsquo;clock when my doorbell rang, shattering whatever sense of lethargy I might have slipped into. I grabbed a large jacket and proceeded to take the fifteen minute stroll to Union Square, with her skipping merrily along a tad bit too excitedly, whilst her father and I – not exactly quintessential examples of fit, young men - struggled to keep up.\nWe clearly were not the only ones keen to spend the day out - in spite of the chill there was a small crowd of ten to twelve people clustered around the entrance to my Nandos all waiting to get seated and enjoy lunch. All told, it probably took the better part of thirty five minutes before we finally got a seat for three, wedged into a corner with the bristly leaves of some unknown plant digging into my side and a stern looking gentleman on the other. The scant consolation was the wide vista that the position afforded us – looking outward unto the central courtyard and the milling masses of gaily dressed people seemingly intent on sticking the finger to the weather, sudden chill or not.\nI am handing the kid a chunk of lemon and herb flavoured prei-peri chicken when I see some movement from the corner of my eye. He walks past, pauses, moves on and then returns a few minutes later like someone weighing up a decision. When he returns a second time he marches straight to my table; only then does the flame of recognition flicker into life in my head. He and I shared six years studying together at the turn of the century. Not since those rain-beaten July months just before we shipped out to serve the nation have I seen him. He\u0026rsquo;s lost the gaunt frame, mean, hawkish eyes and the goatee that were his signature look back in the day, all that replaced by premature balding, a rounded face and the beginnings of a pot belly.\nWe shake hands excitedly, our enthusiasm only slightly doused by the icy look from the man to my right. He’s spent the last four years working in Port Harcourt and is in town for a three week training program. I fill him up on what I\u0026rsquo;ve been doing since leaving UX5 - studying and now stuck behind a desk crunching numbers. We swap phone numbers. He has a flight to catch early the next morning and is keen to do some last minute shopping - my now forsaken chicken is rapidly growing cold.\nHis parting shot is to nod in the god daughter\u0026rsquo;s direction and remark that she\u0026rsquo;s got my eyes. All I do is offer up a wry smile without comment. I suppose if MG and I had worked out - and no although I was at that wedding, I didn\u0026rsquo;t get married - I could conceivably be her father. That, somewhat sadly, I am not.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/04/04/false-dawns-god-daughter-shenanigans-and-an-unexpected-meetup/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"The god daughter and I having a nandos moment\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/fola_.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mini heat wave that was, threatened to leave nerves frayed and tempers flared all week in Room \u003cstrong\u003e3.26\u003c/strong\u003e before - like a duplicitous conman - it vanished as abruptly as it had arrived. It just so happened that the air conditioning - perhaps suddenly burdened by the heat load and the multiplied tinkering of the occupants of  the various offices in our section - huffed and puffed to an untimely death; leaving us in varying degrees of grumpiness. I had taken half the Friday off, looking to spend the afternoon strolling leisurely up and down Union Street, binging on the copious amounts of skin that had suddenly appeared, coaxed out by the warmth from beneath the bland greys and austere blacks that had been the standard fare for the last few months. The flirty weather had other plans though, and Friday morning arrived with a chill in its wake putting the dampers on any thoughts of prancing about town. I promptly cancelled my holiday, resigning myself to a full day of number crunching and copious amounts of milky, weak tea. So much for an early return to warm, sunny days!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"False dawns, god daughter shenanigans and an unexpected meetup"},{"content":"Some of my more memorable passages in Binyavanga Wainana’s witty, somewhat self deprecating if irreverent memoir, One Day I Will Write About This Place relate to his early contact with Pentecostalism whilst growing up in Kenya. In one of those he describes his mother’s desire one Sunday morning to attend a church and how they end up in one that is unmistakable Pentecostal:\nThe heat and light are blinding and people are jumping up and down and singing what sounds to me like voices from an accordion. It smells of sweat and goats. We sit. All hot and in Sunday sweaters and collars and vaseline under the hot iron roof, and people spit and start and this is because we are frying, not because God is here.\nThe picture is one of chaos and disorder:\nPeople are dressed in wild robes: orange Peter Pan collars, neon blues and golds and yellows. People reach into bras and pockets and purses and take out notes and envelopes and throw them in the moving dancing collection baskets. A crescendo is reached after we have given money, and people are writhing and shouting in the heat. Words are flowing from their lips like porridge, in no language I know, but in a clear coherent pitch. Each person has her or his own tongue\nThe contrast offered is one between this garish mix of colour and energy and the more sedate, introspective one he is more used to from the Catholic Church:\nThe Catholic church I know is all about having to kneel and stand when everybody else kneels and stands, and crossing and singing with eyebrows up to show earnestness before God, and open-mouth dignity to receive the bread.\nIn my experience, being a non-dancing member of a (Nigerian) Pentecostal church can be painfully odd at times. There have been days, often first (thanksgiving) Sundays of the month, where the thought of having to face yet another gruelling marathon of excited dancing, loud music and the incessant admonition to those of who stand ram-rod straight to \u0026lsquo;dance for the glor of God\u0026rsquo; has left me petrified to the extent that I have justed stayed at home. This after many many years of rolling in those circles. I suppose people coming into contact with it for the first time are excused whatever shocks they get then.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/04/02/on-pentecostalism/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSome of my more memorable passages in Binyavanga Wainana’s witty, somewhat self deprecating if irreverent memoir, \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Will-Write-About-This-Place/dp/1847080219\"\u003eOne Day I Will Write About This Place\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e relate to his early contact with Pentecostalism whilst growing up in Kenya. In one of those he describes his mother’s desire one Sunday morning to attend a church and how they end up in one that is unmistakable Pentecostal:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe heat and light are blinding and people are jumping up and down and singing what sounds to me like voices from an accordion. It smells of sweat and goats.\nWe sit. All hot and in Sunday sweaters and collars and vaseline under the hot iron roof, and people spit and start and this is because we are frying, not because God is here.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Pentecostalism..."},{"content":"To God be the Glory.. :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/04/01/first-dance/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTo God be the Glory.. :)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"edo_wedding\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/edo_wedding.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/A9jqegdACmg?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e","title":"First dance... "},{"content":"Ninety one days into the new year, I do not appear to have made any significant progress on the one thing on my 2012 to do list which my mother is most interested in - finding myself a potential wife. Following on a review from late last year, I decided a multi-pronged approach would work best - fusing online dating with physical meet ups and the occasional introduction from mutual friends. Arguably, there have been opportunities with potential, even though the bulk of them have not been. In any case here goes the journey so far:\nQ: Q\u0026rsquo;s a Geek\u0026rsquo;s Geek, works in the IT industry and is uncannily similar to EJ - same secondary school in Nigeria, lives in the same state, grew up on the Grail Message and has accepted it\u0026rsquo;s New Age-ish worldview implications. She and I have an easy understanding, and our conversations have extended into the two hour time space already. Real potential here if we can work out the significant worldview issues involved. AJ: At first I had high hopes for AJ - she lived a few hundred miles south of Berwick and was a great conversationist. After what seemed like a couple of weeks of going full stam ahead where it felt like we had compatible intentions we somehow had the talk in which she essentially said she wasn\u0026rsquo;t looking for something serious at the moment. I tried to get her to Skype, but she somehow managed to avoid that\u0026hellip; We\u0026rsquo;ve drifted apart since then - the odd what\u0026rsquo;s app conversation apart, we\u0026rsquo;re barely in contact. I did get matched with someone on eHarmony a few days ago from the same city as she and the same name.. Curious one here - perhaps she\u0026rsquo;s on the lookout for something, not just with a bloke like me. Liz: Liz is as English as they come, even if she does have Nigerian connections - a couple of close friends and family who have worked in the Oil industry in Lagos and Port Harcourt. It was my first experience of going inter-racial, and to be honest I was perhaps willing to give it a shot, except for the fact that she was super secretive - it took me almost a full month to get a picture and the revelation that she was white. Again, this is one of those which has petered out, it is unlikely that I\u0026rsquo;ll be making any efforts to get this back online. Ify: Ify\u0026rsquo;s the twin sister of a friend and to be honest I\u0026rsquo;d never really considered her as an option. She\u0026rsquo;s quite the churchy girly, and given my worldview vacillations, a gung-ho spirified young woman has not really been the sort to catch my eye. A lengthy chat at the church youth group\u0026rsquo;s breakfast meetup made me see her in a new light. She\u0026rsquo;s definitely a good friend to have around - unsure if anything might develop further from that one. elC: elC and I have been friends from the summer of \u0026lsquo;09 (In retrospect, 2009 seems to have been a watershed year for me and the \u0026lsquo;women in my life). In theory, she checks all the boxes - Christian worldview, she and I share a good connection and all that. The one snag is again for lack of clarity, I do not know for sure if she sees \u0026lsquo;us\u0026rsquo; as an option or merely as the cool, level headed guy down the road. Again, clarity is required here. TheB: Despite our ups and down, TheB remains a veritable option, perhaps more so because we\u0026rsquo;ve never actually had a face to face, no holds barred, lets-sort-ourselves out chat ever. Sometime over the next few months, I do have to have that chat and know for sure one way or the other. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/04/01/the-dating-wrap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eNinety one days into the new year, I do not appear to have made any significant progress on the one thing on my 2012 to do list which my mother is most interested in - finding myself a potential wife. Following on a \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/weighing-up-the-options/\"\u003ereview from late last year\u003c/a\u003e, I decided a multi-pronged approach would work best - fusing online dating with physical meet ups and the occasional introduction from mutual friends. Arguably, there have been opportunities with potential, even though the bulk of them have not been. In any case here goes the journey so far:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Dating Wrap"},{"content":"My lazy Saturday - the slightly chillier air put paid to any pretensions of activity I had planned for the day - ended being defined by three conversations. In all honesty, two were conversations I could have done without, but I ended up caught up in them anyways.\nI wake up to see an offline message from my Q, my friend of just under a week. She\u0026rsquo;s a Geek\u0026rsquo;s Geek complete with geeky glasses and loads of tech speech. We end up talking about everything and nothing for the better part of three hours. In a sense it feels like de ja vu all over again - the easy conversation, shared interests and comfort even in silence were hallmarks of the early days of my bonding with EJ. Probably still early days, but there does seem to be a real opportunity for something to develop here.\nMid-way through that conversation, I get a phone call from TheB, my nearly girl from 2009. I suspect we\u0026rsquo;ve come a long way towards resolving the big issues from our past dalliance. It is the final 10% that holds us back I think. Post 2009, I had begun a crash program of radical decoupling surgery, one that I have been unable to completely reverse. Our conversation was about the normal, mundane stuff of life - wishing we could win the lottery, pricky office mates, travel plans and all such like. Sadly, this is one connection that seems destined to peter out in the cold, dark soot from what might have been a raging, passionate inferno.\nJust before midnight my time, the final conversation with EJ occurred. It\u0026rsquo;s the first time we\u0026rsquo;re speaking since August 2011, and I suspect there are still a few scabs to rake over. It was her birthday a few days ago, and thanks to a calendar reminder I did remember to send an Amazon Gift card her way this time (which was more than I ever did when we were an item). Again our conversation ebbed and flowed - her bookwork, a mini birthday party, returning to work in Nigeria, our mutual friends, my lack of impetus on the marriage front and the like. I suppose there was some awkwardness at first, but by the end of the conversation we were winging it - not quite flowing as before, but with a lot less hesitancy.\nI suppose Q might be the future, EJ definitely is the past, TheB just might be the recurring decimal.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/03/31/conversations/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMy lazy Saturday - the slightly chillier air put paid to any pretensions of activity I had planned for the day - ended being defined by three conversations. In all honesty, two were conversations I could have done without, but I ended up caught up in them anyways.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI wake up to see an offline message from my Q, my friend of just under a week. She\u0026rsquo;s a Geek\u0026rsquo;s Geek complete with geeky glasses and loads of tech speech. We end up talking about everything and nothing for the better part of three hours. In a sense it feels like de ja vu all over again - the easy conversation, shared interests and comfort even in silence were hallmarks of the early days of my bonding with EJ. Probably still early days, but there does seem to be a real opportunity for something to develop here.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Conversations"},{"content":"Joshua Gans on The True Cost of Parenting, and why $180,000 may not necessarily be as outlandish as it sounds especially when the opportunity cost of stay at home parenting is factored in:\nParents know their children, have their interests at heart, are on call all the time and mean you don’t have to worry about child care. This is precisely the utilitarian services that the high priced nannies are being valued for. Once you include stay-at-home parents, you’ll find that we are all paying much more for nannies than we think.\nThe original article on the $180k nanny here.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/03/30/the-friday-read-the-true-cost-of-parenting/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eJoshua Gans on \u003ca href=\"http://www.forbes.com/sites/joshuagans/2012/03/22/there-are-more-high-priced-nannies-than-you-think/\"\u003eThe True Cost of Parenting\u003c/a\u003e, and why $180,000 may not necessarily be \u003ca href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/magazine/the-best-nanny-money-can-buy.html?_r=1\u0026amp;pagewanted=all\"\u003eas outlandish as it sounds\u003c/a\u003e especially when the \u003cem\u003eopportunity cost\u003c/em\u003e of stay at home parenting is factored in:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eParents know their children, have their interests at heart, are on call all the time and mean you don’t have to worry about child care.  This is precisely the utilitarian services that the high priced nannies are being valued for. Once you include stay-at-home parents, you’ll find that we are all paying much more for nannies than we think.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Friday Read: The True Cost of Parenting"},{"content":"Are emotions prophetic? The short answer is No, but Jonah Lehrer at The Frontal Cortex offers a good summary of the long answer [pdf]:\nEvery feeling is like a summary of data, a quick encapsulation of all the information processing that we don’t have access to. (As Pham puts it, emotions are like a “privileged window” into the subterranean mind.) When it comes to making predictions about complex events, this extra information is often essential. It represents the difference between an informed guess and random chance.\nThin-slicing for dummies? I suppose the unasked question is how our prejudices, worldview and the socio-cultural context bias us in one direction or the other when we emotionally thin-slice\u0026hellip; It just might be a good time for me to re-read Gladwell\u0026rsquo;s Blink too.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/03/23/the-friday-read-are-emotions-prophetic/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAre emotions prophetic? The short answer is No, but Jonah Lehrer at The Frontal Cortex offers a \u003ca href=\"http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/03/are-emotions-prophetic/\"\u003egood summary\u003c/a\u003e of the \u003ca href=\"http://business.illinois.edu/ba/seminars/2010/pham_paper2.pdf\"\u003elong answer\u003c/a\u003e [pdf]:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery feeling is like a summary of data, a quick encapsulation of all the information processing that we don’t have access to. (As Pham puts it, emotions are like a “privileged window” into the subterranean mind.) When it comes to making predictions about complex events, this extra information is often essential. It represents the difference between an informed guess and random chance.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Friday Read: Are Emotions Prophetic?"},{"content":"\nI get the call late – sometime between 5.00 and 5.30pm on Monday evening - as I drag my bone weary self homeward, plowing a lone furrow down Guild and up Union through the masses of people heading home in the opposite direction. A sudden change of plans on The Project has thrown the curveball that is being the designated short term relief in my direction, and being the young, unmarried bloke on the team I get first dibs at the possibility of catching a 9.30 am flight the next morning. With the prospect of performance reviews due in a mere two weeks, I\u0026rsquo;m not exactly keen to refuse an opportunity to demonstrate my ability to \u0026lsquo;handle changing priorities\u0026rsquo;, so I shrug inwardly, accept my lot and grumble all the way home.\nIt is nice and bright - and atypically sunny day for this time of the year - when I drag myself into a cab for the drive to the airport. By the time we navigate the final turn into the airport; the weather has taken a decidedly chillier tone. I find the departures lounge empty, save for a somewhat plump, dour woman, huddled over one of the terminals that line one side of the building. I clear my throat to attract her attention - and stammer a greeting when she looks up. She peers at me - the whites and browns of her eyes peeking out from the gap between her face and the glasses she has perched on almost the very tip of her nose. I mention I am due to catch a flight out. She asks for my details, but midway through attempting to phonetically spell my surname, I give up and fish out my company ID from the innards of my knapsack. It takes at least a minute of uncomfortable silence before she looks up again and confirms I\u0026rsquo;m on the passenger manifest. It turns out I have arrived a full ninety minutes before check-in for my flight is due to open, and I will have to come back in an hour\u0026rsquo;s time. I thank her again, shrug in resignation and head back out into what has become a howling wind.\nI scan the terrain looking to find somewhere to set up shop whilst waiting - there are only the bus shelters and a couple of smoke shacks around. I chose the bus shelter which proves woefully inadequate protection. From the corner of my eye, I see more people head through the doors, ostensibly get the same response I got and head back out in short thrust.\nThere must be at least sixty people in varying stages of repose, slouched in the long red seats which fill the tightly packed waiting room by the time I return and manage to navigate the check-in. We all await the announcements of our various flights and the invitation to watch the safety video before that. The overhead screens have Sky News on - the continuing debacle that is Rangers going into administration gets several minutes, as does the endless analysis of the US Presidential elections, previews of the upcoming Champions League football, and all the other things which make up \u0026rsquo;news\u0026rsquo;. There is some pattern to the clustering - old friends and colleagues swapping loud stories of their off-work shenanigans, people leafing mindlessly through the newspapers and one person reading from his kindle. It is only my second time passing through this place but it is already becoming easy to spot the obvious first time flyers with their youngish faces, nervous hand motions, quieter dispositions and blank stares into the infinity of distance; far removed from the usual brash, borderline uncouth crowd that is more typical.\nThat context undergirds communication and modifies meaning is never more obvious than on these jaunts. In my time I\u0026rsquo;ve run into quite a few ex royal marines, members of the merchant marine, and techs who have come through apprenticeships at manufacturing companies. That, and the penchant for giving and taking banter that comes with knocking back a few brews at the local pub - and passionately following a football club - means that language that would make my chocolate dark mother blush is commonplace. One is as likely to get called a fat turd as a f*cking wanker in these parts - and four letter expletives are as commonplace as the faded blue jeans that appear to be the kit of choice amongst us all.\nUnderneath the crude talk, the borderline sexist language and the impression of crassness that you first get, over time I have gotten to know there is a softer, paternal, dare I say more responsible side to this lot. The last time out here I shared a quiet moment with Mark* as he ground his own coffee and kept an eye on the television who was genuinely worried about his son and his desire to protect him from the influence of three generations of cousins and uncles who have never worked. There was Brian* the opera aficionado, married for nineteen years, who was looking forward to his annual anniversary celebration which usually involved a trip to catch an opera in Vienna, a reenactment of his how-we-met story.\nIt is nearly 12.20pm before I get the call to board. The first leg of the trip is a forty five minute jaunt by fixed-wing aircraft northwards into ever more worsening weather to the windswept bareness that is SCATSTA; a World War II RAF base awakened from its post war coma by BP and North Sea oil. The flight is bumpy but sweets, coffee and biscuits help to ease the ever louder growling of my stomach as it protests yet another skipped breakfast. SCATSTA turned out to be a quick ten minute turn around, before the call to suit up, don a life jacket and clamber aboard the helicopter for the final forty minutes of my journey outwards came. My final destination is a rig on the very edge of nowhere, straddling the border of the UK and Norwegian sectors of the North Sea with nothing but grey skies and water all around for company.\nI manage to snag a window seat on for this final leg, but the ever thickening mist that swathes us makes it impossible to see anything of note. Somewhere in between, lulled by the steady chugging of the helicopter\u0026rsquo;s rotors and the bland sameness of the view through the window, I nod off to sleep, like three quarters of us already have. I wake up with a start to the sound of the pilot announcing our final descent, and a warning. Gusts of wind reaching 35 knots are predicted for this sector, we will have to be careful whilst disembarking. I check my carry on items - a book and my wrist watch in my knee pocket - are secure and brace myself for the landing. In the distance the bright orange of the hull of the standby rescue craft is barely discernible in the mist. Around us, there is water everywhere\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/03/19/about-town-journeying-to-the-middle-of-nowhere/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"offshore_1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/offshore_1.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI get the call late – sometime between 5.00 and 5.30pm on Monday evening -  as I drag my bone weary self homeward, plowing a lone furrow down Guild and up Union through the masses of people heading home in the opposite direction.  A sudden change of plans on \u003cem\u003eThe Project\u003c/em\u003e has thrown the curveball that is being the designated short term relief in my direction, and being the young, unmarried bloke on the team I get first dibs at the possibility of catching a 9.30 am flight the next morning. With the prospect of performance reviews due in a mere two weeks, I\u0026rsquo;m not exactly keen to refuse an opportunity to demonstrate my ability to \u003cem\u003e\u0026lsquo;handle changing priorities\u0026rsquo;\u003c/em\u003e, so I shrug inwardly, accept my lot and grumble all the way home.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Town: Journeying to the Middle of Nowhere"},{"content":"A few days late but an interesting read nonetheless. Denise Morris explores inter-racial dating and marriage from a biblical worldview over at Boundless.org. Parts One, Two and Three explore her experiences in growing up as a child from a mixed marriage, the pseudo-biblical objections people may have and offers a useful summation:\nWill choosing to date someone outside of your race make your life more difficult? Hopefully not, but it could. If it does, remember that the father of lies still has a grip on humanity. He will until the day Christ returns to put him in his place. Are the potential difficulties of an interracial relationship worth it? Of course they are if it\u0026rsquo;s the person God has prepared for you. Most importantly, all of us are precious in his sight — red, yellow, black and white — and every shade in between.\nEven though in many ways my various reservations are being pared down to the bare essentials, I still suspect that going inter racial is (yet) a bridge too far - the rationale being the significant cultural differences (which are not insurmountable) and the perception that they are often marriages of convenience rather than for love. It\u0026rsquo;s only 2012 though, 2015 might see me singing from a different song sheet..\nThe line about red, yellow, black and white reminded me of a song [YouTube] from children\u0026rsquo;s church back in the day.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/03/10/the-friday-read-mixed-matches/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA few days late but an interesting read nonetheless. Denise Morris explores inter-racial dating and marriage from a biblical worldview over at \u003ca href=\"http://www.boundless.org/\"\u003eBoundless.org\u003c/a\u003e. Parts \u003ca href=\"http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0002528.cfm\"\u003eOne\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0002527.cfm\"\u003eTwo\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0002526.cfm\"\u003eThree\u003c/a\u003e explore her experiences in growing up as a child from a mixed marriage, the pseudo-biblical objections people may have and offers a useful summation:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWill choosing to date someone outside of your race make your life more difficult? Hopefully not, but it could. If it does, remember that the father of lies still has a grip on humanity. He will until the day Christ returns to put him in his place. Are the potential difficulties of an interracial relationship worth it? Of course they are if it\u0026rsquo;s the person God has prepared for you. Most importantly, all of us are precious in his sight — red, yellow, black and white — and every shade in between.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Friday Read: Mixed Matches"},{"content":"My short Saturday morning sleep (I\u0026rsquo;d stayed awake till 4.30 am) was shattered by the insistent buzz of my cellphone at a little over 9.00am, and with it came summons to meet up with a bloke I met at NYSC camp and his wife. After braving howling winds and nearly passing out on my feet with the sheer amount of shops we went through, we got to share my peri-peri chicken addiction, and chat. True to form our conversation segued into the murky waters that are Nigeria and its various issues. Thankfully, reminiscing over the highlights of our service year provided a spot of cheer.\nMy memories of the NYSC year were largely good – bar three weeks spent in the hell hole that was Yikpata with its over-crowded rooms, near non existent toilet facilities and mosquitoes. Thanks to those mosquitoes from hell, I - famed for my obstinate resistance to all things malaria - ended up with a bout so massive that the camp days blurred into each other, a continuum of delirium from which all that survived were hazy memories of flitting in and out of the camp infirmary and nightmares so intense they often felt like someone had a pillow over my face and was suffocating me.\nEnding up in Kwara had been the product of my famed quiet stubbornness. In a huff over something or the other my mother had said, I had insisted to the death that I needed no help in securing a favourable posting. In public I sounded very self assured - confident in my ability to take care of myself irrespective of where I ended up. In my less vocal moments, I was very concerned that getting Zamfara would be the end of me, especially given the fact that the sum total of my life lived northward of the Osse River was two weeks, bar my six month sojourn in Ajaokuta.\nPostings came with further trepidation on my part. I\u0026rsquo;d hardly had a stellar three weeks - no success with either the sports or the arts meant I had hardly set myself up for one of the much sought after postings. It turned out I scored a fairly cushy number - 11 months teaching math and physics in a secondary school on the outskirts of Ilorin. Lodgings would be provided in the mission house right next to Maraba with all its accoutrements - loud Yoruba music from the shops across the road, waking up to the mellifluous, if insistent call of the muezzin, and community development meetings at the state secretariat on Ahmadu Bello way. A few of the lads were not so lucky - Dayo* copped a spot in Kosubosu, the Baruten nightmare we all feared, complete with a seven hour trip into the unknown, insular West which was more Benin Republic than Nigeria if the been-tos were to be believed.\nWithin the first few hours of reporting at school, I quickly learnt that we were being thrust into the deep end. The school - with the requisite mame as long as an arm - was on its last legs, tottering on the edge of the precipice of insolvency. It was massively under-funded, with a new mission head seemingly intent on making it fail and had students who seemed more interested in flirting with the latest batch of Corp members than getting good grades on their SSCEs. I also had an interesting set of Corp members. There was Bukky* - whose Lagos-chic affectations provided good sport for the rest of us (and brought back a few ice cream tubs from the only Mr Biggs place in town) and Musa* who took nominal Muslim to a whole new level complete with nights at the local beer parlour and more than one suspected tryst at the brothel next door.\nThursdays were a special highlight; we would gather at the state secretariat and swap our often very vocal views on the latest Premiership scores whilst pretending to be involved in some community development group or the other. The women by the road side ensured we spent our hard earned allowee on extra spicy akara and fried plantains topped up with a dollop of pepper stew so fiery our eyes would water. It also turned out that my wish to be far from home backfired spectacularly - my mother somehow found a friend of a friend to keep tabs on me and the trip up the road to Tanke every other weekend became a fixture. It helped that they had a son who like me thought DC Talk and Audio Adrenaline were the business, and that Football Manager was a valid reason to offer a full night\u0026rsquo;s sleep at the altar of a computer monitor.\nEventually, as the service year drew to a close and we began to chase jobs, the physics, math and chemistry refreshers I got from teaching served me in good stead, as did my spiel about mentoring which was made up entirely on the spot.\nReminiscing with my friend and his wife over chicken and coke zero, it all came back to me. I suspect if I had the chance to do it all over again, I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t change a thing.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/02/27/that-nysc-year/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMy short Saturday morning sleep (I\u0026rsquo;d stayed awake till 4.30 am) was shattered by the insistent buzz of my cellphone at a little over 9.00am, and with it came summons to meet up with a bloke I met at NYSC camp and his wife. After braving howling winds and nearly passing out on my feet with the sheer amount of shops we went through, we got to share my peri-peri chicken addiction, and chat. True to form our conversation segued into the murky waters that are Nigeria and its various issues. Thankfully, reminiscing over the highlights of our service year provided a spot of cheer.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"That NYSC Year..."},{"content":"My little experiment in online dating comes to an end over the next few weeks, thanks to expiring subscriptions. If there is one thing I have learned, it is that online dating may not be for me.\nIf my experience is typical, it would appear the Nigerian man trying online dating has three strikes against him. First is the perception in the wider world of Nigerians as being inherently scam artists. A bevy of websites has sprung up whose MO appears solely to be defining tactics and strategies for identifying Nigerian scam artists and outing them. The three or so women on eHarmony who I made it past guided communication into emailing with suddenly became reticent when I declared I was Nigerian. From a couple of emails a day, things segued into an email a couple of days and then them leaving my emails un-replied.\nSecondly, it does appear that online dating isn\u0026rsquo;t exactly catching on amongst Nigerian women within the demographic I am searching in. My initial searches on African Love were restricted to people stating their family roots as Nigerian. The profiles were either too young (to be honest, I struggle to understand why a 23 year old should be on a dating site, unless they live in Alaska or at the South pole), or too old (plus 35s with live-in children). The demographic (26 to 30 y.o) I was looking for appeared to be inactive on the site (stated ages in the \u0026lsquo;about me\u0026rsquo; section being out of sync with the calculated ages etc).\nThirdly, and following on from point two, the bulk of the Nigerian women that turned up in my searches were primarily situated in North America - the US primarily with a sprinkling in Canada - and in the UK. Even they showed an unwillingness to communicate, presumably because of the horror stories of blokes getting married just for papers. It is a sad but true possibility that such things happen, but I would have at least liked to be given a chance before being tarred with that brush. For goodness sakes, I work hard in a reasonably decent professional job, and make enough to take a trip a couple of times a year to any destination that suits my fancy and support the worthy causes I\u0026rsquo;m involved with.\nI suppose from a strategy perspective too, the online dating world lends its self to a multi-faceted approach - send as many emails as possible, wait for responses and take it from there. Between the low email return rate and the new matches delivered (almost daily) there is almost the sense that there might be a better match tomorrow, which defeats the idea of intentionality and upfront commitment.\nIn summary, I am sure being stuck up in my rural corner of the world, my naturally reserved nature, and my full time job seem to add up to a perfect storm which has put the dampeners on any active romantic interests just now. I am sure there were also issues with me, and my profiles (maybe I didn\u0026rsquo;t do a good enough job of selling myself), but I think online dating is one medium I am unlikely to have much success with.\nSo out here, it is back to the drawing board to devise a new strategy to find the one. Surely there are time tested principles and strategies to be employed in achieving these objectives. Sadly, online dating is looking less and less likely to be part of that strategy, for me at least.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/02/24/lessons-learned-on-online-dating/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMy \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/weighing-up-the-options/\"\u003elittle experiment in online dating\u003c/a\u003e comes to an end over the next few weeks, thanks to expiring subscriptions. If there is one thing I have learned, it is that online dating may not be for me.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf my experience is typical, it would appear the Nigerian man trying online dating has three strikes against him. First is the perception in the wider world of Nigerians as being inherently scam artists. \u003ca href=\"http://www.google.co.uk/#sclient=psy\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;source=hp\u0026amp;q=nigerian+scam+online+dating\u0026amp;pbx=1\u0026amp;oq=nigerian+scam+online+dating\u0026amp;aq=f\u0026amp;aqi=\u0026amp;aql=\u0026amp;gs_sm=e\u0026amp;gs_upl=1050l13368l0l14696l35l31l4l3l3l0l320l4555l3.11.10.1l25l0\u0026amp;bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.\u0026amp;fp=26bcde8f55e40222\u0026amp;biw=1280\u0026amp;bih=610\"\u003eA bevy of websites\u003c/a\u003e has sprung up whose MO appears solely to be defining tactics and strategies for identifying Nigerian scam artists and outing them. The three or so women on eHarmony who I made it past guided communication into emailing with suddenly became reticent when I declared I was Nigerian. From a couple of emails a day, things segued into an email a couple of days and then them leaving my emails un-replied.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Lessons Learned: On (online) dating"},{"content":"From Project Syndicate:\nUrbanization is blamed for a wide variety of modern social ills, ranging from crime and incivility to alienation and anomie. But, by infusing us with their unique spirit and identity, our cities may, in fact, help to empower humanity to face the most difficult challenges of the twenty-first century.\nWhat \u0026lsquo;unique spirit and identity\u0026rsquo; might Lagos infuse us with?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/02/24/the-friday-read-self-and-the-city/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFrom \u003ca href=\"http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/dabell3/English\"\u003eProject Syndicate\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUrbanization is blamed for a wide variety of modern social ills, ranging from crime and incivility to alienation and anomie. But, by infusing us with their unique spirit and identity, our cities may, in fact, help to empower humanity to face the most difficult challenges of the twenty-first century.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat \u0026lsquo;unique spirit and identity\u0026rsquo; might Lagos infuse us with?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Friday Read: Self and The City"},{"content":"\nSource\nTo the woman in the green dress: Oklahoma City, December 24th…\nShe had me between \u0026lsquo;duh\u0026rsquo; - and the nonchalant, sultry blur of her unruly hair; and the pouty, smouldering incandescence of her blood red lips; shimmering life-like in the dull, barely there blues and reds and flickering purples of the BeeJay\u0026rsquo;s mirror ball.\nWe were like two large - lumps of rock; boulders locked in the unwilling, eternal waltz of gravity; stuck in distant orbits around the crowded dance floor like as around a stranded, listless star. In the interludes between the mindless drone of the DJ\u0026rsquo;s songs, and the rude, insistent scratch of his beatbox our eyes weave and bob, like corks floating in a sea of ice cold beer.\nBut we never ever cross the invisible lines of propriety; and when the clock chimes 3.16 and the barman\u0026rsquo;s cleared throat sounds the final knell for our unwilling dance, we are still those self same rocks; in step, but still apart, with the cold, dark emptiness of impassive space and the memory of what might s between us\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/02/22/she-had-me-at-duh/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/woman_green_dress.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"woman_green_dress\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/woman_green_dress.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://bnbaccessories.com/bnblog/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Femella-Women-Green-Dress_90aeb3ccfc0d82091a63172f54d867e3_images_1080_1440_mini.jpg\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTo the woman in the green dress: Oklahoma City, December 24th…\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe had me between \u0026lsquo;duh\u0026rsquo; -\nand the nonchalant, sultry blur\nof her unruly hair; and the pouty,\nsmouldering incandescence of\nher blood red lips; shimmering\nlife-like in the dull, barely there\nblues and reds and flickering\npurples of the BeeJay\u0026rsquo;s mirror ball.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe were like two large -\nlumps of rock; boulders locked\nin the unwilling, eternal waltz\nof gravity; stuck in distant orbits\naround the crowded dance floor\nlike as around a stranded, listless star.\nIn the interludes between the\nmindless drone of the DJ\u0026rsquo;s songs,\nand the rude, insistent scratch\nof his beatbox our eyes\nweave and bob, like corks\nfloating in a sea of ice cold beer.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"She had Me at 'Duh'"},{"content":"From the Prince of Egypt soundtrack:\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/02/19/the-sunday-song-when-you-believe-whitney-houston-ft-mariah-carey/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFrom the Prince of Egypt soundtrack:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/CxIN79n4jVo?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e","title":"The Sunday Song: When You Believe - Whitney Houston ft Mariah Carey"},{"content":"Not quite my state of mind, but this will do:\nvia xkcd.\nThe alt text (to stave off miss.fab\u0026rsquo;s wrath):\nThe worst resolution to the Valentine Prisoner’s dilemma, when YOU decide not to give your partner a present but your PARTNER decides to testify against you in the armed robbery case\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/02/14/over-thinking/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eNot quite my \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analysis_paralysis\"\u003estate of mind\u003c/a\u003e, but this will do:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/valentine_dilemma.png\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"valentine_dilemma\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/valentine_dilemma.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003evia \u003ca href=\"http://xkcd.com/1016/\"\u003exkcd\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe alt text (to stave off \u003ca href=\"http://thismomentisforyou.com/\"\u003emiss.fab\u003c/a\u003e\u0026rsquo;s wrath):\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe worst resolution to the Valentine Prisoner’s dilemma, when YOU decide not to give your partner a present but your  PARTNER decides to testify against you in the armed robbery case\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e","title":"Over-thinking..."},{"content":"\nOn a whim, I decide to wear a yellow shirt to work. There are no dress codes out here, but light greys, shiny whites and spartan blues are the most likely colours that peek out from beneath the heavy, grey jumpers that are de rigueur around these parts. It is a relatively mild seven degrees, less the wind chill and I feel sufficiently warm enough to ditch my heavy overcoat in favour of a lighter jacket.\nI get a few odd looks as I stride through the doors at a bright and early 8.30 am, but no one comments until I show up at the corner office that houses the two much older guys on the team who have been on for forever it seems, just past 10.00am. One of them is a taciturn English man - complete with a posh accent and hair greying gracefully at the temples - who is always properly dressed, dress down Friday or not. The other is a more gregarious middle aged Scotman, always up for a pint, with a keen wit, and that uncommon ability to deliver sarcastic barbs in that understated manner that only an aged Yoruba man can manage flawlessly.\n- Dressing for summer already here are we?, the slightly more gregarious one asks. He and I have had way too many Friday afternoons of banter around the coffee machine on subjects as diverse as immigration, the benefits system and the bid for Scottish independence; and he seems up for a quick joust this Monday morning. I have my sleeves rolled up just past my elbows, one hand in my pocket and with the other clutch a pack of drawings to my chest.\nI dump the drawings I want him to review on his desk and pat down my sleeves thinking my rolling them up is what he is taking umbrage at, but he smiles slyly and proceeds to allay my concern.\n- I mean the yellow shirt, son. It\u0026rsquo;s too early for that. Yellow shirts are for summer only.\nI point to the sunlight streaming in through the blinds behind him, and we all laugh at the obvious illusion. I make to leave - he is a great talker, and I\u0026rsquo;m not keen to burn a few hours just yet. Before I can escape, he mentions his daughter is headed to New Orleans. It is her gap year, and she is spending it country hopping. Bank balance apart, he is glad she\u0026rsquo;s keeping out of trouble and enjoying herself. I ooh and ahh, throwing in a nod here and there as he regales me with bits and pieces of her itinerary.\nWhen I finally peel myself away from him, I am left with a sense that I could use some heat - and a cuddle - just now.. The bright sunny days that were last summer seem like a lifetime ago.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/02/13/feening-for-summer/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/aberdeen-beach.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"aberdeen beach\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/aberdeen-beach.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn a whim, I decide to wear a \u003ca href=\"http://theoohj.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/yellow_shirt.png\"\u003eyellow shirt\u003c/a\u003e to work. There are no dress codes out here, but light greys, shiny whites and spartan blues are the most likely colours that peek out from beneath the heavy, grey jumpers that are \u003cem\u003ede rigueur\u003c/em\u003e around these parts. It is a relatively mild seven degrees, less the wind chill and I feel sufficiently warm enough to ditch my heavy overcoat in favour of a lighter jacket.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Feening for summer..."},{"content":"Audio only:\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/02/12/the-sunday-song-i-won-t-go-back-william-mcdowell/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAudio only:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/ecevMcuqMiM?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e","title":"The Sunday Song: I Won't Go Back - William McDowell"},{"content":"Michael Schrage mulls over the \u0026lsquo;de-knighting\u0026rsquo; of Fred Goodwin - the former RBS CEO who presided over its meteoric rise from a relatively small Scottish bank to at one stage the largest bank in the world - and argues the case for better designed incentive systems that reward decisions which are inherently sustainable rather than geared towards risky short term profit:\n\u0026hellip;institutionalized imbalances in compensation encourage too many people to \u0026ldquo;game the system.\u0026rdquo; Traders are notorious for developing schemes that sync with how their compensation and bonuses will be paid out. Their defenders argue that consistent losers will, of course, get fired — so what\u0026rsquo;s the long-term point of clawbacks? But that ignores the (obvious) behavioral reality that traders who know that their greatest risk is losing their job — instead of their money — might be prone to making even larger bets to win comparably larger bonuses. The upside potential overwhelms the downside exposure. That\u0026rsquo;s a proven recipe for disaster.\nFull text at The Harvard Business Review here.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/02/03/the-friday-read-the-case-for-clawbacks/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMichael Schrage \u003ca href=\"http://blogs.hbr.org/schrage/2012/02/bonuses-are-good-but-clawbacks.html?\"\u003emulls\u003c/a\u003e over the \u0026lsquo;de-knighting\u0026rsquo; of Fred Goodwin  - the former RBS CEO who presided over its meteoric rise from a relatively small Scottish bank to at one stage the largest bank in the world -  and argues the case for better designed incentive systems that reward decisions which are inherently sustainable rather than geared towards risky short term profit:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026hellip;institutionalized imbalances in compensation encourage too many people to \u0026ldquo;game the system.\u0026rdquo; Traders are notorious for developing schemes that sync with how their compensation and bonuses will be paid out. Their defenders argue that consistent losers will, of course, get fired — so what\u0026rsquo;s the long-term point of clawbacks? But that ignores the (obvious) behavioral reality that traders who know that their greatest risk is losing their job — instead of their money — might be prone to making even larger bets to win comparably larger bonuses. The upside potential overwhelms the downside exposure. That\u0026rsquo;s a proven recipe for disaster.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Friday Read: The Case for Clawbacks"},{"content":"In that productivity black hole that is the half hour before lunch - where the energy and the gusto from an early start have been steadily eroded by the mundanity of work and the insistent prattle of phone calls, emails and the odd buzz-word infested meeting - I stroll for the umpteenth time into the restroom, almost colliding with a man who is fiddling with the zipper on his fly. I least expect to find someone just inside the door, even though this time of the day is one where the restroom shuffle, coffee room trips and huddles of two and three in the hallway are time honoured strategies for the keen time waster.\nAlthough he is as surprised as I am, he collects his wits much quicker than I do, explaining through a stutter that his zipper has somehow come unravelled. In the five-ish minutes I spend using the urinal and washing up my hands he struggles to restore the integrity of his fly with a safety pin. Just how he manages to have a safety pin in hand and to the rescue escapes me - something tells me that he\u0026rsquo;s had the safety pin in place for more than just this trip to the loo. I leave before he resolves his little problem thankful for the chance to escape the awkwardness engendered by restroom small talk.\nel Madre, never one to shirk the opportunity to launch into a full frontal assault, appears to be learning in middle age that some subtlety – especially when it is related to her quietly stubborn brood – is the more likely weapon of choice for maximum impact. After the sustained attack that was the first half of 2011, she and I managed to have civil conversations through the back end of the year; ones which were largely successful in avoiding the elephant in the room - my perceived lack of application in resolving her grand child conundrum. In truth the attentions of a doting son in law, and a grand daughter who is quickly learning the tricks of playing adults against each other helped to keep her mollified. In tandem with her withdrawal, my uncle F has ratcheted up his interest, and he calls me one Monday morning lunch time to remonstrate with the newest prodigal in town. He is the one Uncle who has black sheep credentials, ones which he continually uses to press the case for a change of heart from yours truly.\nOn to Facebook on Monday night - boredom meeting a pining for just any conversation - and I end up talking with one of the lads from my class of 2009. He\u0026rsquo;s due out of the UK for good in a week\u0026rsquo;s time, his inability to get a sponsoring company putting paid to any furtherance of the dreams he once had. It turns out in the few months I haven\u0026rsquo;t been in touch with them three more of the lads have upped and headed back to Nigeria, one has acquired a Polish bride keen to enjoy the services of her black stud and one more has bitten the bullet and headed to Canada to reinvent his career. It is perhaps a testament to the harsh climes and how quickly time has passed by that my class of 2009 is light on the ground; with the bulk of us either back in Nigeria or weighing up Nigerian moves. It truly is becoming the end of an era, our era.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/01/30/awkward-conversations-proxy-wars-and-the-end-of-an-era/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn that productivity black hole that is the half hour before lunch - where the energy and the gusto from an early start have been steadily eroded by the mundanity of work and the insistent prattle of phone calls, emails and the odd buzz-word infested meeting - I stroll for the umpteenth time into the restroom, almost colliding with a man who is fiddling with the zipper on his fly. I least expect to find someone just inside the door, even though this time of the day is one where the restroom shuffle, coffee room trips and huddles of two and three in the hallway are time honoured strategies for the \u003cem\u003ekeen\u003c/em\u003e time waster.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Awkward conversations, proxy wars and the end of an era"},{"content":" The very first Fred Hammond single, I think\u0026hellip; Memories.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/01/29/ccm-sunday-mender-of-broken-hearts-fred-hammond/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/EekmCp3k0lM?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe very first Fred Hammond single, I think\u0026hellip; Memories.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"CCM Sunday: Mender of Broken Hearts - Fred Hammond"},{"content":"Jonah Lehrer (The Frontal Cortex) reviews a paper by Bahns, Pickett and Crandall on the relationship between social ecology (the make up of a community and its characteristics) and how people initiate and maintain relationships. They surmise that a bigger pool only makes us more picky, and keener to gravitate to people similar to us (the so called Similarity-Attraction effect).\nThe cliff notes version?\nWhen opportunity abounds, people are free to pursue more narrow selection criteria, but when fewer choices are available, they must find satisfaction using broader criteria.\nPerhaps LightherLamp put it more elegantly a few days ago. Full text of the paper here.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/01/20/the-friday-read-2-paradox-of-options/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eJonah Lehrer  (\u003ca href=\"http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/01/opposites-dont-attract-and-thats-bad-news/\"\u003eThe Frontal Cortex\u003c/a\u003e) reviews a paper by Bahns, Pickett and Crandall on the relationship between social ecology (the make up of a community and its characteristics) and \u003ca href=\"http://gpi.sagepub.com/content/15/1/119.full.pdf\"\u003ehow people initiate and maintain relationships\u003c/a\u003e. They surmise that a bigger pool only makes us more picky, and keener to gravitate to people similar to us (the so called Similarity-Attraction effect).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe cliff notes version?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen opportunity abounds, people are free to pursue more narrow selection criteria, but when fewer choices are available, they must find satisfaction using broader criteria.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Friday Read #2: The Paradox of Options"},{"content":"Amidst the bedlam that was a return to work after almost three weeks away, I completely forgot the small matter of having passed the second-year anniversary of my starting at my current job. The lads at HR though were not exactly keen to let me forget ; and I was suitably reminded via a letter in my home post box advising me of my eligibility to enrol on the company enhanced pension plan. Bar a few moments of drudgery, it has never really felt like I have been stuck out here for the past two years, even though I\u0026rsquo;ve twice come close to leaving; once to Nigeria, and the other time to our biggest competitor across town.\nFor one, the two lasses I have had to share Room 3.26 with for all of a year and a half - the Irish drinkard-swearer Si and her not quite prim and proper Glasweigian side kick - have provided me with invaluable insights into the minds of women. Having to over hear conversations about repairing broken nails, spray tans, weight watcher points, trips to the hair dresser and excited squeals over scoring a pair of Louboutins for 900 pounds is about as mind numbing as it can get. Thankfully, these conversations have not segued into the murky waters of bikini waxes and other more quintessentially feminine matters, yet. My timely offshore trips and a six month period spent working at a different site appear to have helped maintain my sanity. I suppose in some dark, murky parallel universe out there, some inertial frame exists within which there are positives to all these. If in 2015, that all Nigerian chic decides that her bedside prattle will consist in its entirely of the highs and lows of the not all together trivial pursuit of getting a broken nail fixed, I suspect that I will merely smile smugly to myself and zone out, thankful that between a feisty Irish lass and her side kick I have heard it all.\nMid way through January I am two books to the good and a good way through the third. A re-reading of Jeffrey Archer\u0026rsquo;s Shall We Tell the President was quickly followed by Drew Dyck\u0026rsquo;s Generation Ex-Christian, an evangelical\u0026rsquo;s attempt to unpack the reasons why 80% of children reared in church disengage by the time they turn 29 [I appear to be a classic \u0026rsquo; drifter\u0026rsquo; by the way - adult PK, single and firmly in the throes of a cognitive dissonance I seem unable to escape. :( ] Mid way through Binyanvanga Wainaina\u0026rsquo;s One Day I Will Write About This Place, I am increasingly enthralled by the self deprecating wit which he pens this memoir - but then since Open City and The Sense of an Ending I have been on a one man crusade to devour everything written that explores the conflation of memory and reflection that is a well written memoir.\nI am hoping that my reading will cover a lot more genres this year - worldviews both Christian and secular, memoir, business, the usual fiction and which ever book wins the Booker this year. Given the way my year in books has started off, it might yet be a good one.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/01/16/milestones-positives-2012-reading/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAmidst the bedlam that was a return to work after almost three weeks away, I completely forgot the small matter of having passed the second-year anniversary of my starting at my current job.  The lads at HR though were not exactly keen to let me forget ; and I was suitably reminded via a letter in my home post box advising me of my eligibility to enrol on the company enhanced pension plan. Bar a few moments of drudgery,  it has never really felt like I have been stuck out here for the past two years, even though I\u0026rsquo;ve twice come close to leaving; \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/08/decisions-again/\"\u003eonce to Nigeria\u003c/a\u003e, and the other time to \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/03/decisions-decisions/\"\u003eour biggest competitor\u003c/a\u003e across town.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Forgotten milestones, unexpected positives and 2012 reading"},{"content":" More here.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/01/15/ccm-sunday-2-blessings-laura-story/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/1CSVqHcdhXQ?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMore \u003ca href=\"http://laurastorymusic.com/2011/09/story-behind-the-song-%E2%80%9Cblessings%E2%80%9D/\"\u003ehere.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"CCM Sunday #2: Blessings - Laura Story"},{"content":"The flight into London was uneventful, the only thing breaking my ear-phones-plugged-in-music-playing routine being an exceptionally friendly gentleman and his wife who I had the misfortune of sitting next to, on one of three adjoining seats. After tossing my knapsack into the overhead locker, I motion for them to make some space for me. He smiles, far too easily and obliges me, as I slither into the seat, somehow managing to do it without entangling my ear phone wires on the various odds and ends he has left on the seat. He is dressed simply; a North Face jacket from which a bland, grey shirt peeks through a half done zipper. I can\u0026rsquo;t help but notice that the woman on the other hand is much better dressed, the highlight being an eye catching, flowery, brown dress that stops well shy of her knees as she sits, and a full mane of blonde hair. I settle in, toss a mirthless, slit lip grin in their direction and proceed to detangle my ear phone wires.\nGoing home? Or holidaying, the man to my right asks.\nHolidaying, I reply, hoping that my reply is sufficient brusque to stifle any further attempt at conversation.\nSomewhere warm? He continues. I shrug inwardly resigning myself to losing my peace on this flight. I give him the cliff notes version - a wedding in Oklahoma, a dash up to Chicago if I can manage it and a couple of days to meet up with old buddies in Dallas. Not boiling warm but warm enough given the weather forecasts for TheBZ. He explains that he and the wife, whom he indicates with a slant of his head, are headed westward too - California for four days and then Hawaii for two weeks. In the space of five short minutes, I learn that last year he did the Caribbean, and the year before some other exotic place. I murmur my compliments at their timing - they like me should miss the worst of the typically soul chilling TheBZ weather.\nWe make some more small talk, before I am rescued by the announcement of take off over the public address system. He turns to the woman at his side - who has passed the time thumbing through the high life magazine and chattering excitedly with her friend across the aisle - and they confer briefly.\nHe pats down his jacket, re-checks the buckle on the seat belt and leans back in his chair as the aircraft is towed on to the runway. In the few minutes it takes till we are airborne, I find that he has somehow managed to fall asleep. For the first time in at least ten minutes I am left in relative peace, enjoying the silence of my thoughts, and music. Across the aisle, the woman and her friend share a snicker at how quickly he has fallen asleep.\nPostscript OK was a blast - within minutes of my arrival I was treated to my very own steaming bowl of goat meat pepper soup. I toyed with heading out to Houston to meet up with my old Welding Engineering mentor, but the prospect of running into people I frankly had been trying hard to forget deterred me. Over all the only dark spot was being saddled with a couple of cry-y little children whose mother was only too glad to enjoy her new found freedom whilst I did my very best to keep them occupied. In a bizarre twist of fate, I ended up bonding with them so much I suspect I caught a mild case of baby envy fever. As for the wedding - I attended.\nAnd no, I didn\u0026rsquo;t catch the garter.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/01/14/reluctant-conversations/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe flight into London was uneventful, the only thing breaking my \u003cem\u003eear-phones-plugged-in-music-playing\u003c/em\u003e routine being an exceptionally friendly gentleman and his wife who I had the misfortune of sitting next to, on one of three adjoining seats. After tossing my knapsack into the overhead locker, I motion for them to make some space for me. He smiles, far too easily and obliges me, as I slither into the seat, somehow managing to do it without entangling my ear phone wires on the various odds and ends he has left on the seat. He is dressed simply; a North Face jacket from which a bland, grey shirt peeks through a half done zipper. I can\u0026rsquo;t help but notice that the woman on the other hand is much better dressed, the highlight being an eye catching, flowery, brown dress that stops well shy of her knees as she sits, and a full mane of blonde hair. I settle in, toss a mirthless, slit lip grin in their direction and proceed to detangle my ear phone wires.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Reluctant conversations..."},{"content":" More on the truly touching backstory on his blog here.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/01/08/ccm-sunday-save-a-place-for-me-matthew-west/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/zbsBUf9VKyc?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMore on the truly touching backstory on his blog \u003ca href=\"http://www.matthewwest.com/2010/02/17/save-a-place-for-me/\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"CCM Sunday: Save a Place For Me - Matthew West"},{"content":"Clayton M. Christensen over at the Harvard Business Review muses on life, purpose and defining the right long term metric for measuring success:\nI’ve concluded that the metric by which God will assess my life isn’t dollars but the individual people whose lives I’ve touched. Don’t worry about the level of individual prominence you have achieved; worry about the individuals you have helped become better people. This is my final recommendation: Think about the metric by which your life will be judged, and make a resolution to live every day so that in the end, your life will be judged a success.\nFull text here.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/01/06/the-friday-read-1-how-will-you-measure-your-life/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://hbr.org/search/Clayton+M.+Christensen\"\u003eClayton M. Christensen\u003c/a\u003e over at the Harvard Business Review muses on life, purpose and defining the right long term metric for measuring success:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’ve concluded that the metric by which God will assess my life isn’t dollars but the individual people whose lives I’ve touched. Don’t worry about the level of individual prominence you have achieved; worry about the individuals you have helped become better people. This is my final recommendation: Think about the metric by which your life will be judged, and make a resolution to live every day so that in the end, your life will be judged a success.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Friday Read #1: How Will You Measure Your Life?"},{"content":"In what is going to be a first for me, I will cross over into the new year aboard an airplane, albeit one headed homeward. It certainly is a far cry from how 2011 started, but perhaps this unconventional start will afford me the chance to pause and ponder a few days early, and agree on 12 things for 2012 all aligned with my seven priorities for life. Here goes:\nDevelop a daily practice of meditation, prayer and journaling: Taking time out to examine life, capture things as they happen and improve daily has to be a key component of my daily routine going forward. The seven priorities are great on paper, but unless progress on the continuum towards achieving them is measured and recorded, I suspect the end of the year will come, and I will still be where I am as of today, stuck in a rut. Target: 4 of 5 days a week of reading the identified text in the Our Daily Bread app. Lose 20kg: I am overweight – no amount of faffing around can gloss over that simple fact. I tried for a month, before slipping back into my my routine of Nandos, large potions and baguettes at work. Losing weight has to be a focus in 2012, the target is to lose 20kg for a return to c. 80kg weight and a healthy BMI. Target: Walk to and from work daily, take 2 days in the week to eat only fruits (seedless grapes, bananas and apples only), stay off coffee, eat half of what I would normally eat. Read (and review) 25 books in 2012. Call parents and siblings once a week: Quick phone call to Dad/Mum every two weeks; hopefully I can catch the siblings weekly for a quick chat. Save £1,000 a month: The YE spend data for 2011 was abysmal. For a net (ex. taxes) increase in pay of c. 600 pounds, I ended up doubling my expenditure versus 2010. Some of it was unavoidable – the house move in late 2010, increased bills and rents hit for the full year 2011 versus the one quarter in 2010, but large swathes of cash remained unaccounted for. The plan is to move 1,000 each month from my net pay prior to any expenses coming through, as well as refuse to get involved in providing soft loans to the lads. Get chartered engineer status: I didn’t make a lot of progress professionally in 2011. There were no conferences attended or certifications gained. This is a focus area for 2012 – I am looking to get at least one of either the C.Eng designation or complete my NACE certifications before YE 2012. Get a driver’s license: I have had a provisional drivers license for over a year already. The focus in 2012 will be to use the 1st quarter to write and pass the theory test, and the summer months to practice for and pass the practical test for a full drivers’ license. Given my traumatic car crash from 2008, and the fact that I haven ‘t driven since then, I suspect this will not be a trivial pursuit. Resolve long term settlement options: 2012 will be crucial for me as I decide where I will lay down my long term routes. TheBZ would be a good place, but the increasingly louder anti-immigrant rhetoric is a niggling issue at the bottom of my mind. Canada seems to be a longer term option – one that I will explore to a greater extent in 2012. Resolve my dating and meeting issues: I am at a stage where I can truly say that I have let got of my EJ issues. Having said that there remain pockets of memories I need to ditch finally. The target through 2012 is to bring myself to the place where I can truly say I have forgotten and moved on, a position where I am free in my head to meet and date again. 2012 in this regards has to be the year of de-cluttering. Complete FAN integration: Given my constant moaning about how mind numbingly boring the little city I live in is, that I am not taking advantage of what opportunities there are to meet people is a shame. Through 2012, the intention is to reconnect with the Youth and Singles group at church once a month. Re-engage with FOL service: My service in the group I work with in church was shocking in 2011. Granted, part of it was a busier, less controlled work load, but my worldview issues also contributed in no small measure. The plan in 2012 is to reconnect and reengage with the group, and be useful once again. Find a mentor: I\u0026rsquo;m looking to get more intentionality in life, a mentor would definitely help for the accountability bits here. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/01/05/2012-in-twelve-things/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn what is going to be a first for me, I will cross over into the new year aboard an airplane, albeit one headed homeward. It certainly is a far cry from how 2011 started, but perhaps this unconventional start will afford  me the chance to pause and ponder a few days early, and agree on 12 things for 2012 all aligned with my \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/12/seven-priorities-for-life/\"\u003eseven priorities\u003c/a\u003e for life. Here goes:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDevelop a daily practice of meditation, prayer and journaling:\u003c/strong\u003e  Taking time out to examine life, capture things as they happen and improve daily has to be a key component of my daily routine going forward. The seven priorities are great on paper, but unless progress on the continuum towards achieving them is measured and recorded, I suspect the end of the year will come, and I will still be where I am as of today, stuck in a rut. \u003cstrong\u003eTarget:\u003c/strong\u003e 4 of 5 days a week of reading the identified text in the Our Daily Bread app.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLose 20kg:\u003c/strong\u003e I am overweight – no amount of faffing around can gloss over that simple fact. I tried for a month, before slipping back into my my routine of Nandos, large potions and baguettes at work. Losing weight has to be a focus in 2012, the target is to lose 20kg for a return to c. 80kg weight and a healthy BMI. \u003cstrong\u003eTarget:\u003c/strong\u003e Walk to and from work daily, take 2 days in the week to eat only fruits (seedless grapes, bananas and apples only), stay off coffee, eat half of what I would normally eat.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead (and review) 25 books in 2012\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCall parents and siblings once a week\u003c/strong\u003e: Quick phone call to Dad/Mum every two weeks; hopefully I can catch the siblings weekly for a quick chat.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSave £1,000 a month:\u003c/strong\u003e The YE spend data for 2011 was abysmal. For a net (ex. taxes) increase in pay of c. 600 pounds, I ended up doubling my expenditure versus 2010. Some of it was unavoidable  – the house move in late 2010, increased bills and rents hit for the full year 2011 versus the one quarter in 2010, but large swathes of cash remained unaccounted for. The plan is to move 1,000 each month from my net pay prior to any expenses coming through, as well as refuse to get involved in providing soft loans to the lads.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGet chartered engineer status:\u003c/strong\u003e I didn’t make a lot of progress professionally in 2011. There were no conferences attended or certifications gained. This is a focus area for 2012 – I am looking to get at least one of either the C.Eng designation or complete my NACE certifications before YE 2012.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGet a driver’s license:\u003c/strong\u003e I have had a provisional drivers license for over a year already. The focus in 2012 will be to use the 1st quarter to write and pass the theory test, and the summer months to practice for and pass the practical test for a full drivers’ license. Given my traumatic car crash from 2008, and the fact that I haven ‘t driven since then, I suspect this will not be a trivial pursuit.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResolve long term settlement options:\u003c/strong\u003e 2012 will be crucial for me as I decide where I will lay down my long term routes. TheBZ would be a good place, but the increasingly louder anti-immigrant rhetoric is a niggling issue at the bottom of my mind. Canada seems to be a longer term option – one that I will explore to a greater extent in 2012.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResolve my dating and meeting issues:\u003c/strong\u003e I am at a stage where I can truly say that I have let got of my EJ issues. Having said that there remain pockets of memories I need to ditch finally. The target through 2012 is to bring myself to the place where I can truly say I have forgotten and moved on, a position where I am free in my head to meet and date again. 2012 in this regards has to be the year of de-cluttering.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eComplete FAN integration:\u003c/strong\u003e Given my constant moaning about how mind numbingly boring the little city I live in is, that I am not taking advantage of what opportunities there are to meet people is a shame. Through 2012, the intention is to reconnect with the Youth and Singles group at church once a month.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRe-engage with FOL service:\u003c/strong\u003e My service in the group I work with in church was shocking in 2011. Granted, part of it was a busier, less controlled work load, but my worldview issues also contributed in no small measure. The plan in 2012 is to reconnect and reengage with the group, and be useful once again.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFind a mentor:\u003c/strong\u003e I\u0026rsquo;m looking to get more intentionality in life, a mentor would definitely help for the accountability bits here.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"2012 in Twelve Things"},{"content":"On the morning of the day I am due to fly westward, I wake up late - late being a few minutes before 9.00 am - on a day on which I have an 11.35 am flight to catch with neither a packed bag nor sorted transport for comfort. When I finally pull myself out of my bed, I call a cab for 9.30 am, and beginning tossing clothes, books and my laptop into the grab bag I use for these quick across-the-pond jaunts.\nThe decision to head westward - though made on a whim - had been the culmination of a few weeks of agonising and endless analysis to the point of paralysis; weighing the pros and the cons of heading across the pond yet again this year. One day, early in November, one of the lads had called me up from across the pond to announce that he was finally ditching the unfettered freedoms of chronic bachelorhood for the not inconsiderable constraints responsibilities of married life.\nThe surprise was not that he\u0026rsquo;d finally seen reason, but that it had taken him so long. The rumour mills of the old boys network insisted - without proof of course - that the sharp words from his mother had finally borne fruit, aided by rumoured frolics in the dark, bowls of steaming pepper soup and more than a few tantrums from his girlfriend of seven years and some, a bruising dynamo of a woman whose abilities belied her 5-2 frame. She was appropriately named Patience.\nThe driver of the cab that gets assigned to me is at least sixty by my reckoning, with a receding hairline almost white in its entirety. When I finally lug my bag downstairs to where he is waiting, I have to rap his window twice before I get his attention which is fully occupied by staring into the distance whilst tossing biscuit crumbs into his open mouth. I confirm my name and my destination to him as we pull out of the parking lot onto the side road and on towards the airport. There is a light drizzle, some wind and light traffic as we drive. Unusually for an older cab driver - I find that they tend to be more friendly and gregarious than most - our conversation takes a while to kick off so we cycle through the usual suspects; moaning about the weather, the latest lousy football score for the local football team, and an unusual one - council taxes.\nAs we crawl past the impressive stone facade of St Machars, he asks what church I attend. Unsure if the name might ring a bell, I mention the street it is on. Recognition flickers in his eyes as he confirms he does know it.\nYour priest is always sharply dressed, he says. I\u0026rsquo;ve taken him from the airport a few times. He\u0026rsquo;s a good bloke too, very spiritual. I nod in agreement. If we are talking about the same person, I am yet to see him dressed in anything beyond a freshly pressed shirt, a tie, well pressed pants and shoes shined to the max. He also is one of those rabidly (in a good way) spiritual blokes who wear their faith on their sleeves - I suspect he might have tried to do some preaching to the cabbie.\nWe are making the final turn towards the airport, with a head of traffic building when I ask him what church he attends. He points in the direction of a side road out of town towards the next small farming outpost.\nOut that way, he says. About three miles. He explains it\u0026rsquo;s a church that serves the small farming community out there, and that his parents and their parents, as are those of the bulk of the forty or so people who attend it, are all buried in the cemetery that adjoins the church. He adds that the Vicar who has served for nearly thirty-six years is retiring, to be replaced by a thirty something year old, single female priest. Change, even one as benign as this, doesn\u0026rsquo;t strike me as one that will come easy to a church that appears steeped in tradition. He agrees, but adds that the female priest has filled the role intermittently over the past few years and is quite liked around those parts.\nI glance at my watch - it is just past 10.15 am and what looked like a small head of traffic is revealed to be a long line snaking all the way back to the drop off point at the airport. Worry sneaks into my mind about making the check-in, but he oblivious of my discomfort goes on to talk very excitedly about a new stained glass window to be commissioned that weekend. He\u0026rsquo;d gotten the installer to give him a sneak preview, a fact he seems particularly keen to share.\nI smile at his enthusiasm, chipping in with adequately placed oohs-and-aahs as he goes on about just how gorgeous it is. After a few more minutes, the long lines snaking towards us clear up, and we finally make it into the airport.\nWhen he hands me my change from my fare, I hang on to it for a few seconds and on yet another whim hand back the loose change. He hesitates but I insist, adding that if I were not travelling, I would have very much liked to witness the unveiling of the new window at his church. He smiles, nods and accepts the coins.. His enthusiasm has bitten me so much that oblivious to the biting wind and cold, I catch myself whistling some obscure tune under my breath to myself as I drag my box into the terminal building.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2012/01/04/westward/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOn the morning of the day I am due to fly westward, I wake up late - late being a few minutes before 9.00 am - on a day on which I have an 11.35 am flight to catch with neither a packed bag nor sorted transport for comfort. When I finally pull myself out of my bed, I call a cab for 9.30 am, and beginning tossing clothes, books and my laptop into the grab bag I use for these quick \u003cem\u003eacross-the-pond\u003c/em\u003e jaunts.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Town: Westward..."},{"content":"If I had to drill it down:\nShitty in large bits, quotidian for the most part, a few big decisions taken, family milestones and ending the year realizing there\u0026rsquo;s a lot to be thankful for\u0026hellip;..\nBut that\u0026rsquo;s life after all isn\u0026rsquo;t it\u0026hellip; Happy new Year peeps\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/12/31/2011-the-cliff-notes-version/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIf I had to drill it down:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/category/dating/\"\u003eShitty\u003c/a\u003e in large bits, \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/category/about-town/\"\u003equotidian\u003c/a\u003e for the most part, a few \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/tag/work-decisions/\"\u003ebig decisions taken\u003c/a\u003e, family \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/how-he-met-my-mother/\"\u003emilestones\u003c/a\u003e and ending the year realizing \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/a-question-of-happiness/\"\u003ethere\u0026rsquo;s a lot to be thankful for\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip;..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut that\u0026rsquo;s life after all isn\u0026rsquo;t it\u0026hellip; Happy new Year peeps\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2011 - The Cliff Notes Version"},{"content":"My earliest memories of Christmas - and ultimately of growing up - are inextricably connected to the sounds of roosting chickens, the anticipation of a hearty Christmas afternoon meal and the Chapel\u0026rsquo;s annual Christmas carol night. We were by no means very well off. Those were the dark days bookended by SAP and its attendant devaluation of the Naira and the Abacha dictatorship in which people in the Academia essentially lived hand to mouth. What was an already thinly stretched wage was steadily eroded until my proud, well read father resorted to farming yams and cassava in the space behind his house to augment his wage. The main garnishing to the routine fare we got served as soups and stews was beef bought in abundance from the local butchery, and fish.\nChicken was reserved for special occasions - the odd milestone birthday and Christmas. Over time, a family tradition would evolve around Christmas. Two to three weeks before Christmas, the University farm would hold a sell off of their old \u0026rsquo;layers\u0026rsquo; - mother hens which had been pumped full of feed and chemicals would be auctioned off. Mother had excellent links with the farm management - the farm manager had been a classmate from her under grad days - and would give her a heads up which allowed her to scout out excellent bargains. Typically, she would buy two chickens - in one particularly good year, I reckon she bought three. The chickens would be kept alive till two days before Christmas; fed ground corn to keep them fattened and to induce them to lay whatever eggs they still had in them. Two crates of coke would be bought and kept under lock and key in the store, only to be served during the Christmas celebrations.\nIn tandem with her preparations, an assortment of students from the main church would get us prepared for our special guest appearance at the Chapel\u0026rsquo;s carol night. Us children from Sunday School would gather twice a week in one of the houses in the Quarters to memorise bible verses from the Nativity narrative, as well as learn our parts in its re-enactment. These usually started off in bedlam - children ages all the way from five to eleven are hardly poster children for law and order - but due to the persistence of the teachers a semblance of order would finally emerge. One year, in one of my less proud moments, I earned the dubious honour of memorising an eleven verse portion of scripture - a punishment for pushing my friend Ejemen so hard she fell and scrapped her knee. The year after though - older and wiser - I would redeem myself by giving a stirring performance as the King of Myrhh from \u0026lsquo;We Three Kings\u0026rsquo;. Interestingly that would be the only time of note that I would sing a solo.\nTwo days before Christmas Father would sharpen his knives, command that the chickens be brought before him, and then he would slit their throats - each with one smooth, fluid motion. We would gather around to watch their final gory, macabre dance of death as their surprised hearts pumped out their final life blood. The sisters and I would be tasked with de-feathering the chickens - copious amounts of boiling water would be poured over the now dead chicken to soften the quills and then we would proceed to remove them until the chicken was picked clean. Father would then proceed to quarter the chickens into reasonably sized portions for storing in the fridge for cooking on Christmas morning. Mother allowed us a sneak preview of the chicken meat - the feet, wings and head would be boiled by her in her biggest pot after stewing in all sorts of spices. We would have this as a communal meal - a preview of the Christmas feast.\nEarly on Christmas morning, Mother would wake up - I don\u0026rsquo;t remember waking up before her on any of those days - to commence her marathon of dicing, slicing, boiling and frying. All told by the time the rest of us woke up at seven there would be several pots going at the same time as she made up her special Christmas rice recipe, infused with the smell of wood smoke. Church would follow - there would be a short homily (perhaps the anticipation of chicken meat and rice made time seem to pass that bit quicker on Christmas day) and soon enough we would pile into Father\u0026rsquo;s old beat up Peugeout 505 to head back to the certainty of a hearty meal.\nMother had a thing for refusing to let us drink too many cokes, the thing we quickly learned was that on Christmas day she pretended to turn a blind eye.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/12/30/memories-of-christmas/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMy earliest memories of Christmas - and ultimately of growing up - are inextricably connected to the sounds of roosting chickens, the anticipation of a hearty Christmas afternoon meal and the Chapel\u0026rsquo;s annual Christmas carol night. We were by no means very well off. Those were the dark days bookended by SAP and its attendant devaluation of the Naira and the Abacha dictatorship in which people in the Academia essentially lived hand to mouth. What was an already thinly stretched wage was steadily eroded until my proud, well read father resorted to farming yams and cassava in the space behind his house to augment his wage. The main garnishing to the routine fare we got served as soups and stews was beef bought in abundance from the local butchery, and fish.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Memories of Christmas"},{"content":"\nMid December usually kicks off the Christmas party silly season out here. Given that as far back as October, our coffee room conversations had started to take on a decidedly Christmas-sy bent, it was no surprise that the first event of the season came early this year – a team lunch at the Soul bar on Union Street in November no less. Thanks to the atrocious weather I ended up marooned offshore, restricted to taking to Facebook to moan about missing the free food and a half day off work.\nI get my chance to make up for that miss one chilly December evening. The team gathers for drinks at The Monkey House, an event I arrive for a full six minutes late. Between navigating the crowd of early evening revellers in various stages of alcohol induced headiness and striving to zone out the not inconsiderable din, I catch the eye of the Boss who waves me over to the tables where they are already seated. There are a few faces I do not recognize, and after a few introductions and handshakes, he clamps his hand on my arm and drags me to the bar to order a drink. It just so happens that my preferred pub drink - a (supposedly) alcohol free bottle of Becks Blue is not available and I have to go one up to a bottle of regular Becks. I grab the bottle and settle in between my Irish work buddy Si and one of the blokes I do not already know. Between sips of our brews, we make small talk - what we do for fun in town, christmas travel plans and the like. When it is my turn, I mention books - I stress these are of the non-academic variety, football manager on my laptop and a couple of evenings at the Opera House as highlights of my evenings from 2011. It so happens that the man I don\u0026rsquo;t know is an avid Opera go-er himself - his poshy, self assured manner might have hinted at a more cultured interior if I had taken the time to notice I guess - and he recommends The Battle Proms as something I should definitely add to my 2012 plans.\nWe wrap up the evening with a meal at the Nazma - one that I have some history with. I have some really chili-hot lamb tikka, a side of rice and a sauce chock full of mushrooms. I am wont to chalk my light-headedness at the end to hallucinogens in the mushrooms, not the mere three bottles of Becks I have downed.\nGiven the way 2011 started – slouched on a couch in front of the TV watching the ball drop in Times Square - I could be forgiven for expecting that 2011 would be a breeze. The reality of 2011 has been markedly different – breaking up with EJ, getting the two year itch and almost leaving my job twice [having said that, I suspect I’ll still leave in 2012], and a significant amount of disruption to my world view made 2011 interesting, if difficult in bits.\nAll in all, its been a decent, steady year which ultimately flattered to deceive. The cliff notes version? Shitty in bits but otherwise quotidian. Looking back, I got a few big decisions right when they really mattered and got to celebrate a number of family milestones.\nAll in all, life happened, but then Life \u0026lsquo;happens\u0026rsquo; after all, doesn\u0026rsquo;t it?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/12/24/christmas-silly-season-breaking-my-beer-duck-and-the-2011-wrap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"xmas_12\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/xmas_12.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMid December usually kicks off the Christmas party silly season out here. Given that \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/10/counting-down/\"\u003eas far back as October\u003c/a\u003e, our coffee room conversations had started to take on a decidedly \u003cem\u003eChristmas-sy\u003c/em\u003e bent, it was no surprise that the first event of the season came early this year – a team lunch at the Soul bar on Union Street in November no less. Thanks to the atrocious weather I ended up \u003cem\u003emarooned\u003c/em\u003e offshore, restricted to taking to Facebook to moan about missing the free food and a half day off work.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Kicking off the Christmas silly season, breaking my beer duck and the 2011 wrap"},{"content":"[gallery]\nThe much threatened snow storm finally hit, and when it did it was an anti-climax of sorts. Rather than the promised chaos and long tail backs, there were only mild disruptions at most. I suspect the winter has a lot more sting in its tail, but its first salvo has been under-whelming at worst. Given the town\u0026rsquo;s penchant for gory, frightful winters, I\u0026rsquo;ll take under-whelming any time.\nOne evening, I am standing just inside the doors at Union Square – earphones plugged in with The Script on repeat, hands in my coat pockets and looking out - as the maelstrom of humanity just belched out by the 18:17 train from Dyce sweeps by. I am usually at home by this time - heaters fired up, warm drink in hand, catching up on re-runs of NCIS - but I am out today waiting to pick up a friend whose train should have arrived a few minutes earlier. He and I haven\u0026rsquo;t met up in at least three years - I suspect it\u0026rsquo;s probably more - even though we have kept in touch via email and the odd phone call here and there. He has been holidaying, taking in the sights of Europe and gate crashing one party too many whilst checking yet more places off his places-to-see-before-I-die list. A chance conversation a couple of weeks before helped make up his mind to toss in a sleep over at mine – the final pit stop before the train that is his holiday hurtles on to Nigeria and a return to the drudgery of work. A quick glance at the arrivals board at the station alerts me to the unfortunate fact that his train has been delayed by a further fifteen minutes.\nOut of the corner of my eye I see a man – I reckon he is at least 6-2 as he has at least a head on me - hovering around in the manner of one either lost or a predator lurking, waiting for an opportune moment to strike. Instinctively, I shorten the straps on my knapsack and hug my coat a little closer until I sense the reassuring touch of my wallet with its assortment of cards on my hip. Such is the ingrained fear of pick pockets in me that I immediately tense up, half expecting to lose something. I casually turn a little, hoping to get a clearer line of sight to him – in my mind my counter espionage skills rival those of Nick Carter - N3, agent extraordinaire at AXE. My manoeuvre unfortunately is one that plays into his hands. Realising he has my attention, he begins to amble in my direction.\nWhatever complacency is left in my inner Nick Carter is driven off when he speaks - Bros, he begins, you be Naija shey?\nI ponder the ramifications of answering in the affirmative for a few seconds and then decide to humour him by replying in what I hope is a sufficiently brusque - Yes.\nSeemingly heartened by my answer he proceeds to download a spiel about how he\u0026rsquo;s been up to TheBZ to visit a business associate who has ended up duping him. The cliff notes version is that he is 30 pounds short of the total amount required to get a train ticket to head back to London.\n- I am a family man you know, he adds, it is just sad that my own Nigerian brother will do this to me. He speaks with the affectation of one who feels broken and used.\nMaybe I am in a good mood, or it is the spectre of Christmas looming large at the back of my mind, but for once I decide to humour him, especially as I have a few minutes to kill before the train bearing my friend arrives.\n- 30 pounds, you say, I ask him again to make sure. He nods, a little too eagerly I think. I motion for him to follow me, explaining that as I do not have cash on me, I will have to buy the ticket with my card.\nThe disappointment on his face is clear for me to see. Apparently he had been hoping I would complete his fare by cash. I firmly explain that I do not have any cash on me. He insists, if I can\u0026rsquo;t give it to him by cash, he\u0026rsquo;ll pass and wait for someone else who can. Somewhere in between, he turns abruptly and walks away from me. I shrug, walk back to my vantage watching spot and resuming waiting for Ally\u0026rsquo;s train.\nIn truth, I could use the 30 pounds myself, what I don\u0026rsquo;t understand is what happened to beggars having no choice?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/12/19/snow-waiting-curious-begging/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[gallery]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe much threatened snow storm finally hit, and when it did it was an anti-climax of sorts. Rather than the promised chaos and long tail backs, there were only mild disruptions at most. I suspect the winter has a lot more sting in its tail, but its first salvo has been under-whelming at worst. Given the town\u0026rsquo;s penchant for gory, frightful winters, I\u0026rsquo;ll take under-whelming any time.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne evening, I am standing just inside the doors at Union Square – earphones plugged in with \u003cem\u003eThe Script\u003c/em\u003e on repeat, hands in my coat pockets and looking out - as the maelstrom of humanity just belched out by the 18:17 train from Dyce sweeps by. I am usually at home by this time - heaters fired up, warm drink in hand, catching up on re-runs of NCIS - but I am out today waiting to pick up a friend whose train should have arrived a few minutes earlier. He and I haven\u0026rsquo;t met up in at least three years - I suspect it\u0026rsquo;s probably more - even though we have kept in touch via email and the odd phone call here and there. He has been holidaying, taking in the sights of Europe and gate crashing one party too many whilst checking yet more places off his \u003cem\u003eplaces-to-see-before-I-die list.\u003c/em\u003e A chance conversation a couple of weeks before helped make up his mind to toss in a sleep over at mine – the final pit stop before the train that is his holiday hurtles on to Nigeria and a return to the drudgery of work. A quick glance at the arrivals board at the station alerts me to the unfortunate fact that his train has been delayed by a further fifteen minutes.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Winter's first salvo, waiting for Ally and a curious case of begging.. "},{"content":"Before dying catches us and the banal, quotidian joys of a simpe life expire at the hoot of Charon\u0026rsquo;s ferry from across the styx, and the memory of the faces, and the names of the ones we once held dear fade away, lost in the eternal blackness of demise; before the grim reaper suprises us with the rude, ineclutable finality of death; we must not forget\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/12/12/before-dying-catches-us/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBefore dying catches us\nand the banal, quotidian\njoys of a simpe life expire\nat the hoot of Charon\u0026rsquo;s ferry\nfrom across the styx,\nand the memory\nof the faces, and the names\nof the ones we once held dear\nfade away, lost in the eternal\nblackness of demise;\nbefore the grim reaper\nsuprises us with the rude,\nineclutable finality of death;\nwe must not forget\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Before dying catches us..."},{"content":"One of the unintended consequences of taking my mate search more seriously has been taking time out to define what the absolute must-haves in the woman I date and eventually marry are. Given the changes that have happened in my life, I am hoping the list is more realistic, and more real-worldly\u0026hellip; So here goes.\nA Nigerian: Ideally the mate would be Nigerian. If you listened to my mother she would have to be Edo, Delta or Yoruba. I like to imagine I am more egalitarian and would be open to dating outside those very narrow confines. When push comes to shove, even though a Nigerian mate is preferred, I suspect I may be open to dating from other nationalities. Be on a similar time-line with me: Ideally, I would like to get hitched by YE 2012 (if I remain in the UK), or in 2013 (if I go down the Welding and Materials Engineering PhD route). Granted, it is impossible to legislate for oneself, much less others, but ideally, the mate I pursue should be looking to get married on a similar time-line. Between 27 and 31 by YE 2013: Research indicates that the ideal age gap between spouses is 5 years. Given I will be 34 by YE 2013, the potential mate would need to be 29 at the time. Rather than apply this mechanistically, I reckon a band of +/-2 years around the mean is a good compromise. Additionally, I do find from talking to my female friends that age 25 appears to be the age when women tend to get serious. Before then, they usually are looking to get a boyfriend for hanging out interminably with. At the age I am, I\u0026rsquo;m looking for a bit more intentionality which is why I think my future mate would be in this age bracket. Have a healthy acceptance of the importance of family: The kid brother and I are really close, a legacy of years spent sharing a room, and being co-conspirators against the totalitarian regime of the parents. Same goes for my kid sister who virtually still worships me. :) Any potential mates will ideally recognize that family is important and be willing to make changes to accommodate them, ultimately prioritizing US over other connections though. A more outgoing personality: The one accusation I am unable to refute is that I am somewhat picky when it comes to selecting friends. In general, I tend to be the one behind the scenes, observing and analyzing rather than being the life of the party. My ideal partner would be someone who is more outgoing than I am to offset my natural inclination to be reserved. Possess sufficient \u0026lsquo;General Intelligence\u0026rsquo; to converse well: A number of topics engage my energies and passions - football, public policy, some politics and social justice issues in general. The ideal mate would be someone who is able to appreciate these things and more, and is able to engage in an intellectual discussion, being able to coherently engage a variety of topics. An appreciation for the arts – the lyrical flow of Yusef Komunyakaa, the exquisite prose of Soyinka, the mellifluous tunes of Coltrane amongst others - would definitely be a plus. Focused and driven to succeed: The ideal mate would have a fully developed life with drives and passions that I can contribute to. Marriage to me should be a symbiotic partnership, where both parties far exceed their individual abilities thanks to the influence of the other. As I have aged, I have transited from believing that a bloke is the alpha-and-omega to a model of shared growth. Has developed a coherent worldview that is essentially Judeo-Christian: Whilst I joke about being in a state of relapsed faith, my worldview is still essentially Christian, and one of my seven priorities for 2012 is sorting out that dissonance.The ideal mate would have a similar worldview, even if it is not lived out in a rabidly spiritual way and have a heart for God and people. Same sense of long term direction: Social justice, engaging younger people and being useful in the context of local community are big issues for me. The ideal mate would recognise this and buy into them, or at least appreciate them, if not actively participating. In summary then, the ideal mate would be between 26 and 29 now, be between 4-11\u0026rsquo; and 5-8\u0026rsquo; tall, broadly subscribe to Christian values and ethics, and be looking for a serious relationship at the time..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/12/11/rejigging-the-list/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOne of the unintended consequences of \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/weighing-up-the-options/\"\u003etaking my mate search more seriously\u003c/a\u003e has been taking time out to define what the absolute \u003cem\u003emust-haves\u003c/em\u003e in the woman I date and eventually marry are. Given the changes that have happened in my life, I am hoping the list is more realistic, and more real-worldly\u0026hellip; So here goes.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Nigerian:\u003c/strong\u003e Ideally the mate would be Nigerian. If you listened to my mother she would have to be Edo, Delta or Yoruba. I like to imagine I am more egalitarian and would be open to dating outside those very narrow confines. When push comes to shove, even though a Nigerian mate is preferred, I suspect I may be open to dating from other nationalities.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBe on a similar time-line with me:\u003c/strong\u003e Ideally, I would like to get hitched by YE 2012 (if I remain in the UK), or in 2013 (if I go down the Welding and Materials Engineering PhD route). Granted, it is impossible to legislate for oneself, much less others, but ideally, the mate I pursue should be looking to get married on a similar time-line.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBetween 27 and 31 by YE 2013\u003c/strong\u003e: Research indicates that the ideal age gap between spouses is \u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/7351856/Scientists-find-mathematical-formula-for-the-perfect-wife.html\"\u003e5 years\u003c/a\u003e. Given I will be 34 by YE 2013, the potential mate would need to be 29 at the time. Rather than apply this mechanistically, I reckon a band of +/-2 years around the mean is a good compromise. Additionally, I do find from talking to my female friends that age 25 appears to be the age when women tend to get serious. Before then, they usually are looking to get a boyfriend for hanging out interminably with. At the age I am, I\u0026rsquo;m looking for a bit more intentionality which is why I think my future mate would be in this age bracket.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHave a healthy acceptance of the importance of family:\u003c/strong\u003e The kid brother and I are really close, a legacy of years spent sharing a room, and being co-conspirators against the totalitarian regime of the parents. Same goes for my kid sister who virtually still worships me. :) Any potential mates will ideally recognize that family is important and be willing to make changes to accommodate them, ultimately prioritizing US over other connections though.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA more outgoing personality:\u003c/strong\u003e The one accusation I am unable to refute is that I am somewhat picky when it comes to selecting friends. In general, I tend to be the one behind the scenes, observing and analyzing rather than being the life of the party. My ideal partner would be someone who is more outgoing than I am to offset my natural inclination to be reserved.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePossess sufficient \u0026lsquo;General Intelligence\u0026rsquo; to converse well:\u003c/strong\u003e A number of topics engage my energies and passions - football, public policy, some politics and social justice issues in general. The ideal mate would be someone who is able to appreciate these things and more, and is able to engage in an intellectual discussion, being able to coherently engage a variety of topics. An appreciation for the arts – the lyrical flow of \u003ca href=\"http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/22\"\u003eYusef Komunyakaa\u003c/a\u003e, the exquisite prose of \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wole_Soyinka\"\u003eSoyinka\u003c/a\u003e, the mellifluous tunes of \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Coltrane\"\u003eColtrane\u003c/a\u003e amongst others - would definitely be a plus.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFocused and driven to succeed:\u003c/strong\u003e The ideal mate would have a fully developed life with drives and passions that I can contribute to. Marriage to me should be a symbiotic partnership, where both parties far exceed their individual abilities thanks to the influence of the other. As I have aged, I have transited from believing that a bloke is the alpha-and-omega to a model of shared growth.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHas developed a coherent worldview that is essentially Judeo-Christian:\u003c/strong\u003e Whilst I joke about being in a state of relapsed faith, my worldview is still essentially Christian, and one of my seven priorities for 2012 is sorting out that dissonance.The ideal mate would have a similar worldview, even if it is not lived out in a rabidly spiritual way and have a heart for God and people.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSame sense of long term direction:\u003c/strong\u003e Social justice, engaging younger people and being useful in the context of local community are big issues for me. The ideal mate would recognise this and buy into them, or at least appreciate them, if not actively participating.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn summary then, the ideal mate would be between 26 and 29 now, be between 4-11\u0026rsquo; and 5-8\u0026rsquo; tall, broadly subscribe to Christian values and ethics, and be looking for a serious relationship at the time..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Rejigging the list"},{"content":"I spent the weekend going through Michael Hyatt\u0026rsquo;s cute little e-book Creating Your Personal Life Plan. In no particular order, below are the things I feel need to be priorities going forward:\nGod: World-view, faith, God and how these interact in defining a moral compass for me is a crucial part of my developing fully into the sort of bloke I need to become. It is time for me to start engaging my various proclivities which are preventing me from gaining the clarity of thought and direction that I need. Health: Whilst I have not had any major health scares, truth is I am overweight by some. A few years ago, I had blood pressures that were way out of the \u0026lsquo;safe\u0026rsquo; and \u0026rsquo;normal\u0026rsquo; zone [Thankfully, I passed my last offshore medical in flying colours]. Keeping fit, counting calories and staying health has to be one of my priorities going forward. Family: Whilst I remain single at the moment, deep in my heart is a longing to meet someone, find love and raise a family together. Two dimensions stand out here - finding the one and being the sort of bloke she\u0026rsquo;d want to be with. These both have to be priorities going forward - engaging the \u0026lsquo;knowledgable others\u0026rsquo; in my circle and being open enough to solicit, accept and implement honest feedback where it is offered on areas where personal improvement is required. Personal Development: Learning continuously, and always reviewing where I am versus where I should be has to be a key component of my life. Big things are expected of me, and getting those done depends on continuously improving and finding the over arching knowledge and foresight required to grow into those big roles. This will have two facets: Career, in which I develop into a globally recognised Corrosion/Materials/Integrity Engineer, and personally where I progress and develop my public speaking, and writing skills. Friends: Given the large number of acquaintances I have, the few real friends I have (and I would count O \u0026amp; I as the two stand out ones at the moment) who time and time again have proven they are worth their weight in gold, and more, deserve some reciprocal attention. They are going to have to be priorities going forward - they\u0026rsquo;ve earned it! Finances: Finances are a key part of fulfilling the responsibilities that I will have as a Father, Husband, Son and social justice campaigner. Learning how to manage and grow my money is a critical part of the me I will become. Service: One more priority is taking all the gifts and blessings that I have been given and pouring them all out in service to others. The details of this are not exactly clear at the moment - especially considering the significant evolution my world view is going through at the moment - but finding the time and the place to make a difference for others \u0026rsquo;less blessed\u0026rsquo; as to be a priority going forward. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/12/05/seven-priorities-for-life/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI spent the weekend going through \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/#!/michaelhyatt\"\u003eMichael Hyatt\u003c/a\u003e\u0026rsquo;s cute little e-book \u003cem\u003eCreating Your Personal Life Plan.\u003c/em\u003e In no particular order, below are the things I feel need to be priorities going forward:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGod:\u003c/strong\u003e World-view, faith, God and how these interact in defining a moral compass for me is a crucial part of my developing fully into the sort of bloke I need to become. It is time for me to start engaging my various \u003cem\u003eproclivities\u003c/em\u003e which are preventing me from gaining the clarity of thought and direction that I need.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHealth:\u003c/strong\u003e Whilst I have not had any major health scares, truth is I am overweight by some. A few years ago, I had blood pressures that were way out of the \u0026lsquo;safe\u0026rsquo; and \u0026rsquo;normal\u0026rsquo; zone [Thankfully, I passed my last offshore medical in flying colours]. Keeping fit, counting calories and staying health has to be one of my priorities going forward.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFamily:\u003c/strong\u003e Whilst I remain single at the moment, deep in my heart is a longing to meet someone, find love and raise a family together. Two dimensions stand out here - finding the one and being the sort of bloke she\u0026rsquo;d want to be with. These both have to be priorities going forward - engaging the \u0026lsquo;knowledgable others\u0026rsquo; in my circle and being open enough to solicit, accept and implement honest feedback where it is offered on areas where personal improvement is required.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePersonal Development:\u003c/strong\u003e Learning continuously, and always reviewing where I am versus where I should be has to be a key component of my life. Big things are expected of me, and getting those done depends on continuously improving and finding the over arching knowledge and foresight required to grow into those big roles. This will have two facets: Career, in which I develop into a globally recognised Corrosion/Materials/Integrity Engineer, and personally where I progress and develop my public speaking, and writing skills.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFriends:\u003c/strong\u003e Given the large number of acquaintances I have, the few real friends I have (and I would count O \u0026amp; I as the two stand out ones at the moment) who time and time again have proven they are worth their weight in gold, and more, deserve some reciprocal attention. They are going to have to be priorities going forward - they\u0026rsquo;ve earned it!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFinances:\u003c/strong\u003e Finances are a key part of fulfilling the responsibilities that I will have as a Father, Husband, Son and social justice campaigner. Learning how to manage and grow my money is a critical part of the me I will become.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eService:\u003c/strong\u003e One more priority is taking all the gifts and blessings that I have been given and pouring them all out in service to others. The details of this are not exactly clear at the moment - especially considering the significant evolution my world view is going through at the moment - but finding the time and the place to make a difference for others \u0026rsquo;less blessed\u0026rsquo; as to be a priority going forward.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"Seven Priorities for Life"},{"content":"My interest in Def Poetry in the past has been limited to Bassey Ikpi. Thanks to a friend, I got forwarded a link to this video by Shihan.. My def poetry love just went up a notch\u0026hellip; Found the full text here. Enjoy. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/30/shihan-def-poetry/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMy interest in Def Poetry in the past has been limited to \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/01/if-i-did-crushes-this-would-be-it/\"\u003eBassey Ikpi\u003c/a\u003e. Thanks to a friend, I got forwarded a link to this video by Shihan.. My def poetry love just went up a notch\u0026hellip; Found the full text \u003ca href=\"http://justasynopsis.blogspot.com/2008/11/lyrics-of-this-type-love-by-shihan.html\"\u003ehere.\u003c/a\u003e  Enjoy.\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/hJZkBWBashA?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Shihan on Def Poetry"},{"content":"Between bites of peri-peri chicken and sips of Coke Zero, my friend Des asked me if I was happy. She - amongst all my long term friends - complains the least about my propensity to wall them off from the reality that is in my head, but from time to time she insists we meet to \u0026lsquo;catch up\u0026rsquo;. These meetings haven\u0026rsquo;t happened a lot recently - thanks to her juggling a return to full time employment with an energetic three year old, and travelling. Skipping merrily through town, as she is wont to these days, she asked if I was up for a bite and a drink, which I accepted. We ordered the usual - a platter to share, bottomless drinks and sides of rice and settled in to talk about the minutiae of life, and all the quotidian pleasures we have enjoyed in the year so far. Then - out of the blue - she asked if I was happy. I suspect I managed to side track her question by rolling out my usual spiel about life being what it was - normal and mundane without anything out of the ordinary.\nMulling over that conversation again, I realised that on this one occasion, I had probably been as truthful as I possibly could. Most of the time life has either dealt me hands that have made me deliriously happy, or left me bogged down in the deep, dark depths of despair.\nFor the first time in a long time, though I know I am not deliriously happy there is a measure of contentment at how much progress has been made. Given the way the year\u0026rsquo;s panned out, I reckon that is enough to be thankful for\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/28/a-question-of-happiness/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBetween bites of \u003cem\u003eperi-peri\u003c/em\u003e chicken and sips of Coke Zero, my friend Des asked me if I was happy. She - amongst all my long term friends - complains the least about my propensity to wall them off from the reality that is in my head, but from time to time she insists we meet to \u0026lsquo;catch up\u0026rsquo;. These meetings haven\u0026rsquo;t happened a lot recently - thanks to her juggling a return to full time employment with an energetic three year old, and travelling. Skipping merrily through town,  as she is wont to these days, she asked if I was up for a bite and a drink, which I accepted. We ordered the usual - a platter to share, bottomless drinks and sides of rice and settled in to talk about the minutiae of life, and all the quotidian pleasures we have enjoyed in the year so far. Then - out of the blue - she asked if I was happy. I suspect I managed to side track her question by rolling out my usual spiel about life being what it was - normal and mundane without anything out of the ordinary.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Question of Happiness"},{"content":"Note: If a few of the following characterizations seem stereotyped and larger than life, they probably are. Others more intelligent than I have chalked it up to Time, and how it conflates memory and reflection into a blended - often distorted - whole.\nGiven the marked paucity of females in my sector of the industry, I was amazed a few days ago by just how many women have left their marks – both in positive and negative ways - on my career till date. I am coming up to what would have been the eighth anniversary of my resuming at my first job - if I had not packed my bags one November morning, deciding I had had enough. In the main, I find that five women stand out from that phase of my life:\nThe Mother figure: The first job was as a trainee rustgeek somewhere in the bowels of the Niger-Delta. Hired straight off our NYSC year, four young lads and I - our ages ranged from 21 to 23 - found ourselves up-rooted from friends and family and thrust into what, was to put it mildly, the deep end. We were hardly prepared for the sea change and the pressure that came with earning way more money than we had bargained for, plus the culture of the company was very party-ish [legend had it that the more senior blokes hosted parties every weekend for a full year - needless to say, the young women in the Universities nearby bore the brunt of these escapades. Madam Emem our Departmental Secretary (she could only have been thirty-something at the time, but we called her Madam) would prove to be the steadying influence from that era. She ensured we got our monthly provisions for tea and biscuits, signed on for all the trainings we were required to attend, and was never shy to pull us up by the ears if she over heard from the bosses that one of us wasn\u0026rsquo;t pulling our weight. In perhaps one of the fondest memories from that era, when G-Man, the first of our lot to get married got hitched to a girl from the area, she performed a dance so intricate in its execution that a few of us lads suspected she had had a hand in helping to snag the young man - unfortunately we were never able to either prove not disprove that assertion. The Delectable Intern: My distrust of dengerferous ChemE\u0026rsquo;s was never more validated than by the antics of a certain intern. She was of mixed Itsekiri and Ibo progeny and allied a luscious, golden-toned skin to well proportioned - for want of a better word - body parts. In the second of my five years there, Ebere - if my memory serves me right that was her name - was thrust into our office space; one filled with virile young men both single and married with wives half way around the country. For the six months and two weeks she spent in our midst, I suspect that precious little work got done. She, like all women used to attention, milked us to great effect - playing one against the other, giving and taking attention on whims and got quite a few of the lads to sign her IT log books whilst she lived it up in town. Needess to say, us lads at the bottom of the food chain never got any action. Rumour had it that she spent the last month living out of our friend Ayo\u0026rsquo;s house. Ayo, however swears till this day that nothing went down. The Mentor-ess: In January of 2005, Engineering HQ sent out a Welding Engineer to assist with our development into competent rust geeks. She was in her fifties at the time, had a PhD in Metallurgy and Materials and had lectured for seven years before packing up to join the industry. Something about yours truly must have piqued her interest as she went way out of her way to delegate work assignments to me that aided me in my development. Every time I get asked who/what has been the biggest influence in my career, I do not to hesitate to point to the three years I spent shadowing her. We\u0026rsquo;ve stayed in touch since then, and when I was looking for references for the job I currently am in, she wrote so glowingly that even I was concerned she\u0026rsquo;d over hyped my abilities. The Bitchy Boss: One of my less memorable performance reviews was conducted by the woman we would grow to refer to as the Bitchy Boss. She arrived with a huge history - word around the company was that she was on the fast track to greatness, and that the Nigerian assignment was a chance to get her to see the operations side of things. Besides having absolutely no clue of the esoteric subject we practised, she managed to spend so much time travelling outside the country that it was a wonder she was able to comment on what any of us had achieved within that year. The one thing she did pass across to me was formula one racing as a metaphor for contributions at work. According to her, my mediocre, mid level ranking was not so much a reflection on my poor performance as a reflection of the quality of the opposition. Thankfully, she stayed only one year before she got her next move back to Houston. The Girly Girl: It might be something to do with the (non-technical) nature of her job but one of my office mate lives a totally glammed up life (at least to my untrained eye). Colour cordinated toe nails, fingers nails and clutch, silver coloured Audi A1, and impossible heels on dress down fridays are a few of the stunts she pulls off seemingly effortlessly. How she manages to keep it all up baffles me, but eye candy never did a bloke any harm I reckon. The Martin-Solomon-lite: The other office mate is my Irish buddy Siobhan. As our ages are similar, and we share an office, we do tend to get along famously. She\u0026rsquo;s smart, funny, can handle conversations on subjects as diverse as stress corrosion cracking of duplex stainless steels and opera. The one quirk of character she does have is an uncanny ability to swear like a sailor - which she elevates to the level of an art form. Thanks to her I am looking forward to the office xmas party this year; I\u0026rsquo;m keen to see how proficient her tongue will be once loosened by alcohol. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/22/on-women-or-a-concise-history-of-the-women-i-have-worked-with/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNote:\u003c/strong\u003e If a few of the following characterizations seem stereotyped and larger than life, they probably are. \u003ca href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/oct/18/booker-prize-julian-barnes-wins\"\u003eOthers more intelligent than I\u003c/a\u003e have chalked it up to \u003cstrong\u003eTime\u003c/strong\u003e, and how it conflates memory and reflection into a blended - often distorted - whole.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGiven the marked paucity of females in my sector of the industry, I was amazed a few days ago by just how many women have left their marks – both in positive and negative ways - on my career till date. I am coming up to what would have been the eighth anniversary of my resuming at my first job - \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/11/ux5-the-memories/\"\u003eif I had not packed my bags one November\u003c/a\u003e morning, deciding I had had enough. In the main, I find that five women stand out from that phase of my life:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On women (Or a somewhat concise history of the women I have worked with)"},{"content":"It was supposed to be the weekend that banished my 2011 troubles from memory and got me to let my hair down - something I admittedly do not do often enough. There was the small matter of needing to send in my passport to Mama Charlie\u0026rsquo;s lackeys for an extension to my residence permit, as well as navigating a week of water survival training (given my well documented aversion for large water bodies).\nThe plan was simple - jump on a flight to London and party hard. There was to be a surfeit of beautiful, intelligent women, pepper soup and music from back in the day. Surely nothing much could go wrong with the MO? Unfortunately everything did.\nFirst off - uncharacteristically - I failed to get all the relevant details about the venue before leaving and ended up having to make frantic phone calls at Heathrow trying to locate the bus stop. This left me feeling drained by the time I arrived at the venue.\nSecondly, my shocking inability to dance left me hugging my seat for dear life, meaning all the wonderful fabulous women around were left hugging the floor by themselves.\nThere are lessons to be learned.. My social skills need an upgrade, if the girl sized gap in the five year plan will be closed out. From the looks of it, my dancing skills (or more strictly the lack of them) needs reviewing ASAP.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/21/the-weekend-of-debauchery-that-wasnt/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt was supposed to be the weekend that banished my \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/thankful-for-blokes-who-can-relate/\"\u003e2011 troubles\u003c/a\u003e from memory and got me to let my hair down - something I admittedly do not do often enough. There was the small matter of needing to send in my passport to \u003ca href=\"http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/\"\u003eMama Charlie\u0026rsquo;s lackeys\u003c/a\u003e for an extension to my residence permit, as well as navigating a week of water survival training (given my well \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/08/an-intrepid-fishman-i/\"\u003edocumented aversion\u003c/a\u003e for large water bodies).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The weekend of debauchery (that wasn't)"},{"content":"Days like these make me miss NCLC more and more\u0026hellip; Sigh\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/20/the-sunday-song-with-everything-hillsong/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDays like these make me miss NCLC more and more\u0026hellip; Sigh\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/rSCE8uLuTJY?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e","title":"The Sunday Song: With Everything - Hillsong"},{"content":"I finally completed Julian Barnes\u0026rsquo; 2011 Man Booker Prize winning book - The Sense of an Ending. Considering I felt both previous Booker Prize winners I read earlier in the year - The Finkler Question and Midnight\u0026rsquo;s Children were not easy reads, I was pleasantly surprised to find I liked this one. In addition to it being \u0026lsquo;readable\u0026rsquo; [and that was the subject of a furore which threatened to engulf this year\u0026rsquo;s awards] I suspect I liked it because it explored the conflation of memory and reflection, a genre of books I\u0026rsquo;ve been drawn to since I read Teju Cole\u0026rsquo;s Open City.\nMy favourite passage is a reflection on time and how it paints the past in a different, less sure light.\n… how time first grounds us and then confounds us. We thought we were being mature when we were only being safe. We imagined we were being responsible but were only being cowardly. What we called realism turned out to be a way of avoiding things rather than facing them.\nTime … give us enough time and our best-supported decisions will seem wobbly, our certainties whimsical..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/18/16-the-sense-of-an-ending/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI finally completed Julian Barnes\u0026rsquo; 2011 Man Booker Prize winning book - \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sense-Ending-Julian-Barnes/dp/0224094157\"\u003eThe Sense of an Ending\u003c/a\u003e. Considering I felt both previous Booker Prize winners I read earlier in the year - \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/01/books-the-finkler-question/\"\u003eThe Finkler Question\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/07/what-i-have-been-reading/\"\u003eMidnight\u0026rsquo;s Children\u003c/a\u003e were not easy reads, I was pleasantly surprised to find I liked this one. In addition to it being \u0026lsquo;readable\u0026rsquo; [and that was the subject of a furore which threatened to engulf this year\u0026rsquo;s awards] I suspect I liked it because it explored the conflation of memory and reflection, a genre of books I\u0026rsquo;ve been drawn to since I read Teju Cole\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Open-City-Teju-Cole/dp/0571279422/\"\u003eOpen City\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#16 - The Sense of an Ending"},{"content":"\nThe one thing laying the ghosts of the EJ debacle to rest did was to finally free me up mentally to move on after what had been a horrendous six months of torture. On here as in real life, I was beginning to sound like a broken record with my endless whining and musing about what was a lost cause from day zero. In looking to go forward, I made the basic error of falling for the Dalglish conjecture. [The Dalglish conjecture is the fancy way I describe one party in a good friend situation suddenly developing romantic feelings and hoping they will be reciprocated, almost as a rebound.]\nI did the needful, took a week off work, booked plane tickets and ran away to Chicago to resolve my unfinished business. Between my being extremely nervous and TheB having a hot case at work, we never got to have any serious talks. There were the occasional surface skimming talks though - like how a kid playing on the ground in one of the stores we popped into drew a comment from her as to how she was never going to allow her children play so indiscrimminately, or how something else prompted her into saying she was going to work hard and long for the next few years before children and marriage would come into the picture. All in all, four days after dropping everything and leaving St Fergus, it was no clearer if there was an opportunity, or where I fit in her life, and the bulk of the responsibility for that lay squarely in my lap for missing a number of windows of opportunity.\nPost Chicago, there were a few text messages, delayed replies (both ways) and what I sensed was an over arching recticence to enngage ourselves in any communication that could be construed as something else. From where I stand my Chi-town adventure was ok - not a soaring success but came with some positives. For one, it has helped me put the final nails in the coffin of my EJ memories; clearing one more thing off my 40 by 40 list - a trip down the Chicago River was an added bonus.\nAs for me and dating, it does look increasingly reasonable to expect that only a clean break, and a fresh start will suffice. SquareZero beckons.. Sigh\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/15/falling-for-my-dalglish-conjecture/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/chicago_.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"chicago_\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/chicago_.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe one thing laying the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/10/full-circle-the-anatomy-of-a-heart-break/\"\u003eghosts of the EJ debacle\u003c/a\u003e to rest did was to finally free me up mentally to move on after what had been a horrendous six months of torture. On here as in real life, I was beginning to sound like a broken record with my endless whining and musing about what was a lost cause from day zero. In looking to go forward, I made the basic error of falling for \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/deconstructing-the-dalglish-conjecture/\"\u003ethe Dalglish conjecture\u003c/a\u003e. [The Dalglish conjecture is the fancy way I describe one party in a good friend situation suddenly developing romantic feelings and hoping they will be reciprocated, almost as a rebound.]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Falling for my Dalglish Conjecture"},{"content":"The following was instigated by a discussion on Twitter with @ Sir Fariku on the case for football as a compelling metaphor for a bloke\u0026rsquo;s dating life and the Brothers With No Game series on Which Footballer Are You?\nIn the 1997 movie \u0026lsquo;My Best Friend\u0026rsquo;s Wedding\u0026rsquo; directed by P.J. Hogan, Julianne Potter (played by Julia Roberts) finds herself facing a conundrum of sorts. Her long term friend, Michael O\u0026rsquo;Neil (played by Dermot Mulroney) informs her a few days short of her own 28th birthday of his impending marriage to Kimberly (played by Cameron Diaz). This should be great news, except for the small matter of a pact between Julianne and Michael where they had agreed that if they remained single till they turned 28, they would get married to each other. She also believes (rightly or wrongly) that Kimberly is the wrong person for him to get married to.\nThis conundrum is eerily similar to the situation which faced a certain Mr Kenneth Dalglish in the summer of 2010. Rafa Benitez, had just led Liverpool football club to an utterly deflating 7th place finish in the Premiership against a sordid back story of boardroom unrest, player dissatisfaction and an overall feeling of malaise. Messers Hicks and Gillet, our very own American shysters, seemed intent on running the club aground, not helped by the millstone of money owed to a certain nationalised bank. When Rafa Benitez was moved on, what was a bad situation became life threatening when a shortlist of replacements was revealed - a certain Mr Roy Hodgson was being promoted by the English paper as a safe pair of hands to guide the club through what were truly dark times. Legend has it, that Kenny was so dissapointed by the shortlist that he immediately offered his services as manager as he felt he could do a much better job than those being considered.\nAny football fan of some pedigree would recognise the parallels here. Just like Julianne and Michael, \u0026lsquo;King\u0026rsquo; Kenny and Liverpool had a long and distinguished connection, one that made him feel compelled to throw his hat into the ring to \u0026lsquo;save\u0026rsquo; the club. Both the King and Julianne Potter, fell prey to what I describe as the Dalglish Conjecture - the (right or wrong) belief that there is a duty owed to a close friend to intervene in their affairs to prevent the occurence of a fatal mistake. At its core is a commendable, if not entirely altruistic, sense of loyalty that somehow concludes that the greater good is served by the sacrifice of ones independence on the altar of loyalty to a friend.\nIn the more general case, I find that this conjecture occurs fairly regularly between guys and girls who are long term friends and have developed an understanding that seems to be lacking in the various potential mates they fall in with. One party often concludes that given the inefficiences in the various hook ups they get into, it would make a lot more sense to step into the breach and offer their \u0026lsquo;services\u0026rsquo; as a potential dating partner.\nGiven the foregoing, I therefore present to you the Dalglish conjecture:\nGiven any interaction universe U, populated with elements ei, each having a unique time-dependent intrinsic spin function Si(t); for any two elements with identical but opposite spin frequencies in a state of mutually non-intrusive interaction, if the near field intrusive interaction coefficient ku is less than 1, the optimum interaction state of both elements is a mutually intrusive one.\nUnfortunately, this is only a conjecture and is unproven. Any implementation of this in a real life dating situation is entirely at the users\u0026rsquo; risk.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/14/deconstructing-the-dalglish-conjecture/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe following was instigated by a discussion on Twitter with @ \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/#!/Sir_Farouk\"\u003eSir Fariku\u003c/a\u003e on the case for football as a compelling metaphor for a bloke\u0026rsquo;s dating life and the Brothers With No Game series on \u003ca href=\"http://www.brotherswithnogame.com/what-footballer-are-you/\"\u003eWhich Footballer Are You\u003c/a\u003e?\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the 1997 movie \u0026lsquo;\u003ca href=\"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119738/\"\u003eMy Best Friend\u0026rsquo;s Wedding\u003c/a\u003e\u0026rsquo; directed by P.J. Hogan, Julianne Potter (played by Julia Roberts) finds herself facing a conundrum of sorts. Her long term friend, Michael O\u0026rsquo;Neil (played by Dermot Mulroney) informs her a few days short of her own 28th birthday of his impending marriage to Kimberly (played by Cameron Diaz). This should be great news, except for the small matter of a pact between Julianne and Michael where they had agreed that if they remained single till they turned 28, they would get married to each other. She also believes (rightly or wrongly) that Kimberly is the wrong person for him to get married to.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Deconstructing the Dalglish Conjecture"},{"content":"For memories which refuse to lie down and die\u0026hellip;. But for which we cannot hold on for forever.\n[\u0026hellip;] I don\u0026rsquo;t want to look back and wonder If good enough could have been better Every day\u0026rsquo;s a day that\u0026rsquo;s borrowed So why am I waiting for tomorrow [\u0026hellip;]\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/13/the-sunday-song-waiting-for-tomorrow-mandissa/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor memories which refuse to lie down and die\u0026hellip;. But for which we cannot hold on for forever.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[\u0026hellip;] I don\u0026rsquo;t want to look back and wonder\nIf good enough could have been better\nEvery day\u0026rsquo;s a day that\u0026rsquo;s borrowed\nSo why am I waiting for tomorrow [\u0026hellip;]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/Dp4Def1nN0g?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e","title":"The Sunday Song: Waiting for Tomorrow - Mandissa"},{"content":"\nOne Sunday in December of \u0026lsquo;76 as the dry, dusty harmattan winds dumped a fine layer of dust on a sleepy village, two best friends who had not seen each other for the better part of three years were meeting up under the shade of a kola nut tree, squarely placed in the centre of the court yard of the unpainted cement building that housed one of the ruling families in a little village nestled underneath the overhanging rocks of the Somorika mountains.\nThe men in question had been partners in crime, as they painted the small village red a few years before. Forming a fearsome central defensive partnership, they had been the foundation of the all-conquering village football team. Women (and free kai-kai at the local drinking spots) were a few of the trappings this revered status brought them, and like all full blooded thirty-something males, they had milked their lofty status to the maximum. They also had the fortune in those days to have parents with some education, and thus had been pushed and prodded until they had completed their A-levels and gone on to University - Ai to UNILAG, and Og to UI.\nSomething though had happened in between - Ai had somehow acquired a worldview shattering transformation two years into his UNILAG experience, and had become rabidly spiritual, complete with speaking in tongues and the other trappings of militant charismatism. Og on the other hand had fallen in with the folks at the Student Union and had become a radical of his own, only with a more political slant.\nUnderneath the tree, the animated conversation slowly segued into an attempt to unpack the changes that had happened in their individual lives in the period they had not seen each other. Og was incredulous, and perhaps a little dismissive of the fact that a full blooded young man could suddenly become able to resist the lure of free women, beer, and a reputation for playing the town. Ai tried his best to explain the spiritual changes that had happened in his life, to little effect.\nThat innocuous conversation underneath a tree was the first step in a chain of events that would bring Ai in contact with a delectable lass from the village next door. Whilst visiting cousins in the village next door, Og was told about someone who had shattered academic records all her life, and was attending the University of Ife on a Federal scholarship. She also had a reputation for being a hard nosed SU member. The next time Og was in town, he asked to meet her, and when his missive was repelled with a stirring master class in evangelism, he mentioned he knew just the right bloke with enough spiritual fervour to match the young woman\u0026rsquo;s potency.\nTwo years later, Ai and said lass would get married in the local Anglican Church amid much pomp and pageantry- she swears the marriage register was signed at 11:36am; all he remembers is saying the I-do\u0026rsquo;s and whisking her off to a whole new life.\n33 years, four children (less the one who the genes took), multiple quarrels (including at least one week where one party packed out of the house), and six academic degrees between them later, they are still together, reasonably happy and still share a laugh at Og\u0026rsquo;s antics. Somewhere in between they would become my parents.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/11/how-he-met-my-mother/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"dad\u0026amp;mum\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/dadmum.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne Sunday in December of \u0026lsquo;76 as the dry, dusty harmattan winds dumped a fine layer of dust on a sleepy village, two best friends who had not seen each other for the better part of three years were meeting up under the shade of a kola nut tree, squarely placed in the centre of the court yard of the unpainted cement building that housed one of the ruling families in a little village nestled underneath the overhanging rocks of the Somorika mountains.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"How He Met My Mother"},{"content":"The National Marriage Project’s Ten Things about Marriage Young Adults should know says that an introduction by family or acquaintances made up sixty percent of the marriages in their 2004 sample. I suspect the data might be dated – an eHarmony staff [on quora] points to a report they commissioned from Harris Interactive that claims that for 2008-09, 14% of marriages came from connections initiated online.\nIt does seem to me that having a two pronged approach – being open to introductions from friends and acquaintances, and getting online – should improve a bloke’s chances of meeting The One (if she actually exists, that is). As a result, I have bitten the bullet and signed up for an account at eHarmony, complete with a six month subscription. Given the audacious claims made in the various ads, the scientific lean of the matching system and frankly, the paucity of options, going down this route seemed a no-brainer to me.\nThere are positives – the chance to ask myself questions that drill to the depths of who I am, and also re-jigging my list for the One. So here’s to first tentative steps into uncharted territory.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/09/weighing-up-the-options/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe National Marriage Project’s \u003ca href=\"http://www.virginia.edu/marriageproject/pdfs/pubTenThingsYoungAdults.pdf\"\u003eTen Things about Marriage Young Adults should know\u003c/a\u003e says that an introduction by family or acquaintances made up sixty percent of the marriages in their 2004 sample. I suspect the data might be dated – an eHarmony staff [on quora] points to a report they commissioned from Harris Interactive that claims that for 2008-09, \u003ca href=\"http://www.quora.com/What-percent-of-marriages-today-%282009-2010%29-originated-from-an-online-dating-service\"\u003e14% of marriages came from connections initiated online\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt does seem to me that having a two pronged approach – being open to introductions from friends and acquaintances, and getting online – should improve a bloke’s chances of meeting The One (if she actually exists, that is). As a result, I have bitten the bullet and signed up for an account at \u003ca href=\"http://www.eharmony.co.uk/\"\u003eeHarmony\u003c/a\u003e, complete with a six month subscription. Given the audacious claims made in the various ads, the scientific lean of the matching system and frankly, the paucity of options, going down this route seemed a no-brainer to me.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weighing up the options"},{"content":"The evening before the morning I am due to fly, I stay awake till the wee hours of the morning tossing and turning on my bed. There is the reality of the unfinished business between TheB and I that needs sorting out one way or the other; and that thought, scary as it is, leaves my mind accelerating into overdrive. These could potentially be game changing events I am about to unleash, if I grow the balls to go through with it. History suggests that it will be yet another dumb squib.. One way or the other, there has to be some clarity I reckon\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/07/the-evening-before/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe evening before the morning I am due to fly, I stay awake till the wee hours of the morning tossing and turning on my bed. There is the reality of the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/unfinished-business/\"\u003eunfinished business\u003c/a\u003e between TheB and I that needs sorting out one way or the other; and that thought, scary as it is, leaves my mind accelerating into overdrive. These could potentially be game changing events I am about to unleash, if I grow the balls to go through with it. History suggests that it will be yet another dumb squib.. One way or the other, there has to be some clarity I reckon\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The evening before..."},{"content":" Pity the blog\u0026rsquo;s no longer updated\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/06/the-sunday-song-what-a-heart-is-beating-for-chris-rice/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/k3bwSZGbW1E?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePity \u003ca href=\"http://www.chrisrice.com/blog/blog.php\"\u003ethe blog\u0026rsquo;s\u003c/a\u003e no longer updated\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Sunday Song: What A Heart is Beating For - Chris Rice"},{"content":"In a few days time, I shall pack my bags and head across the Atlantic one more time. The driver is some unfinished business from 2009. There was the small matter of a conundrum which developed in April of 2009. The ladies in question were F and my \u0026rsquo;nearly girls\u0026rsquo;TheB and S.\nOver the course of that year F and I would finally put ourselves out of the misery of our forced dalliance, for good. \u0026lsquo;S would turn to me as a husband finder, and TheB and I would drift apart for no real reason.\nI took her vanishing pretty badly, as she was one of the few women - alongside MG and EJ who totally got me. It was a full year before I could bring myself to give her a call. And when I did, it all came back, hurts and all. All we had was an uneasy truce - the odd phone call here and there, and the walls we had built up. In between, there was EJ, and the breakup, and life coming back full circle. There\u0026rsquo;s unfinished business there, this bloke needs to understand where we derailed in 2009. Hopefully, as a minimum there will be lessons to be learned\u0026hellip;and a Third Day concert to attend.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/04/unfinished-business/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn a few days time, I shall pack my bags and head across the Atlantic one more time. The driver is some unfinished business from 2009. There was the small matter of a \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/04/my-very-own-bachelors-conundrum/\"\u003econundrum\u003c/a\u003e  which developed in April of 2009. The ladies in question were \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/on-f/\"\u003eF\u003c/a\u003e and my \u0026rsquo;nearly girls\u0026rsquo;\u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/the-nearly-girls/\"\u003eTheB and S\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver the course of that year F and I would finally put ourselves out of the misery of our \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/on-f/\"\u003eforced dalliance, for good\u003c/a\u003e. \u0026lsquo;S would turn to me as \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/11/random-simple-things/\"\u003ea husband finder\u003c/a\u003e, and TheB and I would \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/08/a-passing-fancy/\"\u003edrift apart\u003c/a\u003e for no real reason.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Unfinished business"},{"content":"When the clock chimed in the New Year, I was cuddled up next to the girlfriend at the time. I had my feet on a foot stool, was sat in a couch in front of the television and was cradling her head as it lay on my chest, whilst we mused about the new year, and all the wonderful, beautiful things we hoped it would bring us. I had flown nearly 5000 miles to make this moment, and in the heat of the moment, life couldn’t have felt better. There was me, the one woman in the world I loved, and a bright and shining future ahead of us. If ever there was a fairy tale moment in my life, that was it.\nTen months down the road, that fairy tale is no more – obliterated by time, distance and the seemingly insurmountable gulf that a difference of faith can engender. It would take me six full months, from that fateful day in April when it all went south, before I would be able to come to terms with that loss, but I like to imagine bar the odd memory induced twinge, I have well and truly moved on.\nI still hold out hope for a fairy tale ending – frog meets Cinderella, and whether in an instant or over time, the frog morphs into a Prince and Cinderella gets her heritage back.\nSo here’s to hope, for a fairy tale ending.. Whenever (If ever) that is…\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/03/not-yet-a-fairy-tale/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWhen the clock chimed in the New Year, I was cuddled up next to the girlfriend at the time. I had my feet on a foot stool, was sat in a couch in front of the television and was cradling her head as it lay on my chest, whilst we mused about the new year, and all the wonderful, beautiful things we hoped it would bring us. I had flown nearly 5000 miles to make this moment, and in the heat of the moment, life couldn’t have felt better. There was me, the one woman in the world I loved, and a bright and shining future ahead of us. If ever there was a fairy tale moment in my life, that was it.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Not Yet A Fairy Tale"},{"content":"Arthur Ashe\u0026rsquo;s moving memoir \u0026lsquo;Days of Grace\u0026rsquo; ends with a heartfelt letter to his (then) six year old daughter Camera in which he unpacks all the things he suspects his illness will deny him the opportunity of telling her in future. Covering a range of categories from the importance of family, racial discrimination, loss, marriage, money and even faith, it reads like a distillation of many years of living and learning. The section where he talks about faith and religion reads like a primer for a balanced, liberal, yet essentially Judeo-Christian worldview. Excerpts below:\n\u0026hellip;have faith in God. Do not be tempted either by pleasures and material possessions, or by the claims of science and smart thinkers, into believing that religion is obsolete and that the worship of God is somehow beneath you. Spiritual nourishment is as important as physical nourishment, or as intellectual nourishment. The religion you choose is not as important as a fundamental faith in God.\n\u0026hellip; Beyond the different dogma must be the sense of yourself as created by God for a purpose, and as being under God\u0026rsquo;s law at all.\n\u0026hellip; Be ruled by that rule called golden; do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Do not beg God for favours. Instead, ask God for the wisdom to know what is right, what God wants and the will to do it.\nA profile of the man and his wife\u0026rsquo;s thoughts on losing him in \u0026lsquo;93.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/11/01/arthur-ashe-on-god-and-religion/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eArthur Ashe\u0026rsquo;s moving memoir \u003ca href=\"http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/698054.Days_of_Grace\"\u003e\u0026lsquo;Days of Grace\u0026rsquo;\u003c/a\u003e ends with a heartfelt letter to his (then) six year old daughter Camera in which he unpacks all the things he suspects his illness will deny him the opportunity of telling her in future. Covering a range of categories from the importance of family, racial discrimination, loss, marriage, money and even faith, it reads like a distillation of many years of living and learning. The section where he talks about faith and religion reads like a primer for a balanced,  liberal, yet essentially Judeo-Christian worldview. Excerpts below:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Arthur Ashe on God and religion"},{"content":" Lyrics here\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/10/30/the-sunday-song-just-another-mountain-jamie-slocum/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/qt8MpHbE-3c?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLyrics \u003ca href=\"http://www.sweetslyrics.com/846479.Jamie%20Slocum%20-%20Just%20Another%20Mountain.html\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Sunday Song: Just Another Mountain (Jamie Slocum)"},{"content":"They say there are five stages of grief\u0026hellip; First there is denial. Everything slows down to an almost imperceptible crawl, leaving you with the numbness of disbelief and a full blown Fariku Singularity. You replay that final scene in your head again and again until it is etched in your mind like an indelible tattoo. You deconstruct the words hoping to find an iota of comfort; and when the lads ask you about her, you pretend the phone lines garbled that bit of speech, or mutter various incomprehensible answers.\nAfter a while reality bites, and Anger rears its head. You want to do something to hurt, something that will somehow in your mind atone for the loss, even if it is irrational. You delete phone numbers, wipe out emails, cut off social connections and add details to block lists. It is all to no avail, like a giant worm chewing away at the insides of your mind, the dull ache of her name - and her face - remain, never mind the fact that you have dialled the numbers and emailed back and forth so much so that you know the details by heart.\nIn a rare moment of lucidity, you decide that Bargaining is an option after all. You convince yourself that you both had so much invested that at least one more punt - however unlikely it is to succeed - is warranted. You fire off the first salvo, it takes all of six days for a reply to come back. When it does, it is cryptic, impersonal and reads like something spat out from an automated answering machine. When you finally get to talk, it is clear there is still a mental connection, only the original issues remain and time apart has deepened the chasm.\nThen depression comes in swingingly wildly; self-loathing hits you in the solar plexus and like a bag of potatoes suddenly cut loose from the weighing string you crumble. You mope around for days on end, make sloppy mistakes at work and even get pulled up by the boss. You go over all the events again, playing various what-ifs and what-mights in your head: if you hadn\u0026rsquo;t forgotten the birthday, if you had braved the odds and flown over for a face-to-face, if snow and work hadn\u0026rsquo;t conspired to pare 14 days down to barely six, if playful conversations about wanting only one child hadn\u0026rsquo;t taken on an unintended palor of seriousness, if\u0026hellip;. if\u0026hellip; if\u0026hellip; It doesn\u0026rsquo;t help that normal life continues, and the odd lad still brings her name up in conversations. Each night, in the bits of solitude that the minutiae of the life she once shared excitedly used to fill, there are alternate overpowering urges: to call her, to cry, to kick a door in, to overdose on cokes, to just do something. In those unguarded moments when you lie awake till the wee hours of the morning tossing and turning, you wonder what it is she is up to, if she still thinks about you and if she\u0026rsquo;s moved on to another bloke.\nIn midst of it all, there\u0026rsquo;s you, and the one bloke who can relate, he of the listening ear who has walked these self same paths before. You talk, and cry, and finally find the release that unloading the hurt brings. You let go of the hurt and accept it wasn\u0026rsquo;t meant to be, and that only time can ease this pain. In the detached clarity of your new found pragmatism, you recognise the differences were always going to be an issue - red herring or not, and that there is no way back now.\nLife\u0026rsquo;s finally come full circle, and with it a semblance of normalcy, the only reminders of the season of heart break are the holidays you never took and the sense of de ja vu - you\u0026rsquo;ve been here before and you survived, even back in 2009.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/10/29/full-circle-the-anatomy-of-a-heart-break/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThey say there are \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%BCbler-Ross_model\"\u003efive stages of grief\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip; First there is \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/04/delayed-cognition/\"\u003edenial\u003c/a\u003e. Everything slows down to an almost imperceptible crawl, leaving you with the numbness of disbelief and a full blown \u003ca href=\"http://moacn.wordpress.com/2011/10/28/musings-on-singularities-when-time-stands-still-in-human-relationships/\"\u003eFariku Singularity\u003c/a\u003e. You replay that final scene in your head again and again until it is etched in your mind like an indelible tattoo. You deconstruct the words hoping to find an iota of comfort; and when the lads ask you about her, you pretend the phone lines garbled that bit of speech, or mutter various incomprehensible answers.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Full circle (the anatomy of a heart break)"},{"content":"How sad is it that I can totally relate with this sentiment?\nvia xkcd\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/10/26/everything-via-xkcd/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHow sad is it that I can totally relate with this sentiment?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/everything_xkcd.png\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"everything_xkcd\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/everything_xkcd.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003evia \u003ca href=\"http://xkcd.com/968/\"\u003exkcd\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Everything (via xkcd)"},{"content":" Reality is a question of perspective; the further you get from the past, the more concrete and plausible it seems..\n…so said Salman Rushdie. The corollary is that memory is deceptive, and nostalgia can skew our recollection of things so much that it becomes an alternate reality far removed from the cold, hard facts as they occurred.\nSometimes clarity hits you suddenly like a blow to the solar plexus, at other times the bleeding obvious slowly becomes apparent. All told, some day a bloke has to decide – what’s important, what’s not, and what to leave to fight another day….\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/10/22/on-reality/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReality is a question of perspective; the further you get from the past, the more concrete and plausible it seems..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e…so said \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salman_Rushdie\"\u003eSalman Rushdie\u003c/a\u003e. The corollary is that memory is deceptive, and nostalgia can skew our recollection of things so much that it becomes an alternate reality far removed from the cold, hard facts as they occurred.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSometimes clarity hits you suddenly like a blow to the \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celiac_plexus\"\u003esolar plexus\u003c/a\u003e, at other times the \u003cem\u003ebleeding\u003c/em\u003e obvious \u003cem\u003eslowly\u003c/em\u003e becomes apparent. All told, some day a bloke has to decide – what’s important, what’s not, and what to leave to fight another day….\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Reality"},{"content":"Huddled around the lone telephone in Meeting Room Twelve, how we end up talking about the potentially explosive subjects of immigration and living on the dole escapes me, but once the first, tentative blows are struck, it all takes off from there. There is me - very Nigerian, Ahmed – devout Muslim, Pakistani – born, but as English as they come and Steph – part free thinker, part new-ager, also British. We are waiting for the phone call which will initiate a teleconference – one which should have started a full ten minutes earlier.\nImmigration and immigrants have been on the front pages again (are they not always on there these days?) - the Prime Minister has been seeking to regain the front foot on the subject by proposing a raft of changes aimed at projecting a tougher stance; stricter financial conditions for sponsoring spouses and a revamped citizenship test amongst others.\nInterestingly, next to the surfeit of Poles in our building, the bitterest vitriol is reserved for people living on the dole. Ahmed and Steph both agree that the government is too soft on people living on the dole and argue that quite a few of the jobs filled by Poles (and other Africans) in our office building could conceivably be done by Brits, if the benefits system didn\u0026rsquo;t reward laziness. I counter with the argument that a civilised government owes a duty of care to its citizens. I add that I suspect that the crimes are less serious than they would be if people were driven by hunger to desperation.\nSteph agrees with the crime rate argument but insists that the freebies effectively incentivise not working. [Apparently merely being an unwed mother with three children could net a woman around about £30k/yr in benefits, which would be what a Graduate RustGeek would get after the first year of working at KOX Corp].\nAhmed is less tolerant of either argument, and insists that a sense of entitlement is what is to blame. Try eking out a living in Pakistan - he says, and you\u0026rsquo;ll have no grounds to complain about not being able to buy Jordan trainers. That sentiment might have its merits, but I suspect it is a gross simplification. Ahmed\u0026rsquo;s sausage soft hands and penchant for milky weak tea are hardly posters for eking out a living by any standard.\nThese are difficult conversations to have. As the one immigrant whose strongest only claim to Britishness is being conceived between swigs of coffee and PhD research on a November night in Bristol in the 70s [I was born in an obscure Nigerian town by the way, so this obscure fact doesn\u0026rsquo;t count], I am as much at ease as an old woman when dry bones are mentioned in a proverb. They reassure me though that I am different. Just how different I am, and for how long that difference will last remains to be seen, but I suspect I will always be a different sort of \u0026rsquo; them\u0026rsquo; - not that I am keen to ever become \u0026rsquo; us\u0026rsquo; though.\nThirty minutes later, our meeting is still yet to start. All that is on my mind is to get this meeting over with and kick start the weekend.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/10/21/friday-afternoon-conversations/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHuddled around the lone telephone in Meeting Room Twelve, how we end up talking about the potentially explosive subjects of immigration and living on the dole escapes me, but once the first, tentative blows are struck, it all takes off from there. There is me - \u003cem\u003every\u003c/em\u003e Nigerian, Ahmed – devout Muslim, Pakistani – born, but as English as they come and Steph – part free thinker, part new-ager, also British. We are waiting for the phone call which will initiate a teleconference – one which should have started a full ten minutes earlier.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Friday afternoon conversations"},{"content":"As seen in the window of a pub on Union Street.. Couldn\u0026rsquo;t be truer\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/10/17/about-town-pub-signage/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAs seen in the window of a pub on Union Street.. Couldn\u0026rsquo;t be truer\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/pub.gif\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"pub\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/pub.gif\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Town: Pub signage..."},{"content":"For the beautiful ones who almost were\u0026hellip;\nWe may never ever again be the way we once were.\nWe may no longer dance the cha-cha and sip palm wine in the shade of the coconut palms as Coltrane serenades and the sea breezes ripple through the flimsy thatch that breaks the fall of the gently falling rain.\nWe may now never know the blessing of the Old Man’s Libation, or see his scrawny fingers split the kola nut or the unerring aim of the red spittle from his toothless gums\nBut in that dark, quiet place; beyond the banks of the Styx where Forgetfulness, blurs everything, we may pretend; but can’t forget the delirious Joy of the way we once were.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/10/14/the-way-we-once-were/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor the beautiful ones who \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/the-nearly-girls/\"\u003ealmost were\u0026hellip;\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe may never\never again\nbe the way\nwe once were.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe may no longer\ndance the cha-cha\nand sip palm wine\nin the shade\nof the coconut palms\nas Coltrane serenades\nand the sea breezes\nripple through\nthe flimsy thatch\nthat breaks the fall\nof the gently\nfalling rain.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe may\nnow never know\nthe blessing of the\nOld Man’s Libation, or see\nhis scrawny fingers\nsplit the kola nut\nor the unerring aim\nof the red spittle\nfrom his toothless gums\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Way We Once Were..."},{"content":" I want the next woman, who comes into my life, and loves me to stay for the long run. To love me, as I love her, to give me butterflies in my stomach and awaken my inner protector\u0026hellip;.\nSurely, not too much to ask? I think I\u0026rsquo;ve thrown walls up around my heart for too long.. Sigh\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/10/09/dear-god/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI want the next woman, who comes into my life, and loves me to stay for the long run. To love me, as I love her, to give me butterflies in my stomach and awaken my inner protector\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSurely, not too much to ask? I think I\u0026rsquo;ve thrown walls up around my heart for too long.. Sigh\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/ooAi3KJ5I-s?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e","title":"Dear God..."},{"content":"In theory, fresh starts are great: you get a clean slate, a new life, the chance to reinvent yourself and lay the past to rest.\nIn reality, the break is never clean – past actions have consequences, past events leave signatures that are etched like indelible tattoos on the mind, and on memory, and there will always be connections to people we can\u0026rsquo;t escape.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/10/08/the-illusion-of-new/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIn theory,\u003c/em\u003e fresh starts are great: you get a clean slate, a new life, the chance to reinvent yourself and lay the past to rest.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIn reality\u003c/em\u003e, the break is never clean – past actions have consequences, past events leave signatures that are etched like indelible tattoos on the mind,  and on memory,  and there will always be connections to people we can\u0026rsquo;t escape.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The illusion of 'new'"},{"content":" Nigeria turns 51, bloggers go on the charm offensive with 419 reasons to love the country. My moan from 2009 still stands regardless. The 216th Mersey side derby is \u0026lsquo;ruined by the referee\u0026rsquo;. The inevitable comments about \u0026lsquo;foreigners\u0026rsquo; follow. More from The Good Men Project - traditional gender roles Amanda Knox walks free - justice or a travesty? For better, for worse, until two years doth us part? In her b(rea)st interest? The $1m dollar insured boobs Shell complicit in military excesses in the Niger Delta? What\u0026rsquo;s in a number? Nothing, says the Good men Project. How the discipline of blogging is a stepping stone to become a good writer. Giving women the visibility they deserve? Steve Jobs passes - TIME\u0026rsquo;s official obituary. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/10/07/links-07-oct-2011/","summary":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNigeria turns 51, bloggers go on the charm offensive with \u003ca href=\"http://www.419positive.org/419-reasons-to-like-nigeria-complete-list/\"\u003e419 reasons to love the country\u003c/a\u003e. My \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/10/the-life-of-a-lost-son/\"\u003emoan from 2009\u003c/a\u003e still stands regardless.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe 216th Mersey side derby is \u003ca href=\"http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/philmcnulty/2011/10/atkinson_diet_hard_to_swallow.html\"\u003e\u0026lsquo;ruined by the referee\u0026rsquo;\u003c/a\u003e. The inevitable comments about \u0026lsquo;foreigners\u0026rsquo; follow.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMore from The Good Men Project - \u003ca href=\"http://goodmenproject.com/ethics-values/beyond-the-blinking-eye-of-righteousness/\"\u003etraditional gender roles\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAmanda Knox \u003ca href=\"http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2096048,00.html\"\u003ewalks free\u003c/a\u003e - justice or a travesty?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor better, for worse, until \u003ca href=\"http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/03/world/americas/mexico-2-year-marriages/\"\u003etwo years doth us part\u003c/a\u003e?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn her b(rea)st interest? The \u003ca href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/29/holly-madison-insures-bre_n_986764.html\"\u003e$1m dollar insured\u003c/a\u003e boobs\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShell \u003ca href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/03/shell-oil-paid-nigerian-military\"\u003ecomplicit\u003c/a\u003e in military excesses in the Niger Delta?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat\u0026rsquo;s in a number? \u003ca href=\"http://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/whats-your-number-heres-why-i-dont-care/\"\u003eNothing,\u003c/a\u003e says the Good men Project.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHow the \u003ca href=\"http://nhwn.wordpress.com/2011/09/15/how-blogging-taught-me-to-be-a-writer/\"\u003ediscipline of blogging\u003c/a\u003e is a stepping stone to become a good writer.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGiving women the \u003ca href=\"http://historytoherstory.hud.ac.uk/\"\u003evisibility they deserve\u003c/a\u003e?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSteve Jobs passes - TIME\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,2096251-1,00.html\"\u003eofficial obituary\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"Links: 07 Oct 2011"},{"content":"That iconic 2005 Standford Commencement address again..\nWhat I learned:\nDo not be afraid to start again: Apple, NeXT, Pixar and then Apple again? Keep every decision, and every action in perspective of what\u0026rsquo;s truly important Find what you love, love what you do, and excel at it. Never underestimate the importance of any experience, the dots only appear to line up in hindsight Do YOU! Definitely one to file in my \u0026lsquo;Ideas for life\u0026rsquo; folder alongside Dennis Prager\u0026rsquo;s at Pepperdine University and John Legend at The University of Pennsylvania.\nFull text from the Standford University website.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/10/06/rip-steve-jobs/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThat iconic 2005 Standford Commencement address again..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/UF8uR6Z6KLc?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhat I learned:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDo not be afraid to start again: Apple, NeXT, Pixar and then Apple again?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKeep every decision, and every action in perspective of what\u0026rsquo;s truly important\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFind what you love, love what you do, and excel at it.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNever underestimate the importance of any experience, the dots only appear to line up in hindsight\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDo YOU!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDefinitely one to file in my \u0026lsquo;\u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/category/ideas-for-life/\"\u003eIdeas for life\u003c/a\u003e\u0026rsquo; folder alongside \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/12/seven-ideas-for-life-some-gist-from-dennis-prager/\"\u003eDennis Prager\u0026rsquo;s at Pepperdine University\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/05/on-living-a-soulful-life/\"\u003eJohn Legend at The University of Pennsylvania\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"RIP Steve Jobs..."},{"content":"I think it is a little too early, but out here in ruralville the airwaves are already awash with ads for Christmas get aways. At work our coffee room conversations too are taking a decidedly christmas-sy bent: turkey shopping, holiday bookings, grand children, the company christmas ball and fine wine seem to come to the fore a little easier these days. The weather man promised an Indian summer of sorts, but our sun - for all its light - seems to be the evil twin of the one which terrorised us a scant few months ago, all light and no warmth ably aided by the wind which howls through every open space like a spurned suitor.\nThese days I catch myself gazing wistfully at the city as I walk to and from work, and thinking - about memory, and time, and loss, and how they all come together to shape the present and define the course of the future. A lot of it is nostalgia, an inordinate longing for how things once were, and will never again be, but I imagine one is allowed some measure of self delusion after all. Deep down in my head, I suspect that my dalliance with old Blighty is done, and I must needs turn my gaze to new vistas soon.\nChange - inexorable and ineluctable - appears to be the over arching motif of the season. Outside, the greens of a few weeks ago have turned into dirty browns and the occasional golden reds - where the wind in its fury has not stripped the trees of all their foliage. Life, like an orchestra conducted to a crescendo by an unseen Kapellmeister, hurtles on.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/10/03/counting-down/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI think it is a little too early, but out here in \u003cem\u003eruralville\u003c/em\u003e the airwaves are already awash with ads for Christmas get aways. At work our coffee room conversations too are taking a decidedly \u003cem\u003echristmas-sy\u003c/em\u003e bent: turkey shopping, holiday bookings, grand children, the company christmas ball and fine wine seem to come to the fore a little easier these days. The weather man promised an Indian summer of sorts, but \u003cem\u003eour\u003c/em\u003e sun - for all its light - seems to be the evil twin of the one which \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/04/springs-sprung/\"\u003eterrorised us a scant few months ago\u003c/a\u003e, all light and no warmth ably aided by the wind which howls through every open space like a spurned suitor.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Counting down..."},{"content":"Slightly better September again - but I have fallen a lot more behind (5 books behind the plan according to the goodreads widget). Most of my reading is currently being done off my kindle which makes it marginally easier to read too. So here goes:\nHell\u0026rsquo;s Corner - David Baldacci: Bought after stumbling on an ad on TV (the dangers of daytime TV I guess). Interesting read, especially given my long hiatus from reading spy-y books. Paradise - Toni Morrison: My first Toni Morrison book. Loved the attention to detail - one I intend to re-read. Another Country - James Baldwin: Bought this off the Kindle store on an impulse. It does seem like I am being drawn to the books I read in my youth all over again\u0026hellip; ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/30/what-i-have-been-reading-sept/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSlightly better September again - but I have fallen a lot more behind (5 books behind the plan according to the \u003ca href=\"http://www.goodreads.com/challenges/2-2011-reading-challenge\"\u003egoodreads widget\u003c/a\u003e). Most of my reading is currently being done off my kindle which makes it marginally easier to read too. So here goes:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11267852-hell-s-corner\"\u003eHell\u0026rsquo;s Corner\u003c/a\u003e - David Baldacci: Bought after stumbling on an ad on TV (the dangers of daytime TV I guess). Interesting read, especially given my long hiatus from reading \u003cem\u003espy-y\u003c/em\u003e books.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5198.Paradise\"\u003eParadise\u003c/a\u003e - Toni Morrison:  My first Toni Morrison book. Loved the attention to detail - one I intend to re-read.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38474.Another_Country\"\u003eAnother Country\u003c/a\u003e - James Baldwin: Bought this off the Kindle store on an impulse. It does seem like I am being drawn to the books I read in my youth all over again\u0026hellip;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"What I have been reading [Sept]"},{"content":" Printing a car? Odd that the retards who comment on the Daily Mail jump right to dissing the Indians and Chinese in the comments. Facebook rejigs, again. Tips and tricks to keep things private Sex and Hygiene, an info-graphic. Home grown scam; preying on the desire to jet out of Nigeria by all means. A saddening tale of domestic violence. Where does all the love go? :( There\u0026rsquo;s an app for that. iPhone meets sleep monitoring. Understanding the Nigerian \u0026lsquo;Middle Class\u0026rsquo; - wonder why the earnings limits have been set between NGN75k to 100k - hardly significant earnings I reckon. Brain reading, quite literarily. The DTR, a guide via Boundless. Go out there and make babies. The case for more educated [and progressive] people having more children. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/30/links-30-sept-2011/","summary":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2041106/Urbee-The-worlds-printed-car-rolling-3D-printing-presses-.html\"\u003ePrinting a car?\u003c/a\u003e Odd that the retards who comment on the Daily Mail jump right to dissing the Indians and Chinese in the comments.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFacebook rejigs, again. \u003ca href=\"http://mashable.com/2011/09/28/new-facebook/\"\u003eTips and tricks\u003c/a\u003e to keep things private\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSex and Hygiene, an \u003ca href=\"http://www.bspcn.com/2011/09/23/sex-hygiene-and-sex-survey/\"\u003einfo-graphic\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHome grown \u003ca href=\"http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/newsonthehour/2011/sept/24/newsbreak-24-09-2011-001.html\"\u003escam\u003c/a\u003e; preying on the desire to jet out of Nigeria by all means.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA \u003ca href=\"http://kunbibalogun.com/?p=724\"\u003esaddening tale\u003c/a\u003e of domestic violence. Where does all the love go? :(\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThere\u0026rsquo;s an app for that. \u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2042044/New-techno-headband-tells-iPhone-slept--partners-snoring-kept-up.html\"\u003eiPhone meets sleep monitoring\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/nigerias-middle-class-how-we-live-and-what-we-want-from-life/\"\u003eUnderstanding the Nigerian \u0026lsquo;Middle Class\u0026rsquo;\u003c/a\u003e - wonder why the earnings limits have been set between NGN75k to 100k - hardly significant earnings I reckon.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/09/28/how-did-researchers-manage-to-read-movie-clips-from-the-brain/\"\u003eBrain reading,\u003c/a\u003e quite literarily.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.boundlessline.org/2011/09/the-dtr.html\"\u003eThe DTR\u003c/a\u003e, a guide via Boundless.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGo out there and make babies. The \u003ca href=\"http://goodmenproject.com/ethics-values/get-out-there-and-make-more-babies/\"\u003ecase\u003c/a\u003e for more educated [and progressive] people having more children.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"Links: 30 Sept 2011"},{"content":"\nThere is a distinct chill to the air. Surely the weakly warm sun is on its last legs - like a new born mother coaxed out of her bed too early, smiling weakly for the photo opportunity, keen to impress yet tired to her bone - and the prospect of yet another harsh winter is enough incentive for me to take advantage of the sunshine and get up and about.\nThe plan is to finally visit the Maritime Museum in town. Since I moved houses a month ago, my new route to walk takes me right past its granite-grey, blue-glassed facade, but it has never sufficiently tweaked my curiosity enough to lure me in. Having too much free time on my hands on Friday night, I find out [from Google] that it is actually a treasure trove of historical artefacts celebrating the city\u0026rsquo;s unique position as a small fishing outpost turned into Europe\u0026rsquo;s oil capital; that certainly piques my interest.\nI grab my jacket early on Saturday - it is too early to wear a winter coat, but too cold to brave the weather un-protected nonetheless - and head out into town. At reception, I sign in and grab a tag that allows me take pictures and proceed to explore the building. What I find blows me away.\nThe centre piece of the building is a model of the Murchison Platform. Besides this centre piece there are odds and ends about: a recovered deck house, the lamp assembly from an old light house, records from the old shipping society, historical memorabilia related to fishing and an entire section dedicated to North Sea oil and gas. One of the more intriguing pieces (at least to me) was an explanation of the MET office shipping forecast. Many a night whilst hounded by insomnia, I have lain in bed listening to the radio whilst it has been broadcast and wondered what the cryptic words meant. Thanks to this, I imagine I will listen to the broadcast with a lot more understanding.\nThe final floor has a large window that looks outwards on to the harbour. That view alone, is worth all the trouble I may have gone through to get there. My one small surprise is the absence of any reference to the slave trade. Surely for a city that played a not insubstantial role in maritime trade, there must be some connection to the slave trade?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/26/about-town-the-maritime-museum-edition/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/museum-view.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"museum view\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/museum-view.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is a distinct chill to the air. Surely the weakly warm sun is on its last legs - like a new born mother coaxed out of her bed too early,  smiling weakly for the photo opportunity,  keen to impress yet tired to her bone - and the prospect of yet another harsh winter is enough incentive for me to take advantage of the sunshine and get up and about.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Town: The Maritime Museum Edition"},{"content":" Brooke Fraser\u0026rsquo;s ShadowFeet ended up becoming MY song in 2009, it is looking like Yolanda Adams will have that honour this year.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/25/the-sunday-song-yet-still-i-rise-yolanda-adams/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/efmV-qOtjqI?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBrooke Fraser\u0026rsquo;s ShadowFeet ended up becoming \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/12/in-retrospect/\"\u003eMY song in 2009\u003c/a\u003e, it is looking like Yolanda Adams will have that honour this year.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Sunday Song: Yet Still I Rise (Yolanda Adams)"},{"content":"In my head all I want is\u0026hellip;.\nTo truly forget To know that I did my best to make it work To not have to ponder the what-ifs and maybe\u0026rsquo;s To truly move on And start afresh Sigh\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/25/closure/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn my head all I want is\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTo truly forget\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTo know that I did my best to make it work\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTo not have to ponder the \u003cem\u003ewhat-ifs\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003emaybe\u0026rsquo;s\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTo truly move on\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd start afresh\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSigh\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Closure"},{"content":" Will this father be prosecuted for defending his family against burglars? Reclaiming the Gentleman - The SBM approach. Even nature tears down first, before attempting to rebuild. The plus side to the Australian fires. A dastardly act, and using social media to hunt the bastards down: Sugarbelly\u0026rsquo;s blog post, an e-Petition and numerous Twitter mentions. How About We on the types of women to avoid. Eugene Cho muses on Troy Davis, the death penalty and what is an appropriate Christian response. An essay on travelling. Navigating the \u0026ldquo;You\u0026rsquo;re a great guy, but\u0026hellip;..\u0026rdquo; talk. Looking for the perfect dating age gap? Six is it. The case for doodling. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/23/links-23-sept-2011/","summary":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWill this father be prosecuted for \u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8771809/Father-arrested-for-murder-over-knifing-suspected-burglar.html\"\u003edefending his family against burglars\u003c/a\u003e?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReclaiming the Gentleman - The \u003ca href=\"http://www.singleblackmale.org/2011/09/19/the-g-code-putting-to-paper-the-unwritten-rules-around-manly-behavior/\"\u003eSBM approach\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEven nature tears down first, before attempting to rebuild. The \u003ca href=\"http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20931-huge-australian-bushfires-ignited-rare-plant-growth.html\"\u003eplus side\u003c/a\u003e to the Australian fires.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA \u003ca href=\"http://lindaikeji.blogspot.com/2011/09/five-boys-gang-rape-female-student-of.html\"\u003edastardly act\u003c/a\u003e, and using social media to hunt the bastards down: Sugarbelly\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.sugabellyrocks.com/2011/09/i-am-calling-human-flesh-search.html\"\u003eblog post\u003c/a\u003e, an \u003ca href=\"http://www.change.org/petitions/find-these-five-men-and-bring-them-to-justice\"\u003ee-Petition\u003c/a\u003e and numerous \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/#!/search/absu\"\u003eTwitter mentions\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.howaboutwe.com/\"\u003eHow About We\u003c/a\u003e on the \u003ca href=\"http://www.howaboutwe.com/date-report/1799-6-types-of-women-who-won-t-make-you-happy\"\u003etypes of women to avoid\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEugene Cho \u003ca href=\"http://eugenecho.com/2011/09/22/who-would-jesus-execute\"\u003emuses\u003c/a\u003e on Troy Davis, the death penalty and what is an appropriate Christian response.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAn \u003ca href=\"http://www.worldhum.com/features/travel-stories/why-we-travel-20081213/\"\u003eessay\u003c/a\u003e on travelling.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNavigating the \u003ca href=\"http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001515.cfm\"\u003e\u0026ldquo;You\u0026rsquo;re a great guy, but\u0026hellip;..\u0026rdquo;\u003c/a\u003e talk.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLooking for the perfect dating age gap? \u003ca href=\"http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/sex/dating-site-says-perfect-age-gap-between-men-women-is-6-years-2564234/\"\u003eSix is it\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"http://www.ted.com/talks/sunni_brown.html\"\u003ecase\u003c/a\u003e for doodling.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"Links: 23 Sept 2011"},{"content":"I have only officially dated two women - although there have been a slew of girls-that-almost-were. EJ and I lasted nine months; the other woman was the one I\u0026rsquo;ll call F and we lasted just over two years.\nI met F at a Christian young peoples\u0026rsquo; conference. It was Easter 2006, and on a whim I decided to attend the annual conference hosted by the group I used to attend on Campus. My little brother at the time was fairly well known in those circles, so hanging out with him got me some attention. That was where I saw her. And when their bus needed re-fuelling on the way back, my big fat more-than-I-could-use pay check from XOM came in handy.\nShe and I talked on and off for a full year - bonding, or so I thought. I made the trip to her University to see her in December of 2006 and we got on famously. I asked her out a month later - and she took her sweet time ( a full month I believe) to get back to me with a resounding NO.\nI never pressed her, I let the matter die, moped around for a few months and got my life together. In between, I flirted briefly with the idea of asking \u0026lsquo;Sua out but baulked at the complications involved. But then out of the blue, one year later in May of 2008, she called me up, asking if I was still interested.\nI made the mistake of agreeing to give it one more shot and spent 2008 and 2009 in the most draining relationship I have ever had. There were financial complications that eventually dragged my parents into helping out. In September of 2008, I left to begin my Newcastle odyssey, in November of 2009 things got to a head and we ended it.\nA few weeks ago, she finally graduated from Med School, word around town is she\u0026rsquo;s dating again. Mother is miffed that we didn\u0026rsquo;t work out. It sucks that this news filters in in the midst of my pining for the one after her. Sigh.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/21/on-f/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI have only officially dated two women - although there have been a slew of \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/the-nearly-girls/\"\u003egirls-that-almost-were\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e. EJ and I lasted nine months; the other woman was the one I\u0026rsquo;ll call F and we lasted just over two years.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI met F at a Christian young peoples\u0026rsquo; conference. It was Easter 2006, and on a whim I decided to attend the annual conference hosted by the group I used to attend on Campus. My little brother at the time was fairly well known in those circles, so hanging out with him got me some attention. That was where I saw her. And when their bus needed re-fuelling on the way back, my big fat \u003cem\u003emore-than-I-could-use pay check\u003c/em\u003e from XOM came in handy.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On F"},{"content":"\u0026hellip;Of the last year. I suspect that today was my Newcastle moment; the day when my decision to head out to pastures new was taken. The UK is looking increasingly hostile ( I may be reading the comments section of the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph too much), but it certainly hasn\u0026rsquo;t helped that some drunk wanna-be pirate complete with an eye patch called me a f*ucking black bastard in broad day light in Aberdeen. Even conversations at work occasionally centre around immigrants - mainly Poles, but surely its a short hop from Poles to Nigerians.\nSo, it looks like there will be another tweak to the 5 year plan - quit the UK in September 2012; complete my Materials \u0026amp; Metallurgy program in August 2013, and progress getting permanent residence status.\nMarriage? I really don\u0026rsquo;t know. Ideally, Q4 2013 (after the kinks in the 5 year plan have been worked out) would make sense. There is though the small matter of not being in a relationship at the moment..\nFor a long time now, I have felt like needing to restart my life - even if I have to get in at the base of the Engineering ladder someplace else. Fingers crossed, here\u0026rsquo;s to hope!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/18/the-first-day/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u0026hellip;Of the last year. I suspect that today was my \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/08/diary-of-a-would-be-school-boy/\"\u003eNewcastle moment\u003c/a\u003e; the day when my decision to head out to pastures new was taken. The UK is looking increasingly hostile ( I may be reading the comments section of the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph too much), but it certainly hasn\u0026rsquo;t helped that some drunk wanna-be pirate complete with an eye patch called me a \u003cem\u003ef*ucking black bastard\u003c/em\u003e in broad day light in Aberdeen.  Even conversations at work occasionally centre around immigrants - mainly Poles, but surely its a short hop from Poles to Nigerians.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The first day"},{"content":"What a bloke wants:\nGreat conversation An appreciation of the arts A balanced Judeo-Christian worldview\u0026hellip; The same sense of long term direction.. And not having to travel half way around the world to get them\u0026hellip;.\nSurely, not too much to ask for? Or is it?\nSigh\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/18/intermission-what-a-bloke-wants/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWhat a bloke wants:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGreat conversation\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAn appreciation of the arts\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA \u003cem\u003ebalanced\u003c/em\u003e Judeo-Christian worldview\u0026hellip;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe same sense of long term direction..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd not having to travel half way around the world to get them\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSurely,\u003c/em\u003e not too much to ask for? Or is \u003cem\u003eit\u003c/em\u003e?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSigh\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Intermission: What a Bloke Wants"},{"content":"In no particular order\nMG: High school mate, Mother figure, best friend through the teenage years, my very own right-girl-wrong-context conundrum, now married with children. H: High school mate, never really friends until we met up again in University, now married Elo: High school mate turned high profile Lawyer. I talked her through a particularly difficult heart break in \u0026lsquo;06 after which she plucked up a lot of courage and asked me out. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I didn\u0026rsquo;t bite, and she ended up running away to New York and the bloke who broke her heart in the first place. \u0026lsquo;Susuuu: Under grad protege who I taught calculus for a year. This was way too complicated to ever work, Now married TheB: Friend of a friend turned e-friend, turned friend in real life, sadly too many things happened to \u0026lsquo;us\u0026rsquo; in 2009, from which we never recovered, still single. AJ: The kid from Hi5 when it was still the rage, and I had the luxury of free internet at my first Nigerian job. In retrospect she was always going to be way too young, we did end up, and have stayed very fast friends. Still single, but engaged to one of the lads. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/18/the-nearly-girls/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn no particular order\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMG: High school mate, Mother figure, best friend through the teenage years, my very own \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/11/right-girl-right-time-wrong-context-or-not/\"\u003eright-girl-wrong-context\u003c/a\u003e conundrum, now married with children.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eH: High school mate, never really friends until we met up again in University, now married\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eElo: High school mate turned high profile Lawyer. I talked her through a particularly difficult heart break in \u0026lsquo;06 after which she plucked up a lot of courage and asked me out. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I didn\u0026rsquo;t bite, and she ended up running away to New York and the bloke who broke her heart in the first place.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026lsquo;Susuuu: Under grad protege who I taught calculus for a year. This was way \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/12/its-complicated/\"\u003etoo complicated\u003c/a\u003e to ever work, Now married\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTheB: Friend of a friend turned e-friend, turned friend in real life, sadly too many things \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/08/a-passing-fancy/\"\u003ehappened to \u0026lsquo;us\u0026rsquo; in 2009\u003c/a\u003e, from which we never recovered, still single.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAJ: The kid from Hi5 when it was still the rage, and I had the luxury of free internet at my first Nigerian job. In retrospect she was always going to be way too young, we did end up, and have stayed very fast friends. Still single, but engaged to one of the lads.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"The nearly girls..."},{"content":"Rebirth says men are never 100% single, and offers further clarification in a comment:\nIn my opinion, being single means free from any baggage, no causal dating or stringing along, emotionally available and willing to commit if its the right person\u0026hellip;but i find most guys have more than 2 women they are talking to at a time\nAnd I have been thinking. If I met someone (new) today, would I be emotionally available to commit, if it was the right person? Most probably not. Every time a picture of EJ flashes or her name comes up in a conversation, I realize I still haven\u0026rsquo;t forgotten, still haven\u0026rsquo;t let go. Am I \u0026rsquo;talking\u0026rsquo; to any other woman? No. There are the long term friends elC, TheB and ER who ostensibly might be options - but we\u0026rsquo;ve been stuck so much in the friends zone, I doubt anything can progress from that.\nMaybe I need to build a seriatim, and work through the list of possibles in order, eliminating those who do not fit. Perhaps from that some clarity can result.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/17/on-being-single/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://liferebirth.blogspot.com/\"\u003eRebirth\u003c/a\u003e says men are \u003ca href=\"http://liferebirth.blogspot.com/2011/09/dont-make-me.html\"\u003enever 100% single\u003c/a\u003e, and offers further clarification in a comment:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn my opinion, being single means free from any baggage, no causal dating or stringing along, emotionally available and willing to commit if its the right person\u0026hellip;but i find most guys have more than 2 women they are talking to at a time\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd I have been thinking. If I met someone (new) today, would I be emotionally available to commit, if it was the right person? Most probably not. Every time a picture of EJ flashes or her name comes up in a conversation, I realize I still haven\u0026rsquo;t forgotten, still haven\u0026rsquo;t let go. Am I \u0026rsquo;talking\u0026rsquo; to any other woman? No. There are the long term friends elC, TheB and ER who ostensibly might be options - but we\u0026rsquo;ve been stuck so much in the friends zone, I doubt anything can progress from that.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On being single..."},{"content":"\nI suspect it might be the vestigial memories of night bus journeys from Lagos to Abuja back in the day, but my favourite journeys over the last couple of years have been on trains - spotting a rainbow just outside Edinburgh on the way to a job interview in 2009, returning to the North East of England for a weekend of introspection in 2010 and being surprised by the breath taking beauty of a sun bathed Forth Road Bridge, in November no less! Something about watching the grey granite of built up areas segue into lush greenery, and blue clouds, usually leaves me a little awed.\nAll week I have been working at an offsite location - grateful for the chance to work at a much slower pace, and to take the train from my city to the smaller neighbour next door. On one of those days, I end up sitting next to a man dressed simply in a tee-shirt and pants, with a jacket bearing the logo of one of the behemoths of my industry on his arm. We strike up a conversation over tea. It turns out he used to work as a Reservoir Engineer at that company until two years ago when he quit to \u0026lsquo;follow his heart\u0026rsquo;; his heart being training emergency responders.\nHe says he earns a little less these days and it took a full year to complete the extra training he required. He adds though that he treasures the spare time he has - which he spends volunteering and hanging around his children, as opposed to peering at 21\u0026rsquo; monitors pretending to optimize reserve recoveries.\nIf I believed in omens, I would imagine that some fate orchestrated this meeting to remind me that nothing is too good to let go off to start anew; knowing myself I\u0026rsquo;d still probably leave it till late\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/16/an-omen-or-not/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/forth-bridge.png\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"forth bridge\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/forth-bridge.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI suspect it might be the vestigial memories of night bus journeys from Lagos to Abuja back in the day, but my favourite journeys over the last couple of years have been on trains - spotting a rainbow just outside Edinburgh on the way to a \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/08/job-hunting/\"\u003ejob interview\u003c/a\u003e in 2009, returning to the North East of England for a \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/09/homeward/\"\u003eweekend of introspection in 2010\u003c/a\u003e and being surprised by the breath taking beauty of a sun bathed \u003ca href=\"http://www.forthroadbridge.org/home\"\u003eForth Road Bridge\u003c/a\u003e, in November no less! Something about watching the grey granite of built up areas segue into lush greenery, and blue clouds, usually leaves me a little awed.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"An omen, or not?"},{"content":"Being born on the campus of a Federal University in the ’80s, I grew up in what was a cultural multi-verse. On my street alone, one was as likely to run into a Pakistani anthropologist as a Cameroonian linguist, or a Scottish librarian for that matter. Over the course of growing up, these seemingly distinct cultures all bled into each other, till there was almost a multi-cultural sweet spot at the centre of it all.\nAt the top of my street lived a family of Bini people – if children from multiple wives each keen to advance the cause of their own mother could be termed a family. The middle son – a stocky bow-legged bloke we called Osas (short for a much longer name, seemingly cobbled together from an assortment of successive vowels) – was a classmate, and in time we grew close enough to pit our burgeoning table soccer skills against each other from time to time. Our table soccer sessions were often punctuated with half time entertainment – dodo fried from plantains pilfered from his mother’s pantry. On the day I failed to wipe oil from my mouth in a bid to beat RustGeek Snr home, I learned a most important lesson – delivered to the rhythm of Mother’s pankere on my backside – about relating with Bini people – they can ‘jazz’ you. Clearly, that we both ate the dodo paled in significance next to the fact that his father’s academic speciality was ‘African traditional religion’ and that from time to time white chalk and ogbono soup turned up at the junction of fifth and eighth streets!\nA few houses away lived an unmarried Yoruba woman who I imagine was in her late thirties at the time. Legend had it, that she kept food for months in her freezer, and that she ate only out of saucers so small none of her little relatives lasted longer than a couple of months with her. She also happened to serve on the same chapel committee as did my parents, so this was one neighbour’s house Mother was willing to allow us play in. Each time, before we vanished out of her door headed to the Yoruba woman’s house, Mother would reiterate that by no means were we to eat in her house. On the odd occasion when a relative showed up to spend an extended holiday, we soon would get an earful of insults of all sorts delivered in rapid fire with her whiny, nasal voice. Whenever the tirade would start, Mother would smile knowingly and shake her head. Our neighbour was only behaving true to character; Mother believed that the Yoruba person’s gift of the garb expressed itself primarily in colourful, inventive cursing.\nThe Idoma woman who lived on 3rd street quickly garnered a reputation for being a sharp shooter. She held a PhD in biochemistry (I think) and was married to some Professor whose speciality was ceramic engineering. She had kept her maiden name, drank beer at the staff club and smoked like a chimney, becoming in the process a byword for the damage an overly liberal worldview wrought on young women. All three of her degrees were earned in Russia; it was claimed that she publicly averred that there was no God, something which was definitely not de-rigeur at that time. When the upturned lips and smiles of condescension were shared, word was that Idoma women took too much to beer.\nMother truly believed that no Ibo person could be trusted, and that they were cold hearted, cruel and were masters of deception on a scale beyond her comprehension. Her strong distaste was acquired after a particularly nasty smear campaign run by one of the Professors to unseat one of her allies as PTA chairman. The way the operation was run – almost like a CIA black op in its secrecy and ultimate success left my mother scarred for life. It also didn’t help that my Uncle Fred’s Ibo wife purportedly locked out her mother in-law over a minor dispute. Said mother in-law was reported to have said reconciliation with her would be over her dead body.\nLaila lived on Sixth Street, all the way across the quarters and she was only in town for three years. Her last act was to headline the school’s end of year presentation with a dance so sensual and pliant in its execution that the consensus was that she was either mammy water in the flesh or possessed of some serpentine deity. My friend K whose father owned the Kurt Koch book ‘Demons and demonology’ swore by his dead grandmother that a whole chapter in the book was devoted to that very dance routine.\nIn retrospect, these stereotypes were merely an instinctive coping mechanism my mother evolved as a means of keeping her brood of overly inquisitive children, and quite a few cousins together. I suspect there were quite a few stereotypes around my mother too; after all she had a reputation for being hard as nails.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/15/on-tribal-stereotypes/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBeing born on the campus of a Federal University in the ’80s, I grew up in what was a cultural multi-verse. On my street alone, one was as likely to run into a Pakistani anthropologist as a Cameroonian linguist, or a Scottish librarian for that matter. Over the course of growing up, these seemingly distinct cultures all bled into each other, till there was almost a multi-cultural sweet spot at the centre of it all.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On tribal stereotypes"},{"content":"Conventional wisdom suggests that quality trumps quantity. I imagine it is an MO that ‘makes sense’: identify a few high value targets, focus the scare resource of time and energy on them and (hopefully) maximize the potential reward.\nLouisa May Alcott probably spoke for everyone when she had Amy say in \u0026lsquo;Little Women\u0026rsquo;:\nYou don\u0026rsquo;t need scores of suitors. You need only one\u0026hellip; if he\u0026rsquo;s the right one\nThe only snag in that little argument is that this is based on the implicit assumption that one knows in quite precise terms what/who the One is; and that this definition is pretty much static. In real life, I suspect that the who/ what is continuously evolving, such that truly knowing what that entails is an iterative process. One then, must of necessity, date in quantity to gain a better understanding of the \u0026lsquo;market\u0026rsquo;.\nUpdate: If the \u0026lsquo;Science\u0026rsquo; is to be believed, twelve is the number\u0026hellip; Clearly I have a lot of catching up to do.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/14/quantity-is-underrated/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eConventional wisdom suggests that quality trumps quantity. I imagine it is an MO that ‘makes sense’: identify a few high value targets, focus the scare resource of time and energy on them and (hopefully) maximize the potential reward.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisa_May_Alcott\"\u003eLouisa May Alcott\u003c/a\u003e probably spoke for everyone when she had Amy say in \u003ca href=\"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110367/quotes\"\u003e\u0026lsquo;Little Women\u0026rsquo;\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eYou don\u0026rsquo;t need scores of suitors. You need only one\u0026hellip; if he\u0026rsquo;s the right one\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe only snag in that little argument is that this is based on the implicit assumption that one knows in quite precise terms what/who the One is; and that this definition is pretty much static. In real life, I suspect that the who/ what is continuously evolving, such that truly knowing what that entails is an iterative process. One then, must of necessity, date in quantity to gain a better understanding of the \u0026lsquo;market\u0026rsquo;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Quantity is underrated..."},{"content":"Its hard to see this just now, but I really wish this were true for me right now.. Sigh\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/11/in-better-hands/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIts hard to see this just now, but I really wish this were true for me right now.. Sigh\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/k7eBnpVuIzI?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e","title":"The Sunday Song: In Better Hands (Natalie Grant)"},{"content":"\u0026lsquo;Inspired\u0026rsquo; by an old man I spotted sitting on a bench at the corner of George and St John\u0026rsquo;s Street, soaking up an unexpected blast of sunshine whilst muttering to himself. Image (c) TrekEarth.com; Source: www.trekearth.com The old man sits cross legged in the rain. He bows his head, and wraps his hands around himself and begins to sway. He sings a song and mouths the words from a sombre lyric that only he still remembers. The tears - tiny rivulets of liquid; crystal clear flow down his face, and down his beard as he rocks to the rhythm of his sombre song. I imagine that he remembers and that the tears are tears of memory, of many yesterdays, of loss, of pain, and of nostalgia. I imagine that when his tears cease to fall, and the rivers on his face dry out he will arise in peace until the season of re-memory\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/09/season-of-re-memory/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026lsquo;Inspired\u0026rsquo; by an old man I spotted sitting on a bench at the corner of George and St John\u0026rsquo;s Street, soaking up an unexpected blast of sunshine whilst muttering to himself.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eImage (c) TrekEarth.com; Source:  \u003ca href=\"http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Middle_East/Kuwait/East-Central/Hawalli/photo425662.htm\"\u003ewww.trekearth.com\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e  \u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/old_man_crying.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"old_man_crying\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/old_man_crying.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe old man sits\ncross legged\nin the rain.\nHe bows his head,\nand wraps his hands\naround himself\nand begins to sway.\nHe sings a song\nand mouths the words\nfrom a sombre lyric\nthat only he\nstill remembers.\nThe tears - tiny rivulets\nof liquid; crystal clear\nflow down his face,\nand down his beard\nas he rocks\nto the rhythm\nof his sombre song.\nI imagine\nthat he remembers\nand that the tears\nare tears of memory,\nof many yesterdays,\nof loss, of pain,\nand of nostalgia.\nI imagine\nthat when his tears\ncease to fall,\nand the rivers on his face\ndry out\nhe will arise in peace\nuntil the season\nof re-memory\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Season of re-memory"},{"content":"It is the end of August, and the new crowd is in town. I imagine the cold, wet and windy autumnal weather can hardly be the sort of welcome anyone from warmer climes could have been expecting, but for those of us north of the border, it is our lot, and moan as we may, it is what we are stuck with.\nUnion Street is pretty much akin to Port Harcourt\u0026rsquo;s Aba Road, and every time a fresh batch of people hits town it swells like a river straining at its banks. As I pick my way through the human traffic I spot elements of the new crowd. It is always easy to spot them - either by the fact that they walk in groups of two or three, peering at maps, and chattering loudly in whatever their native tongue is, clearly excited at the new adventure they have set themselves, or by the fact that they are dressed up to the nines, over coat, head warmer, gloves and all, even though it is barely September.\nJust in front of the Primark store, someone calls out my name, loudly. It is the nickname I was known by a few years ago as an under grad, so I straight away know it is someone form that era. When I turn around, it is indeed a lad I knew from back then. Last thing I heard about him was that he\u0026rsquo;d snagged a job at Shell, and was doing great - BMW, a steady girlfriend and parties every so often at some Port Harcourt bar or the other. We shake hands firmly. He has to drop the bulk of the items he has in tow - duvets, pillows and a big brown bag which I imagine must contain some warm clothing.\nO boy!!! You sef dey here? he asks. He has the unfettered joy of someone who has finally seen a friendly face amidst a milieu of strange, not quite friendly ones. His question is clearly rhetorical - I am here in person, not in spirit; of that there is no dispute. I motion for him to move his stuff out of the way, closer to the walls so the milling crowd around can keep flowing around us.\nHe gives me a rapid fire low-down. He\u0026rsquo;s joined an MBA program in one of the Universities in town. He\u0026rsquo;s hit a glass ceiling at work, and he presumes it is time to prove his mettle elsewhere, the MBA being the door to the switch he intends to make. Off the top of my head, he must the 8th person out of the top ten ranked grads in my class to have left Nigeria. The only two chaps I definitely know are still in Nigeria work for Exxon out of Lagos.\nWhat are you doing in town?, he asks. I explain what it is I do - some dead beat job behind a desk crunching numbers, hardly exciting stuff. He nods, excitedly.\nGood to see you man, we should meet up some time he says. I nod.. Give him a card with my phone number and then we part.\nI didn\u0026rsquo;t ask if he resigned, I hope he didn\u0026rsquo;t. Out here, the hardest lesson we all have had to learn is that the grass on the other side only looks greener because it is synthetic\u0026hellip;..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/05/autumn-brain-drain-chance-meetings/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt is the end of August, and the new crowd is in town. I imagine the cold, wet and windy autumnal weather can hardly be the sort of welcome anyone from warmer climes could have been expecting, but for those of us north of the border, it is our lot, and moan as we may, it is what we are stuck with.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnion Street is pretty much akin to Port Harcourt\u0026rsquo;s Aba Road, and every time a fresh batch of people hits town it swells like a river straining at its banks. As I pick my way through the human traffic I spot elements of the new crowd. It is always easy to spot them - either by the fact that they walk in groups of two or three, peering at maps, and chattering loudly in whatever their native tongue is, clearly excited at the new adventure they have set themselves,  or by the fact that they are dressed up to the nines, over coat, head warmer, gloves and all, even though it is barely September.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A little piece of autumn, brain drain and chance meetings"},{"content":"Breaking up has its perks - especially when there was the small matter of a six hour difference and 3,000 plus miles. On the plus side, the need to remember birthdays (I sucked majorly at this, which probably added to my being kicked to the kerb), answer phone calls at odd hours of the day and be a pillar of strength to someone finally vanishes, and one is free to pursue other interests. On the flip side, the months of getting to know someone from the ground up are then tossed away, as though all meaning were trivial. Only after a while does the real cost register - long periods that were once filled with sharing the minutiae of life are suddenly filled with solitude; solitude which has the potential to bend one\u0026rsquo;s mind and numb it into a stupor.\nAny doubts I may have had that we were done died yesterday. It truly is goodbye to EJ, and that with an air of finality. In retrospect, not talking through our differences face to face when I took my trip at the beginning of the year came back to haunt me in a really big way. The major sticking point being my inability to define a coherent Worldview that is sufficiently liberal and is devoid of Evangelical underpinnings. Life goes on as they say. For me, all that is left is the arduous task of completely wiping her out of my mind, out of my memory, and out of every iota of consciousness\u0026hellip;. Hard task, but a bloke has to keep his sanity\u0026hellip;. :(\nBlogoratti\u0026rsquo;s shared an apt quote:\nSometimes old things need to go away. That way, we have room for the new things that come into our lives\n-Randy K. Milholland\nCan my new things show up already?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/05/half-full-half-empty/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBreaking up has its perks - especially when there was the small matter of a six hour difference and 3,000 plus miles. On the plus side, the need to remember birthdays (I sucked majorly at this, which probably added to my being kicked to the kerb), answer phone calls at odd hours of the day and be a pillar of strength to someone finally vanishes, and one is free to pursue other interests. On the flip side, the months of getting to know someone from the ground up are then tossed away, as though all meaning were trivial. Only after a while does the real cost register - long periods that were once filled with sharing the minutiae of life are suddenly filled with solitude; solitude which has the potential to bend one\u0026rsquo;s mind and numb it into a stupor.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Half-full or half-empty?"},{"content":"Choreographed by the young lads in church today\u0026hellip; Relapsed faith or not, these songs still tug at my heart strings.. Sigh..\nFrom the Album: Power Of One [ Amazon] [ iTunes] [ Lyrics]\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/04/sunday-song-moving-forward/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eChoreographed by the young lads in church today\u0026hellip; Relapsed faith or not, these songs still tug at my heart strings.. Sigh..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the Album: Power Of One [ \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Power-One-Israel-Houghton/dp/B001R0KHHI\"\u003eAmazon\u003c/a\u003e] [ \u003ca href=\"http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-power-of-one/id304553492\"\u003eiTunes\u003c/a\u003e] [ \u003ca href=\"http://www.songlyrics.com/israel-houghton/moving-forward-lyrics/\"\u003eLyrics\u003c/a\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/AQfc7iQecw8?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e","title":"The Sunday Song: Moving forward (Israel Houghton)"},{"content":"Between my two year itch arriving a couple of months early and a plethora of little niggling issues, I spent the last month battling a feeling of malaise. My default response has been to internalise it, suck it up and put on a brave face, but during a phone call with my friend A over the weekend I broke down and let it all out.\nI wish I could say all the issues were resolved, but truth is they are not.. There is though the relief finally un-loading the tangled issues to someone who understands brings, and the improved clarity that has resulted. For that I am thankful for top blokes who are interested enough to dig beneath the façade, and then to listen…. If only they also had a wand to wave it all away… :(\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/09/01/thankful-for-blokes-who-can-relate/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBetween my two year itch arriving a couple of months early and a plethora of little niggling issues, I spent the last month battling a feeling of malaise. My default response has been to internalise it, suck it up and put on a brave face, but during a phone call with my friend A over the weekend I broke down and let it all out.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI wish I could say all the issues were resolved, but truth is they are not.. There is though the relief finally un-loading the tangled issues to someone who understands brings, and the improved clarity that has resulted. For that I am thankful for top blokes who are interested enough to dig beneath the façade, and then to listen…. If only they also had a wand to wave it all away… :(\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Thankful... for blokes who can relate"},{"content":"I have been wondering if people still \u0026lsquo;fall\u0026rsquo; in love? Can a guy and a girl meet, develop sparks from the get go and experience a connection like none other? Me the cynic is convinced it is all about doing the sums, weighing the pros and the cons, and deciding what \u0026lsquo;makes sense\u0026rsquo; - not some visceral, emotional reaction. I wish I knew though, I really want to be swept off my feet by someone, be blown away by an emotional connection\u0026hellip;. Somehow I know that will never be me, I will remain Me, the cynical pragmatist\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/08/31/questions/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI have been wondering if people still \u0026lsquo;fall\u0026rsquo; in love? Can a guy and a girl meet, develop sparks from the get go and experience a connection like none other? Me the cynic is convinced it is all about  doing the sums, weighing the pros and the cons, and deciding what \u0026lsquo;makes sense\u0026rsquo; - not some visceral, emotional reaction. I wish I knew though, I really want to be swept off my feet by someone, be blown away by an emotional connection\u0026hellip;. Somehow I know that will never be me, I will remain Me, the cynical pragmatist\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Questions..."},{"content":"Walking into the phone store in the bowels of the big sprawling mall that sits right next to the hell-hole I currently work at, my eyes are drawn to one of the lads at the till. My first impression is that he is Nigerian - what with his thick lips and his quick and easy smile. I am in-store to activate the 6 month’s free internet that should have come with the phone I bought. After much haranguing from my cousin about my being notoriously difficult to catch, I agreed to buy a blackberry - even though I am well aware of the madness being pinged at odd hours can cause.\nIt is just after 12 noon, and the store is almost empty – besides me there are only two other people, a clearly bored mom and her excited son merrily zooming and pinching away on one of the tablets on display. The lad at the till reads my hesitation, and in a few quick steps he is next to me. ‘Any thing I can do for you sir?\u0026rsquo; he asks.\nHis voice is soft, almost girl-like in its quality. I note a slight inflection, that uniquely Nigerian blend of British, American and goodness-knows-what-else accents, picked up [I dare say] from watching too many late night sitcoms. Up close, I notice the barely discernible facial marks, he sports. His name tag bears the particularly bland moniker \u0026lsquo;Chris\u0026rsquo;, hardly helpful in my attempt to place him. I explain my dilemma, he listens and then heads back to his console motioning for me to follow him.\nHe types furiously for at least a minute, then asks for my original receipt, and types some more; verifying my purchase is what he says he is trying to do. Eventually, he raises his head and confirms that I am indeed eligible for the freebie, providing I register the device. That seems a small price to pay for a device I really do not need anyway. I hand him my bank card which has my name. Nigerian or not, my surname - all ten letters, a jumbled mess of vowels and consonants – is difficult to pronounce, and my default solution is to hand out a business card or my bank card.\nThat\u0026rsquo;s you sorted then, he says after a while, When your current upgrade expires, the six month freebie will kick in. I nod, and thank him. As I turn to head off, I notice some hesitation on his part, as though he is weighing the pros and cons of saying something more. I pause, and then he blurts out.\nYour surname looks familiar, he says . I used to know a Bee with the same name. That is when it all falls in place, almost in slow motion. He once lived next door to my sister and cousin. I must have met him on one of the days I popped in to see them. We chit-chat a little, he\u0026rsquo;s wrapping up his dissertation, and working part time to make a quick buck. I give him my card, with a promise to set up a meeting with him in the near future.\nSo much for me running from the past\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/08/30/six-degrees/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWalking into the phone store in the bowels of the big sprawling mall that sits right next to the hell-hole I currently work at, my eyes are drawn to one of the lads at the till. My first impression is that he is Nigerian - what with his thick lips and his quick and easy smile. I am in-store to activate the 6 month’s free internet that should have come with the phone I bought. After much haranguing from my cousin about my being notoriously difficult to catch, I agreed to buy a blackberry - even though I am well aware of the madness being pinged at odd hours can cause.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Six degrees"},{"content":"Children are little adorable things; when they are not cry-y, squirmy little things and are not pooping and peeing all over the place, that is. This weekend, yet another \u0026rsquo;lost\u0026rsquo; friend stopped over in town with his wife and daughter in tow. The daughter in question has just turned five, and is in that phase of life where her unfettered inquisitiveness is allied to a a precociously quick brain. Whilst her parents and I are engrossed in deep conversation, reminiscing over the lost years since we last hung out, she manages to find my trove of retired gadgets and begins to play around with them. She settles on my Galaxy Tab and pokes around, trying to figure out a way to get it powered up. After several failed attempts she disappears from sight, reappearing at my side away from her father\u0026rsquo;s glare.\nUncleeeee, she croons, handing me the tab. I switch it on, hand it back to her and then resume my conversation with her parents.\nIt is a full ten minutes later when we realise that she has gone incredibly quiet. A quick look around the room reveals that she has found a spot on the rug out of our sight where she is sitting, poking at the touch screen on the device. When I peer at the screen, she has somehow found her way into Google maps and is gleefully pinching and zooming away. The look on her face is one of deep concentration, almost as though she is relishing the power to zoom and pinch that is suddenly all hers. I remark to her parents that they have got a Web 2.0 kid on their hands; inwardly I am left musing on how out of awe I have fallen with the world.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/08/22/loosing-our-awe/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eChildren are little adorable things; when they are not cry-y, squirmy little things and are not pooping and peeing all over the place, that is. This weekend, yet another \u0026rsquo;lost\u0026rsquo; friend stopped over in town with his wife and daughter in tow.  The daughter in question has just turned five, and is in that phase of life where her unfettered inquisitiveness is allied to a a precociously quick brain. Whilst her parents and I are engrossed in deep conversation, reminiscing over the lost years since we last hung out, she manages to find my trove of retired gadgets and begins to play around with them. She settles on my Galaxy Tab and pokes around, trying to figure out a way to get it powered up. After several failed attempts she disappears from sight, reappearing at my side away from her father\u0026rsquo;s glare.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Loosing our Awe"},{"content":"I spent the whole week - and some - agonising over the pros and the cons of one last punt, asking EJ if we were done for good. It didn\u0026rsquo;t help that she took nearly a full day to reply my initial email. Yesterday, I finally worked up the nerve to make the phone call. It still took me six tries, before I allowed the phone ring through.\nWe talked - whilst she was out shopping with a friend. The one thing that comes out of it all is that at best, we will be acquaintances, the odd phone call every so often, the odd email and simple safe gifts for birthdays if they are remembered. Oddly enough, I never got to ask her for a black and white response as to if we were done for good. She did seem very eager to get me back into the dating business. Guess by default, we are done, and yours truly has to wise up to that and move on, difficult as it might be.. :(\n\u0026hellip; it will always be difficult, but if you cry like this every time, you will die of heartbreak. Just know, that it is enough sometimes to know that it is difficult.\nChris Abani @ TED 2008\nRight now I miss having a male role model I can bare my heart out to.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/08/20/one-last-punt/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI spent the whole week - and some - agonising over the pros and the cons of one last punt, asking EJ if we were done for good. It didn\u0026rsquo;t help that she took nearly a full day to reply my initial email. Yesterday, I finally worked up the nerve to make the phone call. It still took me six tries, before I allowed the phone ring through.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe talked - whilst she was out shopping with a friend. The one thing that comes out of it all is that at best, we will be acquaintances, the odd phone call every so often, the odd email and simple safe gifts for birthdays if they are remembered. Oddly enough, I never got to ask her for a black and white response as to if we were done for good. She did seem very eager to get me back into the dating business. Guess by default, we are done, and yours truly has to wise up to that and move on, difficult as it might be.. :(\u003c/p\u003e","title":"One last punt"},{"content":"I turned down another job offer, opting to stay with the safer option (yet again). The first time it was to a competitor in my city, this time it was back to Nigeria, and a return to UX5 where I cut my teeth and learned the bulk of everything I know. There were a number of issues - a few powerful interests stacked up against me courtesy of toes I\u0026rsquo;d stepped on in the past, and the fact that I\u0026rsquo;d seen all that and done that before. The key sticking point was that the pay on offer was ridiculous - clearly designed to price me out of accepting (plus rumour has it that on of the lead engineers on the project had a candidate)..\nTheir loss, I reckon\u0026hellip; My two year itch still remains - only it will probably be tickled elswhere, just not in Nigeria.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/08/18/decisions-again/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI turned down another \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/08/crunch-time/\"\u003ejob offer\u003c/a\u003e, opting to stay with the safer option \u003cem\u003e(yet again)\u003c/em\u003e. The \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/03/decisions-decisions/\"\u003efirst time\u003c/a\u003e it was to a competitor in my city, \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/08/crunch-time/\"\u003ethis time\u003c/a\u003e it was back to Nigeria, and a return to UX5 where I cut my teeth and learned the bulk of everything I know. There were  a number of issues - a few powerful interests stacked up against me courtesy of toes I\u0026rsquo;d stepped on in the past, and the fact that I\u0026rsquo;d seen all that and done that before. The key sticking point was that the pay on offer was ridiculous - clearly designed to price me out of accepting (plus rumour has it that on of the lead engineers on the project had a candidate)..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Decisions, again"},{"content":"I have died- Seven times but one; Crushed beneath the weight- Of pain’s unrelenting Hammer blows.\nStraight right. Left hook. Right uppercut. Left jab. Right hook. Left uppercut. Cheek bones splintered- Lip leaking blood, Teeth- Bludgeoned until loose.\nHead spinning. Time, space Distance blending- Into a confused blur. Then over-hand right - And sight mercifully fades- Into blissful blackness.\nI have died– Seven times but one; But like a rubber ball Squashed flat against a hard place, I rebound seven times, Reborn.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/08/15/re-birth/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI have died-\nSeven times but one;\nCrushed beneath the weight-\nOf pain’s unrelenting\nHammer blows.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStraight right. Left hook.\nRight uppercut. Left jab.\nRight hook. Left uppercut.\nCheek bones splintered-\nLip leaking blood, Teeth-\nBludgeoned until loose.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHead spinning. Time, space\nDistance blending-\nInto a confused blur.\nThen over-hand right -\nAnd sight mercifully fades-\nInto blissful blackness.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have died–\nSeven times but one;\nBut like a rubber ball\nSquashed flat against a hard place,\nI rebound seven times,\nReborn.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Re-birth"},{"content":"Given our propensity to moan about the little corner of the North East where we currently live, it is somewhat strange that I, and the four or so long term friends I have here, do not make time out to meet up more often. In fairness to my friend O, it is not for want of his trying; several attempts to organise a meet up have floundered, torpedoed by our wildly varying schedules and travel plans.\nThe one thing we do not scrimp on though - and our inner Nigerian might be to blame for this - is on parties, and celebrations. Invited or not - depending on our perception of closeness to the celebrant - we all congregate at those venues, downing copious portions of rice and drinks and catching up on who recently got married to whom, who has a new kid and all the other banalities that everyday life throws up. It has been a little dry on that front this year, bar a couple of weddings and an unintended meet up.\nThis weekend, O\u0026rsquo;s son turned one - a small fact I had completely forgotten. Thankfully, Mrs O - ever the efficient wife - sent out text message reminders to a few of us lads - which was how I ended up at the venue a full hour late. This was no small affair. There must have been at least twenty adults in the room, and that many children too, possibly more.\nScanning the crowd looking for a place to grab a seat, I am rescued by the waving arm of another lost friend motioning me to a seat next to him. I make my way through the crowd, careful not to step on any children - who are chasing balloons, and kicking up a racket - oblivious to the jokes the MC is trying to tell. The lost friend, K, stands up to welcome me - firm handshake followed by a fist bump, a relic from our days in undergrad study in Nigeria.\nWe make small talk, in between spoons of rice and bites of chicken. He\u0026rsquo;s in town briefly; a small break in the project he\u0026rsquo;s working on out of Brazil affords him the chance to share in our little celebration. I talk about work, a trip to Nigeria I am planning, and a couple of potential work opportunities I am chasing up in his sector. He offers his thoughts on what changes I need to make in my strategy. He\u0026rsquo;s chasing a few Nigerian opportunities himself and he shares his uncomplimentary views about doing business there. A woman comes over and whispers in his ear. He rummages in his pockets and comes up with a car key. She takes it and then leaves, four packs of rice in tow.\nMy fiancée, he explains. I nod and offer my congratulations remarking that he had always had an eye for really beautiful women. He laughs - self indulgently - the laugh of a man who knows he has a keeper on his hands. He asks about EJ - the one thing I can\u0026rsquo;t accuse my friends of is not staying up to date about happenings in our various lives. I give him the cliff-notes version: didn\u0026rsquo;t work out. He listens, head angled, fist on chin, looking directly at me - the affected pose of a bloke who is trying hard to understand my dilemma, but can\u0026rsquo;t relate.\nWe move on to other more recent matters, a new kid for another friend out of London, a distant acquaintance that has returned permanently to Nigeria, and his own wedding plans. Around us, a child cries after tripping over the outstretched leg of an adult engrossed in winning the battle with chicken bones. Out front, the MC waffles on.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/08/14/about-town-the-birthday-party-edition/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eGiven our propensity to moan about the little corner of the North East where we currently live, it is somewhat strange that I, and the four or so long term friends I have here, do not make time out to meet up more often. In fairness to my friend O, it is not for want of his trying; several attempts to organise a meet up have floundered, torpedoed by our wildly varying schedules and travel plans.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Town: The birthday party edition"},{"content":"Gross post alert\nThe one thing being suddenly pushed out of my sheltered teenage years into shared hostel accommodation (in a very rugged Nigerian University) taught me, was that squeaky clean loos were a luxury. Growing up, we didn\u0026rsquo;t live a posh life, but thanks to theOOhj Snr\u0026rsquo;s day job in the academia, we had decent living quarters - complete with a loo I shared with the kid brother. On pain of a severe caning, Mrs RustGeek (Snr), ensured we kept our little loo clean. Unbeknownst to me, that luxury would be rudely snatched away from me in short order.\nMy first year at University was a culture shock of sorts. If coping with the new surroundings - and being far away from everyone I\u0026rsquo;d known up till that time - wasn\u0026rsquo;t hard, a slew of issues made it harder still. First us fresh-faced Jambites were given rooms on the ground floor; from which we were dispossessed by hardened serial students and confra-men. These same self appointed Lords of the domain colonised two of the four toilets on the floor, complete with padlocks for their own use, leaving the rest of us scrambling to use the remaining two. True to form, these were absolute cesspits of bodily fluids and smells, especially when baked to boiling by the withering sun. On the first occasion where I popped in, the cornucopia of smells and liquids made every desire to download vanish - a shell shocked state I stayed in for a full week.\nWith time,over that first semester, I learned a couple of crucial things that would keep me out of harm\u0026rsquo;s way through the following years:\n1. Timing was of essence: The loos were cleaned at around about 10am - if dousing them in bucket fulls of izal and hosing them down with water could be called cleaning. Given that the rest of us normal chaps had to share a couple of loos, they did get soiled pretty quickly. Give or take, there was a two hour window within which the smell of izal was strong enough to subdue these smells of bodily excretions. I learned to synchronise my download meter to that crucial window to avoid being laid prostrate by the stench.\n2. The angle of perch was critical: I learned pretty quickly that the easiest route to various skin infections was to allow fluids from the bowl splash willy nilly. Minimising the particle impact momentum was essential to achieve this goal. Two tactics evolved into very useful tools over that period. The first was create as much of a bed of toilet paper in the bowl [ source] to soften the impact, thus minimising splashes. The second - and most important tactic - was to modify the angle of perch. At the right angle, the entire momentum of the solids are absorbed by the walls of the toilet, leaving gravity as the only driving force moving the delivered pellets. Where delta h (the vertical distance between the impact point and the liquid level in the bowl) is small, the resultant liquid impact velocity is negligible, thus transferring minimal momentum to the liquids (and avoiding splashing).\nI am glad to say that by utilizing these two tricks, I grew to achieve well nigh 96% success in avoid the splash\u0026hellip;Thankfully, after spending a couple of years in those conditions Mrs RustGeek Snr sold off a couple of choice wrappers (those were the Abacha days when money was scare) and got me out of there fast, a feat of quick thinking that probably saved me.\nPostscript: Reliving the garish details has made me queasy if that is any consolation. I apologise for any lunch plans I may have (indadvertedly) mucked up\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/08/10/on-shiing-or-the-criticality-of-the-angle-of-perch/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eGross post alert\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe one thing being suddenly pushed out of my sheltered teenage years into shared hostel accommodation (in a very rugged Nigerian University) taught me, was that squeaky clean loos were a luxury. Growing up,  we didn\u0026rsquo;t live a posh life,  but thanks to \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/03/father-issues/\"\u003etheOOhj Snr\u003c/a\u003e\u0026rsquo;s day job  in the academia, we had decent living quarters - complete with a loo I shared with the kid brother. On pain of a severe caning, Mrs RustGeek (Snr), ensured we kept our little loo clean. Unbeknownst to me, that luxury would be rudely snatched away from me in short order.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On shi**ing (Or, the criticality of the angle of perch)"},{"content":"A few weeks ago, \u0026lsquo;Jane Doe\u0026rsquo; prompted some deep thinking by Single Nigerian, leading him to ponder if trying now and then was enough when others had sacrificed things (even their lives) to \u0026lsquo;get the word to the common man.\u0026rsquo;\nI was listening to an old message by Al Mohler - Being Men and Raising Men [ mp3] - whilst walking to work today, and a section [begins at 51;11] struck me as being a very apt answer to that question.\nMoney Quote:\nThe disconnect between labour and reward is one of the most unbiblical manifestations of the confusion of this culture. We must teach our sons that they are expected to work, and that labour is by God\u0026rsquo;s design followed by reward. And the reward is more than money and more than material; it is the satisfaction in a man\u0026rsquo;s heart of knowing he has done something to the glory of God.\nThere is the temptation for some men to say, \u0026ldquo;You know, I can see what he does. He gets to do great things for the glory of God, the world gets to observe him and see him in what he does, the church gets to celebrate that, but all I do is this! \u0026quot;\nWhatever you do, do to the glory of God\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;. There are no little people, there are no little places, there are no little jobs in the kingdom of God. You will never know what life you were touching by your honesty as an accountant, by your steadfastness as a police officer, by your integrity as a teacher. You will never know how the glory of God is shown until in eternity you are given a glimpse of how God worked through you.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/08/10/al-mohler-on-labour/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA few weeks ago, \u0026lsquo;Jane Doe\u0026rsquo; prompted some deep thinking by \u003ca href=\"http://twitter.com/#!/singlenigerian\"\u003eSingle Nigerian\u003c/a\u003e, leading him to \u003ca href=\"http://singlenigerian.wordpress.com/2011/07/29/down-my-rabbit-hole/\"\u003eponder\u003c/a\u003e if trying now and then was enough when others had sacrificed things (even their lives) to \u0026lsquo;get the word to the common man.\u0026rsquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI was listening to an old message by \u003ca href=\"http://www.albertmohler.com/\"\u003eAl Mohler\u003c/a\u003e  - Being Men and Raising Men [ \u003ca href=\"http://www.sovereigngracestore.com/Product/A1305-01-51/Being_Men_and_Raising_Men_MP3_DOWNLOAD.aspx\"\u003emp3\u003c/a\u003e]  - whilst walking to work today,  and a section [begins at 51;11] struck me as being a very apt answer to that question.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Al Mohler on Vocation"},{"content":"Up until this week, I didn’t know that lumbering along at a fairly respectable 4.5km/hr for 1.3km only burned calories the equivalent of a 34.5g bag of Walkers ready salted potato crisps.\nI blame my sister for that. She - all sharp mouthed, 5\u0026rsquo;-4\u0026quot;, verbal terrorist Edo woman that she is - decided that last Saturday was the day to put her foot down and insist that something had to be done about my burgeoning waistline. I couldn\u0026rsquo;t have guessed our little chat would segue into those matters, if I did I would have invented a network failure and hung up. She, the mistress of subterfuge, began by regaling me with our usual fare - stories about the nieces and cousins, about who was seeing whom and all the other mundanities - before mentioning that she had run into an old schoolmate of mine. Said schoolmate was this huge, built-like-a-wardrobe bully who terrorised us all those many years ago in primary school. We had a nickname for him, puff-puff, only used when he was out of earshot; given because he looked like a hurriedly fried, misshapen ball of puff puff. I hadn\u0026rsquo;t seen him in years, but by my sister\u0026rsquo;s account he had morphed from puff-puff into a Fally Ipupa clone.\nThe inevitable follow up question then, was what I was doing about my own belly. Her premise was that old puff-puff had somehow found the strength and discipline to pull off a minor miracle in loosing his flab, therefore I had no excuse. In my humble opinion, I am perfectly fine, especially when my buddy O\u0026rsquo;s near perfectly spherical agbada belle is considered. But little MsRustGeek is having none of that.\nSo yours truly is making this first, tentative foray into the murky world of daily treks walks, carefully scrutinizing food labels and scaling down on the cokes. One week in, it does look like something that could grow on me. It just sucks that all that walking only knocks off a wee bag of crisps.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/08/05/calorie-counting/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eUp until this week, I didn’t know that lumbering along at a fairly respectable 4.5km/hr for 1.3km only burned calories the equivalent of a 34.5g bag of \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walkers_(snack_foods)\"\u003eWalkers ready salted potato crisps\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/07/taking-charge-weight/\"\u003eblame my sister\u003c/a\u003e for that. She - all sharp mouthed, 5\u0026rsquo;-4\u0026quot;, verbal terrorist Edo woman  that she is  - decided that last Saturday was the day to put her foot down and insist that something had to be done about my burgeoning waistline. I couldn\u0026rsquo;t have guessed our little chat would segue into those matters, if I did I would have invented a network failure and hung up. She, the mistress of subterfuge, began by regaling me with our usual fare - stories about the nieces and cousins, about who was seeing whom and all the other mundanities - before mentioning that she had run into an old schoolmate of mine. Said schoolmate was this huge, built-like-a-wardrobe bully who terrorised us all those many years ago in primary school. We had a nickname for him, \u003cem\u003epuff-puff,\u003c/em\u003e only used when he was out of earshot; given because he looked like a \u003ca href=\"http://www.avartsycooking.com/2010/08/puff-puff/\"\u003ehurriedly fried, misshapen ball of puff puff\u003c/a\u003e.  I hadn\u0026rsquo;t seen him in years, but by my sister\u0026rsquo;s account he had morphed from \u003cem\u003epuff-puff\u003c/em\u003e into a Fally Ipupa clone.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Calorie Counting"},{"content":"Big, potentially career defining, decisions to make..\nThe safer option - stick with my current job for the next three years and decide what the next steps after that will be: The pros - stay in a truly professional work place where my skills are appreciated, working for a boss whose ar*se I don\u0026rsquo;t have to kiss, remain in an environment that allows me complete my progression to Chartered Engineer status. The cons - sky high taxes, an increasingly hostile host population, remaining in a section of my field I\u0026rsquo;ve spent the last six years - and some - working in and a government that seems intent on playing to the gallery on the immigration debate.\nThe other option - damn the consequences and return to the job I left in Nigeria: The pros - a company with a world class reputation, a niche of my field I\u0026rsquo;m actually keener to go into, lower taxes, the organised bedlam that is Lagos and loads of gorgeous Nigerian women around. The cons - going into work everyday on the other side of the fence from people I once worked with (and the attendant putdowns I am bound to get), the Nigerian factor (kissing bosses asses, and all), potentially one year\u0026rsquo;s assured work and then a decision to make, proximity to the Mum and her \u0026lsquo;harassment\u0026rsquo;,\nBetween the devil and the blue sea.. or\u0026hellip;.. Sigh.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/08/02/crunch-time/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBig, potentially career defining, decisions to make..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe \u003cem\u003esafer\u003c/em\u003e option - stick with my current job for the next three years and decide what the next steps after that will be:\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eThe pros\u003c/em\u003e - stay in a truly professional work place where my skills are appreciated, working for a boss whose ar*se I don\u0026rsquo;t  have to kiss, remain in an environment that allows me complete my progression to Chartered Engineer status. \u003cem\u003eThe cons\u003c/em\u003e - sky high taxes, an increasingly hostile host population, remaining in a section of my field I\u0026rsquo;ve spent the last six years -  and some -  working in and a government that seems intent on playing to the gallery on the immigration debate.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Crunch Time"},{"content":"My sister, the doctor, says I am morbidly obese. That is as brutal as they come. When I have looked at myself in the mirror, I have rationalised my size by looking at other people, or by blaming the mirror for being too convex. The harsh cold truth though is that I am at my heaviest ever. Whilst I can count to a plethora of reasons why, the fact remains that my current weight is a health risk.\nThis little tiff with my sister - coupled with the seeming rise in age related illness around me - has rubbed me the wrong way; and I do need, if only to prove a point to her, to loose a lot of the flab. The strategy is time worn of course - eat less and exercise more. So my personal plan is this:\nControl potion sizes - eat half of what I would normally eat Walk a lot - My new house is ideally situated, in walking distance from a lot of the places I go to daily. I intend to walk everywhere, and only use the bus if required Cut out the fizzy drinks - cokes, colas etc should be eliminated form the diet all together - diet or not Have a morning run. I intend to do a morning run each day, going from my house down Seaforth road, around the stadium and then back home. Have a weekly weigh in. Attempt to track total number of miles I walk/ run each week and plot this against final weight each week Hopefully, with this regime, I can start showing some weight loss\u0026hellip; Sigh.\nFor the record, my current weight is 118kg on a 5\u0026rsquo;-10\u0026quot; frame.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/07/31/taking-charge-weight/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMy sister, the doctor, says I am morbidly obese. That is as brutal as they come. When I have looked at myself in the mirror, I have rationalised my size by looking at other people, or by blaming the mirror for being too convex. The harsh cold truth though is that I am at my heaviest ever. Whilst I can count to a plethora of reasons why, the fact remains that my current weight is a health risk.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Taking charge"},{"content":"Thanks to lulls here and there - as opposed to the fast pace at which April, May and June went by - I managed to do a bit of reading:\nSalman Rushdie\u0026rsquo;s - Midnight\u0026rsquo;s Children (1981 Booker Prize winner, 1993 Booker of Bookers Winner \u0026amp; 2008 The Best of the Booker Winner): I read this one mainly on the go, off a hand held device which probably affected my enjoyment of the book. I did think it was a laborious read at times. It might be a thing I have for Booker winners, as I didn\u0026rsquo;t exactly enjoy my reading of The Finkler Question either earlier in the year. Ian McEwan\u0026rsquo;s - On Chesil Beach (2007 Booker prize shortlisted): Good read, if only for its description of 1960s England, before the advent of the pill and the mainstream-ing of contraceptives. Don Miller\u0026rsquo;s Blue Like Jazz (2006 New York Times Bestseller): An engaging read on Christianity, and how it is meant to be a passionate relationship not based on stultifying rules. The section on being addicted to solitude hit too close to home too\u0026hellip; Definitely one I should re-read at a more leisurely pace. Haruki Murakami\u0026rsquo;s After Dark: Seven hours one Tokyo night\u0026hellip; Part real life, part dream. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/07/31/what-i-have-been-reading/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThanks to lulls here and there -  as opposed to the fast pace at which April, May and June went by - I managed to do a bit of reading:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSalman Rushdie\u0026rsquo;s - \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Midnights-Children-Salman-Rushdie/dp/0099578514\"\u003eMidnight\u0026rsquo;s Children\u003c/a\u003e (1981 Booker Prize winner, 1993 Booker of Bookers Winner \u0026amp;  2008 The Best of the Booker Winner):\u003c/strong\u003e I read this one mainly on the go, off a hand held device which probably affected my enjoyment of the book. I did think it was a laborious read at times.  It might be a thing I have for Booker winners, as I didn\u0026rsquo;t exactly enjoy my \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/01/books-the-finkler-question/\"\u003ereading of The Finkler Question\u003c/a\u003e either earlier in the year.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIan McEwan\u0026rsquo;s - \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chesil-Beach-Ian-McEwan/dp/0099512793/\"\u003eOn Chesil Beach\u003c/a\u003e (2007 Booker prize shortlisted):\u003c/strong\u003e Good read, if only for its description of 1960s England, before the advent of the pill and the mainstream-ing of contraceptives.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDon Miller\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/BLUE-LIKE-JAZZ-MILLER-DONALD/dp/0785263705\"\u003eBlue Like Jazz\u003c/a\u003e (2006 New York Times Bestseller):\u003c/strong\u003e An engaging read on Christianity, and how it is meant to be a passionate relationship not based on stultifying rules. The section on being addicted to solitude hit too close to home too\u0026hellip; Definitely one I should re-read at a more leisurely pace.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHaruki Murakami\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/After-Dark-Haruki-Murakami/dp/1846550475/\"\u003eAfter Dark:\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e Seven hours one Tokyo night\u0026hellip; Part real life,  part dream.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"What I have been reading"},{"content":"\nGiven the decidedly appalling weather we have had out here, the very first signs of sunshine returning are enough to tempt people out of their various hiding places on to the public spaces again. Walking down my usual route back to work - after a quick lunch hour detour into town - I notice the forecourt at the Square is a lot busier than usual. There are people seated on the wooden benches, others standing in little groups and more , like me, passing through, all united by the desire to soak up the rare sight of the noon day sun.\nI make my way to my baguette place and order the usual - a freshly baked baguette stuffed full with plain chicken, crispy bacon and mozzarella cheese. I add a bag of potato chips and a coke and then join the queue slowly snaking its way towards the till. It is one of the regulars manning it today.\n- I think you not come anymore today, she says. She is Polish, speaks English in a decidedly belaboured manner, and smiles a little too enthusiastically at times.\n- Had things to do in town today. Totally forgot the time, I say shaking my head for emphasis.\n- No sauce for you? Her tone is flat, almost listless, delivered in that half-question half-statement tone that masks resignation at the fact that I am short changing myself - or so she thinks.\n- Nah, I reply. You know I like it dry.\n- Your money, four pounds, she says.\nI rummage in my wallet, find a five pound note and hand it over to her. She unlocks the till, finds two fifty pence coins and hands them over to me.\n- Tada. That is the one Scottish quirk of language that is default out here. Even she, knows that. I nod her my reply, grab my stuff and head out the door.\nOutside I find a spot on a bench, settle in to attack my greasy carb fest and soak in the sunshine. Knowing this city, there is no telling when the next opportunity will come.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/07/28/baguette-days/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/unionsq_sunny_post.png\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"unionsq_sunny_post\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/unionsq_sunny_post.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGiven the decidedly appalling weather we have had out here, the very first signs of sunshine returning are enough to tempt people out of their various hiding places on to the public spaces again. Walking down my usual route back to work  - after a quick lunch hour detour into town - I notice the forecourt at the Square is a lot busier than usual. There are people seated on the wooden benches,  others standing in little groups and more , like me, passing through,  all united by the desire to soak up the rare sight of the noon day sun.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Baguette days"},{"content":"Any pretensions to still being young I might have had are slowly evaporating. It does look like all around me, there is a slew of people having to face age related health problems. Over the weekend, I learned that someone close had a biopsy and was facing possible surgery over an enlarged prostrate. Someone else had somehow copped an ankle strain in April which hadn\u0026rsquo;t eased up since then and another one had significantly elevated blood pressures.\nAll this, coupled with the fact that in a few days time, I endure celebrate another milestone birthday, is a stark reminder that I am no longer the strapping teenage bloke who ran the midfield like a colossus played football for fun. I am growing older, and that fact needs to sink into my head. Time to resolve the differences I have with friends and family is slowly ticking by.. Sigh.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/07/27/growing-old/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAny pretensions to still being young I might have had are slowly evaporating. It does look like all around me,  there is a slew of people having to face age related health problems. Over the weekend, I learned that someone close had a biopsy and was facing possible surgery over an enlarged prostrate. Someone else had somehow copped an ankle strain in April which hadn\u0026rsquo;t eased up since then and another one had significantly elevated blood pressures.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Growing old"},{"content":"Each day - for the past two months and some - when I get off my bus and walk the couple hundred metres to the hole office I work at, I take a left turn off Union, down the dingy stairs via the back roads on to Guild street and then into work. Most days I am plugged into my iPod, listening to whatever catches my fancy on that day, hands in my pocket deep in thought. Nine days out of ten, just before I take the turn I see her - a lone black face bobbing in a sea of browns and whites, wrapped up to the nines waiting for her bus. She can\u0026rsquo;t be more than 5\u0026rsquo;-2\u0026quot;, usually rocks a \u0026lsquo;fro and dangles her little bag in the tell-tale Nigerian chic ninety-degree arm pose. At first all there was were a couple of furtive glances, followed by the straight face pretending-I-never-took-a-peek look. And then with time, and the familiarity of a shared routine, there was the almost imperceptible nod and the odd mouthed greeting.\nToday, just before I took the turn, I looked, but she wasn\u0026rsquo;t there. As I walked the last few steps to work, there was a certain sense of disappointment as though I were a kid who had been promised a treat which was taken away at the final moment. I got to thinking about how one face - however distant and removed - merely by being there and by its sameness can become part of a routine, something to be looked forward to amidst the frothing morass that is daily life.\nI do not think our non-verbal exchanges - if I can call these exchanges - have ever extended beyond a couple of seconds at the most, but for me at least they have become part of my commute. In a logic-defying way, I am left hoping that she will be there\u0026hellip;tomorrow.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/07/25/and-she-wasnt-there/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eEach day - for the past two months and some - when I get off my bus and walk the couple hundred  metres  to the hole office I work at, I take a left turn off Union, down the dingy stairs via the back roads on to Guild street and then into work. Most days I am plugged into my iPod, listening to whatever catches my fancy on that day, hands in my pocket deep in thought. Nine days out of ten, just before I take  the turn I see her - a lone black face bobbing in a sea of browns and whites,  wrapped up to the nines waiting for her bus. She can\u0026rsquo;t be more than 5\u0026rsquo;-2\u0026quot;, usually rocks a \u0026lsquo;fro and dangles her little bag in the \u003ca href=\"http://cdn.bellanaija.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Genevieve-Magazine-Abimbola-Fashola-Event-July-2011-BellaNaija-041.jpg\"\u003etell-tale Nigerian chic ninety-degree arm pose\u003c/a\u003e.  At first all there was were a couple of  furtive glances, followed by the straight face \u003cem\u003epretending-I-never-took-a-peek\u003c/em\u003e look. And then with time, and the familiarity of a shared routine, there was the almost imperceptible nod and the odd mouthed greeting.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"And she wasn't there"},{"content":"My memories of previous encounters with Indian cuisine are not exactly fond. The last time - an impromptu appearance at a leaving do for an Indian expat from work - I ended up tossing and turning through the night, tormented both bodily and mentally by masala dosa. Thanks to that, and my well documented lack of adventure when it comes to food, it was my last attempt at eating anything Indian- a full five years ago.\nWithout any prior planning we end up standing and chatting outside an Indian restaurant. There\u0026rsquo;s me, my Iranian buddy and a third guy who he once worked for. We have spent the last few minutes catching up and reminiscing on the various bits and pieces of the shared lives we have missed in the intervening months.\nThe thing about these meetings is that they invariably segue into a catalogue of cynical musings. We moan about the lack of excitement in our line of business, gleefully swap stories about former bosses whose careers have gone awry, and self deprecatingly (in mock humility) discuss what it is we are currently working on.\nAs we stand in front of the Indian restaurant, someone suggests we go in and grab a bite. My Iranian friend is ambivalent, his ex boss is keen to try something new in the city and I am positively petrified, but for lack of a coherent excuse I agree and we walk in.\nThere are several empty tables available and we grab a seat by the window, in a smaller section of the room. I skip the starter, some sort of corn wrap with mixed sauces.\nWhen the main menu arrives, it is a curious mix of names I am blissfully unaware of. I eventually order a chicken tikka with some rice, only medium spiced. When it arrives, it has a soft, light aroma. The chicken is slightly salty but tastes great, as does the accompanying rice side dish and the curry sauce. As I eat it, I half expect to suddenly throw up and massively embarrass myself, but I survive; washing it down with a sweet cider.\nAll in all it\u0026rsquo;s a great evening out, one more place to file in my places-to-take-a-prospective-love-interest-to and more importantly there\u0026rsquo;s one more flavour to my international food basket.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/07/20/about-town-the-chicken-tikka-edition/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMy memories of previous encounters with Indian cuisine are not exactly fond. The last time - an impromptu appearance at a leaving do for an Indian expat from work - I ended up tossing and turning through the night, tormented both bodily and mentally by \u003ca href=\"http://www.indianfoodforever.com/snacks/masala-dosa.html\"\u003emasala dosa\u003c/a\u003e. Thanks to that, and my well documented lack of adventure when it comes to food, it was my last attempt at eating anything Indian- a full five years ago.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Town: The chicken tikka edition"},{"content":"Memory is a strange thing. Even the most tenuous of links can breach the walls of enforced forgetfulness, triggering the release of a barrage of memories once thought to have been successfully sequestered deep beyond the reach of even the most pernicious of random triggers.\nThere are the shared banalities, the simple everyday things which in themselves hold no sentimental value but which in the context of a shared life paradoxically serve to bridge the miles. She, bored in a work meeting, emailing you a doodle of the big fat goat head that is her boss, you roasting rice to dryness, setting off the fire alarms and eliciting mock sympathy from her, all in good faith.\nThere are the shared spaces, places inextricably bound to happier times. Neatly stacked rows of sweet corn in the local shop or the smell of fresh tomatoes triggering memories of shopping together a scant few months ago. Or worse, shared routines - blocks of time once looked forward to which now stretch interminably, snaking on and on into the distance like a string coiled on itself multiple times with no obvious end.\nThere are the shared connections, friends and family who once provided validation of a match seemingly made in heaven but who now are the shattered testaments to yet another failed sortie on the battle field of love. There is the nostalgia, a selective amnesia that remembers the happy days and paints a honky dory picture that really never was.\nYou know you haven\u0026rsquo;t forgotten when the heady highs of finally tracking down that bug amidst a few hundred lines of code has you reaching for your phone, almost automatically, to text her the good news. That is before reality hits you, reminding you that that phase of life is gone, there are new rules of dis-engagement now.\nThe truest lesson is the hardest one to learn - you never forget, you can only try to replace\u0026hellip;. Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, new life like a stubborn shoot rises from dead seed, but the old has to die first.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/07/12/on-the-futility-of-forgetting/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMemory is a strange thing. Even the most tenuous of links can breach the walls of enforced forgetfulness, triggering the release of a barrage of memories once thought to have been successfully sequestered deep beyond the reach of even the most pernicious of random triggers.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are the shared banalities, the simple everyday things which in themselves hold no sentimental value but which in the context of a shared life paradoxically serve to bridge the miles. She, bored in a work meeting, emailing you a doodle of the big fat goat head that is her boss, you roasting rice to dryness, setting off the fire alarms and eliciting mock sympathy from her, all in good faith.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On the futility of forgetting"},{"content":"\nGot this in my email today.. Talk about inventive proselytising.. I am actually tempted to call the numbers on the car..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/07/08/enhanced-functionality/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/offering-box-car.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"offering-box-car\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/offering-box-car.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGot this in my email today.. Talk about inventive proselytising.. I am actually tempted to call the numbers on the car..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Enhanced functionality"},{"content":"Thankful for:\nTop blokes: Met up for dinner with a chap I once worked for in Nigeria. He was one of the more senior engineers on my first job, was in town participating in a design review and called me up for dinner. We met up at an Italian place in town. The nachos were delightful, the spaghetti and meat balls were awesome too, plus he paid. Now I know where to take the lasses I am eyeing to for a \u0026lsquo;spoiling\u0026rsquo; session. :) Fortuitous nose bleeds: I haven\u0026rsquo;t had nosebleeds in a long time, at best they are unnecessary irritations at worst they can spoil a perfectly good day. In a first for me, a nosebleed saved my bum in a meeting just before I was due to get a grilling, talk about unintended consequences\u0026hellip; Milestone birthdays: Someone really close turned fifty (not me). Thankful for the opportunity to have shared their life over the past few years. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/07/07/thankful-the-randoms/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThankful for:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTop blokes:\u003c/strong\u003e Met up for dinner with a chap I once worked for in Nigeria. He was one of the more senior engineers on my first job, was in town  participating in a design review and called me up for dinner. We met up at an \u003ca href=\"http://www.prezzorestaurants.co.uk/\"\u003eItalian place in town\u003c/a\u003e. The nachos were delightful, the spaghetti and meat balls were awesome too, plus he paid. Now I know where to take the lasses I am eyeing to for a \u0026lsquo;spoiling\u0026rsquo; session. :)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFortuitous nose bleeds:\u003c/strong\u003e I haven\u0026rsquo;t had nosebleeds in a long time, at best they are unnecessary irritations at worst they can spoil a perfectly good day. In a first for me, a nosebleed saved my bum in a meeting just before I was due to get a grilling, talk about unintended consequences\u0026hellip;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMilestone birthdays:\u003c/strong\u003e Someone really close turned fifty (not me). Thankful for the opportunity to have shared their life over the past few years.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Thankful...  the kinda random thursday edition"},{"content":"Stumbled on this song whilst clearing out music on my old computer, and I fell in love with it all over again. 60 plays and counting in just over a day.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/07/03/skillet-yours-to-hold/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eStumbled on this song whilst clearing out music on my old computer, and I fell in love with it all  over again. 60 plays and counting in just over a day.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/VBmNLjkaZuw?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e","title":"Skillet - Yours to Hold"},{"content":"An unintended consequence of daily quotidian pursuits is the possibility of being sucked into a rut. Sleep, food, mind numbing work, the occasional tryst, the odd night out with the lads repeated ad nauseum and suddenly it is the middle of the year.\nIn truth it has been a so-so year - the break up with EJ, a job offer that I eventually turned down, issues with my father and all the other niggling issues I am having to contend with. Amidst all this, the anti-immigrant rhetoric in the UK appears to have gone a level higher - everyone from layman to political leader is jumping on the bandwagon to decry the scourge of the immigrant. The latest changes been mooted are to limit migrant visas to a maximum five year term. That has significant implications for my \u0026lsquo;business model\u0026rsquo;. My decision to leave my Nigerian job and head back to school is increasingly looking daft. A Nigerian equivalent, the Petroleum Industry Bill which is meant to fundamentally reshape the industry and focus Nigerian Content Development has been in the works for a few years now, and is probably no where near being signed into law.\nAs it stands, I potentially have three more years, hopefully I can focus on getting Chartered Engineer status and then making the move to a different country. If only I could win the lottery.. Sigh.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/07/02/mid-year-thoughts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAn unintended consequence of daily quotidian pursuits is the possibility of being sucked into a rut. Sleep, food, mind numbing work, the occasional tryst, the odd night out with the lads repeated \u003cem\u003ead nauseum\u003c/em\u003e and suddenly it is the middle of the year.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn truth it has been a \u003cem\u003eso-so\u003c/em\u003e year - \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/04/delayed-cognition/\"\u003ethe break up with EJ\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/03/decisions-decisions/\"\u003ea job offer\u003c/a\u003e that I eventually turned down, \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/03/father-issues/\"\u003eissues with my father\u003c/a\u003e and all the other niggling issues I am having to contend with. Amidst all this, the anti-immigrant rhetoric in the UK appears to have gone a level higher - everyone from layman to political leader is jumping on the bandwagon to decry the scourge of the immigrant. The latest changes been mooted are to limit migrant visas to a maximum five year term. That has significant implications for my \u0026lsquo;business model\u0026rsquo;. My decision to leave my Nigerian job and head back to school is increasingly looking daft. A Nigerian equivalent, the \u003ca href=\"http://www.nnpcgroup.com/PublicRelations/PetroleumIndustryBill.aspx\"\u003ePetroleum Industry Bill\u003c/a\u003e which is meant to fundamentally reshape the industry and focus Nigerian Content Development has been in the works for a few years now, and is probably no where near being signed into law.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Mid Year Thoughts"},{"content":"Lists appear to have suddenly become the leitmotif of the few blogs I read. From Don Miller sharing his fiancee\u0026rsquo;s list to Esco imagining the All Nigerian Girl, to AnyaPosh, Miss Enigma, Sting and all the lasses doing that 30 day blogging thing, everyone appears to be sharing bits and pieces of lists.\nWhen I was much younger I was a big fan of lists - on everything from five year goals and plans, gadgets to buy to what I wanted in a spouse - complete with excel spreadsheets which calculated weighted averages across the various categories. The one thing I didn\u0026rsquo;t bargain for was that it would become a mechanistic check-the-box-or-check-out exercise - that happened - nor did I question the basis on which the items were identified, or if indeed I was at a time and place where I could expect those qualities from others.\nCarolyn McCulley in her 2006 article at Boundless posits a middle ground – having faith for the man (woman) he (she) will become. For the possessor of the list, this involves making a distinction between what are absolute must-haves from day zero, and what can be subtly influenced over the course of the relationship. For the one who has been handed such a list, it can serve as a deserved kick up the backside to wake up from the years of lethargy and to begin taking tangible steps to grow and mature as an individual. The flip side though is that it can feel like one is being measured against an impossible standard, creating pressure to conform, or to just call it quits and move on. Balance then is key.\nOn a less self absorbed note though, I shall be trawling all these blogs and more with my pen and paper, taking notes and keeping my eyes open for that All Nigerian Girl. Hopefully, I can finally find out what women want\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/06/29/on-lists/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLists appear to have suddenly become the leitmotif of the few blogs I read. From Don Miller \u003ca href=\"http://donmilleris.com/2011/06/20/what-are-you-looking-for-in-a-spouse-why-not-create-a-list/\"\u003esharing his fiancee\u0026rsquo;s list\u003c/a\u003e to Esco \u003ca href=\"http://woahnigeria.wordpress.com/2011/06/25/that-all-nigerian-girl/\"\u003eimagining the All Nigerian Girl\u003c/a\u003e, to \u003ca href=\"http://anyaposh.blogspot.com/\"\u003eAnyaPosh\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://undercover07.blogspot.com/search/label/30DayChallenge\"\u003eMiss Enigma\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://www.nigerianscorpio.com/2011/06/30-day-challenge.html\"\u003eSting\u003c/a\u003e and all the lasses doing that 30 day blogging thing, everyone appears to be sharing bits and pieces of lists.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen I was much younger I was a big fan of lists  - on everything from five year goals and plans, gadgets to buy to what I wanted in a spouse - complete with excel spreadsheets which calculated weighted averages across the various categories. The one thing I didn\u0026rsquo;t bargain for was that it would become a mechanistic \u003cem\u003echeck-the-box-or-check-out\u003c/em\u003e exercise - that happened - nor did I question the basis on which the items were identified, or  if indeed I was at a time and place where I could \u003cem\u003eexpect\u003c/em\u003e those qualities from others.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Lists"},{"content":"This morning on my commute into work - whilst plugged into my iPod staring out of the window as the city stirs to life - a little boy and a man I assume is his father catch my attention.\nThey are seated two rows in front of me. The boy cannot be more than five by my reckoning, especially because he is dressed in the navy blue jumper that the school down the road from my stop uses for a uniform. The man has his arm around the boy who rests his head on his side. From where I am sat, I can hear them conversing in low tones. I am not close enough to make out what they are saying but in that moment I allow my mind roam.\nI remember once - long ago - when I might have been that kid looking up to his father, doing life together in public oblivious of third parties looking on. Sadly, it has been more than a few years now since he and I have shared any form of emotional connections.\nAt the penultimate stop, the kid and his father alight from the bus. The father carries his son in one hand and lugs his briefcase and a lunch box in the other. I am left with a dull ache - a longing for days that may never return.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/06/21/life-moments/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis morning on my commute into work - whilst plugged into my iPod staring out of the window as the city stirs to life -  a little boy and a man I assume is his father catch my attention.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey are seated two rows in front of me. The boy cannot be more than five by my reckoning, especially because he is dressed in the navy blue jumper that the school down the road from my stop uses for a uniform. The man has his arm around the boy who rests his head on his side. From where I am sat, I can hear them conversing in low tones. I am not close enough to make out what they are saying but in that moment I allow my mind roam.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Life moments"},{"content":"Amidst the madness - sometimes controlled but largely tottering on the edge of spontaneous combustion - that has marked the last couple of months, it has become increasingly difficult to meet up with what few friends I have left in town. This week has been typical; planning a plant turnaround, updating the 2012 business plan and hosting a couple of blokes from Corporate HQ concurrently have combined to make this another one of those long arduous weeks. Leaving the office late for the umpteenth time, on a whim I decide to make a pit stop at the Nando\u0026rsquo;s next door. It appears fairly deserted for a Thursday evening. Usually the family friendly spaces are crowded on a Thursday evening - so it is strange that I find a seat without so much as a wait.\nI get a seat in an open portion of the building facing outward unto Union Square, grab a glass of coke and proceed to wait for my extra hot peri-peri chicken and fries to arrive. Given the relative emptiness of the floor, I assume it will be routinely quick. Two glasses of coke and twenty-something minutes later I am still waiting - leaving me to inwardly debate the wisdom of my stopping by.\nMy miserable evening is saved when I catch sight of three blokes I know - two from Grad School and one from church. They get a seat next to mine, and after they place their orders, we swap stories about work, life in general and other random things. Eventually after about forty minutes (by my reckoning), my food arrives. Theirs follows soon after and we all tuck into it with gusto. Like a bunch of happy blokes having a great night out together we make small talk as we wolf down chicken pieces with cokes and orange juice.\nThe unintended meet up is a silver lining in an otherwise infuriating experience - something to be thankful for after all.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/06/16/thankful-for-unintended-meet-ups/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAmidst the madness - sometimes controlled but largely tottering on the edge of spontaneous combustion - that has marked the last couple of months, it has become increasingly difficult to meet up with what few friends I have left in town. This week has been typical; planning a plant turnaround, updating the 2012 business plan and hosting a couple of blokes from Corporate HQ concurrently have combined to make this another one of those long arduous weeks. Leaving the office late for the umpteenth time, on a whim I decide to make a pit stop at the \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/06/thankful-for-nandos/\"\u003eNando\u0026rsquo;s next door\u003c/a\u003e. It appears fairly deserted for a Thursday evening. Usually the family friendly spaces are crowded on a Thursday evening - so it is strange that I find a seat without so much as a wait.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Thankful...  for unintended meet ups"},{"content":"Amidst the continuing babble of concerned friends, I may have hit upon my very own final solution. Granted it is decidedly more benign than the Nazi version, but as a strategy to buy myself much needed respite, it has worked like a charm. When asked awkward questions about being single when hanging out with the lads, my answer goes along the lines of being too busy, but declaring that I am very open to recommendations from so-called \u0026lsquo;knowledgeable others\u0026rsquo;.\nThat statement has a way of shutting them up very quickly. Something about making the \u0026lsquo;search\u0026rsquo; a shared responsibility appears to force them to seriously consider their words before speaking the next time. Perhaps it is the realisation that I appear to trust their judgement enough to want to draw on their network that makes them sober up quickly and ditch the nose-in-the-air, been-there-seen-it-all pose.\nUnexpectedly, it appears that being intentional is bearing dividends. Out of the blue, I get a phone call from a bloke I used to know. Turns out my friend K and he have been in touch and the small matter of my issue has come up. An unintended consequence of it all is that I am scheduled to make a trip down to London at the end of next month. The alumni from my campus fellowship are all going to be there in full swing, and word around town is quite a few of them are in similar shoes to mine.\nNothing major happened just yet, it will be just us old friends meeting up and faffing around over a weekend in a bigger pool. Fingers crossed. After all, when it rains, it pours, or doesn\u0026rsquo;t it?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/06/11/putting-more-men-on-the-job/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAmidst the continuing babble of concerned friends, I may have hit upon my very own \u003cem\u003efinal solution\u003c/em\u003e.  Granted it is decidedly more benign than the Nazi version, but as a strategy to buy myself much needed respite, it has worked like a charm.  When asked awkward questions about being single when hanging out with the lads, my answer goes along the lines of being too busy, but declaring that I am very open to recommendations from so-called \u003cem\u003e\u0026lsquo;knowledgeable others\u003c/em\u003e\u0026rsquo;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Putting More Men on the job"},{"content":"Between working extra hours on a couple of projects at work - and my natural proclivity to laziness - honing utilising what precious little cooking skills I have has been relegated to the very back of a fully loaded back burner. It hasn\u0026rsquo;t helped that the main African shop in town is off my route (and involves an extended walk to and fro the nearest bus stop if I were to use it), or indeed that the final surviving African eatery in town closed shop a couple of years ago.\nThis week was another one of those weeks from hell. Thankfully, my Nando\u0026rsquo;s outlet next door has come to the rescue. Not healthy I know, but I use the stairs not the elevator at work, drink only coke zero and get around by walking as much as I can to counteract the calories, even if these are only token actions. So for a quick fix for staving off hunger, I am thankful for Nando\u0026rsquo;s.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/06/09/thankful-for-nandos/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBetween working extra hours on a couple of projects at work -  and my natural proclivity to laziness -  honing utilising what precious little cooking skills I have has been relegated to the very back of a fully loaded back burner. It hasn\u0026rsquo;t helped that the main African shop in town is off my route (and involves an extended walk to and fro the nearest bus stop if I were to use it), or indeed that the final surviving African eatery in town closed shop a couple of years ago.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Thankful.....  for Nando's"},{"content":"\u0026hellip; when after finally finding a seat on the packed bus, some odd smell hits your nostrils like a Mike Tyson left hook. It is an odd mix of stale sweat, putrid urine and beer. You look around, wondering what the source might be. When the portly gentleman seated right next to you moves, a fresh salvo assaults your nostrils identifying him as the culprit. Unfortunately, the next stop is a full fifteen minutes away, so you are stuck with \u0026lsquo;savouring\u0026rsquo; the smells.\nYou would think that people would take a bath before jumping on a bus early in the morning. One more reason to avoid public transport on a Sunday morning\u0026hellip;. Sigh.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/06/05/thatawkwardmoment/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u0026hellip; when after finally finding a seat on the packed bus, some odd smell hits your nostrils like a Mike Tyson left hook. It is an odd mix of stale sweat, putrid urine and beer. You look around, wondering what the source might be. When the portly gentleman seated right next to you moves, a fresh salvo assaults your nostrils identifying him as the culprit. Unfortunately, the next stop is a full fifteen minutes away, so you are stuck with \u0026lsquo;savouring\u0026rsquo; the smells.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"That Awkward Moment"},{"content":"\nIt is the end of May, and spring is finally seguing into summer. You wouldn\u0026rsquo;t know this if the last few days are all you had to go by. We have been besieged by a procession of colder weather, rains and strong winds - winds which have caused no small measure of chaos in the highlands so far. Thankfully today the sun is out - almost Lagos-esque in its warmth - and the dull grey granite walls which define this city by their ubiquity already look better thanks to the dash of colour the sun adds.\nI am walking down the street, music streaming into my ears and sipping from a coke, whilst taking in the sunshine and appreciating the cornucopia of sleeveless tops, bright colours and open toed sandals which the warm weather has encouraged my fellow pedestrians to adorn themselves with. My destination is a coffee shop just down the road, the objective is to share my lunch break with my friend BB who is in town from London.\nWhen I locate the shop, I find it is spread across two floors of an old building, tucked out of the way from the eye of the casual pedestrian. The ground floor is filled with people sipping coffees and having confectionaries of all sorts all having conversations.\nBB and I discuss a myriad of things - drilling cut backs at his company thanks to the new oil taxes in the UK, the paucity of Nigerian work alternatives, the increasing difficulty in getting news about opportunities back there, and his mother. Like me his mother believes he is intent on denying her the grand child she craves; unlike me he\u0026rsquo;s actually got a Malaysian girl he thinks he\u0026rsquo;s serious with.\nLunch ends all too soon, it is back to the grind for me, but these city centre lunches are beginning to grow on me.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/06/01/about-town/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/unions_street2.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"unions_street2\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/unions_street2.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is the end of May, and spring is finally seguing into summer. You wouldn\u0026rsquo;t know this if the last few days are all you had to go by. We have been besieged by a procession of colder weather, rains and strong winds -  winds which have \u003ca href=\"http://news.stv.tv/scotland/west-central/251626-high-winds-cause-travel-chaos-across-scotland/\"\u003ecaused no small measure of chaos in the highlands so far\u003c/a\u003e. Thankfully today the sun is out - almost Lagos-esque in its warmth -  and the dull grey granite walls which define this city by their ubiquity already look better thanks to the dash of colour the sun adds.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Town"},{"content":"One of my lesser known \u0026rsquo;life skills\u0026rsquo; is eating piping hot dodo - and that fresh from the frying pan. Looking back, this non-trivial skill was honed in the kitchen of #19 Aiguobasinmwin Crescent. It must have been sometime in 1986 - those were the heady days in which Lawrence Anini our very own Robin Hood-lite and his side kick Monday Osunbor reigned supreme in Benin City. Sane, un-jazzed-up people stayed indoors, the not so sane limited their night-time frolicking nonetheless.\nAt the time my coffee intoxicated PhD chasing father, my barely four year old sister and I shared our three bed flat. Meal times consisted of soups and stews warmed so many times that they had gone stale by mid week with rice or eba – hardly something to look forward to. Mother and the other sister lived about 80 kilometers aways in another town, so the best she could do was make the soups and stew over a weekend, pack them and get them frozen for when we had to make the hour long trip, typically on Sunday evenings. I suspect the dull green colour of the food bowls didn\u0026rsquo;t help either - hardly an inspiring choice.\nAmidst our food travails, suya on Airport Road and piping hot dodo became the only high points we could look forward to. Like all evolving organisms we adapted our eating processes to maximise the amount of dodo we could get. I for one learned to suck in a huge glob of air at the same time as dropping dodo into my mouth to cool it. Many years later I would learn, that the heat transfer rate was proportional to the mass flow rate of air (ie the more air i sucked in the cooler the dodo would be). Over time, I got so adept at pulling this trick off that my father finally put his foot down and made us all wait for the entire batch of dodo to be fried and shared before eating\u0026hellip; So much for my \u0026rsquo;life skill\u0026rsquo;. Sigh\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/05/31/in-which-i-perfect-the-non-trivial-art-of-eating-hot-dodo/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOne of my lesser known \u0026rsquo;life skills\u0026rsquo; is eating piping hot dodo - and that fresh from the frying pan. Looking back, this non-trivial skill was honed in the kitchen of #19 Aiguobasinmwin Crescent. It must have been sometime in 1986 - those were the heady days in which \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Anini\"\u003eLawrence Anini\u003c/a\u003e our very own Robin Hood-lite and his side kick Monday Osunbor reigned supreme in Benin City. Sane, \u003cem\u003eun-jazzed-up\u003c/em\u003e people stayed indoors, the not so sane limited their night-time frolicking nonetheless.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"In which I perfect the non-trivial art of eating hot dodo"},{"content":"Given my decidedly abysmal attendance at church this year, it is somewhat out of character that I arrive early enough to catch the beginning of the opening hymn, the incredibly mellifluous All Things Bright and Beautiful. It is one hymn, in all its variants of tune and stanza, which I have come to associate with growing up all those many years ago on a University campus in Nigeria. For all of ten years, it was a perennial favourite amongst the teachers and prefects who led morning assemblies, and along with my well worn copy of Songs of Praise remains stuck in my head as markers from that phase of life.\nThe children have the floor today and as I make my way into the church building a scrawny teenager - clearly filling the role of an usher for the first time - motions for me to approach the front of the building. In the few seconds it takes for me to decide - in general I avoid sitting in the front of buildings - I catch the eye of my friend O, and I sidle up to him, plonking into the empty seat beside him. I smile apologetically at the kid, hopefully there are no hard feelings there.\nAs children are wont to do, the various events that have been arranged for our worshipping pleasure are performed with much enthusiasm, albeit with a lot of unruliness. There are three year olds crying for their mothers, six year olds waving to their parents in the crowd and more than a few missed beats amidst the songs. My God-daughter Gracie has a starring role in a rendition of the main song. Seated in the crowds seeing her sing the words without missing any of them fills me with some pride.\nAfter its all done and dusted, the one thing that can\u0026rsquo;t be faulted is the children\u0026rsquo;s sincerity; in the end the focus is them, and not the performance, the nostalgia that remains with me is a good, if unintended consequence.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/05/29/hymnals-memories/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eGiven my decidedly abysmal attendance at church this year, it is somewhat out of character that I arrive early enough to catch the beginning of the opening hymn, the incredibly mellifluous \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Things_Bright_and_Beautiful\"\u003eAll Things Bright and Beautiful\u003c/a\u003e. It is one hymn, in all its variants of tune and stanza, which I have come to associate with growing up all those many years ago on a University campus in Nigeria. For all of ten years, it was a perennial favourite amongst the teachers and prefects who led morning assemblies, and along with my well worn copy of \u003ca href=\"http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/sop25.html\"\u003eSongs of Praise\u003c/a\u003e remains stuck in my head as markers from that phase of life.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Hymnals and Memories"},{"content":"Based on data extracted from this Nairaland thread.\nI was bored at work so I took the liberty of trying to create an infographic from the pros and cons (for women) on the list. I shrunk the pros and cons into twenty one categories and gave each ethnicity a \u0026lsquo;+1\u0026rsquo; where it was a pro, a \u0026lsquo;0\u0026rsquo; where they were not assessed and a \u0026lsquo;-1\u0026rsquo; where that category was marked as a con. The \u0026lsquo;pros\u0026rsquo; have been condensed into a fraction measuring the potential returns on investing in a Nigerian woman, whilst the \u0026lsquo;cons\u0026rsquo; have similarly been aggregated to give a measure of how \u0026lsquo;high maintenance\u0026rsquo; a Nigerian woman can be. The size of the bubble is a measure of the chikability (how likely it is that a bloke\u0026rsquo;s toastings will gell).\nA few things stood out:\nIbo women represent a particularly poor choice of mate (high maintenance, low potential return, low probability of success when \u0026lsquo;chiked\u0026rsquo;) The Efik woman\u0026rsquo;s extremely low maintenance requirements make her an outstanding choice, if you are willing to share a shaving stick; Edo women offer the best potential return, if you can live with a 98.75% chance of dying before her; The term \u0026lsquo;data\u0026rsquo; is used very loosely here; Nothing on here is meant to be taken seriously. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/05/26/of-nigerian-wives/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBased on data extracted from \u003ca href=\"http://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-434891.0.html\"\u003ethis Nairaland thread.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI was bored at work so I took the liberty of trying to create an infographic from the pros and cons (for women) on the list. I shrunk the pros and cons into twenty one categories and gave each ethnicity a \u0026lsquo;+1\u0026rsquo; where it was a pro, a \u0026lsquo;0\u0026rsquo; where they were not assessed and a \u0026lsquo;-1\u0026rsquo; where that category was marked as a con. The \u0026lsquo;pros\u0026rsquo; have been condensed into a fraction measuring the potential returns on investing in a Nigerian woman, whilst the \u0026lsquo;cons\u0026rsquo; have similarly been aggregated to give a measure of how \u0026lsquo;high maintenance\u0026rsquo; a Nigerian woman can be. The size of the bubble is a measure of the chikability (how likely it is that a bloke\u0026rsquo;s toastings will gell).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Of Nigerian Wives"},{"content":"Friday night just happened. A flat battery led to two of the guys hitching a ride with a third back to the city centre. The fourth guy happened to be home alone after his wife and kids travelled to Nigeria, and I the perpetually \u0026lsquo;alone\u0026rsquo; guy was asked to tag along. All five of us piled into our friend K\u0026rsquo;s 4-wheeler and we decided to hit the an African spot to unwind.\nIt might have been the alcohol, or the lads just looking for somewhere to stick it to after a hectic week, but I ended up being the focus of the discussion, one in which my observations were treated which much seriousness as a high school-er amidst quantum physicists. If you listened to them , you would think that being married for a couple of years is all the learning one requires to know all there is about marriage. I should have suspected the direction the night would go when I realized I was the only single bloke amongst them. Lesson learned though - never allow the lads to catch me off guard.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/05/20/tgif-the-getting-grief-edition/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFriday night just happened.  A flat battery led to two of the guys hitching a ride with a third back to the city centre. The fourth guy happened to be home alone after his wife and kids travelled to Nigeria, and I the perpetually \u0026lsquo;alone\u0026rsquo; guy was asked to tag along. All five of us piled into our friend K\u0026rsquo;s 4-wheeler and we decided to hit the an African spot to unwind.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"TGIF - The getting grief edition"},{"content":"The pointlessness of most work is never more obvious than when it is suddenly cut short. Like an unexpected breath of fresh the relentless flow of work in my direction has suddenly stopped, even if only for a day. In it\u0026rsquo;s stopping it has become clear that a lot of what I had- as a matter of course- sifted through daily was unnecessary.\nIt is the team day off, and the brilliant sunshine currently bathing the city in its glow makes it seem like a particularly potent rainmaker was contracted to make it a success. Usually by this time, I have been on the phone five or six times to clarify one issue or the other with my offshore counterpart (who I outrank on paper, but earn way much less than), attended a couple of meetings and or have had to respond to a request for information.\nToday though its different - every one seems relaxed and even a couple of blokes who turn in in their shirts and ties day in day out have turned in jeans and tees. The day out doesn\u0026rsquo;t start for another couple of hours, but its effect is already beginning to show.\nI for one am sitting at my desk, taking in the things I have missed and being thankful for the opportunity to catch my breath.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/05/19/thankful-for-breathers/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe pointlessness of most work is never more obvious than when it is suddenly cut short. Like an unexpected breath of fresh the relentless flow of work in my direction has suddenly stopped, even if only for a day. In it\u0026rsquo;s stopping it has become clear that a lot of what I had- as a matter of course- sifted through daily was unnecessary.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is the team day off, and the brilliant sunshine currently bathing the city in its glow makes it seem like a particularly potent rainmaker was contracted to make it a success. Usually by this time, I have been on the phone five or six times to clarify one issue or the other with my offshore counterpart (who I outrank on paper, but earn way much less than), attended a couple of meetings and or have had to respond to a request for information.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Thankful... for breathers"},{"content":"My earliest memories of growing up are inextricably bound up with the dirty brown house on 4th street, brick red sand and Di, or MG as we would grow to know her in our adult years. It was the summer rainy season of 1988 and the sun in all its gory beastliness was baking us all, turning our days into long drawn out battles with boredom, exacerbated by excruciatingly boring teachers. Us boys lived for the bell, the harbinger of our short and long breaks, an all too brief salvation from studying. I was barely eight years old, but I was fast making a name for myself as a nerd; complete with very thick lenses, a voracious appetite for non-academic reading and an extreme love for solitude. The only physical activity I engaged in was the odd football kick abut where I was about as useful as a goal post. I often got sentenced to playing the goal keeper, where I was as much likely to play a wanton pass as concede a daft goal. It was an age where competition hadn\u0026rsquo;t become second nature to us though, so it wasn\u0026rsquo;t often that a gaffe was punished beyond the pitch.\nAmidst the boredom, the quotidian joys of growing up and doing the things little boys do, MG stepped into the picture. After one more religious riot than her father could stomach, her Professor father decided to call it quits and head back home to our little University town to relaunch his career. We were the beneficiaries.\nAt first it was a shared love for books - Enid Blytons from the Famous Fives to the St Clare books - and then it was all the other stuff; Maths, Sunday School, the school\u0026rsquo;s debating society, quizzes and the like. She ended up being a big-sister figure. She had the calm head to take charge on more than one occasion when things might have gotten out of hand between us lads.\nSomehow down the years she and I stayed in touch - even though at some stage it was across an ocean.True to the anecdote about girls maturing faster, she ended up wanting more at a time I was scared to commit.\nThe rest as they say is history - she fell in love with a bloke, married him and are living their happily ever after.. \u0026hellip; In retrospect, she was the one I met too early.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/05/17/first-there-was-mg/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMy earliest memories of growing up are inextricably bound up with the dirty brown house on 4th street, brick red sand and \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/finally-the-truth-about-di/\"\u003eDi\u003c/a\u003e, or MG as we would grow to know her in our adult years. It was the summer rainy season of 1988 and the sun in all its gory beastliness was baking us all, turning our days into long drawn out battles with boredom, exacerbated by excruciatingly boring teachers. Us boys lived for the bell, the harbinger of our short and long breaks, an all too brief salvation from studying. I was barely eight years old, but I was fast making a name for myself as a nerd; complete with very thick lenses, a voracious appetite for non-academic reading and an extreme love for solitude. The only physical activity I engaged in was the odd football kick abut where I was about as useful as a goal post. I often got sentenced to playing the goal keeper, where I was as much likely to play a wanton pass as concede a daft goal. It was an age where competition hadn\u0026rsquo;t become second nature to us though, so it wasn\u0026rsquo;t often that a gaffe was punished beyond the pitch.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"First there was MG"},{"content":"\nIf only life were like a jammed computer where ctrl+alt+del could restart.. sigh.\n(Image source GearFuse)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/05/15/ctrlaltdel/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/ctr_alt_del.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"ctr_alt_del\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/ctr_alt_del.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf only life were like a jammed computer where ctrl+alt+del could restart.. sigh.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e(Image source \u003ca href=\"http://www.gearfuse.com/ctrlaltdel-cup-set-force-quits-your-tea-drinking-plans/\"\u003eGearFuse\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Ctrl+Alt+Del"},{"content":"There is no better incentive to reassess the landscape of one\u0026rsquo;s failed loves than watching re-runs of NCIS on TV on a Friday night. Something about being slouched in a lazy boy chair, empty bottles of beer to one side and the TV remote on the other, stands in marked contrast to what typical Friday nights are meant to be - maelstroms of revelry, getting hammered and possibly getting laid.\nIt might be the beer, or the strange attractiveness that the geeky goth Abby exudes, or a certain feeling of kinship with the stereotypically potrayed super geek McGee, but I seem to remember a lot less women than I expect. From teenage love interests, through cousins I almost dated to the slightly zany types - and a couple of Friend With Benefits, I suspect that my history with them would make interesting reading\u0026hellip;.\nMaybe one of these days, when I am in a better frame of mind, I\u0026rsquo;ll debrief myself.. And download whatever details I still can remember.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/05/14/in-which-i-remember-the-girls-i-never-kissed/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThere is no better incentive to reassess the landscape of one\u0026rsquo;s failed loves than watching re-runs of NCIS on TV on a Friday night. Something about being slouched in a lazy boy chair, empty bottles of beer to one side and the TV remote on the other, stands in marked contrast to what typical Friday nights are meant to be - maelstroms of revelry, getting hammered and possibly getting laid.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"In which I (vaguely) remember the Girls I Never Kissed"},{"content":"August 2010 to April 2011\nWord for word, We beat the love Out of each other *\nLike hammer - Blows crack rock, And water- Wears granite Smooth- Day by day, Our rage poisons- Everything.\nMemory is - A wound kept raw; closure is An uncertain salve.\nThe End. Sigh *Line shamelessly purloined from Yousef Komunyakaa\u0026rsquo;s Once the Dream Begins.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/05/11/for-ella-an-epilouge/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAugust 2010 to April 2011\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWord for word,\nWe beat the love\nOut of each other *\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike hammer -\nBlows crack rock,\nAnd water-\nWears granite\nSmooth-\nDay by day,\nOur rage poisons-\nEverything.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMemory is -\nA wound kept raw; closure is\nAn uncertain salve.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe End. \u003cem\u003eSigh\u003c/em\u003e *Line shamelessly purloined from \u003ca href=\"http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/180592\"\u003eYousef Komunyakaa\u0026rsquo;s Once the Dream Begins\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"For Ella*... An Epilouge of sorts..."},{"content":"\nI owe my Saturday afternoon out to the persistence of my friend O. It is 3.30pm when his call comes in. Having taken the luxury of a long weekend off, I have rocked my couch well nigh to extinction, subsisting on NCIS and CSI and re-runs of The District on the television. The bright and sunny day out there has not been enough to lure me out of my comfort zone. He has been holed up for a different reason. Finals on his PhD are coming up thick and fast, and he is grateful for the chance to take a breather.\nWe head to the city\u0026rsquo;s Beach resort to catch the sun, watch children play and grab some food. The shore line curves as far as the eye can see in both directions- beautiful golden sand - dotted with people catching the sun.\nFood is at the Chinese buffet in town - an assortment of meats, rice, and other servings topped off with tall glass of orange juice. It\u0026rsquo;s difficult to see that life\u0026rsquo;s boring in this city, with days like these\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/05/07/at-the-insistence-of-o/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/aberdeen-beach.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"aberdeen beach\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/aberdeen-beach.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI owe my Saturday afternoon out to the persistence of my friend O. It is 3.30pm when his call comes in. Having taken the luxury of a long weekend off, I have rocked my couch well nigh to extinction, subsisting on NCIS and CSI and re-runs of The District on the television. The bright and sunny day out there has not been enough to lure me out of my comfort zone. He has been holed up for a different reason. Finals on his PhD are coming up thick and fast, and he is grateful for the chance to take a breather.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"At the insistence of O."},{"content":"Just because it\u0026rsquo;s one of those days\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/05/06/on-repeat-history-matthew-west/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eJust because it\u0026rsquo;s one of those days\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/AB6frYh4uBA?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e","title":"On Repeat: History - Matthew West.."},{"content":"On the surface, I live a life that most people would envy - 5 years working for a Fortune 500 company in Nigeria, followed by a well recognized MSc and then a job working for one of the industry leaders in my sector of the Oil industry. On the family side, it would appear that I have it all sorted - the quintessential good son, with proud, loving and doting parents. The true picture couldn\u0026rsquo;t be further from the truth.\nEach day I wake up, there is a slight tinge of regret that I made the decision to leave my Nigerian job. When my parents and I speak (often only once in two to three weeks), our conversations are strained, perfunctory and often seem like a forced marriage. I know they did their very best to cater for me as a kid growing up, but somewhere in my head, I still feel their extra strong handling is to blame for my uber reserved demeanour these days. With regards to work, the UK is becoming very unfriendly to immigrants, and the settledness of the first few years in my current job has given way to an inner agitation - I feel like I need to cast the net far and wide to relocate to a different continent. Right now if I got the right offer, I would not blink twice in relocating to Nigeria - warts and all.\nI often come across as cynical, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. My pragmatism, borne of years of learning to stifle my feelings, throw walls around myself and guard my utterances, have left me virtually unable to connect emotionally with people. I sigh inwardly when I read the likes of Favoured Girl, Crush Thoughts and Till my Dying Day, they make me want to believe in love again\u0026hellip;\nThe truth?\nI want to love and be loved by SomeOne, I want to have a normal relationship with my parents, I want to declutter my head, and tear down the walls I have spent years building I want to reconnect to my inner mushy guy\u0026hellip;.. Sigh..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/04/26/coming-clean/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOn the surface, I live a life that most people would envy - 5 years working for a Fortune 500 company in Nigeria, followed by a well recognized MSc and then a job working for one of the industry leaders in my sector of the Oil industry. On the family side, it would appear that I have it all sorted - the quintessential good son, with proud, loving and doting parents. The true picture couldn\u0026rsquo;t be further from the truth.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Coming clean..."},{"content":"Between listening to Josh Harris share Tiffany\u0026rsquo;s story at New Attitude 2004 and listening to the message preached at church last Sunday, I realise there is a lot that needs to change in my life. From being the poster child for the good, dutiful, spiritual one, I have morphed into a self serving, increasingly desperate, relationship obsessed wreck. Albert Einstein is said to have noted that one definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. From where I stand, that defines me at the moment. I\u0026rsquo;m deciding to do things different for the next 90 days, to see if I get different outcomes.\nThere are a few ground rules:\nSignificantly scale back my Social Media involvement: At the moment, I\u0026rsquo;ve got both a Facebook and Twitter account alongside this blog. I\u0026rsquo;m taking this blog private (to record my thoughts over the next 90 days) and deactivating both my Twitter and FB accounts. I suspect that as social media usage has expanded in my life, I have lost control of my free time, and what little real life social skills I used to have are disappearing. So one dimension of taking my life back has to be to scale back on social media. Engage the Bible and Prayer: If - as my current worldview suggests - the bible is a living,breathing book, then by engaging it on a daily basis, it should begin to affect me profoundly. By coupling it with prayer, I am hoping to break out of the spiritual rut I appear to have gotten in to over the last few year. Invest in real life connections: I think over the past few years - since I became immersed in my social media life - I have neglected my real life connections in favour of virtual ones. Over time, I think the bulk of the people I have called my \u0026lsquo;friends\u0026rsquo; are people I am yet to physically meet, or with whom my engagement has been largely virtual. A measure of how serious this has been is that I got romantically involved with someone who I communicated with primarily over the internet. Changing my results in the rather unfortunate area of my love life dictates that I change my modus operandi to one that is more \u0026lsquo;real life\u0026rsquo; than virtual. Document the journey: Looking back over the snippets of the journal I kept in early 2009, the way I morphed over the course of the year became very visible. In going 90 days from today, I am looking to document the journey as a reference for the future. Hopefully at the end of it all, I will emerge a better, more complete person. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/04/25/ninety-days-of-solitude/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBetween listening to Josh Harris \u003ca href=\"http://www.sovereigngracestore.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=A2115-01-51\"\u003eshare Tiffany\u0026rsquo;s story\u003c/a\u003e at New Attitude 2004 and listening to the message preached at church last Sunday, I realise there is a lot that needs to change in my life. From being the poster child for the good, dutiful, spiritual one, I have morphed into a self serving, increasingly desperate, relationship obsessed wreck. Albert Einstein is said to have noted that one definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. From where I stand, that defines me at the moment. I\u0026rsquo;m deciding to do things different for the next 90 days, to see if I get different outcomes.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Ninety Days of Solitude..."},{"content":"I get a phone call from my buddy Ken. Yet another one of the blokes from work has moved on to \u0026lsquo;pastures new\u0026rsquo; and we who have been left behind are meeting up for drinks and to chat. It is a welcome distraction from the events of the last few weeks - missing EJ, a couple of massive projects at work and the fairly steady haranguing I have been getting from my mother.\nWe meet up at the Moonlight Bar in town. It is owned by a Nigerian chap, who is friends with a few of the guys so we get to use it free for events as long as we buy beers from him. I am the fifth person through the door, but the place rapidly fills up until we are well in excess of sixteen people. We dive into the bottles of beer - as usual I settle for Becks blue which is supposedly non-alcoholic.\nInformal introductions take place - everyone is a geek of some sort - and then we all begin to give and take banter as the beers flow. As usual there is talk about Nigeria. Someone brings up the comedy of errors that were the postponed elections, GEJ\u0026rsquo;s Biafra faux pas, and we all give a piece of our minds. Feelings begin to run high as people whose interests lie with different political parties and camps begin to analyse the pros and the cons of their positions.\nAfter a while, we break into little groups. The Ibo chaps all gather over bottles of gulder and pepper soup. Jay and I come together in our own little two-man group.\n-So how\u0026rsquo;s EJ doing, he asks. In the past he\u0026rsquo;s insisted he\u0026rsquo;s EJ\u0026rsquo;s biggest fan, bar me, so his question is expected.\n-She\u0026rsquo;s fine, I say. He peers into my face, as though he somehow detects there\u0026rsquo;s more I haven\u0026rsquo;t said. I weigh the pros and the cons of a full disclosure, but decide to hold off. He is clearly not satisfied and he proceeds to probe a little more. I finally let it all out.\n- We broke up a couple of weeks ago man, there was the small matter of an irreconcilable divergence in opinion on a particularly heated subject. - There you go again this man he says as he shakes his head, his brow creased into a frown due to the mammoth effort he appears to be making to understand what I am saying.\n- Na grammar go kill you ooo. So you lot broke up just for one reason?\nI nod in agreement. He motions to the barmaid to send two more bottles our way. He is still shaking his head when the bottles arrive.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/04/23/tgif-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI get a phone call from my buddy Ken. Yet another one of the blokes from work has moved on to \u0026lsquo;pastures new\u0026rsquo; and we who have been left behind are meeting up for drinks and to chat. It is a welcome distraction from the events of the last few weeks - \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/04/05/delayed-cognition/\"\u003emissing EJ\u003c/a\u003e, a couple of massive projects at work and the fairly steady haranguing I have been getting from my mother.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"TGIF..."},{"content":"The job I didn\u0026rsquo;t take? Turns out that the project I would have got placed on just went sour and the bloke I wanted to work for quit the company\u0026hellip;.I should be feeling pretty smug, but then I have friends who may have just gotten burned.. Sigh.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/04/22/2020-hindsight/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/03/decisions-decisions/\"\u003ejob I didn\u0026rsquo;t take?\u003c/a\u003e Turns out that the project I would have got placed on just went sour and the bloke I wanted to work for quit the company\u0026hellip;.I should be feeling pretty smug, but then I have friends who may have just gotten burned.. Sigh.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"20/20 Hindsight. "},{"content":"Sometimes one thing can become every thing\u0026hellip;..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/04/21/i-have-been-thinking/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSometimes \u003cem\u003eone\u003c/em\u003e thing can become \u003cem\u003eevery\u003c/em\u003e thing\u0026hellip;..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"I have been thinking..."},{"content":"Against everything my head tells me, I pick up the phone and call my elder sister. Growing up, she and I at best had a tenuous relationship, at the worst of times we barely spoke to each other for long stretches. She always had this way of taking bluntness to illogical extremes in my opinion. Lately, Mother has put her on the job of hassling me.\nWhen my call connects, she is in the middle of mixing up some cereal for her youngest child. She puts my call on speaker phone mode as she juggles her child, the phone call and the bowls she is using.\nWe talk - work, our Uncle down in London, Mother and her latest antics, her in-laws, and marriage; Kuti\u0026rsquo;s planned one and mine which doesn\u0026rsquo;t seem like happening any time soon. She thinks I am not being intentional enough about it. In a way I think I agree. I am still trying to come to terms with the loss of EJ, but she insists I do not have a lot of time on my hands any more.\nSo going forward I am biting the bullet, trying to become more intentional about meeting and dating women, but first of all there is the small matter of an inquest that I need to get sorted. I need to ensure that what lessons there are to learn from Ej and the others are learned and put to use the next time around.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/04/19/biting-the-bullet/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAgainst everything my head tells me, I pick up the phone and call my elder sister. Growing up, she and I at best had a tenuous relationship, at the worst of times we barely spoke to each other for long stretches. She always had this way of taking bluntness to illogical extremes in my opinion. Lately, Mother has put her on the job of hassling me.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen my call connects, she is in the middle of mixing up some cereal for her youngest child. She puts my call on speaker phone mode as she juggles her child, the phone call and the bowls she is using.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biting the bullet..."},{"content":"\nOut here, spring is very much upon us at last. Across the land there is an almost sudden profusion of colour; purples, yellows, blues, reds and whites suddenly dot the landscape where a dull, depressing green was standard fare a scant few weeks ago. Standing in front of the door to my modest lodgings, flowers are all I see when I look up the road. Those who should know say the unseasonably warm weather beguiled the flowers into blooming early. The upside to it all is that my otherwise bland commute is now transformed into a celebration of colour, colour not restricted to flowers but extending to women. The warmth and the sunshine mean that around town the hemlines and necklines are coming together quickly, and a lot more skin is visible.\nAt work, I have been handed a new role - one that has seen me move from my position as team-member-at-large, loaning my expertise to whatever cause earns the company the most money, to one that put me back in an Operations support capacity. My slight disappointment in being saddled with the mundane tasks that come with the new role is tempered by the fact that I get a new office bang in the centre of town. The train station and what is ostensibly the biggest single mall in town are right next door - so much so that if I really fancied some Nigerian food I could, with a little effort, get it.\nIn the midst of work, and the many other things on my mind, I do try to maximise the sunshine while it lasts. Lunch typically is a snack alongside something to drink whilst sitting on one of the benches laid out in a horseshoe formation in front of the mall. I bask in the sun, my iPod streaming music into my ears, whilst I watch the city go by. Women dragging little children by the arm whilst clutching bags of shopping, men in suits and ties catching trains, young boys hanging around smoking, and the odd OAP who like me appears content to bask in the sunshine and ruminate.\nSomething about watching the crowds mill around is vaguely reassuring to me. Perhaps we are all alone, but not alone after all\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/04/18/springs-sprung/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"flowers1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/flowers1.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOut here, spring is very much upon us at last. Across the land there is an almost sudden profusion of colour; purples, yellows, blues, reds and whites suddenly dot the landscape where a dull, depressing green was standard fare a scant few weeks ago. Standing in front of the door to my modest lodgings, flowers are all I see when I look up the road. \u003cem\u003eThose who should know\u003c/em\u003e say the unseasonably warm weather beguiled the flowers into blooming early. The upside to it all is that my otherwise bland commute is now transformed into a celebration of colour, colour not restricted to flowers but extending to women. The warmth and the sunshine mean that around town the hemlines and necklines are coming together quickly, and a lot more skin is visible.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Spring's sprung..."},{"content":"I wake up to the insistent whine of my cell phone. I try to let it ring, hoping that whoever it is will leave a voice mail but when the call ends there is only a respite of a couple of minutes before the next call comes in. I drag myself to my desk and pick up the phone on the third ring, it is my mother.\n- Oohjay how are you, she asks.\nI mumble something about being fine, and it being a little early to chit chat. Perhaps she senses my irritation, because unusually she cuts to the chase.\n- Kuti\u0026rsquo;s getting married in two weeks, are you aware? What are your plans?\nKuti is the cousin who was closer than a brother. We\u0026rsquo;d shared a room since he came to live with us when I was 8 or 9. Alongside my kid brother, we had all our illicit football games together, played table soccer leagues with bottle tops and swapped girl stories. More importantly to my mother, he was the most visible one of her progeny who had refused to get married, well into his late thirties. He turned thirty-seven this year.\n- I have no plans ma, I answer.\nI have a couple of projects wrapping up at the end of April so I won\u0026rsquo;t be able to get two weeks off to travel to Nigeria. Plus getting a ticket at two weeks notice would burn a huge hole in my finances, which are barely limping along at the moment in any case.\n- Okay o, she replies in a tone of voice that clearly is not satisfied. Keep me in the loop whatever you eventually decide.\nWe make some more small talk and then she signs off. It is only 5.44am. Sigh.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/04/17/wedding-bells/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI wake up to the insistent whine of my cell phone. I try to let it ring, hoping that whoever it is will leave a voice mail but when the call ends there is only a respite of a couple of minutes before the next call comes in. I drag myself to my desk and pick up the phone on the third ring, it is my mother.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e- Oohjay how are you,\u003c/em\u003e she asks.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Wedding bells..."},{"content":"I am checking my emails when a LinkedIn notification comes in. Over the past few months, LinkedIn has morphed into a Facebook for professionals - never more so than in its ability, and willingness, to dreg emails and address books for connections to suggest. This particular suggestion is for a connection to a friend of my father\u0026rsquo;s from back in the day when he was a struggling academic, labouring under the especially onerous conditions of the Abacha era. I add him, and after a few minutes he accepts. He emails me, asking me where and how I am, how my parents are, and then adds the marriage question..\nAt a mere thirty one years of age, I appear to be at a stage in life where, when people who have not been in touch for a few years reconnect with me, one of the first things they ask is how my family is - implicitly accepting that I am married already. I wonder how the girls survive it.. Sigh!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/04/14/marriage-matters/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI am checking my emails when a LinkedIn notification comes in. Over the past few months, LinkedIn has morphed into a Facebook for professionals - never more so than in its ability, and willingness, to dreg emails and address books for connections to suggest. This particular suggestion is for a connection to a friend of my father\u0026rsquo;s from back in the day when he was a struggling academic, labouring under the especially onerous conditions of the Abacha era.  I add him, and after a few minutes he accepts. He emails me, asking me where and how I am, how my parents are, and then adds  the marriage question..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Marriage Matters.."},{"content":"Someone shouts my high school nickname in the middle of Union Square, just as I am about to take a left turn through the train station. I am more than a few minutes late having allowed my typical Sunday morning lethargy - part relapsed faith, part lingering hangover - to leave me in real danger of arriving late. By the time I finally pull myself off my bed, complete my preparations and grab the number 16 bus to the city centre, it is already 11.10am; meaning Sunday school is over, and the opening hymnal is just about to be sung.\nHearing my high school nickname is no ordinary blast from the past, more so because Union Square is the last place I expect to hear it. It is a throwback to a very specific time and place, especially because it was known only to a select few - six or seven at most. When I spin round to see who has called my name, the dots begin to connect in my head. The peculiar shape of the head, a vaguely triangular outline which earned him the unflattering nickname of opioro mango, is the final piece that completes the jigsaw in my head.\n- Kuti Baba, I say. That is the less irksome of his nick names. Opioro mango used to be my preferred name for him and in another time and another space, I would have used it. We shake hands firmly, our hands coming together in a rather loud clap.\n-Na your eye be this? He asks.\n- Na me o, ol\u0026rsquo; boy, I reply. We shake hands again, with a gansta hug thrown in for good measure.\n- You don kpuff 1 up o, he says.\nI give him my evil eye. The burgeoning keg that is my stomach is enough reminder. He was never really a bulky chap in any case, but the beginnings of his own beer belly are there for all to see. There is a lot to catch up on - it has been almost thirteen years since we last spoke at length. There have been degrees, a wife, girlfriends won and lost, jobs gotten and changed, but as always it appears our meeting will go the way of all the others we have had since then - merely a brief intermission from the bustle of our everyday lives.\nHe has two travelling cases with him, he explains that he\u0026rsquo;s here to catch a train to London with the family. Whilst he is still speaking, a Caucasian woman pushes a pram out of the adjoining shop. There is a child seated within it, sucking on a pacifier and another which she holds by the arm.\n-My wife and children, Kuti says.\nI shake the woman\u0026rsquo;s damp, limp and cold hand, touch the kid on the cheek and mutter a greeting. Kuti Baba was always a sharp man. On this evidence, Kuti Baba and his legend still live on.\n1 - A euphemism for calling someone a fatso\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/04/12/sunday-guest/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSomeone shouts my high school nickname in the middle of Union Square,  just as I am about to take a left turn through the train station. I am more than a few minutes late  having allowed my typical Sunday morning lethargy - part relapsed faith, part lingering hangover - to leave me in real danger of arriving late. By the time I finally pull myself off my bed, complete my preparations and grab the number 16 bus to the city centre, it is already 11.10am; meaning Sunday school is over, and the opening hymnal is just about to be sung.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sunday guest... "},{"content":"*Grosspost alert*\nI wake up with a disturbing case of the growlies. Last night I binged on chocolate flavoured milk, an impulse buy as I trawled the aisles at my local Coop shop sorting out my groceries. The thing is lactose intolerance for me is hit and miss. Some days I can ingest a lot of milk and yet not get any serious symptoms. On other days, even a little has my stomach in cramps and me passing gas.\nMy situation is exacerbated by the fact I have a 9.00am meeting to rush to at work. The growlies are definitely more than just a minor inconvenience. The problem though is that it usually is more gas than solids, and with time the gas build up makes my stomach rumble, often quite audibly. When I finally make into at 8.30am, I drop off my bags and head to the restroom to try to get as much of the gas out of my system.\nIt takes me all of six minutes to get some relief. Amidst all the splatter, I find that the chap in the booth next door is also doing the same. Misery has company after all.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/04/08/getting-the-growlies/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e*Grosspost alert*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI wake up with a disturbing case of the growlies. Last night I binged on chocolate flavoured milk, an impulse buy as I trawled the aisles at my local Coop shop sorting out my groceries. The thing is lactose intolerance for me is hit and miss. Some days I can ingest a lot of milk and yet not get any serious symptoms. On other days, even a little has my stomach in cramps and me passing gas.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Getting the growlies.."},{"content":"I wake up to the sounds of a quiet house. It has taken all of twenty four hours but finally my benumbed brain connects to reality. Last night, EJ and I split up officially. It was very amicable - no shouting, no crying, no theatrics - just two adults recognizing that the time to end our tenuous grip on each other and move on had come. It is a strange place to be. We\u0026rsquo;re still friends, we intend to keep the lines of communication open, but our nine months of being official have ended. Now that reality has hit, I feel like a large, gaping hole has been torn in my very existence.\nLife moves on, and we soldier on, but I suspect that life, may just never be the same again\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/04/05/delayed-cognition/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI wake up to the sounds of a quiet house. It has taken all of twenty four hours but finally my benumbed brain connects to reality. Last night, EJ and I split up officially. It was very amicable -  no shouting, no crying, no theatrics -  just two adults recognizing that the time to end our tenuous grip on each other and move on had come. It is a strange place to be. We\u0026rsquo;re still friends, we intend to keep the lines of communication open, but our nine months of being official have  ended. Now that reality has hit, I feel like a large, gaping hole has been torn in my very existence.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Delayed cognition"},{"content":"If there is one thing I have learned from returning to work after a year and a half off studying, it is that there is a very tangible credibility deficit that us early-mid-career professionals have to make up when they switch jobs. I define the early-mid-career phase as that stage of the working life between the five year mark and the ten year mark generally corresponding to the period within which the professional exceeds 10,000 working hours.\n[The 10,000 hour rule is the idea first espoused by K. Anders Ericsson and brought into the popular domain by Malcolm Gladwell in Outliers that it takes about 10,000 hours of practice for an individual to attain expertise in a given field. For an average 40 hour working week, 10,000 hours translates to just over five years; hence my not so arbitrary definition.]\nThe early-mid career professional (an Independent Contributor in the Novations Model) is expected to have attained a sufficient level of competence, demonstrating the ability to utilise theory and practice in resolving day to day work issues with minimal recourse to other \u0026lsquo;advanced experts\u0026rsquo; for direction. In my own case, in addition to the pressures to deliver, there were a couple of blokes on a \u0026rsquo;lower\u0026rsquo; rung who seemed to think they were more deserving of the role I got. This made the unofficial part of my work - providing ongoing mentorship to the younger lads and generally being a technical resource - a wee bit more difficult, as I had to plug the credibility deficit I walked into.\nLooking back, there were two main strikes against me. First, The bulk of my prior experience of learning the trade was earned in Nigeria. Secondly, I opted to go for a more general postgraduate degree (for the breadth of options it would provide) rather than focus on my rather narrow speciality (for which one UK University provides the bulk of graduates). Taken together, these meant that no one in the (particularly) specialised field I work in knew anything about my credentials -and I was effectively an outsider fighting to get my foot in the door. The minor mitigating factor in my favour was I\u0026rsquo;d worked with a relatively big name in the field in Nigeria, which meant my current employer was more willing to take a punt on me and I was able to pull in two very high level references from that organisation. On an ongoing basis though, task by task, I still had to demonstrate that I knew what I was talking about. There were also a few trick questions lobbed in my direction for good measure!\nAs newer people have come in, I have seen the same scenario repeat itself. The same questions - Where has he/she worked before, What University did they attend, Who in the industry knows them personally or professionally - have been asked. It leads me to think that the Independent Contributor in the organisation has a peculiar problem - just enough autonomy to do his work, but little influence to actually enact change.\nIt is only after a year of consistently coming up with the goods after being thrown in several potentially high pressure situations that I am finally getting a sense of grudging acceptance from the lads. I have to admit that the feeling is rewarding.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/04/04/credibility-deficits/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIf there is one thing I have learned from returning to work after a year and a half off studying, it is that there is a very tangible credibility deficit that us early-mid-career professionals have to make up when they switch jobs. I define the early-mid-career phase as that stage of the working life between the five year mark and the ten year mark generally corresponding to the period within which the professional exceeds 10,000 working hours.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Resolving my credibility deficit"},{"content":"Quick reads\u0026hellip;.\nOn-the-job relationships come back into the limelight - one Police Unit seems to have fallen apart over the Team Leader\u0026rsquo;s dalliance with a female team member. On paywalls, one of the more rational arguments I\u0026rsquo;ve read. (HT - The Daily Dish) Artificial leaves currently in development may one day power an entire house by electrolysing water and providing hydrogen for fuel cells. Robotic bird flying becomes a wee bit more realistic. The genetic basis for loving working out. Sounding a note of caution for using GPS-aware apps indiscriminately. Color gets another (light) bashing. Slick sleaze, or ill advised expenditure? A short history of the bomb-zapper that never was. Google aims to turn phones into credit cards. App of the Week? Social Media meets shopping for dresses - an app for your friends to help you select a dress. The boobs have it. Apparently, there is a connection between length of time spent breast feeding and brain size. However there is no guarantee that breast milk is all that, especially when the mother isn\u0026rsquo;t eating well herself after all. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/04/01/web-reads-1april2011/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eQuick reads\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOn-the-job relationships come back into the limelight - \u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/8407024/Senior-commanders-ignored-officers-warnings-about-sergeants-affair-with-colleague.html\"\u003eone Police Unit\u003c/a\u003e seems to have fallen apart over the Team Leader\u0026rsquo;s dalliance with a female team member.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/24/a-note-to-our-readers-on-the-times-pay-model-and-the-economics-of-reporting/\"\u003eOn paywalls\u003c/a\u003e, one of the more rational arguments I\u0026rsquo;ve read. (\u003ca href=\"http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/\"\u003eHT - The Daily Dish\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArtificial leaves currently in development may one day power an entire house by \u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1370839/Scientists-Holy-Grail-science-mastermind-worlds-artificial-leaf.html?ITO=1490\"\u003eelectrolysing water and providing hydrogen for fuel cells.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRobotic bird flying becomes a wee bit \u003ca href=\"http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/nstv/2011/03/robot-bird-soars-through-the-sky.html?DCMP=OTC-rss\u0026amp;nsref=online-news\"\u003emore realistic.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-03-27/exercise-and-genetics-is-the-will-to-workout-hereditary/#\"\u003egenetic basis\u003c/a\u003e for loving working out.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2011/03/gps-check-ins-taking-off.html?DCMP=OTC-rss\u0026amp;nsref=online-news\"\u003eSounding\u003c/a\u003e a note of caution for using GPS-aware apps indiscriminately. \u003ca href=\"http://www.color.com/\"\u003eColor\u003c/a\u003e gets another (light) bashing.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSlick sleaze, or ill advised expenditure? A \u003ca href=\"http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/03/pentagon-still-hearts-its-bogus-bomb-zapper/\"\u003eshort history\u003c/a\u003e of the bomb-zapper that never was.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGoogle aims to turn \u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1371244/Google-plans-payment-turns-smartphones-credit-cards.html?ITO=1490\"\u003ephones into credit cards.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eApp of the Week? Social Media meets  shopping for dresses - an app for your friends to \u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1371636/Tweet-Mirror-captures-look-shop-changing-room-asks-friends-online-feedback.html?ITO=1490\"\u003ehelp you select a dress\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://healthland.time.com/2011/03/30/longer-pregnancy-breast-feeding-bigger-brains-longer-life/\"\u003eThe boobs have it\u003c/a\u003e. Apparently, there is a connection between length of time spent breast feeding and brain size. However there is no \u003ca href=\"http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20110329/twl-french-vegans-in-dock-over-baby-s-de-c0ca4a9.html\"\u003eguarantee that breast milk is all that\u003c/a\u003e, especially when the mother isn\u0026rsquo;t eating well herself after all.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"Web Reads.. 1April2011"},{"content":"Awake into the wee hours of the morning\u0026hellip;. With only The Letter Black for company\u0026hellip; The part where they start off as a Praise and Worship Band in church before morphing into this group still has me scratching my head though. Their official bio\u0026rsquo;s here.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/03/31/on-repeat-the-letter-black/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAwake into the wee hours of the morning\u0026hellip;. With only \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Letter_Black\"\u003eThe Letter Black\u003c/a\u003e for company\u0026hellip; The part where they start off as a Praise and Worship Band in church before morphing into this group still has me scratching my head though. Their official bio\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.theletterblack.com/about/\"\u003ehere.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/-zigHL2kw?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e","title":"On repeat...The Letter Black"},{"content":"Scotland play Brazil down south today. Today\u0026rsquo;s cab driver is a chatty Scotsman merrily drawing puffs from his nicotine inhaler. From the get go it seems like he is in the mood to talk. The bright sunny weather offers him a starting point.\n- Sunny day today, he says when I finally get my seat belt fastened and the journey kicked off. We make small talk about the weather, and how spring seems to have come a little earlier this year. He gently chides me, warning me not to tempt fate by celebrating the weather.\n- It can change any time you know. We just need to enjoy it while it lasts. His comment is delivered with a faint air of brooding, like an indulgent father warning a son to mend his ways after drinking a keg of palm wine, and belching for good measure.\nSilence descends as we meander through the streets - packed with cars during the lunch time rush hour. To break the uncomfortable silence, I ask what his predictions for the Scotland game will be.\n- The lads will get beat, he says. They\u0026rsquo;ve got nae talent, he adds. I ponder his words. The Scottish male national football team has been dire of late. The coach, a certain Craig Levein seems more intent on not losing than winning, nearly coping a 1-1 draw with Lichtenstein who are not exactly known for football.\nOut of the blue, he asks me if I\u0026rsquo;m Nigerian. I reply in the affirmative. There is a certain lustre in his eyes as he proceeds to recount his memories of watching Scotland play Nigeria in a football friendly just before the 2002 World Cup.\n-It was my son\u0026rsquo;s birthday, he says. I took the entire family down to Pittodrie for the game. Great occasion too, he adds. Lots of colour, happy fans, and singing. Oh and Scotland lost the game any way.\nI laugh, uneasily. It is yet another stark reminder of how poor his National football team have been since the halcyon years of successive World Cup qualifications.\nUs Nigerians have always been colorful performers I say. We love to sing and dance.\nHe smiles wistfully. You know even when Nigeria was leading, the fans kept singing a song, \u0026lsquo;All we are saying, give us one goal\u0026rsquo;\nI laugh out loud, its a popular song in Nigeria I say. It\u0026rsquo;s been used in diverse situations from protest marches to football games.\n-Maybe they were protesting, and asking for more goals, he says. We laugh together.\nThe rest of the journey is spent ruminating on how football songs evolve. One more good cab trip I\u0026rsquo;ve made - well worth the 20 pounds I paid I think.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/03/27/cabbie-chats/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eScotland play Brazil down south today. Today\u0026rsquo;s cab driver is a chatty Scotsman merrily drawing puffs from his nicotine inhaler. From the get go it seems like he is in the mood to talk. The bright sunny weather offers him a starting point.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Sunny day today, he says when I finally get my seat belt fastened and the journey kicked off. We make small talk about the weather, and how spring seems to have come a little earlier this year. He gently chides me, warning me not to tempt fate by celebrating the weather.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Cabbie Chats..."},{"content":"Back after missing two weeks.. Blame an ultra packed work programme..So here goes..\nS3\u0026rsquo;s brain-computer implant passes 1000 days in situ. Small steps, but good news none the less. LOL, FYI and OMG make it into the Oxford English Dictionary. Meet the luxury edition iPad2, 24 carat gold, 53 diamonds and T-Rex bone shavings; all for a \u0026lsquo;paltry\u0026rsquo; 5M pounds.. Justin Taylor does an early \u0026lsquo;April Fool\u0026rsquo;s Day ruse about a letter to the Apostle Paul. Buying the right to fight a case for someone else? Goodluck Jonathan leads the latest poll? Interesting stuff in Nigeria.. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/03/25/web-reads-25mar2011/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBack after missing two weeks.. Blame an ultra packed work programme..So here goes..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eS3\u0026rsquo;s brain-computer implant \u003ca href=\"http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2011/03/power-of-thought-neural-implan.html\"\u003epasses 1000 days in situ\u003c/a\u003e. Small steps, but good news none the less.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLOL, FYI and OMG \u003ca href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/2011/mar/25/omg-textspeak-oxford-english-dictionary\"\u003emake it into\u003c/a\u003e the Oxford English Dictionary.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMeet the \u003ca href=\"http://www.techwatch.co.uk/2011/03/24/ipad-2-gold-history-edition-costs-5-million/\"\u003eluxury edition iPad2\u003c/a\u003e, 24 carat gold, 53 diamonds and T-Rex bone shavings; all for a \u0026lsquo;paltry\u0026rsquo; 5M pounds..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJustin Taylor does an early \u0026lsquo;April Fool\u0026rsquo;s Day ruse about a \u003ca href=\"http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2011/03/25/a-recently-discovered-letter-of-critique-written-to-the-apostle-paul/?comments#comments\"\u003eletter\u003c/a\u003e to the Apostle Paul.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/mar/25/widow-pays-take-over-mrsa-compensation-case\"\u003eBuying the right\u003c/a\u003e to fight a case for someone else?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGoodluck Jonathan \u003ca href=\"http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5684977-146/story.csp\"\u003eleads the latest poll\u003c/a\u003e? Interesting stuff in Nigeria..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"Web Reads... 25Mar2011"},{"content":"Following on from the increasingly earlier start to first light, the fading of the rains and a strengthening sun, I had my first day this year of sleeping without heating. Spring truly is here then I guess\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/03/22/turning-point/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFollowing on from the increasingly earlier start to first light, the fading of the rains and a strengthening sun, I had my first day this year of sleeping without heating. Spring truly is here then I guess\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Turning Point.."},{"content":"\nWohooo.. Sunny Days are here again..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/03/21/sunny-days/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"sunshine-days_2\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/sunshine-days_2.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWohooo.. Sunny Days are here again..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sunny Days.."},{"content":"Out of the blue, Lorraine Hansberry\u0026rsquo;s A Raisin in the Sun came to mind this morning. I did a bit of googling and managed to find the full text of the Langston Hughes poem that inspired the title: A Dream Deferred.\nWhat happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore\u0026ndash; And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over\u0026ndash; like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/03/20/a-dream-deferred/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOut of the blue, \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Raisin-Sun-Modern-Library/dp/0679601724\"\u003eLorraine  Hansberry\u0026rsquo;s A Raisin in the Sun\u003c/a\u003e came to mind this morning. I did a bit of googling and managed to find the full text of the \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langston_Hughes\"\u003eLangston Hughes\u003c/a\u003e poem that inspired the title: \u003ca href=\"http://www.cswnet.com/%7Emenamc/langston.htm\"\u003eA Dream Deferred.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat happens to a dream deferred?\nDoes it dry up\nlike a raisin in the sun?\nOr fester like a sore\u0026ndash;\nAnd then run?\nDoes it stink like rotten meat?\nOr crust and sugar over\u0026ndash;\nlike a syrupy sweet?\nMaybe it just sags\nlike a heavy load.\nOr does it explode?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Dream Deferred..."},{"content":"\nI was graciously given the opportunity to share today\u0026rsquo;s entry over at the3Six5 Project. I enjoyed it so much, I might actually try to blog everyday for an entire year!\nThe first few lines:\nMaking it into work on time each week day is a minor optimization problem for which I try to find a solution: maximize sleep and minimize time spent waiting at the bus stop, subject to time of arrival being 8.30am. These last few days, Mother Nature has compounded my little problem by unleashing an unwelcome trio of rain, gale force winds and the occasional fluffs of snow making my waits at the bus stop something I have not particularly looked forward to.\nRead the full thing here.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/03/18/my-3six5/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/the3six5-nb.jpeg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"the3six5-nb\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/the3six5-nb.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI was graciously given the opportunity to share \u003ca href=\"http://the3six5.squarespace.com/the3six5/march-18-2011-nigel-blackman\"\u003etoday\u0026rsquo;s entry\u003c/a\u003e over at \u003ca href=\"https://the3six5.squarespace.com/\"\u003ethe3Six5 Project\u003c/a\u003e. I enjoyed it so much, I might actually try to blog everyday for an entire year!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first few lines:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaking it into work on time each week day is a minor optimization problem for which I try to find a solution: \u003cem\u003emaximize\u003c/em\u003e sleep and \u003cem\u003eminimize\u003c/em\u003e time spent waiting at the bus stop, \u003cem\u003esubject\u003c/em\u003e to time of arrival being 8.30am. These last few days, Mother Nature has compounded my little problem by unleashing an unwelcome trio of rain, gale force winds and the occasional fluffs of snow making my waits at the bus stop something I have not particularly looked forward to.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"My 3Six5"},{"content":"It seems like a bloke is forever bound to trawl life, f aced with conundrums every step of the way - safety versus adventure versus satisfaction\u0026hellip; Sigh\u0026hellip;\nUpdate: Miss Complicated got married last Saturday.. One less conundrum then.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/03/14/re-conundrums/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt seems like a bloke is forever bound to trawl life, f \u003ca href=\"/2009/04/my-very-own-bachelors-conundrum/\"\u003eaced with conundrums\u003c/a\u003e every step of the way - \u003cem\u003esafety\u003c/em\u003e versus \u003cem\u003eadventure\u003c/em\u003e versus \u003cem\u003esatisfaction\u003c/em\u003e\u0026hellip; Sigh\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUpdate: \u003ca href=\"/2009/12/its-complicated/\"\u003eMiss Complicated\u003c/a\u003e got married last Saturday.. One less conundrum then.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Re: Conundrums..."},{"content":"To do a Fernando Torres or not is the million seven thousand dollar question facing me now. The situation can\u0026rsquo;t be more similar - a move across town to the old enemy, at a \u0026lsquo;wrong\u0026rsquo; time, and a few kegs of bad blood spilt on both sides. Sometimes too much choice is bad\u0026hellip;. sigh.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/03/12/decisions-decisions/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTo do a \u003ca href=\"http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/9387938.stm\"\u003eFernando Torres\u003c/a\u003e or not is the million seven thousand dollar question facing me now. The situation can\u0026rsquo;t be more similar - a move across town to the old enemy, at a \u0026lsquo;wrong\u0026rsquo; time, and a few kegs of bad blood spilt on both sides. Sometimes too much choice is bad\u0026hellip;. sigh.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Decisions, Decisions.."},{"content":"For the prompt Secret, at the Writer\u0026rsquo;s Island.. Better late than never.\nWords - More words. Hand motions - Quickening to a blur.\nStraight faces - Eyes fixed forward - Pretending there is calm; While like a seething, shifting mess Pain hides; Behind bitter sweet memories - Filed away, locked deep - In the dank, dark recesses Of a shattered hope.\nThe lord giveth, The lord taketh We like homing pigeons return; To the same shattered places.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/03/12/secret/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor the prompt \u003ca href=\"http://writersisland.wordpress.com/2011/03/05/prompt-10-for-2011-secret/\"\u003eSecret\u003c/a\u003e, at the Writer\u0026rsquo;s Island.. Better late than never.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWords -\nMore words.\nHand motions -\nQuickening to a blur.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStraight faces -\nEyes fixed forward -\n\u003cem\u003ePretending\u003c/em\u003e there is calm;\nWhile like a seething, shifting mess\nPain hides;\nBehind bitter sweet memories -\nFiled away, locked deep -\nIn the dank, dark recesses\nOf a shattered hope.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003elord\u003c/em\u003e giveth, The \u003cem\u003elord\u003c/em\u003e taketh\nWe like homing pigeons return;\nTo the same shattered places.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Secret....."},{"content":"I lug my knapsack, and join the queue at the bus stop. It is one of those really cold days, made worse because the day before was on the other side of warm and I am not properly dressed for the weather - that, and the howling wind. There is a little queue building up - roadworks have meant that the bus is operating a slightly lighter schedule. A man walks up to me wearing a kilt and holding bag pipes. He seems to be in his late thirties or early forties and there is the ubiquitous whiff of alcohol on his breath - and a few weeks old stubble on his chin with a smattering of grey. I increase the volume a little more on my iPod to stave off the inevitable inane banter. He doesn\u0026rsquo;t seem impressed. He shifts from one foot to the other making wheezing noises all the time.\n- Its cold today, he says. I mumble something about it being typical for March.\n- Are you Nigerian? he asks. Yes, I reply - attempting to keep my engagement to an absolute minimum.\n- Aha, he says. You look like a Nigerian.\nI wonder if it is my rather large forehead, or the week old stubble on my chin that convinces him of my \u0026lsquo;Nigerianess\u0026rsquo;.\n- I am Scottish, he continues. Originally from Scotland but my family migrated to Georgia in the 19th century. I mumble something along the lines of how cool it is to be tracing his roots down.\n- I\u0026rsquo;m spending a year out here, travelling in Scotland, learning about my family roots.\nWith the way he brings it up, you would think it is the culmination of his life\u0026rsquo;s essence to rediscover his roots. There is a lull of a couple of minutes where we do not speak, and other fellow commuters cast furtive glances in his direction.\n- What other coloured peoples are there in this city? he asks. I reply that I do not know. I know a few Kenyas, met a couple of Ghanaians a few days back and all I say.\n- Aye, he says. Most of the Nigerians I\u0026rsquo;ve met haven\u0026rsquo;t been very friendly people he adds, right out of the blue but in keeping with the ad-lib nature of our discussion so far.\nMaybe it is the disinterested look I show to this last comment but he quickly adds that I\u0026rsquo;ve been quite engaging. I really am not in the mood to engage a total stranger on the dangers of steretyping, or how I think his attempt to relearn Scottishness is dumb. All I want to do is get home and sleep, a discussion on Scottishness isn\u0026rsquo;t up my alley at that time. 8.30pm on a Friday Night is the wrong time to attempt to strike up a conversation with a bloke who\u0026rsquo;s just left work.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/03/11/reasons-not-to-be-on-bus-16-1-drunk-american-tourists/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI lug my knapsack, and join the queue at the bus stop. It is one of those really cold days, made worse because the day before was on the other side of warm and I am not properly dressed for the weather - that, and the howling wind. There is a little queue building up - roadworks have meant that the bus is operating a slightly lighter schedule. A man walks up to me wearing a kilt and holding bag pipes. He seems to be in his late thirties or early forties and there is the ubiquitous whiff of alcohol on his breath - and a few weeks old stubble on his chin with a smattering of grey. I increase the volume a little more on my iPod to stave off the inevitable inane banter. He doesn\u0026rsquo;t seem impressed. He shifts from one foot to the other making wheezing noises all the time.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Reasons Not To Be On Bus 16: #1 - Drunk American Tourists"},{"content":"On the 4th ring, someone answers the phone. The voice is distant, seemingly attenuated by all the miles of cabling and ether between me and the recipient. There is a certain sleepy quality to the voice too, as though I have woken them up from the depths of an afternoon nap. Its late afternoon in that part of the world, that time of day when the oppressive heat and the lack of activity on a Sunday afternoon combine to lull one into a dreamy haze.\nFather answers the phone. He and I have not exactly seen eye to eye for a few years now. Not since that September morning in 2008 when I packed my bags, quit my job at a Fortune 500 company and headed back to full time studies. Thankfully time\u0026rsquo;s attrition has worn the walls we\u0026rsquo;d built up between ourselves down but the reticence between us is still there - sometimes seething, sometimes manifesting in monosyllabic exchanges that give the lie to our semblance of civil conversation.\nToday is one of those days for the monosyllables. I want it over with as soon as possible.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/03/09/father-issues/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOn the 4th ring, someone answers the phone. The voice is distant, seemingly attenuated by all the miles of cabling and ether between me and the recipient. There is a certain sleepy quality to the voice too, as though I have woken them up from the depths of an afternoon nap. Its late afternoon in that part of the world, that time of day when the oppressive heat and the lack of activity on a Sunday afternoon combine to lull one into a dreamy haze.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Father Issues..."},{"content":"I finally beat my bout of the flu. Two days off work away from the cesspool of infection and re-infection - and a strong smelling concoction served up by my friend O - proved the final sucker punch that knocked out the few remaining colonies of the bug I picked up. I still do not consider myself at 100% fit, but at least it has become possible to settle into a close approximation of my old routines even though a slight headache remains.\nFor lunch today, I meet up with two new friends - A Pakistani Catholic and an Iranian Muslim. We were introduced by a mutual friend at a professional meeting and we got to share and enjoy each other\u0026rsquo;s company. As a concession to our halal eating friend, we have lunch at one of the smaller Pakistani eateries in town. Inevitably our conversation drifts to the recent events in the Arab world which have culminated in a de facto civil war in Libya. Interestingly, their conviction is that the West (quote America and Britain) are somehow complicit in the popular uprisings. I take the position that the uprisings can\u0026rsquo;t have done the West any favours what with changing balances of power and corridors of influence in those countries. The Iranian counters that the West has a history of meddling, and recommends that I seek out Philip Agee\u0026rsquo;s CIA diary as an expose of the capabilities of the CIA. I make a mental note to chase down a copy for my education.\nAn interesting subtext to our discussion is the subject of faith. Our Pakistani friend, like me, has lapsed into a nominal notion of faith and religion - more a cultural marker than a defining idea for life. Our Iranian friend though sees more than a notional value in faith - he argues that morality and faith are inextricably linked and that absolute standards of good and evil under-gird morality. Matters of faith are not high on my agenda just now, but these are matters that I really need to engage over the next few months. After all one needs some form of moral compass I would think.\nMy reading this year is evolving as I go along. I\u0026rsquo;ve finally dived into Teju Cole\u0026rsquo;s Open City and as I expected it has delivered meditative prose much in the vein of his other offering Every day is for the Thief. His attention to little details about the city, and quotidian events which would otherwise escape the average person are qualities that have made me a firm fan of his; disciplines which I am trying to acquire over the course of this year. Two other new books arrived in the two days I was knocked out - both by Dave Eggers - A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and Zeitoun. I can only hope I get the time to read them.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/03/06/beating-the-flu-conversations-over-lunch-and-a-question-of-faith/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI finally beat my bout of the flu. Two days off work away from the cesspool of infection and re-infection - and a strong smelling concoction served up by my friend O - proved the final sucker punch that knocked out the few remaining colonies of the bug I picked up. I still do not consider myself at 100% fit, but at least it has become possible to settle into a close approximation of my old routines even though a slight headache remains.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Beating the flu, conversations over lunch and a question of faith..."},{"content":"Huddled around broken tables in the decrepit drawing office that served as a lecture theatre back in the day, a lesson in thinking on one\u0026rsquo;s feet was forced into our heads. At that time it was impossible to know the importance of that moment, or even remotely suspect that it could be a lifesaver in the distant future. There were no flashing light bulbs, no pressmen, no stenographers capturing the moment, no markers denoting the time and space where a life altering truth was uttered.\nThe occasion was a run of the mill lecture - one of a series on the subject of \u0026rsquo; The Engineer in Society\u0026rsquo;. We were over a hundred and twenty people crammed into a space once meant for less than fifty. There were blokes straining to listen to the lecturer, others perched on window sills discussing the latest Premiership football results.. and of course blokes milking the opportunity of fraternizing with the especially dengeferous Chemical Engineering girls..\nOut of the blue - if my memory serves me right - the Professor, always one for eccentric behaviour, suddenly stopped and asked a question. What is the answer to every question?\nOur very own smarty pants - we called him the prof - rambled on about how there were no absolutes and how everything was relative\u0026hellip;. until the real Professor stopped him..\nThe answer to every question, lads, is it depends he announced. Cue head scratches, confused mumblings and a very visible moment of embarrassment for the lesser prof\u0026hellip; If your interrogator is smart, the Professor continued, he would go on to ask what the answer depended on\u0026hellip;\nToday, seating across the room from the big boss man in the presence of the client I consult for pretend to advise, I got asked a question I was not expecting. Totally flummoxed, I thought about launching into a spiel intended more to confuse than answer the question posed\u0026hellip;. Somehow I remembered the magic answer\u0026hellip; It depends\u0026hellip;.\nThe big boss man cast a wry smile in my direction\u0026hellip;. I wonder if he too had had an inventive Professor back in the day\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/03/02/it-depends/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHuddled around broken tables in the decrepit drawing office that served as a lecture theatre back in the day, a lesson in thinking on one\u0026rsquo;s feet was forced into our heads. At that time it was impossible to know the importance of that moment, or even remotely suspect that it could be a lifesaver in the distant future. There were no flashing light bulbs, no pressmen, no stenographers capturing the moment, no markers denoting the time and space where a life altering truth was uttered.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"It depends..."},{"content":"One of those so apt songs that leave one kinda depressed\u0026hellip;.. Sigh..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/03/01/on-repeat-long-distance/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOne of those so apt songs that leave one \u003cem\u003ekinda\u003c/em\u003e depressed\u0026hellip;.. Sigh..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/YDp1dpuwCkY?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e","title":"On Repeat: Long Distance.."},{"content":"My head hurts\u0026hellip; The unwanted gift of a hammering headache, a running nose, a sore throat and a rasping cough have laid into me - unintended consequences of open plan offices, shared spaces and recycled air laden with seasonal bugs. We have been pressed into the service of our very own macabre orchestra - our wheezing, sneezing and coughing all coming together in a bug fest.. I really wish I could call in sick tomorrow.. Sigh..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/03/01/bug-fest/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMy head hurts\u0026hellip; The unwanted gift of a hammering headache, a running nose, a sore throat and a rasping cough have laid into me - unintended consequences of open plan offices, shared spaces and recycled air laden with seasonal bugs. We have been pressed into the service of our very own macabre orchestra - our wheezing, sneezing and coughing all coming together in a bug fest.. I really wish I could call in sick tomorrow.. Sigh..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bug Fest.."},{"content":" The Queen advertises for a dish washer to come on staff\u0026hellip; My local MSP wonders if they\u0026rsquo;ve not heard of a dish washing machine. The WHO drills down into the alcohol stats.. Apparently alcohol killed more people than AIDS or TB in 2010.. Sobering.. Understanding the story.. Thirteen perspectives\u0026hellip;. Brain chemicals and dating.. A primer. Teju Cole\u0026rsquo;s \u0026lsquo;Open City\u0026rsquo; hits the shelves\u0026hellip; The New Yorker, The Daily Beast and The Apostrophe weigh in with reviews. The kid named Facebook..Ostensibly its a testament to the impact FB had on the Egypt Revolution.. Hopefully, the kid doesn\u0026rsquo;t get a lot of stick for the name though.. There\u0026rsquo;s an app for that\u0026hellip; Tracking relationship changes on Facebook gets the Web2.0 makeover\u0026hellip;.. SMH.. Web mourning? Help for the blokes - wristbands that warn of potentially PMSing partners. Bringing faiths together by cuisine.. The Faith and The Hot Dog show.. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/02/25/web-reads-27feb2011/","summary":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Queen advertises for a dish washer to come on staff\u0026hellip; My \u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/theroyalfamily/8336901/Queen-advertises-for-Royal-dish-washer.html\"\u003elocal MSP wonders if they\u0026rsquo;ve not heard\u003c/a\u003e of a dish washing machine.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/publications/global_alcohol_report/en/index.html\"\u003eWHO drills down\u003c/a\u003e into the alcohol stats.. Apparently \u003ca href=\"http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/02/daily_chart_global_alcohol_consumption\"\u003ealcohol killed more people than AIDS or TB in 2010\u003c/a\u003e.. Sobering..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUnderstanding the story.. \u003ca href=\"http://lateralaction.com/articles/story/?utm_source=feedburner\u0026amp;utm_medium=feed\u0026amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LateralAction+%28Lateral+Action%29\"\u003eThirteen perspectives\u0026hellip;.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrain chemicals and dating.. \u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1358941/Sexual-chemistry-How-brain-chemicals-divide-personality-groups-key-finding-perfect-love-.html?ITO=1490\"\u003eA primer\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Open-City-Novel-Teju-Cole/dp/1400068096\"\u003eTeju Cole\u0026rsquo;s \u0026lsquo;Open City\u0026rsquo;\u003c/a\u003e hits the shelves\u0026hellip; \u003ca href=\"http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2011/02/28/110228crbo_books_wood?currentPage=all\"\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c/a\u003e,  \u003ca href=\"http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-02-07/open-city-by-teju-cole-review/\"\u003eThe Daily Beast\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"http://www.ameliaatlas.com/?p=413\"\u003eThe Apostrophe\u003c/a\u003e weigh in with reviews.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/19/facebook-egypt-newborn/\"\u003ekid named Facebook\u003c/a\u003e..Ostensibly its a testament to the impact FB had on the Egypt Revolution.. Hopefully, the kid doesn\u0026rsquo;t get a lot of stick for the name though..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThere\u0026rsquo;s an app for that\u0026hellip; \u003ca href=\"http://edition.cnn.com/2011/TECH/social.media/02/21/facebook.relationship.status/index.html?hpt=T2\"\u003eTracking relationship changes on Facebook gets the Web2.0 makeover\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip;.. SMH..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1359754/The-rise-web-mourner-Funerals-broadcast-internet.html?ITO=1490\"\u003eWeb mourning?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHelp for the blokes - \u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1359734/Time-month-warning-wristband-tells-men-wives-PMT.html?ITO=1490\"\u003ewristbands that warn of potentially PMSing partners.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBringing faiths together by cuisine.. \u003ca href=\"http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/23/pastor-pitches-reality-show-about-dinner/\"\u003eThe Faith and The Hot Dog show..\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"Web Reads... 27Feb2011"},{"content":"Sleep and I have never been the best of friends. As far down the labyrinths of memories that I can navigate I find that I have always been an early sleeper, prone to be awakened by the lightest of commotions. Perhaps it is me clutching at omens - seeking to find solace in unrelated events - but days when I have awakened early with full control of my senses something momentous has happened.\nThe morning before I face the latest interview panel, I wake up at 2am. It is one of those nights when sleep seems to depart early, and all I have left to do is count sheep, twist and turn, and hope that dawn brings respite from the feeling of general malaise. As a consequence, I am not exactly in the best of moods when the interview starts. The interviewer also does a great job of getting under my skin, and I field a few gaffes. I can sense control slipping from my hands on this occasion. The back story is that I don\u0026rsquo;t think I like the role on offer, nor the people who I would report to directly. I\u0026rsquo;m just not feeling it\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/02/24/not-feeling-it/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSleep and I have never been the best of friends. As far down the labyrinths of memories that I can navigate I find that I have always been an early sleeper, prone to be awakened by the lightest of commotions. Perhaps it is me clutching at omens - seeking to find solace in unrelated events - but days when I have awakened early with full control of my senses something momentous has happened.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Not feeling it..."},{"content":"\nI am waiting for the bus to work when I see a four-wheel drive approach. Two men jump out and proceed to hand out invites of some sort. When I finally get mine, its for a seeker focused meeting at the Church opposite the road from the bus stop. In another place, these men would be armed with portable microphones, blaring out the Gospel.. Interestingly, what I remember is the white-clothed variant\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/02/23/sidewalk-preacher/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"preacher2\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/preacher2.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI am waiting for the bus to work when I see a four-wheel drive approach. Two men jump out and proceed to hand out invites of some sort. When I finally get mine, its for a seeker focused meeting at the Church opposite the road from the bus stop. In another place, these men would be armed with portable microphones, blaring out the Gospel.. Interestingly, what I remember is the \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aladura\"\u003ewhite-clothed variant\u0026hellip;.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sidewalk Preacher.."},{"content":"\nThe size of the reading list for 2011 is threatening to spiral out of control. And I am adding more to the list\u0026hellip; Added two new books to the list - Paulo Coelho\u0026rsquo;s The Alchemist and Teju Cole\u0026rsquo;s Open City. That brings to five the books on the list.. Sigh..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/02/21/piling-up-the-books/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"books1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/books1.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe size of the reading list for 2011 is threatening to spiral out of control. And I am adding more to the list\u0026hellip; Added two new books to the list - Paulo Coelho\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Alchemist-Paulo-Coelho/dp/0061122416/ref%3Dsr_1_1?s=books\u0026amp;ie=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1298232373\u0026amp;sr=1-1\"\u003eThe Alchemist\u003c/a\u003e and Teju Cole\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Open-City-Novel-Teju-Cole/dp/1400068096/ref%3Dsr_1_1?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1298232345\u0026amp;sr=8-1\"\u003eOpen City\u003c/a\u003e. That brings to five the books on the list.. Sigh..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Piling up the Books.."},{"content":"Hilarious video\u0026hellip;. Littered with double meanings\u0026hellip; Totally loved it..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/02/20/blackberries-quite-literarily/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHilarious video\u0026hellip;. Littered with double meanings\u0026hellip; Totally loved it..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/kAG39jKi0lI?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e","title":"Blackberries.. Quite Literarily... "},{"content":"Sometimes simple things can break you. Benign things repeated time and time again can finally reach a threshold that leaves a scar - scratch marks burned on the wall of ones consciousness like ravines gouged out of hard rock by the persistence of a swollen river. It is not an inherent danger of the act, but its repetition that finally wears one out.\nI have been carrying a beeping device around. Every thirty minutes a faint beep sounds - a precursor to the inflation of a cuff around my arm - and then I must stretch my hand out for one more data point to be acquired. At first it was novelty and I tried to anticipate when the next beep might sound. But with each beep and straightening of the arm,a certain weariness descends. I want out of the control the little device has over me. Sadly, the only choice I had was in accepting..The consequence was chosen for me at the same time.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/02/20/simple-things/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSometimes simple things can break you. Benign things repeated time and time again can finally reach a threshold that leaves a scar - scratch marks burned on the wall of ones consciousness like ravines gouged out of hard rock by the persistence of a swollen river. It is not an inherent danger of the act, but its repetition that finally wears one out.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have been carrying a beeping device around. Every thirty minutes a faint beep sounds - a precursor to the inflation of a cuff around my arm - and then I must stretch my hand out for one more data point to be acquired. At first it was novelty and I tried to anticipate when the next beep might sound. But with each beep and straightening of the arm,a certain weariness descends. I want out of the control the little device has over me. Sadly, the only choice I had was in accepting..The consequence was chosen for me at the same time.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Simple Things..."},{"content":" \u0026lsquo;Spiritual\u0026rsquo; love goes social\u0026hellip; The story of Vicars connected by a witty comment on Facebook A soup ladle turns out to be a life saver in more ways than one.. Meet the bloke saved from a tiger by his wife\u0026rsquo;s soup ladle \u0026lsquo;Life is short, have an affair?\u0026rsquo;\u0026hellip; Al Mohler muses on the Ashley Madison business model.. GABA receptors may be the reason for anxiety around that \u0026rsquo;time of the month\u0026rsquo; for the lasses.. The \u0026rsquo;thief\u0026rsquo; who sued the bloke he tried to steal from - and got 13k pounds.. A not so short history of Aji-no-moto.. And the scare scaremongering around MSG. Man vs Machine.. 1-0 to the machines on Jeopardy.. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/02/18/web-reads-18feb2011/","summary":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026lsquo;Spiritual\u0026rsquo; love goes social\u0026hellip; The \u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/8320628/Facebook-is-heavenly-for-fashionable-vicars.html\"\u003estory of Vicars connected by a witty comment on Facebook\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA soup ladle turns out to be a life saver in more ways than one.. Meet the \u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1356762/Woman-saves-husband-tiger-beating-ladle-Malaysian-jungle.html?ito=feeds-newsxml\"\u003ebloke saved from a tiger by his wife\u0026rsquo;s soup ladle\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026lsquo;Life is short, have an affair?\u0026rsquo;\u0026hellip; Al Mohler \u003ca href=\"http://www.albertmohler.com/2011/02/14/adultery-incorporated-the-infidelity-industry/\"\u003emuses on the Ashley  Madison business model..\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGABA receptors may be \u003ca href=\"http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20122-why-women-get-anxious-at-that-time-of-the-month.html\"\u003ethe reason for anxiety around that \u0026rsquo;time of the month\u0026rsquo;\u003c/a\u003e for the lasses..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8325059/Boss-forced-to-pay-13k-to-compensate-stealing-employee.html\"\u003e\u0026rsquo;thief\u0026rsquo; who sued the bloke he tried to steal from - and got 13k pounds..\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA \u003ca href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2005/jul/10/foodanddrink.features3\"\u003enot so short history of Aji-no-moto.. And the scare scaremongering around MSG\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMan vs Machine.. \u003ca href=\"http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-02-human-jeopardy-champs.html\"\u003e1-0 to the machines on Jeopardy\u003c/a\u003e..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"Web Reads.. 18Feb2011"},{"content":"I finally drag myself out of bed at the third time of asking. It is shaping up to be one of those days; one when an ultra short to-do list will manage to get the better of me. Something about the lack of urgency spawned by a short to-do list has always been my besetting \u0026lsquo;sin\u0026rsquo;. Today, there is one thing that must needs be done - I\u0026rsquo;m off to the GP\u0026rsquo;s to have a 24 hour blood pressure monitoring device fitted.\nI have always detested hospitals, and clinics, and GP offices and every other place medicines are dispensed. My earliest memories of such spaces - not by any means happy ones - are inextricably bound up in the smell of folic acid, injections of chloroquine and the inevitable bout of manic itches that bookended my almost constant dalliance with malaria.\nHaving gotten myself out of bed, dispensed with my ablutions, and thrown on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, I call the cab company and prepare to head out to the GPs.\nToday\u0026rsquo;s cabbie is not very chatty. I wonder if its first job for the day, or if he finds hospitals as depressing as I find them, or if his wife said some very hurtful words to him as he headed out for work, or\u0026hellip; if he is just a mean chap.\n- KR medical\nThe words tumble out, dragged out by his stern stare which jolts me out of my reverie and reminds me I haven\u0026rsquo;t stated my destination. The dispatcher at the cab company would have mentioned a destination but sometimes the cabbies insist that one states his destination - again.\nThe Admin Nurse looks Chinese - make that Korean or Nepalese or Taiwanese or any other Asian nationality in fact. They all blend into a category of faces I have never being able to deconstruct. Much the same way as they would be unable to make out the subtle differences of facial morphology that make one black face distinct from the other. I pick a tag, shuffle to my seat and await the calling of my name.\nThe specialist nurse calls out my name. Lost in the world of my music, I fail to hear it the first time. The second time with a slightly raised voice she repeats the call. This time I hear it, and I walk towards the door marked \u0026lsquo;Nurse\u0026rsquo;.\n- This will be quick she says. This goes on your belt clip, this goes around your arm, I\u0026rsquo;ll thread this through your sleeve, around your neck, down the front of your shirt and click the recorder in place. You\u0026rsquo;ll hear a beep every thirty minutes. That will be your clue to straighten your arm whilst the cuff contracts.\nI nod my understanding as she completes the process of wiring me up.\n- Too tight? Or just right she asks. - Just right I reply. - That\u0026rsquo;s you sorted then. I\u0026rsquo;ll see you tomorrow same time to retrieve the data. Okay`?\nI nod my acquiescence. That took all of fifteen minutes. What to do with myself for the rest of the day is the big question.. It is only 9.30am\u0026hellip; Sigh.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/02/16/bleh/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI finally drag myself out of bed at the third time of asking. It is shaping up to be one of those days; one when an ultra short to-do list will manage to get the better of me. Something about the lack of urgency spawned by a short to-do list has always been my besetting \u0026lsquo;sin\u0026rsquo;. Today, there is one thing that must needs be done - I\u0026rsquo;m off to the GP\u0026rsquo;s to have a 24 hour blood pressure monitoring device fitted.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bleh...."},{"content":"If clocking in at 9am is the final act that seals my very own Faustian exchange, 3.00pm heralds the first faint sniffs of a coming salvation.\nEach day, a Bloke must lay the gifts of his time and skill on the altar of Mammon slaving away to earn his sustenance. Cups of coffee, endless trips to the loo, inane spreadsheets, chats with the intern and the occasional hard shift are all tools in the Bloke\u0026rsquo;s arsenal as he strives to make time pass quickly to justify the day\u0026rsquo;s pay. If the Bloke is lucky, make that uncommonly lucky, he finds his daily grind slightly more than remotely interesting. If he is like the rest of us, sometimes work is a long drawn out struggle with boredom.\nAfter a break for coffees at 10.00am and lunch at 12.00 noon, I find that 2.00pm can often seem like the low point of the day. The conjoint action of a rush of blood to the stomach - especially if a heavy lunch was involved - and the usually mind numbing meetings with clients typically leave me struggling to stay attentive. Enter 3.00pm, an unlikely hero to the rescue. Maybe it is the fact that just after 3.00pm freedom from the drudgery of work suddenly seems a less elusive proposition, or that other blokes are more likely to stand around and chat, or that we as a collective subconsciously switch into coasting down mode. Day after day I have sensed a lift in my spirits and attention levels as the clock has chimed 3.00pm. Bar 5.00pm then, 3.00pm is my favourite time of the working day\u0026hellip;\nI wonder if the 3.00pm thing is a me-only thing?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/02/16/in-praise-of-3-00pm/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIf clocking in at 9am is the final act that seals my very own \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faust\"\u003eFaustian\u003c/a\u003e exchange, 3.00pm heralds the first faint sniffs of a coming salvation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach day, a Bloke must lay the gifts of his time and skill on the altar of Mammon slaving away to earn his sustenance. \u003ca href=\"/2010/04/the-idiots-guide-to-looking-busy/\"\u003eCups of coffee, endless trips to the loo, inane spreadsheets, chats with the intern and the occasional hard shift\u003c/a\u003e are all tools in the Bloke\u0026rsquo;s arsenal as he strives to make time pass quickly to justify the day\u0026rsquo;s pay. If the Bloke is lucky, \u003cem\u003emake that uncommonly lucky,\u003c/em\u003e he finds his daily grind slightly more than remotely interesting. If he is like the rest of us, sometimes work is a long drawn out struggle with boredom.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"In praise of 3.00pm...."},{"content":"The discontent is almost palpable. There is that sense of wanting more that seems to leave those it has infected disaffected with the status quo. Rumour has it that a number of senior company people are lining up moves elsewhere for themselves. It hasn\u0026rsquo;t helped that there is some uncertainty over what the long term company strategy is. A number of key company cash cows projects appear to be slipping and just what will happen to the personnel currently servicing them is unclear. People huddle in twos and three talking in hushed tones - tones that suddenly fade to an uncomfortable silence when someone outside the huddle approaches within hearing distance.\nIt is looking increasingly likely that I might just join the bandwagon and actively commence seeking a move elsewhere. Now may be the time to call on the old boys network\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/02/15/seasons-of-discontent/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe discontent is almost palpable. There is that sense of wanting more that seems to leave those it has infected disaffected with the \u003cem\u003estatus quo\u003c/em\u003e.  Rumour has it that a number of senior company people are lining up moves elsewhere for themselves. It hasn\u0026rsquo;t helped that there is some uncertainty over what the long term company strategy is. A number of key company cash cows projects appear to be slipping and just what will happen to the personnel currently servicing them is unclear. People huddle in twos and three talking in hushed tones - tones that suddenly fade to an uncomfortable silence when someone outside the huddle approaches within hearing distance.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Seasons of Discontent.."},{"content":"\nI finally went on that road trip. I packed my bags, booked my flights and went on a jaunt to America. America for me was two cities - a flying stop in Chicago and a couple of weeks spent vegetating in Houston. The America I saw was a welcome relief from the biting cold that was my home city; 17 degree temperatures were Lagos-esque when juxtaposed with the near Arctic conditions I had fled from.\nPassing through immigration at O\u0026rsquo;Hare was an interesting experience. I had the misfortune of having a Latino officer check my passport. Travelling on my Nigerian passport from Heathrow, with a female as my host seemed to have set off a few bells in his head. First off he wanted to know what I did in London; and having shared that he asked if my host was my only girlfriend. Short story was he was convinced that I had multiple girlfriends, and Houston for me was one more pit stop on the FWB circuit. O\u0026rsquo;Hare was merely the book mark for the first 13 hours of flying and waiting for connections; and hunger made its presence very keenly felt. Thankfully, my Visa card was able to acquire a coke and a chicken/bacon/something else I don\u0026rsquo;t know baguette. Both items were extra size and that was my first real shock - the large-by-default servings of junk food.\nHouston was fun - warm, friends to visit, food and loads of free time to chill. Fortuitously, I was able to take a look at the Ife exhibition. The only blip was some sad news of job losses amongst my close friends.\nAll in all, it was a good 2 weeks, tempered only by the spectre of a return to the drudgery of work and a mild sense of loss. If I had a wish to allow myself be beguiled by America, Houston would be the perfect bait.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/02/13/recapping-the-road-trip/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/houston1.png\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"houston1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/houston1.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI finally went on \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/01/06/on-turning-thirty/\"\u003ethat road trip\u003c/a\u003e. I packed my bags, booked my flights and went on a jaunt to America. America for me was two cities - a flying stop in Chicago and a couple of weeks spent vegetating in Houston. The America I saw was a welcome relief from the biting cold that was my home city; 17 degree temperatures were Lagos-esque when juxtaposed with the near Arctic conditions I had fled from.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Recapping the road trip.."},{"content":" Personality tests go a notch up - this site offers personality tests based on your blog. Automating war? Danger room reports that one in fifty \u0026lsquo;combatants\u0026rsquo; in Afghanistan is a robot. The key to snagging the dream girl appears to be acting uninterested. @JangleLegJones thinks differently, sadly I couldn\u0026rsquo;t convince her to write a 4000 word essay deconstructing the research. Tim Challies offers the chance to pre-order his new book, and get a signed copy. Apparently, even sex is a matter for IQ these day s.. Sigh.. There\u0026rsquo;s an app for that. Confessionals go electronic. Sleepwalking may be in the DNA after all. A kiss too far? Much ado about farting Potentially crappy valentine weekend coming up? Try these books to get you laid.. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/02/11/web-reads-11feb11/","summary":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePersonality tests go a notch up - this \u003ca href=\"http://www.typealyzer.com/\"\u003esite offers personality tests based on your blog\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAutomating war? Danger room reports that \u003ca href=\"http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/02/1-in-50-troops-robots/\"\u003eone in fifty \u0026lsquo;combatants\u0026rsquo; in Afghanistan is a robot.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe key to snagging the dream girl appears to be \u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1354817/Playing-hard--Men-feelings-wraps-attractive.html?ITO=1490\"\u003eacting uninterested\u003c/a\u003e. \u003ca href=\"http://twitter.com/#%21/JangleLegJones\"\u003e@JangleLegJones\u003c/a\u003e thinks differently, sadly I couldn\u0026rsquo;t convince her to write a 4000 word essay deconstructing the research.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTim Challies offers the chance to \u003ca href=\"http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/challies/XhEt/%7E3/4fV22C6rPe8/pre-order-the-next-story\"\u003epre-order his new book\u003c/a\u003e, and get a signed copy.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eApparently, \u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/8301100/Court-bans-man-with-low-IQ-from-having-sex.html\"\u003eeven sex is a matter for IQ these day\u003c/a\u003e s.. Sigh..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThere\u0026rsquo;s an app for that. \u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1354872/iPhone-confession-app-Catholics-gets-bishops-blessing.html?ITO=1490\"\u003eConfessionals go electronic.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSleepwalking \u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/8310271/Sleepwalking-is-in-sufferers-DNA-scientists-claim.html\"\u003emay be in the DNA\u003c/a\u003e after all.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA \u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8315618/Teenage-girl-collapses-and-dies-after-first-kiss.html\"\u003ekiss too far?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMuch \u003ca href=\"http://feeds.guardian.co.uk/~r/theguardian/commentisfree/rss/~3/rJaZIhGERgQ/in-praise-of-farting\"\u003eado about farting\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePotentially crappy valentine weekend coming up? Try \u003ca href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2011/feb/11/literature-to-help-you-get-laid\"\u003ethese books to get you laid..\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"Web Reads... 11Feb11"},{"content":" Steve shares his learnings so far - 30 days after quitting Facebook The Christian Illuminati? Or Just a well connected crew? More questions than answers in this teaser... Large-proofing emergency services - counting the costs. The Jerusalem UFO, or a drone? Becoming invisible? Wack or what? The bloke who added his wife to a terrorist watch list to prevent her flying back home. \u0026lsquo;Spray-on skin\u0026rsquo; for burn victims. This brings a whole new meaning to the storm in a tea-cup idiom. Storm in a bed sheet? Mubarak\u0026rsquo;s cronies launch a cyber counter-insurgency\u0026hellip; Mosquitoes evolved? ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/02/05/webreads-04feb2011/","summary":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSteve \u003ca href=\"http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2011/02/30-day-facebook-fast/\"\u003eshares his learnings so far\u003c/a\u003e - 30 days after quitting Facebook\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Christian \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminati\"\u003eIlluminati\u003c/a\u003e? Or Just a well connected crew? More questions than answers in this \u003ca href=\"http://feeds.guardian.co.uk/%7Er/theguardian/commentisfree/rss/%7E3/JxO6R21ek3I/secretive-christian-group-church-state\"\u003eteaser..\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/feb/03/ambulance-services-adapt-larger-patients\"\u003eLarge-proofing emergency services\u003c/a\u003e - counting the costs.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Jerusalem \u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1353047/UFOs-Shining-white-ball-spotted-Jerusalem-shrine.html?ITO=1490\"\u003eUFO\u003c/a\u003e, or a drone?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBecoming \u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1352769/Scientists-make-invisibility-cloak-hides-objects.html?ITO=1490\"\u003einvisible\u003c/a\u003e?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWack or what? The bloke who \u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1351937/Immigration-officer-fired-putting-wife-list-terrorists-stop-flying-home.html\"\u003eadded his wife to a terrorist watch list\u003c/a\u003e to prevent her flying back home.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8302720/Spray-on-skin-developed-for-burns-victims.html\"\u003e\u0026lsquo;Spray-on skin\u0026rsquo;\u003c/a\u003e for burn victims.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23920552-speakers-wife-sally-bercow-furore-over-my-picture-is-storm-in-a-bedsheet.do\"\u003eThis\u003c/a\u003e brings a whole new meaning to the storm in a tea-cup idiom. Storm in a bed sheet?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMubarak\u0026rsquo;s cronies \u003ca href=\"http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/02/trolls-pounce-on-facebooks-tahrir-square/\"\u003elaunch a cyber counter-insurgency\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1353569/New-mosquito-evades-malaria-control-measures-impossible-kill-off.html?ITO=1490\"\u003eMosquitoes evolved?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"WebReads.. 04Feb2011"},{"content":"I suspect that the truest measure of how sensibly one has aged is how well one is able to take a long hard look at choices - and their potential long term effects - before acting. Time, that most elusive of customers, respects no one. From the day that we are born, our share - ladled without so much as an explanation lobbed in our direction - ineluctably runs out like sand in an hour glass. Each passing second once spent is lost, left to float in the seething morass that is the conflation of opportunities missed, acts of omission and of omission and perhaps on the odd occasion windows of opportunity fully utilised.\nIt feels like 2008 again in my head\u0026hellip; There is that feeling of restiveness - the source of which I cannot lay my finger on. A niggling feeling seemingly urging the need to ring the massive changes. The last time I felt this way, I quit my job and went back to full time studies\u0026hellip; This time there is nothing that radical to do.. That is a wee bit worrying..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/02/03/2008-again/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI suspect that the truest measure of how sensibly one has aged is how well one is able to take a long hard look at choices -  and their potential long term effects  - before acting. Time, that most elusive of customers, respects no one. From the day that we are born, our share - ladled without so much as an explanation lobbed in our direction - ineluctably runs out like sand in an hour glass. Each passing second once spent is lost, left to float in the seething morass that is  the conflation of opportunities missed, acts of omission and of omission and perhaps on the odd occasion windows of opportunity fully utilised.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2008....  Again.."},{"content":"Book number two is Lola Shoneyin\u0026rsquo;s The Secret Lives of Baba Segi\u0026rsquo;s Wives. This was one of the books I\u0026rsquo;ve actually tried to buy off Amazon and failed - twice (the other one being Teju Cole\u0026rsquo;s Everyday is for the Thief). I thoroughly enjoyed this one - maybe because Baba Segi used to be a moniker I was known by. My summary:\nShoneyin takes polygamous life - the rivalry, the struggle for the bread winner\u0026rsquo;s attention, the gumption that ensures survival - and condenses it into a compelling narrative. The genius of it all is that is completely believable.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/02/02/2-the-secret-lives-of-baba-segis-wives/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBook number two is Lola Shoneyin\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Lives-Baba-Segis-Wives/dp/1846687489\"\u003eThe Secret Lives of Baba Segi\u0026rsquo;s Wives\u003c/a\u003e. This was one of the books I\u0026rsquo;ve actually tried to buy off Amazon and failed - twice (the other one being Teju Cole\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Every-Day-Thief-Teju-Cole/dp/978080515X\"\u003eEveryday is for the Thief\u003c/a\u003e). I thoroughly enjoyed this one - maybe because  \u003cem\u003eBaba Segi\u003c/em\u003e used to be a moniker I was known by. My summary:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://twitter.com/#!/lolashoneyin\"\u003eShoneyin\u003c/a\u003e takes polygamous life - the rivalry, the struggle for the bread winner\u0026rsquo;s attention, the gumption that ensures survival - and condenses it into a compelling narrative. The genius of it all is that is completely believable.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#2- The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives.."},{"content":"The last few weeks here have looked and felt like life on slow play. Days blending into weeks, weeks somehow adding up to January ending. Slow-ville \u0026hellip; Yawn..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/02/02/slow-ville/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe last few weeks here have looked and felt like life on slow play. Days blending into weeks, weeks somehow adding up to January ending. Slow-ville \u0026hellip; Yawn..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Slow-ville...."},{"content":"I finally finished Howard Jacobsen’s 2010 Man Booker Prize winning offering \u0026ldquo;The Finkler question\u0026rdquo; – if plodding through the equivalent of 320 pages on a mobile device can count as reading. The ubiquity of kindle apps for almost every connected device under the sun – and Amazon’s penchant for adding tons of cardboard to shipped books - made me try the iPad + Kindle app combo for reading books this year.\nIn the main, reviews of the book were great - The Guardian , The Independent and The Telegraph all had high praise for the book. Although there were quite a few note worthy constructs sequestered within the text, I did however find reading it a wee bit tiring. What the book did well though, was to endlessly waffle on about the subject of being\u0026hellip;\nMy take? As an inquiry into the subject of being, it was excellent. As fiction, it was mind numbingly boring.. Nonetheless, it is one of those I intend to read again\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/01/31/books-the-finkler-question/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI finally finished Howard Jacobsen’s \u003ca href=\"http://www.themanbookerprize.com/news/stories/1459\"\u003e2010 Man Booker Prize winning\u003c/a\u003e offering \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Finkler-Question-Howard-Jacobson/dp/1408808870/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1296321249\u0026amp;sr=8-1\"\u003e\u0026ldquo;The Finkler question\u0026rdquo;\u003c/a\u003e – if plodding through the equivalent of 320 pages on a mobile device can count as reading. The ubiquity of kindle apps for almost every connected device under the sun – and Amazon’s penchant for adding tons of cardboard to shipped books  - made me try the iPad + Kindle app combo for reading books this year.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the main, reviews of the book were great  - \u003ca href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/aug/15/finkler-question-howard-jacobson\"\u003eThe Guardian\u003c/a\u003e , \u003ca href=\"http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/the-finkler-question-by-howard-jacobson-2037676.html\"\u003eThe Independent\u003c/a\u003e and  \u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/7906917/The-Finkler-Question-by-Howard-Jacobson-review.html\"\u003eThe Telegraph\u003c/a\u003e all had high praise for the book. Although there were quite a few note worthy constructs sequestered within the text, I did however find reading it a \u003cem\u003ewee\u003c/em\u003e bit tiring. What the book did well though, was to endlessly waffle on about the subject of being\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Books: The Finkler Question"},{"content":"ISAs, Fixed deposits, Savings Plus, Pension plans, and playing the stock market\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; Money on my mind and that not in a good way\u0026hellip; If only I could win the lottery\u0026hellip; Sigh.. :(\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/01/28/money-matters-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eISAs, Fixed deposits, Savings Plus, Pension plans, and playing the stock market\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; Money on my mind and that not in a good way\u0026hellip; If only I could win the lottery\u0026hellip; Sigh.. :(\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Money matters..."},{"content":" Genetically engineering plants to spot bombs may be the future of counter terrorism.. LED teeth may be the new cool.. If only in Japan.. Want to make the transition from talk to bed? Social media might be it after all. So much for Gladwell\u0026rsquo;s \u0026lsquo;diss\u0026rsquo; of social media. Apparently brain scans can identify a predisposition to transexuality.. His Grace - Archbishop Crammer - weighs in on the lack of political voices speaking up on the abortion debate. Tyler Blanski encourages us to re-think sex One bloke got busted for importing cockroaches\u0026hellip; HT @relevantmag ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/01/28/webreads-28jan/","summary":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/01/grow-your-own-bomb-detector/\"\u003eGenetically engineering plants to spot bombs\u003c/a\u003e may be the future of counter terrorism..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLED teeth may be the new cool.. \u003ca href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jan/25/smile-led-teeth\"\u003eIf only in Japan..\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWant to make the transition from talk to bed? \u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1350646/Survey-social-networking-leads-sex-faster.html?ITO=1490\"\u003eSocial media might be it after all\u003c/a\u003e. So much for \u003ca href=\"http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/10/04/101004fa_fact_gladwell\"\u003eGladwell\u0026rsquo;s \u0026lsquo;diss\u0026rsquo; of social media.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eApparently \u003ca href=\"http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20032-transsexual-differences-caught-on-brain-scan.html?DCMP=OTC-rss\u0026amp;nsref=online-news\"\u003ebrain scans can identify a predisposition to transexuality\u003c/a\u003e..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHis Grace - Archbishop Crammer - \u003ca href=\"http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.com/2011/01/nadine-dorries-churches-are-pathetic.html\"\u003eweighs in on the lack of political voices speaking up on the abortion debate.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTyler Blanski \u003ca href=\"http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/25/my-take-how-christians-should-rethink-sex/\"\u003eencourages us to re-think sex\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOne bloke got busted for \u003ca href=\"http://www.wftv.com/news/26641743/detail.html\"\u003eimporting cockroaches\u0026hellip;\u003c/a\u003e HT \u003ca href=\"http://twitter.com/relevantmag\"\u003e@relevantmag\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"WebReads... 28Jan"},{"content":"It has been aeons since I was tagged. Apparently Esco thinks we are stylish and versatile as does Jaycee\u0026hellip; Versatile? Maybe.. Stylish? Definitely not.. Just ask the girlfriend\u0026hellip; So here goes\u0026hellip;\nMy wardrobe is composed entirely of blacks, greys and whites - except for two shirts that were imposed on me in January by you know who\u0026hellip; I am an Adult Child of Practising Preachers - I\u0026rsquo;m not quite the quintessential preacher\u0026rsquo;s kid although even I would admit I have my moments.. My mother\u0026rsquo;s first degree was in English - and she still corrects my text messages till date (which is why I do not send her a lot of them). The first non-explicitly Christian song I ever sang was A Whole New World from the Aladdin soundtrack. Blame it on a TV-starved, ultra conservative childhood. I love chilling to music\u0026hellip; I once had Brooke Fraser\u0026rsquo;s Shadow Feet on repeat for close on three straight days\u0026hellip; I\u0026rsquo;ve had Steve Fee\u0026rsquo;s When Everything Falls Apart on repeat today.. I\u0026rsquo;m a Football Manager addict player. Interestingly, I have a new pal at work who I connected with over Football Manager. These days we swap in-game stories over lunch.. My one moment of fame was being handed the role of the Magi bearing Myrrh in our Children\u0026rsquo;s church theatrical adaptation of \u0026lsquo;We Three Kings\u0026rsquo; for Christmas back in the day. That has not prevented me from fantasizing about playing lead guitar at a live gig before 2020.. Fat chance I guess, but hey I can dream\u0026hellip; Tagging? I\u0026rsquo;m not sure who has done this and who has not.. So.. feel free.. Run with it.. Its therapeutic..:)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/01/23/tagged-the-stylish-and-versatile-meme/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt has been aeons since I was tagged.  Apparently \u003ca href=\"http://woahnigeria.wordpress.com/2011/01/17/re-the-stylish-versatile-awards/\"\u003eEsco thinks\u003c/a\u003e we are stylish and versatile as does \u003ca href=\"http://www.lightherlamp.com/2011/01/stylish-versatile-saturday.html\"\u003eJaycee\u0026hellip;\u003c/a\u003e Versatile? \u003cem\u003eMaybe..\u003c/em\u003e Stylish? Definitely \u003cem\u003enot..\u003c/em\u003e Just ask the girlfriend\u0026hellip; So here goes\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMy wardrobe is composed entirely of blacks, greys and whites - except for two shirts that were imposed on me in January by \u003cem\u003eyou know who\u0026hellip;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI am an Adult Child of Practising Preachers  - I\u0026rsquo;m not quite the quintessential \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preacher%27s_kid\"\u003epreacher\u0026rsquo;s kid\u003c/a\u003e although even I would admit I have my moments..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMy mother\u0026rsquo;s first degree was in English - and she still corrects my text messages till date (which is why I do not send her a lot of them).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe first non-explicitly Christian song I ever sang was \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Whole_New_World\"\u003eA Whole New World\u003c/a\u003e from the Aladdin soundtrack. Blame it on a TV-starved, ultra conservative childhood.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI love chilling to music\u0026hellip; I once had Brooke Fraser\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGSS5ZsLIU4\"\u003eShadow Feet\u003c/a\u003e on repeat for close on three straight days\u0026hellip; I\u0026rsquo;ve had Steve Fee\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhT7mAMbUKE\"\u003eWhen Everything Falls Apart\u003c/a\u003e on repeat today..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m a \u003ca href=\"http://www.footballmanager.com/\"\u003eFootball Manager\u003c/a\u003e addict player. Interestingly, I have a new pal at work who I connected with over Football Manager. These days we swap in-game stories over lunch..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMy one moment of fame was being handed the role of the Magi bearing Myrrh in our Children\u0026rsquo;s church theatrical adaptation of \u003ca href=\"http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/w/e/wethree.htm\"\u003e\u0026lsquo;We Three Kings\u0026rsquo;\u003c/a\u003e for Christmas back in the day. That has not prevented me from fantasizing about playing lead guitar at a live gig before 2020.. Fat chance I guess, but hey I can dream\u0026hellip;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTagging? I\u0026rsquo;m not sure who has done this and who has not.. So.. feel free.. Run with it.. Its therapeutic..:)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Tagged: The stylish and Versatile Meme..."},{"content":" Max Atkinson deconstructs JFK\u0026rsquo;s iconic inaugural speech and identifies Six Essentials. Apparently the key is utilizing contrasts; three-part list; contrasts combined with lists; alliteration; bold imagery and audience analysis. Useful for writers? Children who write by hand \u0026rsquo;learn better than those who type\u0026rsquo;. However text messaging \u0026lsquo;improves children\u0026rsquo;s spelling skills\u0026rsquo;. Clearly the pen is mightier than the keyboard, but the cellphone is mightier still.. The woman who solved her own kidnap story. The evidence for manflu - even if its only in our heads\u0026hellip; The genetic basis for friendships.. Surely it\u0026rsquo;s a first, but the city of Liverpool now has an embassy in the UK.. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/01/21/web-reads-21jan/","summary":"\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMax Atkinson \u003ca href=\"http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12215248\"\u003edeconstructs JFK\u0026rsquo;s iconic inaugural speech\u003c/a\u003e and identifies Six Essentials. Apparently the key is utilizing \u003cem\u003econtrasts; three-part list; contrasts combined with lists; alliteration; bold imagery and audience analysis.\u003c/em\u003e Useful for writers?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChildren \u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1349090/Why-pen-mightier-keyboard-Children-write-hand-learn-better-type.html?ITO=1490\"\u003ewho write by hand \u0026rsquo;learn better than those who type\u0026rsquo;\u003c/a\u003e. However text messaging \u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8272502/Text-messaging-improves-childrens-spelling-skills.html\"\u003e\u0026lsquo;improves children\u0026rsquo;s spelling skills\u0026rsquo;\u003c/a\u003e. Clearly the pen is mightier than the keyboard, but the cellphone is mightier still..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe woman who \u003ca href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/21/carlina-white-kidnapping-baby-reunited-family\"\u003esolved her own kidnap story\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8266917/Man-flu-evidence-mounts.html\"\u003eevidence\u003c/a\u003e for manflu - even if its only in our heads\u0026hellip;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"http://www.3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2011/01/friends-connect-on-a-genetic-level.html\"\u003egenetic basis\u003c/a\u003e for friendships..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSurely it\u0026rsquo;s a first, but the \u003ca href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jan/21/liverpool-embassy-london-beatles-football\"\u003ecity of Liverpool now has an embassy in the UK..\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Web Reads - 21Jan..."},{"content":"Another one of those songs that defined a season for me.. 1999, 300 level, juggling a ton of issues, looking for somewhere to read one of those Saturdays and I stumbled on the CFI choir practising for a music fiesta..It was my first Fred Hammond song. And I was hooked.. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/01/20/on-repeat-no-weapon/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAnother one of those songs that defined a season for me.. 1999, 300 level, juggling a ton of issues, looking for somewhere to read one of those Saturdays and I stumbled on the \u003ca href=\"http://christianfellowshipinternational-cgm.com/home.php\"\u003eCFI\u003c/a\u003e choir practising for a music fiesta..It was my first \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Hammond\"\u003eFred Hammond\u003c/a\u003e song. And I was hooked..\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/eEBrZ6ivW2s?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On repeat: No weapon..."},{"content":"Having passed several chronological milestones, one increasingly has had to field questions that assume that all the basic competencies required to function as an independent contributor to life in various spheres have been achieved. Invariably these often centre on the achievement of academic, financial, material and career milestones. Amidst the focus on these admittedly essential categories is a lack of focus on the attainment of certain critical thinking skills.\nI subscribe to the belief that a child is born with a blank worldview - the so called tabula rasa. Over time he/she acquires knowledge about life; typically by experience. The child thus builds up a worldview- religious, social, cultural, sexual even. At it\u0026rsquo;s most basic, this worldview is a set of answers for what constitute good, bad, the why of life, meaning, etc. Of necessity, these answers have to be gleaned from others in the early days - parents and relatives, peers, civic and religious leaders and teachers.\nAt some stage in the development of the child - as the kid morphs into a young adult - these acquired answers require testing to verify that their base assumptions and conclusions remain valid in the light of the continuously evolving social, religious and cultural space. Therein lies the problem - the vast majority of people are not trained, or are unwilling, to question the answers they have been raised by. When juxtaposed with the critical role these young adults, when they morph into parents, have to play in moulding the thinking of the next generation, it becomes critical for them to get it right.\nTruly mature young adults thus have a responsibility to themselves and the next generation to ask the big questions and investigate the answers they have acquired. There should come a time when \u0026ldquo;because I said so\u0026rdquo; should no longer suffice as a reason for the answers we carry. Only then can the bloke truly lay claim to having come of age.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/01/10/questioning-the-answers/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHaving passed several chronological milestones, one increasingly has had to field questions that assume that all the basic competencies required to function as an independent contributor to life in various spheres have been achieved. Invariably these often centre on the achievement of academic, financial, material and career milestones. Amidst the focus on these admittedly essential categories is a lack of focus on the attainment of certain critical thinking skills.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI subscribe to the belief that a child is born with a blank worldview -  the so called \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabula_rasa\"\u003e\u003cem\u003etabula rasa\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e.  Over time he/she acquires knowledge about life; typically by experience.  The child thus builds up a worldview- religious, social, cultural, sexual even.  At it\u0026rsquo;s most basic, this worldview is a set of answers for what constitute good, bad, the why of life, meaning, etc. Of necessity, these answers have to be gleaned from others in the early days - parents and relatives, peers, civic and religious leaders and teachers.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Questioning the answers.."},{"content":"One of the unintended consequences of my little 10 day holiday was rediscovering some styl-plus music from back in the day (and being made to watch Nigerian home videos ad nauseam). I somehow have been unable to remove the Iya Basira one from my head\u0026hellip;. :(\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/01/07/on-repeat-iya-basira/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOne of the unintended consequences of my little 10 day holiday was rediscovering some styl-plus music from back in the day (and being made to watch Nigerian home videos \u003cem\u003ead nauseam\u003c/em\u003e). I somehow have been unable to remove the Iya Basira one from my head\u0026hellip;. :(\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/hiwS2SJT9hA?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e","title":"On repeat: Iya Basira..."},{"content":"I never celebrated turning thirty. The significance of achieving that chronological milestone was lost in the hustle of every life - a barely discernible peak in the flat line that had become a monotonous existence. I had just lost a cast iron guarantee to return to my old job in Nigeria followed quickly by the petering out of what I thought was a nice, strong girl connection. One day I fell asleep, the next I awoke to being thirty plus.\nWhen I was much younger, I had planned the day in my head. Over time I had rehashed the planned events over and over. Lots of food, hanging out with the family and a road trip were a few of the things I had pencilled down. In reality, the only thing I allowed myself when it finally came was gorging on a bargain bucket at KFC, and flushing it all down with a 2 litre bottle of Pepsi..\nFinally, a few years down the road, I am taking that much delayed road trip\u0026hellip; Belatedly, I will be jumping on a few flights over the next few days.. Hopefully I get to enjoy it as much as I thought I would - if the weather permits\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/01/06/on-turning-thirty/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI never celebrated turning thirty. The significance of achieving that chronological milestone was lost in the hustle of every life - a barely discernible  peak in the flat line that had become a monotonous existence. I had just lost a cast iron guarantee to return to my old job in Nigeria followed quickly by the petering out of what I thought was a nice, strong girl connection. One day I fell asleep,  the next I awoke to being thirty plus.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Turning Thirty..."},{"content":"One big idea to revolutionise the year in my opinion - \u0026lsquo;Practical Wisdom\u0026rsquo;. Rules are great but they often lead to performance based metrics which meet the letter of the law, but fail to address the real root causes\u0026hellip;. Two excellent TED talks from Barry Schwartz that I\u0026rsquo;ve been listening to a lot today.. Bring on the new year\u0026hellip;\nThe real crisis? We stopped being wise..Using our practical wisdom\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/01/02/schwartz-ted-talks/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOne big idea to revolutionise the year in my opinion - \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phronesis\"\u003e\u0026lsquo;Practical Wisdom\u0026rsquo;\u003c/a\u003e. Rules are great but they often lead to performance based metrics which meet the letter of the law, but fail to address the real root causes\u0026hellip;. Two excellent TED talks from Barry Schwartz that I\u0026rsquo;ve been listening to a lot today.. Bring on the new year\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe real crisis? We stopped being wise..Using our practical wisdom\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Barry Schwartz on 'Practical Wisdom'..."},{"content":"On my forty things by forty list is a task to read 25 books each year. For 2011, I am thinking of starting off with the Booker Prize lists. I suspect a few of them might be out of print, but from running my eye over the list there appears to be at least a few of particular interest. Ben Okri\u0026rsquo;s 1991 winner \u0026lsquo;The Famished Road\u0026rsquo; and Ian McEwan\u0026rsquo;s \u0026lsquo;Amsterdam\u0026rsquo; stand out as starting points. First off though will be \u0026lsquo;The Finkler Question\u0026rsquo; by Howard Jacobsen - thanks to the Kindle\u0026hellip; :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/01/02/on-reading/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOn my forty things by forty list is a task to read 25 books each year. For 2011, I am thinking of starting off with the \u003ca href=\"http://www.themanbookerprize.com/prize/archive\"\u003eBooker Prize lists\u003c/a\u003e. I suspect a few of them might be out of print, but from running my eye over the list there appears to be at least a few of particular interest. Ben Okri\u0026rsquo;s 1991 winner \u0026lsquo;The Famished Road\u0026rsquo; and Ian McEwan\u0026rsquo;s \u0026lsquo;Amsterdam\u0026rsquo; stand out as starting points. First off though will be \u0026lsquo;The Finkler Question\u0026rsquo; by Howard Jacobsen - thanks to the Kindle\u0026hellip; :)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On reading.."},{"content":"The turn of the year is unique for the way it inspires one to try better. Plans from the last year, cast aside without thought or regret, suddenly return to the fore of the mind - seeking to exact their recompense for one\u0026rsquo;s neglect. Its a New Year.. The one thing I plan on doing this year is to articulate more of the thoughts floating around in my head. Hopefully I\u0026rsquo;ll write a piece each day on here.. Maybe I\u0026rsquo;ll not..December 31, 2011 will be the final judge of how well I fared\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/01/02/new-starts-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe turn of the year is unique for the way it inspires one to try better. Plans from the last year, cast aside without thought or regret, suddenly return to the fore of the mind - seeking to exact their recompense for one\u0026rsquo;s neglect. Its a New Year.. The one thing I plan on doing this year is to articulate more of the thoughts floating around in my head. Hopefully I\u0026rsquo;ll write a piece each day on here.. Maybe I\u0026rsquo;ll not..December 31, 2011 will be the final judge of how well I fared\u0026hellip;\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290304390240020593-1302390351317246676?l=www.thequthblog.com\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"New Starts...."},{"content":"This is slowly becoming a yearly thing on this blog. The 2009 and 2010 Versions are linked. Since 2010 I have opted for focus areas rather than a list.. So here goes the 2011 plan.\nGod/Faith: Failed to make any headway in this regards last year - It\u0026rsquo;s a new year.. Let\u0026rsquo;s hope we fare better this year with resolving the God issues and getting back into a church community. Work \u0026amp; Career: I safely navigated getting back into work after a poorly thought out decision led to me quitting my last job. This year the focus is on chasing a couple of certifications to boost my profile as an independent contributor. This is slightly complicated by the Girlfriend being stuck in North America. This year I intend to get my professional membership of at least one UK and one North American Engineering body sorted. People and Socials: Last year was the year I splurged on social media connections. This year, I need to have a strategy for social media interaction. The goal of this strategy is to focus on sharing information, keeping the loose chatter to an absolute minimum. For real life connections, I have been blessed with having a couple of old friends from undergrad in my city, so as a minimum, I should hang out with them once every couple of months.. Health and Weight: 2010 was the year, the bulge finally beat me. The keg ballooned out of control. I bought a home treadmill in my attempt to regain control. This year, I hope to win the battle - running thrice weekly on the treadmill. Family: The family connection hasn\u0026rsquo;t been great up to the end of the year. This year I hope to call the parents and siblings at least once each week. Financial: The numbers from last year indicated I saved approximately 25% of my gross earnings - in spite of significant expenditure on trips to the US and gadgets. This year, I hope to up the percentage to 30%. In conjunction with a promised pay rise at work, it should be a good year - if I avoid splurging on any new gadgets. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2011/01/01/the-2011-plan/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis is slowly becoming a yearly thing on this blog. The \u003ca href=\"/2009/01/the-2009-master-plan/\"\u003e2009\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"/2010/01/2010-here-goes/\"\u003e2010\u003c/a\u003e Versions are linked. Since 2010 I have opted for focus areas rather than a list.. So here goes the 2011 plan.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGod/Faith:\u003c/strong\u003e Failed to make any headway in this regards last year - It\u0026rsquo;s a new year.. Let\u0026rsquo;s hope we fare better this year with resolving the God issues and getting back into a church community.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWork \u0026amp; Career:\u003c/strong\u003e I safely navigated getting back into work after a poorly thought out decision led to me quitting my last job. This year the focus is on chasing a couple of certifications to boost my profile as an independent contributor. This is slightly complicated by the Girlfriend being stuck in North America. This year I intend to get my professional membership of at least one UK and one North American Engineering body sorted.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePeople and Socials:\u003c/strong\u003e Last year was the year I splurged on social media connections. This year, I need to have a strategy for social media interaction. The goal of this strategy is to focus on sharing information, keeping the loose chatter to an absolute minimum. For real life connections, I have been blessed with having a couple of old friends from undergrad in my city, so as a minimum, I should hang out with them once every couple of months..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHealth and Weight:\u003c/strong\u003e 2010 was the year, the bulge finally beat me. The keg ballooned out of control. I bought a home treadmill in my attempt to regain control. This year, I hope to win the battle - running thrice weekly on the treadmill.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFamily:\u003c/strong\u003e The family connection hasn\u0026rsquo;t been great up to the end of the year. This year I hope to call the parents and siblings at least once each week.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFinancial:\u003c/strong\u003e The numbers from last year indicated I saved approximately 25% of my gross earnings - in spite of significant expenditure on trips to the US and gadgets. This year, I hope to up the percentage to 30%. In conjunction with a promised pay rise at work, it should be a good year - if I avoid splurging on any new gadgets.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"The 2011 Plan"},{"content":"A chance meeting - via the ubiquity of the internet - with Yousef Komunyakaa\u0026rsquo;s poem \u0026lsquo;Ode to The Drum\u0026rsquo; left an indelible mark on me.\nThe sheer beauty of the lines, rich imagery that harks back to a time of hunting for sustenance in Africa and the ritual of drum making are things that I have never been able to forget. In the poem a hunter kills a gazelle, skins it, and uses its skin for a drum. The hunter maintains an ongoing monologue, almost apologetically stating the case for killing the gazelle. There is meat, and the need to drive trouble from the valley via the beating of a drum. In the process of creating a drum, the gazelle is reborn - from dead weight slouching in the grassy hush to a drum beat filling the valley and exorcising evil. This, to me, is the under-girding theme - transformation; from evil to good, from death to a different sort of life. As the year 2010 wraps up, perhaps the closing lines are apt..\nNow I have beaten a song back into you Rise and walk away, like a panther.\nMay 2011 be a year to be re-born indeed.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/12/31/when-words-leave-a-mark/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA chance meeting -  via the ubiquity of the internet - with Yousef Komunyakaa\u0026rsquo;s  poem \u0026lsquo;\u003ca href=\"http://www.ibiblio.org/ipa/poems/komunyakaa/ode_to_the_drum.php\"\u003eOde to The Drum\u003c/a\u003e\u0026rsquo; left an indelible mark on me.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sheer beauty of the lines,  rich imagery that harks back to a time of hunting for sustenance in Africa and the ritual of drum making are things that I have never been able to forget. In the poem  a hunter kills a gazelle, skins it, and uses its skin for a drum. The hunter maintains an ongoing monologue, almost apologetically stating the case for killing the gazelle. There is meat, and the need to drive trouble from the valley via the beating of a drum. In the process of creating a drum, the gazelle is reborn - from dead weight slouching in the grassy hush to a drum beat filling the valley and exorcising evil. This, to me, is the under-girding theme - transformation; from evil to good, from death to a different sort of life. As the year 2010 wraps up, perhaps the closing lines are apt..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"When words leave a mark..."},{"content":"Having earned (if I say so) the right to put my feet up and relax at the end of what has been a particularly hectic year of working, travelling, reading and volunteering, one has the luxury of reflecting on how the year has panned out on a personal note. This time last year I had just packed up my bags, cut my final ties and jumped on the East Coast train service up north to Aberdeen. There was the small matter of needing to restart life on a number of fronts - new job, new city, new house, new friends and all. The first few weeks took getting used to, especially as the job description involved a change of focus - from being the bossy, fastidious-to-a-fault, hard to please client to being part of a service delivery team. January was spent managing the work transition, eased somewhat by having the use of shared company accommodation alongside a colleague with Geordie connections. There were many nights of discussions on a motley of topics well into the night as we both grappled with coming to terms with redemption and second chances - he after invasive heart surgery, me upon returning to daily work after a messy resignation.\nWinter was hard and bitter - the coldest temperatures on record in the city for 20 years by some accounts - were the worst sort of welcome. The Siberian air, usually channelled elsewhere in the winter months somehow got thrust upon us - cue travel chaos, unsafe road conditions, messed up bus schedules and all. Those who would know blame it on high-pressure systems and other fancy stuff, those with a political axe to grind blame the chaos on the ill preparedness of government.\nI made the trip back to the North East for nostalgia\u0026rsquo;s sake. The sameness of it all, almost a full year after leaving, was a jolt to my constitution. The continuous struggle for survival amidst job searches, mounting bills, and dreams deferred that confronted me back there etched a reminder to thankfulness on my mind afresh.\nOn the book front, I managed to complete 20 of the 25 books I planned to read this year. The list got chopped and changed all through the year - a chance re acquaintance with the BBC World Service and Off The Shelf brought a couple of seminal Gabriel Garcia Marquez offerings to the fore. Re-reading \u0026rsquo; Love in the Time of Cholera\u0026rsquo; and \u0026lsquo;One Hundred Years of Solitude\u0026rsquo; as well as finally reading Gregory David Roberts \u0026rsquo; Shantaram\u0026rsquo; ranked up there as highlights of the reading year. On the African reading front, there was Helon Habila\u0026rsquo;s \u0026lsquo;Measuring Time\u0026rsquo; and \u0026lsquo;Oil and Water\u0026rsquo; (his 2010 offering), as well as catching up on my Chris Abani backlog. As part of my continuing \u0026rsquo;education\u0026rsquo; I saw ‘ The Marriage of Figaro‘ at HMT. I ended up at the Music Hall instead of the Theatre and had to make a dash for it. The opera more than made up for the hassles of finally getting there.\nOn a less self-involved note, I finally fulfilled a ‘life long’ ambition to sponsor a child via World Vision. Early days on that one so far - but the spectre of eating one less Platter to Share at Nandos being a lifesaver for a kid somewhere else is humbling, if not shocking.\nAll told its been a fun filled year\u0026hellip; 2011 can\u0026rsquo;t come soon enough it seems..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/12/31/reflections/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHaving earned (if I say so) the right to put my feet up and relax at the end of what has been a particularly hectic year of working, travelling, reading and volunteering, one has the luxury of reflecting on how the year has panned out on a personal note. This time last year I had just \u003ca href=\"/2009/12/the-last-day-again/\"\u003epacked up my bags, cut my final ties and jumped on the East Coast train service up north to Aberdeen\u003c/a\u003e. There was the small matter of needing to restart life on a number of fronts - new job, new city, new house, new friends and all. The first few weeks took getting used to, especially as the  job description involved a change of focus - from being the bossy, \u003cem\u003efastidious-to-a-fault\u003c/em\u003e, hard to please client to being part of a service delivery team. January was spent managing the work transition, eased somewhat by having the use of shared company accommodation alongside  a colleague with Geordie connections. There were many nights of discussions on a motley of topics well into the night as we both grappled with coming to terms with redemption and second chances -   he after invasive heart surgery, me upon returning to daily work after a messy resignation.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Reflections.... The Year in Happenings.."},{"content":"A few of the info-graphics that captured my eye this year..\nFootball Chalkboards: For us the discerning football enthusiasts, chalkboards were the revelations of 2010. Granted the Guardian debuted with them in early 2009, but the Roy vs Rafa debate for us Liverpool fans ensured chalkboards became the ultimate resource for assessing how high up the pitch the lads press, passes completed, oh and the aptly named heatmaps. Twitter is not a conversation: Us Twitter apologists usually claim Twitter as a conversation for being one of the reasons we stay on Twitter. Sadly, the data does not support that claim, as this info-graphic from 2010 showed. The world according to Facebook: In December, Paul Butler at Facebook came up with an interesting info-graphic; a world map based on Facebook connections. Marriage In America: TIME asked if marriage in America was still required. Al Mohler argued that we all do, and this PewSocial info-graphic captured the data. Infostate of Africa: Fascinating\u0026hellip; via AppAfrica Flickr account\u0026hellip; ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/12/27/the-year-in-infographics/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA few of the info-graphics that captured my eye this year..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFootball Chalkboards:\u003c/strong\u003e For us the discerning football enthusiasts, \u003ca href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chalkboards/create\"\u003echalkboards\u003c/a\u003e were the revelations of 2010. Granted the Guardian \u003ca href=\"http://mikebracken.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/01/guardian-football-chalkboards-launches.html\"\u003edebuted with them in early 2009,\u003c/a\u003e but the Roy vs Rafa debate for us Liverpool fans ensured chalkboards became the ultimate resource for assessing how high up the pitch the lads press, passes completed, oh and the aptly named \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_map\"\u003eheatmaps\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/jermain-defoes-movement-f-001.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Jermain Defoe\u0026rsquo;s movement for Tottenham\u0026rsquo;s first two goals against Manchester United was excellent\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/jermain-defoes-movement-f-001.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTwitter is not a conversation:\u003c/strong\u003e Us Twitter apologists usually claim Twitter as a conversation for being one of the reasons we stay on Twitter. Sadly, the data does not support that claim, as this \u003ca href=\"http://mashable.com/2010/09/29/twitter-replies-retweets/\"\u003einfo-graphic\u003c/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"http://mashable.com/2010/09/29/twitter-replies-retweets/\"\u003efrom 2010\u003c/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"http://mashable.com/2010/09/29/twitter-replies-retweets/\"\u003eshowed\u003c/a\u003e.  \u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/retweets-replies-v2.png\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"retweets-replies-v2\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/retweets-replies-v2.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe world according to Facebook:\u003c/strong\u003e In December, \u003ca href=\"http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=469716398919\"\u003ePaul Butler at Facebook\u003c/a\u003e came up with an interesting info-graphic; a world map based on Facebook connections. \u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/world_facebook.png\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"world_FaceBook\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/world_facebook.png?w=620\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMarriage In America:\u003c/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2031962,00.html\"\u003eTIME asked\u003c/a\u003e if marriage in America was still required. Al Mohler \u003ca href=\"http://www.albertmohler.com/2010/11/29/who-needs-marriage-time-asked-th-question-do-you-have-an-answer/\"\u003eargued\u003c/a\u003e that we all do, and this \u003ca href=\"http://pewsocialtrends.org/2009/10/15/the-states-of-marriage-and-divorce/\"\u003ePewSocial\u003c/a\u003e info-graphic captured the data. \u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/marriage-50-states.png\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"marriage-50-states\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/marriage-50-states.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInfostate of Africa: Fascinating\u0026hellip; via \u003ca href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/ww4f/\"\u003eAppAfrica Flickr\u003c/a\u003e account\u0026hellip; \u003ca href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/ww4f/4100142073/\" title=\"Infostate of Africa 2009 by Appfrica, on Flickr\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Infostate of Africa 2009\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2614/4100142073_a2dd5466d9.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"The Year in... Infographics.. "},{"content":"\nWaking up to the strains of We Three Kings Of Orient Are on the BBC\u0026rsquo;s Radio 2 brings back memories of days long lost - of youth, of creativity and an unfettered enjoyment of life.\nWhen I was much younger (close on twenty years ago now, cringe), I took part in the carolling, recitals of bible verses committed to memory, and nativity plays which were the highlight of the Christmas season in our small University town in Nigeria. This hymn though, is one especially important to me because it marked the first time I was selected to sing a lead vocal. Granted, I ran over the lines, forgot some, went \u0026lsquo;off key\u0026rsquo;, and probably knocked my knees so loudly a few well placed microphones might have picked up on them, but it was still a \u0026lsquo;solo\u0026rsquo; performance.\nAs it goes it is yet another Christmas of solitude - bar the phone calls to family which must be made, the rest of the day will be spent in front of my computer playing games and piling myself full of fried chicken. Thankfully, the sun chose to spread its brightness around today. That is cause for a little cheer after all.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/12/25/christmas-in-the-city/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/xmas_sun2.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"xmas_sun2\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/xmas_sun2.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWaking up to the strains of \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Three_Kings\"\u003eWe Three Kings Of Orient Are\u003c/a\u003e on the BBC\u0026rsquo;s Radio 2 brings back memories of days long lost - of youth, of creativity and an unfettered enjoyment of life.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen I was much younger (close on twenty years ago now, cringe), I took part in the carolling, recitals of bible verses committed to memory, and nativity plays which were the highlight of the Christmas season in our small University town in Nigeria.  This hymn though, is one especially important to me because it marked the first time I was selected to sing a lead vocal. Granted, I ran over the lines, forgot some, went \u0026lsquo;off key\u0026rsquo;, and probably knocked my knees so loudly a few well placed microphones might have picked up on them, but it was still a \u0026lsquo;solo\u0026rsquo; performance.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Christmas in the City.."},{"content":"Words that were burned into my conciousness in 2010..\nswingeing |ˈswinji ng | adjective chiefly Brit. severe or otherwise extreme : out-with | out- wiθ | preposition. chiefly Scot. outside: knackered |ˈnækərd | adjective British Slang. exhausted; very tired: ta | tɑ | interjection British Slang. thank you: wee | wi | adjective chiefly Scottish. little: ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/12/19/2010-the-year-in-words/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWords that were burned into my conciousness in 2010..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eswingeing\u003c/strong\u003e |ˈswinji ng |\nadjective \u003cem\u003echiefly Brit.\u003c/em\u003e severe or otherwise extreme :\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eout-with\u003c/strong\u003e | out- wiθ |\npreposition. \u003cem\u003echiefly Scot.\u003c/em\u003e outside:\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eknackered\u003c/strong\u003e |ˈnækərd |\nadjective \u003cem\u003eBritish Slang\u003c/em\u003e. exhausted; very tired:\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eta\u003c/strong\u003e | tɑ |\ninterjection \u003cem\u003eBritish Slang.\u003c/em\u003e thank you:\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ewee\u003c/strong\u003e | wi |\nadjective \u003cem\u003echiefly Scottish\u003c/em\u003e. little:\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"2010: The Year in... Words.."},{"content":"I think cab drivers are a microcosm of the larger society and that if a sufficiently large sample is analysed, one can gain critical insights into the mind of a city. This has to be the year where I used cabs the most. Tight deadlines at work, atrocious weather conditions, moving houses and a few late night jaunts around town conspired to leave me needing cabs at various times this year. The downside was largely financial – I ended up racking up significant costs on renting cabs over the year. On the plus side, I think I gained a window into the mindset of this city.\nThe experiences were largely good. In general, the cabbies provided a lot of friendly banter on a variety of topics – the shambolic performance of the Scottish National football team, Wayne Rooney’s theatrics in the bid to snatch an enhanced pay package, the delights of summer in the shape of scantily clad women, and pregnant Nigerian women and their inclination to take cabs even over short distances and the like. There was the occasional complaining cabbie who had stories to tell of how the city’s taxi regulators milked him of the genuine profits he made; or more regularly the one who bitched about the weather.\nThere were the touching stories too – the bloke whose niece was dying of cancer and had been sent home to die in peace, the one whose children had ganged up to wring a couple of hundred pounds worth of Christmas gifts from his grasp and the one who knew someone who had fallen victim to a Nigerian scam artist.\nI had the pleasure of meeting a few thinking cabbies too. There was the one whose immersion in Ian McEwan’s ‘Solar’ I was loathe to disrupt, the one who wistfully harked back to memories of night life in Port Harcourt sandwiched between two buxom lasses, and of course, the ex-professional footballer (his claim, I didn’t verify anything).\nInevitably, three questions never failed to come up\u0026hellip; \u0026ldquo;Where are you from originally?\u0026rdquo;, \u0026quot; How long have you been in this city?\u0026quot; and \u0026quot; Where do you work?\u0026quot;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/12/17/the-year-in-cabs/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI think cab drivers are a microcosm of the larger society and that if a sufficiently large sample is analysed, one can gain critical insights into the mind of a city. This has to be the year where I used cabs the most. Tight deadlines at work, atrocious weather conditions, moving houses and a few late night jaunts around town conspired to leave me needing cabs at various times this year. The downside was largely financial – I ended up racking up significant costs on renting cabs over the year. On the plus side, I think I gained a window into the mindset of this city.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2010: The Year in.... Cabs"},{"content":" There has never been anything false about HOPE\nExcept where the HOPEr has blatantly ignored signs to the contrary\u0026hellip;,\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/12/16/subliminals/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere has never been anything false about HOPE\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcept where the HOPEr has blatantly ignored signs to the contrary\u0026hellip;,\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#Subliminals"},{"content":"The final lingering vestiges of self deceit died today. Against the incontrovertible evidence, I had remained hopeful that I had the ability to transcend my well documented phobia for dancing. Sometime between Ose O Jesu and some other Yoruba song which has escaped my memory, I realized that my rather feeble attempts at \u0026lsquo;dancing\u0026rsquo; - clapping rhythmically, nodding my head from time to time, and shuffling from side to side - bore as much resemblance to dancing as a bee buzzing through the air bore to a fish swimming.. My sense of unease was worsened by the fact that it was a thanksgiving Sunday and we had to dance to the offering box. Interestingly, if the number of dancing worshippers was a significant sample of the larger community, then I am fighting a lost cause in refusing not learning to dance.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/12/13/swearing-off-dancing/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe final lingering vestiges of self deceit died today. Against the incontrovertible evidence, I had remained hopeful that I had the ability to transcend my \u003ca href=\"../2009/11/strictly-not-dancing/\"\u003ewell documented phobia\u003c/a\u003e for dancing.  Sometime between \u003ca href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFW_mkjV6Fg\"\u003eOse O Jesu\u003c/a\u003e and some other Yoruba song which has escaped my memory, I realized that my rather feeble attempts at \u0026lsquo;dancing\u0026rsquo; - clapping rhythmically, nodding my head from time to time, and shuffling from side to side  - bore as much resemblance to dancing as a bee buzzing through the air bore to a fish swimming.. My sense of unease was worsened by the fact that it was a thanksgiving Sunday and we had to dance to the offering box. Interestingly, if the number of dancing worshippers was a significant sample of the larger community, then I am fighting a lost cause in refusing not learning to dance.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Swearing off dancing..."},{"content":"The number 16 bus into the city centre is packed - brim full with people heading into town. The atrocious weather of the last few days let up briefly today, and with the imminence of Christmas, everyone seems to be up and about to get the last bits of shopping done. The bus stop where I clamber aboard the number 16 is mid way between the starting terminus and the ending terminus, as such I can only find standing space, ironically next to a sign that ostensibly marks the limits of standing room. Next to me are a mother and her daughter. The daughter cannot be more than six years old and still possesses the unbridled energy and uninhibited curiosity being young and carefree brings. The atmosphere is tense - of the kind where a word out of place potentially could let loose a fire storm. There are people plugged into iPods, people huddled together in groups chatting away and people like me who are alone, with lowered eyes looking into the distance. The little girl becomes the side show though - firing off question after question to her mother, peering into people\u0026rsquo;s faces, and at some stage leaning in towards her mother and planting a kiss on her cheek whilst whispering \u0026ldquo;I love you Mum\u0026rdquo;. When she gives the wizened old lady behind me a fixed stare. I wonder how the bus scene would look like in a different country, south of the Sahara. For the first time in a few months, I remember my mother.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/12/11/going-ons/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe number 16 bus into the city centre is packed - brim full with people heading into town. The atrocious weather of the last few days let up briefly today, and with the imminence of Christmas, everyone seems to be up and about to get the last bits of shopping done. The bus stop where I clamber aboard the number 16 is mid way between the starting terminus and the ending terminus, as such I can only find standing space, ironically next to a sign that ostensibly marks the limits of standing room. Next to me are a mother and her daughter. The daughter cannot be more than six years old and still possesses the unbridled energy and uninhibited curiosity being young and carefree brings. The atmosphere is tense - of the kind where a word out of place potentially could let loose a fire storm. There are people plugged into iPods, people huddled together in groups chatting away and people like me who are alone, with lowered eyes looking into the distance. The little girl becomes the side show though - firing off question after question to her mother, peering into people\u0026rsquo;s faces, and at some stage leaning in towards her mother and planting a kiss on her cheek whilst whispering \u0026ldquo;I love you Mum\u0026rdquo;. When she gives the wizened old lady behind me a fixed stare. I wonder how the bus scene would look like in a different country, south of the Sahara. For the first time in a few months, I remember my mother.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Going Ons..."},{"content":" The science of attraction. Perhaps it\u0026rsquo;s all in the mind after all. Another reason to google your name. You might be wanted for murder\u0026hellip; Necessity is the mother of invention - the husband who rigged up a taser device to keep his wife faithful.. The \u0026lsquo;completely irresponsible\u0026rsquo; call reporting a stolen snowman The case for eating insects.. Mathematical immortality - buy a theorem and name it after yourself. The smart wallet that could help you spend within your means.. Bacteria that could recycle iron.. The gene for aggression. DNA testing of babies - whilst in the womb.. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/12/10/web-reads-10dec2010/","summary":"\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe science of attraction. Perhaps it\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1335462/Pheromones-exist-Scientists-claim-attraction-chemicals-mind.html?ITO=1490\"\u003eall in the mind\u003c/a\u003e after all.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnother \u003ca href=\"http://www.africanloft.com/what-would-you-do-if-you-google-your-name-and-find-out-that-you-wanted-for-murder/?utm_source=feedburner\u0026amp;utm_medium=feed\u0026amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Africanloft+%28AfricanLoft%29\u0026amp;utm_content=Google+Reader\"\u003ereason to google your name\u003c/a\u003e. You might be wanted for murder\u0026hellip;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNecessity is the mother of invention - \u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/howaboutthat/8178889/Husband-set-up-Taser-style-trap-to-prevent-wife-having-affair.html\"\u003ethe husband who rigged up a taser device\u003c/a\u003e to keep his wife faithful..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/8178548/Woman-called-999-over-stolen-snowman.html\"\u003e\u0026lsquo;completely irresponsible\u0026rsquo; call\u003c/a\u003e reporting a stolen snowman\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"http://www.ted.com/talks/marcel_dicke_why_not_eat_insects.html\"\u003ecase\u003c/a\u003e for eating insects..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMathematical immortality - \u003ca href=\"http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19809-mathematical-immortality-give-a-theorem-your-name.html\"\u003ebuy a theorem and name it after yourself\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1336164/The-incredible-smart-wallets-change-shape-try-stop-spending-money-online.html?ITO=1490\"\u003esmart wallet\u003c/a\u003e that could help you spend within your means..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/dec/06/titanic-steel-bacteria-rusticles-pipelines\"\u003eBacteria that could recycle\u003c/a\u003e iron..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19830-people-with-warrior-gene-better-at-risky-decisions.html\"\u003egene\u003c/a\u003e for aggression.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8189668/Babies-DNA-profiled-in-the-womb.html\"\u003eDNA testing of babies\u003c/a\u003e - whilst in the womb..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Web Reads: 10Dec2010"},{"content":"Google’s 2010 Zeitgeist makes for interesting read.. The summary from Google:\nIn the year of Nigeria’s 50th independence celebration, it was unsurprising that terms like “Nigeria” and “Goodluck Jonathan” ranked highly in the search trends. But the nation’s imagination was certainly captured by social networking, with “2go” topping the fastest rising list, and “Facebook” being the second most popular search by volume. Nigerian musicians “Terry G” and “Dagrin” also attracted significant online interest.\nGreat to see Football Manager 2010 top the fastest rising games category and bella naija make an entry in the fastest rising people category. Sadly there’s no Liverpool in the sports section (goes to show the absence of true football connoisseurs IMO). Interestingly \u0026lsquo;Love\u0026rsquo; and MTN make the top ten popular searches\u0026hellip; Wonder how many of those \u0026rsquo;love\u0026rsquo; searches were related to eHarmony though.. :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/12/10/nigeria-what-we-searched-for/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eGoogle’s \u003ca href=\"http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/zeitgeist2010/regions/ng.html\"\u003e2010 Zeitgeist\u003c/a\u003e makes for interesting read.. The summary from Google:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the year of Nigeria’s 50th independence celebration, it was unsurprising that terms like “Nigeria” and “Goodluck Jonathan” ranked highly in the search trends. But the nation’s imagination was certainly captured by social networking, with “2go” topping the fastest rising list, and “Facebook” being the second most popular search by volume. Nigerian musicians “Terry G” and “Dagrin” also attracted significant online interest.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Nigeria: What We searched for.."},{"content":" Feeding the poor with iPads: How FareShare is blending technology and social responsibility.. The game that \u0026lsquo;makes\u0026rsquo; you a genetic scientist\u0026hellip; The radiation debate flares up again - are radio waves frying our brains? Facebook breakups are the real deal.. The right twitter handle can make you famous.. The girl who suddenly became famous thanks to the ashes down under.. Skye Jethani\u0026rsquo;s 30 day Twitter experiment\u0026hellip; ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/12/03/web-reads-3dec2010/","summary":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://m.dhjax.me/hyEh0D\"\u003eFeeding the poor with iPads:\u003c/a\u003e How FareShare is blending technology and social responsibility..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/11/phylo-game/\"\u003eThe game that \u0026lsquo;makes\u0026rsquo; you a genetic scientist\u0026hellip;\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1334291/Is-Wi-Fi-frying-brains-Fears-cloud-electrosmog-harm-humans.html?ITO=1490\"\u003eThe radiation debate flares up again\u003c/a\u003e - are radio waves frying our brains?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703572404575634590655423862.html?KEYWORDS=facebook+breakups\"\u003eFacebook breakups are the real deal..\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/nov/29/babysitter-twitter-freak-ashes\"\u003eright twitter handle\u003c/a\u003e can make you famous.. The girl who suddenly became famous thanks to the ashes down under..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.skyejethani.com/my-30-day-twitter-experiment-part-1/620/\"\u003eSkye Jethani\u0026rsquo;s\u003c/a\u003e 30 day Twitter experiment\u0026hellip;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"Links: 3 Dec 2010"},{"content":"Something I love about myself - This was always going to be one of the harder posts to pull off. I\u0026rsquo;m naturally hard on myself and am often self deprecating - false modesty - as someone once said.\nIf there\u0026rsquo;s one thing I like about myself, its my ability to discretize a problem - to massage a problem till its broken down to its simplest building blocks. It\u0026rsquo;s useful at work where I often have to come up with solutions to complex problems, and sometimes with people - when I need to understand them. There are downsides, but this is one ability I\u0026rsquo;ll not trade for anything else. :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/12/03/30daysoftruth-day-2-something-i-love-about-myself/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSomething I love about myself - This was always going to be one of the harder posts to pull off. I\u0026rsquo;m naturally hard on myself and am often self deprecating - false modesty - as someone once said.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf there\u0026rsquo;s one thing I like about myself, its my ability to discretize a problem - to massage a problem till its broken down to its simplest building blocks. It\u0026rsquo;s useful at work where I often have to come up with solutions to complex problems, and sometimes with people - when I need to understand them. There are downsides, but this is one ability I\u0026rsquo;ll not trade for anything else. :)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#30daysofTruth: Day 2 – Something I love about myself.."},{"content":"Looking at me from afar, its hard to see what I should hate about myself. In general, I\u0026rsquo;ve had a good life - so far- and quite a number of people usually conclude that I\u0026rsquo;ve got nothing to not like about my life. Truth though is I am slowly finding out that I am increasingly disconnected from the real world and people in my life. I blogged briefly about the issues in un-learning solitude, but daily I find myself drifting, becoming increasingly cynical and building walls between myself and the world.\nI hate that; deep in my heart I long to go back to my halcyon days of laughter, of being the good son, the bloke making good use of his opportunities and all.. So there it is - I hate my disconnection from the world\u0026hellip;. I may just have gone too far though..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/12/02/30daysoftruth-day-1-what-i-hate-about-myself/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLooking at me from afar, its hard to see what I should hate about myself. In general, I\u0026rsquo;ve had a good life - so far- and quite a number of people usually conclude that I\u0026rsquo;ve got nothing to not like about my life. Truth though is I am slowly finding out that I am increasingly disconnected from the real world and people in my life. I \u003ca href=\"../2010/11/unlearning-solitude/\"\u003eblogged briefly about the issues in un-learning solitude\u003c/a\u003e, but daily I find myself drifting, becoming increasingly cynical and building walls between myself and the world.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#30daysofTruth: Day 1 - What I hate about myself.."},{"content":"Dear Santa, I have been a good bloke this year.. Kindly review and revert\u0026hellip;\nImages do not belong to me\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; unfortunately\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/12/01/all-i-want-for-christmas/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDear Santa, I have been a good bloke this year.. Kindly review and revert\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/1920x1200_bmw_6series_convertible_05.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"1920x1200_bmw_6series_convertible_05\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/1920x1200_bmw_6series_convertible_05.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/3574_halle_berry.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"3574_halle_berry\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/3574_halle_berry.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImages do not belong to me\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; unfortunately\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"All I want for Christmas..."},{"content":"I told The Friend I wanted something to occupy me all December\u0026hellip;.Bar the first two weeks of December - when I get to wrap up multiple work projects - I will be lazing around on an extended holiday\u0026hellip; She knows I have a thing for writers\u0026hellip; and writing\u0026hellip;. and that I\u0026rsquo;m more comfortable writing stuff than saying stuff\u0026hellip; So we thought I\u0026rsquo;d blog every day for sixty days.. First thirty will be following the 30 days of truth meme over at Hope Blog; the next thirty\u0026hellip; I\u0026rsquo;m yet to decide\u0026hellip; Hopefully, its therapeutic\u0026hellip;. Even I am slightly concerned at what I might see when I begin to dig beneath the surface of me\u0026hellip;.\nSo this is to 30 consecutive days of blogging\u0026hellip; Hopefully I survive it\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/12/01/30daysoftruth-day-0/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI told \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/10/08/she-smiles/\"\u003eThe Friend\u003c/a\u003e I wanted something to occupy me all December\u0026hellip;.Bar the first two weeks of December - when I get to wrap up multiple work projects - I will be lazing around on an extended holiday\u0026hellip; She knows I have a thing for writers\u0026hellip; and writing\u0026hellip;. and that I\u0026rsquo;m more comfortable writing stuff than saying stuff\u0026hellip; So \u003cem\u003ewe\u003c/em\u003e thought I\u0026rsquo;d blog every day for sixty days.. First thirty will be following the 30 days of truth meme over at \u003ca href=\"http://hope.gr/30-days-of-truth/\"\u003eHope Blog;\u003c/a\u003e the next thirty\u0026hellip; I\u0026rsquo;m yet to decide\u0026hellip; Hopefully, its therapeutic\u0026hellip;. Even I am slightly concerned at what I might see when I begin to dig beneath the surface of me\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"#30daysOfTruth: Day 0"},{"content":"The Big Freeze hits\u0026hellip;. [Pics included] Sigh\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/11/28/why-theres-only-a-5-chance-ill-make-it-to-church-today/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe Big Freeze hits\u0026hellip;. [Pics included]\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/thirtyplusgeek/5214081276/\" title=\"CIMG2554 by dhjax, on Flickr\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"CIMG2554\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/5214081276_3e0c671fb3.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/thirtyplusgeek/5214081002/\" title=\"CIMG2553 by dhjax, on Flickr\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"CIMG2553\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4090/5214081002_d89326b6aa.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/thirtyplusgeek/5214080768/\" title=\"CIMG2552 by dhjax, on Flickr\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"CIMG2552\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5004/5214080768_a986240a0a.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/thirtyplusgeek/5213486653/\" title=\"CIMG2551 by dhjax, on Flickr\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"CIMG2551\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4111/5213486653_4d310ef8b4.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSigh\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Why there's only a 5% chance I'll make it to church today.."},{"content":"One of my essential life principles is never allowing myself to exercise regret. Time and time again, when decisions appear in hindsight to have been poorly thought out, I try to prevent myself from slipping into regret mode.. I am of the opinion that time spent in regret analysing the what-might-have-beens would be better served breaking the problem into smaller bits and devising a means of resolving its constituents. Recently though, I have allowed that tightly held principle to slip from my grasp.\nA couple of years ago, I took the decision to quit my high paying job at a fortune 500 company and head back to full time studies. At the time, I was up to my ears with the drudgery of doing the same thing for five straight years and I wanted a break. After researching the course options, I settled on an MSc in the UK. Fast forward a few months - with the program nearing its end - I was informed by the folks at HR at my old role would not be made available to me, essentially firing me.\nFrom where I am today, its not looking like the best move - true I have the MSc in hand but in just over a year\u0026rsquo;s time my current work permit expires - there is no prospect of getting it extended as the sweeping changes made by the Lib-Con coalition mean that my current route will be abolished.. So when I can afford it, I allow myself a modicum of regret\u0026hellip; It could have been a whole lot better\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/11/27/a-modicum-of-regret/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOne of my essential life principles is never allowing myself to exercise regret. Time and time again, when decisions appear in hindsight to have been poorly thought out, I try to prevent myself from slipping into regret mode.. I am of the opinion that time spent in regret analysing the \u003cem\u003ewhat-might-have-beens\u003c/em\u003e would be better served breaking the problem into smaller bits and devising a means of resolving its constituents.  Recently though, I have allowed  that tightly held principle to slip from my grasp.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Modicum of Regret.."},{"content":" More on cheating in Universities\u0026hellip; A statistical approach at the University of Central Florida The many uses of Facebook - Oo.. Another reason to dissolve a marriage? Religious differences.. Sigh\u0026hellip; Wanna \u0026rsquo;live\u0026rsquo; forever? Enter the bluetooth enabled e-tomb. Indonesia\u0026rsquo;s the world\u0026rsquo;s biggest Twitter users? Getting the girl is all in the angle of the tilt.. Football by biting... Wonder what the bloke was thinking though.. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/11/26/web-reads-28nov2010/","summary":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMore on cheating in Universities\u0026hellip; \u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/weirdnewsvideo/8140456/200-students-admit-cheating-after-professors-online-rant.html\"\u003eA statistical approach\u003c/a\u003e at the University of Central Florida\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/nov/21/facebook-ban-pastor-group-sex\"\u003eThe many uses of Facebook\u003c/a\u003e - Oo..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnother reason to dissolve a marriage? \u003ca href=\"http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/11/court-dissolves-marriage-over-religious-differences/\"\u003eReligious differences..\u003c/a\u003e Sigh\u0026hellip;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWanna \u0026rsquo;live\u0026rsquo; forever? \u003ca href=\"http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/847509-e-tomb-allows-social-networking-from-beyond-the-grave\"\u003eEnter the bluetooth enabled e-tomb\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIndonesia\u0026rsquo;s the world\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/nov/22/indonesians-worlds-biggest-users-of-twitter\"\u003ebiggest Twitter users?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/relationships/8153855/Attractiveness-is-all-in-tilt-of-the-head.html\"\u003eGetting the girl is all in the angle of the tilt..\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/9225097.stm\"\u003eFootball by biting..\u003c/a\u003e. Wonder what the bloke was thinking though..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"Links: 26 Nov 2010"},{"content":" 6 years on - the 66 year old woman who gave birth to a kid.. Selfish? Playing God or a real chance for re-inventing life? .. Celebonomics.. Why you\u0026rsquo;re not famous.. Con artist.. Not Nigerian.. Gasp! Another take on the homoepathy debate.. Apparently the talk not the tincture is what works. The danger of desensitization - The daily telegraph\u0026rsquo;s Geoffrey Leon compares BP\u0026rsquo;s Gulf disaster to Chernobyl. Ghost writers.. A shadow scholar \u0026lsquo;bares\u0026rsquo; all.. Ultimate gadget? Or quirky? The remote control + pillow combo\u0026hellip; Google street view - weight loss tip.. Apparently its not only Nigerian cops who are camera shy.. The demise of marriage? Or just a blip.. Time ponders the relevance of marriage ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/11/19/web-reads-nov-19-2010/","summary":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1329255/Adriana-Iliescu-worlds-oldest-mother-66-shes-broody-72.html\"\u003e6 years on\u003c/a\u003e - the 66 year old woman who gave birth to a kid.. Selfish? Playing God or a real chance for re-inventing life? ..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1329225/Study-revelas-Cheryl-Cole-Brad-Pitt-Paris-Hilton-famous.html\"\u003eCelebonomics..\u003c/a\u003e Why you\u0026rsquo;re not famous..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8131424/Con-artist-faces-jail-for-fraud-after-claiming-to-be-the-twin-daughters-of-TS-Eliot.html\"\u003eCon artist..\u003c/a\u003e Not Nigerian.. Gasp!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8131316/Homeopathy-works-but-it-is-talking-not-tinctures-that-helps-patients.html\"\u003eAnother take on the homoepathy debate\u003c/a\u003e.. Apparently the talk not the tincture is what works.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthcomment/geoffrey-lean/8130146/A-fatal-familiar-chain-reaction.html\"\u003eThe danger of desensitization\u003c/a\u003e - The daily telegraph\u0026rsquo;s Geoffrey Leon compares BP\u0026rsquo;s Gulf disaster to Chernobyl.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://chronicle.com/article/article-content/125329/\"\u003eGhost\u003c/a\u003e writers.. A shadow scholar \u0026lsquo;bares\u0026rsquo; all..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUltimate gadget? Or quirky? The \u003ca href=\"http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/15/universal-remote-arrives-within-a-pillow-makes-channel-surfing/\"\u003eremote control +  pillow\u003c/a\u003e combo\u0026hellip;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGoogle street view - \u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/8133138/Man-loses-seven-stone-after-seeing-himself-on-Google-Street-View.html\"\u003eweight loss tip\u003c/a\u003e..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eApparently its not only Nigerian cops who are \u003ca href=\"http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/andrewsullivan/rApM/%7E3/w5KJ0DEDUJU/click.phdo\"\u003ecamera shy\u003c/a\u003e..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe demise of marriage? Or just a blip.. \u003ca href=\"http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2031962,00.html/r:t\"\u003eTime ponders the relevance of marriage\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"Links: 19 Nov 2010"},{"content":"Or an apology for all the nights you worry about me\u0026hellip;..\nOne of my mother\u0026rsquo;s slightly more compelling arguments against the notion of - in her words - entrenched singleness is the false simplicity that being single and responsible for only oneself brings. Over the past ten years I have learnt to do my things, my way and in my time - considering the consequences only as they impact me. That has been useful when I have had to make potentially life changing decisions - like quitting my day job at a fairly well known engineering firm to head back to full time study in 2008 or loaning a friend a hefty pile of money (which he is vacillating on paying back by the way). Mother is wrong on one count - my being single isn\u0026rsquo;t the only cause; there is after all my natural proclivity to be a loner of sorts. Perpetually plugged into my iPod, having my nose stuck in books, emailing and SMSing friends instead of calling have all contributed to my increasingly tenuous connections with the real world. Living alone for all those years hasn\u0026rsquo;t helped either.\nAs I have grown older, I am realising there are disadvantages to the me-and-me-alone worldview. The simplicity in decision making engendered by such a world view is a beguiling tempter. It becomes easier and easier to do stuff and damn the consequences when a more robust solution might be had by building consensus with knowledgeable others. A further consequence is the potential for others getting worried when phone calls go unanswered and emails go unreplied.\nThese days, I\u0026rsquo;m trying to unlearn solitude.. So for all the times I fail to answer the phone, and I have you fretting all night wondering if I am all right\u0026hellip;. I apologize.. I am still unlearning solitude..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/11/16/unlearning-solitude/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOr an apology for all the nights you worry about me\u0026hellip;..\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of my mother\u0026rsquo;s slightly more compelling arguments against the notion of - in her words - \u003cem\u003eentrenched singleness\u003c/em\u003e is the false simplicity that being single and responsible for only oneself brings. Over the past ten years I have learnt to do my things, my way and in my time  - considering the consequences only as they impact me. That has been useful when I have had to make potentially life changing decisions - like quitting my day job at a fairly well known engineering firm to head back to full time study in 2008 or loaning a friend a hefty pile of money (which he is vacillating on paying back by the way). Mother is wrong on one count - my being single isn\u0026rsquo;t the only cause; there is after all my natural proclivity to be a loner of sorts. Perpetually plugged into my iPod, having my nose stuck in books, emailing and SMSing friends instead of calling have all contributed to my increasingly tenuous connections  with the real world.  Living alone for all those years hasn\u0026rsquo;t helped either.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Unlearning solitude...."},{"content":"Recently rediscovered via the wonderful gift of shuffle on my iPod\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/11/14/on-repeat-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eRecently rediscovered via the wonderful gift of shuffle on my iPod\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/OJq3lx-ZrZA?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e","title":"On Repeat...."},{"content":" More reason to be careful about your twitter activity - The twitter \u0026lsquo;joke\u0026rsquo; that\u0026rsquo;s been blown out of proportion.. iPhone apps that could save your marriage? The mean gene.: apparently one in four people have this gene.. Taking email (and the internet too seriously)\u0026hellip; Laptops and male fertility.. Interesting piece over at Wired Science\u0026hellip; Another take on the Yahoo vs Gmail argument\u0026hellip;Gmail appears to be inherently \u0026lsquo;safer\u0026rsquo;.. (HT Trae Days) Interesting take on the Marine Corps, Appearance and Tradition over at The Art of Manliness.. Ribadu is interviewed on the Economist\u0026rsquo;s Africa blog. Amazon briefly lists the inappropriately named \u0026lsquo;The Pedophile\u0026rsquo;s Guide to Love and Pleasure: a Child-lover\u0026rsquo;s Code of Conduct\u0026rsquo; before bowing to pressure and taking it down.. Skype wedding? The possibilities are endless\u0026hellip; (HT The Daily Dish) ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/11/12/web-reads-2/","summary":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMore reason to be careful about your twitter activity - The \u003ca href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/nov/11/twitter-joke-trial-appeal-verdict\"\u003etwitter \u0026lsquo;joke\u0026rsquo;\u003c/a\u003e that\u0026rsquo;s been blown out of proportion..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://su.pr/8DeMJn\"\u003eiPhone apps\u003c/a\u003e that could save your marriage?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://bit.ly/cyfLiP\"\u003eThe mean gene\u003c/a\u003e.: apparently one in four people have this gene..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTaking \u003ca href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/nov/11/partner-prefers-emails-to-sex\"\u003eemail (and the internet too seriously)\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/11/legs-apart-under-laptop-your-sperm-will-thank-you/\"\u003eLaptops and male fertility\u003c/a\u003e.. Interesting piece over at Wired Science\u0026hellip;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://blogs.sans.org/appsecstreetfighter/2010/03/02/following-a-trail-of-breadcrumbs-%E2%80%93-a-design-flaw-in-yahoo-mail/\"\u003eAnother take on the Yahoo vs Gmail argument\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip;Gmail appears to be inherently \u0026lsquo;safer\u0026rsquo;.. (HT \u003ca href=\"http://www.traedays.com/blog/2010/11/songs-about-janes-love-for-social-engineering/\"\u003eTrae Days\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://artofmanliness.com/2010/11/12/7-lessons-appearance-marine-corps/\"\u003eInteresting take on the Marine Corps, Appearance and Tradition\u003c/a\u003e over at The Art of Manliness..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.economist.com/blogs/baobab/2010/11/interview_nihu_ribadu\"\u003eRibadu is interviewed\u003c/a\u003e on the Economist\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.economist.com/blogs/baobab\"\u003eAfrica blog\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11731928\"\u003eAmazon briefly lists\u003c/a\u003e the inappropriately named \u0026lsquo;The Pedophile\u0026rsquo;s Guide to Love and Pleasure: a Child-lover\u0026rsquo;s Code of Conduct\u0026rsquo; before bowing to pressure and taking it down..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.towleroad.com/2010/11/gay-couple-in-dallas-wed-over-skype-in-e-marriage.html\"\u003eSkype wedding?\u003c/a\u003e The possibilities are endless\u0026hellip; (HT The Daily Dish)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"Links: 12 Nov 2011"},{"content":"Almost on a whim, I signed up to sponsor a child via World Vision. The decision was taken without much thought whilst passing through the Mall at Union Square. November 11th is a special day in the RustGeek household; its the day the patriarch and the matriarch completed their nuptials as well as the day the one we lost to the genes was born. In the part of the world where I am, it is also Remembrance day.\nSo it wasn\u0026rsquo;t just on a whim.. I had been thinking about doing something to honour the memory of the day. And passing through the mall, seeing the opportunity to sponsor a child, it just felt right to do it. Amazingly, it will cost me just over 18 pounds a month - or one Nandos Platter to share. Not too much to leave a legacy in someone\u0026rsquo;s life I guess..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/11/11/for-more-than-my-belly/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAlmost\u003c/em\u003e on a whim, I signed up to sponsor a child via World Vision. The decision was taken without much thought whilst passing through the Mall at Union Square. November 11th is a special day in the RustGeek household; its the day the patriarch and the matriarch completed their nuptials as well as the day the one we lost to the genes was born. In the part of the world where I am, it is also \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remembrance_Day\"\u003eRemembrance day\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"For more than my belly..."},{"content":"For Gracie, who the genes took\u0026hellip;\nYou never saw the thirteenth summer through- before the genes claimed you.\nYou always were - the sallow one, knuckle- kneed, paper thin, but - the lights in your jaundiced eyes shone: through pain and fear, and hope and tears.\nThe strength in your voice never dimmed, never waned, until the genes - like a belligerent marabout\u0026rsquo;s curse - turned you, to a mound of red- dead earth\nYou never saw the thirteenth summer through- but like a wound left raw We remember.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/11/11/for-gracie/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor Gracie, \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sickle-cell_disease\"\u003ewho the genes\u003c/a\u003e took\u0026hellip;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou never saw\nthe thirteenth summer through-\nbefore the genes\nclaimed you.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou always were -\nthe sallow one, knuckle-\nkneed, paper thin, but -\nthe lights in your\njaundiced eyes shone:\nthrough pain and fear,\nand hope and tears.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe strength in your voice\nnever dimmed, never waned,\nuntil the genes - like a\nbelligerent marabout\u0026rsquo;s curse -\nturned you,\nto a mound of red-\ndead earth\u003c/p\u003e","title":"For Gracie..."},{"content":"The difference is clear - the first few blasts of slightly warm air as I step out of onto the tarmac are the clearest reminder that I have left my small town\u0026rsquo;s five degree weather behind for at least a couple of days. It is a year almost to the day since I last passed through London - that blatantly self centred and most cosmopolitan of cities - and as usual I feel ill at ease. Blame my small town mentality - in the little corner of the world where I grew up, every one knew every one else and their grand mother.. and their second cousins twice removed. One was as likely to get whupped by the bloke down the street who felt you were up to no good as you were by your own father..\nPlaces, to me, have unique signatures; sights, sounds, smells and landmarks which are etched in the mind and are the buoys that mark the conflation of memory, time and space. My re acquaintance with this city has suffered many false starts. Holidays were sacrificed on the altar of work projects, air plane tickets were deemed too pricey by my proprietary algorithm bank account and friends and family conspired to go on journeys at the one time the stars seemed to align for me. Stepping out on the tarmac is in reality a minor miracle.\nOn the train into town I am reminded of just how self absorbed people can be. A rather portly man has decided its his dinner time - dinner being fish, chips and some other items he eats out of a bag. It is clear that there is a measure of discomfort induced by the smells of his food, but he oblivious to the fact - or merely indifferent to our concerns - carries on apace shifting morsel after morsel into his wide post box of a mouth. Aside of the odd exaggerated cough, we all seemed to have stoically accepted our \u0026rsquo;lot'.\nMy memories of this latest dalliance with London will be varied. I will remember the bloke on the tube - blond hair, eyes gaping, clearly enamoured of the thighs wantonly displayed by two teenage women inebriated beyond caring; the thin lipped Polish woman speaking with short terse sentences into her cell phone and then proceeding to apply more lip gloss at 11.35pm, the harsh scent of cannabis wafting up to my nose from darkened alleys as I tried to make my way to the dump I opted to stay in to save costs and the plethora of voices and languages I was immersed in. There are more pleasant memories though - a fabulous Friday night dinner, some alcohol light wine, intelligent discussion on varied subjects and success in my principal objective for making the trip.\nPrincipal objectives achieved? Check. Loads of football manager? Check. Fab dinner? Check\u0026hellip; It\u0026rsquo;s been a great week.. :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/11/07/memories-of-a-city/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe difference is clear - the first few blasts of slightly warm air as I step out of onto the tarmac are the clearest reminder that I have left my small town\u0026rsquo;s five degree weather behind for at least a couple of days. It is a year almost to the day since I last passed through London - that blatantly self centred and most cosmopolitan of cities - and as usual I feel ill at ease. Blame my small town mentality - in the little corner of the world where I grew up, every one knew every one else and their grand mother.. and their second cousins twice removed. One was as likely to get whupped by the bloke down the street who felt you were up to no good as you were by your own father..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Memories of a city..."},{"content":"Winter has struck its first tentative blows - two successive days last week we woke up to see our world carpeted with a thin layer of snow. Karla - Benny\u0026rsquo;s wife who has lived all her life in this town - swears that this is the first time she\u0026rsquo;s seen snow fall in October. Considering last winter was one in which several firsts going back thirty years were bested, that singular piece of news leaves one with a sense of dread. Those who should know better also swear by their instruments that this will be yet another long, hard, harsh winter. In anticipation - and I should add as usual - the gas and power suppliers are inching the rates upwards. Not since 2008 has there being such a significant hike in prices. Predictably there is discontent at huge profits, pay for executives and other such perceived signs of exploitation in the face of price rises. One paper goes as far as saying \u0026lsquo;Christmas will be ruined\u0026rsquo; - for an annual average increase of a princely seventy pounds or 67.2 bottles of Becks premium lager\u0026hellip;. The days when we bemoaned twenty-six degree weather seem so far away now..\nAmidst the sound bites though is the glibly overlooked fact that the coming of winter is not all gloom and doom. Winter, and by extension snow, is a harbinger of more things than cold, slippery weather. The city centre is already replete with decorations - decked out with bunting in anticipation of Christmas, radio DJs are already announcing their end of year raves, and furniture deals for Christmas delivery are already being advertised. Most importantly perhaps is the stark reminder that 2010 - like an athlete on steroids - gallops to an inexorable close and the long lists of plans , programs and good intentioned activities which we all swore by need delivering on. In other words, it is the end game for 2010, and I for one need to knuckle down and close out the last bits..\nAll told, its being a pretty decent year\u0026hellip; A few more days of gloves, caps, knee length coats\u0026hellip; A few more tasks to accomplish and it might yet be a great year\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/11/01/winters-first-blows-2010-and-other-random-thoughts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWinter has struck its first tentative blows - two successive days last week we woke up to see our world carpeted with a thin layer of snow. Karla - Benny\u0026rsquo;s wife who has lived all her life in this town - swears that this is the first time she\u0026rsquo;s seen snow fall in October. Considering \u003ca href=\"http://http//therustgeeksblog.wordpress.com/2010/01/almost-the-first-week/\"\u003elast winter was one in which several firsts going back thirty years were bested,\u003c/a\u003e that singular piece of news leaves one with a sense of dread. Those who should know better also swear by their instruments that this will be yet another long, hard, harsh winter. In anticipation - and I should add as usual - the gas and power suppliers are inching the rates upwards. Not since 2008 has there being such a significant hike in prices. Predictably there is discontent at huge profits, pay for executives and other such perceived signs of exploitation in the face of price rises. One paper goes as far as saying \u003ca href=\"http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/10/30/scottish-and-southern-energy-to-announce-9-4-gas-price-increase-115875-22675607/\"\u003e\u0026lsquo;Christmas will be ruined\u0026rsquo;\u003c/a\u003e - for an annual average increase of a princely seventy pounds or 67.2 bottles of Becks premium lager\u0026hellip;. The days when we \u003ca href=\"/2010/07/heatwave-dividends/\"\u003ebemoaned twenty-six degree weather\u003c/a\u003e seem so far away now..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Winter's first blows, 2010 and other random thoughts..."},{"content":" A bloke can do no worse than believe his own hype\u0026hellip;\nSigh.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/10/29/lessons-learned/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA bloke can do no worse than believe his own hype\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSigh.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Lessons learned..."},{"content":"Currently on repeat: Josh Wilson - Before the morning\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/10/27/on-repeat-josh-wilson/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eCurrently on repeat: \u003ca href=\"http://www.songlyrics.com/josh-wilson/before-the-morning-lyrics/\"\u003eJosh Wilson - Before the morning\u0026hellip;\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/New8i?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e","title":"On Repeat: Josh Wilson"},{"content":"Texas in Africa gives a clear cut example of how correlation is not causation but notes the difficulties involved in finding the distinction in real life contexts\u0026hellip;\nThe distinction between causation and correlation - and the obsession with making sure the two are not confused - sets quality research apart from shoddy or sloppy research. It\u0026rsquo;s incredibly frustrating to me to read a hastily put-together advocacy report or journalist\u0026rsquo;s account that assumes correlation means causation, despite the lack of evidence for such a claim. I understand why it happens; advocates and journalists have to work quickly, and if they talk to people who don\u0026rsquo;t understand the difference, how would they know otherwise? But it\u0026rsquo;s incredibly frustrating to see these errors made, especially when they lead to bad policy decisions.\nBalaji Ravichandran at The Guardian argues one part of the case for sparing the BBC World Service from proposed changes to make it funded from the License fee:\nThe World Service was, and remains, the voice of intellectual sincerity – the voice of Indian Maoists was heard just as easily, and just as readily, as those caught up in the Sudanese civil war, or the American-led campaign against Iraq and Afghanistan. In a land where sexuality was a taboo and homosexuality unmentionable, the BBC highlighted gay rights groups with which I, and hundreds of others in India, could get in touch. The World Service, for all its flaws, remains an unparalleled space for suppressed and unheard voices around the world. I can only imagine the difference the shortwave (and digital) services makes to those souls living under the opaque shadows of oppressive theocracies and murderous dictatorships.\nInterestingly, this is something I can relate to. A gift of a transistor radio when I turned eleven opened the doors to the world to me and provided a different angle to the government spin we heard daily in the midst of the Abacha regime via the NTA. Sportsworld and the BBC proms ensured we could hold our own when involved in discussions with our more fortunate neighbours who had access to DSTV back in the day..\nOver at Boundless, Matt Kaufman blames an entitlement culture for the French protests centred around the raising of the retirement age from 60 to 62 and argues that it is symptomatic of a wider problem:\nThis attitude isn\u0026rsquo;t just directed toward government. It\u0026rsquo;s one that pervades pretty much all of life for a great many people. They take an \u0026ldquo;I\u0026rsquo;m entitled\u0026rdquo; approach to their dealings with their families, their friends, their employers, their church workers. And even with God.\nIt should go without saying that this mindset is the opposite of the one we\u0026rsquo;re called to have. We\u0026rsquo;re supposed to be thankful people with servant hearts. But even when we know better, the culture has a way of seeping in, and finds a receptive place in our still-sinful nature.\nRoy Hodgson continues to put his worst foot forward in response to questions posed by journalists. After the 2-0 loss to Everton at Goodison park; here\u0026rsquo;s what he had to say:\nWe didn’t score goals and Everton did but I refuse to accept that we were in any way outplayed or any way inferior. I watched the performance and the second half was as good as I saw a Liverpool team play under my management that is for sure\nApparently, he\u0026rsquo;s so good there\u0026rsquo;s a forum devoted entirely to the dross he spits out..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/10/25/web-reads/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTexas in Africa gives a \u003ca href=\"http://texasinafrica.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-social-scientists-think-correlation.html\"\u003eclear cut example of how correlation is not causation\u003c/a\u003e but notes the difficulties involved in finding the distinction in real life contexts\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe distinction between causation and correlation - and the obsession with making sure the two are not confused - sets quality research apart from shoddy or sloppy research. It\u0026rsquo;s incredibly frustrating to me to read a hastily put-together advocacy report or journalist\u0026rsquo;s account that assumes correlation means causation, despite the lack of evidence for such a claim. I understand why it happens; advocates and journalists have to work quickly, and if they talk to people who don\u0026rsquo;t understand the difference, how would they know otherwise? But it\u0026rsquo;s incredibly frustrating to see these errors made, especially when they lead to bad policy decisions.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Web Reads...."},{"content":"I survived the week of going meatless\u0026hellip; Needless to say, I\u0026rsquo;ll not be repeating it anytime soon.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/10/24/the-week-of-going-meatless/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI survived the \u003ca href=\"/2010/10/going-vegetarian/\"\u003eweek of going meatless\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip; Needless to say, I\u0026rsquo;ll not be repeating it anytime soon.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The week of going meatless...."},{"content":"Sighing, is all I can do\u0026hellip;.. Fantasy Queen and Adia said it all.. :(\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/10/24/sigh/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSighing, is all I can do\u0026hellip;.. \u003ca href=\"http://inyamuakut.blogspot.com/2010/10/one-of-blogsvilles-finest.html\"\u003eFantasy Queen\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"http://adialayo.blogspot.com/2010/10/i-want-to-be-happy.html\"\u003eAdia\u003c/a\u003e said it all.. :(\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sigh.."},{"content":"Things about some women I still don\u0026rsquo;t understand\u0026hellip;..\nHow they manage to go from hag to wag in twenty short minutes on bus 23: Each day I get on the bus, I am treated to a minor miracle. The ladies - and they are the same \u0026lsquo;offenders\u0026rsquo; in the main - unfailingly whip out their boxes and mirrors and get to work. Within the space of a short bus ride, the transformation is complete. Several brushes, colours and peeks in the mirror later, they are virtually unrecognizable. Just why that couldn\u0026rsquo;t be achieved at home before hopping on the bus beats me hollow though. Why odd coloured shoes make it into the aso-ebi list: Last April, I was hounded well nigh to death by purple shoes. Thing was a good friend of mine had to keep up appearances attend some function - the specifics of which escape me. The clothes were done and dusted - only problem was that purple shoes were required. It just so happened that purple shoes were out of stock in all the shops she knew to check, and yours truly was called upon to devise a solution. Needless to say I failed woefully - not through lack of effort as I even went the distance of setting up a conference call just for them shoes - but due to the sheer absurdity of the choice of colour. My theory is that the first women who had aso-ebi\u0026rsquo;s had major shares in a shoe manufacturer and chose odd colours so that the shoes could not be re-used thereby guaranteeing increased revenues! Why some people think lime-green eyeliner works on their ebony-black face: Whilst quickly looking through lounging on amebobook the other day, I stumbled on a picture of some random chic with lime-green eyeliner. You know how a friend of a friend comments on a picture and amebobook somehow manages to put them onto your news feed in all their gory glory - that was it. Granted it was in the spirit of the Nigerian Independence celebrations, and people had to pretend to be patriotic by wearing green-ish stuff, but surely there were mirrors at home\u0026hellip; and in the rare event of there not being mirrors, friends and family could have alerted said chic to the incongruity of the eye-liner? How they manage to still feign surprise over stuff they knew would happen anyways: The ladies at MO Corp have banded themselves into some sort of fraternity. Ladies-only lunches, baby club discussions (at my desk no less), and the \u0026lsquo;official\u0026rsquo; baby shower for the pregged ladies on their last day of work. Its all well and good to have baby showers - great pizza, us blokes get to leave a wee bit early on a Friday and all, but I never can quite get over the false sense of surprise them ladies seem to muster. I mean, its standard practice that you\u0026rsquo;ll get a baby shower. Expect it, and spare us the excessive oohs ahhhs, and the drama! arghhh\u0026hellip; Why you wear \u0026lsquo;six\u0026rsquo; inch heels to church and then take them off midway through the service: I am an \u0026lsquo;apostle\u0026rsquo; of functionality which is why them ladies who wear six inch heels and then take them off midway leave me worried. Surely, the shoes can\u0026rsquo;t be so uncomfortable that they can\u0026rsquo;t stay on for two and a half hours only? Why you manage to tear up ever so freely in church: Every time I get the misfortune of being sat next to a particular young lady in church, I groan inwardly. Problem is not that she\u0026rsquo;s got a massive dose of BO, but that she manages to contort her face in so many twists and turns that I\u0026rsquo;m left wondering if I am safe. 90% of the time, she\u0026rsquo;ll cry during the worship - often times that is the precise moment I am discreetly reviewing my twitter timeline, an indicator of just how bored with the whole experience I am. It really is just the worship right?I have a sneaky feeling, that it might be more than just the worship, perhaps she is remembering what Bro Okon did the night before\u0026hellip; Sigh\u0026hellip;\nPS: No hard feelings.. To the friends I have called out.. I owe each of you a purple shoe\u0026hellip;. In the year 2150.. :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/10/19/stuff-about-some-women-i-still-dont-understand/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThings about some women I still don\u0026rsquo;t understand\u0026hellip;..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow they manage to go from \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hag\"\u003ehag\u003c/a\u003e to \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WAGs\"\u003ewag\u003c/a\u003e in twenty short minutes on bus 23:\u003c/strong\u003e Each day I get on the bus, I am treated to a minor miracle. The ladies - and they are the same \u0026lsquo;offenders\u0026rsquo; in the main - unfailingly whip out their boxes and mirrors and get to work. Within the space of a short bus ride, the transformation is complete. Several brushes, colours and peeks in the mirror later, they are virtually unrecognizable. Just why that couldn\u0026rsquo;t be achieved at home before hopping on the bus beats me hollow though.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy odd coloured shoes make it into the \u003ca href=\"http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=aso%20ebi\"\u003easo-ebi\u003c/a\u003e list:\u003c/strong\u003e Last April, I was hounded well nigh to death by purple shoes. Thing was a good friend of mine had to keep up appearances attend some function  - the specifics of which escape me. The clothes were done and dusted - only problem was that purple shoes were required. It just so happened that purple shoes were out of stock in all the shops she knew to check, and yours truly was called upon to devise a solution. Needless to say I failed woefully - not through lack of effort  as I even went the distance of setting up a conference call just for them shoes - but due to the sheer absurdity of the choice of colour. My theory is that the first women who had aso-ebi\u0026rsquo;s had major shares in a shoe manufacturer and chose odd colours so that the shoes could not be re-used thereby guaranteeing increased revenues!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy some people think lime-green eyeliner works on their ebony-black face:\u003c/strong\u003e Whilst quickly looking through lounging on   \u003ca href=\"http://www.facebook.com/\"\u003eamebobook\u003c/a\u003e the other day, I stumbled on a picture of some random chic with lime-green eyeliner. You know how a friend of a friend comments on a picture and amebobook somehow manages to put them onto your news feed in all their gory glory - that was it. Granted it was in the spirit of the Nigerian Independence celebrations, and people had to pretend to be patriotic by wearing green-ish stuff, but surely there were mirrors at home\u0026hellip; and in the rare event of there not being mirrors, friends and family could have alerted said chic to the incongruity of the eye-liner?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow they manage to still feign surprise over stuff they knew would happen anyways:\u003c/strong\u003e The ladies at MO Corp have banded themselves into some sort of fraternity. Ladies-only lunches, \u003ca href=\"../2010/03/help/\"\u003ebaby club discussions (at my desk no less)\u003c/a\u003e, and the \u0026lsquo;official\u0026rsquo; baby shower for the pregged ladies on their last day of work. Its all well and good to have baby showers - great pizza, us blokes get to leave a wee bit early on a Friday and all, but I never can quite get over the false sense of surprise them ladies seem to muster. I mean, its standard practice that you\u0026rsquo;ll get a baby shower. Expect it, and spare us the excessive \u003cem\u003eoohs ahhhs\u003c/em\u003e, and the drama! arghhh\u0026hellip;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy you wear \u0026lsquo;six\u0026rsquo; inch heels to church and then take them off midway through the service:\u003c/strong\u003e I am an \u0026lsquo;apostle\u0026rsquo; of functionality which is why them ladies who wear six inch heels and then take them off midway leave me worried. Surely, the shoes can\u0026rsquo;t be so uncomfortable that they can\u0026rsquo;t stay on for two and a half hours only?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy you manage to tear up ever so freely in church:\u003c/strong\u003e Every time I get the misfortune of being sat next to a particular young lady in church, I groan inwardly. Problem is not that she\u0026rsquo;s got a massive dose of BO, but that she manages to contort her face in so many twists and turns that I\u0026rsquo;m left wondering if I am safe. 90% of the time, she\u0026rsquo;ll cry during the worship - often times that is the precise moment I am discreetly reviewing my twitter timeline, an indicator of just how bored with the whole experience I am. It really is just the worship right?I have a sneaky feeling, that it might be more than just the worship, perhaps she is remembering what Bro Okon did the night before\u0026hellip;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSigh\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Stuff About Some Women I still Don't Understand.."},{"content":"The sudden realization, that it took me only a month and a half to fill a Nandos loyalty card has left me with a mixture of sadness and fear - sadness at the sheer number of chicken that have lost their lives to feed my lust for peri-peri chicken, and fear at what those loads of chemical laced proteins is doing to my innards\u0026hellip; So for a week - to pacify my conscience, i will eat vegetarian only\u0026hellip; That will be difficult because my early morning bacon sandwich and coffee from Sainsbury, my company paid bacon/egg/mushroom roll on Fridays, and all the other good meaty stuff I live for will get tossed out.. Healthy eating was one of the four critical categories for 2010, I need to get a jump on it\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/10/17/going-vegetarian/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe sudden realization, that it took me only a month and a half to fill a Nandos loyalty card has left me with a mixture of sadness and fear - sadness at the sheer number of chicken that have lost their lives to feed my lust for peri-peri chicken, and fear at what those loads of chemical laced proteins is doing to my innards\u0026hellip; So for a week - to pacify my conscience, i will eat vegetarian only\u0026hellip; That will be difficult because my early morning bacon sandwich and coffee from Sainsbury, my company paid bacon/egg/mushroom roll on Fridays, and all the other good meaty stuff I live for will get tossed out.. \u003ca href=\"/2010/01/2010-here-goes/\"\u003eHealthy eating\u003c/a\u003e was one of the four critical categories for 2010, I need to get a jump on it\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Going Vegetarian.."},{"content":"We still await the promised Lauryn Hill rebirth\u0026hellip;.. I\u0026rsquo;ve had these two on repeat all day\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\nCan\u0026rsquo;t take my eyes off of you Tell Him ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/10/17/on-repeat/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWe still await the promised \u003ca href=\"http://rap.about.com/b/2010/09/03/lauryn-hill-says-shes-close-to-releasing-new-album.htm\"\u003eLauryn Hill rebirth\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip;.. I\u0026rsquo;ve had these two on repeat all day\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCan\u0026rsquo;t take my eyes off of you\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/FJ5BXfXUYwM?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTell Him\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/VTFvgTfyToc?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On repeat....."},{"content":" Broken lifts - gave me free exercise but thirteen flights of steps went a wee bit too far\u0026hellip; Empty bottles, spilled liquids and much more in the lifts when they actually worked\u0026hellip;. Extra rowdy football crowds - if only they actually won something\u0026hellip;.. Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses proselytizing - oh and they offered to come back\u0026hellip; Mr Landlord - who smoked in the house, once decided to remodel the bath on a Monday morning and was generally a pain in the nether regions\u0026hellip;. Attempted murder just across the road and in broad daylight too\u0026hellip; A notorious park within the neighborhood\u0026hellip; Hate messages scrawled on freshly painted walls, and scratched on lift doors\u0026hellip;. Raised eyebrows when I give my post code at the GP\u0026hellip; Regular police fliers in the mail requesting information on crimes committed in the neighborhood\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; Ten months after making the move up north - and opting to go the cheap route to stay in the vicinity of a council flat - I\u0026rsquo;m finally moving houses\u0026hellip; Its good to be moving on\u0026hellip;. If I can only get the heating and the internet to work.. ..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/10/15/stuff-i-will-not-miss-about-nct/","summary":"\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBroken lifts - gave me free exercise but thirteen flights of steps went a wee bit too far\u0026hellip;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEmpty bottles, spilled liquids and much more in the lifts when they actually worked\u0026hellip;.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExtra rowdy football crowds - if only \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberdeen_F.C.\"\u003ethey actually won something\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip;..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses proselytizing - oh and they offered to come back\u0026hellip;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMr Landlord - who smoked in the house, once decided to remodel the bath on a Monday morning and was generally a pain in the nether regions\u0026hellip;.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://news.stv.tv/scotland/north/184640-pair-charged-with-attempted-murder-of-man-57-due-in-court/\"\u003eAttempted murder\u003c/a\u003e just across the road and in broad daylight too\u0026hellip;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=300599\"\u003eA notorious park\u003c/a\u003e within the neighborhood\u0026hellip;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHate messages scrawled on freshly painted walls, and scratched on lift doors\u0026hellip;.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRaised eyebrows when I give my post code at the GP\u0026hellip;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRegular police fliers in the mail requesting information on crimes committed in the neighborhood\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTen months after making the move up north - and opting to go the cheap route to stay in the vicinity of a council flat - I\u0026rsquo;m finally moving houses\u0026hellip;  Its good to be moving on\u0026hellip;. If I can only get the heating and the internet  to work.. ..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Stuff I will not miss about NCT.."},{"content":"After a long running saga, Liverpool FC was finally sold to another set of Americans.. NESV principal and the new club owner , John W Henry, had this to say so us \u0026rsquo;long suffering\u0026rsquo; fans\u0026hellip;\nAll I can say at this point is we\u0026rsquo;re going to work as hard for you as we possibly can and there\u0026rsquo;s no doubt about it, you deserve it. You have supported this club through the worst of times now and we\u0026rsquo;re going to do everything in our power to make the supporters proud of their club and of us. It\u0026rsquo;s a big challenge but I think we\u0026rsquo;re up for that challenge.\nWe keep \u0026lsquo;walking on\u0026hellip; with hope in our hearts\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026rsquo;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/10/15/ynwa/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAfter a long running saga, \u003ca href=\"http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/9094283.stm\"\u003eLiverpool FC was finally sold to another set of Americans\u003c/a\u003e.. NESV principal and the new club owner , John W Henry, \u003ca href=\"http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/john-henry-the-first-interview\"\u003ehad this to say\u003c/a\u003e so us \u0026rsquo;long suffering\u0026rsquo; fans\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll I can say at this point is we\u0026rsquo;re going to work as hard for you as we possibly can and there\u0026rsquo;s no doubt about it, you deserve it. You have supported this club through the worst of times now and we\u0026rsquo;re going to do everything in our power to make the supporters proud of their club and of us. It\u0026rsquo;s a big challenge but I think we\u0026rsquo;re up for that challenge.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"YNWA"},{"content":"In perhaps one of those quirks of timing - which make me wonder if indeed the world is \u0026lsquo;run\u0026rsquo; by someone with an almost Machiavellian sense of mirth - Malcolm Gladwell\u0026rsquo;s New Yorker piece on social media hit the blogosphere a few days after twitter was leading the way in breaking news of bomb blasts during Nigeria\u0026rsquo;s 50th year anniversary celebrations. True to type, the response to his article has been immediate and extensive, but largely critical. I suspect that this is to be expected - most people who would write a blog, or tweet, or use foursquare would feel personally chastised by the words that Gladwell offered.\nThe crux of Gladwell\u0026rsquo;s argument is that potentially high-risk activism is grown through strong-tie connections - people are more likely to persist with causes they are personally invested in - than through soft-tie ones. And persistence, often through the risk of significant personal danger, is the stuff that spawns revolutions. Amongst the studies, anecdotes, and scenarios he references, the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project of 1964 stands out for providing the \u0026rsquo;evidence\u0026rsquo; for the strong-tie hypothesis. Upon analyzing the close connections of the dropouts from the program as against the connections of those who stayed in, Doug McAdam surmised;\nAll of the applicants—participants and withdrawals alike—emerge as highly committed, articulate supporters of the goals and values of the summer program,” What mattered more was an applicant’s degree of personal connection to the civil-rights movement. All the volunteers were required to provide a list of personal contacts—the people they wanted kept apprised of their activities—and participants were far more likely than dropouts to have close friends who were also going to Mississippi.\nIf Gladwell has erred - and I use that word loosely - it is in offering a contrast between soft and strong tie connections instead of analyzing the potential for synergy between both methods. By also ignoring the very real potential for soft-tie connections to develop into strong ties, he has us locked into an either-or paradigm, instead of looking at both soft and strong ties as means to the same end. Grassroots mobilization - one to one contact - has its place, but so does disseminating information. The very nature of social media - its intrinsic democracy and near ubiquity of delivery -makes it a great tool for quickly getting the word out. I suspect, that if the Civil Rights movement was birthed in this age, it may well have been tweeted. It is a distinct possibility that access to critical information may be more important in a given context than organizing a physical sit-in. The true paradigm is thus one of synergy - where the unique selling points of both worlds are allied to achieve the common goal. Social media may well not start the revolution, it may - to borrow another Gladwellian concept - cause the tipping point; a critical mass of informed citizenry.\nIt is perhaps apt, that we leave the last word to our very own Aloofar over at NigeriansTalk.org\n\u0026hellip;if we must tweet the desired change, at least on a grand scale, the strategy must be right. It must be an all-involving, well-coordinated one that brings together everyone, both online and offline, in a manner that registers our interests as one voice.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/10/12/gladwell-twitter-and-the-nigerian-angle/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn perhaps one of those quirks of timing - which make me wonder if indeed the world is \u0026lsquo;run\u0026rsquo; by someone with an almost Machiavellian sense of mirth - Malcolm Gladwell\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/10/04/101004fa_fact_gladwell\"\u003eNew Yorker piece on social media\u003c/a\u003e hit the blogosphere a few days after \u003ca href=\"http://www.naijablog.co.uk/2010/10/power-of-tweet.html\"\u003etwitter was leading the way\u003c/a\u003e in breaking news of bomb blasts during Nigeria\u0026rsquo;s 50th year anniversary celebrations. True to type, the response to his article has been immediate and extensive, but largely critical. I suspect that this is to be expected - most people who would write a blog, or tweet, or use foursquare would feel personally chastised by the words that Gladwell offered.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Opinion: Gladwell, Twitter and the Nigerian Angle..."},{"content":"Sometimes even the best laid plains falter- tripped up by the most mundane of details which to the planner were irrelevant. What then can we do but stoically shrug, and move on to the next one\u0026hellip;.\nWhen things unplanned lead to desired- yet unintended- consequences we must also hail our good fortune and take the chance proffered with both hands. It was Leonard Ravenhill who said:\n\u0026rsquo;the opportunity of a lifetime must be harnessed in the lifetime of the opportunity\u0026rsquo;\u0026hellip;.\nThat I must, this I will\u0026hellip; :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/10/09/of-unintended-consequences/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSometimes even the best laid plains falter- tripped up by the most mundane of details which to the planner were irrelevant. What then can we do but stoically shrug, and move on to the next one\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen things unplanned lead to desired- yet unintended- consequences we must also hail our good fortune and take the chance proffered with both hands. It was \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Ravenhill\"\u003eLeonard Ravenhill\u003c/a\u003e who said:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026rsquo;the opportunity of a lifetime must be harnessed in the lifetime of the opportunity\u0026rsquo;\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Of unintended consequences..."},{"content":"Only the most deluded of persons would deny that summer is well and truly over. Not only does it feel quite chilly, the trees also think so. Hyde park, which by much squinting I can just see from my 13th floor window at MO Corp, is covered in a layer of browns, reds, golds and the odd green patch crafted by fallen leaves as the trees acknowledge autumn. The sun on the odd occasion it manages to peek from behind the dull clouds seems weak, tired and offers no real warmth. Moments like these are those which fill me with a misplaced sense of nostalgia. Mercifully, I have my fleece with me as I head off to lunch with the team from work.\nLunch is at the Soul bar - and I may have unwittingly broken a personal record - the number of consecutive days I have had the exact same thing for lunch. The new record is five - five consecutive days having chicken fajitas. I have recently, thanks to the benevolence of a friend, acquired a taste for them; and soul bar - situated within the former West Church of St Andrew - delivers wonderful fajitas in an atmosphere of soft lighting, music and candle light! (gasp). The menu cards are humongous, and someone jokes that this is a great place to take a date to as the huge menu cards provide something to hide behind if the date goes awry.\nIt is a going away lunch for Kev who has completed his tour of duty, and the lunch time talk is slightly reserved - almost strained. Its been a great few weeks together on this project and he will really be missed. Whilst tucking into our food, Kev announces that he thinks our waitress is Canadian. For me all North American accents blur into imperceptibility. He, world traveler par excellence, thinks he can pin her accent to Nova Scotia. I make a mental note to confirm that. Kev and I have our plates well cleaned out when lunch ends - clearly we have no regards for calorie counts. The ladies plates though still have varying amounts of left over food. I remark that it must suck to have to bother about waistlines - such good food going to waste - and I get more than a few complimentary glares! At payment time, Kev asks the waitress and she confirms she\u0026rsquo;s Canadian. How he does this beats us all the time - he says its just being perceptive, the girls think its yet more proof that he\u0026rsquo;s psychic.\nSpeaking of cuts, calorie counting and bulging waist lines, leaked documents suggest that the BBC World Service as we know is in for massive change. Regular drama programming, Proms, and the Wimbledon highlights show are top of the agenda for axing\u0026hellip; Sigh.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/09/25/summers-end-chicken-fajitas-and-cuts-at-the-beeb/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOnly the most deluded of persons would deny that summer is well and truly over. Not only does it feel quite chilly, the trees also think so. Hyde park, which by much squinting I can just see from my 13th floor window at MO Corp, is covered in a layer of browns, reds, golds and the odd green patch crafted by fallen leaves as the trees acknowledge autumn. The sun on the odd occasion it manages to peek from behind the dull clouds seems weak, tired and offers no real warmth. Moments like these are those which fill me with a misplaced sense of nostalgia. Mercifully, I have my fleece with me as I head off to lunch with the team from work.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Summer's end, chicken fajitas and cuts at the BEEB"},{"content":"\nSource\nWritten in response to the prompt of the week at Writer\u0026rsquo;s Island\u0026hellip;.\nGin poured on earth - Salt water, five lobed kola nuts With palm wine. White loincloth over Bare skin, white cockerel held Over head spun- Seven times, Till faint.\nWater, waist high Dirty brown infused with oil – Coloured sheen. Orange plumes belch- ing black smoke;\n*Yemanja, the fish have fled; The mangrove swamps have become A deathbed. There is no fresh fish - Pepper soup, no cassava plants Left unshrivelled; No respite From the stench of putrefying life.\n*Yemanja, you have given - And with the other hand taken, May tomorrow be a better day. **Iseeeeeeeeee!\n*Yemanja is the goddess (derived from Yoruba mythology) worshiped by the fishermen in Jorge Amado\u0026rsquo;s Sea of Death\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/09/21/a-fishermans-invocation/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/barabedom_fish_farm_1_0.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Barabedom Fish Farm\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/barabedom_fish_farm_1_0.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://desastre.eu/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/nigeria-barabedom-fish-farm/barabedom_fish_farm_1_0.jpg\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWritten in response to the \u003ca href=\"http://writersisland.wordpress.com/2010/09/18/prompt-21-for-2010-fisherman/\"\u003eprompt of the week at Writer\u0026rsquo;s Island\u0026hellip;.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGin poured on earth -\nSalt water, five lobed kola nuts\nWith palm wine.\nWhite loincloth over\nBare skin, white cockerel held\nOver head spun-\nSeven times, Till faint.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWater, waist high\nDirty brown infused with oil –\nColoured sheen.\nOrange plumes belch-\ning black smoke;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*Yemanja, the fish have fled;\nThe mangrove swamps have become\nA deathbed. There is no fresh fish -\nPepper soup, no cassava plants\nLeft unshrivelled; No respite\nFrom the stench of putrefying life.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Fisherman's Invocation.."},{"content":"\nA wry smile plays on my lips as the \u0026lsquo;Angel of the North\u0026rsquo;- that behemoth that towers over the North East - comes into view. It is the one landmark that definitively asserts that I am back \u0026lsquo;home\u0026rsquo;. It is akin to a familiar tree ensconced at the junction of multiple roads whose stump - weather beaten, fire scarred, sometimes hacked for firewood - remains indelible, unmoved, an un-poured libation to the gods to whom we as restless travelers owe our protection. I consider this city a spiritual home of sorts for me - much like Bombay in Gregory David Roberts\u0026rsquo; Shantaramis to his character. I came here at a time of great personal turmoil in several areas of my life - and I like to think the two great years I spent here set me on the path to redeeming my life.\nThe city still looks the same, still feels the same, still smells the same - still is the same actually. Fierce looking bikers - with tattoos emblazoned on every body part it seems - still stalk the streets of Benwell. The LIFE centre still operates, the rotisserie grill at Co-op still seeks to entice the loose change from my pockets into its tills, Greggs still reaches out for my soul and all. Its raining when I alight from the bus - the weather here is bipolar at best - I make the phone call to my friend Id, my host - it feels great to be home again\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/09/19/homeward/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/angel-18.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Angel 18\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/angel-18.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA wry smile plays on my lips as the \u0026lsquo;\u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_of_the_North\"\u003eAngel of the North\u003c/a\u003e\u0026rsquo;- that behemoth that towers over the North East - comes into view. It is the one landmark that definitively asserts that I am back \u0026lsquo;home\u0026rsquo;. It is akin to a familiar tree ensconced at the junction of multiple roads whose stump - weather beaten, fire scarred, sometimes hacked for firewood - remains indelible, unmoved, an un-poured libation to the gods to whom we as restless travelers owe our protection. I consider this city a spiritual home of sorts for me - much like Bombay in \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shantaram-Gregory-David-Roberts/dp/0349117543\"\u003eGregory David Roberts\u0026rsquo;\u003c/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shantaram-Gregory-David-Roberts/dp/0349117543\"\u003eShantaram\u003c/a\u003eis to his character. I came here at a time of great personal turmoil in several areas of my life - and I like to think the two great years I spent here set me on the path to redeeming my life.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Homeward..."},{"content":"\nDo misty eyes mean Pain festering deep Lean souls starved - Hope blithely crushed And purloined?\nDo memories mean Wounds left raw, rubbed sore, Chafed red - careless promises Blown away like ripples on a lake by a belligerent hurricane?\nDo clasped hands hide scars And wry smiles hide gloom\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/09/16/questions-for-ella/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/ella1.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"ella\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/ella1.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDo misty eyes mean\nPain festering deep\nLean souls starved -\nHope blithely crushed\nAnd purloined?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDo memories mean\nWounds left raw, rubbed sore,\nChafed red - careless promises\nBlown away like ripples on a lake\nby a belligerent hurricane?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDo clasped hands hide scars\nAnd wry smiles hide gloom\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Questions..... For *Ella"},{"content":" \u0026ldquo;If I have to see the insides of yet another heat exchanger, I just might quit\u0026rdquo;.\nSo said I to Annie - the intern who assists me at MO Corp - mainly in jest, but with more than just a threat of burnout hovering just beneath the surface. It has been thirty-seven straight weeks of working without a break; thirty-seven weeks of mind numbing, brain frying, geek stuff. It hasn\u0026rsquo;t helped that I have been largely unable to unburden my mind by reading; unable to let myself loose to indulge in the art of imagination as prompted by others more accomplished than myself.\nLast week, I decided I needed to change that and I have started - by digging into Brian Chikwava\u0026rsquo;s Harare North. It tells the story of an unnamed Zimbabwean immigrant who heads to London (Harare North) looking for work to pay off his debts back home - and buy his freedom from the clutches of the police. I found the vernacular style strangely disconcerting, but overall it was a good read. The scene where Sinyoro (uncle to Shingi, our protagonist\u0026rsquo;s friend) calls our (unnamed) protagonist and proceeds to exchange lengthygreetings brought back memories of my grandmother who had a penchant for long and unwieldy greeting routines.\nOn the small matter of overdue holidays, I now have a week to play with. And I have decided to head down south - back to the North East of England. Its a region I haven\u0026rsquo;t been back to since I left late last year, and it promises to be a pilgrimage of sorts. In a sense, I am perceived as the returning hero amongst the friends I have left there, one of the few who have managed to get back into the work place after the debacle that was the demise of our last \u0026lsquo;graft\u0026rsquo;, and let\u0026rsquo;s just say that expectations are high. Its all in the life of a bloke I guess. Bring it on!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/09/14/overdue-holidays-reading-and-a-pilgrimage-of-sorts/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;If I have to see the insides of yet another heat exchanger, I just might quit\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo said I to Annie - the intern who assists me at MO Corp - mainly in jest, but with more than just a threat of burnout hovering just beneath the surface. It has been thirty-seven straight weeks of working without a break; thirty-seven weeks of mind numbing, brain frying, geek stuff. It hasn\u0026rsquo;t helped that I have been largely unable to unburden my mind by reading; unable to let myself loose to indulge in the art of imagination as prompted by others more accomplished than myself.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Overdue Holidays, Reading and a Pilgrimage of sorts..."},{"content":"Stumbled on Heather Headley\u0026rsquo;s cover of a well known (at least to chaps from my age) Commissioned song.. Still love it!\n[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6DRkPGs8pc]\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/09/12/running-back-to-you/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eStumbled on Heather Headley\u0026rsquo;s cover of a well known (at least to chaps from my age) \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commissioned_%28gospel_group%29\"\u003eCommissioned\u003c/a\u003e song.. Still love it!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6DRkPGs8pc]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Running Back to You"},{"content":"Out here, they say summer lasts one day, and no its not Midsummer\u0026rsquo;s day. That claim - entirely anecdotal mind you - has been made with surprising regularity by quite a few of the cab drivers I have had the opportunity to chat with while commuting to work. One cab driver even offered a quasi-scientific explanation, the town is surrounded by highlands on one side and the North Sea on the other which explains the bi-polar behaviour of the weather. Yesterday it was a windy 8 degrees, the day before a summery 14 degrees, today its rained bucket loads of water. The locals have quit bothering - they merely shrug and quiescently suggest tomorrow will be a better day.\nNearly a year spent in this town hasn\u0026rsquo;t eliminated the possibility of meeting people I used to know in Nigeria. On the number 23 bus today, I ran into yet another classmate from undergrad. She\u0026rsquo;s married these days, with a kid to boot. Perhaps its anchoring, but I seem to remind her a lot more trim. Considering I last saw her almost ten years ago now, I can be forgiven for having an image of the demure 20 year old girl I used to know. I also have changed too - I now wear an unruly afro and there is the hint of the burgeoning keg, my euphemism for a beer belly.\nI have not done any reading for the greater part of the year, even though I have shelled out a fair bit of money acquiring books. That, is definitely the focus of the remainder of the year. My plan was to focus largely on African writing this year - Brian Chikwava\u0026rsquo;s Harare North, Helon Habila\u0026rsquo;s Oil on Water, Chika Unigwe\u0026rsquo;s On Black Sisters\u0026rsquo; Street and a half dozen other books have gathered a layer of dust on my shelves. The first few books were very well reviewed and I had great hopes. Like the procrastinator I am, I have given myself an ultimatum to kick-start my reading\u0026hellip; Tomorrow\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/09/11/weather-bus-trips-and-an-absence-of-reading/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOut here, they say summer lasts one day, and no its not Midsummer\u0026rsquo;s day. That claim - entirely anecdotal mind you - has been made with surprising regularity by quite a few of the cab drivers I have had the opportunity to chat with while commuting to work. One cab driver even offered a quasi-scientific explanation, the town is surrounded by highlands on one side and the North Sea on the other which explains the bi-polar behaviour of the weather. Yesterday it was a windy 8 degrees, the day before a \u003cem\u003esummery\u003c/em\u003e 14 degrees, today its rained bucket loads of water. The locals have quit bothering - they merely shrug and quiescently suggest tomorrow will be a better day.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weather, Bus trips and an absence of reading."},{"content":"It is the age of the internet - email, Facebook, Twitter, Hi5, MySpace, Instant Messaging and even SMS have contrived to depersonalize our communication. These days, my default mode of communication is electronic. I often reach first to my twitter account to send a direct message (DM) to my closest buddies, or then an email - and shock of all shocks - a phone call as a last resort. Growing up, hand written notes were the apogee of communication, especially between guys and girls. We went to great lengths to procure the right paper, practiced our cursive hand writing and parodied the writings of the likes of Shakespeare to present the right impression.\nA few days ago, I got a hand written note in the mail - and it brought back memories\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/09/04/handwritten-notes/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt is the age of the internet - email, Facebook, Twitter, Hi5, MySpace, Instant Messaging and even SMS have contrived to depersonalize our communication. These days, my default mode of communication is electronic. I often reach first to my twitter account to send a direct message (DM) to my closest buddies, or then an email - and shock of all shocks - a phone call as a last resort.   Growing up, hand written notes were the apogee of communication, especially between guys and girls. We went to great lengths to procure the right paper, practiced our cursive hand writing and parodied the writings of the likes of Shakespeare to present the right impression.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Musings: Handwritten Notes."},{"content":"What I need to do to have had a successful year\u0026hellip;..\nDeliver an updated website for the Church Media Team Complete my 2010 reading list Deliver my two \u0026lsquo;main\u0026rsquo; work projects for the year Visit my H-town peep.. Not too much to ask I guess!!!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/09/03/resolutions-the-almost-mid-year-edition/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWhat I need to do to have had a successful year\u0026hellip;..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeliver an updated website for the Church Media Team\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComplete my 2010 reading list\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeliver my two \u0026lsquo;main\u0026rsquo; work projects for the year\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVisit \u003cem\u003emy\u003c/em\u003e H-town peep..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot too much to ask I guess!!!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Resolutions: The (almost) Mid-Year Edition"},{"content":"[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLGlMbi7w3g]\nvia @GoodPlanet\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/08/30/happiness/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLGlMbi7w3g]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003evia \u003ca href=\"http://twitter.com/GoodPlanet_\"\u003e@GoodPlanet\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Happiness"},{"content":"This week I:\nLearned that I\u0026rsquo;m still irritated by text speak and mixed up grammar - when I am not the one dishing them out. Having a supposedly \u0026lsquo;serious\u0026rsquo; conversation with someone highlighted this very clearly to me. Learned that the expression \u0026lsquo;appearances are deceptive\u0026rsquo; may sound cliche but it can be really true. I have just had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine which segued into territory I never knew she had loads of experience in. Finally got to cross out one more book from my reading list. Kite Runner was sad, engaging and provided an insight into the Afghanistan situation - almost Chris Abani-ish. I loved the hint of redemption in the final scenes. Received a non work related handwritten note for the first time in close to six or seven years, on scented paper no less. The hand writing was horrible, but the gesture was well appreciated by me. Became an Uncle, then a God father twice - all within three days of each other. My littlest sister, and two very close friends all conspired to deliver babies within three days of each other, and my birthday. None of them shares the day with me though. Talk about bad timing! Saw new evidence that convinces me I live in my head - which is well insulated from the world. I went another week without getting angry, happy, sad or feeling any other strong emotion.I think I need for someone to get under my skin enough to make me exhibit strong emotions. That would convince me I am still connected to the world and not in my own cocoon. Got assigned a fancy new title at work - its one of those ones that is as long as your arm, but means absolutely nothing to my pay packet. Tsk! Tsk! Watched two interesting TED Talks - Dan Cobley on What physics can teach us about marketing and Ethan Zuckerman on Listening to Global voices. Acted totally out of character and reached out to someone I would never ever have connected with previously - oh and it was truly altruistic.. at least in my head. Averaged three and a half hours of sleep per night all week - so not good! Off to the comfort of my duvet now.. :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/08/28/randoms-3-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis week I:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLearned that I\u0026rsquo;m still irritated by text speak and mixed up grammar - \u003cem\u003ewhen I am not the one dishing them out\u003c/em\u003e. Having a supposedly \u0026lsquo;serious\u0026rsquo; conversation with someone highlighted this very clearly to me.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLearned that the expression \u0026lsquo;appearances are deceptive\u0026rsquo; may sound cliche but it can be really true. I have just had an \u003cem\u003einteresting\u003c/em\u003e conversation with a friend of mine which segued into territory I never knew she had loads of experience in.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFinally got to cross out one more book from my reading list. \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Kite-Runner-Khaled-Hosseini/dp/1594480001\"\u003eKite Runner\u003c/a\u003e was sad, engaging and provided an insight into the Afghanistan situation - almost Chris Abani-ish. I loved the hint of redemption in the final scenes.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReceived a non work related handwritten note for the first time in close to six or seven years, on scented paper no less. The hand writing was horrible, but the gesture was well appreciated by me.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBecame an Uncle, then a God father twice - all within three days of each other. My littlest sister, and two very close friends all conspired to deliver babies within three days of each other, and my birthday. None of them shares the day with me though. \u003cem\u003eTalk about bad timing!\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSaw new evidence that convinces me I live in my head - which is well insulated from the world. I went another week without getting angry, happy, sad or feeling any other strong emotion.I think I need for someone to get under my skin enough to make me exhibit strong emotions. That would convince me I am still connected to the world and not in my own cocoon.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGot assigned a fancy new title at work - its one of those ones that is as long as your arm, but means absolutely nothing to my pay packet. \u003cem\u003eTsk! Tsk!\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWatched two interesting TED Talks - \u003ca href=\"http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_cobley_what_physics_taught_me_about_marketing.html\"\u003eDan Cobley on What physics can teach us about marketing\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"http://blog.ted.com/2010/07/15/listening_to_gl/\"\u003eEthan Zuckerman on Listening to Global voices\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eActed totally out of character and reached out to someone I would never ever have connected with previously - oh and it was truly altruistic.. at least in my head.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAveraged three and a half hours of sleep per night all week - so not good!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOff to the comfort of my duvet now.. :)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Randoms."},{"content":"I registered for the City\u0026rsquo;s Learn to Swim program - today was the D-day, Day One of the training sessions.\nConsidering it was my first time in the pool for a long time, and I retain an almost pathological fear for water, I think I did ok. Granted I swallowed a fear gulps of the pool water, filled my ears with it, and generally made a nuisance of myself.\nThere are positives though- I am certainly not the worst of my batch, there are a few other Nigerians to alleviate any feeling of lostness, and the instructor adds a whole new dimension to the definition of hilarious. The one downside is there are no beautiful women- just flat chested, keg bellied blokes like yours truly.\nAs a minimum, I shall be back for lesson two\u0026hellip; That takes some beating!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/08/25/an-intrepid-fishman-i/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI registered for the City\u0026rsquo;s Learn to Swim program - today was the D-day, Day One of the training sessions.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConsidering it was my first time in the pool for a long time, and I retain an almost pathological fear for water, I think I did ok. Granted I swallowed a fear gulps of the pool water, filled my ears with it, and generally made a nuisance of myself.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are positives though- I am certainly not the worst of my batch, there are a few other Nigerians to alleviate any feeling of lostness, and the instructor adds a whole new dimension to the definition of hilarious. The one downside is there are no beautiful women- just flat chested, keg bellied blokes like yours truly.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"An intrepid fishman, I"},{"content":"They say life is about simple pleasures - everyday things which we are wont to make light of - which taken together serve to generate an ambience of normalcy around us. Each week, I will attempt to identify one simple thing I have grown to delight in\u0026hellip; from my otherwise uninteresting life.\nWhen the subject of music, and my taste with regards to it comes up, I always declare unequivocally that my taste is eccletic. In the past week for instance, I have listened to Eminem, Donnie McClurkin, the Backstreet Boys, Kenny G and today Heather Headley.\nI find though, that male/female duets do my head in in ways I do not understood. Perhaps it was stumbling onto Brave New World on Father\u0026rsquo;s monochrome National television (now of blessed memory) that etched this appreciation of duets onto my heart. I suspect that some of the delight I derive from these songs is also dependent on the lyrics - most of the time they are focused on love, on faith and the other noble emotions we as humans feel - as well as the harmony from the well blended voices.\nOver the years, I have grown to enjoy quite a few of them - In no particular order, these include:\nI am your angel - Celine Dion/R. Kelly from the Titanic soundtrack. The Prayer - Andrea Bocelli/Heather Headley Love will find a way - Heather Headley/ Kenny Latimore from the Lion King II soundtrack When you believe - Mariah Carey/Whitney Houston from the Prince of Egypt soundtrack (Not male/female but a good duet IMO nonetheless) I know him so well - Elaine Page/Barbabra Dickson There\u0026rsquo;s also a squidoo page that lists the best duets of the 20th century\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/08/20/male-female-duets/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThey say life is about simple pleasures - everyday things which we are wont to make light of - which taken together serve to generate an ambience of normalcy around us. Each week, I will attempt to identify one simple thing I have grown to delight in\u0026hellip; from my  otherwise uninteresting life.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen the subject of music, and my taste with regards to it comes up, I always declare unequivocally that my taste is eccletic. In the past week for instance, I have listened to Eminem, Donnie McClurkin, the Backstreet Boys, Kenny G and today Heather Headley.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Musings: Male/Female Duets..."},{"content":"I\u0026rsquo;m finding myself increasingly enchanted by The Script\u0026hellip;.\n[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLJv57zE2To]\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/08/17/for-the-first-time/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m finding myself increasingly enchanted by The Script\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLJv57zE2To]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"For the First Time...."},{"content":"To new beginnings\u0026hellip; and hope that when tomorrow comes the sun will shine\u0026hellip;\nSelah..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/08/15/15x08d9/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTo new beginnings\u0026hellip; and hope that when tomorrow comes the sun will shine\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSelah..\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"15x08d9....."},{"content":"The Script\u0026rsquo;s Break Even just came on the radio, and as usual it brought back memories. In the main they are somewhat pleasant memories, even though the lyrics to the song are particularly sad.\nCapital FM played the song ad nauseum last summer, and in a way it became the signature tune for that summer of my life - blighted by so many could haves and would have s. Summer started ok; my days being filled with the boringly mind numbing task of completing my dissertation. In between, I threw in attending a wedding across the Atlantic in Houston, planning my move back to my old Nigerian job and being very good friends with TheB. Capital FM was my constant companion at the time, as I stayed awake into the wee hours of the morning slogging things out. In an uncanny way, it seemed the song became a self fulfilling prophecy - Bisi and I never progressed beyond the friends zone, the Nigerian job fell through, and I missed a first on my degree\u0026hellip;.\nI\u0026rsquo;ve come a long way since then though - but each time I hear the song, I remember the summer that almost was..\n\u0026amp;feature=av2n\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/08/14/nostalgia-the-summer-that-almost-was/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQHyBMXFTaw\u0026amp;feature=av2n\"\u003eThe Script\u0026rsquo;s\u003c/a\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQHyBMXFTaw\u0026amp;feature=av2n\"\u003eBreak Even\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e just came on the radio, and as usual it brought back memories.  In the main they are somewhat pleasant memories, even though the lyrics to the song are  particularly sad.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.capitalfm.com/\"\u003eCapital FM\u003c/a\u003e played the song \u003cem\u003ead nauseum\u003c/em\u003e last summer, and in a way it became the signature tune for that summer of my life - blighted by so many \u003cem\u003ecould haves\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003ewould have\u003c/em\u003e s.  Summer started ok; my days being filled with the boringly mind numbing task of completing my dissertation. In between, I threw in attending a wedding across the Atlantic in Houston, planning my move back to my old Nigerian job and being very good friends with TheB. Capital FM was my constant companion at the time, as I stayed awake into the wee hours of the morning slogging things out. In an uncanny way, it seemed the song became a self fulfilling prophecy - Bisi and I never progressed beyond the friends zone, the Nigerian job fell through, and I missed a first on my degree\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Nostalgia: The summer that almost was"},{"content":"Sitting in the boardroom at KOX Corp today i realised its truly a global village.\nTechnical Manager - Scottish; Project Manager - South African; Me - Naija Boy; Integrity Engineer - Mexican; Technical Assistant - Pakistani; Client Rep - German.. It doesn\u0026rsquo;t get more global, does it?\nBeannachd Leat\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/08/09/globalisation/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSitting in the boardroom at KOX Corp today i realised its truly a global village.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTechnical Manager - Scottish; Project Manager - South African; Me - Naija Boy; Integrity Engineer - Mexican; Technical Assistant - Pakistani; Client Rep - German.. It doesn\u0026rsquo;t get more global, does it?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBeannachd Leat\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Globalisation?"},{"content":"I walked away- with your face stolen from a crowded room\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.. Now you are on my skin, in my mouth - and hair as if you were always woven in my walk\u0026hellip;\nYusef Komunyakaa said it much better than I could ever say\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/08/05/for-ella/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI walked away-\nwith your face stolen from a crowded room\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;..\nNow you are on my skin, in my mouth -\nand hair as if you were always woven in my walk\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.ibiblio.org/ipa/poems/komunyakaa/biography.php\"\u003eYusef Komunyakaa\u003c/a\u003e said it much better than I could ever say\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":".......... for Ella*"},{"content":"Mary J Blige\u0026rsquo;s Stronger and Carlos Whittaker\u0026rsquo;s God of Second Chances\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/08/02/what-i-have-been-listening-to/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMary J Blige\u0026rsquo;s Stronger and Carlos Whittaker\u0026rsquo;s God of Second Chances\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/4U6TEqhxnuo?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/6iK-Nq9tlaM?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e","title":"What I have been listening to...."},{"content":"I have been busy. I have spent the last couple of weeks up to my ears in work. No fault of mine - mind you - but yet another unusual turn of events has meant that I have been thrust into the eye of the storm at a new project. Needless to say, it is keeping with the over arching theme of my life - getting lucky breaks when i least expect them, or even deserve them. Two blokes overseeing proceedings on behalf of my firm at a prized client between them contrived to move on - one to pastures new, and the other to the ignominy of summary dismissal. I, the only available bloke, has thus been thrust in, in a moment, at the deep end. Truth be told, the tasks at hand are quotidian at best - ordinary run of the mill things that I in my field should be able to handle without batting an eyelid. The only dark cloud on the bright blue skies however is the sheer amount of paper work that yours truly has to sift through. There are mitigating circumstances - for the first time in seven years of slaving for various employers in three jobs and three continents, I am the only male member of a predominantly female work group. Truth be told, the ladies are fabulous to work with - friendly, a wee bit too chatty, but great company all the same. Throw in occasional gifts of a home made sandwich, and free lunch on the company and it is an excellent situation for my bachelor instincts. All in all, it looks like it is shaping up to be a grand few weeks\u0026hellip; and then we roll out the champagne..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/07/28/busy-as-a-bee/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI have been busy. I have spent the last couple of weeks up to my ears in work. No fault of mine - mind you - but yet another unusual turn of events has meant that I have been thrust into the eye of the storm at a new project. Needless to say, it is keeping with the over arching theme of my life - getting lucky breaks when i least expect them, or even deserve them. Two blokes overseeing proceedings on behalf of my firm at a prized client between them contrived to move on - one to pastures new, and the other to the ignominy of summary dismissal. I, the only available bloke, has thus been thrust in, in a moment, at the deep end. Truth be told, the tasks at hand are quotidian at best - ordinary run of the mill things that I in my field should be able to handle without batting an eyelid. The only dark cloud on the bright blue skies however is the sheer amount of paper work that yours truly has to sift through. There are mitigating circumstances - for the first time in seven years of slaving for various employers in three jobs and three continents, I am the only male member of a predominantly female work group. Truth be told, the ladies are fabulous to work with -  friendly, a wee bit too chatty, but great company all the same.  Throw in occasional gifts of a home made sandwich, and free lunch on the company and it is an excellent situation for my bachelor instincts.  All in all, it looks like it is shaping up to be a grand few weeks\u0026hellip; and then we roll out the champagne..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Busy as a bee...."},{"content":"\nVia XKCD:\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/07/24/what-i-really-meant-was/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/xkcd_all_the_girls.png\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"xkcd_all_the_girls\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/xkcd_all_the_girls.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVia \u003ca href=\"http://xkcd.com/770/\"\u003eXKCD\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"What I really meant was...."},{"content":" To a worm in horseradish, the world is horseradish -\n- Yiddish saying via Malcolm Gladwell\nSecond chances - clean sheets wiped clear from all the smudges, memories obliterated, people lost in the maelstrom of life - are great\u0026hellip; If only they were as easy as Ctrl+Alt+Del\u0026hellip;. Sigh.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/07/17/ctrlaltdel-2/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo a worm in horseradish, the world is horseradish -\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Yiddish saying via \u003ca href=\"http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/malcolm_gladwell_on_spaghetti_sauce.html\"\u003eMalcolm Gladwell\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSecond chances - clean sheets wiped clear from all the smudges, memories obliterated, people lost in the maelstrom of life - are great\u0026hellip; If only they were as easy as Ctrl+Alt+Del\u0026hellip;. Sigh.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Ctrl+Alt+Del"},{"content":"Thankfully this week is over, finally. Its been a maelstrom of activity - two client work sites, hand overs, reviews and piles of stuff to catch up with. The worst bits had to be the getting set up bits - setting up remote access to my company email and network, new log on IDs and network access at the new place and all - plus there\u0026rsquo;s a first review in five weeks of stuff I was never involved in.\nThe week started off normally, with only a hint of the turmoil that was about to erupt. Monday was typically laid back - completed a review of the old project and got a list of action items for closure and jumped on them. By Wednesday things went ballistic - a meeting with a client turned into a firm commitment and a start date, and by Friday I was in place, getting orientations, building a transition plan with the bloke I\u0026rsquo;m replacing and all. Throw in lunch with a visiting friend on Thursday afternoon, the Technical Authority heading off on vacation for two weeks, me forgetting elMadre\u0026rsquo;s birthday, and having to review some documentation for a friend in the evenings, and it was a recipe for maxed out tiredness. Plus side though is I can get to laze around this weekend, and play Football Manager.. :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/07/10/phew-finally-its-over/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThankfully this week is over, finally.  Its been a maelstrom of activity - two client work sites, hand overs, reviews and piles of stuff to catch up with. The worst bits had to be the getting set up bits -  setting up remote access to my company email and network, new log on IDs and network access at the new place and all - plus there\u0026rsquo;s a first review in five weeks of stuff I was never involved in.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Phew.. finally its over..."},{"content":"What I learned since July 10, 2009\nThe whole \u0026ldquo;every disappointment is a blessing\u0026rdquo; is cliche 9 times out of 10 - the one occasion it is not more than makes up for all the other times\u0026hellip; Above a certain level of pay, autonomy and a sense of truly contributing are the most important considerations for job satisfaction\u0026hellip;.. for me.. People usually mean well when they try to commiserate - most of the time they just need to shut the fuck up. Brooke Fraser\u0026rsquo;s Shadowfeet is the coolest song ever\u0026hellip;. Every bloke needs a bizzle - the one chic who has the guts to give it to you straight from the hips ( no double etendre there). It\u0026rsquo;s always helpful to get your ego brought down a notch or two. The ladder theory works - however sad - blokes just need to get with the program. Female bosses are so not it - woe betide you if you have a Technical review when its that time of the month - red ink everywhere\u0026hellip; sigh.. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/07/09/what-i-learned-since-july-10-2009/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWhat I learned since \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/07/10/the-hot-seat/\"\u003eJuly 10, 2009\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe whole \u0026ldquo;every disappointment is a blessing\u0026rdquo; is cliche 9 times out of 10 - the one occasion it is not more than makes up for all the other times\u0026hellip;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbove a certain level of pay,  autonomy and a sense of truly contributing are the most important considerations for job satisfaction\u0026hellip;.. for me..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeople usually mean well when they try to commiserate - most of the time they just need to shut the fuck up.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrooke Fraser\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4KiGN1j1No\"\u003eShadowfeet\u003c/a\u003e is the coolest song ever\u0026hellip;.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEvery bloke needs a bizzle - the one chic who has the guts to give it to you straight from the hips ( no \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_entendre\"\u003edouble etendre\u003c/a\u003e there). It\u0026rsquo;s always helpful to get your ego brought down a notch or two.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.laddertheory.com/\"\u003eThe ladder theory\u003c/a\u003e works - however sad - blokes just need to get with the program.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFemale bosses are so not it - woe betide you if you have a Technical review when its that time of the month - red ink everywhere\u0026hellip; sigh..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"What I Learned Since July 10, 2009.."},{"content":"Free food is great, especially when you are a confirmed bachelor with an aversion for cooking. I\u0026rsquo;m sure if my pots and pans have a choice they would vote to have me back in their next \u0026rsquo;lives\u0026rsquo;. Such is the ease of their lives! Providence must have decided to be kind to me though, as a few hours after complaining of feeling listless I got a phone call from my work buddy O to head off to the beach. He and I have an inside joke where I hail him as my mentor and he says I\u0026rsquo;m much too old to be mentored by him, and considering the boring lives we lead, hanging out is always a plus. Fast forward a few hours and we head off to the beach where we go to this Chinese buffet thingy at Jimmy Chung. Two huge cokes, lamb ribs, some curried rice and soup later, we could belch with satisfaction at a great days work - all for nine pounds. I should definitely do this again!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/07/04/free-foods-great/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFree food is great, especially when you are a confirmed bachelor with an aversion for cooking. I\u0026rsquo;m sure if my pots and pans have a choice they would  vote to have me back in their next \u0026rsquo;lives\u0026rsquo;. Such is the ease  of their lives! Providence must have decided to be kind to me though, as a few hours after complaining of feeling listless I got a phone call from my work buddy O to head off to the beach. He and I have an inside joke where I hail him as my mentor and he says I\u0026rsquo;m much too old to be mentored by him, and considering the boring lives we lead, hanging out is always a plus. Fast forward a few hours and we head off to the beach where we go to this Chinese buffet thingy at Jimmy Chung. Two huge cokes, lamb ribs, some curried rice and soup later, we could belch with satisfaction at a great days work - all for nine pounds. I should definitely do this again!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Free Food's great..."},{"content":"Twenty-six degree weather has its perks - especially when one has valid reasons to be within the city centre. Knee length skirts, low necklines, and the occasional sleeveless top are easy on the eye, if not downright encouraging to a mind beaten to senility by spreadsheets and excess coffee. After choosing the worst winter in 20 years to come up to the NorthEast, I can be forgiven for reveling in the warm - almost barmy - weather. Winter was mind numbing, depressing, tiring, and fun sapping. I really wouldn\u0026rsquo;t be bothered by the excess skin on display, but being stuck in a nearly all male working environment does things to the mind, especially when there is no relief valve to vent it out on in town. I\u0026rsquo;m so needing to get a holiday men - dang!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/07/01/heatwave-dividends/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTwenty-six degree weather has its perks - especially when one has valid reasons to be within the city centre. Knee length skirts, low necklines, and the occasional sleeveless top are easy on the eye, if not downright encouraging to a mind beaten to senility by spreadsheets and excess coffee. After choosing the worst winter in 20 years to come up to the NorthEast, I can be forgiven for reveling in the warm - almost barmy - weather. Winter was mind numbing, depressing, tiring, and fun sapping. I really wouldn\u0026rsquo;t be bothered by the excess skin on display, but being stuck in a nearly all male working environment does things to the mind, especially when there is no relief valve to vent it out on in town. I\u0026rsquo;m so needing to get a holiday men - dang!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Heatwave Dividends..."},{"content":"One of the more creative jokes about England\u0026rsquo;s demise at the World Cup I\u0026rsquo;ve seen so far\u0026hellip;..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/06/29/celebrating-the-debacle/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOne of the more creative jokes about England\u0026rsquo;s demise at the World Cup I\u0026rsquo;ve seen so far\u0026hellip;..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Celebrating the Debacle..."},{"content":" When in doubt, discretize\u0026hellip;.\n- Probably the most important thing I never learnt\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/06/28/279/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen in doubt, discretize\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Probably the most important thing I never learnt\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Musings: Quotes"},{"content":"I just heard this song.. and it blew me away.. Lea Salonga\u0026rsquo;s One Voice..\n[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT5E7LMu2ks]\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/06/26/lea-salonga/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI just heard this song.. and it blew me away.. Lea Salonga\u0026rsquo;s One Voice..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT5E7LMu2ks]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Lea Salonga.."},{"content":"A moment of rashness by a certain Sani Kaita will go down as the defining moment of Nigeria\u0026rsquo;s World Cup - when the tenuous grip of one hundred and fifty million people was savagely hacked off. At that time Nigeria was 1-0 up - thanks to a somewhat fortuitous goal – and had largely being untroubled by the Greeks who had been pedestrian all through. The rest, as they say, is history and Greece went on to win to put Nigeria\u0026rsquo;s world cup dreams effectively on hold for four more years.\nThey say hindsight is 20/20; allow me to revel in my new found ‘perfect’ vision.\nUs Nigerians are overwhelmingly optimistic: Considering the Nations Cup performance was a few notches removed from abysmal, and Lars Lagerback was only appointed in February, just where we got the belief that we would do well leaves me concerned. Either as a nation we are collectively delusional or we have that rare gift of unshakable faith! Football is still a powerful force: If the status updates, avatars and comments of my Nigerian friends on Facebook and Twitter are a credible measure of how football mad we are, we are up there with the very best. Loads of my friends had Nigerian players as avatars, and status updates solely related to football. The plus side is that suddenly, outpourings of solidarity became the norm rather than the exception, as against the usual disparaging comments I get to see from Nigerians on Nigeria. Whilst I wouldn’t go as far as saying football keeps the nation together, it can be argued that it is a universal language that binds us all into a coherent whole. We lack true quality: The national football team was once able to call on the football prowess of the likes of Celestine Babayaro, Daniel Amokachi, Taribo West, Jay-jay Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu, Emmanuel Amunike and others in recent history. These were all blokes who played their football at the highest level- winning accolades and titles along the way. Looking at the current squad, I have to say I don’t see the real quality. Victor Enyeama, the goal keeper aside, the team was largely pedestrian, but then maybe it was the ball, or altitude, or any number of other excuses which are bound to come up! We do not learn our lessons: Bringing Lars Lagerback in as manager was a new low (or high as some would argue) in the curious game of musical chairs that is the Nigerian football team manager’s position. Time and time again, after 1994, we have opted to chop and change managers without consideration for their preferred playing styles or more tellingly, their track record for bringing through youth players. One of the lot even had the effrontery to attempt to manage the team from his base in Germany, if my memory serves me right. Yet again as a nation we have failed to plan, and as the axiom goes, we have planned to fail. We are still a country clinging to ethnic stereotypes: I hope for the sake of the future this isn’t true, but the outpouring of rage at Sani Kaita had a decidedly ethnic bent. Strong words were spilled, especially on his Facebook page, the bulk of which referred to him as ‘Malo’, a reference to his Northern origins. It would appear, sadly, that Web 2.0 generation or not, we are willing to allow someone’s state of origin come into the play. He messed up- end of story. By no means should his ethnicity come into the picture. Oh well, this time though, we have the excuse of the ball, and the altitude, and\u0026hellip; whatever else we can lay our finger on!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/06/18/world-cup-2010-lessons-un-learned/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulfletcher/2010/06/moment_of_madness_costs_nigeri.html#223919\"\u003eA moment of rashness by a certain Sani Kaita\u003c/a\u003e will go down as the defining moment of Nigeria\u0026rsquo;s World Cup - when the tenuous grip of one hundred and fifty million people was savagely hacked off. At that time Nigeria was 1-0 up - thanks to a somewhat fortuitous goal – and had largely being untroubled by the Greeks who had been pedestrian all through. The rest, as they say, is history and \u003ca href=\"http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/matches/match_19/default.stm\"\u003eGreece went on to win\u003c/a\u003e to put Nigeria\u0026rsquo;s world cup dreams effectively on hold for four more years.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"World Cup 2010 - Lessons (un) Learned"},{"content":"Long before I segued into the way of all flesh, I had always had a sense of connection with the Prodigal Son. In these dark days when my faith vacillates between the highs of unquestioning belief and the depths of blatant scepticism with the increasingly longer spells of being mired in the drudgery of self deprecating musing, I find myself drawn to the text again and again. Something about the lost son finally coming to himself, realizing there is a better life, a better way of doing stuff resonates with me. I fear I am lost, that somehow I have eaten so long of the hors d\u0026rsquo;œuvres of the beguiling tempter that his full feast of bitter gall is an ineluctable consequence. Trust me I have tried; but the overwhelming sense of guilt at the bloke I have become weighs me down. Like the proverbial swine given pearls, I appear to have taken world class opportunities and contrived to lose them amidst the quotidian pursuits of the good life.\nMy scant consolation, is that someday, sometime, I can drag myself back home - and that the Father will still be there to run the last few miles and welcome me home. .. Sigh..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/06/10/on-the-kinship-of-the-prodigal/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLong before I segued into the way of all flesh, I had always had a sense of connection with the \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_Prodigal_Son\"\u003eProdigal Son\u003c/a\u003e. In these dark days when my faith vacillates between the highs of unquestioning belief and the depths of blatant scepticism with the increasingly longer spells of being mired in the drudgery of self deprecating musing, I find myself drawn to the \u003ca href=\"http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+15%3A11-32\u0026amp;version=NIV\"\u003etext\u003c/a\u003e again and again. Something about the lost son finally coming to himself, realizing there is a better life, a better way of doing stuff resonates with me. I fear I am lost, that somehow I have eaten so long of the hors d\u0026rsquo;œuvres of the \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satan\"\u003ebeguiling tempter\u003c/a\u003e that his full feast of bitter gall is an ineluctable consequence. Trust me I have tried; but the overwhelming sense of guilt at the bloke I have become weighs me down. Like the proverbial swine given pearls, I appear to have taken world class opportunities and contrived to lose them amidst the quotidian pursuits of the good life.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On the kinship of the Prodigal"},{"content":"To a fabulous week that is\u0026hellip;..\nIt is 11.41pm, and I am as clear eyed as I can be. I have just returned from the Muyiwa \u0026amp; Riversongz concert. It was fab, If I say so. Apparently the concert was designed to signal the commissioning of a \u0026lsquo;gospel\u0026rsquo; choir in the city. The music was great all round - a throwback to my days back in University as an undergrad. Surprise, surprise, the bloke who leads the choir was also quite an active bloke on that same campus and was involved in plotting planning various musical events campus wide. The added benefits of catching up with blokes number 10 and 11 (the numbers refer to the number of close friends and acquaintances I have been re-united with since I made the move across the Atlantic) was fab and far outweighed any misgivings I might have had about shelling out 10 pounds to attend (and the 10 pounds I paid for a CD/DVD of Muyiwa\u0026rsquo;s album.)\nBloke number 10 has morphed into a Senior Engineer role at some big design consultancy in town, plus he\u0026rsquo;s added a few \u0026lsquo;spiritual\u0026rsquo; feathers to his cap - so he was pretty well known by the people - organizers, the choir itself and all. He is still very single though - and he quickly chipped into my ear that we needed to get married off (the 13th time someone was telling me that this week alone).\nBloke number 11 on the other hand used to be a town-savvy bloke. He knew all the groove joints, all the drinks, where the beautiful women were and all that when we worked briefly together in some obscure town back in Nigeria. Bloke\u0026rsquo;s gotten very married (swapped a six-pack for a keg), and is all serious about giving life a real chase. Am I surprised!\nWell, as a minimum, the bells are tolling for yours truly. I need to get my butt off the ground and get into the move ASAP\u0026hellip;. :)\nBring on the weekend. Life\u0026rsquo;s good.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/05/21/a-fitting-end/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTo a fabulous week that is\u0026hellip;..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is 11.41pm, and I am as clear eyed as I can be. I have just returned from the \u003ca href=\"/2010/05/16/many-lives-and-summer-plans/\"\u003eMuyiwa \u0026amp; Riversongz concert\u003c/a\u003e. It was fab, If I say so. Apparently the concert was designed to signal the commissioning of a \u0026lsquo;gospel\u0026rsquo; choir in the city. The music was great all round - a throwback to my days back in University as an undergrad. Surprise, surprise, the bloke who leads the choir was also quite an active bloke on that same campus and was involved in plotting planning various musical events campus wide. The added benefits of catching up with blokes number 10 and 11 (the numbers refer to the number of close friends and acquaintances I have been re-united with since I made the move across the Atlantic) was fab and far outweighed any misgivings I might have had about shelling out 10 pounds to attend (and the 10 pounds I paid for a CD/DVD of Muyiwa\u0026rsquo;s album.)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A fitting end.."},{"content":"They say its a small world - and that everyone is connected to every one else by at most six people. Today I learned that first hand. My friend K has mentioned in the past that she\u0026rsquo;s got a sister in my town. Today I finally worked up the nerve had the opportunity to talk with her a bit (if talk can occur in 25 secs that is). Thing is K and I have some history of sorts - its one of those online collaborations which segued into an occasional offline chat and all. So when K\u0026rsquo;s sister asked how I knew K, I was a bit stumped.. Turns out there is another bloke, a T this time, who is mutual friends with K and I (again that undefined, web 2.0 kind), his name jumped out as the basis of my knowing K.. Turns out T also has a sister in my town, and in my church.. Cue the hems and ahh as to her I knew her brother - the official line was we \u0026lsquo;worked on a project together\u0026rsquo;.. That\u0026rsquo;s what I\u0026rsquo;m sticking with though.. Fingers crossed that the meeting ends up forgotten (or at least the bit about me knowing their siblings), else I\u0026rsquo;ll be having loads of explaining to do.. :)\nThe boredom infested months that were winter are set to become forgotten pronto. There\u0026rsquo;s a number of events lined up which might just keep yours truly occupied.\nMuyiwa and Riversongz are at the Aberdeen Music Hall this week on Friday. Should be a throwback to a different culture of singing and dancing with loads of physical exertion. The church young professional group is heading out to Edinburgh for a visit to the zoo.. All day, it should be a time for team building and bonding.. Hopefully, these will be the proverbial kick up the backside to get myself moving around again. Going forward, the next few months could be critical - I have a trip to Nigeria planned in the next quarter. Its a big one for me, because it will be the last time I buy a return ticket when I fly out of Nigeria. It represents me coming to terms with my lostness - realizing that my life and the country are heading in different directions in the next few years.. :(\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/05/16/many-lives-and-summer-plans/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThey say its a small world - and that everyone is connected to every one else by at most six people. Today I learned that first hand. My friend K has mentioned in the past that she\u0026rsquo;s got a sister in my town. Today I finally worked up the nerve had the opportunity to talk with her a bit (if talk can occur in 25 secs that is). Thing is K and I have some history of sorts - its one of those online collaborations which segued into an occasional offline chat and all. So when K\u0026rsquo;s sister asked how I knew K, I was a bit stumped.. Turns out there is another bloke, a T this time, who is mutual friends with K and I (again that undefined, web 2.0 kind), his name jumped out as the basis of my knowing K.. Turns out T also has a sister in my town, and in my church.. Cue the hems and ahh as to her I knew her brother - the official line was we \u003cem\u003e\u0026lsquo;worked on a project together\u0026rsquo;\u003c/em\u003e.. That\u0026rsquo;s what I\u0026rsquo;m sticking with though.. Fingers crossed that the meeting ends up forgotten (or at least the bit about me knowing their siblings), else I\u0026rsquo;ll be having loads of explaining to do.. :)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Six degrees and summer plans."},{"content":"I\u0026rsquo;ve spent the last few months probing - looking to find a rationale for blogging that is not inextricably connected to feeding the over arching desire of my inner narcissist to be heard above the din that is the blogosphere\u0026hellip;.\n2009 was different\u0026hellip;. I followed over 1,000 blogs, I bounced from blog to blog leaving comments, there was banter, there was drama, there was poetry on a level I\u0026rsquo;d only dreamed of, there were blog collabos\u0026hellip;. and a few crushes\u0026hellip;. My old favorites were still around, and a few newbies served up delicious stuff\u0026hellip; Oh.. the Anons spiced things up too\u0026hellip;\nI hope its only because I am busier - the endless swathes of time being a student afforded me have vanished, no thanks to slaving daily for Mama Charlie - not because I am tired, or God forbid something is broken deep down\u0026hellip;.\nI\u0026rsquo;m sure I\u0026rsquo;ll still be around, lurking in the shadows.. signing off here and there as I am able\u0026hellip;. and maybe someday return\u0026hellip;. :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/05/14/ponderings-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;ve spent the last few months probing - looking to find a rationale for blogging that is not inextricably connected to feeding the over arching desire of my inner narcissist to be heard above the din that is the blogosphere\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2009 was different\u0026hellip;. I followed over 1,000 blogs,  I bounced from blog to blog leaving comments, there was banter, there was drama, there was poetry on a level I\u0026rsquo;d only dreamed of,  there were blog collabos\u0026hellip;. and a few crushes\u0026hellip;.  My old favorites were still around, and a few newbies served up delicious stuff\u0026hellip; Oh.. the Anons spiced things up too\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Ponderings..."},{"content":"I miss the old days. Growing up on a University campus in Nigeria, books were my salvation and the BBC World Service was the information source. We didn\u0026rsquo;t have decent television (it was an archaic black and white National television set with aerials that never worked), didn\u0026rsquo;t have the internet, was the weird kid on the block, and generally stuck out like a sore thumb. I got my nose in books, the bulk of which were boring, ponderous, academic reads.\nThese days, I reach first for the internet, check my email countless times, listen to the same music over and over on my iPod, Tweet, faff around on Facebook and all\u0026hellip; I fear it is reflecting in my listlessness these days.. Oh for the days when I was more informed about the world, and I could discuss intelligently on a range of topics\u0026hellip;\nJust how much of this is mere nostalgia\u0026hellip;. or a sense of real loss I cannot tell.. :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/05/09/a-blast-of-nostalgia/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI miss the old days. Growing up on a University campus in Nigeria, books were my salvation and the BBC World Service was the information source. We didn\u0026rsquo;t have decent television (it was an archaic black and white National television set with aerials that never worked), didn\u0026rsquo;t have the internet, was the weird kid on the block, and generally stuck out like a sore thumb. I got my nose in books, the bulk of which were boring, ponderous, academic reads.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A blast of Nostalgia.."},{"content":"When you bill per the hour, looking busy is of paramount importance… The criticality of this black art is never more obvious than when you sit in full view of the Oga and can ill afford to be found playing solitaire, surfing the internet mindlessly, blogging, or God help you - being nabbed on ogling the goodies on offer on Page 3. Below are the top tips I have gleaned from the best – trust me I’ve learned from the very best - a stellar cast of international pedigree..\nGrab a cup of coffee every twenty minutes – nothing gives the impression that you are seriously at work than a steaming cup of coffee.. And that knotted brow that seems to convey intense concentration. Have multiple spreadsheets open complete with loads of exotic graphs and illegible legends – as long as the boss doesn’t get too intrigued by the data, you’ll be fine. Stop at the intern’s desk a few times: It helps that it feels like summer, it’s a Friday and the average distance between her neckline and her hemline is tending to zero… Being seen around the intern adds credibility to your mentoring credentials.. Plus its a lot less risky than being c aught on Page 3.. Occasionally lean back in your chair , place your hands around your neck and pretend to crack a thorny problem – insert some muttering too – it’s an occupational hazard for the thinking man and adds to the aura of intensity around you. Get on the phone to a client – pick the bloke you know is an absolute laze-r and engage in some serious discussion. Speak in hushed tones though and appear to be fine-tuning a strategy together. No one (aside of snooping IT smart alecs) will know that the discussion was centred around what club to hit at 5.30pm. The ultimate joker? Talk to the boss – chances are that he was on a game of solitaire also…. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/04/30/the-idiots-guide-to-looking-busy/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWhen you bill per the hour, \u003cem\u003elooking\u003c/em\u003e busy is of paramount importance… The criticality of this \u003cem\u003eblack\u003c/em\u003e art is never more obvious than when you sit in full view of the \u003cem\u003eOga\u003c/em\u003e and can ill afford to be found playing \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solitaire\"\u003esolitaire\u003c/a\u003e, surfing the internet mindlessly, blogging, or God help you - being nabbed on ogling the goodies on offer on Page 3. Below are the top tips I have gleaned from the best – trust me I’ve learned from the very best - a stellar cast of international pedigree..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Idiot's guide to...... Looking busy!"},{"content":"I think things tend to look either worse off or better off in retrospect.. There must be a technical term for that - like nostalgia bias, or retrospection bias or warreva\u0026hellip; (Help me out one of you psychologists)\u0026hellip; Bottom line is i think when we look back at the past, we either think its much better than it actually was, or much worse\u0026hellip;. I just had such a moment.. Thankfully, Me the pragmatist won - eventually\u0026hellip;.. Blame insomnia, the wacky DJ over at Capital FM, and nostalgia\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/04/29/spare-me-some-nostalgia/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI think things tend to look either worse off or better off in retrospect.. There must be a technical term for that - like nostalgia bias, or retrospection bias or warreva\u0026hellip; (Help me out one of you psychologists)\u0026hellip; Bottom line is i think when we look back at the past, we either think its much better than it actually was, or much worse\u0026hellip;. I just had such a moment.. Thankfully, \u003cem\u003eMe the pragmatist\u003c/em\u003e won - \u003cem\u003eeventually\u003c/em\u003e\u0026hellip;.. Blame insomnia, the wacky DJ over at \u003ca href=\"http://www.capitalfm.com/\"\u003eCapital FM\u003c/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/04/19/my-very-own-bachelors-conundrum/\"\u003enostalgia\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Spare me some nostalgia..."},{"content":"They say a righteous man falls seven times but rises up again. I don\u0026rsquo;t know about being righteous, but I sure have had falls, hopefully this is the seventh, in which I finally get to find me. The pieces of the life are coming together again, I\u0026rsquo;ve resolved my long standing \u0026lsquo;fight\u0026rsquo; with my sister, I got great feedback on my first three months in a new role, I\u0026rsquo;ve made two great friends in my new city and I\u0026rsquo;ve started running thrice a week :) I have a lot to be thankful for, this is a new journey (hopefully). Welcome aboard.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/04/28/seventh-time-around/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThey say a righteous man falls seven times but rises up again. I don\u0026rsquo;t know about being righteous, but I sure have had falls, hopefully this is the seventh, in which I finally get to find me. The pieces of the life are coming together again, I\u0026rsquo;ve resolved my long standing \u0026lsquo;fight\u0026rsquo; with my sister, I got great feedback on my first three months in a new role, I\u0026rsquo;ve made two great friends in my new city and I\u0026rsquo;ve started running thrice a week :) I have a lot to be thankful for, this is a new journey (hopefully). Welcome aboard.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Seventh Time around."},{"content":"Despite what the preponderance of mid-life crises and suicides around the 30 year age bracket would suggest, 30\u0026rsquo;s the new cool - and that for a variety of reasons.\nFor starters, people take you serious by default. In your teens they know you\u0026rsquo;ll faff around, in your twenties they\u0026rsquo;ll assume you\u0026rsquo;re growing and the occasional gaffe can be excused. In your 30\u0026rsquo;s they actually believe you know what you are about until you goof. Ain\u0026rsquo;t that uber-cool? You get pimped for free. Depending on how far gone you are on the continuum, every one want to match make you. The best friend from University wants to hook you up with a niece, your cousins want to hitch you with friends and all that ish. Downside is it generally tends to rub you the wrong way - but hey who cares? They\u0026rsquo;re concerned.. That\u0026rsquo;s why! All the unmarried chics from earlier on for whom you had crushes suddenly see you as a serious option especially if you have made good on the success your geekery promised as a precocious teenager. Chances are you\u0026rsquo;re so clueless around women that you do not have a baby mama in the background, which seems to be a huge plus these days.. Chances are you have a strand of gray hair here and there - and true to type if you wear glasses, you actually look cool (gasp). You, the sore-thumb-sticking-out-almost-worwor-bloke, suddenly has the desirable features of respectability. Last but not the least, you actually have ten more years to play the fool - after all a fool at forty is a fool forever, but not before :) ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/04/25/30-is-the-real-cool/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDespite what the preponderance of mid-life crises and suicides around the 30 year age bracket would suggest, 30\u0026rsquo;s the new cool - and that for a variety of reasons.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor starters, people take you serious by default. In your teens they know you\u0026rsquo;ll faff around, in your twenties they\u0026rsquo;ll assume you\u0026rsquo;re growing and the occasional gaffe can be excused. In your 30\u0026rsquo;s they actually believe you know what you are about until you goof. Ain\u0026rsquo;t that uber-cool?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou get pimped for free.  Depending on how far gone you are on the continuum, every one want to match make you. The best friend from University wants to hook you up with a niece, your cousins want to hitch you with friends and all that ish. Downside is it generally tends to rub you the wrong way - but hey who cares? They\u0026rsquo;re concerned.. That\u0026rsquo;s why!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAll the unmarried chics from earlier on for whom you had crushes suddenly see you as a serious option especially if you have made good on the success  your geekery promised as a precocious teenager. Chances are you\u0026rsquo;re so clueless around women that you do not have a baby mama in the background, which seems to be a huge plus these days..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChances are you have a strand of gray hair here and there - and true to type if you wear glasses, you actually look cool (gasp). You, \u003cem\u003ethe sore-thumb-sticking-out-almost-worwor-bloke\u003c/em\u003e, suddenly has the desirable features of respectability.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLast but not the least, you actually have ten more years to play the fool - after all a fool at forty is a fool forever, but not before :)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"30 is the real cool....."},{"content":"You know you need help - from mindlessly watching TV - when TV ads start getting to you. In my defense, these two have to be up there with the worst ads I\u0026rsquo;ve ever seen! Enjoy..\n[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_-9QFvhQWo]\n[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXiJBp7HK5o]\nI guess they work by catching one\u0026rsquo;s attention, even if only by irritating one..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/04/21/dodgy-tv-adverts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eYou know you need help -  from mindlessly watching TV - when TV ads start getting to you. In my defense, these two have to be up there with the worst ads I\u0026rsquo;ve ever seen! Enjoy..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_-9QFvhQWo]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXiJBp7HK5o]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI guess they work by catching one\u0026rsquo;s attention, even if only by irritating one..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Dodgy TV Adverts.."},{"content":"I still go read this - over a year after it was originally posted\u0026hellip;..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/04/12/trading-places/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI still go read \u003ca href=\"http://www.lightherlamp.com/2009/03/trading-places-would-you-dare.html\"\u003ethis\u003c/a\u003e - over a year after it was originally posted\u0026hellip;..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Trading Places.."},{"content":"I have begun dreaming of things best left unsaid, things best left to gently slide into oblivion far beyond the edge of consciousness. Here there are voices, and fleeting faces, floating by as though swimming in some nebulous unseen ether. I would blame malaria or the slew of unknown brews at Dame Hayatou’s, but these are things I have seen in the flesh - less the twisting, less the turning in the dead of night and the turmoil that brings them back to mind. These are the memories of a not so distant past, of what-ifs and maybes and could-haves blatantly refusing to accept the cold hard facts..\nShe says the world is neither black nor white but sketched in different shades of gray, I think it is etched in black and white and filled in with different shades of gray.\nWord for word, we beat the love out of each other.\n- Yusef Komunyakaa (Once the dream begins)\nThere will yet be more words\u0026hellip;..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/04/12/an-epilogue-of-sorts-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI have begun dreaming of things best left unsaid, things best left to gently slide into oblivion far beyond the edge of consciousness. Here there are voices, and fleeting faces, floating by as though swimming in some nebulous unseen ether. I would blame malaria or the slew of unknown brews at Dame Hayatou’s, but these are things I have seen in the flesh -  less the twisting, less the turning in the dead of night and the turmoil that brings them back to mind. These are the memories of a not so distant past, of \u003cem\u003ewhat-ifs\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003emaybes\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003ecould-haves\u003c/em\u003e blatantly refusing to accept the cold hard facts..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"An epilogue of sorts......"},{"content":"A fascinating history of peeing\u0026hellip;. Apparently Mahatma Ghandi drank it regularly\u0026hellip; http://www.neatorama.com/2010/04/08/bizarre-facts-about-pee/#more-30566\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/04/08/get-your-pee-on/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA fascinating history of peeing\u0026hellip;. Apparently Mahatma Ghandi drank it regularly\u0026hellip;\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.neatorama.com/2010/04/08/bizarre-facts-about-pee/#more-30566\"\u003ehttp://www.neatorama.com/2010/04/08/bizarre-facts-about-pee/#more-30566\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Get your 'Pee' on.."},{"content":"The first quarter performance review was short and sweet - I think\u0026hellip; The recovery is under way.. Now we need to secure it\u0026hellip; (as Gordon Brown likes to put it)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/04/04/yay/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe first quarter performance review was short and sweet - I think\u0026hellip; The recovery is under way.. Now we need to secure it\u0026hellip; (as Gordon Brown likes to put it)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Yay.."},{"content":"The association of married and pregnant women holds its meetings twice a week. I don’t have a problem with that, except for the minor fact that they unfailingly decide to set up camp across the room from my pod at work. No, my character has not being impugned in any way - I am neither responsible, nor even remotely implicated, but their choice of venue riles me\u0026hellip;\nThe topics covered are varied, but time after time they settle on being pregnant and being hot…… They can be excused - the oldest of them is twenty-six and they’re all first timers.. looking to work as long as possible before they hit the motherhood trail…. For the hour they meet, all we get to hear is trimesters, weight gain, gym routines for pregnant women\u0026hellip; and a whole slew of designers I’ve never heard of…\nIf only, we had not gone \u0026lsquo;open plan\u0026rsquo;, I\u0026rsquo;d simply have shut my door and spared my ears the trouble\u0026hellip;.. God dey o!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/03/30/help/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe association of married and pregnant women holds its meetings twice a week. I don’t have a problem with that, except for the minor fact that they unfailingly decide to set up camp across the room from my pod at work. No, my character has not being impugned in any way - I am neither \u003cem\u003eresponsible\u003c/em\u003e, nor even \u003cem\u003eremotely\u003c/em\u003e implicated, but their choice of venue riles me\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe topics covered are varied, but time after time they settle on being pregnant and being hot…… They can be excused - the oldest of them is twenty-six and they’re all first timers.. looking to work as long as possible before they hit the motherhood trail…. For the hour they meet, all we get to hear is trimesters, weight gain, gym routines for pregnant women\u0026hellip; and a whole slew of designers I’ve never heard of…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Help....."},{"content":"Barry Schwartz, writing in The Paradox of Choice makes a compelling argument - to my mind - for cutting down the options.. One paragraph on the subject of life and partners grabbed my attention.\n.. inevitably, you will find people who are younger, better looking, funnier, smarter, or seemingly more understanding and empathetic than your wife or husband. But finding a life partner is not a matter of comparison shopping and \u0026rsquo;trading up\u0026rsquo;. The only way to find happiness and stability in the presence of seemingly attractive and tempting options is to say, \u0026ldquo;I\u0026rsquo;m simply not going there'\n\u0026hellip;Knowing that you have made a choice you will not reverse allows you to pour your energy into improving the relationship that you have rather than constantly second-guessing it.\nThe grass is always greener - we need to learn where/when to stop looking!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/03/26/the-grass-is-always-greener/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.swarthmore.edu/SocSci/bschwar1/\"\u003eBarry Schwartz\u003c/a\u003e, writing in \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/images/0060005696/sr=1-1/qid=1268161808/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;n=266239\u0026amp;s=books\u0026amp;qid=1268161808\u0026amp;sr=1-1\"\u003eThe Paradox of Choice\u003c/a\u003e makes a compelling argument - to my mind - for cutting down the options.. One paragraph on the subject of life and partners grabbed my attention.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e.. inevitably, you will find people who are younger, better looking, funnier, smarter, or seemingly more understanding and empathetic than your wife or husband. But finding a life partner is not a matter of comparison shopping and \u0026rsquo;trading up\u0026rsquo;. The only way to find happiness and stability in the presence of seemingly attractive and tempting options is to say, \u0026ldquo;I\u0026rsquo;m simply not going there'\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Grass is Always Greener..."},{"content":" It is not what is lost that hurts the most, It is the thing that takes its place -\n- Jerome Kugan (The Myth of Displacement)*\nI say the things that try to take the place of what is lost - yet fail to do so, or even come close - are what hurt the most. They bring back memories\u0026hellip;..which often are more legend than reality - the perfect bloke he never was, the doting girl she never would have been, the manipulating mofo everyone but you could see\u0026hellip;..\nI say Memories are like wounds kept raw by the rub of a blunted saw.\n- Sigh\n\\* From the poem \u0026ldquo;The Myth of Displacement\u0026rdquo; from Dance the Guns to Silence - Nii Ayikwei Parkes and Kadija Sesay (Eds) ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/03/23/on-memories/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is not what is lost that hurts the most,\nIt is the thing that takes its place -\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Jerome Kugan (The Myth of Displacement)*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eI say\u003c/em\u003e the things that try to take the place of what is lost - yet fail to do so, or even come close  -  are what hurt the most. They bring back memories\u0026hellip;..which often are more legend than reality - the perfect bloke he never was, the doting girl she never would have been, the manipulating \u003cem\u003emofo\u003c/em\u003e everyone but you could see\u0026hellip;..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Memories..."},{"content":"\nHT: XKCD\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/03/19/friday-night-blues/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/collatz_conjecture.png\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"collatz_conjecture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/collatz_conjecture.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHT: \u003ca href=\"http://xkcd.com/710/\"\u003eXKCD\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Friday Night Blues.."},{"content":"I have a theory\u0026hellip;. The world would be a much better place if everybody smoked and drank together..\nThis is a finding that cuts across age, race and location\u0026hellip; I have found it true - based on anecdotal evidence mind you. I have not quite acquired the cross gender data yet… but I suspect it still holds true\u0026hellip;.\nThe proof? The way people\u0026rsquo;s eyes light up when they share a smoke\u0026hellip;You can almost feel the electricity of bonding as they exhale in unison.. The smoke from their nostrils blending into an upward swirl\u0026hellip; especially if it is a shared stick\u0026hellip; Or more.. The sense of fully belonging when beer bottles lose their contents\u0026hellip; Men are never more equal than before the bottle\u0026hellip; Stories of hurt, of pain overcome and of success unlimited are swapped with reckless abandon under the inebriation the lager induces\u0026hellip;. I suspect people would trust their smoke buddies more than their priest..and given the news continuously breaking, I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t begrudge them the lager\u0026hellip;\nI still don’t smoke or drink.. yet.. Maybe when I feel the world needs saving in my own little way\u0026hellip; I’ll start :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/03/18/the-case-for-smoking-and-drinking/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI have a theory\u0026hellip;. The world would be a \u003cem\u003emuch\u003c/em\u003e better place if everybody smoked and drank \u003cem\u003etogether\u003c/em\u003e..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a finding that cuts across age, race and location\u0026hellip; I have found it true - based on anecdotal evidence mind you. I have not quite acquired the cross gender data yet… but I suspect it still holds true\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe proof? The way people\u0026rsquo;s eyes light up when they share a smoke\u0026hellip;You can almost feel the electricity of bonding as they exhale in unison.. The smoke from their nostrils blending into an upward swirl\u0026hellip; especially if it is a shared stick\u0026hellip; Or more.. The sense of fully belonging when beer bottles lose their contents\u0026hellip; Men are never more equal than before the bottle\u0026hellip; Stories of hurt, of pain overcome and of success unlimited are swapped with reckless abandon under the inebriation the lager induces\u0026hellip;. I suspect people would trust their smoke buddies more than their priest..and given the \u003ca href=\"http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e9566862-31c4-11df-9ef5-00144feabdc0.html\"\u003enews continuously breaking\u003c/a\u003e, I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t begrudge them the lager\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The 'Case' for Smoking and Drinking..."},{"content":"The only thing worse than boredom is routine. I find myself living each day like a dream - sleep, wake, eat, work and sleep - Waiting expectantly for the 3pm chime that alerts me to the impending freedom from boredom - and then the bus that takes me home.\nEach day passes - sometimes like a bore, sometimes like a breeze - living for the weekend - and then the dread as the weekend ends - and the grind starts all over again. This is the life of me!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/03/15/the-only-thing-worse-than-boredom/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe only thing worse than boredom is routine. I find myself living each day like a dream - sleep, wake, eat, work and sleep - Waiting expectantly for the 3pm chime that alerts me to the impending freedom from boredom -  and then the bus that takes me home.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach day passes - sometimes like a bore, sometimes like a breeze - living for the weekend - and then the dread as the weekend ends - and the grind starts all over again. This is the life of me!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The only thing worse than boredom.."},{"content":"My Mother is my mother - so in theory, I should send her a gift for Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day - that\u0026rsquo;s a given, even if its only an extra long phone call :)\nWhat worries me though - and this is all altruistic - is where the wives, the sister who is now a mother, the aunts and the girlfriends fit. The wife, or official girlfriend is a critical case in point; they are not your mother, and they usually do not have children who are old enough to get them gifts for the day - but they do have the influence and ability to make the day horrible for one\u0026hellip;.\nSo do we, in the interest of peace because we love them soo much, assume the responsibilities - which leaves us blokes even more confused - or do they simply chin up and wait till their own children grow up and get them gifts? Is there even a category for prospective mothers? Or does it really matter?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/03/14/the-mothers-day-conundrum/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMy Mother is \u003cem\u003emy\u003c/em\u003e mother - so in theory, I should send her a gift for \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother%27s_Day\"\u003eMother\u0026rsquo;s  Day\u003c/a\u003e - that\u0026rsquo;s a given, even if its only an extra long phone call :)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat worries me though - and this is all altruistic -  is where the wives, the sister who is now a mother,  the aunts and the girlfriends fit. The wife, or official girlfriend is a critical case in point;  they are \u003cem\u003enot\u003c/em\u003e your mother, and they usually do not have children who are old enough to get them gifts for the day - but they do have the influence and ability to make the day horrible for one\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Mother's Day Conundrum.."},{"content":"If wishes were horses\u0026hellip; I\u0026rsquo;d be out playing golf at the moment; not crunching numbers and telling lies giving expert advice to clients. This glorious sunshine is simply begging for a game of golf!\nSadly, I am neither kith nor kin to Dangote nor to Mutallab Snr; and my dear father (bless his overly patriotic heart) turned down the offer of a tenure at Bristol back in the day :(\nThere is also the small matter of the grossly incompetent fairy godmother; who has consistently failed to deliver the lottery numbers.\nInfact dear fairy godmother you\u0026rsquo;re fired! And on your way out, kindly take santa along. I have no further use for you lot!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/03/10/if-wishes-were-horses/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIf wishes were horses\u0026hellip; I\u0026rsquo;d be out playing golf at the moment; not crunching numbers and telling lies giving expert advice to clients. This glorious sunshine is simply begging for a game of golf!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSadly, I am neither kith nor kin to Dangote nor to Mutallab Snr; and my dear father (bless his overly patriotic heart) turned down the offer of a tenure at Bristol back in the day :(\u003c/p\u003e","title":"If wishes were horses"},{"content":"Coming into 2010, it was clear this was the year that could potentially make or break me. Coming off a mid-life crisis in 2009 a nasty break up in 2008 that was finally formalized in 2009, and major changes that seemed intent on tossing my well laid plans aside, I thought four things would be a small number of items to focus on - turns out even those four are a big ask.\nOf the four, work\u0026rsquo;s pretty much gone OK - two months in the bag(nk); healthy eating/ losing weight has been iffy - I registered at a gym and have been there once in two months so far; God and I are still borderline - marginally regressed if truth be told; and the people side has been decent - made up with the elder sister I have had issues with..\nSome things to be thankful for.. But more work to be done I would say..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/03/06/re-2010/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eComing into 2010, it was clear this was the year that could \u003cem\u003epotentially\u003c/em\u003e make or break me. Coming off a mid-life crisis in 2009 a nasty break up in 2008 that was finally formalized in 2009, and major changes that seemed intent on tossing my well laid plans aside, \u003ca href=\"/2010/01/2010-here-goes/\"\u003eI thought four things would be a small number of items to focus on\u003c/a\u003e - turns out even those four are a big ask.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Re: 2010"},{"content":" A bride should be five years younger than her groom, should come from the same cultural background, and be the more intelligent of the pair if couples are to have a successful marriage, scientists have announced.\nApparently the critical difference in intelligence is 27%\u0026hellip; leading to a 20% increase in the probability of a good marriage. Perhaps eHarmony can include these critical findings in their much vaunted Compatibility algorithm. I have already included them in my spreadsheet!\nHT : The Daily Telegraph\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/03/06/the-formula-for-a-perfect-wife/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA bride should be five years younger than her groom, should come from the same cultural background, and be the more intelligent of the pair if couples are to have a successful marriage, \u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/7351856/Scientists-find-mathematical-formula-for-the-perfect-wife.html\"\u003escientists have announced.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApparently the critical difference in intelligence is 27%\u0026hellip; leading to a 20% increase in the probability of a good marriage. Perhaps eHarmony can include these critical findings in their much vaunted Compatibility algorithm. I have already included them in my spreadsheet!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The formula for a perfect wife.."},{"content":"Once bitten you\u0026rsquo;re smitten. I underestimated just how much this space means to me. I\u0026rsquo;ll be back.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/03/05/once-bitten/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOnce bitten you\u0026rsquo;re smitten.\nI underestimated just how much this space means to me. I\u0026rsquo;ll be back.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Once bitten..."},{"content":"I suspect\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.\n\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; that beyond all the rhetoric; behind the superfluous arguments, the cynical barbs and the seemingly pragmatic fronts we put up; at its most prosaic, life is about the desire for acceptance, the illusion of autonomy and an ineluctable gravitation towards the certainty that safety brings - And we want to love, and be loved, inspite of our protestations to the contrary.\nSigh\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/03/03/on-life/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI suspect\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; that beyond all the rhetoric; behind the superfluous arguments, the cynical barbs and the seemingly pragmatic fronts we put up; at its most prosaic, life is about the desire for acceptance, the illusion of autonomy and an ineluctable gravitation towards the certainty that safety brings - And we want to love, and be loved, inspite of our protestations to the contrary.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSigh\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Life..."},{"content":"The cold March weather is back, and that with a vengeance. I spoke too soon when I declared summer was here. Temperatures dipped to as low as 3 degrees centigrade today. Taking into account the high winds that accompanied the weather change, it must have felt like it was sub zero at some stage. My friend O and I practically shivered as we tried to grab lunch today. I hear snow even fell in the outskirts of town! More cold weather is forecast for the rest of the week into the weekend.. God help us o.. I\u0026rsquo;m sooo over the weather!\nMy 1st quarter performance review is up this week. Its the first test of the recovery, the coming back together of the shattered bits of my life\u0026hellip; Hopefully it all goes well\u0026hellip; and we can move on\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/03/01/the-cold-march-weather/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe cold March weather is back, and that with a vengeance. I spoke too soon when I declared summer was here. Temperatures dipped to as low as 3 degrees centigrade today. Taking into account the high winds that accompanied the weather change, it must have felt like it was sub zero at some stage. My friend O and I practically shivered as we tried to grab lunch today. I hear snow even fell in the outskirts of town! More cold weather is forecast for the rest of the week into the weekend.. God help us o.. I\u0026rsquo;m sooo over the weather!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The cold March weather"},{"content":"I suspect I am not the only one whose instinctive reation to the overly ebullient demeanour of sales people customer service assistants is to curl my fingers into a tight fist. I often want to punch them, so that the smile plastered on their face vanishes. They give me the impression of the legendary house rat - which I am told eats the skin off the feet, but aims a puff of air at the right time and place to dull the pain until it has had its fill of its victim\u0026rsquo;s feet! Thankfully, I am too lilly-livered to follow through my macabre thoughts with action - else I might be rotting in some jail on the grounds of causing grevious bodily harm.\nThankfully, I am not alone in having \u0026lsquo;dangerous\u0026rsquo; tendencies - apparently Bros G knows a thing or two about bullying people. If only our own Bros J could add that to his repertoire perhaps the impasse of sorts foisted on the Nation by Aunty Turai and Uncle Yardy might be resolved sooner than later.\nI have a little theory - SPAM is getting smarter. Over the last few weeks, I have been getting SPAM mail from \u0026lsquo;Nigerian-esque\u0026rsquo; names: Amaka, Lola, Garba and the like. One part of me says its random, but I refuse to accept that. The final piece of the jigsaw I am waiting on, so I can go to Mashable with my story, is for me to get an email from an Oritsegbebumi - or an Abayomiolorunkoje - no computer can generate those names.. Lai Lai.\nDepression is no longer the excluse preserve of PMSing teenagers, or blokes stuck deep in a mid-life crisis - dogs too have decided to get involved too. And trust the Capitalists to jump in on the act - Dogs now have their version of Prozac. Brilliant!\nTwitter\u0026rsquo;s gotten a lot more interesting in the last few weeks\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;. Thanks to A certain people (shelling on purpose.. sue me..)\nAnd on a less random note\u0026hellip;.\nDreams permit oddities\n- Max Lucado\nI say dream on\u0026hellip; Have a great weekend peeps.. and YOU.. grab a drink for two.. you know how we do!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/02/26/cheesy-smiles-bullying-spam-and-other-randoms/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI suspect I am not the only one whose instinctive reation to the overly ebullient demeanour of sales people customer service assistants is to curl my fingers into a tight fist. I often want to punch them, so that the smile plastered on their face vanishes. They give me the impression of the legendary house rat - which I am told eats the skin off the feet, but aims a puff of air at the right time and place to dull the pain until it has had its fill of its victim\u0026rsquo;s feet! Thankfully, I am too lilly-livered to follow through my macabre thoughts with action - else I might be rotting in some jail on the grounds of causing grevious bodily harm.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Cheesy smiles, Bullying, Spam and other randoms.."},{"content":" nothing really changes everything remains the same we are what we are till the day that we die\n- Larry Norman\nTwo years ago Larry Norman passed\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/02/25/semper-eadem/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enothing really changes\neverything remains the same\nwe are what we are till the day that we die\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Larry Norman\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo years ago \u003ca href=\"http://www.larrynorman.com/\"\u003eLarry Norman\u003c/a\u003e passed\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Semper Eadem...."},{"content":" And I am learning to say no I let out in the night A bitter or a hopeful voice\n- Montserrat Abello\nI\u0026rsquo;m currently reading \u0026ldquo;Dance the Guns to Silence\u0026rdquo; a collection of one hundred poems in memory of Ken Saro Wiwa and the Ogoni 8. So far so good, but the poem I like the most is \u0026lsquo;And I am Learning to Say No\u0026rsquo; (from which the above quote comes) by Montserrat Abello - its short, simple, resigned and dare I say quietly defiant - which is how I like poems :). I found, thanks to google, some other works by her here. Perhaps I am drawn to it because in many ways toughening up, learning to say no to people, is one of the major failings I think I have had in my life.\nI have the burden priviledge of sharing an office with a couple of Nigerian blokes at work . Inevitably, our lunch break discourses turn to Nigeria - issues, future plans and matters arising. The other day, the subject of patriotism came up - and I argued that in the main, the Nigerian problem is firmly rooted in the allegiance to personal pockets, family, ethnicity, state and only then the country. Quite a few of the blokes have great ideas - I only hope the ideas persist. I think Chxta dropped some useful food for thought on NEXT on the subject a few weeks back now.\nI\u0026rsquo;m intriuged by the definition of BLACK. Have been for a while - since the news of the first black player to play for Athletic Bilbao first team broke late in December of 2009. The bloke is Jonas Ralmaho - he\u0026rsquo;s also the youngest player in the first team, so he must be some prodigy. Growing up all those many years ago, there was \u0026lsquo;us\u0026rsquo;, and the others - any one who was not totally black was different - celebrated and accepted but still different\u0026hellip; My Question - Is being black the absence of any non- african blood, or the presence of even the slightest pigementation derived from African genes? Or is it a fluid definition - dependent on context?\nStill on the subject of football - Javier Mascherano came out in the papers to insist he would never move to Manchester City. Considering the same bloke wanted to escape to Barcelona in the summer - I\u0026rsquo;d say he should keep his lips zipped and perform on the field. After \u0026lsquo;we\u0026rsquo; rescued his career from the doldrums at West Ham, the least he can do is keep faith with \u0026lsquo;us\u0026rsquo;. His take:\nHere, we play with the history of the club behind us. We don\u0026rsquo;t have their money but we are proud to play for Liverpool. I know that they have the money and they are building a good side but I am still so proud to play for Liverpool.\nYeah right, except its Barcelona! Bollocks I\u0026rsquo;d say!\nIs NITEL sold or not? And if it was, does a Chinese company have a hand in it? Seems to me that a lot of assets in Africa are being purloined bought by the Chinese. Allied to their economic growth rate and all that - might we have a new world order in our lifetimes yet? The folks over at the Financial Times suspect the numbers do not add up. I say, let those in charge clarify o\u0026hellip;.\nI think buses - and trains - are the best places to know a lot about people; next to living with them 24/7. Maybe its something about the anonymity - but I find that quite a few louts typically exercise their worst behaviour on buses - like putting their wet, snow covered feet on seats, like playing music very loud (it\u0026rsquo;s cool that you have all the songs in the UK top 40 or whatever on your iPod - but I don\u0026rsquo;t want to know - thank you very much), like chatting and swearing very loudly - and being very in your face. Perhaps my thresholds are too low\u0026hellip; I dunno.\nThe last post was a poem - just a poem.. Based on what Mother said long ago - So long ago that the events that led to it are now the subject of legend and friendly sibling yabs! :) Thanks for commiserating anyways!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/02/21/weekend-randoms/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd I am learning to say no\nI let out in the night\nA bitter or a hopeful voice\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Montserrat Abello\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m currently reading \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dance-Guns-Silence-Poems-Saro-Wiwa/dp/1905233019\"\u003e\u0026ldquo;Dance the Guns to Silence\u0026rdquo;\u003c/a\u003e a collection of one hundred poems in memory of Ken Saro Wiwa and the Ogoni 8. So far so good, but the poem I like the most is \u0026lsquo;And I am Learning to Say No\u0026rsquo; (from which the above quote comes) by \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montserrat_Abello_i_Soler\"\u003eMontserrat Abello\u003c/a\u003e - its short, simple, resigned and dare I say quietly defiant - which is how I like poems :). I found, thanks to \u003ca href=\"http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en\u0026amp;sl=ca\u0026amp;u=http://www.barcelonareview.com/revista/04/ma.html\u0026amp;prev=/search%3Fq%3Dand%2Bi%2Bam%2Blearning%2Bto%2Bsay%2Bno%2B%252B%2Bmontserrat%2Babello%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DWxQ%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GB:official\u0026amp;rurl=translate.google.co.uk\u0026amp;twu=1\u0026amp;usg=ALkJrhgfXyeQufI1ugDvVL7yndKK4n7YGg\"\u003egoogle, some other works by her here.\u003c/a\u003e Perhaps I am drawn to it because in many ways toughening up, learning to say no to people, is one of the major failings I think I have had in my life.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weekend Randoms..."},{"content":"Source\nShed Tears; Let pain like a malevolent fiend- Draw blood.\nLet go; Let the waves of a melancholic nostalgia- Break you.\nPressure makes you whole again.\nBlame Fear; Blame Pain, blame sorrow deep within- Still Sing.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/02/16/what-mother-said/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/broken-heart_val.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Heartbroken\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/broken-heart_val.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.perfectingyourconnections.com/.a/6a0148c876f295970c014e860cb321970d-pi\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShed Tears;\nLet pain like a malevolent fiend-\nDraw blood.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLet go;\nLet the waves of a melancholic nostalgia-\nBreak you.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePressure makes you whole again.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlame Fear;\nBlame Pain, blame sorrow deep within-\nStill Sing.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"What Mother Said..."},{"content":"\nHT: XKCD\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/02/12/science-valentine/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/science_valentine.png\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"science_valentine\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/science_valentine.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHT: \u003ca href=\"http://xkcd.com/701/\"\u003eXKCD\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Science Valentine.."},{"content":"In a way this blog has been great - it has forced me to focus on myself and actively strive to become better - and you the readers have been fabulous - encouraging, challenging and offering help too! I have a lot to be thankful for - I\u0026rsquo;ve come through a lot. Life has gotten so much more busy that I can\u0026rsquo;t keep up with this blog - and frankly I am running out of things to bitch about which is good. Will still be around - reading your blogs when I can steal the time!\nThanks for sharing the journey..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/02/12/taking-a-break/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn a way this blog has been great - it has forced me to focus on myself and actively strive to become better - and you the readers have been fabulous - encouraging, challenging and offering help too! I have a lot to be thankful for - I\u0026rsquo;ve come through a lot. Life has gotten so much more busy that I can\u0026rsquo;t keep up with this blog - and frankly I am running out of things to bitch about which is good. Will still be around - reading your blogs when I can steal the time!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Taking a break"},{"content":"The evening breeze, cooled by the frigid NorthSea never fails to welcome me to this place. Nonedescript, marked only by a pole and a small 4x4 plaque, it can seem like Oya or her Viking consort Njord chose to channel their chilling breath through this spot. For 40 days now, I have had to endure the icy chill the wind brings. Sometimes it can feel like the wind reaches out an icy claw and grabs the heart, as though it would yank it out and leave me for dead.\nWe all gather, like bees drawn to precious nectar, different faces, different colors; sometimes grumpy, sometimes affording the luxury of a fleeting smile - all united by a singular objective - jumping aboard Bus 21. The most we exchange are curt nods, or on a particularly good day the obligatory comment about the weather.\nThey tell me this is the coldest winter in 50 years. That is scant consolation for the waves of shivering that wash over me - whilst my teeth beat out an incohenrent rhythm. Seconds stretch into minutes - which seem like hours - as the gods of this deserted place seek to seize their pound of flesh.\nThe cold reminds me of one thing. This is not my place\u0026hellip;. I am me, journeying through\u0026hellip; But standing for a moment\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/02/08/waiting-for-bus-21/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe evening breeze, cooled by the frigid NorthSea never fails to welcome me to this place.  Nonedescript, marked only by a pole and a small 4x4 plaque, it can seem like \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.afrikaworld.net/afrel/sevenorishas.htm\"\u003eOya\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e or her  Viking consort \u003cstrong\u003eNjord\u003c/strong\u003e chose to channel their chilling breath  through this spot. For 40 days now, I have had to endure the icy chill the wind brings. Sometimes it can feel like the wind reaches out an icy claw and grabs the heart, as though it would yank it out and leave me for dead.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Waiting for Bus 21..."},{"content":"So John Terry lost the England football captaincy - strange to me considering the quite public exploits of Sven Goran Ericksson and Mark Pallios back in the day; the recent activities of Avram Grant and the fact that none of the names being touted as Terry replacements have covered themselves in glory in the past. He should simply have listened to the Vera show - and stayed off the friend\u0026rsquo;s ex\u0026hellip; The bloke in the pod next to mine at work says footballers count money in millions of pounds and sense in pence.. Haterade maybe.. But this list of top ten gaffes makes an intriguing read..\nSat behind two naija blokes on the bus to work on Friday… Couldn\u0026rsquo;t help over hearing them talk about their women issues..Mine defo pale in significance… One ‘imported’ a wife from home and three months in, all she wants to do is hit the pubs every evening\u0026hellip;..Surely, this is only one side of the story?\nGladwell says there’s a 10,000 hour rule – a minimum amount of time irrespective of innate ability - required to gain mastery of something. He points to the examples of the Beattles, Bill Gates, Bill Joy and the like\u0026hellip;. I wonder if there is an equvalent rule in forgetting someone.. .. to erase their memory from your mind\u0026hellip;..Maybe a 90 day rule?\nI’m officially retiring my BB.. Kid sister wants it… and I think I’m sooo over it\u0026hellip; They have to be the most overated devices.. next to the iPhone. :)\nI stumbled on my old ZoeGirl collection whilst mindlessly trawling my mp3 collection..(the band broke up :( ) They used to be my favourite Christian girl band back in the day.. alongside Point of Grace\u0026hellip;It felt great to hear Dismissed again\u0026hellip;. brought back memories\u0026hellip;.and lots of head bobbing.. in lieu of dancing\u0026hellip;\nI think serious work - which is great cos it pays the bills - is stifling my pretend writing.. I’ve been stuck on four lines of a poem for the past month… The last thing I wrote seriously was in October.. #notgood! I shall write.. whether the Devil Mama Charlie likes it or not\u0026hellip;\nFeeling lonely? There\u0026rsquo;s two solutions available - a fembot (which will set you back a few thousand quid) or a boyfriend pillow (which is considerably cheaper). There\u0026rsquo;s loads of benefits - no smelly socks, no long hours watching football, no PMSing, \u0026ndash; u get my drift\u0026hellip;..\nOh.. and 30’s the new cool… whatever we might say to the contrary when we are more sober….\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/02/06/random-musings/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSo John Terry lost the \u003ca href=\"http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8495604.stm\"\u003eEngland football captaincy\u003c/a\u003e - strange to me considering the quite public exploits of \u003ca href=\"http://www.cnn.com/2004/SPORT/football/08/02/fa.scandal/\"\u003eSven Goran Ericksson and Mark Pallios back in the day\u003c/a\u003e; the recent activities of \u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1248650/Avram-Grant-Thai-massage-brothel.html\"\u003eAvram Grant\u003c/a\u003e and the fact that none of the names being touted as Terry replacements have covered themselves in glory in the past.  He should simply have listened to the \u003ca href=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/verastic/2009/09/05/the-ex-files-keepsake\"\u003eVera show\u003c/a\u003e - and stayed off the friend\u0026rsquo;s ex\u0026hellip; The bloke in the pod next to mine at work says footballers count money in millions of pounds and sense in pence.. Haterade maybe.. But this list of \u003ca href=\"http://blog.sport.co.uk/Football/210/Top_Ten_Football_sex_scandals.aspx\"\u003etop ten gaffes\u003c/a\u003e makes an intriguing read..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Random musings..."},{"content":"I am re-learning me - finding out there is a darker side; one that is afraid, that hurts and wants to hurt in return, that wants to run and hide, close my eyes and wake up to a whole new life. I fear it is a losing battle, years of building walls, insulating myself from the world and being the black sheep will not suddenly vanish.\nI am re-learning me - I don\u0026rsquo;t like what I see!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/02/05/re-learning-me/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI am re-learning me - finding out there is a darker side; one that is afraid, that hurts and wants to hurt in return, that wants to run and hide, close my eyes and wake up to a whole new life. I fear it is a losing battle, years of building walls, insulating myself from the world and being the black sheep will not suddenly vanish.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI am re-learning me - I don\u0026rsquo;t like what I see!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Re-learning me."},{"content":"This is \u0026lsquo;fiction\u0026rsquo;\u0026hellip;.\nWhat not to do on a Monday night is to boil beans\u0026hellip;.. and having boiled it, to eat it with garri and loads of milk\u0026hellip;. and sugar\u0026hellip;.. especially when you know you are lactose intolerant!\nYours truly fell foul of the law of commonsense.. and did all the above\u0026hellip; As expected, the turbulence hit during the day.. cue squirming, frequent strolls to let bombshells fly off with reckless abandon in the more secluded regions of the work place, plus the occasional guided missile.. a well timed, low level release. Thankfully there was no presentation today or else Naija boy for mess up big time!\nAnyways, the lesson was learned - avoid beans and garri and milk during the week - period. Irrespective of how much the stomach is pining for it\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/02/02/what-not-to-do-on-a-monday-night/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis is \u0026lsquo;fiction\u0026rsquo;\u0026hellip;.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat not to do on a Monday night is to boil beans\u0026hellip;.. and having boiled it,   to eat it with garri and loads of milk\u0026hellip;.  and sugar\u0026hellip;.. especially when you know you are \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactose_intolerance\"\u003elactose intolerant!\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYours truly fell foul of the law of commonsense.. and did all the above\u0026hellip; As expected, the \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fart\"\u003eturbulence hit during the day\u003c/a\u003e.. cue squirming, frequent strolls to let bombshells fly off with reckless abandon in the more secluded regions of the work place, plus the occasional guided missile.. a well timed, low level release. Thankfully there was no presentation today or else Naija boy for mess up big time!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"What not to do on a Monday night.."},{"content":" Talent is the desire to practice\u0026hellip;..It is that you love something so much that you are willing to make an enormous sacrifice and an enormous commitment to that, whatever it is \u0026ndash; task, game, sport, what have you.\n- Malcom Gladwell\nLast year I closed out a fair bit of my plans - at least I was waaay above the average 12%. This year, I decided I would only do one thing - Live Dangerously.\nContrary to SisiBola\u0026rsquo;s expectations, I am not heading out on a tour of duty to Iraq, or learning how not to use underwear, or packing my bags and running off to some exotic island with Halle Berry (IF she offers it, I\u0026rsquo;d be jumping, thank you very much!). I am merely deciding to do things differently - plan less, reflect less, analyze less and DO more!\nThe hardest lesson I have had to learn on the Journey is that above a minimum level of planning and detail, the incremental safety is illusionary and counts for nothing. That goes against my grain!\nSo here I am, an intrepid bird-man, tottering on the edge\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; and jumping off\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/01/31/living-dangerously/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTalent is the desire to practice\u0026hellip;..It is that you love something so much that you are willing to make an enormous sacrifice and an enormous commitment to that, whatever it is \u0026ndash; task, game, sport, what have you.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- \u003ca href=\"http://www.gladwell.com/\"\u003eMalcom Gladwell\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLast year I closed out a fair bit of my plans - \u003ca href=\"http://www.quirkology.com/UK/Experiment_resolution.shtml\"\u003eat least I was waaay above the average 12%.\u003c/a\u003e This year, I decided I would only do \u003cem\u003eone\u003c/em\u003e thing - \u003cstrong\u003eLive Dangerously\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Living Dangerously..."},{"content":"TGIF\u0026hellip; I get to stay awake till the wee hours of the morning without thinking about any repercussions!\nThe last bout of insomnia I have struggled with yielded dividends today. A solution that popped up duirng one of those nights sailed through at work today! And in a funny way, I am kinda sad that the insomnia faded significantly.. I miss the late night/ wee hours of the morning pleasure I had for a week :(\nNot every thing \u0026lsquo;bad\u0026rsquo; is bad after all then.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/01/29/tgif/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTGIF\u0026hellip; I get to stay awake till the wee hours of the morning without thinking about any repercussions!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe last bout of insomnia I have struggled with yielded dividends today. A solution that popped up duirng one of those nights sailed through at work today! And in a funny way, I am kinda sad that the insomnia faded significantly.. I miss the late night/ wee hours of the morning pleasure I had for a week :(\u003c/p\u003e","title":"TGIF.."},{"content":" I had forgotten how to sing, Blame fear, blame pain, blame sorrow deep within;\nI’ve had these two lines in my head all week. I might have read them somewhere…. Or they might be the opening lines of a poem I have to write\u0026hellip;. the first salvo fired by my dark and weary muse….\nI once thought I was doing very well in my attempt to understand women folk – clearly I was reading from the wrong manual…. Doesn’t help that this bloke has been out of action for over a year….nearly two in truth! That was some ill – advised move I tell you……\nJesus said to forgive our brother seventy times seven times…. After how many times does a failure to fulfill a promise to ‘call you back’ eventually consitute a tacit recommendation for you to scram from the scene?\nCurrently reading Chris Abani’s Becoming Abigail… I love the way he takes pain, takes sorrow and weaves it into a coherent whole… that, I find intriguing…\nOn the subject of work, open plan offices suck! I hate the fact that I am unable to shut my door and sleeeeep away when I want .. or snack on some well made banga soup from a flask, while keeping an eye on my computer…\nContrary to popular belief, I have my off days.. days when I doubt my ability..days when I am afraid, day when words get stuck in my throat and I pine away\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;I’ve had more than a few in the last year….. I\u0026rsquo;m getting stronger.. everyday - my current favorite song.. bar Miley Cyrus\u0026rsquo;s - The Climb\u0026hellip; .. I know, its so not Macho!!! Blame x-factor\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;..and Joe McElderry\nI am officially an uncle again - cute little bloke - not seen him yet as usual\u0026hellip; this Christmas, by fire by force, I will\u0026hellip;.\nDang… falentine is coming again o.. and the facebook people have started o.. Last year, I got an anonymous text\u0026hellip; this year, if una try am, I go shoot persin o!!!!!!!\nI think, the whole webexperience is losing its attraction for me\u0026hellip;. I\u0026rsquo;ve not been on facebook in a bit\u0026hellip; I barely keep up appearances on twitter these days\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;and i deleted my old chat email\u0026hellip;. No I\u0026rsquo;m not PMSing (blokes don\u0026rsquo;t do that!).. Just whimsical\u0026hellip;.. in a quirky way\u0026hellip;\nMy friend asked me a question \u0026ndash; too lazy to think seriously about it\u0026hellip;\nIs it enough to do the right thing, or must we also do it for the right reasons?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/01/26/randoms/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI had forgotten how to sing,\nBlame fear, blame pain, blame sorrow deep within;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’ve had these two lines in my head all week. I might have read them somewhere…. Or they might be the opening lines of a poem I have to write\u0026hellip;. the first salvo fired by my dark and weary muse….\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI once thought I was doing very well in my attempt to understand women folk – clearly I was reading from the wrong manual…. Doesn’t help that this bloke has been out of action for over a year….nearly two in truth! That was some ill – advised move I tell you……\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Randoms...."},{"content":"Three weeks in and a semblance of normalcy has descended\u0026hellip; I know my way around town, I have my bus and rail passes in tow, and the confidence garnered from familiarity with the tasks in hand is steadily growing\u0026hellip; The minus is its all open plan - and shirt/ ties except for Fridays, that goes totally against my grain.. I am surviving\u0026hellip;. For that I am thankful..The way on from here is up! We\u0026rsquo;ve passed the tipping point.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/01/23/three-is-the-tipping-point/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThree weeks in and a semblance of normalcy has descended\u0026hellip; I know my way around town, I have my bus and rail passes in tow, and the confidence garnered from familiarity with the tasks in hand is steadily growing\u0026hellip; The minus is its all open plan - and shirt/ ties except for Fridays, that goes totally against my grain.. I am surviving\u0026hellip;. For that I am thankful..The way on from here is up! We\u0026rsquo;ve passed the tipping point.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Three is the tipping point..."},{"content":"Hi, My name is theOOhj and I am an insomniac\u0026hellip; And I have been this way for all of three years!\nMy friend agony aunt Titi asked me if it was physiological or psychological\u0026hellip;..100% gibberish\u0026hellip; plenty grammar.. All I know is that I can\u0026rsquo;t sleep\u0026hellip;. and when I do manage to sleep I dream.. of different things.. people.. places\u0026hellip;. events\u0026hellip; and of her\u0026hellip;.. the one who chose to fade to black\u0026hellip;. her voice is still etched in my mind\u0026rsquo;s ear like the striations of a fatigue crack.. and I am left with the questions.. the could haves, the would haves and the should haves\u0026hellip;..Each day, I remind myself that it is over\u0026hellip; dead\u0026hellip; that we are done\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;but\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\nHow can you forget what you always hear?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/01/17/me-insomniac/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHi, My name is theOOhj and I am an insomniac\u0026hellip; And I have been this way for all of three years!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy friend agony aunt  Titi asked me if it was physiological or psychological\u0026hellip;..100% gibberish\u0026hellip; plenty grammar.. All I know is that I can\u0026rsquo;t sleep\u0026hellip;. and when I do manage to sleep I dream.. of different things.. people.. places\u0026hellip;. events\u0026hellip; and of her\u0026hellip;.. the one who chose to fade to black\u0026hellip;. her voice is still etched in my mind\u0026rsquo;s ear like the striations of a fatigue crack.. and I am left with the questions.. the could haves, the would haves and the should haves\u0026hellip;..Each day, I remind myself that it is over\u0026hellip; dead\u0026hellip; that we are done\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;but\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Me, Insomniac"},{"content":"Every night when I sit across the room from him, eyes glued to the TV set trying to avoid the endless background information he has on every show on the BBC, the thought never fails to cross my mind that whoever runs the Universe has a queer sense of humour. In a way our lives are akin - I have been given a second chance to restart my life after a mid-life crisis of sorts; he has been given a second chance with a heart transplant\u0026hellip;\nHe\u0026hellip;.is white, in his early sixties, and has a demeanour mellowed by a near death experience. We talk - bitch in resonance about life - high taxes, the loss of jobs, yobs, people on benefits, work and all that\u0026hellip;.. but he never fails to end the day with a phone call\u0026hellip;.. Each day, he calls his wife, he calls his twin girls and they laugh and chat about the day\u0026hellip;.\nTonight he stopped suddenly, pointed his index finger at me and said\u0026hellip;.. you know when push comes to shove\u0026hellip;what is important is not the bank or work\u0026hellip; its the people in your life\u0026hellip;\nI wish I had an answer to the contrary\u0026hellip; Gladly, I don\u0026rsquo;t!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/01/15/re-educating-me/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eEvery night when I sit across the room from him, eyes glued to the TV set trying to avoid the endless background information he has on every show on the BBC, the thought never fails to cross my mind that whoever runs the Universe has a queer sense of humour. In a way our lives are akin - I have been given a second chance to restart my life after a mid-life crisis of sorts; he has been given a second chance with a heart transplant\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Re-educating me...."},{"content":"One week in and its already shaping up to be a hard long slog\u0026hellip;.Our honeymoon lasted exactly 4 hours and then it was me being thrust into the deep end\u0026hellip;. Sub zero temperatures - the coldest winter in Scotland in fifty years - and a role that seems so much like a continuation of the one that I fled all those months ago - only more intense, only less margin for error.\nI thought resolving my God issues was one of the focus areas for 2010 - this is it. I am forced to accept that I am human, that there are limits to my capabilities, that I need super human effort sometimes. Perhaps there is some redemption after all\u0026hellip;..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/01/07/almost-the-first-week/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOne week in and its already shaping up to be a hard long slog\u0026hellip;.Our honeymoon lasted exactly 4 hours and then it was me being thrust into the deep end\u0026hellip;. Sub zero temperatures - the coldest winter in Scotland in fifty years - and a role that seems so much like a continuation of the one that I fled all those months ago - only more intense, only less margin for error.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"(Almost) the first week"},{"content":"If I did crushes, Bassey Ikpi would be it. I stumbled on some YouTube videos back in the day, but I never got to dig into them until a bout of extreme boredom got the better of me. The poem Homecoming is a precise distillation of all the various emotions being caught between two worlds generates in us. I totally loved it! Oh and she\u0026rsquo;s cute too\u0026hellip;. :)\n[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTcOWR3uc0E]\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/01/04/if-i-did-crushes-this-would-be-it/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIf I did crushes, \u003ca href=\"http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bassey-Ikpi-Fan-Page/37219645379?v=wall\"\u003eBassey Ikpi\u003c/a\u003e would be it. I stumbled on some YouTube videos back in the day, but I never got to dig into them until a bout of extreme boredom got the better of me.  The poem \u003cem\u003eHomecoming\u003c/em\u003e is a precise distillation of all the various emotions being caught between two worlds generates in us. I totally loved it! Oh and she\u0026rsquo;s cute too\u0026hellip;.  :)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTcOWR3uc0E]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"If I did crushes.. this would be it..."},{"content":"My Uncle Fred was the nearly black sheep of Mother’s side of the family. Bloke had all the women purring over him and he lived for the attention. As recently as the year 2000, he still left his plates on the table after eating and Mother would use him as an example of how not to behave.\nIt was to my utmost surprise therefore, that in the midst of a phone call with me, Uncle Fred excused himself to go stir some soup he was making! Uncle Fred and cooking are about as diametrically opposed as they come..\nMaybe its the UK life, or a strong wife, but that is a sea change… So much for the archetypical undomesticated husband.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/01/03/10-years-on/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMy Uncle Fred was the \u003cem\u003enearly\u003c/em\u003e black sheep of Mother’s side of the family. Bloke had all the women purring over him and he lived for the attention. As recently as the year 2000, he still left his plates on the table after eating and Mother would use him as an example of how \u003cem\u003enot\u003c/em\u003e to behave.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was to my utmost surprise therefore, that in the midst of a phone call with me, Uncle Fred excused himself to go stir some soup he was making! Uncle Fred and cooking are about as diametrically opposed as they come..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"10 years on.."},{"content":"Last year was about a laundry list - 20 things I wanted to get sorted by year\u0026rsquo;s end. I did Ok.. Never got to learn french and missed out on the distinction..This year I want to have focus areas - key directions in which my energies will be focused.\nCareer: Manage my transition to a new job/ new city; target getting confirmed on the job and a raise by year end. God and Faith: Get back into the regular church thing - sort out my niggling God issues. Weight and Health: Get a full physical exam - for info - and shed the excess weight sharp-ish. Love and Loving: End my girl hiatus; actively get back into the meeting and friendship scene again. One more, which doesn\u0026rsquo;t count as a specific goal I think, but which is needed nonetheless, is to toughen up. I fear for the past few years I have grown too soft, more altruistic than is necessary. 2010 is my year.. of living dangerously..\n2009 was a year to forget - almost. Thankfully there was an upturn at the end of the year\u0026hellip; Hopefully 2010 is a lot better! Oh and that this blog is a wee bit less sorrowful too :)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2010/01/01/2010-here-goes/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLast year was about a laundry list - 20 things I wanted to get sorted by year\u0026rsquo;s end. I did Ok.. Never got to learn french and missed out on the distinction..This year I want to have focus areas - key directions in which my energies will be focused.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCareer:\u003c/strong\u003e Manage my transition to a new job/ new city; target getting confirmed on the job and a raise by year end.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGod and Faith\u003c/strong\u003e: Get back into the regular church thing - sort out my niggling God issues.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeight and Health:\u003c/strong\u003e Get a full physical exam - for info - and shed the excess weight sharp-ish.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLove and Loving:\u003c/strong\u003e End my girl hiatus; actively get back into the meeting and friendship scene again.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne more, which doesn\u0026rsquo;t count as a specific goal I think, but which is needed nonetheless, is to toughen up. I fear for the past few years I have grown too soft, more altruistic than is necessary. 2010 is my year.. of living dangerously..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2010 - The Plan"},{"content":"I thought long and hard about the ramifications, but I accepted nonetheless - I agreed to bring forward my start date by 60 days. Truth is the only other option was more sleeping, eating and waking - a totally quotidian experience.\nThe first day is January the 4th; for the first time in a long while I have to dress formally to work. Its totally against the grain of me - the lost, non-conformist son. The alternatives are not exactly great. I would rather have to wear a shirt and tie to work than to file away products in coveralls. For that I am thankful.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/12/28/new-starts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI thought long and hard about the ramifications, but I accepted nonetheless - I agreed to bring forward my start date by 60 days. Truth is the only other option was more sleeping, eating and waking - a totally quotidian experience.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first day is January the 4th; for the first time in a long while I have to dress formally to work. Its totally against the grain of me - the lost, non-conformist son. The alternatives are not exactly great. I would rather have to wear a shirt and tie to work than to file away products in coveralls. For that I am thankful.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"New Starts.."},{"content":"Dennis Brutus - anti-aparthied activist, poet, professor and family man amongst others - passed on in his sleep today\u0026hellip;. An excerpt from the family statement:\nDennis lived his life as so many would wish to, in service to the causes of justice, peace, freedom and the protection of the planet. He remained positive about the future, believing that popular movements will achieve their aims.\nDennis’ poetry, particularly of his prison experiences on Robben Island, has been taught in schools around the world. He was modest about his work, always trying to improve on his drafts.\nHT: www.rabble.ca His poem - A troubadour I traverse - from the anthology A simple lust - is one of my favourite poems. I\u0026rsquo;ve taken the liberty to reproduce the full text here.. in appeciation of his unique influence\u0026hellip;.\nA troubadour, I traverse all my land Exploring all her wide – flung part with zest Probing in motion sweeter far than rest Her secret thickets with an amorous hand And I have laughed, disdaining those who banned inquiry and movement, delighting in the test Of will when doomed by saracened arrest, Choosing, like unarmed thumb, simply to stand Thus quixoting till a cast – off of my land I sing and fare, person to loved – one pressed braced for this pressure and the captors hand That snaps off service like a weathered strand. - no mistress – favour adorned my breast Only the shadow of an arrow brand.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/12/26/for-dennis-brutus-1924-2009/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDennis Brutus - anti-aparthied activist, poet, professor and family man amongst others - \u003ca href=\"http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-obit-brutus,0,2803646.story\"\u003epassed on in his sleep today\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip;. An excerpt from the family statement:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDennis lived his life as so many would wish to, in service to the causes of justice, peace, freedom and the protection of the planet. He remained positive about the future, believing that popular movements will achieve their aims.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDennis’ poetry, particularly of his prison experiences on Robben Island, has been taught in schools around the world. He was modest about his work, always trying to improve on his drafts.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"For Dennis Brutus..... 1924 -2009"},{"content":"Christmas was ok.. It was WHITE at the third time of asking- wish I took pictures of me trying to move around in knee deep snow. Got invited out to a bash by the guys where there was a wee bit too much alcohol. That is guaranteed to loosen up a few tongues - and I heard a lot about certain people I shouldn\u0026rsquo;t have heard! Thankfully I\u0026rsquo;m out of here in a bit, so I can forget I ever heard those things.\nI finally burnt the stash of things, I did try one last time to talk but the conversation was forced, almost alien. Clearly I\u0026rsquo;ve had my nose in the wrong cloud all this while. We lose some and we win some, that keeps life moving..\nSomething about Christmas makes people want to be on their best behaviour - I got a call from an old friend, and it was almost like the old days.\nThe work folks want me to start in January. A project came up that they require extra hands for. So much for my lounging till February. In a way it\u0026rsquo;s good though, because boredom was already doing things to my mind!\nI like the Taking stock thing. I think it will be a great way to measure what progress, if any, I have made on resolving the issues that spawned my mid life crisis.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/12/26/randoms-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eChristmas was ok.. It was WHITE at the third time of asking- wish I took pictures of me trying to move around in knee deep snow. Got invited out to a bash by the guys where there was a wee bit too much alcohol. That is guaranteed to loosen up a few tongues - and I heard a lot about certain people I shouldn\u0026rsquo;t have heard! Thankfully I\u0026rsquo;m out of here in a bit, so I can forget I ever heard those things.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Randoms...."},{"content":"In one of those moments - of serendipity or plain coincidence, I met someone who I know from Nigeria on the streets. I was chatting with two friends of mine on a particularly busy street when someone walked up to me and called my name. He attended the same church with my parents for a bit, before he moved on to a new town - got a job in one of the so-called new generation banks and quit his University Lecturer job.\nLife couldn\u0026rsquo;t have been harsher. Dude went up several ranks in the bank, before he lost his job. He claimed his pay-off and skipped off to the UK. A few years down the road, he still doesn\u0026rsquo;t have a permanent job.. Now he works as a temp at a confectionary producer in this town, engaged in back breaking labour, twelve hours each day, five days each week.\nIts honest labour, he makes enough to cater for his family\u0026hellip; I really should be thankful that I have a job to look forward to, and a kid brother who was magnanimous enough to loan me several thousand pounds\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/12/23/random-meeting/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn one of those moments - of serendipity or plain coincidence, I met someone who I know from Nigeria on the streets. I was chatting with two friends of mine on a particularly busy street when someone walked up to me and called my name. He attended the same church with my parents for a bit, before he moved on to a new town - got a job in one of the so-called new generation banks and quit his University Lecturer job.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Random meeting.."},{"content":"The rude shock of seeing the bathroom scale inching steadily towards 100kg has given me the proverbial kick up the back side. I need to start eating healthy ASAP. Eighteen months of binging on KFC, Greggs and Pizza Hut has done my weight in, and added a few inches to the waist line.\nThe big problem though is I have zilch experience in drawing up menus and creating shopping lists. I\u0026rsquo;m good when its a crowd going shopping, and I can eyeball what they are buying and decide. Like the googlephile I am, i jumped to google, to see if there were any hints I could get. I stumbled on the UK Food Safety Agency’s Eat well website. Loads of useful information even though it seemed overwhelming at times!\nFour hours later, and countless more google searches, I am no closer to deciding what I want to buy than when i started. I think I will just outsource the creation of the list to one of my more skillful female friends!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/12/21/menus-shopping-lists-and-healthy-eating/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe rude shock of seeing the bathroom scale inching steadily towards 100kg has given me the proverbial kick up the back side. I need to start eating healthy ASAP. Eighteen months of binging on KFC, Greggs and Pizza Hut has done my weight in, and added a few inches to the waist line.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe big problem though is I have zilch experience in drawing up menus and creating shopping lists. I\u0026rsquo;m good when its a crowd going shopping, and I can eyeball what they are buying and decide. Like the googlephile I am, i jumped to google, to see if there were any hints I could get. I stumbled on the UK Food Safety Agency’s Eat well website. Loads of useful information even though it seemed overwhelming at times!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Menus, shopping lists and healthy eating."},{"content":" This has been one hell of a ride. There was change aplenty - the good, the bad and the iffy. In hindsight, maybe some decisions in 2008 were hasty, maybe they were not…Bottom line is that I survived..\nCall them random occurrences, put them down to luck or whatever – I think it was Divine Providence that pulled me through some really difficult times. It had to be – from getting THE opportunity after it had closed, to significant delays on bus timings that enabled me catch the train that got the ball rolling, to having a friend leave her house at the just the right time I needed a new house to stay in a new city (P you totally rock!), to getting Brooke Fraser’s Shadowfeet at the time things felt the bleakest, there had to be some orchestration behind it all. The plus side is I learned a few hard lessons - still learning even newer, harder ones.\nIn retrospect I am thankful: for family, for friends, for life, for blogging, for second chances\u0026hellip;.. In many ways I have been pulled back from the brink - been handed an undeserved reprieve\u0026hellip;.. I need to retool ME - leaner, meaner, focused and above all - hardnosed and pragmatic\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/12/20/in-retrospect/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y4KiGN1j1No?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis\u003c/em\u003e has been one  hell of a ride. There was change \u003cem\u003eaplenty\u003c/em\u003e - the good, the bad and the iffy. In hindsight, maybe \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/08/diary-of-a-would-be-school-boy/\"\u003esome decisions in 2008\u003c/a\u003e were hasty, maybe they were not…Bottom line is that I \u003cem\u003esurvived\u003c/em\u003e..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCall them random occurrences, put them down to luck or whatever – I think it was Divine Providence that pulled me through some really difficult times. It had to be – from getting THE opportunity after it had closed, to significant delays on bus timings that enabled me catch the train that got the ball rolling, to having a friend leave her house at the just the right time I needed a new house to stay in a new city (P you totally rock!), to getting \u003ca href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4KiGN1j1No\"\u003eBrooke Fraser’s Shadowfeet\u003c/a\u003e at the time things felt the bleakest, there had to be some orchestration behind it all. The plus side is I learned a few hard lessons - still learning even newer, harder ones.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"In Retrospect..."},{"content":"\nHT to The Dockers Website via The Doing Hard Things Blog..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/12/18/fact-or-gimmick/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/dockers_manifesto1.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"dockers_manifesto1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/dockers_manifesto1.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHT to \u003ca href=\"http://www.us.dockers.com/season/landing.aspx\"\u003eThe Dockers Website\u003c/a\u003e via \u003ca href=\"http://www.therebelution.com/blog/\"\u003eThe Doing Hard Things Blog..\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Fact... Or Gimmick?"},{"content":"Today I leave the NorthEast, hopefully for the last time in a bit. I have called this place home; lived here, eaten here, made new friends here, grabbed a degree here, cried here, and now its off to new challenges for me.\nIn total I\u0026rsquo;ve spent just under eighteen months here, eighteen months of near perfect freedom, aside of the back breaking swotting for exams. The people have been great too; I only had two questionable incidents - one where a clearly drunk bloke kicked an empty coke can in my direction and shouted a poor imitation of a racial slur, and the other when some kids made all sorts of noises and pointed as I walked past them in Brandling Park.\nI leave some of my longest term friends behind. Its especially emotional for Ivy because eighteen months ago, I left her in the belly of the Nigerian South-South to slug out the final bits of her internship, and I leave her here again to navigate her MSc. There are others - Bee, TBoy, Steve, and Charlie - people who have become a real part of my life in more ways than one.\nAs the snow continuously pours down, carpeting me in a feathery whiteness, and as I lug my boxes - all three of them - onto the train, it is very much a case of saying hello to the future\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/12/18/the-last-day-again/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eToday I leave the \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_East_England\"\u003eNorthEast\u003c/a\u003e, hopefully for the last time in a bit. I have called this place home; lived here, eaten here, made new friends here, grabbed a degree here, cried here, and now its off to new challenges for me.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn total I\u0026rsquo;ve spent just under eighteen months here, eighteen months of near perfect freedom, aside of the  back breaking swotting for exams. The people have been great too; I only had two questionable incidents - one where a clearly drunk bloke kicked an empty coke can in my direction and shouted a poor imitation of a racial slur, and the other when some kids made all sorts of noises and pointed as I walked past them in \u003ca href=\"http://newcastlephotos.blogspot.co.uk/2008/02/brandling-park.html\"\u003eBrandling Park\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Last Day... Again."},{"content":"I found these whilst cleaning up my e-mail archives over the weekend.. Enjoy. New Year Resolutions you can keep! Are you sick of making the same resolutions year after year that you never keep? Why not promise to do something you can actually accomplish? Here are some resolutions that you can use as a starting point:\n1. Gain weight. At least 30 pounds. 2. Stop exercising. Waste of time. 3. Read less. Makes you think. 4. Watch more TV. I\u0026rsquo;ve been missing some good stuff. 5. Procrastinate more. Starting tomorrow. 6. Not date any of the Baywatch cast. 7. Spend more time at work, surfing with the T1. 8. Take a vacation to someplace important: like, to see the largest ball of twine. 9. Not jump off a cliff just because everyone else did. 10. Stop bringing lunch from home: I should eat out more. 11. Not have eight children at once. 12. Get in a whole NEW rut! 13. Start being superstitious. 14. Personal goal: bring back disco. 15. Not wrestle with Jesse Ventura. 16. Buy an \u0026lsquo;83 Eldorado and invest in a really loud stereo system. 17. Get the windows tinted. Buy some fur for the dash. 18. Speak in a monotone voice and only use monosyllabicwords. 19 . Only wear jeans that are 2 sizes too small and use a chain or rope for a belt. 20. Spend my summer vacation in Cyberspace. 21. Not eat cloned meat. 22. Create loose ends. 23. Get more toys. 24. Get further in debt. 25. Not believe politicians. 26. Break at least one traffic law. 27. Not drive a motorized vehicle across thin ice. 28. Avoid transmission of inter-species diseases. 29 . Avoid airplanes that spontaneously drop 1000 feet. 30. Not swim with pirhanas or sharks. 31. Associate with even worse business clients. 32. Spread out priorities beyond my ability to keep track of them. 33. Wait around for opportunity. 34. Focus on the faults of others. 35. Mope about my faults. 36 . Never make New Year\u0026rsquo;s resolutions again.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/12/15/new-years-resolutions-not/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eI found these whilst cleaning up my e-mail archives over the weekend.. Enjoy.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eNew Year Resolutions you can keep!\u003c/strong\u003e\nAre you sick of making the same resolutions year after year that you never keep? Why not promise to do something you can actually accomplish? Here are some resolutions that you can use as a starting point:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1. Gain weight. At least 30 pounds.\n2. Stop exercising. Waste of time.\n3. Read less. Makes you think.\n4. Watch more TV. I\u0026rsquo;ve been missing some good stuff.\n5. Procrastinate more. Starting tomorrow.\n6. Not date any of the Baywatch cast.\n7. Spend more time at work, surfing with the T1.\n8. Take a vacation to someplace important: like, to see the largest ball of twine.\n9. Not jump off a cliff just because everyone else did.\n10. Stop bringing lunch from home: I should eat out more.\n11. Not have eight children at once.\n12. Get in a whole NEW rut!\n13. Start being superstitious.\n14. Personal goal: bring back disco.\n15. Not wrestle with Jesse Ventura.\n16. Buy an \u0026lsquo;83 Eldorado and invest in a really loud stereo system.\n17. Get the windows tinted. Buy some fur for the dash.\n18. Speak in a monotone voice and only use monosyllabicwords.\n19 . Only wear jeans that are 2 sizes too small and use a chain or rope for a belt.\n20. Spend my summer vacation in Cyberspace.\n21. Not eat cloned meat.\n22. Create loose ends.\n23. Get more toys.\n24. Get further in debt.\n25. Not believe politicians.\n26. Break at least one traffic law.\n27. Not drive a motorized vehicle across thin ice.\n28. Avoid transmission of inter-species diseases.\n29 . Avoid airplanes that spontaneously drop 1000 feet.\n30. Not swim with pirhanas or sharks.\n31. Associate with even worse business clients.\n32. Spread out priorities beyond my ability to keep track of them.\n33. Wait around for opportunity.\n34. Focus on the faults of others.\n35. Mope about my faults.\n36 . Never make New Year\u0026rsquo;s resolutions again.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"New Year unResolutions..."},{"content":"The stark reality of being totally single, in another man\u0026rsquo;s land a few days before Christmas never hits you more strongly than on a Saturday night. No work, boring TV, home alone, the inescapable cold of the winter all remind you of your lonely, boring life. There is only so much a good book, mindlessly surfing the internet, food, wine or any of the other finer treats of life can do to assuage the feeling of loneliness.\nA few days ago, I decided some retail therapy was needed and I ordered a MacBook Pro. I really didn\u0026rsquo;t need a new laptop, much less a change to a Mac. It arrived today.. 13\u0026quot; of dull grey aluminum and the world renowned Apple packaging. Untying the box was near orgasmic and when I finally held it in my hands I almost swooned from the exhilaration. The cold feel of the metal chasis on my palms as the heat was swiftly conducted away couldn\u0026rsquo;t dampen my elation.\nI have my very first MacBook.. I just know it is going to be the first of many! I swear I now understand why Mother has all those shoes!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/12/14/retail-therapy/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe stark reality of being totally single, in another man\u0026rsquo;s land a few days before Christmas never hits you more strongly than on a Saturday night. No work, boring TV, home alone, the inescapable cold of the winter all remind you of your lonely, boring life. There is only so much a good book, mindlessly surfing the internet, food, wine or any of the other finer treats of life can do to assuage the feeling of loneliness.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Retail Therapy!"},{"content":"I really would shoot someone if I could. The neighbour decided to have a party and proceeded to deliver an extra loud one - music blaring at obscene levels, people shuffling in the name of dance and setting off vibrations in the entire house. They live above my flat, so I was forced to be privy to the wacky selections the DJ put together. They didn\u0026rsquo;t even have the courtesy to pre-inform us of their intentions. Thankfully my days here are numbered! Can\u0026rsquo;t let anyone rain on my parade!\nOh and Joe McElderry won X-Factor..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/12/13/neighbours/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI really would shoot someone if I could. The neighbour decided to have a party and proceeded to deliver an extra loud one - music blaring at obscene levels, people shuffling in the name of dance and setting off vibrations in the entire house. They live above my flat, so I was forced to be privy to the wacky selections the DJ put together. They didn\u0026rsquo;t even have the courtesy to pre-inform us of their intentions. Thankfully my days here are numbered! Can\u0026rsquo;t let anyone rain on my parade!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Neighbours"},{"content":"This provides some background to this and this (number five)\nShe still wore her hair in a ‘fro… still wore only lip gloss… still wore a yellow shirt and black pants….still followed Liverpool\u0026hellip; still had the dimple on her left cheek…. still wrote with her left hand… still kept a big jar of peanut butter in her fridge….still laughed at my inane jokes…still hummed whilst making her mean stew!\nI could be forgiven for thinking that time had stood still…. and it was the first day again….. only she was more grown up… More alluring.. more woman less girl…\nThe first time \u0026hellip; was one Monday in April.. She was….barely sixteen\u0026hellip; had just made the jump from her secondary school to her first year Economics class… and she needed help with calculus. I fit the bill – top of my class, supposedly the calculus guru complete with bushy hair … and I was a cousin to her best friend. I think did my bit… Not sure how much input I had.. but she nailed an alpha on the course…. and I kept up my big brother paroles for a couple of years before I quit school, served the nation and vanished into the belly of the south south… eking out a living in the swamps..\nThe next time was five years later.. I was up to Lagos all week on work, she was working on the Island….We stole lunch every day.. Thirty minutes of pure bliss – she, Fred, Di and I….. Fred was the buddy of mine who was her knight in shining armour.. Di was my best friend of twenty years and counting…..\nThe last time.. was that day…She heard I was in town… She called me.. I knew I would never be forgiven if I didn’t see her. Five years down the road… She and Fred are history.. I blew my big chance with Di.. and the-one-after-Di….. Fred is my buddy and has been for nearly ten years….. She and the-one-after-Di are still close friends…..\nLife’s complicated good, innit?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/12/13/its-complicated/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis provides some background to\u003c/em\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/04/finally-home/\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ethis\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003cem\u003eand\u003c/em\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/11/random-simple-things/\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ethis (number five)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe still wore her hair in a  ‘fro… still wore only lip gloss… still wore a yellow shirt and black pants….still followed Liverpool\u0026hellip; still had the dimple on her left cheek…. still wrote with her left hand… still kept a big jar of peanut butter in her fridge….still laughed at my inane jokes…still hummed whilst making her mean stew!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI could be forgiven for thinking that time had stood still…. and it was the first day again….. only she was more grown up… More alluring.. more \u003cem\u003ewoman\u003c/em\u003e less girl…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Its complicated.."},{"content":"The last few months for me have been quotidian - bereft of any but the most mundane exertions of eating, sleeping and surfing the internet. Thanks to the fortuitous event of my getting a real job a few months ahead of schedule, I have convinced myself that all I should be doing at this time is to rest and prepare for the big challenge ahead. Sadly, its been a lot more of rest and ungodly amounts of sleep than any real study or preparation. Am I becoming a bum? January can\u0026rsquo;t come quickly enough for me it seems.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/12/11/becoming-a-bum/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe last few months for me have been quotidian - bereft of any but the most mundane exertions of eating, sleeping and surfing the internet. Thanks to the fortuitous event of my getting a real job a few months ahead of schedule, I have convinced myself that all I should be doing at this time is to rest and prepare for the big challenge ahead. Sadly, its been a lot more of rest and ungodly amounts of sleep than any real study or preparation. Am I becoming a bum? January can\u0026rsquo;t come quickly enough for me it seems.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Becoming a Bum?"},{"content":"By the time you read this, I would have completed the penultimate item on version 6.02 of the five year plan.\n26k pounds in expenses, 52k pounds in deferred lost earnings, 4 months of second guessing myself, wondering if this was the right move in retrospect\u0026hellip;. And all I get were two short minutes of fame\u0026hellip;. 2 minutes where I donned the cape, got the hood and took the twelve steps eastward across the stage to lose my hand in his pudgy one!\nShould I have done it? Was it the right move or even the best in hindsight? I don\u0026rsquo;t know\u0026hellip; Would I do it all over again?\nYES.. Even if the same sequence of events played out!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/12/09/should-i-have-would-i/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBy the time you read this, I would have completed the penultimate item on version 6.02 of the five year plan.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e26k pounds in expenses, 52k pounds in deferred lost earnings, 4 months of second guessing myself, wondering if this was the right move in retrospect\u0026hellip;. And all I get were two short minutes of fame\u0026hellip;. 2 minutes where I donned the cape, got the hood and took the twelve steps eastward across the stage to lose my hand in his pudgy one!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Should I have? Would i?"},{"content":"They called me. Number was hidden, my phone was on silent, so I missed it the first time. They left a voicemail - asking me to give them a call back. I did and yes we did it! I am to start off the first week of February, so I have a few months to put my feet up and drink some beer (or not)\u0026hellip; Thanks to The Source and Myne Whitman who have read my constant prattle for the past few months. You are real Therapists.\nThat\u0026rsquo;s one fourth of the issues that precipitated the mid-life crisis resolved now.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/12/08/yay-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThey called me. Number was hidden, my phone was on silent, so I missed it the first time. They left a voicemail - asking me to give them a call back. I did and yes we did it! I am to start off the first week of February, so I have a few months to put my feet up and drink some beer (or not)\u0026hellip; Thanks to The Source and Myne Whitman who have read my constant prattle for the past few months. You are real Therapists.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Yay.."},{"content":"This is an automated email response from Home Careers.com in relation to a Job Application you made.\nOur Ref: JustDB-09-20/2011 Category: Multiple Location: StuckVille, Limboland\nDear You,\nFurther to your recent application, we regret to inform you that after careful consideration it has been decided not to proceed with your application on this occasion. Please be informed that in line with our Corporate Recruitment guidelines, you are not eligible to reapply for this or any other position till December 31st, 2012.\nMay we take this opportunity to wish you every success in your future career and thank you for the interest you have shown.\nYours Sincerely,\ntheOOhj For the Company.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/12/05/job-application-agent/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis is an automated email response from \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/\"\u003eHome Careers.com\u003c/a\u003e in relation to a \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/classified-certified-e-akara-maker-required/\"\u003eJob Application you made\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur Ref: JustDB-09-20/2011\nCategory: Multiple\nLocation: StuckVille, Limboland\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDear You,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFurther to your recent application, we regret to inform you that after \u003cem\u003ecareful\u003c/em\u003e consideration it has been decided not to proceed with your application on this occasion. Please be informed that in line with our Corporate Recruitment guidelines, you are not eligible to reapply for this or any other position till December 31st, 2012.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Job Application Agent....."},{"content":"I hate that you are always on my mind. I tell myself I really don\u0026rsquo;t mind that we do not talk any more. The brutal truth is that I mind! And worse, that it hurts - like a deeply seated wound that no salve can reach. Only a few months ago, it seemed the world was at our feet and that the sun would shine forever. A part of me wants to believe that you still care, that you still remember - I\u0026rsquo;m not sure it matters either way. We are done.\nI have our stuff in a pile, the mementoes - title pages of books with my name inscribed in your unique cursive, the plaque from your work in Uganda, the emails printed out - the lot. Some day, when I find the courage to let go, and ignite the bonfire, I\u0026rsquo;ll set them alight. For now, maybe another swig at the bottle might help for once!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/12/04/burning-the-bridges-friday-night-blues/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI hate that you are always on my mind. I tell myself I really don\u0026rsquo;t mind that we do not talk any more. The brutal truth is that I mind! And worse, that it hurts - like a deeply seated wound that no salve can reach. Only a few months ago, it seemed the world was at our feet and that the sun would shine forever. A part of me wants to believe that you \u003cem\u003estill\u003c/em\u003e care, that you \u003cem\u003estill\u003c/em\u003e remember - I\u0026rsquo;m not sure it matters either way. We are done.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Burning the bridges..... Friday Night Blues..."},{"content":"Tim Harford, author of The Undercover Economist, writes an intriguing blog at the Financial Times where he provides advice from an Economics standpoint on everyday issues. My current favourites are his analysis of a 32-year old American woman\u0026rsquo;s conundrum: to stay single in Italy or return to San Francisco, a man\u0026rsquo;s plea for deliverance from a Walmart hating wife, the statistics on loving and losing, the useless PA challenge and consumer choice theory applications for the good boy vs bad boy debate!\nhattp://www.amazon.co.uk/Undercover-Economist-Tim-Harford/dp/0316732931\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/12/03/interesting-random-stuff/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTim Harford, author of \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Undercover-Economist-Tim-Harford/dp/0316732931\"\u003eThe Undercover Economist\u003c/a\u003e, writes an intriguing blog at the Financial Times where he provides advice from an Economics standpoint on everyday issues. My current favourites are his analysis of a \u003ca href=\"http://blogs.ft.com/undercover/2009/11/dear-economist-should-i-stay-single-in-italy-%E2%80%93-or-come-home/#comments\"\u003e32-year old American woman\u0026rsquo;s conundrum: to stay single in Italy or return to San Francisco\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://blogs.ft.com/undercover/2009/11/dear-economist-i-love-walmart-my-wife-hates-it-help/\"\u003ea man\u0026rsquo;s plea for deliverance from a Walmart hating wife\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://blogs.ft.com/undercover/2009/10/dear-economist-loving-and-losing-%e2%80%93-is-the-cost-too-high/\"\u003ethe statistics on loving and losing\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://blogs.ft.com/undercover/2009/09/dear-economist-should-my-useless-but-sexy-pa-stay/\"\u003ethe useless PA challenge\u003c/a\u003e and consumer choice theory applications for the \u003ca href=\"http://blogs.ft.com/undercover/2009/09/dear-economist-solve-my-good-boy-bad-boy-dilemma/\"\u003egood boy vs bad boy debate!\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Economics of Loving...."},{"content":"I think I have never danced in my entire life - not in church, not on my solitary foray into a night club, not at all the birthday parties I attended as a kid, not ever. I don\u0026rsquo;t remember if it was a concious decision, or if it was/still is a result of a deep seated phobia even I am unaware of, or if I have always lacked that seemingly natural ability to coordinate the limbs in resonance with external tunes, or if I just plain can\u0026rsquo;t be bothered.\nI have always consoled myself by declaring that I am musing over the words of the songs - dissecting the rhymes, pondering the nuances, or sometimes inserting my own words to see if they rhyme better, or if they mean more for me that way. Don\u0026rsquo;t get me wrong, there have been times when I came close; days when I actually shuffled from side to side as though I were part of an invisible choir from antiquity or nodded my head and plucked strings on an imaginary acoustic guitar in tune with the song being belted out.\nToday was one of them days, perhaps the huge cup of coffee I drank this morning as I stepped out into 3 degree centigrade temperatures was culpable, or it was a genuine case of shopping therapy after I ogled my latest acquisition for the umpteenth time, or perhaps it was Charlie leading worship at church, and squeezing in one of my favourite Hillsong songs\u0026hellip; Bottom line is I almost danced, but I didn\u0026rsquo;t.. And I\u0026rsquo;m left still wondering what dancing must feel like\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/11/29/strictly-not-dancing/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI think I have never danced in my entire life - not in church, not on my solitary foray into a night club, not at all the birthday parties I attended as a kid, not ever. I don\u0026rsquo;t remember if it was a concious decision, or if it was/still is a result of a deep seated phobia even I am unaware of, or if I have always lacked that seemingly natural ability to coordinate the limbs in resonance with external tunes, or if I just plain can\u0026rsquo;t be bothered.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Strictly (not) dancing..."},{"content":"Aside of the occasional foray into the main street to either shop, use the ATM, go to church, get to the Library or some other mundane task, I have spent the last few months indoors. Today I went out to the ATM. Normally there should not have been a queue but today my eyes were assailed by a queue, stretching into the distance. There must have been at least twenty people on the queue occasioned by the demise of one of the two machines. These are the only two machines in walking distance of my house, which is shocking considering we are just off the city centre.\nI joined the end of the queue, arms folded around myself, even though I was clad in quite a heavy coat to deflate the force of the icy wind. Around me, everyone was heavily clad, quite a few were swaying, maybe trying to generate some heat from the muscular motion. One or two youngish looking chaps had cigarettes which they were puffing on, exhaling with careless abandon in our general direction. The woman in front of me seemed especially cold. She had only a flimsy looking wind breaker on for protection and I could almost swear I heard her bones rattling as she shivered. The person behind me seemed to take pity on her, and handed her his coat, which she seemed to appreciate.\nI felt a twinge of guilt for not offering her my jacket. I rationalized it away by telling myself that I needed it as much as she did, and that I\u0026rsquo;d have had to get it back when I left the queue. As I left, money in my wallet, I headed straight to the nearest KFC. This called for something warm ASAP.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/11/28/guilt-tripping/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAside of the occasional foray into the main street to either shop, use the ATM, go to church, get to the Library or some other mundane task, I have spent the last few months indoors. Today I went out to the ATM. Normally there should not have been a queue but today my eyes were assailed by a queue, stretching into the distance. There must have been at least twenty people on the queue occasioned by the demise of one of the two machines. These are the only two machines in walking distance of my house, which is shocking considering we are just off the city centre.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Guilt tripping"},{"content":"The following is an attempt to be coherent at 3.45am. If the logic is fuzzy, the imagery abstruse and the conclusions bother on the insane, blame it on reading Malcolm Gladwell into the wee hours of the morning!\nIn response to my rant/ sobfest in March about losing my friend Di, LoloBloggs pointed me to a post in which she argued that the right girl, wrong time argument was merely an excuse to prime women up for the inevitable future break up. Whilst that may be true in some situations, in one of those not-so random brain waves, it crossed my mind that the rightness or wrongness of the argument was peripheral to the fact that it fit the observed data for a reason - it is pragmatic! A further thought was a what-if, what if there exists a third dimension that when coupled with the right person and the right time serves as a useful predictor of how likely a person-connection is likely to proceed beyond the realms of casual acquaintance-ship? I would like to suggest that that third dimension is that of context.\nConsider context as the sum total of the extraneous - if sometimes subtle - influences of the where and the how of the first meet-up on how we relate to the people in our social network in the future. This sounds like a fuzzy definition, but unfortunately the real world isn’t quite as pristine as that of Newtonian physics; as such we will have to make do with that definition for context.\nIn general people associate certain places with certain things and these perceptions colour how seriously we consider the people we meet there. For instance, brothels are associated with quick and easy no explanations transactions, places of worship with ‘seriously’ religious people, libraries - and to a lesser extent these days classrooms with people of significant academic interests, the person who regularly listens to Opera and stage plays as possessing a certain refinement, the workplace with career focused people and the like. The how of a meet-up is also of importance - I for one would be less likely to trust someone I know routinely fails to deliver on project deliverables than one who does - even if it has no bearing whatsoever on their personal lives. Thus I think context is critical.\nThere is a problem though with context and the associations that feed it. These associations are typically person specific - some blokes might be more likely to be close friends with someone they meet at a weed selling joint than one they met at church, fluid and ultimately subjective, and I doubt it is possible to accurately characterize these associations for the general population. Context whilst thus critical is thus coloured by our perceptions, which are in turn largely an acquired taste.\nPerhaps, people connections are designed to be fuzzy and mysterious. After all the question of what constitutes the right girl or man is open to a myriad of definitions and counter definitions. Some would even argue that is an abstraction, spawned by the endless bombardment of our hearts and minds from childhood with the drivel served up by the likes of Hans Christian Anderson, Enid Blyton, the Brothers Grimm, the Pacesetters for our African children and in our latter years by the wide range of chic flicks portending to convince us that there is The ONE out there. Thankfully, the question of the right timing is a little less convoluted, but that does not in any way make the entire problem less of a probabilistic nightmare.\nContext then is of utmost criticality and is subjective – neither right nor wrong- just different. The critical question then would be could we as individuals know our own ideal context, or is it locked in the deep recesses of our subconscious minds? Gladwell quotes various experiments in Blink that seem to suggest that there is both a conscious and a subconscious dimension to the dilemma. The most poignant one would be the speed-dating example. Bottom line is when we meet people, we thin slice them and _\u0026lsquo;what speed-daters say they want and what they are actually attracted to in a moment don\u0026rsquo;t match\u0026rsquo;._Perhaps there is a reason I patently distrust e-harmony after all and why I junked my spreadsheet after all those years.\nIn conclusion, Context is critical, but subjective and part concious, part unconscious! My advice? Get your love on anyway!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/11/26/right-girl-right-time-wrong-context-or-not/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe following is an attempt to be coherent at 3.45am. If the logic is fuzzy, the imagery abstruse and the conclusions bother on the insane, blame it on reading \u003ca href=\"http://www.gladwell.com/\"\u003eMalcolm Gladwell\u003c/a\u003e into the wee hours of the morning!\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn response to \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/16/finally-the-truth-about-di/\"\u003emy rant/ sobfest in March\u003c/a\u003e about losing my friend Di, \u003ca href=\"http://afrogeekchic.wordpress.com/\"\u003eLoloBloggs\u003c/a\u003e pointed me to a post in which she argued that the \u003ca href=\"http://afrogeekchic.wordpress.com/2008/08/10/right-girl-wrong-time-wrong-argument/\"\u003eright girl, wrong time argument\u003c/a\u003e was merely an excuse to prime women up for the inevitable future break up. Whilst that may be true in some situations, in one of those \u003cem\u003enot-so random\u003c/em\u003e brain waves, it crossed my mind that the rightness or wrongness of the argument was peripheral to the fact that it fit the observed data for a reason - it is pragmatic!  A further thought was a what-if, \u003cem\u003ewhat if\u003c/em\u003e there exists a third dimension that when coupled with the right person and the right time serves as a useful predictor of how likely a person-connection is likely to proceed beyond the realms of casual acquaintance-ship? I would like to suggest that that third dimension is that of \u003cem\u003econtext\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Right Girl, Right Time, Wrong Context... Or Not?"},{"content":"I think I\u0026rsquo;ll get the job. Our discussions went very well, the interviewers were very friendly, and only just stopped short of saying they didn\u0026rsquo;t see why an offer could not be made ASAP. I had scaled through the technical bits of the interview a few weeks ago before meeting up with the HR folks this time. Fingers crossed though. And there is an option to remain in my city! Now that\u0026rsquo;s some good news, first bits of decent news in a while too.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/11/25/waiting-part-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI think I\u0026rsquo;ll get the job. Our discussions went very well, the interviewers were very friendly, and only just stopped short of saying they didn\u0026rsquo;t see why an offer could not be made ASAP. I had scaled through the technical bits of the interview a few weeks ago before meeting up with the HR folks this time. Fingers crossed though. And there is an option to remain in my city! Now that\u0026rsquo;s some good news, first bits of decent news in a while too.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Waiting (Part 2)"},{"content":"I finally went shopping, with a few friends from around the neighbourhood. Meat, tomatoes, onions, and a stop over at the African shop for some real rice meant my long running addiction to KFC is definitely in for a serious beating! Slowly getting used to this town, I cringe at the upheaval another relocation might cause if I get the job I am currently interviewing for..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/11/22/shopping/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI finally went shopping, with a few friends from around the neighbourhood. Meat, tomatoes, onions, and a stop over at the African shop for some \u003cem\u003ereal\u003c/em\u003e rice meant my long running addiction to KFC is definitely in for a serious beating! Slowly getting used to this town, I cringe at the upheaval another relocation might cause if I get the job I am currently interviewing for..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Shopping.."},{"content":"She popped up on my IM window today – the first time in months that she has. In an oddly unsettling way, it seems odd that she appeared. Odd becuase a mere few months ago, we were seemingly inseparable. I was caught in two minds - to buzz her or not\u0026hellip; Truth is there was never any closure. All we had was a slow drifting apart as we each sought to focus more on our own things\u0026hellip;. In theory, we are still normal – still friends, still confidants - the only difference from the days of a somewhat burgeoning friendship being the fact that life has happened, and squeezed the ‘thing\u0026rsquo; I thought could grow into a dry lifeless crust.\nIt’s life though… As the French say C’est La Vie…\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/11/19/twiddling-thumbs/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eShe popped up on my IM window today – the first time in months that she has. In an oddly unsettling way, it seems odd that she appeared. Odd becuase a mere few months ago, we were seemingly inseparable. I was caught in two minds - to buzz her or not\u0026hellip; Truth is there was never any closure. All we had was a slow drifting apart as we each sought to focus more on our own things\u0026hellip;. In theory, we are still normal – still friends, still confidants - the only difference from the days of a somewhat burgeoning friendship being the fact that life has happened, and squeezed the ‘thing\u0026rsquo; I \u003cem\u003ethought could grow\u003c/em\u003e into a dry lifeless crust.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Twiddling Thumbs..."},{"content":"In retrospect\u0026hellip;. Life happens.. With or without our consents\u0026hellip;. And in its wake often comes change.. which we by default detest. Over time, we develop safe routines, coping mechanisms and default positions to deal with life - ultimately acquiring some semblance of balance.\nSometimes change is subtle; imperceptibly modifying the place where we are on the continuum of life, instigating minor perturbations - little oscillations if you like - around our equilibrium positions. The pragmatic thing to do then is to try to hold the fort, to resist change and maintain the status quo.\nAt other times though, change is radical – make that destructive- ripping to shreds the semblance of normalcy that we have settled into and forcing us to ask the ‘why me’ question. This change is frightening, and it can often feel as though all we have laboured for has been washed away in a flash flood.\nThe good thing though is that life is like a non-conservative vector field for which the closed line integral is not zero. Even when we seem to have come full circle, work has been done in moving us around the field. We have been changed and improved, and can face the daunting challenge of re-starting life with the confidence of the experience garnered the first time out.\nPerhaps then calamitous change is good – new wine cannot co-exist with old wine skins - and old structures need to be removed from the state of play for the new to be built.\nIn many ways, I am seemingly back to Square One… The view from here though is that it is time to go back to the drawing board and retool a leaner, meaner machine!\nBring on the New Life\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/11/19/lifes-like-that/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn retrospect\u0026hellip;. Life happens.. With or without our consents\u0026hellip;. And in its wake often comes change.. which we by default detest. Over time, we develop safe routines, coping mechanisms and default positions to deal with life - ultimately acquiring some semblance of balance.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSometimes change is subtle; imperceptibly modifying the place where we are on the continuum of life, instigating minor perturbations - little oscillations if you like - around our equilibrium positions. The pragmatic thing to do then is to try to hold the fort, to resist change and maintain the status quo.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Life's Like That.."},{"content":"It is times like this that I am \u0026lsquo;happy\u0026rsquo; that I still am unmarried. My flatmate has this ongoing conversation with his wife. I swear I can tell the whole tale, blow by blow, word by word. They have been married for nearly 15 years, his Nigerian employers passed him over a couple of times for a promotion - piquing him enough to make him quit - with a hefty pay off - and head back to school after relocating his family to Europe.\nNow with the MSc in hand, he\u0026rsquo;s chasing a job. Nothing quite clear cut yet, and Madam is on his case. Nagging him about the various financial commitments she has to meet, for which his funds are not forthcoming.\nI cannot tell one way or the other - but perhaps now is the time for them to pull together and see what the extraneous expenses which can be trimmed off are. But what do I know? I am still very unmarried!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/11/15/money-matters/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt is times like this that I am \u0026lsquo;happy\u0026rsquo; that I still am unmarried. My flatmate has this ongoing conversation with his wife. I swear I can tell the whole tale, blow by blow, word by word. They have been married for nearly 15 years, his Nigerian employers passed him over a couple of times for a promotion - piquing him enough to make him quit - with a hefty pay off - and head back to school after relocating his family to Europe.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Money matters."},{"content":"Perhaps, this is definitive proof that Social Networks like Facebook and Twitter can be good for you after all. First one bloke has his alibi corroborated by a Facebook timestamp (possibly saving him from up to 25 years in jail), then an attempted suicide was averted and Freddy Adu is finding life on the bench less stressful thanks to support from his peers via Twitter.\nWhat say you? What is the most unconventional use you have put Social Networks to?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/11/14/rethinking-social-networks/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePerhaps, this is definitive proof that \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_network\"\u003eSocial Networks\u003c/a\u003e like  \u003ca href=\"http://www.facebook.com/\"\u003eFacebook\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"http://www.twitter.com/\"\u003eTwitter\u003c/a\u003e can be good for you after all. First one bloke has his \u003ca href=\"http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_facebook-saves-ny-robbery-suspect-from-25-year-jail-term_1311213\"\u003ealibi corroborated by a Facebook timestamp\u003c/a\u003e (possibly saving him from up to 25 years in jail), then an \u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/6484057/Suicidal-boy-saved-by-Facebook-message.html\"\u003eattempted suicide was averted\u003c/a\u003e and  \u003ca href=\"http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/chrisbevan/2009/11/freddy_adu_footballs_forgotten.html\"\u003eFreddy Adu is finding life on the bench less stressful thanks to support from his peers\u003c/a\u003e via Twitter.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat say you? What is the most unconventional use you have put Social Networks to?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Rethinking' Social Networks...."},{"content":"The bad part of waiting is the uncertainty - the vacillation between extreme positions, the rehashing of the entire sequence of events in the mind seeking clues as to how it went - and the undoubted clarity that hindsight often brings along with all the could-haves and should-haves that tag along.\nI am waiting, have been waiting since a couple of days ago, for a response from the chaps I spoke to. I thought we had fruitful discussions, answered all the questions they asked, and chipped in with a few myself to ensure their expectations for the proposed role matched mine. Now, its time for the wait, while they decide if we are a match enough to progress to the next stage. Fingers crossed, done my bit now, all I can do is wait\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; and hope\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/11/13/waiting/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe bad part of waiting is the \u003cem\u003euncertainty\u003c/em\u003e - the vacillation between extreme positions, the rehashing of the entire sequence of events in the mind seeking clues as to how it went - and the undoubted clarity that hindsight often brings along with all the \u003cem\u003ecould-haves\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eshould-haves\u003c/em\u003e that tag along.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI am waiting, have been waiting since a couple of days ago, for a response from the chaps I spoke to. I thought we had fruitful discussions, answered all the questions they asked, and chipped in with a few myself to ensure their expectations for the proposed role matched mine. Now, its time for the wait, while they decide if we are a match enough to progress to the next stage. Fingers crossed, done my bit now, all I can do is wait\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; and hope\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Waiting."},{"content":"Chris Abani, speaking at TED in 2008 makes a statement I largely agree with;\nThe world is not saved in grand messianic gestures, but in the simple accumulation of gentle, soft, almost invisible acts of every day acts of compassion..\nIn the last month I,\nSaw a bottle of palm wine explode: The chic was taking some palm wine to her father for a traditional wedding. She failed to consult knowledgeable others and left the bottle of palm wine corked. 67.5mm Hg of pressure (that is the saturated vapour pressure of ethanol at 20 deg C) ripped the bottle to pieces, and showered us in palm wine! Met @medianemesis -- dude is really cool, smart.. and everything I imagined he was and more. Y\u0026rsquo;all need to follow him on Twitter and read his old blogs - fabulous! Attended Chill and Relax. Been a long while I chilled and listened to sublimely intelligent minds speak the language of poetry. I should attend when next I am in the vicinity. Thanks to Cerberus for sending a timely reminder. Went on a \u0026lsquo;date\u0026rsquo; with my friend EC: It was her birthday, I was in town doing nothing so she dragged me along to go grab a bite and just catch up on old times. This was just old friends hanging out after a year of us both zipping around the world without actually seeing each other. Got recruited as a husband finder, so send in the resumes for your brothers, nephews, uncles and (gulp) good ex- boy friends for consideration. The chic in question is uber smart, pwreeety, focused, - world class in short\u0026hellip;.. and she needs to sort this out in 2010 unfailingly\u0026hellip; Discovered I miss my campus bistro: My morning breakfast bun - the white bread + bacon + sausages + a hot cup of coffee has grown on me in the last 13 months.. Saw a rainbow - and it actually lifted my spirits. Was up since 2.30am, it was wet and windy, and then suddenly as my train came out of the tunnel just north of Edinburgh the sun broke out and the rainbow appeared - Priceless! Thought I liked her enough to jettison the 5-year plan, then thought it was a passing fancy and then ultimately decided to fast track certain portions of the plan as opposed to whole sale changes.. Oh, and this is not one of the usual suspects\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; Was reminded of the one we lost to the genes. She would have been 29 today! Saw a different spin on love: They have been married for 55 years, she is now confined to a wheel chair, but each day, he takes her for a \u0026lsquo;walk\u0026rsquo;, he pushes the wheel chair and they chat as they \u0026lsquo;walk\u0026rsquo;. That in my mind seemed like true for better for worse. Watched Imagine That, yes it\u0026rsquo;s kinda mushy, its cheesy, it runs against belief, but I liked it. Sue me! I need me my twin daughters already ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/11/12/random-simple-things/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eChris Abani, speaking at \u003ca href=\"http://www.ted.com/talks/chris_abani_muses_on_humanity.html\"\u003eTED in 2008\u003c/a\u003e makes a statement I largely agree with;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe world is not saved in grand messianic gestures, but in the  simple accumulation of gentle, soft, almost invisible acts of every day acts of compassion..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the last month I,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSaw a bottle of palm wine explode: The chic was taking some palm wine to her father for a traditional wedding. She failed to consult \u003cem\u003eknowledgeable others\u003c/em\u003e and left the bottle of palm wine corked. 67.5mm Hg of pressure (that is the saturated vapour pressure of ethanol at 20  deg C) ripped the bottle to pieces, and showered us in palm wine!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMet \u003ca href=\"http://twitter.com/medianemesis\"\u003e@medianemesis\u003c/a\u003e -- dude is really cool, smart.. and everything I imagined he was and more. Y\u0026rsquo;all need to follow him on Twitter and read his \u003ca href=\"http://www.blogger.com/profile/01171603996320057211\"\u003eold blogs\u003c/a\u003e - fabulous!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAttended \u003ca href=\"http://tres3uku.blogspot.com/2009/06/m-on-chill-and-relax-please-help.html\"\u003eChill and Relax\u003c/a\u003e. Been a long while I chilled and listened to sublimely intelligent minds speak the language of poetry. I should attend when next I am in the vicinity. Thanks to \u003ca href=\"http://www.blogger.com/profile/09065909517978639018\"\u003eCerberus\u003c/a\u003e for sending a timely reminder.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWent on a \u0026lsquo;date\u0026rsquo; with my friend EC: It was her birthday, I was in town doing nothing so she dragged me along to go grab a bite and just catch up on old times. This was just \u003cem\u003eold\u003c/em\u003e friends hanging out after a year of us both zipping around the world without actually seeing each other.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGot recruited as a \u003cem\u003ehusband finder\u003c/em\u003e, so send in the resumes for your brothers, nephews, uncles and \u003cem\u003e(gulp)\u003c/em\u003e good ex- boy friends for consideration. The chic in question is uber smart, pwreeety, focused, - world class in short\u0026hellip;.. and she needs to sort this out in 2010 unfailingly\u0026hellip;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDiscovered I miss my \u003ca href=\"http://www.ncl.ac.uk/about/campus/facilities/list/the+bistro\"\u003ecampus bistro\u003c/a\u003e: My morning breakfast bun - the white bread + bacon + sausages + a hot cup of coffee has grown on me in the last 13 months..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://tweetphoto.com/iepkamct\"\u003eSaw a rainbow\u003c/a\u003e - and it actually lifted  my spirits. Was up since 2.30am, it was wet and windy, and then suddenly as my train came out of the tunnel just north of Edinburgh the sun broke out and the rainbow appeared - Priceless!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThought I liked her enough to jettison the 5-year plan, then thought it was a passing fancy and then ultimately decided to fast track certain portions of the plan as opposed to whole sale changes.. Oh, and this is not one of the usual suspects\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWas reminded of the one we lost to the \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sickle-cell_disease\"\u003egenes\u003c/a\u003e. She would have been 29 today!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSaw a different spin on love: They have been married for 55 years, she is now confined to a wheel chair, but each day, he takes her for a \u0026lsquo;walk\u0026rsquo;, he pushes the wheel chair and they chat as they \u0026lsquo;walk\u0026rsquo;. That in my mind \u003cem\u003eseemed\u003c/em\u003e like true for \u003cem\u003ebetter for worse.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWatched \u003ca href=\"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780567/\"\u003eImagine That\u003c/a\u003e, yes it\u0026rsquo;s kinda mushy, its cheesy, it runs against belief, but I liked it. Sue me! \u003cem\u003eI need me my twin daughters already\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Random simple things......."},{"content":"Walked down Northumberland road today - had to go see the Opticians at Vision Express. Kenny\u0026rsquo;s official girlfriend\u0026rsquo;s bum broke my last pair of glasses - whether by an act of omission or one of commission I know not any more.\nThe entire street was lined with Christmas decorations, and manequinns waltzing to the sounds of well known carols blaring from the speakers on all the shops - Fenwick, M\u0026amp;S and the lot. It is a sharp reminder that its another Christmas away from family.\nWell, if I didn\u0026rsquo;t have to splurge a few hundred pounds on a new pair of glasses, I might have been able to convince myself to part with the money. As it stands, I shall enjoy Christmas vicariously\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/11/10/the-christmas-blues/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWalked down \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northumberland_Street\"\u003eNorthumberland road\u003c/a\u003e today - had to go see the \u003ca href=\"http://www.visionexpress.com/\"\u003eOpticians\u003c/a\u003e at Vision Express. Kenny\u0026rsquo;s official girlfriend\u0026rsquo;s \u003cstrong\u003ebum\u003c/strong\u003e broke my last pair of glasses - whether by an act of omission or one of commission I know not any more.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe entire street was lined with Christmas decorations, and manequinns waltzing to the sounds of well known carols blaring from the speakers on all the shops - Fenwick, M\u0026amp;S and the lot. It is a sharp reminder that its another Christmas away from family.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Christmas Blues...."},{"content":"Caught up with Olu again - he and I sat down in the car, engines revving pouring our hearts out on the various issues in our lives. After being so similar for such a long time, our lives cannot be more divergent going forward. He is heading back to Nigeria semi-permanently, I am looking forward to yet another winter here.\nLife is good though, and the time spent chatting up has thrown up a few new directions. That is what friends are for I suspect.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/11/08/friends/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eCaught up with Olu again - he and I sat down in the car, engines revving pouring our hearts out on the various issues in our lives. After being so similar for such a long time, our lives cannot be more divergent going forward. He is heading back to Nigeria semi-permanently, I am looking forward to yet another winter here.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLife is good though, and the time spent chatting up has thrown up a few new directions. That is what friends are for I suspect.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Friends....."},{"content":"\nI have unfinished business in this town. I had always sensed that when the time came to finally cut my ties, I would still have to come here one last time, to cast my eyes over the horizon and remind myself of all the things this town means to me.\nToday I lug my knapsack to the park and ask for a cab. I point in the general direction I am headed in, the dirty strip of land bordering the ocean that became my chill spot during those long arduous weekends. Unsurprisingly, the fare has doubled from the last time I was here, as it did for every one of the years I spent here. We haggle a little over the price. He retorts that there is no fuel, and that I shouldn\u0026rsquo;t be a cheap skate, after all I am a big boy. Perhaps I look the part - a knapsack that looks like it has a laptop, I wear glasses, am plugged into an iPod, and am speaking English untainted by the default accent one acquires around these parts. Truth is I might have once been one of them, but I am not now, which is why my trip to the waterside could end up being painful. I am off to eyeball UX5 for the last time.\nAs we proceed, I realize that nothing much has changed in the time I have been away. Clara is still perched at the edge of her seat turning out fried yam and goat stew with unfailing regularity, Muktar still roasts suya a little further down the road, the police men on guard detail still claim their mandatory stipend - only this time it too has doubled, and people still splash unabashed in the river in full glare of the public. Such is the banality that reigns supreme here.\nI eventually find myself at my destination. The wind is slightly chilly as usual, laden with a fine mist. The tide is on its way out, so I proceed to the very edge of this corner of the Atlantic, and allow its dirty brown water wash over my feet in tiny breaking waves. The horizon is dotted with numerous tiny fires, dull orange plumes in the gathering dusk. Once upon a time, I could name them all, but now only UX5 interests me. I know it like the back of my hand- 46 well head platforms, 366 production wells, 72 gas injectors, 52 pipelines – this was my playing ground for all of 5 years and I know I will miss it. UX5 holds great memories for me – my greatest triumph was here and I got to meet the most fabulous people. I remember Tam, the Instrumentation specialist who helped me automate my first chemical injection skid, I remember Zik whose deference to my opinion shocked me, I remember Pugs who thought I was not Nigerian until we got the chance to see face to face after multiple clashes over the phone. I also remember Ini the high flying Operations Manager who spoke up for the critical work we pushed through in that record breaking year, I remember Nduka the maverick Reservoir Engineer who always had us confused with all his numbers. I refuse to remember the sad parts, because I like to believe that UX5 and I were made for each other.\nI stare into the distance, musing, thinking about all the things UX5 means to me\u0026hellip; and I realize UX5 made me - was the sandbox where I honed all the skills I am taking away now\u0026hellip;\nI don\u0026rsquo;t know how long I spend in my reverie, but as the breeze gets stronger I finally snap out of it. I look around for a memento, something to remember today by. I find two pebbles; white, worn smooth by the persistent rasping of the water waves as they break. They fit into the palm of my hand, snugly as though they were made for it.. I take a long hard look at UX5, and then I hurl one of the pebbles in its direction.\nThis is for you UX5, I mutter\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;UX5’s cryogenic flare seems to flicker a greeting\u0026hellip;Ours is a bond that will not break.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/11/06/ux5-the-memories/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/offshore_ux5.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Offshore_UX5\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/offshore_ux5.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have unfinished business in this town. I had always sensed that when the time came to finally cut my ties, I would still have to come here one last time, to cast my eyes over the horizon and remind myself of all the things this town means to me.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday I lug my knapsack to the park and ask for a cab. I point in the general direction I am headed in, the dirty strip of land bordering the ocean that became my chill spot during those long arduous weekends.  Unsurprisingly, the fare has doubled from the last time I was here, as it did for every one of the years I spent here. We haggle a little over the price. He retorts that there is no \u003cem\u003efuel\u003c/em\u003e, and that I shouldn\u0026rsquo;t be a cheap skate, after all I am a \u003cem\u003ebig boy\u003c/em\u003e.  Perhaps I look the part - a knapsack that looks like it has a laptop, I wear glasses, am plugged into an iPod, and am speaking English untainted by the default accent one acquires around these parts. Truth is I might have once been one of them, but I am not now, which is why my trip to the waterside could end up being painful. I am off to eyeball UX5 for the last time.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"UX5... The Memories.."},{"content":"Moments like these, when insomnia induced by deep thought strikes, are when the harsh reality of the things we try to suppress often come to the fore. The overwhelming desire of my heart and my hand is to pick up my phone and call long distance. But my head - ever pragmatic - intervenes, short circuiting the commands and forcing me to think.\nI wonder if she remembers me, or if indeed there is someone else making her laugh, hearing all her foibles and making her giggle at pointless jokes and wise cracks into the wee hours of the morning.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/11/02/not-pining-just-saying/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMoments like these, when insomnia induced by deep thought strikes, are when the harsh reality of the things we try to suppress often come to the fore. The overwhelming desire of my heart and my hand is to pick up my phone and call long distance. But my head - ever pragmatic - intervenes, short circuiting the commands and forcing me to think.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI wonder if she remembers me, or if indeed there is someone else making her laugh, hearing all her foibles and making her giggle at pointless jokes and wise cracks into the wee hours of the morning.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Not pining.. Just saying..."},{"content":"Excellent piece by John Piper on the subject of handling mid-life crises. An excerpt\u0026hellip;.\nYou know, God makes no mistakes. I cannot explain to you why he ordained that the first half of your life would be led in a way that looks like you wasted it. Maybe you just lived for money, and you lost your marriage, and you lost your kids. And now you\u0026rsquo;re 54 years old, and you are all alone and rich and miserable.\nI don\u0026rsquo;t know all the reasons why God would permit that, but he\u0026rsquo;s got designs in that. And what his offer to you right now is the next 20 years different, useful, forgiven, clean, hopeful, heaven-bound.\nEncouraging.. Follow J ohn Piper on Twitter here.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/11/01/piper-on-mid-life-crises/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eExcellent piece by \u003ca href=\"http://www.desiringgod.org/AboutUs/JohnPiper/\"\u003eJohn Piper\u003c/a\u003e on the subject of \u003ca href=\"http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/AskPastorJohn/ByTopic/41/4347_What_would_you_say_to_a_Christian_going_through_a_midlife_crisis/\"\u003ehandling mid-life crises.\u003c/a\u003e An excerpt\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou know, God makes no mistakes. I cannot explain to you why he ordained that the first half of your life would be led in a way that looks like you wasted it. Maybe you just lived for money, and you lost your marriage, and you lost your kids. And now you\u0026rsquo;re 54 years old, and you are all alone and rich and miserable.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Piper on Mid-Life Crises..."},{"content":"When I was younger, I secretly believed my mother could fly. To be honest, those heels could delude anyone into believing they could - add a full flowing boubou and you had a superman woman right there, complete with boots and a cape! She certainly was not ultra light – all us kids, and her aversion to wastage in any and every form meant she was always only just under a healthy weight. For all my reading of Essential Biology I should have known that real mothers could not fly; only fairy god mothers could - but the anecdotal evidence seemed to suggest that mine did, for the sheer number of times she caught me pants down – no pun intended.\nOnce whilst reading my umpteenth Nick Carter adventure – devouring with relish the dexterity with which between Wilhelmina (his German Luger), Hugo (his ultra useful pearl handled stiletto) and Pierre (his gas bomb), he managed to blow just about any and every enemy out of the way - she managed to surprise me at the precise moment the Killmaster was on the verge of surmounting those twin peaks of delight a la 007. She had suddenly appeared at my side; I was too shell shocked to react - the only good part was the book fell open to a shoot \u0026rsquo;em up section - otherwise Father Callistus\u0026rsquo; keg of holy water might have been invoked or worse the deliverance committee might have been called in.\nThat night, she proved she hadn’t lost her knack for ghosting into space like a world class striker attacking a corner at the far post and blind siding the goalkeeper. It certainly didn’t help that I was reading this blog\u0026hellip;..and giggling like a teenage girl lost in the throes of delirious laughter occasioned by the tickles of her puppy love\u0026hellip;.all at 3.00am… The reflections of the screen in my glasses must have alerted her to the fact that this was no ordinary word fest! In amazing presence of mind (or so I thought), I hit the windows key +D key combo, the screen quickly switching to my benign desktop.\nShe smiled that wry smile of hers that seemed to say boy! you’ve still not learnt, right?\nI scanned her face for any obvious signs of displeasure. None. She and I have always had this near telepathic link up; scratch that, she has always read me like a book. I wonder what it is she will say, but Uncle Wole didn\u0026rsquo;t teach her in vain\u0026hellip; she always gives a master class\u0026hellip;\nI held her unnerving gaze for all of 18.46981 seconds\u0026hellip; She pulled the chair next to me out and still holding my gaze asked\u0026hellip; What do you write about? Just that! She just knows I have a blog, and she knows I will not tell the url. But she dares me to examine my motivations..\nI ponder\u0026hellip;. wonder\u0026hellip;.. try to remember\u0026hellip;.. all the things I have written\u0026hellip;. a letter to her, numerous rants, of love spurned, of near death experiences\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; no singular answer can encapsulate all the things I have written about\u0026hellip; As she stands up to leave, I mutter\u0026hellip; In retrospect, everything\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/10/27/in-retrospect-everything/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWhen I was younger, I secretly believed my mother could fly. To be honest, those heels could delude anyone into believing they could - add a full flowing \u003cem\u003eboubou\u003c/em\u003e and you had a superman woman right there, complete with boots and a cape! She certainly was not ultra light – all us kids, and her aversion to wastage in any and every form meant she was always only just under a healthy weight. For all my reading of \u003cem\u003eEssential Biology\u003c/em\u003e I should have known that \u003cem\u003ereal\u003c/em\u003e mothers could not fly; only fairy god mothers could - but the anecdotal evidence seemed to suggest that mine did, for the sheer number of times she caught me pants down – \u003cem\u003eno pun intended.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"In retrospect..... everything."},{"content":"Apparently a Saudi Arabian woman filed for divorce after her husband stored her name as \u0026lsquo;Guantanamo\u0026rsquo; on his cell phone. Wonder what she would do if her name was stored as Oloshi Oloriburuku?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/10/24/mobile-phone-ettiquette/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eApparently a Saudi Arabian woman \u003ca href=\"http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/CultureAndMedia/?id=3.0.3893881036\"\u003efiled for divorce\u003c/a\u003e after her husband stored her name as \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_detention_camp\"\u003e\u0026lsquo;Guantanamo\u0026rsquo;\u003c/a\u003e on his cell phone. Wonder what she would do if her name was stored as \u003ca href=\"http://naijablog.blogspot.com/2009/04/oloshi-oloriburuku.html\"\u003eOloshi Oloriburuku\u003c/a\u003e?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Mobile Phone Etiquette"},{"content":"\u0026hellip; at the end of the raging storm.\u0026hellip; finally a silver lining appears\u0026hellip; one victory.. but it is a crucial change of momentum!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/10/22/almost-there/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u0026hellip; at the end of the raging  \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/07/the-hot-seat/\"\u003estorm.\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip; finally a silver lining appears\u0026hellip; one victory.. but it is a crucial change of momentum!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Almost There....."},{"content":"Do not edit this page\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/10/22/archives/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDo not edit this page\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Archives"},{"content":"Each morning, my nostrils awake to redolent scents, wafting outward from the Greggs eatery next to my house. Sadly, this particular branch is close enough to allow some of the scents find their way in, but just far enough to befuddle my sense of smell in such a way that I cannot precisely tell which is which.\nSome days I can almost bet my sweet life that they are arranging hot piping amala there. At other times, I am positive I have heard inhaled the smell of akara, of moi moi and even party jollof rice! Problem though is there is no way any of these can smell like the above; unless there is a Naija chic surreptitiously boiling her own things on the side..\nClearly, my sense of smell has been compromised by the extreme lack of Nigerian lemms. Dang I miss my moooommmmmmmmy\u0026rsquo;s akara!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/10/21/dear-god-deliver-me-from-greggs/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eEach morning, my nostrils awake to redolent scents, wafting outward from the \u003ca href=\"http://www.greggsthebakers.co.uk/index.php\"\u003eGreggs\u003c/a\u003e eatery next to my house. Sadly, this particular branch is close enough to allow some of the scents find their way in, but just far enough to befuddle my sense of smell in such a way that I cannot precisely tell which is which.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome days I can almost bet my sweet life that they are arranging hot piping \u003ca href=\"http://twitpic.com/mcb6v\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eamala\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e there. At other times, I am positive I have heard inhaled the smell of \u003ca href=\"http://twitpic.com/mcbdm\"\u003eakara,\u003c/a\u003e of \u003ca href=\"http://twitpic.com/mcbkj\"\u003emoi moi\u003c/a\u003e and even party \u003ca href=\"http://twitpic.com/mcbm4\"\u003ejollof rice!\u003c/a\u003e Problem though is there is no way any of \u003ca href=\"http://www.greggsthebakers.co.uk/products/index.php\"\u003ethese\u003c/a\u003e can smell like the above; unless there is a Naija chic surreptitiously boiling her own things on the side..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Dear God, Deliver me from Greggs!"},{"content":"I am all for defining my people connections upfront (DTRs) \u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; The thing about them though is that they are tricky\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;. Too soon, and you run the risk of permanently pulverizing some real bridges before they even get built\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.. Too late, and you’re mired in the morass of the ‘just friends’ zone…..\nThat night we had the inevitable talk and faced the ineluctable moment of truth\u0026hellip;.. Faced with a choice she said\u0026hellip;..\nYou\u0026rsquo;re a good guy but\u0026hellip;.. why does life have to be sooo difficult?\nMaybe that DTR was too early…or it was a classic case of DeBee’s Law:\nThe refusal to define is tacit admittance that there was nothing to define in the first place or a nascent dislike of that which was to be defined.\nIn retrospect, she was right.. \u0026hellip;There were too many yawning chasms that needed crossing!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/10/16/conversations/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI am all for \u003ca href=\"http://www.boundless.org/dtr/\"\u003edefining my people connections upfront (DTRs\u003c/a\u003e) \u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; The thing about them though is that they are tricky\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;. Too soon, and you run the risk of permanently pulverizing some real bridges before they even get built\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.. Too late, and you’re mired in the morass of the \u003ca href=\"http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001475.cfm\"\u003e‘just friends’\u003c/a\u003e zone…..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/08/a-passing-fancy/\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eThat\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e night we had the inevitable talk and faced the ineluctable moment of truth\u0026hellip;.. Faced with a choice she said\u0026hellip;..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Thing about 'Definition'....."},{"content":"Mum is running scared. A lot more scared than even I am.. And she doesn\u0026rsquo;t know the full scale of the issue. All I have told her is that I may not be returning to my old job in Nigeria. The truth is that I have quit already. As is typical with her she is bothered; wondering if I have enough funds to survive the job search, if I am seeking temporary work whilst all my documentation pulls through, the whole lanyards.\nI think, God willing, I have things covered- and barring any major glitches I should be fine. But she can\u0026rsquo;t understand the decision. Truth is I got totally fed up with the politics and the scheming, and decided a fresh start was in order. Still fingers crossed, palms closed together, hoping and praying that it works out.\nCiao!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/10/13/a-spot-of-bother/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMum is running scared. A lot more scared than even I am.. And she doesn\u0026rsquo;t know the full scale of the issue. All I have told her is that I may not be returning to my old job in Nigeria. The truth is that I have quit already. As is typical with her she is bothered; wondering if I have enough funds to survive the job search, if I am seeking temporary work whilst all my documentation pulls through, the whole lanyards.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A spot of bother.."},{"content":"The worst time to be on Bus 38 has to be around about 3pm. I assume that it is around this time the young and the restless end their studies, hitting the roads to get back to Mum\u0026rsquo;s food and at which time they are keen to demonstrate their wanton indiscretions to all and sundry.\nToday, they were at their bellicose worst - loud voices, popping gum and wild uncoordinated scrambles - all over the bus like worker bees suddenly disturbed from a mid-winter slumber.\nI could only sigh, raise the decibel output on my iPod a few notches and settle back in my seat. So much for Bus 38.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/10/10/the-cacophony/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe worst time to be on Bus 38 has to be around about 3pm. I assume that it is around this time the young and the restless end their studies, hitting the roads to get back to Mum\u0026rsquo;s food and at which time they are keen to demonstrate their wanton indiscretions to all and sundry.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, they were at their bellicose worst - loud voices, popping gum and wild uncoordinated scrambles - all over the bus like worker bees suddenly disturbed from a mid-winter slumber.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The cacophony"},{"content":"Dear Lawwd! Matters came to a head today over SpiriChic. Thing is Mother and I have spent the past few months locked in a mental war – losing it is inconceivable for me, because it would constitue such a loss of face that I couldn’t possibly put my foot down on any thing with her in future.\nSpiriChic, one of two young ladies I ever seriously dated, is a certain un-official ex from a few years ago now, whose existence was leaked by a parroting sibling in a moment of crass indiscretion. Said ex and Mother got to meet and hit if off instantly, which should have raised red flags in my mind at the time. My assumption has always been though, that as long as I hadn’t told the parents anything, whatever mother assumes is just that, an assumption.\nFast forward to today, when the subject of my future plans came up, especially with the relocation thingy. Mother proceeded to exhort, cajole and even downright threaten (not quite, but exert a fair bit of pressure anyways) all to ensure that yours truly restarts the broken connection with said ex, who in her eyes is a perfect fit!\nI understand her dilemma – she is scared that her son might be captured by a white woman…. Oh well, that’s not in the plan yet!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/10/08/of-exes-and-mothers-angst/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDear Lawwd! Matters came to a head today over SpiriChic. Thing is Mother and I have spent the past few months locked in a mental war – losing it is inconceivable for me, because it would constitue such a loss of face that I couldn’t possibly put my foot down on any thing with her in future.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpiriChic, one of two young ladies I ever seriously dated, is a certain un-official ex from a few years ago now, whose existence was leaked by a parroting sibling in a moment of crass indiscretion. Said ex and Mother got to meet and hit if off instantly, which should have raised red flags in my mind at the time. My assumption has always been though, that as long as I hadn’t told the parents anything, whatever mother assumes is just that, an assumption.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Of Exes and Mother's Angst"},{"content":"She smiles; Pearly teeth Glistening in The golden light Of the setting sun As it dips Beneath the trees That frame this Swiftly fading vista. The rings In her ears Resonate to A hidden rhythm Chiming to an- Unspoken song – One that I feel in The hidden parts of - My enchanted mind. Her eyes, Filled with mirth, Flit in the shades; These slowly Lengthening shadows; Drawing me From this earth To a distant place - Some vale where My pains regress, Where I have been Only in my Midnight dreams. Her hair Stands firm, Unfazed by the Swirling winds, Defiantly proclaiming Her pristine- African-ness Her skin - Ebony black- is Stretched taut Like a canvas - kissed By the gently dropping rain, And caressed By the drooping ferns. The lush green leaves on which she seats pale, losing their colour Acquiring a pallor Blighted by her light That floods my sight. Her feet- clad in scented sandals would deign to- walk this filthy earth. I, alas Like a man bewitched Can only stand- Enthralled, Drawn- By THAT smile that steals my all.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/10/08/she-smiles/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eShe smiles;\nPearly teeth\nGlistening in\nThe golden light\nOf the setting sun\nAs it dips\nBeneath the trees\nThat frame this\nSwiftly fading vista.\nThe rings\nIn her ears\nResonate to\nA hidden rhythm\nChiming to an-\nUnspoken song –\nOne that I feel in\nThe hidden parts of -\nMy enchanted mind.\nHer eyes,\nFilled with mirth,\nFlit in the shades;\nThese slowly\nLengthening shadows;\nDrawing me\nFrom this earth\nTo a distant place -\nSome vale where\nMy pains regress,\nWhere I have been\nOnly in my\nMidnight dreams.\nHer hair\nStands firm,\nUnfazed by the\nSwirling winds,\nDefiantly proclaiming\nHer pristine-\nAfrican-ness\nHer skin -\nEbony black- is\nStretched taut\nLike a canvas - kissed\nBy the gently dropping rain,\nAnd caressed\nBy the drooping ferns.\nThe lush green leaves\non which she seats\npale, losing their colour\nAcquiring a pallor\nBlighted by her light\nThat floods my sight.\nHer feet-\nclad in scented sandals\nwould deign to-\nwalk this filthy earth.\nI, alas\nLike a man bewitched\nCan only stand-\nEnthralled, Drawn-\nBy THAT smile\nthat steals my all.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"She smiles........."},{"content":"Today Bus 38 yielded a friendly face and that after a whole three months! I had already taken my seat, again at the rear of the not so new bus, plugged into my iPod which has being the only companion worthy of note to me, and settled in- yielding to the waves of nostalgia occasioned by the tunes belted out by the artistes on my play list. She had clambered up a few stops after I had got on - clad in knee length boots, black jeans trousers and a navy blue shirt which seemed a tad bit too large for her lithe frame – pulling in her tow a large box. It seemed obvious that she was undertaking the final leg of a journey.\nShe seemed to scan the sea of faces, eyes flitting, seemingly hoping to find a face that would at give a hint of welcome. That was usually an exercise in futility – the faces on Bus 38 usually stared blankly, focused on a seemingly distant land. Our eyes met – briefly - but enough for me to catch the faint flicker of a welcome. She sat down surrounded by all the motionless, expression less faces - but the slight smile that played around her lips seemed to suggest that she had found a bit of home.\nWhen I passed her as I clambered off Bus 38 myself - burdened by my own knapsack - all we exchanged was a quick nod - not a lot - but hopefully, enough to let us both know that we had seen a friendly face at last.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/10/07/finally-a-friendly-face/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eToday Bus 38 yielded a friendly face and that after a whole three months! I had already taken my seat, again at the rear of the not so new bus, plugged into my iPod which has being the only companion worthy of note to me, and settled in- yielding to the waves of nostalgia occasioned by the tunes belted out by the artistes on my play list. She had clambered up a few stops after I had got on - clad in knee length boots, black jeans trousers and a navy blue shirt which seemed a tad bit too large for her lithe frame – pulling in her tow a large box. It seemed obvious that she was undertaking the final leg of a journey.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Finally a friendly face.."},{"content":"You know you are a chronic bachelor when\u0026hellip;\nPeople at more than two diners know you on a first name basis - clearly you have eaten out sooooo much that you are now an honorary share holder. The favorite inside joke among your friends is about how \u0026rsquo;easy\u0026rsquo; your wedding will be - no need to seriously chase a little bride or a little groom as friends daughters and sons will provide that. The scrawny little kid who used to run around naked in the streets, plastered with sand has now morphed into a delectable mid-twenties chic, and she pitches in once in a while about wanting to chop your cake! You get unsolicited email addresses and phone numbers from your peeps. They have decided to take matters into their hands by bombarding you with options. Your father jokingly reminds you of how he met, chased and eventually married your mother. Sadly that is about as subtle as HE can get! You get quizzed about any girl you are remotely associated with. Even the one who owes you money and only dropped by to negotiate the payment terms! The Uncle who has not spoken to you in aeons suddenly invites you over for a family vist three times in a month and takes you on a cruise to singles church. Mr sharp man uncle is trying to showcase your talents to the crouching wolves and hoping your bachelor tinted eyes will suddenly wake up. Your favorite aunt snatches her baby bag from you whilst you are trying to help pack up after a family night out. Her argument is that she doesn\u0026rsquo;t want anybody to think you are either married or a single father. You are suddenly analyzing the pros and cons of taking the chase online. When you and your friends meet up after long absences they eventually pop the question. \u0026lsquo;Soooooo, gist me, what has being happening to you\u0026rsquo;. Oh and they don\u0026rsquo;t mean work! ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/10/04/you-know-you-are-a-chronic-bachelor-when/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eYou know you are a chronic bachelor when\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeople at more than two diners know you on a first name basis - \u003cem\u003eclearly you have eaten out sooooo much that you are now an honorary share holder.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe favorite inside joke among your friends is about how \u0026rsquo;easy\u0026rsquo; your wedding will be \u003cem\u003e- no need to seriously chase a little bride or a little groom as friends daughters and sons will provide that.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe scrawny little kid who used to run around naked in the streets, plastered with sand has now morphed into a delectable mid-twenties chic, and she pitches in once in a while about wanting to \u003cem\u003echop your cake!\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou get unsolicited email addresses and phone numbers from your peeps. \u003cem\u003eThey have decided to take matters into their hands by bombarding you with options.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYour father jokingly reminds you of how he met, chased and eventually married your mother. \u003cem\u003eSadly that is about as subtle as \u003cstrong\u003eHE\u003c/strong\u003e can get!\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou get quizzed about any girl you are remotely associated with. \u003cem\u003eEven the one who owes you money and only dropped by to negotiate the payment terms!\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Uncle who has not spoken to you in aeons suddenly invites you over for a family vist three times in a month and takes you on a cruise to singles church. \u003cem\u003eMr sharp man uncle is trying to showcase your talents to the crouching wolves and hoping your bachelor tinted eyes will suddenly wake up.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYour favorite aunt snatches her baby bag from you whilst you are trying to help pack up after a family night out. \u003cem\u003eHer argument is that she doesn\u0026rsquo;t want anybody to think you are either married or a single father.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou are suddenly analyzing the pros and cons of taking the chase online.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen you and your friends meet up after long absences they eventually pop the question. \u0026lsquo;Soooooo, gist me, what has being happening to you\u0026rsquo;. Oh and they don\u0026rsquo;t mean work!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"You know you are a chronic bachelor when..."},{"content":"I had an eccentric- if morbid- pastime whilst growing up; fantasizing about dying; and that for as long as I can remember. This was not a simple hit-by-a-car death, but a major drawn out event complete with ambulances, flashing lights, weeping family, and heart broken friends. The object of those fantasies was to convince myself I was that important to all of them; and assuage my battered ego after being blasted to bits by my mum. I would imagine Mother crying; eyes puffed up, hair flying in the wind, scarf wrapped around her waist, totally inconsolable, attempting to throw herself into the ditch, mourning her great loss - ME. Often I would have Di in the background, bawling like a chicken deprived of her entire brood in a sweeping attack by hawks - only a slightly more dignified version of mum.\nLately though, a different twist to this has developed – I find myself pondering what my life will be remembered for. Typically we ‘die after a brief illness’, are \u0026rsquo; survived by x, y and z’, and will be \u0026lsquo;fondly remembered by a, b, c’ - not exactly exiting the earth in a blaze of glory, but keeping things simple and ticking. In all my typically detailed plans – elaborate exercises in wishful thinking, hopefully scrutinized through the lenses of pragmatism, complete with contingency plans B to D and a fail safe option - I have had grandiose targets. I have found out in the last year though, that life isn’t as defined as I would think it is, and in reality fail safe options only exist in the pristine world of strategy games and to a lesser extent Chem E classes and Process Design software. The precociously talented Carlang says Life’s a gamble and I have the empirical evidence to agree. I am have been forced into rewriting the infamous 5 year plan – and for the first time in nearly 9 years the under-girding assumptions are not 100% in my control.\nOne thing is clear though - Life doesn\u0026rsquo;t roll over and offer easy pickings. Life is a no-holds barred, toe to toe contest, and I need to take life by the scruff of the neck; there are some gambles I need to make, major changes that I need to ring and I can already sense the flak flying in my direction, but the key question burning a hole at the back of my mind is the same one Jim Malone (played by Sean Connery) asked of Elliot Ness (played by Kevin Costner) in the film The Untouchables.\nWhat are you prepared to do?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/10/02/rethinking-life/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI had an eccentric- if morbid- pastime whilst growing up; fantasizing about dying; and that for as long as I can remember. This was not a simple hit-by-a-car death, but a major drawn out event complete with ambulances, flashing lights, weeping family, and heart broken friends. The object of those fantasies was to convince myself I was \u003cem\u003ethat\u003c/em\u003e important to all of them; and assuage my battered ego after being blasted to bits by my mum. I would imagine  \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/07/dear-mom/\"\u003eMother\u003c/a\u003e crying; eyes puffed up, hair flying in the wind, scarf wrapped around her waist, totally inconsolable, attempting to throw herself into the ditch, mourning her great loss - \u003cem\u003eME\u003c/em\u003e.  Often I would have \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/finally-the-truth-about-di/\"\u003eDi\u003c/a\u003e in the background, bawling like a chicken deprived of her entire brood in a sweeping attack by hawks - only a slightly more dignified version of mum.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Rethinking... Life."},{"content":"Edit: This is me venting\u0026hellip; Nothing personal.. Just vexed by the way certain things have panned out.. I fear that soon all I will have as memories of my Africa will be the melancholic bits interspersed with a few shards here and there of a nostalgic past - growing up, friends, family, schools, holidays and times spent in wanton play - occasional successes mired in a morass of resounding failure. I wrote in my journal when I turned 21, that I felt my future was inextricably linked to Africa and that whatever I did, I would always have her at the back of my mind. Nine years on, I fear I may have made a volte face; one not altogether of my own volition.\nThe harsh reality is that the Africa I grew up eulogizing; enshrined in the words of Diop\u0026rsquo;s Africa my Africa, Clarke\u0026rsquo;s Call of The River Nun, and in the exquisite prose of Achebe and co; lauded in the legends of great empires now extinct and brought to life by the tales with which my grandmother nursed me to sleep; has taken on a whole new life - entombed in the murky waters of bare faced deception, brazen theft, gross inequality, sycophancy and all such things - a myriad of false dawns and a future far removed from the brilliant ideals the likes of Tom Mboya, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Kwame Nkruma and others of their ilk tried to espouse.\nToday, I officially joined the ever swelling ranks of \u0026lsquo;Africans in the Diaspora\u0026rsquo;; and true to type I will be an arm chair politician; spewing meaningless rhetoric from the safety of an uncensored IP address, hiding behind the nameless, faceless facade that is a blog and its associated moniker. I will sign all the on-line petitions, use the right hash-tags and send the occasional token to the charity back home. I will order home made music by the \u0026lsquo;ghana must go\u0026rsquo; whenever someone travels back to Africa, to assuage my conscience that I am indeed African at heart and remind the kids, conveniently given non-African monikers, that they are truly African at heart. I shall ensure we visit at least once a year, as long as it doesn\u0026rsquo;t jeopardise my chances of getting a second passport. And then when I am old and grey, when senility slithers in and death brazenly appears to demand its recompense, I will conveniently be buried back in Africa, the land of my fathers. Ah, the life of a lost son.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/10/01/the-life-of-a-lost-son/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eEdit: This is me venting\u0026hellip; Nothing personal.. Just vexed by the way certain things have panned out..\nI fear that soon all I will have as memories of my Africa will be the melancholic bits interspersed with a few shards here and there of a nostalgic past - growing up, friends, family, schools, holidays and times spent in wanton play - occasional successes mired in a morass of resounding failure. I wrote in my journal when I turned 21, that I felt my future was inextricably linked to Africa and that whatever I did, I would always have her at the back of my mind. Nine years on, I fear I may have made a volte face; one not altogether of my own volition.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Life of a Lost Son..."},{"content":"I have been involved in a mini church crawl - attended several churches over the past few weeks with the aim of finding someplace to settle. In the process, I found that people in church largely fit into one of the following classes.\nThe irresponsible bloke: This bloke dey feel like gangsta for church. Jeans wearing, ear ring totting, chewing gum splitting type, he is often singled out for the sinner\u0026rsquo;s prayer/ deliverance. The scammer: O boy dey scan all the fine babes for the church. Instead of worshipping the Lord, bros is watching the screens -and depending on his confidence levels he might try to catch a wink occasionally. If it is a church where peeps are asked to move around and shake hands or welcome each other, free pass for bros o. He will shake and hug all the fine sisters. The Spiri bros/ sis: These types are the real members of the church. They have come to worship God, but sometimes they can over do it too o. Like skabashing very loudly, singing off key, or like one bloke in my non-Nigerian church, sway as though a strong east wind is blowing only him. These types usually gravitate to the prayer group, evangelism, sometimes Sunday school and the money counters - not very visible positions. The fine boy usher/ fine girl protocol member: These are the types that cause the most trouble in church. Dem can pose! Bro is usually decked out in a powerful perfume, correct suit and tire, and the phonetics! Chei, wahala! They don\u0026rsquo;t sit still in church o, always prancing around, so people can see them. I suspect that at least 65% of church members know them by name! The choir chic: The typical choir chic can foine! This type is usually decked out gloriously every Sunday, and when there is a need to print a handbill, oh yes, na dem dey dey the front o. Normal songs for worship, become opportunities to showcase their Carrie Underwood-esque voices. The groove man/ groove chic: These types are your semi-reformed bubblers. Dem don groove so tey, as soon as the songs start to play, especially in Naija churches, they break out into the latest adaptation of a P-square, Wande Coal or Makossa dance steps (You get the drift). Needless to say, they usually sleep through the sermon as they have over spent their energy. The would-be intellectual: This types - usually blokes - think they have heard it all. From Aristotle to Socrates, from Blaise Pascal to CS Lewis they have heard all the finer arguments for and against the existence of God. They usually appear in church once in a while, sit at the back and look condenscendingly at the delusion of others around them. The Gizmo Kid: These types are usually blokes again, but I have seen quite a few female versions. Bible on the iPhone or iPod, ear phones plugged in until church starts, dem can pose! ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/09/26/what-kind-of-worshipper-are-you/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI have been involved in a mini church crawl - attended several churches over the past few weeks with the aim of finding someplace to settle. In the process, I found that people in church  largely fit into one of the following classes.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe irresponsible bloke: This bloke dey feel like gangsta for church. Jeans wearing, ear ring totting, chewing gum splitting type, he is often singled out for the sinner\u0026rsquo;s prayer/ deliverance.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe scammer: O boy dey scan all the fine babes for the church. Instead of worshipping the Lord, bros is watching the screens -and depending on his confidence levels he might try to catch a wink occasionally. If it is a church where peeps are asked to move around and shake hands or welcome each other, free pass for bros o. He will shake and hug all the fine sisters.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Spiri bros/ sis: These types are the real members of the church. They have come to worship God, but sometimes they can over do it too o. Like \u003cem\u003eskabashing\u003c/em\u003e very loudly, singing off key, or like one bloke in my non-Nigerian church, sway as though a strong east wind is blowing only him. These types usually gravitate to the prayer group, evangelism, sometimes Sunday school and the money counters - not very visible positions.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe fine boy usher/ fine girl protocol member: These are the types that cause the most trouble in church. Dem can pose! Bro is usually decked out in a powerful perfume, correct suit and tire, and the phonetics! Chei, wahala! They don\u0026rsquo;t sit still in church o, always prancing around, so people can see them. I suspect that at least 65% of church members know them by name!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe choir chic: The typical choir chic can foine! This type is usually decked out gloriously every Sunday, and when there is a need to print a handbill, oh yes, na dem dey dey the front o. Normal songs for worship, become opportunities to showcase their \u003cem\u003eCarrie Underwood-esque\u003c/em\u003e voices.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe groove man/ groove chic: These types are your semi-reformed bubblers. \u003cem\u003eDem don groove so tey\u003c/em\u003e, as soon as the songs start to play, especially in Naija churches, they break out into the latest adaptation of a P-square, Wande Coal or  Makossa dance steps (You get the drift). Needless to say, they usually sleep through the sermon as they have over spent their energy.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe would-be intellectual: This types - usually blokes - think they have heard it all. From Aristotle to Socrates, from Blaise Pascal to CS Lewis they have heard all the finer arguments for and against the existence of God. They usually appear in church once in a while, sit at the back and look condenscendingly at the delusion of others around them.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Gizmo Kid: These types are usually blokes again, but I have seen quite a few female versions. Bible on the iPhone or iPod, ear phones plugged in until church starts, dem can pose!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"What kind of 'Worshipper' are you?"},{"content":"Found this two part story, exploring the difference love can make in the life of someone on my favorite webzine - Boundless. Really touching. Enjoy Part One and Part Two.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/09/24/a-touching-story/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFound this two part story, exploring the difference love can make in the life of someone on my favorite webzine - \u003ca href=\"http://www.boundless.org/\"\u003eBoundless.\u003c/a\u003e Really touching. Enjoy \u003ca href=\"http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0002131.cfm\"\u003ePart One\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0002132.cfm\"\u003ePart Two\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A touching story..."},{"content":" I don\u0026rsquo;t wanna feel like this tomorrow I don\u0026rsquo;t wanna live like this today Make me feel better I wanna feel better Stay with me here now And never surrender\nToday, in a bizarre moment of clarity, I realized I had parked my bus for way too long at a bus stop that wasn\u0026rsquo;t mine\u0026hellip; A lot of energy was dissipated, focus diluted and time irretrievably wasted in the process.. Funnily, I knew a year ago very clearly what I should have done - it was reiterated very strongly five months ago - but the deeply seated nostalgic memories continued to keep me deluded, holding me in a mistaken belief that it could work and banishing my usually ruthless streak to the background\u0026hellip;\nToday, me the pragmatist won, belatedly of course, but better late than never\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.. And in a queer way, it feels so right!\nThanks to Seye Kuyinu for tweeting about the Skillet Song Never Surrender, it added fresh impetus to my new direction\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/09/22/clarity-calls/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI don\u0026rsquo;t wanna feel like this tomorrow\nI don\u0026rsquo;t wanna live like this today\nMake me feel better\nI wanna feel better\nStay with me here now\nAnd never surrender\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, in a bizarre moment of clarity, I realized I had parked my bus for way too long at a bus stop that wasn\u0026rsquo;t mine\u0026hellip; A lot of energy was dissipated, focus diluted and time irretrievably wasted in the process.. Funnily, I knew a year ago very clearly what I should have done - it was reiterated  very strongly five months ago -  but the deeply seated nostalgic memories continued to keep me deluded, holding me in a mistaken belief that it could work and banishing my usually ruthless streak to the background\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Clarity calls....."},{"content":"I, like a tired weary pilgrim, Trudge this earth, these stony paths so grim. Seeking, with ponderous wandering steps, Salvation from a marauding death.\nI, like a penitent prodigal son, Cling to the fading final notes of my long lost song Hoping that someday, somewhere within this earthly dome, I may find the beaten path that will lead home.\nI seek a hidden ledge on which to leave my heartfelt plea; Some place where my bloodied sacrifice I can leave. Where my guilt ridden heart can find peace and be held Close to my father, speaking words only he must hear.\nAll I can offer are my bleeding blistered feet; These trembling lisping lips ravaged by a dusty mist, Cracked by the raging vengeance of the northern wind And led astray by the quivering of a deluded mind.\nI, like a weary tired son, Trudge this earth, these winding paths so long. Seeking, with weary wandering steps, Forgiveness for an undying guilt.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/09/20/thoughts-of-a-pilgrim/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI, like a tired weary pilgrim,\nTrudge this earth, these stony paths so grim.\nSeeking, with ponderous wandering steps,\nSalvation from a marauding death.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI, like a penitent prodigal son,\nCling to the fading final notes of my long lost song\nHoping that someday, somewhere within this earthly dome,\nI may find the beaten path that will lead home.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI seek a hidden ledge on which to leave my heartfelt plea;\nSome place where my bloodied sacrifice I can leave.\nWhere my guilt ridden heart can find peace and be held\nClose to my father, speaking words only he must hear.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Thoughts of a Pilgrim..."},{"content":"They say a bird in hand \u0026lsquo;is worth two in the bush\u0026rsquo;\u0026hellip; But where do we draw the line between being content with what is in hand versus craving the potential two in the bush\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\nSometimes I fear I have a death wish - an inordinate attraction for the eccentric and the esoteric - to the detriment of the normal and available.. When I was younger, I chalked it down to an insatiable curiosity; that essential criterion for a life of continuous learning. Now though, I fear it runs deeper than that, maybe it is a desire to be unconventional, or a longing for the adventure that comes with the risk, or plain old restlessness.. I don\u0026rsquo;t know anymore\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/09/20/the-bird-in-hand-worth-two-in-the-bush/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThey say a bird in hand \u0026lsquo;is worth two in the bush\u0026rsquo;\u0026hellip; But where do we draw the line between being content with what is in hand versus craving the potential two in the bush\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSometimes I fear I have a death wish - an inordinate attraction for the eccentric and the esoteric - to the detriment of the normal and available.. When I was younger, I chalked it down to an insatiable curiosity; that essential criterion for a life of continuous learning. Now though, I fear it runs deeper than that, maybe it is a desire to be unconventional, or a longing for the adventure that comes with the risk, or plain old restlessness.. I don\u0026rsquo;t know anymore\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The bird in hand............... Worth two in the bush?"},{"content":"I think I have done a 180 degree turn, when I review the way the past year to a year and a half has gone. From wanting to resign my job and quit Nigeria in the light of the politics surrounding my last job, to deciding an MSc would afford me the time to sort out the issues, then trying to return to my last role and then finally deciding staying away was the correct thing to do, I think Life has pulled me through several undulations.\nSomehow though, I think this time I am headed in the right direction.. Hopefully it is, and I don\u0026rsquo;t get to waste another few years of my life.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/09/19/musing/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI think I have done a 180 degree turn, when I review the way the past year to a year and a half has gone. From wanting to resign my job and quit Nigeria in the light of the politics surrounding my last job, to deciding an MSc would afford me the time to sort out the issues, then trying to return to my last role and then finally deciding staying away was the correct thing to do, I think Life has pulled me through several undulations.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Musing...."},{"content":"Quite a few changes have occurred around me in the last few weeks\u0026hellip; chief of which was moving out of my previous lodgings for a flat where a couple of blokes I have known from Nigeria are staying. All has been fine and dandy except for a few issues namely:\n1. The boys can snore! Chei, sometimes it sounds like a contest. Different people all \u0026lsquo;hee-hawing\u0026rsquo; simultaneously. The paper thin walls fail colossally in muffling the sounds!\n2. One of the men has his wifey around and she is a REEAAAAL talker! Not since my 5 year old cousin have I heard a voice so nasal. It rubs me like the way a restless dog\u0026rsquo;s chain persistently rubs the ground!\n3. One boy dey try form sharp man! One of the boys, we\u0026rsquo;ll call him Duro, is a real pain. Despite him not being an official member of the house, he manages to get himself the largest portions of food, monopolize the TV remote and generally be a nuisance, plus he is always attempting to regale me with stories of his numerous girlfriends.. I usually pretend to be typing away furiously on my BB, that is sadly not enough of a deterrent! 4.I am constantly pleading the blood of Jesus! I\u0026rsquo;ve been using a lot of buses and the metro, but the things I inhale, only God knows where they are from. All sorts of coughs - body wracking, gruttal, delayed explosive, chesty and a whole lot of others are being lobbed in my direction. Plus quite a few overly tipsy peeps also use the bus late at night\u0026hellip;.. How the females manage to stay on their feet in their mega inch heels with all that alcohol leaves me flummoxed!\nOn the plus side though, I sneaked into London and managed to see Delirious? at the o2 arena! and hung out with some sections of the extended family\u0026hellip; Inevitably some questions came up, but I have the perfect anti-dote.. the 5 year plan!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/09/17/random-isms/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eQuite a few changes have occurred around me in the last few weeks\u0026hellip; chief of which was moving out of my  previous lodgings for a flat where a couple of blokes I have known from Nigeria are staying. All has been fine and dandy except for a few issues namely:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1. The boys can snore!\u003c/strong\u003e Chei, sometimes it sounds like a contest. Different people all \u0026lsquo;hee-hawing\u0026rsquo; simultaneously. The paper thin walls fail colossally in muffling the sounds!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Random-isms......"},{"content":"Growing up in my own neck of the woods was an experience. We nicknamed our Pops the Ogbodons - not sure where the term originated from any more but my back side was a living testimony to his varied abilities and multiplied skills in inflicting pain. Mum didn\u0026rsquo;t help matters as she was was as resolute in hammering our \u0026rsquo;evil\u0026rsquo; proclivities out of our systems. I got the opportunity to contrast that parenting style a few weekends back when I went visiting some distant family members in London. Clearly their less than 3 year old daughter has more leeway with him than I do with my own parents at my (huge) age.\nIn general, the following phrases got you into serious trouble in my house..\nIt wasn\u0026rsquo;t me it was (insert name of younger sibling)- This was akin to adding petrol to a raging inferno. It often provoked a lecture on how you as a senior member of the house needed to take responsibility whilst the parents were out trying to make money to \u0026rsquo;take care of you'. Good Morning (without the Sir or Daddy)- This was the ultimate faux paus. You were required to treat your Nigerian father with the maximum amount of respect. I didn\u0026rsquo;t have to do the whole prostrating thing but failing to add \u0026lsquo;Sir\u0026rsquo; to the morning greeting was guaranteed to result in some real deep ish - the least of which was some hours of \u0026lsquo;starvati0n therapy\u0026rsquo;. It is not true o! - This usually occurred when the Ogbodon was narrating to the \u0026lsquo;maternal unit\u0026rsquo; your latest mess up which resulted in forgetting money in the taxi or some more public bit of embarrassment. To one\u0026rsquo;s young mind, adults were eternally embellishing the facts to make events seem worse than they really were, but woe betide you if you interjected. The initial parental reflex varied from \u0026quot; I am talking and you are talking?\u0026quot; or worse \u0026ldquo;Are you calling me a liar?\u0026rdquo;. I don\u0026rsquo;t know - Back in the Abacha inspired days of severe austerity on University campuses, meat was at a premium. When someone surreptitiously invaded \u0026lsquo;Soup Kingdom\u0026rsquo; and raided the pot for a choice piece of meat, repercussions were bound to occur. Chaps usually claimed ignorance to no effect. The parental reasoning was that \u0026lsquo;he that is not for us us is against us\u0026rsquo; ie if you are not telling, you are implicit. I can\u0026rsquo;t remember - This was usually an escape route from a bad lie. When your father is a stellar academic with an amazing memory, you can\u0026rsquo;t think up things on the fly mehn. If you were lucky, you would only get a lecture after being serenaded by loads of questions. \u0026ldquo;What are you thinking of? Abi you have a girlfriend now?\u0026rdquo; Mumz was the resident girlfriend expert..and she would have risen very quickly to the top of MI6! Believe me. She hit me first - Beating up girls was a cardinal sin in my house. Two events stick in my memory. One was at school, a couple of dudes were heckling one of the class tomboys - the whole pinching, hitting, and all what not routine and yours truly was watching (ok\u0026hellip; and occasionally adding a knock). We were so engrossed that I didn\u0026rsquo;t realize that it was way past the time Pops would come pick us up. After waiting for a while, he came to the class to see me applying a few deft touches to a knock. I got a few knocks myself in front of the girl (the girl never let me forget that for the rest of my time in the school!) and I got periodic knocks all the way from Ugbowo to GRA in the school run go-slow of the mid 80s. The other time, I was grounded and made to recite the longest memory verse at the annual Christmas pageant.The plus side was that I got a very cool nickname after the whole debacle\u0026hellip; and she and I became best friends.. for a long time.. My little cousin\u0026rsquo;s favorite words are \u0026lsquo;Don\u0026rsquo;t smack me Daddy\u0026rsquo;- That would have been labelled down right rebellion - with some serious \u0026lsquo;starving therapy\u0026rsquo; recommended for redress! ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/09/13/what-not-to-say-to-your-nigerian-father/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eGrowing up in my own neck of the woods was an experience. We nicknamed our Pops the \u003cem\u003eOgbodons\u003c/em\u003e - not sure where the term originated from any more but my back side was a living testimony to his varied abilities and multiplied skills in inflicting pain. Mum didn\u0026rsquo;t help matters as she was was as resolute in hammering our \u0026rsquo;evil\u0026rsquo; proclivities out of our systems. I got the opportunity to contrast that parenting style a few weekends back when I went visiting some distant family members in London. Clearly their less than 3 year old daughter has more leeway with him than I do with my own parents at my (huge) age.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"What not to say to my Nigerian Father..."},{"content":"Have a hit-and-run-less weekend!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/09/11/a-curious-case-of-hit-and-run/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHave a hit-and-run-less weekend!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A curious case of HIT and RUN?"},{"content":"Sounds like the only words I can use to describe myself now are all the lousy D-words:\nDisillusioned, distraught, disappointed, disparaged\u0026hellip;\nI am just tired!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/09/10/all-the-d-words/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSounds like the only words I can use to describe myself now are all the lousy D-words:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDisillusioned, distraught, disappointed, disparaged\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI am just tired!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"All the D-words"},{"content":"The sadness in her eyes breaks me, Willing me to reach across the breach of hurt; To hold her hand and tell her it was all a dream.\nThe painful lustre in her eyes, As they glistened in the candle light that night Would draw me into granting a reprieve that is not mine.\nShe seeks a place to leave her wish. Where, at the feet of a gentle wizened priest, She can be relieved of a flagrant breach, a love once spurned.\nThere is no forgiveness I can give; No blessings in my hand that can yield respite; No libation that can appease my blithely shattered heart.\nThe sadness in her eyes draws me But I can only stare, nonplussed. Benumbed by my pain that still bleeds red.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/09/09/the-sadness-in-her-eyes/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe sadness in her eyes breaks me,\nWilling me to reach across the breach of hurt;\nTo hold her hand and tell her it was all a dream.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe painful lustre in her eyes,\nAs they glistened in the candle light that night\nWould draw me into granting a reprieve that is not mine.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe seeks a place to leave her wish.\nWhere, at the feet of a gentle wizened priest,\nShe can be relieved of a flagrant breach, a love once spurned.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Sadness in Her Eyes"},{"content":"Inspired by a long talk with my friends O and Steve who challenge me to take life more seriously and to excel myself.\nThe motorcade slowly inches its way through the crowded streets preceded by weaving motor cycles carrying men bought to perform stunts. Music funnelled out of half open windows, blaring horns, howling sirens and people massed in grotesque postures; sticking out of open car doors and perched atop yet more cars are the hallmark of the day. A benumbing mix of people is assembled, all dressed in matching black clothes waving black handkerchiefs and bearing a large portrait of a man, who they eulogize in song. Presently the hearse bearing the ornately carved box bearing his remains comes into view surrounded by more men dressed in black and roving cameras ostensibly placed to capture the gaiety of the celebration for posterity’s sake.\nOnce upon a time, the Man had potential coupled with loads of opportunities to turn them into the building blocks of a difference making life. Great schools, focused parents who spared no expense within the limits of reasonableness, books and people all around who breathed success. It certainly didn\u0026rsquo;t hurt that a couple of seniors took an interest in the development of the precocious talent that he was. Perhaps it was the \u0026lsquo;curse\u0026rsquo; of ability that did him in; having to work little to excel which beguiled him into believing that life would just happen. Or it was the overly sheltered existence that ill prepared him to brace up for the harsh reality that life was. Or maybe it was the particularly heart wrenching break up with her, that finally put the nail to the coffin of his potential.\nWhatever it was, Life happened. Time squeezed the essence out of his dreams. One reverse after another forced him to scale back his expectations. His dreams ended up petrified into nightmares and pulverized into broken bits far removed from their original form. He, rather than get off his backside and do something today, chose to hold on to fantasies of a better tomorrow - sacrificing the opportunities to garner little gains for the imagined successes of tomorrow without having a plan for getting there.\nThe man died; his life snuffed out by that catch all phrase ‘a brief illness’. In reality the Man died when his dreams died and his spirit broke; his only claim to fame being the sumptuous feast put up by his friends, the ones who didn\u0026rsquo;t have as much ability but made up for it with loads of effort and loyalty.\nThe Man died and then the man died\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/09/05/once-upon-a-life/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eInspired by a long talk with my friends  O and \u003ca href=\"http://10-000steps.blogspot.com/\"\u003eSteve\u003c/a\u003e who challenge me to take life more seriously and to excel myself.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe motorcade slowly inches its way through the crowded streets preceded by weaving motor cycles carrying men bought to perform stunts. Music funnelled out of half open windows, blaring horns, howling sirens and people massed in grotesque postures;  sticking out of open car doors and perched atop yet more cars are the hallmark of the day. A benumbing mix of people is assembled, all dressed in matching black clothes waving black handkerchiefs and bearing a large portrait of a man, who they eulogize in song. Presently the hearse bearing the ornately carved box bearing his remains comes into view surrounded by more men dressed in black and roving cameras ostensibly placed to capture the gaiety of the celebration for posterity’s sake.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Once Upon A Life..."},{"content":"At the insistence of some sections of the family, I was dragged away to London for the weekend\u0026hellip; No complaints though because it included home cooked meals, no internet (sad but good - Twitter on my BB tried to fill the void) and some \u0026rsquo;transport\u0026rsquo; money - critical for a bloke on a (self imposed) student budget. Plus I got the opportunity to bond with my niece whom I had never seen (bad \u0026lsquo;uncle\u0026rsquo; abi?).\nGot the opportunity to join the incredible folks at the ExCel centre too - loads of great music and some really burning words to muse over.. Sadly, the music concert confirmed my fears about an increasingly obvious generati0n gap between moi and young people.. All in all it was great though! Yup..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/09/01/back-again/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAt the insistence of some sections of the family, I was dragged away to London for the weekend\u0026hellip; No complaints though because it included home cooked meals, no internet (sad but good - Twitter on my BB tried to fill the void) and some \u0026rsquo;transport\u0026rsquo;  money - critical for a bloke on a (self imposed) student budget. Plus I got the opportunity to bond with my niece whom I had never seen (bad \u0026lsquo;uncle\u0026rsquo; abi?).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Back... again.."},{"content":"Kindly report for duty ASAP. I need my coveralls turned into an Alexander Amosu suit and my grease tainted steel-toed Redwings turned into a pair of Berluti\u0026rsquo;s. Also please place a requisition for a Bugatti Veyron. While you are at it, please stop by Santa\u0026rsquo;s and remind him I am yet to receive any responses on my requests for the 11th straight year.\nPlease be informed, that this is your last chance to prove you exist, else I shall have to take matters into my hands and accept that gruelling 9 to 5!\nEagerly anticipating a favourable response.\nYour God Son!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/09/01/dear-fairy-god-mother/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eKindly report for duty ASAP. I need my coveralls turned into an \u003ca href=\"http://blog.taragana.com/n/worlds-costliest-suit-to-go-on-sale-in-london-for-70k-pounds-33042/\"\u003eAlexander Amosu suit\u003c/a\u003e and  my grease tainted steel-toed Redwings turned into  a pair of \u003ca href=\"http://www.berluti.com/\"\u003eBerluti\u0026rsquo;s\u003c/a\u003e. Also please place a requisition for a \u003ca href=\"http://www.bugatti.com/en/veyron-16.4.html\"\u003eBugatti Veyron\u003c/a\u003e.   While you are at it, please stop by Santa\u0026rsquo;s and remind him I am yet to receive any responses on my \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/12/dear-santa/\"\u003erequests\u003c/a\u003e for the 11th straight year.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlease be informed, that this is your last chance to prove you exist, else I shall have to take matters into my hands and accept that gruelling 9 to 5!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Dear Fairy God Mother"},{"content":"Got forwarded a link to a video on FB (as usual) for the Diary of a Tired Blackman. A number of the themes are overstated in my opinion, but quite a number of insights on the whole. Lots of strong language, plus its quite a long one\u0026hellip; Enjoy\u0026hellip;\n75% of Britons blog, text or surf the internet while in the loo, what do you do to pass the time in the loo? Ever misuse quotation marks? New ideas on how to misuse them from this great blog for you. Maybe this approach to managing our friendships will add a much needed dose of pragmatism to them. Trying to lose weight? Try this lip gloss! Should rules be relaxed in some instances? This bloke was initially denied a liver transplant as his condition is alcohol related. Some fat is actually great for your long term health. Bring on the cokes mehn! Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones fame actually spent a year at the London School of Economics. One football game descends into a comedy of errors. You would have thought they would respected the problems at West Ham - a player stabbed and another losing his father. Read a brilliant analysis of some of the background and potential implications of such irascible behaviour here. Wish you won a big lottery? Think again. The winner of a humongous sum in an Italian lottery seems to have vanished into thin air for fear. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/08/28/the-abstruse-and-the-absurd/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eGot forwarded a link to a \u003ca href=\"http://www.movshare.net/video/mk81hjvkzy5h4#\"\u003evideo\u003c/a\u003e on FB (as usual) for the \u003ca href=\"http://www.tiredblackman.com/\"\u003eDiary of a Tired Blackman\u003c/a\u003e.  A number of the themes are overstated in my opinion, but quite a number of insights on the whole. Lots of strong language, plus its quite a long one\u0026hellip; Enjoy\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090824/tuk-britons-message-while-on-the-loo-6323e80.html\"\u003e75% of Britons blog, text or surf\u003c/a\u003e the internet while in the loo, what do you do to pass the time in the loo?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEver misuse quotation marks? New ideas on how to misuse them from this \u003ca href=\"http://www.unnecessaryquotes.com/\"\u003egreat blog\u003c/a\u003e for you.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaybe \u003ca href=\"http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2009/08/31/090831sh_shouts_simms\"\u003ethis approach to managing our friendships\u003c/a\u003e will add a much needed dose of pragmatism to them.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTrying to lose weight? Try this \u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1208628/The-lip-balm-claims-burn-fat--does-actually-work.html\"\u003elip gloss!\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShould rules be relaxed in some instances? \u003ca href=\"http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Gareth-Anderson-Denied-Liver-Transplant-After-Weekend-Of-Binge-Drinking-Flown-To-Specialist-Unit/Article/200908415367783?lpos=UK_News_News_Your_Way_Region_8\u0026amp;lid=NewsYourWay_ARTICLE_15367783_Gareth_Anderson%2C_Denied_Liver_Transplant_After_Weekend_Of_Binge_Drinking%2C_Flown_To_Specialist_Unit\"\u003eThis bloke was initially denied a liver transplant\u003c/a\u003e as his condition is alcohol related.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/6083234/Health-warning-exercise-makes-you-fat.html\"\u003eSome fat is actually great for your long term health\u003c/a\u003e. Bring on the cokes mehn!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mick_Jagger\"\u003eMick Jagger\u003c/a\u003e of the \u003ca href=\"http://www.rollingstones.com/home.php\"\u003eRolling Stones\u003c/a\u003e fame actually spent a year at the \u003ca href=\"http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/artsAndMusic/LSEtalent.htm\"\u003eLondon School of Economics.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOne football game \u003ca href=\"http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/8205360.stm\"\u003edescends into a comedy of errors.\u003c/a\u003e You would have thought they would respected the problems at West Ham - a player stabbed and another losing his father. \u003ca href=\"http://wedontknowfootball.com/2009/08/27/the-ugly-side-of-the-beautiful-game/\"\u003eRead a brilliant analysis\u003c/a\u003e of some of the background and potential implications of such irascible behaviour here.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWish you won a big lottery? Think again. \u003ca href=\"http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6809893.ece\"\u003eThe winner of a humongous sum in an Italian lottery seems to have vanished into thin air\u003c/a\u003e for fear.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"The Abstruse and The Absurd"},{"content":"Day Zero. You meet her on one of those days. Boredom morphs into irritation, topped off with despondency. Your 8-4 (5-9) is especially dull on the day. Madam Bosco, your loud mouthed, over-bearing boss rips into you as usual over the ever yawning chasm between your targets and your deliveries. The heat seems to have major intentions of causing grievous bodily harm in any case. That is when the ‘gods’ of the internet and itchy fingers contrive to send Her your way.\nIt ostensibly is an error of the digits – two numbers on the key pad transposed – that makes her call you. You are in no mood for niceties and you utter a few choice words and end the phone call. Perhaps she is hurt, but she opts to send you an SMS apologizing for the mix-up.\nYou have had the time to think on your commute home – and you give her a call to apologize right back. She giggles, and says she instigated the entire brouhaha, you insist you reacted over the top. Bottom line you become friends.\nDay Seven By now you know she is an intern in the oil firm you always wanted to work for, she loves poetry, pretended to write some of her own a few years ago and loves Pavarotti. You though are stuck in the lurch as an investment banker in some lousy bank. You quickly slip in though that you have a trip to SA lined up, plus your last vacation was in Paris – so she knows you can hold down it down pay wise if you need to.\nYou have settled into a steady rhythm: three phone calls a day, multiple emails and then the lunch break IMs. You become her nice guy; the bloke who listens to her rants from work, her angst at her over bearing father, her irritation with her football crazy brothers and oh yes…… shoes…in all their gory coloured incarnations. You tell her stuff you’ve never told anyone, your deepest secrets, inner most fears, plans and some of the ideas you want to turn to gold in a few years time. She cheers you on, analysing the pros and the cons. Not since your big sister did any one get you on the same level.\nDay Thirty She’s headed off an a holiday, and she is passing through the city you call home. She decides to squeeze a whole day out of her schedule just to see you. You think it’s a fabulous idea and you agree to meet up. She is truly fabulous much better than you imagined. Everything is spot on; she is Cerruti perfumed and Diesel jeans plus spaghetti top clad. Add to that her glistering lip gloss, her CK glasses and her clutch specially chosen to match the colour of her spaghetti top and you know you have a keeper on your hands.\nYou read her a few brilliant lines you penned – just for her – you say; a parody of the finest Amiri Baraka there is out there. She is wowed, you order dinner and the chemistry is palpable. You talk for a couple of hours, swap some more poetry and then she has to head out to catch her flight. She shyly attempts to kiss you on the cheek. You both laugh at the clumsy attempt, you hold hands and look into her eyes and you believe your Mama’s travails are over.\nDay Fourty More of the same stuff, phone calls, emails, IMs, plus the occasional emailed picture as a keep sake. Life’s good you think. You the pragmatist tells you the romantic that it is too good to be true. You the cynic refuses to participate in an exercise in futility. \u0026lsquo;All’s cool and kosher\u0026rsquo;, you reason, \u0026lsquo;why try to define things beyond what they are anyway\u0026rsquo;.\nDay Sixty. She’s heading back to school. You have got a huge target to meet at work, so naturally you drift apart. The phone calls reduce, the emails dwindle and the IMs now become short bursts of offline messages. You the cynic blithely mentions that it was all doomed to fail anyway. You the pragmatist thinks its busyness squeezing the life out of your US zone. You the romantic thinks it’s a fading fancy and couldn\u0026rsquo;t care less; choosing to bounce to Brandy\u0026rsquo;s song instead.\nDay Ninety You the romantic and you the cynic prevail on you the pragmatist to agree to a phone call. That should be the ultimate test of where you are.\nYou ring her up, there’s no pick up the first time. You wait for the usual SMS, nothing comes. You give it two more days and then you try again. The third time of asking she picks up your phone call. The talk is stilted, almost foreign. You the cynic pouts and reminds you the romantic that it was an exercise in futility doomed to fail from the get go. You the pragmatist takes it philosophically, it was not meant to be.\nIn the instant the phone call ends, it suddenly hits you – clarity knocks you in the small of your stomach. This was no divine serendipity; it was just hideous self delusion. You were only her harmattan fling.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/08/25/a-passing-fancy/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDay Zero.\u003c/strong\u003e\nYou meet her on one of those days. Boredom morphs into irritation, topped off with despondency. Your 8-4 (5-9) is especially dull on the day. Madam Bosco, your loud mouthed, over-bearing boss rips into you as usual over the ever yawning chasm between your targets and your deliveries. The heat seems to have major intentions of causing grievous bodily harm in any case. That is when the ‘gods’ of the internet and itchy fingers contrive to send Her your way.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Passing Fancy..."},{"content":"Ben Dulap, President of Wofford College speaking at TED2007 on the subject of a Passionate Life quotes Mahatma Gandhi\nLive each day as if it were your last, learn as if you were to live forever.\nLifelong learning - continuously aiming to understand the rules of engagement in every sphere of life that intersects us - is the key to succeeding; it would seem.\nThat is another life long lesson I am adding to my burgeoning list.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/08/22/on-the-subject-of-lifelnng-learning/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_B._Dunlap\"\u003eBen Dulap,\u003c/a\u003e President of \u003ca href=\"http://www.wofford.edu/\"\u003eWofford College\u003c/a\u003e speaking at TED2007  on the subject of a \u003ca href=\"http://www.ted.com/talks/ben_dunlap_talks_about_a_passionate_life.html\"\u003ePassionate Life\u003c/a\u003e quotes Mahatma Gandhi\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLive each day as if it were your last, learn as if you were to live forever.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLifelong learning - continuously aiming to understand the rules of engagement in every sphere of life that intersects us - is the key to succeeding; it would seem.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat is another life long lesson I am adding to my burgeoning \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/on-life/\"\u003elist\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On the subject of lifelong learning."},{"content":"Sometimes I wish I could fly and take myself away, to a distant land far removed from the scorching sun that bakes my earth into a stony hearth and burns it into a barren wasteland.\nSometimes I wish I could run Fast enough to escape this darkness that coaxes me into a frenzied song and to a fevered dance; of mindless tongues that sear my lungs and wear my tired soul.\nIt is not fear that makes my feet to trudge these forlorn streets, this barren land of long dead dreams and dried up streams too lost to yield to the gentle prods of shoots of change from just beneath.\nIt is not hope that beguiles me into This wait; a desire for a lost reprieve. There is no promise of a better day No inkling of a future salvation that can free me from the pull of this wasted land.\nIt is the lure of nostalgia, the memories Of once sweet fruits and dainty blooms now dead. Of memories deep within from which I cannot run. Of pulls and tugs, enchantments of a pleasure that the inner darkness craves and wants.\nSometimes I think if I could fly And I took myself away to a land untouched By the ravages of a relentless sun, I might just find that the darkness I was running from has come with me and is within.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/08/19/the-wastelands/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSometimes I wish I could fly\nand take myself away, to a distant land\nfar removed from the scorching sun\nthat bakes my earth into a stony hearth\nand burns it into a barren wasteland.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSometimes I wish I could run\nFast enough to escape this darkness\nthat coaxes me into a frenzied song\nand to a fevered dance; of mindless tongues\nthat sear my lungs and wear my tired soul.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Wastelands..."},{"content":"Its is a well known stereotype that the English love to talk about the weather. In truth, until a few days ago, I was yet to see anything particularly talk-worthy about the weather I have had to endure at my end of the world.\nI’ve been chasing a job – similar in remit to the one I was schemed out of in Nigeria – which has required me to do a lot of travelling by train to the City dubbed the Oil Capital of Europe! In the main these journeys have been in phenomenally abysmal weather – made worse by the fact that my student budget requires me to divide the journey into little bits to optimize my spend.\nA few days ago, I was on one such Journey – totally tired out because I had had to wake up in the wee hours of the morning to finalize my preparations for an interview. In between flitting in and out of sleep, the train suddenly exited the tunnel and was bathed in glorious sunlight, and a beautiful rainbow. I had to grab a picture of it on my Blackberry!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/08/19/job-hunting/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIts is a well known stereotype that the English love to talk about the weather. In truth, until a few days ago, I was yet to see anything particularly talk-worthy about the weather I have had to endure at my end of the world.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’ve been chasing a job – similar in remit to the one I was schemed out of in Nigeria – which has required me to do a lot of travelling by train to the City dubbed the \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_industry_in_Aberdeen\"\u003eOil Capital of Europe!\u003c/a\u003e In the main these journeys have been in phenomenally abysmal weather – made worse by the fact that my student budget requires me to divide the journey into little bits to optimize my spend.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Job Hunting.."},{"content":"Peeps thanks for your best wishes per my birthday.. Pleasantly surprised by the responses..\nThe information provided below is provided \u0026lsquo;as-is\u0026rsquo; for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. If in doubt, see your GP.\nYou know you need help fast when:\nYou almost sign off a cheque as your blogger ‘self\u0026rsquo; – when money no longer forces clarity on you, wahala dey o. The last time you \u0026lsquo;spoke\u0026rsquo; to your flatmate was on Facebook - especially if the bloke is just two doors away. Not good! Your supposedly \u0026lsquo;favorite\u0026rsquo; cousin has to resort to using the \u0026lsquo;Contact Me\u0026rsquo; form on your blog to reach you! - first it is a cardinal sin that your cousin reads your \u0026lsquo;anonymous\u0026rsquo; blog, secondly its a major failure that you\u0026rsquo;re not constantly pacifying him/her. You live a walking distance from a stadium that hosts Premier League football – but all you want to do is constantly refresh the BBC football page for the latest score and read blogs - it doesn\u0026rsquo;t get much worse than this. Your 10+ year addiction, Football Manager, suddenly fails to attract your attention anymore - this seems to suggest there may be a \u0026lsquo;spiritual\u0026rsquo; dimension to the whole thing. Call in the \u0026lsquo;Cele \u0026rsquo; peeps sharply mehn. When pressed for an example in the midst of a discussion, the first stories that come to mind are from Blogs you read! - this has the added effect of potentially inducing a bizarre condition informally referred to as encephalotisitic fatigitis The night before your big exam you still create time for blog rounds and you then get into a verbal war of words that extends late into the night – especially when you know the full ramifications of not getting an alpha on that exam! - this one requires serious beating - fan belt/ koboko everything\u0026hellip; serious unseriousness. You see bloggers - who you have never met any ways - in your dreams and you \u0026lsquo;just know\u0026rsquo; it is them! Another reason to get the \u0026lsquo;Cele\u0026rsquo; peeps on the job ASAP. You read a post and somehow think it’s a slight on you or worse rather than engage people in the real life you vent your anger on your blog - this demonstrates bloke needs to grow up sharpish\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; You start wondering which of the events in your world were blogged about by others in the past or worse you give every one around you the suspicious \u0026rsquo;eye\u0026rsquo; - Not everyone blogs, and if they did, it doesn\u0026rsquo;t affect you.. You wake up and the first thing on your mind is/are the post(s) you need to create. HT to SolomonSydelle for pointing out the critical omission! You find it hard to differentiate between your real and virtual friends - HT to Favoured Girl for unearthing this one. All your current romantic interests are people you have never even seen - we\u0026rsquo;ll need to add Papa Adeboye to the consortium organizing the prayers to resolve this one. HT to a certain anonymous for unearthing this one! You spend time on blogger instead of working in the midst of a recession. HT to Original Mgbeke for supplying this one - when the bill paying JOB pales in significance to another activity\u0026hellip; Kasala dey try burst be that o\u0026hellip;. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/08/16/the-anatomy-of-a-blogsville-addiction/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePeeps thanks for your best wishes per my birthday.. Pleasantly surprised by the responses..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe information provided below is provided \u0026lsquo;as-is\u0026rsquo; for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. If in doubt, see your GP.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou know you need help fast when:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou almost sign off a cheque as your blogger ‘self\u0026rsquo; – \u003cem\u003ewhen money no longer forces clarity on you, wahala dey o.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe last time you \u0026lsquo;spoke\u0026rsquo; to your flatmate was on Facebook - \u003cem\u003eespecially if the bloke is just two doors away. Not good!\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYour supposedly \u0026lsquo;favorite\u0026rsquo; cousin has to resort to using the \u0026lsquo;Contact Me\u0026rsquo; form on your blog to reach you!  - \u003cem\u003efirst it is a cardinal sin that your cousin reads your \u0026lsquo;anonymous\u0026rsquo; blog, secondly its a major failure that you\u0026rsquo;re not constantly pacifying him/her.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou live a walking distance from a stadium that hosts Premier League football – but all you want to do is constantly refresh the BBC football page for the latest score and read blogs - \u003cem\u003eit doesn\u0026rsquo;t get much worse than this.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYour 10+ year addiction, Football Manager, suddenly fails to attract your attention anymore - \u003cem\u003ethis seems to suggest there may be a \u0026lsquo;spiritual\u0026rsquo; dimension to the whole thing. Call in the \u0026lsquo;Cele \u0026rsquo; peeps sharply mehn.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen pressed for an example in the midst of a discussion, the first stories that come to mind are from Blogs you read! - \u003cem\u003ethis has the added effect of potentially inducing a bizarre condition informally referred to as encephalotisitic fatigitis\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe night before your big exam you still create time for blog rounds and you then get into a verbal war of words that extends late into the night – especially when you know the full ramifications of not getting an alpha on that exam! - \u003cem\u003ethis one requires serious beating - fan belt/ koboko everything\u0026hellip; serious unseriousness.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou see bloggers - who you have never met any ways - in your dreams and you \u0026lsquo;just know\u0026rsquo; it is them! \u003cem\u003eAnother reason to get the \u0026lsquo;Cele\u0026rsquo; peeps on the job ASAP.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou read a post and somehow think it’s a slight on you or worse rather than engage people in the real life you vent your anger on your blog - \u003cem\u003ethis demonstrates bloke needs to grow up sharpish\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou start wondering which of the events in your world were blogged about by others in the past or worse you give every one around you the suspicious \u0026rsquo;eye\u0026rsquo;  - \u003cem\u003eNot everyone blogs, and if they did, it doesn\u0026rsquo;t affect you..\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou wake up and the first thing on your mind is/are the post(s) you need to create.  \u003cem\u003eHT to \u003ca href=\"http://www.blogger.com/profile/17564768670896215900\"\u003eSolomonSydelle\u003c/a\u003e for pointing out the critical omission!\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou find it hard to differentiate between your real and virtual friends - \u003cem\u003eHT to \u003ca href=\"http://keepdiscoveringmyself.blogspot.com/\"\u003eFavoured Girl\u003c/a\u003e for unearthing this one.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAll your current romantic interests are people you have never even seen - \u003cem\u003ewe\u0026rsquo;ll need to add Papa Adeboye to the consortium organizing the prayers to resolve this one. HT to a certain anonymous for unearthing this one!\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou spend time on blogger instead of working in the midst of a recession. HT to \u003ca href=\"http://originalmgbeke.blogspot.com/\"\u003eOriginal Mgbeke\u003c/a\u003e for supplying this one - \u003cem\u003ewhen the bill paying JOB pales in significance to another activity\u0026hellip; Kasala dey try burst be that o\u0026hellip;.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"The Anatomy of a Blogsville Addiction"},{"content":"I turned in my dissertation today. So to all intents and purposes, it should be \u0026lsquo;business as usual\u0026rsquo; going forward. I need to get the final bits of utility out of Football Manager 2009 first though.. and get some summer loving\u0026hellip;. ;) Oh and some reading too.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/08/13/business-as-usual/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI turned in my dissertation today. So to all intents and purposes, it should be \u0026lsquo;business as usual\u0026rsquo; going forward. I need to get the final bits of utility out of \u003ca href=\"http://www.footballmanager.com/index.php?p=article\u0026amp;newsid=3395\"\u003eFootball Manager 2009\u003c/a\u003e first though.. and get some  \u003ca href=\"http://www.twitpic.com/dumgx\"\u003esummer loving\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip;.     ;)   Oh and some \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/the-2020-project/\"\u003ereading\u003c/a\u003e too.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Business as usual..."},{"content":"In moments like these, the stark reality hits me like a blow to the solar plexus - I am lost\u0026hellip;.caught in the neverland between two worlds - never fitting into either one. My lostness is multi-faceted; spawned by the dissonance being caught between the fervent patriotism of a son who once believed he had something big to offer his country and the hard nosed pragmatism of a thirty plus bloke who realizes - a trifle late - that finding his place in this world is more important in the near term than the anonymit y of sacrifice.\nThe last eighteen months have been intense - filled with activities which have changed me. Some came close to breaking me - like losing my Nigerian job, like enduring that nasty breakup, like feeling like the world caved in all at once\u0026hellip; I like to imagine I survived, and am slowly picking the pieces of my life back up and together again.\nThis is me in transition, at the edge of the world, retooling a leaner, meaner me\u0026hellip; And hoping to make sense of both my worlds.\nTime will tell\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/08/01/a-lost-son/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn moments like these, the stark reality hits me like a blow to the solar plexus - I am lost\u0026hellip;.caught in the neverland between two worlds - never fitting into either one. My lostness is multi-faceted; spawned by the dissonance being caught between the \u003cem\u003efervent patriotism\u003c/em\u003e of a son who once believed he had something big to offer his country and the \u003cem\u003ehard nosed pragmatism\u003c/em\u003e of a thirty plus bloke who realizes -  a trifle late -  that finding his place in this world is more important in the near term than the \u003cem\u003eanonymit\u003c/em\u003e y of sacrifice.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Lost Son..."},{"content":"\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;..when the vehicle becomes more important than the Journey or even the Journey -er, a time out to ponder becomes expedient\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/07/24/now-i-get-it/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;..when the vehicle becomes more important than the Journey or even the Journey \u003cem\u003e-er\u003c/em\u003e, a time out to ponder becomes expedient\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Aha.......My Epiphany"},{"content":"I find the story of Isaac, Esau and Jacob intriguing, how guile and subtlety wins over brash power. Even though Isaac gave the blessing to Jacob, I find it interesting that Isaac mentions that Esau will only be under the yoke of Jacob until he gets restless. Perhaps every situation I am in at the moment is only because I have not been restless enough to break out from the chains and limitations\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/07/23/not-restless-enough/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI find the story of Isaac, Esau and Jacob intriguing, how guile and subtlety wins over brash power. Even though Isaac gave the blessing to Jacob, I find it interesting that Isaac mentions that Esau will only be under the yoke of Jacob until he gets restless. Perhaps every situation I am in at the moment is only because I have not been restless enough to break out from the chains and limitations\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Not restless enough?"},{"content":"Today\nI killed you;\nRipped apart from the very roots\nThe vestiges of everything\nWe once held dear.\nYesterday\nThe yawning chasms\nFinally took their toll, Harshly jerking us awake\nTo the rasping rhetoric of a Reality birthed\nBy things that would never be.\nI have been\nBroken like a gourd,\nCrushed like the petals of a rose\nDismembered by feet in haste and shredded into bits\nBy hands too calloused\nTo care.\nMy scant consolation\nIs the lingering scent of roses in full bloom\nAnd the nostalgic memories of heavenly sins tainted\nBy the putrid smell of decaying flesh and the cries of circling vultures\nKeen to feast off the pieces of a shredded heart\nThat has finally become\nCarrion.\nIn killing you\nI find salvation; the queer freedom\nThat finally exorcising the ghosts of a festering gangrenous limb\nbrings me from the stealthy spread\nOf disease.\nToday I killed you;\nIn the instant I drove the shovel in\nAnd pulled out the final strands of your roots\nI felt strangely alive, truly\nFree to be me again.\n(c) akaBagucci\u0026hellip;. All rights reserved.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/07/20/finally-free/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eToday\u003cbr\u003e\nI killed you;\u003cbr\u003e\nRipped apart from the very roots\u003cbr\u003e\nThe vestiges of everything\u003cbr\u003e\nWe once held dear.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYesterday\u003cbr\u003e\nThe yawning chasms\u003cbr\u003e\nFinally took their toll, Harshly jerking us awake\u003cbr\u003e\nTo the rasping rhetoric of a Reality birthed\u003cbr\u003e\nBy things that would never be.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have been\u003cbr\u003e\nBroken like a gourd,\u003cbr\u003e\nCrushed like the petals of a rose\u003cbr\u003e\nDismembered by feet in haste and shredded into bits\u003cbr\u003e\nBy hands too calloused\u003cbr\u003e\nTo care.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Finally Free"},{"content":"Currently reading Gordon McDonald\u0026rsquo;s Forging a Real World Faith. He identifies Eight Tips from the life of Daniel that we can use in our real world jobs..\nKingdom Perspective: Daniel knew God was in charge. The person of real world faith gauges every activity not against the opinions of people but against that of God.When moments of divergent opinion occur, one is careful where the real power lies. Prudent Flexibility: Daniel knew when to back off and when to fight bare fisted. Wise and Tactful Communication: The person of real world faith knows how to deliver a message that blends raw knowledge with God\u0026rsquo;s over arching purposes; how they fit into the big picture if you like. Coupled with the subtlety to soften the harshness of truth while commanding the attention of his hearer to appreciate the sense in the proffered solution, the person of real-world faith has the tools to be a person of critical influence in the work place. True Humility: Achievements and providing solutions no one else has, have the potential to raise us to levels of self aggrandizement beyond the reasonable. Daniel always pointed to God as the source of his \u0026lsquo;powers\u0026rsquo;. The person of real world faith doesn\u0026rsquo;t allow whatever accolades he wins get to him. In his heart of hearts, he recognizes God as his source, and where appropriate he articulates that. Intelligence: Daniel didn\u0026rsquo;t leave his brain in the Temple. He brought it to work daily! The person of real world faith has the resources of Heaven networked to his brain, if he will only ask for it.. and use it! Integrity: Daniel delivered work with Integrity. The person of real world faith delivers on his work expectations with integrity - meeting deadlines, staying above board with company finances and assets and stuff like that. When his life was rigorously examined by his enemies, they found that they could only fault him on the matter of his faith. Leadership Skill: Daniel exerted an undeniable influence on Babylonian politics. He led and administered his portfolios so well that he was considered for elevation to be head of the three other administrators. Loyalty: Daniel - even when he had to deliver bad news- showed extreme loyalty to his bosses. He did recognize though that his first Boss was God, and the King. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/07/19/weekday-kingdom-qualities/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eCurrently reading Gordon McDonald\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Forging-World-Faith-Gordon-Macdonald/dp/0946616655/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1250330286\u0026amp;sr=8-1\"\u003eForging a Real World Faith\u003c/a\u003e. He identifies Eight Tips from the life of Daniel that we can use in our real world jobs..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKingdom Perspective: Daniel knew God was in charge. The person of real world faith gauges every activity not against the opinions of people but against that of God.When moments of divergent opinion occur, one is careful where the real power lies.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePrudent Flexibility: Daniel knew when to back off and when to fight bare fisted.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWise and Tactful Communication: The person of real world faith knows how to deliver a message that blends raw knowledge with God\u0026rsquo;s over arching purposes; how they fit into the big picture if you like. Coupled with the subtlety to soften the harshness of truth while commanding the attention of his hearer to appreciate the sense in the proffered solution, the person of real-world faith has the tools to be a person of critical influence in the work place.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTrue Humility: Achievements and providing solutions no one else has, have the potential to raise us to levels of self aggrandizement beyond the reasonable. Daniel always pointed to God as the source of his \u0026lsquo;powers\u0026rsquo;. The person of real world faith doesn\u0026rsquo;t allow whatever accolades he wins get to him. In his heart of hearts, he recognizes God as his source, and where appropriate he articulates that.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntelligence: Daniel didn\u0026rsquo;t leave his brain in the Temple. He brought it to work daily! The person of real world faith has the resources of Heaven networked to his brain, if he will only ask for it.. and use it!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntegrity: Daniel delivered work with Integrity. The person of real world faith delivers on his work expectations with integrity - meeting deadlines, staying above board with company finances and assets and stuff like that. When his life was rigorously examined by his enemies, they found that they could only fault him on the matter of his faith.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLeadership Skill: Daniel exerted an undeniable influence on Babylonian politics. He led and administered his portfolios so well that he was considered for elevation to be head of the three other administrators.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLoyalty: Daniel - even when he had to deliver bad news- showed extreme loyalty to his bosses. He did recognize though that his first Boss was God, and the King.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"Weekday Kingdom Qualities"},{"content":"Spent the weekend listening again to Joshua Harris message from New Attitude 2002 - Holiness is A Harvest. Truth is I have not devoted as much time to learning God as I have to say blogging, chasing my romantic interests and stuff like that. It\u0026rsquo;s a rude reminder that if I say I want to know God, the basic Spiritual Disciplines need to be in place! An action item from my RA involves taking bible study more seriously. I need to jump on it ASAP..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/07/18/holiness-is-a-harvest/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSpent the weekend listening again to Joshua Harris message from New Attitude 2002 - Holiness is A Harvest. Truth is I have not devoted as much time to learning God as I have to say blogging, chasing my romantic interests and stuff like that. It\u0026rsquo;s a rude reminder that if I say I want to know God, the basic Spiritual Disciplines need to be in place! An action item from my RA involves taking bible study more seriously. I need to jump on it ASAP..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Holiness is A Harvest.."},{"content":"A Journey is a gradual passage from one state to another. It may be a translation of spatial coordinates- in which case an object physically changes location, or it may merely be metaphorical - an evolution of an idea from a crude, undeveloped state to a more refined one. Sometimes the journey is deterministic – the number of steps is known from the beginning; at other times it is iterative - involving little steps that seek to approximate an unknown solution. There may be fellow Journey -ers; there may also be assistance in the form of vehicles that seek to mitigate the drudgery of the journey. The key though is that change occurs and hopefully there are clearly defined metrics that show that progress is being made. When all is told though, there is an end in view, a destination, a target box if you like, within which the Journey terminates………….\nOccasionally, the vehicle takes on a life of its own; the methods, the strategies, the trappings, the apparent gains all become the metric, rather than the finite increments in absolute location that should define progress…At that time, a cold eye review should show that the vehicle has seemingly become more important than the Journey, or even the Journey-er. The danger though, is that it is all too easy to get caught up in the hustle. Entrained amidst the madding crowd, it is often more dangerous to attempt to stop than to keep walking. At such times, we often require the clarity of a third eye, someone who is far removed from the euphoria of the moment, who can candidly alert us to the fact that we have stopped Journeying, but have stopped to gawk at the vehicle that should be taking us to our destination.\nWhen the line is crossed between Journeying and Gawking, the discerning one should realize that it is time to get off the treadmill, to step out of the morass and ponder for a season………..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/07/15/ponderings/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA Journey is a gradual passage from one state to another. It may be a translation of \u003cem\u003espatial\u003c/em\u003e coordinates- in which case an object physically changes location, or it may merely be metaphorical - an evolution of an idea from a crude, undeveloped state to a more refined one. Sometimes the journey is \u003cem\u003edeterministic\u003c/em\u003e – the number of steps is known from the beginning; at other times it is \u003cem\u003eiterative\u003c/em\u003e - involving little steps that seek to approximate an unknown solution. There may be fellow Journey \u003cem\u003e-ers\u003c/em\u003e; there may also be assistance in the form of vehicles that seek to mitigate the drudgery of the journey. The key though is that change occurs and \u003cem\u003ehopefully\u003c/em\u003e there are clearly defined metrics that show that progress is being made. When all is told though, there is an end in view, a destination,  a \u003cem\u003etarget box\u003c/em\u003e if you like, within which the Journey terminates………….\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Ponderings......."},{"content":"The deep examination of life is a critical component of following Christ wholly. Gordon McDonald offers the following categories for examination.\nMy People connections: Am I a people please-r? Do I seek to gain self esteem from peoples\u0026rsquo; opinion of me? DO I use people rather than attempt to leave their lives in a more improved state than when I met them? Do I have unresolved resentment against certain people? Am I unduly competitive and jealous of others? My Things connection: Do I measure my self worth based on the amount of stuff I have? Does money control me? How disciplined am I with regards to purchases, especially things that may not be needful at the moment? Am I truly generous? How much of my earnings do I give to the less privileged? DO I tend to judge people by how much they own? My Thought Connection: What is the condition of my thought life? What drives my thoughts? Am I captivated by frequent immoral thoughts? What are my attitudes to pornography? Am I obsessed with being someone I am not? Am I constantly dissatisfied with where I am in my life? My Guilt Connection: Are there things in the past I am still carrying guilt over? Are there things I need to seek forgiveness over and restitute? My Career Connection: What are my work goals? Am I delivering work that is excellent? Is work controlling my life? What do I do when I need a break from work? My Memory connection: Have I granted forgiveness to people who have hurt me in the past, deeply? Am I still controlled by defeats or failures from the past that tend to prevent me from going forward today? My Habit Connection: Do I have any habits, thought patterns or attitudes that are preventing me from being fully Christ-like? Is there any habit I can\u0026rsquo;t let go of? ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/07/11/the-inner-cat-scan/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe deep examination of life is a critical component of following Christ wholly. Gordon McDonald offers the following categories for examination.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMy People connections: Am I a people please-r? Do I seek to gain self esteem from peoples\u0026rsquo; opinion of me? DO I use people rather than attempt to leave their lives in a more improved state than when I met them? Do I have unresolved resentment against certain people? Am I unduly competitive and jealous of others?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMy Things connection: Do I measure my self worth based on the amount of stuff I have? Does money control me? How disciplined am I with regards to purchases, especially things that may not be needful at the moment? Am I truly generous? How much of my earnings do I give to the less privileged? DO I tend to judge people by how much they own?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMy Thought Connection: What is the condition of my thought life? What drives my thoughts? Am I captivated by frequent immoral thoughts? What are my attitudes to pornography? Am I obsessed with being someone I am not? Am I constantly dissatisfied with where I am in my life?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMy Guilt Connection: Are there things in the past I am still carrying guilt over? Are there things I need to seek forgiveness over and restitute?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMy Career Connection: What are my work goals? Am I delivering work that is excellent? Is work controlling my life? What do I do when I need a break from work?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMy Memory connection: Have I granted forgiveness to people who have hurt me in the past, deeply? Am I still controlled by defeats or failures from the past that tend to prevent me from going forward today?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMy Habit Connection: Do I have any habits, thought patterns or attitudes that are preventing me from being fully Christ-like? Is there any habit I can\u0026rsquo;t let go of?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"The Inner 'CAT' scan"},{"content":"I have ranted and raved for a while now about not feeling a real world passion for God, and rightly so. But in the last few days, I have finally gotten to start reading Gordon McDonald\u0026rsquo;s Forging a Real Faith and Francis Chan\u0026rsquo;s Crazy Love and I am scared. Scared of what I might see when I finally peek through the door. I suspect that there is so much I will see that my real world life, a lot of the nascent parts of my worldview will be totally altered. That thought is sobering and rightly so. I can see clearly that my view of God has been totally defective; Great in my head, but not in my heart, having the right answers but not the right attitudes, going through the motions without a real sense of awe. I am scared, but I\u0026rsquo;m still plodding on\u0026hellip;. There\u0026rsquo;s more to life, and I want to see it!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/07/10/scared-of-god/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI have ranted and raved for a while now about not feeling a real world passion for God, and rightly so. But in the last few days, I have finally gotten to start reading Gordon McDonald\u0026rsquo;s Forging a Real Faith and Francis Chan\u0026rsquo;s Crazy Love and I am scared. Scared of what I might see when I finally peek through the door. I suspect that there is so much I will see that my real world life, a lot of the nascent parts of my worldview will be totally altered. That thought is sobering and rightly so. I can see clearly that my view of God has been totally defective; Great in my head, but not in my heart, having the right answers but not the right attitudes, going through the motions without a real sense of awe. I am scared, but I\u0026rsquo;m still plodding on\u0026hellip;. There\u0026rsquo;s more to life, and I want to see it!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Scared..... Of God?"},{"content":"For Me\u0026hellip;.In the midst of potentially destabilizing change\u0026hellip;\nThe hot seat \u0026hellip;..is the hot seat…. The place where you are put on the spot, and come under the most intense scrutiny possible. Here, the basis of your Faith is rigorously examined and the coherence of your worldview is systematically evaluated. It is the zone where well meaning words become dry platitudes devoid of any soothing balm, where textbook solutions fall apart, where time tested strategies cannot even begin to scratch the surface of the sickness that a hope deferred brings.\nNothing can approximate the feelings - no 3D virtualization or discretized solution even comes close to describing the intrinsic complexity of the interplay between the various components of the shattered whole. Its dark there, a Darkness so intense you feel like the whole world is on your shoulders; like all the storm clouds decided to park their bus at your stop and your little smoldering light is almost extinguished by the virulent attack of the hordes of darkness.\nPerhaps then is the time to gird up your loins, to remember what you learned in the light, to reach for the stable ground that is inerrant Truth, to remember that Someone has attributes that mean that He has the final say, that He is the silent orchestrator working ALL things together for your good, that if He cared enough to give up His begotten Son then dispelling the dark clouds is trivial and most importantly He has come through before. Perhaps it is then time to step back from the treadmill of life and take a look at the big picture again, the Universe that tells of His Power at work, and his infinite care in shaping you before time.\nThe stakes are high mate\u0026hellip;. You can\u0026rsquo;t afford to lie down and quit\u0026hellip;.. Darkness comes for a season\u0026hellip;. Weeping remains for the night, but Joy is on the verge of breaking out! Home is just around the corner. You\u0026rsquo;ll finally make it home!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/07/10/the-hot-seat/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor Me\u0026hellip;.In the midst of potentially destabilizing change\u0026hellip;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe hot seat \u0026hellip;..is the hot seat…. The place where you are put on the spot, and come under the most intense scrutiny possible. Here, the basis of your Faith is rigorously examined and the coherence of your worldview is systematically evaluated. It is the zone where well meaning words become dry platitudes devoid of any soothing balm, where textbook solutions fall apart, where time tested strategies cannot even begin to scratch the surface of the sickness that a hope deferred brings.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Hot Seat......"},{"content":"Perhaps it is immaterial if she was black or not\u0026hellip;. Read the interesting argument in the affirmative by JDHays here.\nHat tip to Justin Taylor\u0026rsquo;s Between Two Worlds Blog for the info.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/07/09/was-moses-wife-black/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePerhaps it is immaterial if she was black or not\u0026hellip;. Read the interesting argument in the affirmative by JDHays \u003ca href=\"http://criswell.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/ctrhaysformatted1.pdf\"\u003ehere.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHat tip to Justin Taylor\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://theologica.blogspot.com/2009/07/was-mosess-wife-black.html\"\u003eBetween Two Worlds Blog\u003c/a\u003e for the info.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Was Moses' Wife Black?"},{"content":"If researchers in the North East are as successful as they are claiming, \u0026ldquo;in vitro\u0026rdquo; sperm could become yet another tool chest in the battle for babies. More here\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/07/08/artificial-human-sperm/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIf researchers in the North East are as successful as they are claiming, \u0026ldquo;in vitro\u0026rdquo; sperm could become yet another tool chest in the battle for babies. More \u003ca href=\"http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20090708/tuk-scientists-create-artificial-human-s-45dbed5.html\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Artificial Human Sperm?"},{"content":"Perhaps Nigeria has it ‘too good’. Sudan in the midst of sanctions is building a home grown airplane, Nigeria with 10 years of democracy has a burgeoning insurgency in the Niger-Delta.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/07/07/too-easy/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePerhaps Nigeria has it ‘too good’. Sudan in the midst of sanctions is \u003ca href=\"http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/africa/article02//indexn2_html?pdate=070709\u0026amp;ptitle=Al-Bashir%20defies%20sanctions,%20unveils%20first%20home-made%20aircraft\"\u003ebuilding a home grown airplane,\u003c/a\u003e Nigeria with 10 years of democracy has a burgeoning insurgency in the Niger-Delta.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Too easy?"},{"content":"Dear Mom.. It’s that time of the year again, when we should gather to celebrate you and the influence you have been on our lives. Unfortunately, yet again I am far away, so far this time that I cannot even remotely be part of the event. Knowing you, I know its typically low key, a gathering of the special people in your life – which is basically Dad and us – the brood you’ve given your all for. We are all scattered far and wide now – me, kid bro, both sisters and all the numerous cousins but you have a special place in our hearts.\nGrowing up, you and I were never mushy - maybe because we are so similar. But you were always a fixture – unnervingly so at times. You forced principles into my head: hard work, decomposing problems into little bits, building contingencies into plans, defending budgets, that family meant sticking together even if people rubbed us the wrong ways, caring for the women in my life and your favorite quote for the natural recluse I was \u0026ldquo;No man is an Island\u0026rdquo;. I remember vividly the tanning my hide got for daring to beat the hell out of Ej; you understood I was provoked, but you insisted that the greatest moral victory was in not reacting, but living by a higher law – self control. Those were dark days, and you firmly ensured I was kept in check - hammered into line with everything under the sun: the old 404’s fan belt, the cable for the decrepit gramophone, the peppered koboko, bare hands, pick-pin (that had to be a torture tactic from the MI-6 archives!) and the odd kick on occasion; but the words were the ones that hurt the most. They forced me to think long and hard abut my life from a young age.\nYou probably saved my life by introducing me to Shakespeare, Chaucer, Moore, Browning, Mboya, Chukwuemeka Ike, Diop, Dennis Brutus and Alex Al Guma; whilst my friends were hanging out experimenting with cannabis, I was trying to recover from being blown away by words. You forced me to write all those 500 word essays back in the day, giving me the building blocks of critical thinking that have made me who I am. You taught me that anger was not to be expressed violently, but channeled into doing stuff. You and Dad modeled doing hard things; surviving in the midst of all those ASUU strikes on mere pittances in ways I find very intriguing even now: forgoing the extras for the needful, recycling as much as possible, long term planning on expenditures, always keeping some money away for the rainy day, having some savings in the bank and yes growing our own food! I still think you were way too hard on us - me especially, but then perhaps it was because you cared in your own way. You did stand up for us outside the house - if a bully threatened us, you went to their parents and made them back off. Of course you were not perfect, but I was way too \u0026lsquo;quietly stubborn\u0026rsquo; as you famously put it!\nYou excelled at everything you did, making those chauvinists at work shut up. You demonstrated that being a family focused woman didn’t make you less intelligent or less hard working than them. And when the top job was open, you did your best, and but for some politicking you should have landed it. I still get called your son - even though I have some grey hair- still get some favours from people that you helped in the past - all those students you mentored, the NYSC chaps who came for free food, the women whose marriages were saved, all those cousins you brought into the house so they could get a fighting chance at getting an education rather than rotting away as yet another relic to the problems of polygamy coupled with living below the poverty line. I’m sure they feel the same way too.\nI never got to read Medicine eventually; even a PhD seems like a tall order now, but I hear you are very much proud of me, and that I am still your golden boy. All them extra degrees you got are so not my portion IJN! I’m sure you understand that I never was and will never be the mushy, effusive guy. So I may never call you up out of the blue just to say mushy crap – but I hope that my actions and the mutual respect say it all; that you hold a treasured space in my life. You may never get to read this (I’m so hoping you don’t read my blog!); but just so you know, the customary phone call will occur later today.\nHappy birthday Mum DB\nP.S. I\u0026rsquo;m still working on the grand child angle, you know it takes two to tango! Kid sis has a head start already, so hopefully I am not so high up on the agenda. Kindly do not bring it up when I call you later\u0026hellip;.. Thanks for understanding..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/07/07/dear-mom/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDear Mom..\nIt’s that time of the year again, when we should gather to celebrate you and the influence you have been on our lives. Unfortunately, yet again I am far away, so far this time that I cannot even remotely be part of the event. Knowing you, I know its typically low key, a gathering of the special people in your life – which is basically Dad and us – the brood you’ve given your all for. We are all scattered far and wide now – me, kid bro, both sisters and all the numerous cousins but you have a special place in our hearts.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Dear Mom..."},{"content":"Perhaps God still speaks to us in unlikely ways. Consider a piece of scriptural advice on inter-faith dialogue from a Muslim here.\nHat tip to the Leadership Journal.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/07/06/inter-faith-dialogue-an-unlikely-source-of-advice/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePerhaps God still speaks to us in \u003ca href=\"http://www.ifyc.org/about_core/staff\"\u003eunlikely ways.\u003c/a\u003e Consider a piece of scriptural advice on inter-faith dialogue from a Muslim \u003ca href=\"http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/buildingleaders/ministrystaff/ministrylessonsfromamuslim.html\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHat tip to the \u003ca href=\"http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/\"\u003eLeadership Journal\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Inter-faith dialogue: An unlikely source of advice."},{"content":"Perhaps another slant at the ‘just friends’ conundrum is in order here. Read Uncle Theo’s take on the undefined Guy-Girl connection here.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/07/06/the-just-friends-conundrum/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePerhaps another slant at the ‘just friends’ conundrum is in order here. Read Uncle Theo’s take on the undefined Guy-Girl connection \u003ca href=\"http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001253.cfm\"\u003ehere.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The 'Just Friends' Conundrum.."},{"content":"Strong coffee might be great for your mental health after all; if this research proves to be applicable to humans that is.\nVia BBC News\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/07/06/coffee-might-be-great-after-all/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eStrong coffee might be great for your mental health after all; if this \u003ca href=\"http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8132122.stm\"\u003eresearch\u003c/a\u003e proves to be applicable to humans that is.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVia \u003ca href=\"http://news.bbc.co.uk/\"\u003eBBC\u003c/a\u003e News\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Coffee might be great after all...."},{"content":"I listened to an old Joshua Harris message I downloaded from 2005 over the weekend. One thought caught my attention all over again\u0026hellip;.\nIt is easier to give direction to those who are alive than to attempt to raise the dead.\nWhilst he made the statement in the context of guy-girl relationships, I think it makes sense for other aspects of life. Perhaps it is better to start something and then attempt to retool it than to eternally agonize over the perfect solution.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/07/05/on-attempting-to-find-the-perfect-solution/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI listened to an old \u003ca href=\"http://www.covlife.org/about/pastors/joshua_harris\"\u003eJoshua Harris\u003c/a\u003e message  I \u003ca href=\"http://www.covlife.org/resources/28922-Courtship_is_a_Community_Project\"\u003edownloaded\u003c/a\u003e from 2005 over the weekend. One thought caught my attention all over again\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is easier to give direction to those who are alive than to attempt to raise the dead.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhilst he made the statement in the context of guy-girl relationships, I think it makes sense for other aspects of life. Perhaps it is better to start something and then attempt to retool it than to eternally agonize over the perfect solution.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On attempting to find the perfect solution.."},{"content":"Perhaps some inconvenience is better than exotic solutions. This house got wrecked by an attempt to kill weeds with a flame thrower.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/07/03/how-not-to-kill-weeds/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePerhaps some inconvenience is better than exotic solutions. \u003ca href=\"http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20090703/tod-house-wrecked-as-man-kills-weeds-wit-86d1698.html\"\u003eThis house\u003c/a\u003e got wrecked by an attempt to kill weeds with a flame thrower.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"How not to 'kill' weeds.."},{"content":"Its midway through the year already\u0026hellip;. 2009 has sped by with alarming inerrancy\u0026hellip;. And the midway point will soon be reached\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.I find myself musing, questioning, probing and sifting through the evidence hoping to find proof that I have indeed focused on the right things so far that will make the most difference when push comes to shove and the bricks fall down as though ripped to shreds by a tsunami of cataclysmic proportions\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.The big chronological milestone approaches too, and with it comes a sense of dread - I will officially become \u0026lsquo;old\u0026rsquo; in my book - but then on the other hand is some gratefulness for still being alive against all odds\u0026hellip;.. \u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; Its taking stock time here\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.I really hope the verdict is not \u0026ldquo;mene mene tekel parsin\u0026rdquo;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/06/30/mene-mene-tekel-parsin/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIts midway through the year already\u0026hellip;. 2009 has sped by with alarming inerrancy\u0026hellip;. And the midway point will soon be reached\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.I find myself musing, questioning, probing and sifting through the evidence hoping to find proof that I have indeed focused on the right things so far that will make the most difference when push comes to shove and the bricks fall down as though ripped to shreds by a tsunami of cataclysmic proportions\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.The big chronological milestone approaches too, and with it comes a sense of dread - I will officially become \u0026lsquo;old\u0026rsquo; in my book - but then on the other hand is some gratefulness for still being alive against all odds\u0026hellip;.. \u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; Its  taking stock time here\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.I really hope the verdict is not \u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;mene mene tekel parsin\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"\"Mene mene tekel parsin\""},{"content":"Strolling with an eager anticipation of the culinary delights sublimely created to soothe my aching throat and growling stomach, I hum a mindless tune that bears no connection whatsoever to any extant song. Somehow the steady \u0026lsquo;chomp chomp\u0026rsquo; of my footsteps are the entire accompaniment I can muster to the tune that fills my head to overflowing. It has been a hard day of work; if shuffling papers, shouting at the interns, playing solitaire and facebooking count as work that is. All that is far removed from the fore of my mind though, as the gently fading sun casts long shadows on the earth behind me, whilst I walk along the street, anachronistically named the Nineteenth\nThe object of my desire is piping hot amala served with ewedu and pomo, churned out with surprising consistency and impressive dexterity by Iya Monday; a shockingly obese woman, clearly stuck in menopause who pointedly insists on bedecking herself with a nose ring, four inch heels and a spaghetti top which manages to conceal what should be exposed and expose what perhaps in a different time and age might have provoked a pointedly visceral response in a man of lesser virtues.\nThe shrill \u0026lsquo;peeen peeen’ of a \u0026lsquo;vespa\u0026rsquo; awakens me from my reverie, as I suddenly realize that I had indeed come within whiskers of being brushed off the road into the seething morass of floating paper, maize husks, mosquito larvae and putrid water escaped from a broken sewer that is an open gutter which perhaps now better defines the road than that name Nineteenth.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/06/28/nineteenth-street/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eStrolling with an eager anticipation of the culinary delights sublimely created to soothe my aching throat and growling stomach, I hum a mindless tune that bears no connection whatsoever to any extant song. Somehow the steady \u003cem\u003e\u0026lsquo;chomp chomp\u0026rsquo;\u003c/em\u003e of my footsteps are the entire accompaniment I can muster to the tune that fills my head to overflowing. It has been a hard day of work; if shuffling papers, shouting at the interns, playing solitaire and \u003cem\u003efacebooking\u003c/em\u003e count as work that is. All that is far removed from the fore of my mind though, as the gently fading sun casts long shadows on the earth behind me, whilst I walk along the street, anachronistically named the \u003cem\u003eNineteenth\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Nineteenth Street..."},{"content":"Are words merely words on a page, or are they snippets of a hidden soul that have somehow escaped to grant a preview to the uninitiated of the intangibles that lie beneath the surface? Perhaps, words in reality bear no extant connection to the mind that inspired the hand that bore the pen that crafted them and are devoid of a life of their own; only sketching a reality that is at best virtual and concocted.\nPray tell me where the line between the real and the virtual blur.. Or are we inexorably drawn to the nostalgia of dreams yet chastised by the harshness of reality, whilst pining for a nascent hope, which perhaps we never get? Is it even possible to infer quickness of mind, sharpness of spirit, cuteness, razzness or some other quirk of behavior from words on a page screen?\nSadly I have been e-seduced by words on a page screen! And the virtual and the real have blurred into one!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/06/24/on-the-seduction-of-words/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAre words merely words on a page, or are they snippets of a hidden soul that have somehow escaped to grant a preview to the uninitiated of the intangibles that lie beneath the surface? Perhaps, words in reality bear no extant connection to the mind that inspired the hand that bore the pen that crafted them and are devoid of a life of their own; only sketching a reality that is at best virtual and concocted.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On.. The seduction of words............"},{"content":"First off.. Our PROJECT is live……. Stop over and show us some love aight! ABlackJamesBond asked a particularly intriguing question on the last post on his blog - contemplating.\nWould the boy you were yesterday be proud of the man you are today?\nI wish I had straight forward answers, a Yes or a No. But I’m finding out that the more I think about it, the more it seems the answer is both Yes and No. Yes, I’ve met and exceeded most of my targets; No because in some regards, I have done stuff the boy of yesterday, who stood with great enthusiasm on the cusp of greatness would cringe to even hear of. Deep down sometimes I argue with myself, wondering if perhaps I have even delivered on the huge potentials I know I once had.\nI take solace though, in the fact that I still am alive against all odds; after all he that is joined to the living has hope. And that gives me the opportunity to do all I need to do TODAY, so that I can be proud of the Father I will be tomorrow.\nPerhaps, the most appropriate question today would be:\nAre you learning or doing stuff that would make you proud of the Father or Mother you will be in Future?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/06/21/on-the-crux-of-the-matter/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFirst off..  Our \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.thinkboxcrew.com/\"\u003ePROJECT\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e is live……. Stop over and show us some love aight!\u003c/em\u003e \u003ca href=\"http://ablackjamesbond.com/\"\u003eABlackJamesBond\u003c/a\u003e asked a particularly intriguing question on the last post on his blog - \u003ca href=\"http://ablackjamesbond.com/?p=121\"\u003econtemplating\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWould the boy you were yesterday be proud of the man you are today?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI wish I had straight forward answers, a Yes or a No. But I’m finding out that the more I think about it, the more it seems the answer is both \u003cem\u003eYes\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eNo\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cem\u003eYes,\u003c/em\u003e I’ve met and exceeded \u003cem\u003emost\u003c/em\u003e of my targets; \u003cem\u003eNo\u003c/em\u003e because in some regards, I have done stuff the boy of yesterday, who stood with great enthusiasm on the cusp of greatness would cringe to even hear of. Deep down sometimes I argue with myself, wondering if perhaps I have even delivered on the huge potentials I know I once had.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On... The Crux of the Matter"},{"content":"It seems only like yesterday that I stood in your shoes, on the verge of turning twenty-one. My mind was a maelstrom of feelings; not all of which I could understand. On the one hand was nostalgia for all the memories of growing up and on the other trepidation. I had just left the University and I was going to miss the ‘mountain top experiences’ - the uninhibited exuberance of worshiping together on a Sunday afternoon, the wonderful friendships that had been developed over the tenure of my stay, the nights spent in raucous laughter as we talked about everything under the sun - everything. I felt some trepidation, a nagging concern at the monstrous changes that I was on the verge of undergoing. Lots of issues swirled around my mind – what final grade would I make? Where would I be deployed to serve the nation? Would I get a job? Was a Masters\u0026rsquo; Degree the ultimate coup de grace I needed to launch myself into my chosen career? Had I learned all I needed to succeed in life? I had plans, that had me doing things I had only seen in my dreams.\nYou too, my dear, face these issues today. Rather than relenting, conventional wisdom seems to suggest that these pressures have increased from my time till now. You will be required to perform at peak levels relationally, spiritually, financially and in your chosen career. Thankfully, you do not tread an unbeaten road. So many years ago, a motley of ex slaves and their children also faced a test of courage – The Exodus – leaving the known however uncomfortable, for a promise of a greater tomorrow. Like them you too have spent a significant portion of your life in training - lectures, tests, exams, managing conflicting schedules, finding time to connect to other people, spending money you haven\u0026rsquo;t earned, engaging stakeholders and customers and learning to honour the women in your life. Like them too, you stand on the verge of crossing a major milestone, beyond which everything changes. Be warned, that anticipation and excitement often mask the requirement for hard work and concerted effort.\nYoung man, I can call you that, truly succeeding will require a major effort to flesh out the details of your future. The man who does not sit down and count the cost of a venture runs the risk of getting stuck mid-stream. You should therefore consider this a time to count the cost before stepping out into the world. Also remember that Society has expectations of you – to get or create a job, get married, have children, and then in the African context, provide for family – parents, siblings etc. May I add, that in addition to all that, you as an individual have unique skill sets that will enable you to do something different for your world; using your influence and abilities to hold the fort and speak up for those who are less blessed than you. Each passing year will lead to an increase in the level of these expectations, something you must be prepared to shoulder.\nYou, my dear must show your maturity by learning commitment and demonstrating responsibility to succeed at this. I consider “commitment” as the acceptance of a responsibility for something or someone and “responsibility” as taking definitive action to fulfil those commitments. In my experience I have come to find out that commitments define the frame work on which our value system is built as well as define the intrinsic premises that characterize the extrinsic qualities of our lives – how our lives are to be led on a day to day basis. You cannot afford to be wrong here, or else all else will be fatally flawed.\nKindly consider five critical dimensions where you will need to commit to - a balanced world view, family, the larger society, your future employer as well as the mentors that will come in and out of your life. You will also have to take responsibility to take ethical decisions at some stage of your life, whether in a personal capacity or on the behalf of others, function in and provide for a family and serve at some level in the society. Take these five categories to heart, study them, seek out information on them, and continuously improve.\nAs you stand on the verge of manhood, let these words ring in your ears. Go.. and make a difference in your world. Me\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/06/19/letter-to-the-future/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt seems only like yesterday that I stood in your shoes, on the verge of turning twenty-one. My mind was a maelstrom of feelings; not all of which I could understand. On the one hand was nostalgia for all the memories of growing up and on the other trepidation. I had just left the University and I was going to miss the ‘mountain top experiences’ - the uninhibited exuberance of worshiping together on a Sunday afternoon, the wonderful friendships that had been developed over the tenure of my stay, the nights spent in raucous laughter as we talked about everything under the sun - everything. I felt some trepidation, a nagging concern at the monstrous changes that I was on the verge of undergoing. Lots of issues swirled around my mind – what final grade would I make? Where would I be deployed to serve the nation? Would I get a job? Was a Masters\u0026rsquo; Degree the ultimate \u003cem\u003ecoup de grace\u003c/em\u003e I needed to launch myself into my chosen career? Had I learned all I needed to succeed in life? I had plans, that had me doing things I had only seen in my dreams.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Letter to the future..."},{"content":"Its been a sloooow Friday at mine.. So I spent a huge chunk of it on Facebook\u0026hellip;. Enjoy a few of the more esoteric status updates I saw this week.\n\u0026ldquo;The Law of divine BS\u0026rdquo; - Given two prospects of similar abilities, the rate of change of opportunities to perform with time is directly proportional to the amount of dust yarned and the amount of dross promised! i.e \u0026ldquo;Open eye\u0026rdquo; creates opportunities\u0026hellip;JS (Before nko, its all about the agbari!) Light travels faster than sound, that is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak - OO (Appearances will always open doors, it behooves the smart person to ensure the content matches the appearance) Survivorship bias: We see the winners and \u0026ldquo;learn\u0026rdquo; from them, while forgetting the huge unseen cemetery of losers - FOI (Truly, First is everything, the rest is nothing) You can travel across the world,meet the nicest people and enjoy the greatest moments of life in a tiny yet essential ship called friendSHIP. - RE (You can tell from the mushyness that this is feminine\u0026hellip;.Valid point though) *Apart, we dominate; Together, we orchestrate* - DJ (Isn\u0026rsquo;t it immediately obvious that this dude is the life of the party?) Walls are meant to shut people out, but they also shut you in - HA (This one newly marry, its allowed!) A simple smile will do so much..don\u0026rsquo;t leave home without it - ENO (Another one of the fairly newly wedded peeps, valid point though) One more \u0026quot; I will always love you\u0026quot; line from his black lips and I honestly will shoot someone! Tutututubararaaraaraara\u0026hellip;. PO (Wo.. If you shoot all the people saying they luff you, who will remain?) Why has the price of pure water stayed at N5 for over 10 years while inflation, currency rates and other costs have gone up? Any thoughts, analysis or suggestions? (FDI) (This one has an MBA from one of the top schools in Europe but is roasting behind a desk in Nigeria, this is just to demonstrate that he still has business insight!) My prayer for you all is that there would be a transformation that would take each of you to a subspace that is invariant to exogenous perturbations. (AAA) (Surely, I do not sound like this\u0026hellip; This one is a prospective Vibrations PhD!) ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/06/19/feeling-cool-on-facebook/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIts been a sloooow Friday at mine.. So I spent a huge chunk of it on Facebook\u0026hellip;. Enjoy a few of the more esoteric status updates I saw this week.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;The Law of divine BS\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e - Given two prospects of similar abilities, the rate of change of opportunities to perform with time is directly proportional to the amount of dust yarned and the amount of dross promised! i.e \u0026ldquo;Open eye\u0026rdquo; creates opportunities\u0026hellip;JS \u003cem\u003e(Before nko, its all about the agbari!)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLight travels faster than sound, that is why some people appear  bright until you hear them speak - OO \u003cem\u003e(Appearances will always open doors, it behooves the smart person to ensure the content matches the appearance)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSurvivorship bias:\u003c/strong\u003e We see the winners and \u0026ldquo;learn\u0026rdquo; from them, while forgetting the huge unseen cemetery of losers - FOI \u003cem\u003e(Truly, First is everything, the rest is nothing)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou can travel across the world,meet the nicest people and enjoy the greatest moments of life in a tiny yet essential ship called friendSHIP. - RE \u003cem\u003e(You can tell from the mushyness that this is feminine\u0026hellip;.Valid point though)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e*Apart, we dominate; Together, we orchestrate* - DJ \u003cem\u003e(Isn\u0026rsquo;t it immediately obvious that this dude is the life of the party?)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWalls are meant to shut people out, but they also shut you in - HA \u003cem\u003e(This one newly marry, its allowed!)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA simple smile will do so much..don\u0026rsquo;t leave home without it - ENO \u003cem\u003e(Another one of the fairly newly wedded peeps, valid point though)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOne  more \u0026quot; I will always love you\u0026quot; line from his black lips and I honestly will shoot someone! Tutututubararaaraaraara\u0026hellip;. PO  \u003cem\u003e(Wo.. If you shoot all the people saying they luff you, who will remain?)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhy has the price of pure water stayed at N5 for over 10 years while inflation, currency rates and other costs have gone up? Any thoughts, analysis or suggestions? (FDI) \u003cem\u003e(This one has an MBA from one of the top schools in Europe but is roasting behind a desk in Nigeria, this is just to demonstrate that he still has business insight!)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMy prayer for you all is that there would be a transformation that would take each of you to a subspace that is invariant to exogenous perturbations. (AAA) \u003cem\u003e(Surely, I do not sound like this\u0026hellip; This one is a prospective Vibrations PhD!)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Feeling Cool ...... On FaceBook!"},{"content":"Today is UNICEF\u0026rsquo;s Day of the African Child. Spare a thought for so-called child-witches, preventable deaths, poor quality education and child trafficking.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/06/16/unicefs-day-of-the-african-child/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eToday is \u003ca href=\"http://www.unicef.org/\"\u003eUNICEF\u0026rsquo;s\u003c/a\u003e Day of the African Child.  Spare a thought for so-called \u003ca href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUJSME0TORw\"\u003echild-witches\u003c/a\u003e,  \u003ca href=\"http://www.savethechildren.net/alliance/media/newsdesk/2009-06-16.html\"\u003epreventable deaths\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://www.afbis.com/analysis/education10204234737.htm\"\u003epoor quality education\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"http://www.steppingstonesnigeria.org/node/19\"\u003echild trafficking.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/EUJSME0TORw?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e","title":"UNICEF's Day of The African Child........"},{"content":"Damn – I KNOW what the problem with my life is – discipline to do what I need to do, when I need to. My time management issues all flow from and into the discipline thing! I have very clear plans on direction, and goals - I NEED to start planning my day and acting on it ASAP, leaving procrastination behind.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/06/15/sudden-clarity/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDamn – I KNOW what the problem with my life is – discipline to do what I need to do, when I need to. My time management issues all flow from and into the discipline thing! I have very clear plans on direction, and goals - I NEED to start planning my day and acting on it ASAP, leaving procrastination behind.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sudden Clarity"},{"content":"Yours truly spent the weekend; the part not spent on Facebook, Twitter or playing Football Manager that is, thinking about all the things I need to sort out in the next phase of life for my aging self! Here are the Seven things I have to get done, in no particular order, before Heaven beckons\u0026hellip;.\nMarry the akara making Halle berry/ Gordon Ramsay/ Martha Stewart superwoman of my dreams! Write the best-selling collection of poems and or the book that gets me on the cover of TIME magazine and rave reviews as the new Shakespeare (speaking at TED would be a great alternative!) Swivel in my chair and dictate global Pipeline Integrity Policy from my corner office at Corporate HQ on 800 Bell street for at least 20 years.. Walk a tight-rope stretched taut over the Niagara falls (or if my keg prevents me, pretend to!) Get to retire to my yacht in the Caribbean and watch the sun set for at least another 20 years! Make a one time donation of at least ten million dollars to World Vision, Compassion, or preferably Stepping Stones Nigeria. Last and not the least, get some legit toe-curling, head twisting, mind boggling you-know-what.. Daaaayuuum\u0026hellip;. Its a Sunday.. Enough of the day dreams - I\u0026rsquo;m off to Church!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/06/14/on-stuffthis-side-of-heaven/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eYours truly spent the weekend; the part not spent on Facebook, Twitter or playing Football Manager that is, thinking about all the things I need to sort out in the next phase of life for my aging self! Here are the Seven things I have to get done, in no particular order, before Heaven beckons\u0026hellip;.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMarry the \u003cem\u003eakara\u003c/em\u003e making \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/classified-certified-e-akara-maker-required/\"\u003eHalle berry/ Gordon Ramsay/ Martha Stewart\u003c/a\u003e superwoman of my dreams!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWrite the best-selling collection of poems and or the book that gets me on the cover of \u003ca href=\"http://www.time.com/time/specials/2008/personoftheyear\"\u003eTIME\u003c/a\u003e magazine and rave reviews as the new Shakespeare (speaking at \u003ca href=\"http://www.ted.com/\"\u003eTED\u003c/a\u003e would be a great alternative!)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSwivel in my chair and dictate global Pipeline Integrity Policy from my corner office at Corporate HQ on \u003ca href=\"http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=800+bell+street+houston+texas\u0026amp;ie=utf-8\u0026amp;oe=utf-8\u0026amp;aq=t\u0026amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official\u0026amp;client=firefox-a\"\u003e800 Bell street\u003c/a\u003e for at least 20 years..\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWalk a tight-rope stretched taut over the \u003ca href=\"http://www.niagarafalls.ca/\"\u003eNiagara falls\u003c/a\u003e (or if my \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/05/08/on-six-pack-abs-and-my-all-new-6-week-mega-program/\"\u003ekeg\u003c/a\u003e prevents me, pretend to!)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGet to retire to my \u003ca href=\"http://www.caribbeansail.com/\"\u003eyacht in the Caribbean\u003c/a\u003e and watch the sun set for at least another 20 years!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMake a one time donation of at least ten million dollars to \u003ca href=\"http://www.worldvision.org.uk/\"\u003eWorld Vision\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://www.compassionuk.org/site/pages/ui_home.aspx\"\u003eCompassion\u003c/a\u003e, or preferably \u003ca href=\"http://www.steppingstonesnigeria.org/\"\u003eStepping Stones Nigeria.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLast and not the least, get some legit toe-curling, head twisting, mind boggling \u003cem\u003eyou-know-what..\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDaaaayuuum\u0026hellip;. Its a Sunday.. Enough of the day dreams - I\u0026rsquo;m off to Church!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On stuff........This side of Heaven"},{"content":"One of the action items from my Thinking Time was a reading list. Full list is here..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/06/12/the-reading-list-20-books-in-20-weeks/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOne of the action items from my Thinking Time was a reading list. Full list is \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009-reading-list/\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Reading List... 20 books in 20 weeks.."},{"content":"Yesterday, YOU broke\nMy wild, frantic grab for hope.\nBut I did not quit.\nYesterday the skies\nSeemed bleak, left gloom, made me cry.\nI can smile again.\nYesterday brought tears\nShattered faith, left me in fear.\nBut it’s over now.\nYesterday my feet,\nWalked down roads despoiled by filth\nI am stronger now.\nToday, the sun peeked\nThrough dross piled high at my feet.\nI can hope again.\nThat Tomorrow comes,\nAnd with it flows hope, new songs.\nI can laugh again _\n_\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/06/11/a-haiku-for-a-new-dawn/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eYesterday, YOU broke\u003cbr\u003e\nMy wild, frantic grab for hope.\u003cbr\u003e\nBut I did not quit.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYesterday the skies\u003cbr\u003e\nSeemed bleak, left gloom, made me cry.\u003cbr\u003e\nI can smile again.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYesterday brought tears\u003cbr\u003e\nShattered faith, left me in fear.\u003cbr\u003e\nBut it’s over now.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYesterday my feet,\u003cbr\u003e\nWalked down roads despoiled by filth\u003cbr\u003e\nI am stronger now.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, the sun peeked\u003cbr\u003e\nThrough dross piled high at my feet.\u003cbr\u003e\nI can hope again.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat Tomorrow comes,\u003cbr\u003e\nAnd with it flows hope, new songs.\u003cbr\u003e\nI can laugh again _\u003cbr\u003e\n_\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Haiku for a New dawn..."},{"content":"Perhaps the thin line between self-delusion and dreaming big is crossed where tomorrow\u0026rsquo;s gains are sacrificed on the altar of yesterday\u0026rsquo;s illusions.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/06/09/on-self-delusion/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePerhaps the thin line between self-delusion and dreaming big is crossed where tomorrow\u0026rsquo;s gains are sacrificed on the altar of yesterday\u0026rsquo;s illusions.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On self-delusion..."},{"content":"We might learn a thing or two from Majora Carter’s approach to tackling environmental degradation issues in the South Bronx. Video\u0026rsquo;s HERE\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/06/07/on-greening-the-ghetto/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWe might learn a thing or two from \u003ca href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/nyregion/thecity/14majo.html?_r=2\u0026amp;emc=eta1\"\u003eMajora Carter’s\u003c/a\u003e approach to tackling environmental degradation issues in the \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Bronx\"\u003eSouth Bronx\u003c/a\u003e. Video\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/majora_carter_s_tale_of_urban_renewal.html\"\u003eHERE\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On \"Greening the Ghetto\"..."},{"content":"Woke up late today and had to head off to a church closer home.. It was an Anglican Church. Felt a little strange with all the reading of prayers, the hymns and all that. Its been at least six to seven years since i set foot in a more traditional church. I must say I found it interesting in any case; perhaps some faith by rote is great for life? I dunno!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/06/07/blessing-in-disguise/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWoke up late today and had to head off to a church closer home.. It was an Anglican Church. Felt a little strange with all the reading of prayers, the hymns and all that. Its been at least six to seven years since i set foot in a more traditional church. I must say I found it interesting in any case; perhaps some faith by rote is great for life? I dunno!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Blessing in Disguise?"},{"content":"I identified a few key things that I need to work on in my life to improve on myself majorly. The prioritized list I will be working off is below:\nDevelop a reading schedule: financial, self motivation, self esteem, writing and career related books. Schedule times for laptop gaming, internet and other non essential activites. Build a plan for improving my life in the categories of Al Mohler\u0026rsquo;s excellent piece - The Marks of Real Manhood. Develop a plan for regular bible study and prayer, determine a time and stick to it Document my peculiar sin vulnerabilities: identify the triggers and fight for the life of me! Identify two mentors - one in the workplace and one for my personal life. Set up weekly teleconferences or meetings as appropriate. De-clutter my life. Reassess all my people connections and downsize to a manageable number. Complete my MSc, identify critical modules I will require in the work place and read up on them before I get to resume work. Get a complete physical exam done. Identify any potential health vulnerabilities and ensure they are in line for focused attention. Maintain my weight - can\u0026rsquo;t afford to increase health risk levels by bulking up. Develop mechanisms for tracking and assessing need before expenditure. Consider adding a need assessment module to my excel tracking sheet. Read up on investment opportunities in Nigeria. Develop mechanisms for assessing investments and prioritizing them for action. Identify worthy causes and get plugged into a couple. Hopefully, I will be able to state categorically at the end of the year that I have worked through the list.. I then shall measure effectiveness and decide which new directions I need to chase!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/06/07/the-action-item-list/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI identified a few key things that I need to work on in my life to improve on myself majorly. The prioritized list I will be working off is below:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDevelop a reading schedule: financial, self motivation, self esteem, writing and career related books.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSchedule times for laptop gaming, internet and other non essential activites.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuild a plan for improving my life in the categories of Al Mohler\u0026rsquo;s excellent piece - \u003ca href=\"http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001093.cfm\"\u003eThe Marks of Real Manhood.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDevelop a plan for \u003cstrong\u003eregular\u003c/strong\u003e bible study and prayer, determine a time and stick to it\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDocument my peculiar sin vulnerabilities: identify the triggers and fight for the life of me!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIdentify two mentors - one in the workplace and one for my personal life. Set up weekly teleconferences or meetings as appropriate.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDe-clutter my life. Reassess all my people connections and downsize to a manageable number.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComplete my MSc, identify critical modules I will require in the work place and read up on them before I get to resume work.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGet a complete physical exam done. Identify any \u003cem\u003epotential\u003c/em\u003e health vulnerabilities and ensure they are in line for focused attention.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaintain my weight - can\u0026rsquo;t afford to increase health risk levels by bulking up.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDevelop mechanisms for tracking and assessing need before expenditure. Consider adding a need assessment module to my excel tracking sheet.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRead up on investment opportunities in Nigeria. Develop mechanisms for assessing investments and prioritizing them for action.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIdentify worthy causes and get plugged into a couple.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHopefully, I will be able to state categorically at the end of the year that I have worked through the list.. I then shall measure effectiveness and decide which new directions I need to chase!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Action Item List"},{"content":"Kpekere was one of them typical razz waffy boys.. Clean shaven aside of a goatee, not too tall, legs slightly bowed and with rippling muscles under the skin tight tee-shirts he wore, he had a menacing look around him. He was suave in his own way though, waffy slangs rolled off his tongue like melting lollipops, enthralling us , especially when he chose to regale us with tales of his supposed exploits bunkering crude oil in the creeks. His skin was a very light shade of brown – a testament to a randy Portuguese ancestor back in the day. With lots of cash to spare, being a tough tackling no-nonsense central defender in the Department\u0026rsquo;s Football side added to the aura of hardman that surrounded him, and he used it to good effect.\nHe did lack one thing though, which was a commitment to serious study. Too many runs meant that he was distracted, and the never ending stream of campus belles didn\u0026rsquo;t do his focus any good either especially as he spent quite a bit of time hosting his considerable harem in Buka One. He did however, do enough to pass examinations - ably assisted by the real Google Wave - friends collaborating to seamlessly deliver in examination halls as well as a generous helping of chukuli, bullets, cargo and exam answers tatooed on the inside of palms.\nFinal year came eventually though, and the sudden realization that the final grade was important hit every one. From the happy-go-lucky students like yours truly who focused more on finding the minimum effort required to get borderline alphas to the clearly uninterested students like Kpekere, we all trooped to tutorial after tutorial.\nOne fateful day, Kpekere joined in a discussion on Thermal Power Systems, proceeding to be very obvious in the process. The tension was palpable, alphas on this exam were about as regular as PHCN delivering - and a few of the more serious efficos could be seen bristling with rage, angered by the perception that all Kpekere was was a distraction we couldn\u0026rsquo;t afford. I, the ever willing student of human behavior, sat aloof sensing there would be a twist.\nUp came the lead effico, a pretend Brit whose only claim to a Brit accent was spending three months in London while his father completed an MSc, to whom we gave the sobriquet Prof. His stated intent was to demonstrate to the class how to determine the optimum inter-stage pressure for perfect intercooling at the multi-stage compressors. After going through it the first time, he asked if every one understood.\nGuy I no understand o.. How you take find that thing nah? Kpekere butted in, in his characteristic tone, in between teeth actively engaged in chewing gum. We could almost hear the sharp intake of air from Prof.\nCan you ask your question in English please? Prof countered.\nGuy, which level na? How you take find that thing o! Haba. Kpekere countered, arm motions indicating he was dismissive of Prof\u0026rsquo;s claim to needing a change of language.\nWell, I\u0026rsquo;m serious here, If you don\u0026rsquo;t ask the question in English, I will be unable to dignify your question with an answer.– Ebo! I muttered under my breath, totally enjoying the developing standoff.\nNa your papa language sef? Make you take time o! Wetin dey do this small pickin sef! Clearly, Kpekere was getting animated. It was rumored that he knew people who knew people who could arrange things on this campus. Surely Prof would back down now?\nWe, all 60 of us, were suddenly spectators in this battle of wits - the razz waffy boy, wey no send anybody vs the pretend Brit boy..\nI insist, ask your question in English, Prof repeated, I thought I could detect a slight quake.\nNa only you go better school abi? I no dey speak any English, wetin dey worry you sef ehn??? I go do you strong thing o! This boy, I go do you strong thing o... Kpekere was clearly livid and he marched down the stairs towards the front of the class where Prof was standing. I could sense the tension reach sky high levels. We were caught in two minds - someone needed to put Prof in his place, but losing any more time in this course was not helping anybody.\nProf and Kpekere now stood eye to eye toe to toe, The stocky figure of Kpekere and the plump keggish stomach of the Prof defined the moment. Would there be a slap, or some shirt pulling\u0026hellip;. Surely the Prof wouldn\u0026rsquo;t risk it..\nTalk that nonsense wey you talk again make I hear, stewpid boy. Kpekere repeated.\nYou could have heard a pin drop! Both men stared each other down. I made up my mind and acted.\nGuys, we don\u0026rsquo;t have time\u0026hellip; Kpekere and Prof can you take your fight outside?, I interjected. I slipped a detailed solution to the problem into Kpekere\u0026rsquo;s hands.\nMaybe speaking broke the spell, as the class suddenly came alive. Voices rising in a crescendo of placation.\nNa your guy na, una wan\u0026rsquo; fight cos of book. Life pass this school o! Prof stole one last glare and then turned and headed to his seat beside me..\nHe was trembling like a leaf in a harmattan gale!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/06/03/in-which-kasala-nearly-burst/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eKpekere\u003c/em\u003e was one of them typical razz \u003cem\u003ewaffy\u003c/em\u003e boys.. Clean shaven aside of a \u003cem\u003egoatee\u003c/em\u003e, not too tall, legs slightly bowed and with rippling muscles under the skin tight tee-shirts he wore, he had a menacing look around him. He was suave in his own way though, waffy slangs rolled off his tongue like melting lollipops, enthralling us , especially when he chose to regale us with tales of his supposed exploits bunkering crude oil in the creeks. His skin was a very light shade of brown – a testament to a randy Portuguese ancestor back in the day. With lots of cash to spare, being a tough tackling no-nonsense central defender in the Department\u0026rsquo;s Football side added to the aura of \u003cem\u003ehardman\u003c/em\u003e that surrounded him, and he used it to good effect.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"In which 'Kasala' nearly burst...."},{"content":"Had a particularly soothing phone call with the bestie today - Olu and I are in a similar place - uncertain about returning to our old jobs in Nigeria and all that\u0026hellip;. As usual we rambled on about many things - book work, wives/ girl friends, our Nigerian folks and the like. Eventually, we got to talk about post-study plans and all what not.. He\u0026rsquo;s open for both options - the UK or Nigeria, as I am. There\u0026rsquo;s still some time till we decide one way or the other, so I shall just keep my fingers crossed, and take it from there!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/06/01/the-damned-recession/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHad a particularly soothing phone call with the bestie today - Olu and I are in a similar place - uncertain about returning to our old jobs in Nigeria and all that\u0026hellip;. As usual we rambled on about many things - book work, wives/ girl friends, our Nigerian folks and the like. Eventually, we got to talk about post-study plans and all what not.. He\u0026rsquo;s open for both options - the UK or Nigeria, as I am. There\u0026rsquo;s still some time till we decide one way or the other, so I shall just keep my fingers crossed, and take it from there!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Damned Recession"},{"content":"Apparently an awe inspiring 90% of Nigerians are religious. Statistics like these make the likes of Richard Dawkins claim that religion is the root of all evil. Dinesh D\u0026rsquo;Souza, Ravi Zacharias the UCCF, and a whole lot of other resources exist specifically to discuss the pros and cons of the subtle nuances of the arguments around Drawinism vs Intelligent Design and Theism vs Atheism vs Agnosticism. It is instructive to also note that atheism has not done much better either - the Soviet era is a case in point.\nPerhaps the real issue though is not religion or the lack of it per se but the blatant lack of authenticity in the lives of its adherents - myself included. True life, maybe, is more like the curve 1/x; asymptotically approaching both zero and infinity without ever getting there. As such we will always have a gap, we will always be striving for excellence, growing more and more towards the ideals of our faith. I know that the Christian Bible is peppered with references to fighting for social justice, honesty, speaking up for those who have no voice, respect for the sanctity of human life and the like and I am sure that these ideals are repeated both in Islam and in our indigenous belief systems.\nIf everyone of the 90% religious Nigerians lived out the reality of their faith (or non-faith - even atheists believe that the human mind is capable of rationally finding what is the ultimate good), I am sure the blatant corruption, inept leadership, and get rich quick schemes would be significantly curtailed. The real challenge as I see it though is to break out from a nominal, head based, notional faith and to strive to live out its over-arching ideals in the real world.\nAs one of them telecommunication outfits back in Nigeria once said \u0026mdash; Talk is cheap. I would add Live your liturgy\u0026hellip;..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/05/31/living-your-liturgy/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eApparently an awe inspiring \u003ca href=\"http://www.nationmaster.com/country/ni-nigeria/rel-religion\"\u003e90% of Nigerians\u003c/a\u003e are religious. Statistics like these make the likes of \u003ca href=\"http://richarddawkins.net/\"\u003eRichard Dawkins\u003c/a\u003e claim that religion is the root of all evil. \u003ca href=\"http://www.dineshdsouza.com/\"\u003eDinesh D\u0026rsquo;Souza\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://www.rzim.org/EU/home.aspx\"\u003eRavi Zacharias\u003c/a\u003e the \u003ca href=\"http://www.bethinking.org/\"\u003eUCCF\u003c/a\u003e, and a whole lot of other resources exist specifically to discuss the pros and cons of the subtle nuances of the arguments around Drawinism vs \u003ca href=\"http://www.intelligentdesign.org/whatisid.php\"\u003eIntelligent Design\u003c/a\u003e and Theism vs Atheism vs Agnosticism. It is instructive to also note that atheism has not done much better either - the Soviet era is a case in point.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Living your Liturgy"},{"content":"I\u0026rsquo;ve always had a not too complementary view of the intellectual capabilities of most musicians.. But John Legend made a lot of sense in his commencement address at his Alma Mater (The University Of Pennsylvania). I don\u0026rsquo;t agree explicitly with everything he says especially about blurring the lines between absolutes, but he made sense overall. Enjoy\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/05/28/on-living-a-soulful-life/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;ve always had a not too complementary view of the intellectual capabilities of most musicians.. But \u003ca href=\"http://www.johnlegend.com/us/home\"\u003eJohn Legend\u003c/a\u003e made a lot of sense in his \u003ca href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSIQszUAvow\"\u003ecommencement address at his Alma Mater\u003c/a\u003e (The University Of Pennsylvania). I don\u0026rsquo;t agree explicitly with everything he says especially about blurring the lines between absolutes, but he made sense overall. Enjoy\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/NSIQszUAvow?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e","title":"On \"Living A Soulful Life\""},{"content":"She\u0026hellip;..\nYou\u0026rsquo;re a good guy but\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\nHe\u0026hellip;..\nThanks for the time, t\u0026rsquo;was appreciated\u0026hellip;..\nHe ruminates\u0026hellip;.\nShoot!!! Did I just get blown off?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/05/26/another-twenty-two/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShe\u0026hellip;..\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou\u0026rsquo;re a good guy but\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHe\u0026hellip;..\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThanks for the time, t\u0026rsquo;was appreciated\u0026hellip;..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHe ruminates\u0026hellip;.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShoot!!! Did I just get blown off?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e","title":"Another Twenty Two.."},{"content":" Crap happens. God Judges ultimately. But miscreants need to be taught that crime and punishment are different sides of the SAME coin.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/05/23/on-injustices-too-blatant-to-ignore/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://goodnaijagirl.com/human-rights-violation-of-a-young-woman-in-nigeria/\"\u003eCrap\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e happens. God \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=hebrews%209:27;\u0026amp;version=31;\"\u003eJudges ultimately\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/strong\u003e But miscreants need to be taught that \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=55\u0026amp;chapter=6\u0026amp;verse=7\u0026amp;version=31\u0026amp;context=verse\"\u003ecrime and punishment\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e are different sides of the \u003cstrong\u003eSAME\u003c/strong\u003e coin.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e","title":"On injustices too blatant to ignore..."},{"content":"Wrote this for Chiedu Ifeozo\u0026rsquo;s Poetry for Charity Volume 2 Project\u0026hellip;.All proceeds go to nominated charities in Nigeria. You can buy a copy here.\nThe skies are dark, pregnant as with an impending storm,\nThe wind is fierce, strumming out a strident wail,\nOur tin shed creaks, as like a ship by wind assailed,\nWhilst we all cringe,\nIn fear of what the storm will bring.\nThe rains come down, like hell’s pent up rage by fiends released,\nAccompanied by hail, that batters down our scant solace,\nOur threadbare clothes, no respite from the cold can bring,\nAs we sit mum,\nRemembering when the sun last shone.\nAt last the rain and hail relent, as finally their force is spent,\nThe wind itself at last grudgingly abates.\nThe skies stay dark, but our fears they fade,\n‘Cos we all know,\nWhen tomorrow comes, the sun will shine.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/05/23/when-tomorrow-comes/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWrote this for \u003ca href=\"http://www.facebook.com/chieduifeozo1?ref=ts#/chieduifeozo1?ref=ts\"\u003eChiedu Ifeozo\u0026rsquo;s\u003c/a\u003e Poetry for Charity Volume 2 Project\u0026hellip;.All proceeds go to nominated charities in Nigeria.  You can buy a copy \u003ca href=\"http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/poetry-for-charity/6967952\"\u003ehere.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe skies are dark, pregnant as with an impending storm,\u003cbr\u003e\nThe wind is fierce, strumming out a strident wail,\u003cbr\u003e\nOur tin shed creaks, as like a ship by wind assailed,\u003cbr\u003e\nWhilst we all cringe,\u003cbr\u003e\nIn fear of what the storm will bring.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe rains come down, like hell’s pent up rage by fiends released,\u003cbr\u003e\nAccompanied by hail, that batters down our scant solace,\u003cbr\u003e\nOur threadbare clothes, no respite from the cold can bring,\u003cbr\u003e\nAs we sit mum,\u003cbr\u003e\nRemembering when the sun last shone.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"When Tomorrow Comes...."},{"content":"Edit \u0026ndash; Just so you know, I have nothing against Lawyers and Doctors\u0026hellip; Its just that they make me want to tear my hair out sometimes\u0026hellip;. Its nothing personal.. LOL\nQuite frankly if it were possible to be ‘cursed’ with doctors and Lawyers – I think I would have that curse\u0026hellip;.\nMy mum is a closet doctor - maybe the disappointment of missing out on medical school made her over compensate - but all my young life I was innudated by quasi-medical books - Look Younger, Live Longer, Where there is no Doctor, Every Woman, and a slew of health books by the Seventh Day Adventists; plus all the newspaper cuttings – how smiling adds a year to your life, hyper vitaminosis, drink your way to health and all that ish..\nI was primed to read Medicine - no thanks to the pervasive influence of that cringe worthy CBS serial Another Life – watched in greyscale on the push and start National Panasonic Television we had for the better part of 20 years. Thankfully, my Biology teacher, in a rush of hormones, over reacted to a childish prank and ripped whatever fledglinng love I had for Biology from my heart forever. Good thing she did too - my life strategy never fit into the medical school ethic - my mantra has always being to find the most efficient method, the minimum effort required to meet the stated objectives - and then read the irrelevant!\nBoth my sisters weren\u0026rsquo;t so lucky! T – topped her class, failed no exams and eventually married a Doctor too.. Little sister M – just got inducted - and picked up from where T left off. Unsolicited diagnoses - early onset ME when I play tiredness as an excuse to end the phone call, requiring an electrocardiogram when I complain of minor palpitations, juvenile athritis when I complain of sore joints, I\u0026rsquo;m sure you get the drift. Two cousins also went through Med School!\nEven friends got into the act - E got a stethoscope as his 11th birthday gift! O is Paediatrics Registrar at my sister\u0026rsquo;s hospital. Even my Naija Pastor is a doctor.. My non-existent love life is not much better - two of three conundrums are Meds! Thankfully Miss Safety is an investment banker \u0026ndash; quite a breath of fresh air!\nOh and the lawyers! Boy oh boy! Miss T – Corporate Lawyer in PH, FB crush – Corporate Lawyer in Edinburgh, Miss Funky – just out of Law School\u0026hellip; Mi - two years out of Law School\u0026hellip; And when my Mum decides to grab a second degree \u0026ndash; you bet \u0026ndash; she had to get a Law degree! I never cease to be amazed at how \u0026lsquo;blessed\u0026rsquo; I am to have all these people around me especially as I a underserving of them all!\nQuite frankly, the next time I meet someone, or get introduced - after I get the name the next question will be \u0026ldquo;Surely you’re not a lawyer – or a doctor for that matter\u0026rdquo;. Else I shall not even bother collecting a phone number!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/05/22/of-doctors-lawyers-and-keeping-my-sanity/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEdit \u0026ndash; Just so you know, I have nothing against Lawyers and Doctors\u0026hellip; Its just that they make me want to tear my hair out  sometimes\u0026hellip;. Its nothing personal.. LOL\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eQuite frankly if it were possible to be ‘cursed’ with doctors and Lawyers – I think I would have that curse\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy mum is a closet doctor - maybe the disappointment of missing out on medical school made her over compensate - but all my young life I was innudated by quasi-medical books - \u003cem\u003eLook Younger, Live Longer, Where there is no Doctor, Every Woman,\u003c/em\u003e and a slew of health books by the Seventh Day Adventists; plus all the newspaper cuttings – how smiling adds a year to your life, hyper vitaminosis, drink your way to health and all that ish..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Of Doctors, Lawyers and Keeping my sanity..."},{"content":"I am currently embroiled in a little family spat - with Mum, Dad and \u0026rsquo;the Uncle\u0026rsquo; being the principal players here. Mum is one of them prim and proper women – married in her mid twenties, had her children fairly early and then gave her career a good shot. In between multiple children and numerous extended family members, she managed to get herself three degrees in total! She also gave the blokes at work a good run for their money – and came close to landing the top job several times except for the political posturings of a few well connected individuals. She and I have this love-hate relationship though. She’s never accepted that I am grown and can handle myself. She’s always tried to help out or plain take charge of me, which I have resisted with every fibre.These days, she and I have a mutual respect. We both know where the limits are – that is the recipe for survival I suspect.\nWhere Mum is the energetic, always in your face, scurrying-around-to-help-you-out-of-the-umpteenth scrape person, Dad’s more laid back; more inclined to let you crack your knee, so you’ll learn not to try a Clark Kent-esque stunt in future. He’s an austere academic – has been for as long as I have been alive – and a totally unbending disciplinarian. I have lost count of how many times my butt was tanned – flayed by the unerring delivery of strokes via a koboko that seemed to morph out of nowhere when it was required. Overall, the bloke’s a good guy, and despite the fact that we have had issues growing up, he and I have turned out OK after much..\nThe Uncle is becoming an increasingly prominent player – for long considered the black sheep of Mum’s larger family, he has finally gotten his life together. He’s now married, after quite a few years spent in a rigmarole and has a steady job. In some ways he’s Mum’s immanent voice, he’s nearby so he can haul me in for discussions if required, and he’s also an example of what my Mum fears I may become.\nI, the lost Son, am caught in the middle. I need to stay on my feet and survive!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/05/20/family-matters/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI am currently embroiled in a little family spat - with Mum, Dad and \u0026rsquo;the Uncle\u0026rsquo; being the principal players here. Mum is one of them prim and proper women – married in her mid twenties, had her children fairly early and then gave her career a good shot. In between multiple children and numerous extended family members, she managed to get herself three degrees in total! She also gave the blokes at work a good run for their money – and came close to landing the top job several times except for the political posturings of a few well connected individuals. She and I have this love-hate relationship though. She’s never accepted that I am grown and can handle myself. She’s always tried to help out or plain take charge of me, which I have resisted with every fibre.These days, she and I have a mutual respect. We both know where the limits are – that is the recipe for survival I suspect.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Family Matters"},{"content":"Sometimes I wonder what the difference is between\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\nSelf-delusion and Dreaming Big Hypocrisy and the Gap Trap Narcissism and Self Esteem Love and Admiration Pragmatism and Foolhardiness \u0026ldquo;If I know the way home and am walking along it drunkenly, is it any less the right way because I am staggering from side to side?\n- Leo Tolstoy\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/05/19/sometimes-i-wonder/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSometimes I wonder what the difference is between\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eSelf-delusion\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eDreaming Big\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eHypocrisy\u003c/em\u003e and the \u003cem\u003eGap Trap\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eNarcissism\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eSelf Esteem\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eLove\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eAdmiration\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003ePragmatism\u003c/em\u003e and  \u003cem\u003eFoolhardiness\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;If I know the way home and am walking along it drunkenly, is it any less the right way because I am staggering from side to side?\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e- Leo Tolstoy\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sometimes I wonder.................."},{"content":"Had this song on repeat for the past couple of days.. Another reason for dudes to consider the wider ramifications of their actions before jumping in the marriage bag!\nFor all who had absentee fathers \u0026ndash; enjoy this! [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIU_rfoW77U]\nLyrics HERE. The story behind the song HERE\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/05/18/dont-worry-now-brit-nicole/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHad this song on repeat for the past couple of days.. Another reason for dudes to consider the wider ramifications of their actions before jumping in the marriage bag!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor all who had absentee fathers \u0026ndash; enjoy this! [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIU_rfoW77U]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLyrics \u003ca href=\"http://www.lyricstime.com/britt-nicole-don-t-worry-now-lyrics.html\"\u003eHERE\u003c/a\u003e.     The story behind the song \u003ca href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBFDlndwhs0\"\u003eHERE\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Don't worry Now..... Brit Nicole.."},{"content":"Dancing to the heady beats of many drums;\nBeguiled into believing I’ve filled my place,\nI glide then bow, to rapturous applause.\nWhen all I have done was save my face.\nDeep down I know it’s all a sham, a façade,\nThat gloomy place where make believe is hailed,\nAnd truth is lost in a swirl of dust, a charade,\nWhere light, like sight, is blurred by drums of ale.\nI strain to hear the still small notes of flutes,\nAmidst the bedlam that drowns out reason’s song.\nTo yield to the tug of age old roots\nIn spite of lures that seem so loud, so strong.\nI want to dance to the tune that will find me,\nCos’ then I may become all that I can be\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/05/18/untitled/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDancing to the heady beats of many drums;\u003cbr\u003e\nBeguiled into believing I’ve filled my place,\u003cbr\u003e\nI glide then bow, to rapturous applause.\u003cbr\u003e\nWhen all I have done was save my face.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeep down I know it’s all a sham, a façade,\u003cbr\u003e\nThat gloomy place where make believe is hailed,\u003cbr\u003e\nAnd truth is lost in a swirl of dust, a charade,\u003cbr\u003e\nWhere light, like sight, is blurred by drums of ale.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Untitled...."},{"content":"With gratitude to ‘God’ for a life well spent, and with deepest sorrow and condolences to her survivors, I the undersigned wish to announce the passing away of our most loyal, productive and dearly beloved friend, helper, encourager and employee – the one and only Miss Eleganza Biro, which sad event occurred on the 15th of May 2009 after a brief illness.\nMiss Biro assumed duties as examination biro at B \u0026amp;A on the 4th of December 2008 and presided over a very fruitful period of examinations, the highlight of which was improving average performance by over 60% year on year. In recognition of such stellar performance, she was promptly elevated to the position of Biro-at-large, one she held until her recent untimely death.\nMiss Biro will be forever remembered at B\u0026amp;A not only for her stellar performance, but also for her charitable and amiable manners and her commitment to mentorship which endeared her to all and sundry.\nA memorial mass will be held at the Temple of Fire and Brimstone on the 31st of May immediately following which her body will be cremated and spread all over the exam halls of NU as a tribute to the scene of her greatest exploits.\nSigned Chief (Dr) Professor, Danny BaGucci. FIMechE, FIEEE, FASME, OFR, CFR, CON, JP. (Executive Director) For the Company\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/05/15/obsequies/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWith gratitude to ‘God’ for a life well spent, and with deepest sorrow and condolences to her survivors, I the undersigned wish to announce the passing away of our most loyal, productive and dearly beloved friend, helper, encourager and employee – the one and only \u003cem\u003eMiss Eleganza Biro\u003c/em\u003e, which sad event occurred on the 15th of May 2009 after a brief illness.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMiss Biro assumed duties as \u003cem\u003eexamination biro\u003c/em\u003e at B \u0026amp;A on the 4th of December 2008 and presided over a very fruitful period of examinations, the highlight of which was improving average performance by over 60% year on year. In recognition of such stellar performance, she was promptly elevated to the position of \u003cem\u003eBiro-at-large,\u003c/em\u003e one she held until her recent untimely death.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Obsequies?"},{"content":"Quite frankly life is hard work - plans and programs are all well and good\u0026hellip; It is in the dirty places, the grime infested workplaces that real change occurs. Rubber hitting the road, people knuckling down and acting on the decisions, plans and thoughts that they have created.\nThink - Plan - But then I need to ensure I am Doing stuff!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/05/14/life-is-hard-work/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eQuite frankly life is hard work - plans and programs are all well and good\u0026hellip; It is in the dirty places, the grime infested workplaces that real change occurs. Rubber hitting the road, people knuckling down and acting on the decisions, plans and thoughts that they have created.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThink - Plan - But then I need to ensure I am Doing stuff!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Life is Hard Work"},{"content":" Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable – to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.\nFrom Our Common Future(The Brundtland Report)\nP.S: This does relate to what I\u0026rsquo;m reading at the moment\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/05/14/on-sustainable-development/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHumanity has the ability to make development sustainable – to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.worldinbalance.net/agreements/1987-brundtland.php\"\u003eFrom \u003cem\u003eOur Common Future\u003c/em\u003e(The Brundtland Report)\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eP.S: This does relate to what I\u0026rsquo;m reading at the moment\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On..... Sustainable Development"},{"content":"Sorry peeps \u0026ndash; Had my hands so full that I barely had the time to read blogs or even comment.. Thanks y\u0026rsquo;all for the love you continue to show\u0026hellip;\nSo I\u0026rsquo;ve got 8 days to the big kick off.. The final exams that would go a long way to determine how successful my high stakes gamble to head back to school was.. Spent the better part of last week studying intensely, and I sense I\u0026rsquo;m slowly getting into the ZONE.. That place where all that\u0026rsquo;s left is a cold appreciation of the task ahead and quiet optimism that you\u0026rsquo;ve given it your best shot!\nSo bring it on\u0026hellip;.. The second leg of the BaGucci vs NU grudge match commences\nI don\u0026rsquo;t know if its burn out, but I feel like I\u0026rsquo;ve lost my writinng mojo\u0026hellip; Maybe some exam duty might force the cranial jucies to flow yet again\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/05/11/8-days-and-then/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSorry peeps \u0026ndash; Had my hands so full that I barely had the time to read blogs or even comment.. Thanks y\u0026rsquo;all for the love you continue to show\u0026hellip;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo I\u0026rsquo;ve got 8 days to the big kick off.. The final exams that would go a long way to determine how successful my high stakes gamble to head back to school was.. Spent the better part of last week studying intensely, and I sense I\u0026rsquo;m slowly getting into the ZONE.. That place where all that\u0026rsquo;s left is a cold appreciation of the task ahead and quiet optimism that you\u0026rsquo;ve given it your best shot!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"8 days and then....."},{"content":"Wanting more I pined. Though I knew t’was all in vain, I did not give up.\nLoving you I hoped, Someday you would see my plight. That has never been.\nSpitting words, I wished My missives would arrive in peace. But they never did.\nYou said to leave us As we were. Just friends. No strings That would never be\nForgive me if I\u0026rsquo;m Recalcitrant, hard to shake, I am flesh and blood.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/05/08/a-haiku-for-unrequited-love/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWanting more I pined.\nThough I knew t’was all in vain,\nI did not give up.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLoving you I hoped,\nSomeday you would see my plight.\nThat has never been.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpitting words, I wished\nMy missives would arrive in peace.\nBut they never did.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou said to leave us\nAs we were. Just friends. No strings\nThat would never be\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eForgive me if I\u0026rsquo;m\nRecalcitrant, hard to shake,\nI am flesh and blood.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A haiku for unrequited love"},{"content":"I never had a six pack. Even at the height of my athletic prowess, back in the day when I was the starting defensive midfielder a la Dietmar Hamman for my departmental soccer team (hey, only for two games, but I was first choice!), I still had that tell- tale bele– the ineluctable consequence of blasting moles of eba at Mama Clara’s Buka 12. Way back then, it was still possible to grab three wraps of eba, and a ring of fish with a mixture of egusi and ogbono soups for all of twenty naira. And us kpakorized Engineering boys duly worked it to a fault, thanks to Mama Clara delivering piping hot eba timed to perfection. Thursday with Baba Sala was our nadir; 7 straight hours of back breaking, morale sapping, soul mortifying Engineering drawing made us prime candidates for a double dose of the Campus-famous eba and mixture that was Buka 12\u0026rsquo;s specialty - first at 8.30am enroute DO2 and then by 4.30pm on the way back.\nFast forward, a few years and the unfortunate situation of my last 8-5+ (I typically closed by 7pm by which time the only eatery left in the jungle I worked was Mr Biggs) and the associated late nights spent snacking on coke, fried rice, and meatpies turned my stomach which could have morphed into a six-pack into a full featured keg!\nApparently almost every woman has or is having a crush on the Justin Timberlakes, David Beckhams and whoever is the next kid on the block with fantastic abs, so yours truly has decided to up his game. Thanks to The FatbusteRs, blogsville has a significantly sized sample which I can use to ascertain what the weight loss best practices are. Armed with my excel spreadsheets, properly primed with appropriate macros, I shall be the self appointed Simon Cowell of that show, meticulously tracking performance and monitoring critical metrics to see which activities had the most input in delivering value for pain in the whole weight loss thing!\nPerchance, I might still be able to rescue my six pack abs from the valley of the shadow of CocaCola!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/05/08/on-six-pack-abs-and-my-all-new-6-week-mega-program/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI never had a six pack. Even at the height of  my athletic prowess, back in the day when I was the starting defensive midfielder \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietmar_Hamann\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ea la Dietmar Hamman\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e for my departmental soccer team (hey, only for two games, but I was first choice!), I still had that tell- tale \u003cem\u003ebele\u003c/em\u003e– the ineluctable consequence of blasting moles of \u003cem\u003eeba\u003c/em\u003e at Mama Clara’s Buka 12. Way back then, it was still possible to grab three wraps of \u003cem\u003eeba\u003c/em\u003e, and a ring of fish with a mixture of egusi and ogbono soups for all of twenty naira. And us \u003cem\u003ekpakorized\u003c/em\u003e Engineering boys duly worked it to a fault, thanks to Mama Clara delivering piping hot eba timed to perfection. Thursday with Baba Sala was our nadir;  7 straight hours of back breaking, morale sapping, soul mortifying Engineering drawing made us prime candidates for a double dose of the Campus-famous \u003cem\u003eeba and mixture\u003c/em\u003e that was Buka 12\u0026rsquo;s  specialty - first at 8.30am enroute DO2 and then by 4.30pm on the way back.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On six pack abs, and my all new 6-week mega program!"},{"content":"Totally unintelligible post alert!\nMehn\u0026hellip; I tire for this book marra o\u0026hellip;. Oyinbo sef talk say \u0026lsquo;all work and no play go turn persin to jackie\u0026rsquo;\u0026hellip; Na im make me come try yarn some small okpata; make e no come be like say I dey turn kolo\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;Shey una grab? No min\u0026rsquo; me o.. I just dey try clear my o gor, make small space for correct book fit still dey\u0026hellip; Aftera.. I no thief persin certificate o.. Dem no dey die put jare!\nEhen\u0026hellip;.. But why to dey read book come hard pass to dey read blog sef? Abi no be the same English? Or una dey putt jaaaaz for hand take dey write? If na jaaaaaz make una bring small make i take write exam o\u0026hellip; Make my Prof just dey believe all the odus wey I dey float give am!\nMscheeeew\u0026hellip; Make i go try read again sha\u0026hellip; Make my mama moni no loss\u0026hellip; U know every na\u0026hellip; Cos if the moni looooss, na full community go feel the yawa o!!!!\nAnyhoos.. I don waka o\u0026hellip; Shee u later!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/05/05/on-the-drudgery-of-study/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTotally unintelligible post alert!\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMehn\u0026hellip; I tire for this book marra o\u0026hellip;. Oyinbo sef talk say \u0026lsquo;all work and no play go turn persin to jackie\u0026rsquo;\u0026hellip; Na im make me come try yarn some small \u003cem\u003eokpata\u003c/em\u003e;  make e no come be like say I dey turn \u003cem\u003ekolo\u003c/em\u003e\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;Shey una grab? No min\u0026rsquo; me o.. I just dey try clear my o \u003cem\u003egor\u003c/em\u003e, make small space for correct book fit still dey\u0026hellip; Aftera.. I no thief persin certificate o.. Dem no dey die put jare!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On the drudgery of study...."},{"content":"Age, chronological or otherwise, slowly creeps up on us. Once upon a time we were a tiny cell, birthed by the fusion of gametes which then morph into a tiny organism. With time, we grow bigger and then get birthed - being thrust out into the hardened world called life. We age: grow bigger, develop facial hair, deepened voices, broader chests.. and then the gray hair\u0026hellip; leading to the inevitable slide towards old age and death\u0026hellip; ..a self-perpetuating cycle.\nDamn! Time has flown by.. I need to wake up to the harsh reality and start demonstrating the seriousness age demands..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/05/04/the-cycle-of-life/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAge, chronological or otherwise, slowly creeps up on us. Once upon a time we were a tiny cell, birthed by the fusion of gametes which then morph into a tiny organism. With time, we grow bigger and then get birthed - being thrust out into the hardened world called life. We age: grow bigger, develop facial hair, deepened voices, broader chests.. and then the gray hair\u0026hellip; leading to the inevitable slide towards old age and death\u0026hellip; ..a self-perpetuating cycle.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The cycle of life"},{"content":"I promised you I would wait, All those many years ago. Alas my steely resolve is faint, And my strength is all but gone.\nThe space I meant for you alone, I\u0026rsquo;ve somehow rented out for lust. Things I should tell you alone, I\u0026rsquo;ve muttered to ears in throes of lust\nImages of you, once crystal clear, Have blurred with time to rusty flakes. The flames of love you once inspired, Have somehow being replaced by fakes.\nToday I promise you again, To wait for you, come rain or shine. To let no image your place to take Even if my soul does pine\nPlease tell me there\u0026rsquo;s a place in yr heart to forgive, A second chance by grace to give.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/05/03/the-promise/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI promised you I would wait,\nAll those many years ago.\nAlas my steely resolve is faint,\nAnd my strength is all but gone.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe space I meant for you alone,\nI\u0026rsquo;ve somehow rented out for lust.\nThings I should tell you alone,\nI\u0026rsquo;ve muttered to ears in throes of lust\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImages of you, once crystal clear,\nHave blurred with time to rusty flakes.\nThe flames of love you once inspired,\nHave somehow being replaced by fakes.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Promise"},{"content":"Sometimes clarity hits you suddenly, at other times the obvious slowly becomes apparent. I don’t quite know any more which case my epiphany was – bottom line though is that at some stage I finally realized that I had the beginnings of a mid life crisis in hand. On the surface though, life was great - good prospects, nice reputation, the whole nice guy persona, great friends and a life most people would envy. The harsh reality though is that life couldn\u0026rsquo;t be farther than that!\nIn some ways, I feel like I’m 21 again; except that this time the care free, happy-go-lucky attitude has been replaced by some trepidation at what the future holds and a whole lot of confusion as to what the next steps should be.\nHere\u0026rsquo;s me - hoping I find myself again.. Somewhere, someplace, soon!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/05/02/the-mid-life-crisis/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSometimes clarity hits you suddenly, at other times the obvious \u003cem\u003eslowly\u003c/em\u003e becomes apparent. I don’t quite know any more which case my epiphany was – bottom line though is that at some stage I finally realized that I had the beginnings of a mid life crisis in hand. On the surface though, life was great - good prospects, nice reputation, the whole nice guy persona, great friends and a life most people would envy. The harsh reality though is that life couldn\u0026rsquo;t be farther than that!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Mid-life Crisis - well sort of..."},{"content":"When its all been said and done\nAnd the sums have all been done.\nWhen the music has been stopped;\nAnd the dance floor has been cleared\nWill I have danced in my own place,\nOr merely saved my face?\nSelah\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/05/02/selah/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWhen its all been said and done\u003cbr\u003e\nAnd the sums have all been done.\u003cbr\u003e\nWhen the music has been stopped;\u003cbr\u003e\nAnd the dance floor has been cleared\u003cbr\u003e\nWill I have danced in my own place,\u003cbr\u003e\nOr merely saved my face?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSelah\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Selah..."},{"content":"LONG POST ALERT\u0026hellip;.\nFirst off a big shout out to all the peeps I met with or spoke with during my trip to Nigeria - Doug, PoeticallyTinted and Naughty Eyes. You peeps made the calisthenics of moving around Lagos less torturous.. Dante, I dey vex big time.. We go ruff things when next I enter LasGidi.. Mscheeew.. Hmmm.. Belated birthday wishes too to Funms of the paused journey\u0026hellip;.. No do anyhow o!!!!\nThankfully, you peeps didn\u0026rsquo;t ask me any really hard questions, so here are the answers..You\u0026rsquo;ll not get under DB\u0026rsquo;s skin ever again.. So savor the moment.. LOL\nThere were a number of age related queries from Nefertiti, ReadyDee and Original Mgbeke. In all my many years on earth I have yet to meet a young lady who answered directly a question on her age. Are there different rules for guys and girls on this one? Anyways, I will answer with a riddle, and a fact that you can google to come up with the answer.. Or maybe at the very end I will oblige.. We\u0026rsquo;ll see.\nI\u0026rsquo;ve lived in four decades, but I\u0026rsquo;m not 40\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.Was old enough to remember Maradona scoring the hand of god goal against England at the Mexico \u0026lsquo;86 World Cup. Plus I was born 2 days before two Aeroflot planes collided over Ukraine, killing 156 people.\nGee had a bunch of questions, but since she only seriously asked one, one it is. Why did I start blogging? Back in \u0026lsquo;06 I needed to deal with a whole lot of hurt. I talked about it in my the truth about Di post. I talked to a friend, who advised I journalled, I googled journalling and found out I could do it online via a blog, and I started my old blog-city blog. Eventually started off a blogger blog in 2007 and the rest as they say is history\nAloted had a question about my teenage years, peer pressure and if I survived it, as well as wanting some words of advice for the younger dudes. I managed to survive as a teenager, but I capitulated big time as a young adult. My rep preceeded me to University, plus my folks were pretty well known across the state in the Christian student community, so fellowship \u0026lsquo;big boys\u0026rsquo; were lining up to take me under their wings. I also got involved in my fellowship pretty quickly, so the visibility kind of helped keep things in check. Had friends - but most of them were chaps who were born and bred right but who had slipped along the way, so they realized the importance of what I had. Aside of the odd occasion, peer pressure was non-existent for me.\nGot my dream job at 23, away from everyone who knew me and my past and a sense of adventure kicked in. Still didn\u0026rsquo;t smoke and drink but when the occasional opportunity to get intimate came up I jumped at it.\nThree things I would recommend to a young man\nUnderstand for yourself the reasons behind whatever prohibitions you have acquired. Surround yourself with people of like minds who can re-inforce them Ensure you are in at least one relationship of accountability - someone who can ring you up at any time and ask the hard questions as required.. Bumight was curious about the source of the theOOhj moniker and wanted me to describe her in 50 words. Well, Nothing sublime here. I played every incarnation of Football/Championship Manager since 2001. I used to start off in Italy, and I needed an Italian name to fit my persona. theOOhj jumped to mind - sounded Italian, I added Danny cos it sounded nice alongside theOOhj and it sounded a whole lot like my real life nickname from back in the day.. Found out eventually that it\u0026rsquo;s a region in Italy, so it might have come one of them romantic novels I read as a kid. I dunno. The description - when I get my muse to hammer out an acrostic, I\u0026rsquo;ll deliver.\nNaughty Eyes had a slew of questions\nWhy I’m still single? I’ve always being a one girl dude, and I had Di for a large proportion of my life, so I basically wasn’t looking. After Di, there was the girl from Med School who thought we needed to stay just friends, then there was the lawyer who was a shrink job gone awry….. Lawyer was an old mate from secondary school and after she broke up with a guy after 7 years, I listened to all her rants and raves and basically shrinked her. She had ideas, I didn’t and I didn’t bite.. Right now though, I\u0026rsquo;m half way through a year\u0026rsquo;s hiatus - taking time out to understand what the undergirding axioms for a successful marriage are. We\u0026rsquo;ll see what happens at the end of that.. Why do good girls love bad guys? A messiah complex maybe – or maybe at heart girls are intrigued by all the things and experiences a bad guy brings to the table.. Or maybe the good guy totally lacks swag? I dunno. Any connections with the Mafia? Of course, why would you doubt that.. LOL With the rate oil prices dwindle nowadays, any future in the Petroleum industry? I\u0026rsquo;d say there is bruv.I mean i bet almost 23,000 pounds that there is one.. I know a number of oil majors use prices in the region of 14 dollars a barrel as their long term planning number. The slump in prices just affects the viability of a number of less conventional oil and gas resources - deep offshore, tight or shale gas type developments. Renewables are far from having the efficiencies required to compete favourably with fossil fuels.. I know I still have at least another 50 yrs in the pipeline industry! Need your advice on a future course of study: Geophysics or Software Engineering (which has a brighter future a.k.a. more money)? Well.. I’d say money depends on how well you chase whichever option. The geophysics thing seems to me like chasing a job, while on the software side of things it should be possible to knock together a few partners and set out on your own. I know a couple of dudes who went down the software route and are doing just fine at the moment. Has there been any time you\u0026rsquo;ve been tempted to say, \u0026ldquo;Aw, sod it!\u0026rdquo; and walked out on Blogville? Yeah.. Several – I walked away from my old blog-city blog (but then no Nigerians read it) just a couple of Caucasians who were probably only interested in the emotions behind the words I wrote. I used to have a blogger blog – under my real name – which I deleted in October. Unless something major happens to me now though I doubt I’ll walk away completely, especially because I have begun to see a number of viable opportunities for truly global collaboration. What is so addictive about Soccer video games even after we have played all the teams and won all the virtual tournaments (considering I actually dislike the sport in real life) Bruv – I wish I knew.. I’ve kicked my own Football Manager habit though.. and replaced it with more blogging and reading! Is there any need saving the world? Laudable ideal bruv, unfortunately you and I cannot save the world. Be that as it may, I think we have the world on trust and our activities have the greatest influence on its long term sustainability - unless the apocalypse occurs of course. Ready Dee also had a slew of questions.\nHave you ever lived in the southwest region of Nigeria? If yes, for how long? I served the FatherLand in Kwara State back in \u0026lsquo;02/03 if that counts – plus I spent quite some time supporting deepwater assets out of Lagos last year..So I would say yes to that. Would you give up blogging if someone dear to you asked? Tough call.. but if I understood the rationale behind it I could, if i got some concessions in return like more \u0026lsquo;US\u0026rsquo; time. Have you plans of returning to and settling back in Nigeria? Yup. Still technically have my old job in Nigeria. I only left Nigeria to chase my Msc – I plan to head back sharply in October this year. Would you disclose your real id on your blog (just for the sake of doing so)? I used to blog as my self in the past, there really is no reason why I couldn’t do it if I wanted to… I came close to anyways after my cousin bust my bubble – but guess some mystery is fine anyways.. An anonymous e-mailer, Buttercup and Original Mgebeke wanted to know what other characteristics Mrs DB needed aside of the well documented Akara making prowess…\nA worldview that is consistently congruent with mine: faith, religion, beliefs, practices, customs and traditions. God used to be the nexus of my life, before I went on a detour for a few years. As of March 09, I took concious steps to close the gap.. I’m slowly getting there. And Mrs DB has to be at least be on a similar journey to finding God. I’d expect Mrs DB to be a Christian, one who is committed to living out her faith on a day by day basis in her real world, not just in the closet. The whole world view thing affects the way we behave, and knowing that we think off the same premises gives me confidence that we can reach mutually inclusive conclusions on issues which are bound to come up. Same sense of long term direction: For me I know long term that my life is about making a difference in the area of collaboration \u0026amp; mentorship (using the different skills and knowledge that individuals in my world have acquired separately to contribute to the life of younger people). So I know that there are conferences that I will host in future, there are projects that I will chase and all that kind of stuff. Its critical that she can understand what drives me in that direction, and a congruent worldview is a big part of that. Intelligence and the ability to cogitate on the axioms of life and relationships. I’d expect Mrs DB to be intelligent – not a 4.5/5 GPA intelligence (that would be fine though), but that ability to discuss on a wide range of issues, to understand-the-principles-behind-stuff kind of thing. Hmmm… mixed up tenses do not do it for me at all… An appreciation for the arts – Shakespeare, Dickens, Chaucer and Soyinka – and a dose of apologetics would be a real plus. A good personality: temperament, character, attitudes, communication skills: I’d expect Mrs DB to have a warm, possibly bubbly personality. Somehow I’ve been blessed to have only had that refreshing mix of spiritual yet not stuck up peeps in my life, and I want to keep it that way. I’d like Mrs DB to be someone who can talk to me if she’s got an issue, not get on a high horse and expect me to somehow miraculously detect that she’s hurting. Guess I’m as emotionally daft as they come! Focused and driven to succeed: I\u0026rsquo;d expect Mrs DB to have a life aside of me.. Something that keeps her driven and something she succeeds at that I can contribute to. Marriage to me should be a symbiotic partnership, where both parties far exceed their individual abilities cos of the influence of the other. An acceptance of the importance of family: I’m really close to my siblings and we talk a lot on many things.. its critical that it continues, albeit in the proper context. They’ve been there for me, and I need to be there for them too.. Albeit they fill out a lower priority. Mrs DB shall be numero uno, but depending on criticality she will have to realize that resources and time may be required to help out siblings. A general acceptance of the principles of complementarianism in marriage: With some caveats though, I truly believe that there are roles for men and women in marriage. While the bible sets out the primary roles – loving a wife and submitting to a husband- in marriage, the secondary roles are reversed. Truly loving someone implies placing the loved one above oneself which has an element of submitting one’s need to the needs of the loved. Submission can only occur if there is enough love for the one submitted to in the first place. And that has to be earned. So while I agree in principle, I think there’s more to it than just the whole love/ submit argument. A Nigerian– or at least able to empathize with the Nigerian ethos.. Cos my life is inexorably linked to Nigeria. I must find Mrs DB totally titillating: I must find attractive – not just skin deep Halle Berry type attraction – but a whole life attraction. Such that even when the physical attributes fade, I can still relate to her on a deeply personal level. Anonymous e-mailer had a number of other questions\nDo I really have grey hair? Yup – two strands only\u0026hellip; Except that i keep my hair so low these days that to all intents and purposes they are non- existent. How many books do u read in a day? Whole books?? None.. Currently read a chapter of a non-academic book daily as part of my sleeping off routine. Original Mgbeke had a few other questions\nHow tall are you? Original Mgbeke : 5-11 last time i went for a Medical Do you have any absolute turn offs in a female? Yup quite a few\u0026hellip; key one is that I can\u0026rsquo;t stand a nagging attitude, if we goofed on sommething, let\u0026rsquo;s admit it and find a plan to come out of it. No point reminiscing about it for like forever. I can\u0026rsquo;t stand a \u0026lsquo;know it all\u0026rsquo; attitude especially when its obvious its so contrived. How are things with the faith? Are you a born again Christian? Guess my old \u0026lsquo;About Me\u0026rsquo; was the classic description. Born right, bred right, had a truly emotional God connection at 11, before i made a detour into the way of all flesh a few years ago. I made sorting out that one of my priorities for 2009. Only in March did I finally realize how far I\u0026rsquo;d gone, which prompted this post. Thankfully this post by Jaycee brought me to a place where I needed to take a descison. And I think I made the right one.. As Pastor Paul Adefarasin once said, I\u0026rsquo;m now God\u0026rsquo;s son, but only in the flesh - Got issues, but making progress with closing my gaps.. Apart from being a tried and true GEEK and blogging, what other things really interest you, DB? First off I don\u0026rsquo;t agree I am a Geek \u0026ndash; whatever that means.. I just think I\u0026rsquo;m different. Guess thinking on the subject of life, playing the odd PC game, talking to my small circle of close peeps, trying my hand on different literary styles for the fun of it and Liverpool FC are the key interests I have. The generic 5 year plan question\u0026hellip; Well.. the 5 yr plan is my plan\u0026hellip; Sets out my near term (1 yr) and medium term (5 yr) goals each December. The next 5 yrs for me are critical.. I should finish my Msc this year, get my dream job back, possibly start chasing THE ONE in the 4th Qtr of this year\u0026hellip;get married in 2011\u0026hellip; Renew my Professional Memberships, take a couple of exams, learn french, get a career move in 2015\u0026hellip; Lots of stuff ButterCup had a few questions too..\nWhat do you regard as the best thing that has happened to you? Several candidates \u0026ndash; but overall it would have to be growing up in the house I did. At the time I thought my folks were uber harsh (I actually still have sketches from a book I started writing back in the day that I titled When Silence Was Golden- lol) and all that ish but looking back I can see they were under very intense pressures themselves and they inculcated characters into me that have helped me go as far as I have in life. What do u think is/are your best quality/ies? Hmmm\u0026hellip; My friends think I listen and I can genuinely relate to the stuff they share, plus I give fairly decent advice. I think I have the ability to detach myself from a situation, no matter how complex and it helps me devise a solution most times. If you were to live anywhere in the world, Nigeria excluded, where would you choose and why? Hmmm, would probably be Canada, some family friends went to Canada when I was very young and sent back pictures of snow and I told myself I would go there some day.. More recently I came close to taking up offers in the UK and the US.. Was admitted to the Queensland University of Technology back in \u0026lsquo;02 but my job came and I opted to work instead, so Australia was also an option at some stage. Ultimately I think if its not Nigeria, its Canada \u0026ndash; extremes maybe but it works for me.. LOL\u0026hellip; Hugs or kisses? (lol I saw this in some meme on fb) Can\u0026rsquo;t I have both? Guess hugs are more mesured and less obvious than kisses.. So I\u0026rsquo;d go for them if I had to choose. LOL.. Nice Anon asked a couple of questions\u0026hellip;\nWith regards to the 5 year plan, do you think you have achieved most of it? Well.. I started a new 5 yr cycle this year.. I\u0026rsquo;d acheived the bulk of the last cycle except getting an Msc (which I now have started) and getting married. Current 5 year plan has key items as I have referenced in my comments to original mgbeke\u0026rsquo;s question. They are all achievable, albeit with a significant amount of energy input..LOL.. Have you gotten around to telling your FB crush that you like her? Remember no dulling! Well, FB crush is dead and buried I think.. We actually talk, quite a bit, and she\u0026rsquo;s cool, checks all the boxes and all that but there\u0026rsquo;s a guy I know who\u0026rsquo;s in the mix plus I had the unfortunate task of shrinking her early this year (two cardinal things that force my hand to migrate her into the just friend\u0026rsquo;s category). Short answer is we\u0026rsquo;re friends, but that\u0026rsquo;s where it ends\u0026hellip;especially cos I\u0026rsquo;m taking a hiatus from the dating thing till the end of this year\u0026hellip; ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/04/29/demystifying/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLONG POST ALERT\u0026hellip;.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst off a big shout out to all the peeps I met with or spoke with during my trip to Nigeria - \u003ca href=\"http://theartofmusing.blogspot.com/\"\u003eDoug\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://adorable-onemorestep.blogspot.com/\"\u003ePoeticallyTinted\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"http://phoneparazzi.blogspot.com/\"\u003eNaughty Eyes\u003c/a\u003e. You peeps made the calisthenics of moving around Lagos less torturous.. \u003ca href=\"http://dantesblog-musings.blogspot.com/\"\u003eDante\u003c/a\u003e, \u003cem\u003eI dey vex big time.. We go ruff things when next I enter LasGidi.. Mscheeew..\u003c/em\u003e Hmmm.. Belated birthday wishes too to \u003ca href=\"http://funms-funms.blogspot.com/\"\u003eFunms\u003c/a\u003e of the paused journey\u0026hellip;.. \u003cem\u003eNo do anyhow o!!!!\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThankfully, you peeps didn\u0026rsquo;t ask me any really hard questions, so here are the answers..You\u0026rsquo;ll not get under DB\u0026rsquo;s skin ever again.. So savor the moment.. LOL\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Demystifying..."},{"content":"I absolutely adore African food - I made it a point of duty to eat everything from amala, eba, party jollof rice, beans, moi-moi, yam porridge, nkwobi, and that peculiar Cally town culinary delight of Ekpangnkukwo as well as a sampling of soups - ogbono, egusi, afang, editan, afia efere (hmmmm), and even gala and several FanMilk icecreams flavours all in the space of 12 days. In fact, the ability to make piping hot akara is a key requirement of the future Mrs DB!\nHowever, since my 2001 epiphany occasioned by a brief foray into the overall efficiencies of thermal power systems, I have as a matter of principle stopped eating pounded yam. The crux of my argument is that preparing it is so energy intensive that short of eating a double size helping, there is a net loss of energy.Back in the day, we would peel the yams, get them boiled in a pot and then transfer them to a mortar where they would be pummelled into a sticky paste of the consistency of dough for making bread. Considering that at the end of boiling, they were good enough to eat (and I typically fished a few pieces of yam to get a head start on procuring energy for the pounding session), why did we have to go the extra length of pounding them? Did it add more energy to the yam? (Newton would suggest that that was not the case) Or was it merely for the satisfaction of eating pounded yam? Arguably, it probably tasted better pounded than when eaten as mere yam, but in the light of the energy usage was it worth the incremental satisfaction. I would beg to argue that it didn\u0026rsquo;t.\nOf course, we can now buy yam flour (which may contain sulfites by the way), or pound the yam electrically (which is still an added energy use - albeit without the aching arms and tired limbs that physically pounding it came with). But if the thoughts of my iyan loving friends are anything to go by, it doesn\u0026rsquo;t taste like the real deal! My advice - quit eating it altogether, or only eat it at a Mama Put joint so that the extra energy cost of preparing it borne by someone else. That may be the first step in signficantly reducing Africa\u0026rsquo;s contribution to green house gas emissions!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/04/26/on-the-inherent-inefficiencies-of-eating-pounded-yam/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI absolutely adore African food - I made it a point of duty to eat everything from amala, eba, party jollof rice, beans, moi-moi, yam porridge, \u003cem\u003enkwobi\u003c/em\u003e, and that peculiar Cally town culinary delight of \u003cem\u003eEkpangnkukwo\u003c/em\u003e as well as a sampling of soups - ogbono, egusi, afang, editan, afia efere (hmmmm), and even gala and several FanMilk icecreams flavours all in the space of 12 days. In fact, the ability to make \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/classified-certified-e-akara-maker-required/\"\u003epiping hot akara\u003c/a\u003e is a key requirement of the future Mrs DB!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On the inherent inefficiencies in eating pounded yam!"},{"content":"Found this news story on the daily telegraph\u0026hellip; Apparently in the relatively quiet backwaters of Sunderland, a certain Mr and Mrs Cartwright could potentially face jail term over violation of an anti-social behavior order.. The crime? Noise making of a curious kind! If only I could get them to sort out the French flatmate I have who persists in bothering my celibate ears every two weeks, that would be just fine!!!!\nRead the full story here.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/04/24/absurd-or-just-fine/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFound this news story on the daily telegraph\u0026hellip; Apparently in the relatively quiet backwaters of Sunderland, a certain Mr and Mrs Cartwright could potentially face jail term over violation of an anti-social behavior order.. The crime?  Noise making of a curious kind! If only I could get them to sort out the French flatmate I have who persists in bothering my celibate ears every two weeks, that would be just fine!!!!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Absurd? Or maybe its 'Just Fine'...."},{"content":"So after a maelstrom 12 days of travel and activity; 7 cities, 4 major events, and lots of travel time I\u0026rsquo;m finally back to hopefully face my books squarely. Thankfully, I met all but one of the 9 key objectives I set out to achieve. I had three full hours to kill at Heathrow both ways and for want of something more mentally challenging to do, I decided to try to categorize the African/ Naija people around.. I thought they fit broadly into ten categories.. Enjoy….\n1. Madam Kofo: Those who were old enough to watch Ken Saro Wiwa’s Basi and Company will remember this type. Loud, bossy and having an over-inflated sense of importance they let the whole world know \u0026ldquo;it’s a matter of cash\u0026rdquo;. This was typified in my study by a slightly overweight, dressed ‘to match’ woman - her box, shirt \u0026amp; shoe were all in the same shade of yellow! She spent the entire waiting period on the phone with one family member or the other dishing out instructions\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; on clothes!\n2. Been-to dude: This fella has travelled quite a bit\u0026hellip; Might also possibly have lived \u0026lsquo;overs\u0026rsquo; for a while and thus tries to portray an image of a tech savy, super cool dude. My example was an Ipod toting, laptop using, bluetooth headset sporting naija dude with a lot of assciated bling-bling - a stud ear ring in the left ear, and hair so shiny I could have sworn I could see my reflection in it.\n3. Community boy: Na community contribution dem take send this boi go school so he\u0026rsquo;s maxed out on the number of bags he can carry, and they are full of enuf things - garri, elubo, beans, yams etc etc.. LOL..\n4. Mama Agba: Mama Agba is the occasional flier who is still yet to overcome her trepidation at flying. As such she resorts to all things spiritual: a big cross for jewelry, plus a rosary or other prayer bead very conspicuously displayed. Unfortunately I eventually set next to one of this types and I was treated to incessant bissimilahis every time there was event the slightest whiff of turbulence.\n5. Attention seking fyyyyyne chic: Mehn.. this wan na phonetics go kill am o\u0026hellip; An Ipod may or may not be an accessory.. But this chica has little hand luggage which must include a high street brand. In relatively warm weather, the standard dress code is a spaghetti top with a denim wrapped round the waist and jeans trousers \u0026ndash; very dengeferous chikita. Plus some chewing gum.. The 90 degree broken hand pose is also a key trademark of this kind of traveller.\n6. Mummy: This type has two to three small kids, one of whom is so full of energy Usain Bolt would be hard pressed to keep up on his best day. If Daddy is travelling he pretends to organize the boxes whilst mummy is fully engaged with keeping the children in tow..LOL\n7. Well travelled Pa-ale and Ma-ale: These are typically much older peeps who have trained a generation of mid-level aristocrats - quite possibly they themselves schooled the country as such they speak impeccable English in measured tones, dress appropriately (possibly in some simple African attire) and engage every young guy or girl around in discussions on the weather, or some other innocuous topic supposedly of general inteserest.\nOpen eye dude: This guy dey form sharp man.. E no know road o, but e no wan ask. Na so so waka waka the guy dey do\u0026hellip; 9. Nna Bros: Is the male equivalent of the Madam Kofo type, except that his own instructions concern containers, repairs and/or work on assets.. Nuf said!\n10. Oil Company Worker: Possibly sporting one of them free t-shirts that get shared for safety week or for the achievement of corporate milestones, this dude sets out to demonstrate his importance. Dude on my flight had an Erha Project t-shirt on blue jeans and talked loads of crap about work- ostensibly with a colleague who needed guidance from him\u0026hellip;\nEdit \u0026ndash; Unfortunately, our Customs officials in Lagos took away all your gala and suya.. as well as made me pay over two thousand naira for some small beans that probably cost less than one thousand naira to buy.. So vent your anger on them not me..LOL\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/04/21/back-and-thoughts-on-people-and-airport-lounges/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSo after a maelstrom 12 days of travel and activity;  7 cities, 4 major events, and lots of travel time I\u0026rsquo;m finally back to hopefully face my books squarely. Thankfully, I met all but one of the 9 key objectives I set out to achieve. I had three full hours to kill at Heathrow both ways and for want of something more mentally challenging to do, I decided to try to categorize the African/ Naija people around.. I thought they fit broadly into ten categories.. Enjoy….\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Back...... and thoughts on People and Airport Lounges"},{"content":"I\u0026rsquo;m at a crossroad of sorts \u0026ndash; not life threatening, not even 5-year-plan shaking just yet, but a conundrum nonetheless\u0026hellip;\nThere is the gravitation towards SAFETY; the attraction to the proverbial tried and tested terra firma, then there is the lure of ADVENTURE; the exhilarating heights that finally conquering some not so far-flung terra incognito promises, and then there is the potential SATISFACTION that finally decomposing a thorny problem promises\u0026hellip;\nWhich way shall I turn, or shall I just bury my head in the sand and pretend its a midsummer\u0026rsquo;s night dream from which I shall awake with Technicolor clarity. Or just maybe these are the first steps to yet another analysis paralysis debacle\u0026hellip;..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/04/19/my-very-own-bachelors-conundrum/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m at a crossroad of sorts \u0026ndash; not life threatening, not even 5-year-plan shaking just yet, but a conundrum nonetheless\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is the gravitation towards SAFETY; the attraction to the proverbial tried and tested \u003cem\u003eterra firma\u003c/em\u003e, then there is the lure of ADVENTURE; the exhilarating heights that finally conquering some not so far-flung \u003cem\u003eterra incognito\u003c/em\u003e promises, and then there is the potential SATISFACTION that finally decomposing a thorny problem promises\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"My very own 'Bachelor's Conundrum'"},{"content":"For TheB, and all the other broken hearts\u0026hellip;\nThough tears like a river course down like rain, And your heart by cupid’s fiery barbs is rent. Although your cracked voice breaks out in wails, And hell with all its fury and fiends seem sent. Be still, Stay strong, you’ll make it home.\nThough fear like a cloak your mind enshrouds, And rabid voices, your reasoning besiege. Though Night descends, your dreams to hound, And heart beats resonate to a symphony of rage. Be still, Stay strong, you’ll make it home.\nTears will fall down, but they only last so long, Fiery barbs in time, will lie as cold as ash. Cracked voices soon will yield to flowing tongues, And hell with all its fury will soon seem all too brash. Your fears? They’ll fade away like the chimes of bells once rung, The voices in your head will soon seem not so harsh. The light will come, and night’s darkness leave unsung\nWith heart beats racing to a different dialogue, You’ll finally see, you really made it home.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/04/16/finally-home/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor TheB, and all the other broken hearts\u0026hellip;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThough tears like a river course down like rain,\nAnd your heart by cupid’s fiery barbs is rent.\nAlthough your cracked voice breaks out in wails,\nAnd hell with all its fury and fiends seem sent.\nBe still, Stay strong, you’ll make it home.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThough fear like a cloak your mind enshrouds,\nAnd rabid voices, your reasoning besiege.\nThough Night descends, your dreams to hound,\nAnd heart beats resonate to a symphony of rage.\nBe still, Stay strong, you’ll make it home.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Finally Home."},{"content":"Quite an interesting discussion the last post generated. I for one believe that virtual communities have their place, but they should not be allowed to upstage our real life relationships. I\u0026rsquo;ve made real friends from blogging that I would include in my Top Ten all time friends, but that has come about because at some stage I, or they reached out and made contact beyond what the very open forum of blogging can provide. I\u0026rsquo;ve tried to summarize the positions you all held and tried to comment.. Enjoy\u0026hellip; Farida talked about the opportunity to raise issues and fight injustices via the vehicle of blogging: I agree explicitly with you on that one. The global accessibility that the internet provides makes it a great tool to raise awareness on topical issues – if people get to read it that is. With the level of internet penetration in Nigeria though, I’d be very surprised if blogs do not merely cater to the already intellectually aware.\nRita talked about the benefits of open dialogue and the improvements it has brought to real world relationships: WOW\u0026hellip; Great point you raised, open dialogue when conducted in a respectful and unbiased manner can only be for the greater good.\nBSNC talked about the learnings and the feeling of family: Valid point. I do feel that our own corner of the Blogosphere has done pretty well in adding some ‘realness’ to the virtual connections that we have. Beauty of it is people can choose to share as little or as much as they want. Good to know you are learning and discovering yourself as you blog. LOL @ giving you a headache… Maybe some headaches are good?\nSimeone talked about the sharing and interaction and the potential for awkwardness when we take relationships beyond being just virtual: I agree. I’ve always being intrigued by the huge potential for collaboration that online communities CAN provide, if done right. Feel you on the potential for some awkwardness that comes from going a little beyond virtual. I do agree we’re doing great in our own little corner too.\nCaramel Delight talked about her original reasons for blogging and the potential dark side to building ‘extra-community connections: Good to know your original reason for blogging is still very much in focus. And yes, we do all have problems in our real worlds. Good to know also that you’ve made a ‘real’ friend from blogging – it goes to show that virtual community can expand into real community IF we do things right. Real insights into the darker side of virtual community too. Its very easy to spice up the details of our lives just to give the impression of being cool, more so a danger in the anonymous world that is blogging - real note of caution that we need to keep resounding in our ears for our safety. P.S. The book is available on Amazon.\nLuciousRon talked about the depths of the mind and the satisfaction that comes from interacting intellectually: Spot on LuciousRon… Writing often allows people to be what they can’t be in real life. I would aver that people who are timid in real life but who write well are possibly being stifled by the environment of intimidation or censure that they grew up in. Possibly the open discussion that blogging can promote can help them actualize their real potential?\nKafo talked about blogging making her more real: Success story. Thanks for sharing.\nCider talked about the wealth of things to read on blogger and touched on the distraction that technology can bring: Valid points Cider. Again the open discussion that blogging allows can only be for the better. Have to agree with the distraction thing though. I stumbled on the book cos I was feeling cluttered by all my online activities.\nLoloBloggs talked about the benefits that technology can bring: Spoken like a true techie, LoloBloggs. As you hint at, its ultimately about balance – balance between the knowledge that technology can bring to our lives and the clutter that it can also engender.\nNeffie talked about the openness of mind, a friendship she’s built through blogging and gave a thumbs up to blogsville: Valid points you raised. Again, the open mind thing comes from the ability to have open discussions in a generally respectful way. God to know you have a success story with a friendship from blogger.\nOriginal Mgbeke talked about her personal experiences of virtual communities: Success story you have here that seems to illustrate that virtual communities only satiate our need for community in the short term. If real connections are the goal, then extra-community connections have to be built.\nButtercup talked about maturing through blogging: Another success story I think. Guess its another argument for promoting open, honest dialogue in all facets of our lives – not just on blogger.\nRose talked about gaining a wider view and the need for self-discipline: Looks like the benefits of open dialogue and the need for self-discipline are recurring themes. Thanks for sharing.\nReadydee talked about a lack of true community, and the potential for addiction: I agree largely with you. The book has a whole chapter dedicated to the subject of virtual community. I’d really recommend you grab a copy for a more detailed look at the subject. Virtual community is described as cotton candy, which goes down easy and satiates our immediate hunger but doesn’t provide much in the way of sustainable nutrition. As you touched upon, real friendships can only be built on a platform of sharing truthfully. I would add that a blog is open to the general public and only by providing skeletal details or staying anonymous can a distinction between intimate friends and virtual friends be made. That’s where I feel extra-community interactions come in. The friends I’ve made on blogger who I would add to my real friends list came about by talking a whole lot more than responding to blog posts.. Good luck on the de-blogging mode… I really hope you get to pull it off – or at least find a way to achieve balance between the real and virtual worlds.. Trust me its really difficult, sometime radical surgery is the only solution there is.\nTemite shared her personal experiences: Good stuff, a BFF and three sisters? That has to be an unmitigated success. Key is to know where to draw the line though, between being part of the community for the sake of being part or grabbing yourself some improvements as a result.\nBwari Boy talked about the widened perspective on issues and the exposure to other people’s ideas: Another great advert for open dialogue in our real lives I think.. Thanks for sharing.\nJustdoyin talked about her reasons for blogging and touched on the more open view that has come about by blogging: Valid points. Guess the key is to keep the original reason for blogging in view. That should help prioritize the kinds of connections you build on blogger.\nSirius talked about her reasons for blogging and hints at the darker side to it: Valid points you raised. LOL @ loving gist\u0026hellip; Very succint summary i think.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/04/13/on-virtual-communities-again/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eQuite an interesting discussion the last post generated. I for one believe that virtual communities have their place, but they should not be allowed to upstage our real life relationships. I\u0026rsquo;ve made real friends from blogging that I would include in my Top Ten all time friends, but that has come about because at some stage I, or they reached out and made contact beyond what the very open forum of blogging can provide. I\u0026rsquo;ve tried to summarize the positions you all held and tried to comment.. Enjoy\u0026hellip;\u003c/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eFarida talked about the opportunity to raise issues and fight injustices via the vehicle of blogging:\u003c/strong\u003e I agree explicitly with you on that one. The global accessibility that the internet provides makes it a great tool to raise awareness on topical issues – if people get to read it that is. With the level of internet penetration in Nigeria though, I’d be very surprised if blogs do not merely cater to the already intellectually aware.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Virtual Communities... Again..."},{"content":"\nI jumped at the chance to participate in BlogTourSpot’s review of Shane Hipps new book: Flickering Pixels – How Technology Shapes Your Faith for two reasons. I was at a stage where I thought the clutter of technology was squeezing sense out of my normal life, plus I’d get a copy of the book for free.\nThe author’s background is in advertising, which has given him a unique insight into the working of media and how it is changing how we think, which ultimately affects how we share and live out our faith. The book sets out in broad strokes the insidious dangers that the changes media brings to our lives can generate, and by sounding out a clarion call, we can be on the lookout for them and avoid them as they arise. Several key points stand out 1. All Faith is based on communication – either from God to us or between us as adherents, and the way we primarily communicate affects our interpretation of our faith. 2. Each more ‘efficient’ means of communication we pick up has a dark side – it increases the propensity to clutter rather than clarify. 3. Media is not neutral – the message we actually get from communicating is both dependent on the message and the medium. 4. Pictures \u0026amp; Images (such as television) hijack our imagination. Words and printed matter however encourage us to generate our own images of the concepts being discussed, as opposed to being fed an image which in reality is one man’s interpretation of the words behind the image. 5. We have slowly become a tribe of individuals – sharing experiences on an unprecedented scale (shared experiences build community, a ‘tribal’ ethos) but yet utilizing the self same tools to build an illusion of closeness whilst in reality, it is only yet another layer of interaction, another screen between the real us and the next person. 6. For Christians, we are both the medium and the message and all other forms of communication should only be to facilitate that primary, face to face communication model, not replace it.\nIn addition to blogging, I’ve been active in virtual communities for a long time, as well as being the administrator of an online home for my class from undergraduate school. I’ve seen virtual communities both work and not work. The key differences between successful and failing virtual communities seems to be\nA defined role for the community: A place to vent, a place to collaborate, or even a place to demonstrate your coolness (which sadly is becoming more and more a reason to be in a virtual community these days). Being part of a community just for the sake of it detracts from the usefulness of the community as a whole. Extra - community connections: Virtual community “satiates our immediate hunger but doesn\u0026rsquo;t provide much in the way of sustainable nutrition”. Often I have found that the communities that succeeded were those in which members were communicating on a more personal level outside the context of the community, or using the interaction at the level of the community to sustain real life connections. A sense of scale: Members of virtual communities have day jobs – things they do in their real lives. Keeping the community going is dependent on being able to keep our interactions at the right scale. Recognizing the potential danger of clutter is key to succeeding. I found that out the hard way when simply reading blogs began to take over three to four hours of my daily time. I’d like to throw out a few discussion questions\nHow have online communities affected the way you think, act and maintain your relationships in your real life? Why did you start blogging and how would you rate your current state versus your initial expectations. Are there any real life connections you’ve built entirely from an online starting point and are there any you’ve lost as a result? How would you rate our own corner of the Blogosphere on the critical success factors for online communities? Up for some more stimulating discussions? Join the debate here\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/04/09/on-technology-flickering-pixels/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"shane-hipps-flickering-pixels\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/shane-hipps-flickering-pixels.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI jumped at the chance to participate in \u003ca href=\"http://www.blogtourspot.com/hipps-blog-tour/\"\u003eBlogTourSpot’s\u003c/a\u003e review of \u003ca href=\"http://www.shanehipps.com\"\u003eShane Hipps\u003c/a\u003e new book:  \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310293219%22\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFlickering Pixels – How Technology Shapes Your Faith\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e for two reasons. I was at a stage where I thought the clutter of technology was squeezing sense out of my normal life, plus I’d get a copy of the book for free.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe author’s background is in advertising, which has given him a unique insight into the working of media and how it is changing how we think, which ultimately affects how we share and live out our faith. The book sets out in broad strokes the insidious dangers that the changes media brings to our lives can generate, and by sounding out a clarion call, we can be on the lookout for them and avoid them as they arise. Several key points stand out\n1. All Faith is based on communication – either from God to us or between us as adherents, and the way we primarily communicate affects our interpretation of our faith.\n2. Each more ‘efficient’ means of communication we pick up has a dark side – it increases the propensity to clutter rather than clarify.\n3. Media is not neutral – the message we actually get from communicating is both dependent on the message and the medium.\n4. Pictures \u0026amp; Images (such as television) hijack our imagination. Words and printed matter however encourage us to generate our own images of the concepts being discussed, as opposed to being fed an image which in reality is one man’s interpretation of the words behind the image.\n5. We have slowly become a tribe of individuals – sharing experiences on an unprecedented scale (shared experiences build community, a ‘tribal’ ethos) but yet utilizing the self same tools to build an illusion of closeness whilst in reality, it is only yet another layer of interaction, another screen between the real us and the next person.\n6. For Christians, we are both the medium and the message and all other forms of communication should only be to facilitate that primary, face to face communication model, not replace it.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Technology.... Flickering Pixels..."},{"content":"well\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;. db is live in las gidi after much! thankfully the peeps @ mtn reactivated my contract, so i\u0026rsquo;m good to roll\u0026hellip;albeit intermittently via a USB connection between my lappie and my phone! now i need to locate \u0026lsquo;mama put\u0026rsquo; for some piping hot amala and ewedu soup\u0026hellip;\nkeep those questions for the 29th rolling in..looking very interesting already\u0026hellip;..\ncheers peeps!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/04/09/live-in-las-gidi/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ewell\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;. db is live in las gidi after much! thankfully the peeps @ mtn reactivated my contract, so i\u0026rsquo;m good to roll\u0026hellip;albeit intermittently via a USB connection between my lappie and my phone! now i need to locate \u0026lsquo;mama put\u0026rsquo; for some piping hot amala and ewedu soup\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ekeep those questions for the 29th rolling in..looking very interesting already\u0026hellip;..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003echeers peeps!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Live in Las Gidi"},{"content":"Minerva in all her dainty, god-like, grandeur failed to walk,\nOn the slippery inclines you choose to run.\nBuxom Efik Princesses turned tail and baulked,\nBut you bashfully refuse away to turn.\nLike Polaris oblivious to the lure of southern skies,\nUnfazed by the heady fumes that rise so high,\nI refrain in spite of many tries,\nFrom Cupid’s fiery barbs which doth truly fly.\nShall you, o little lady, proceed?\nWhere others of ilk more intense have floundered?\nShall your sultry charms succeed?\nWhere others of great skill have turned and surrendered?\nLet Time be the Judge if you will titillate\nOr else your best charms shall only irritate.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/04/06/a-final-lyrical-response-to-the-scathing-sonnet-3/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMinerva in all her dainty, god-like, grandeur failed to walk,\u003cbr\u003e\nOn the slippery inclines you choose to run.\u003cbr\u003e\nBuxom Efik Princesses turned tail and baulked,\u003cbr\u003e\nBut you bashfully refuse away to turn.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike Polaris oblivious to the lure of southern skies,\u003cbr\u003e\nUnfazed by the heady fumes that rise so high,\u003cbr\u003e\nI refrain in spite of many tries,\u003cbr\u003e\nFrom Cupid’s fiery barbs which doth truly fly.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShall you, o little lady, proceed?\u003cbr\u003e\nWhere others of ilk more intense have floundered?\u003cbr\u003e\nShall your sultry charms succeed?\u003cbr\u003e\nWhere others of great skill have turned and surrendered?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Final lyrical response to... 'The scathing sonnet'"},{"content":"Hey peeps\u0026hellip;\nI\u0026rsquo;ve got a number of key projects to deliver in April - off to Nigeria for a number of weddings, and massive book work issues to resolve. I\u0026rsquo;ll thus be off on a mini-hiatus for a large portion of April, aside of two key posts; a review of Shane Hipps book Flickering Pixels: How Technology Shapes Your Faith sometime next week, as well as my Blogference for the 29th. As I cannot confirm that I will have access to the internet, I may not be able to do blog rounds or respond to your comments within the period. If you can lay your hands on the Shane Hipps book, do give it a read. I expect it will make for a stimulating discussion.Do keep the questions flowing in, and have a great month!\nMay I leave you with the words of John Calvin.. The evil in our desire typically does not lie in what we want, but that we want it too much.. Happy thinking!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/04/03/off-to-nigeria-a-mini-hiatus/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHey peeps\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;ve got a number of key projects to deliver in April - off to Nigeria for a number of weddings, and massive book work issues to resolve. I\u0026rsquo;ll thus be off on a mini-hiatus for a large portion of April, aside of two key posts; a review of Shane Hipps book \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flickering-Pixels-Technology-Shapes-Faith/dp/0310293219\"\u003eFlickering Pixels: How Technology Shapes Your Faith\u003c/a\u003e sometime next week,  as well as my \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/30/3-years-on-the-journey/\"\u003eBlogference for the 29th\u003c/a\u003e. As I cannot confirm that I will have access to the internet,  I may not be able to do blog rounds or respond to your comments within the period. If you can lay your hands on the Shane Hipps book, do give it a read. I expect it will make for a stimulating discussion.Do keep the questions flowing in, and have a great month!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Off to Nigeria........... A Mini Hiatus..."},{"content":"Totally beserk she plies her trade,\nEnchantingly verbose, weaving her tirades.\nMired in Nigeria, books became her fad.\nInspired blocks of verse, besmirching her façade.\nTitillating? No mark that a charade.\nEnchantingly refreshing, she makes the music fade.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/04/02/risposta-ad-una-sfida-a-response/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTotally beserk she plies her trade,\u003cbr\u003e\nEnchantingly verbose, weaving her tirades.\u003cbr\u003e\nMired in Nigeria, books became her fad.\u003cbr\u003e\nInspired blocks of verse, besmirching her façade.\u003cbr\u003e\nTitillating? No mark that a charade.\u003cbr\u003e\nEnchantingly refreshing, she makes the music fade.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Risposta Ad Una Sfida - A response...."},{"content":"I was talking to a couple of elderly peeps back in 9ja a few weeks ago and the case of a son who seems to be intent on self-destruction came up. The father opined that the chaps name might be part of the problem - his name is Ojo (I understand its given to a child whose birth was particularly difficult) and his moniker was Ojo-Jogbon (which seems to carry a connotation of a trouble maker). I decided, just for the fun of it to see what research had been carried out on the subject, and was shocked to discover a whole body of knowledge exists on it - aptly called normative determinism. Ochuko blogged about his name and its meaning, as did justdoyin\u0026rsquo;s post where a Noel Gist was talking about rumours!\nApparently not only are there implications for the individual\u0026rsquo;s happiness and success (people with surnames from the beginning of the alphabet were more successful than those from the end), there was a correlation between the words spelled out by initials and the age of death (men with positive initials eg A.C.E lived approximately four and a half years longer than those which spelled negative words eg D.I.E; for women it was three years). In fact people with names of diseases often contacted them such as a Tonsilitis Jackson and his brother Meningitis. An unofficial study seems to suggest that even people\u0026rsquo;s love lives and their perception of hotness can be affected by the name they bear! (Baroque and Princessa any one?)\nMaybe Doug has the peculiar honor of fathering the first blogsville e-baby because he added Hot to his moniker, or indeed Bumight\u0026rsquo;s win came about as a result of selecting the name Kolawole for the soon to be born e-baby! Quite possibly I am perceived as more intelligent than I really am because my moniker is Daniel and Nefertiti is generally considered a hard woman because of the connotations around her moniker. Pray tell me what associations can be drawn with a moniker like Charizard (burning things?)\nOther interesting facts: you are more likely to get spam e-mail if you are Anna or Andrew as opposed to if you\u0026rsquo;re Zack or Zoe. Even cows, have gotten in on the act, Ermintrude, Daisy and La vache qui rit may produce as much as 454 pints more each year than cows with no names.\nMaybe Professor Dora and co need to borrow a leaf from this study and expand the scope of the re-branding program to include a detailed study of the etymological roots of the name Nigeria, or even that of Baba Yar\u0026rsquo;, just in case it\u0026rsquo;s his \u0026lsquo;bad luck\u0026rsquo; that is keeping Nigeria behind!\nI no talk anything o!!!!!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/04/01/on-normative-determinismand-rebranding-nigeria/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI was talking to a couple of elderly peeps back in 9ja a few weeks ago and the case of a son who seems to be intent on self-destruction came up. The father opined that the chaps name might be part of the problem - his name is Ojo (I understand its given to a child whose birth was particularly difficult) and his moniker was Ojo-Jogbon (which seems to carry a connotation of a trouble maker). I decided, just for the fun of it to see what research had been carried out on the subject, and was shocked to discover a whole body of knowledge exists on it - aptly called \u003cem\u003enormative determinism\u003c/em\u003e.  \u003ca href=\"http://ochuko.wordpress.com/2009/03/27/the-name/\"\u003eOchuko blogged about his name\u003c/a\u003e and its meaning, as did \u003ca href=\"http://justdoyin.wordpress.com/2009/03/31/rumours%E2%80%A6/\"\u003ejustdoyin\u0026rsquo;s post\u003c/a\u003e where a Noel Gist was talking about rumours!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On 'Normative Determinism'........and rebranding Nigeria!"},{"content":"Today marks the 3rd anniversary of my first ever blog post. What started off as an anger induced journey on my old blog-city blog(which was deleted when blog-city stopped being free)in 2006 has since evolved into a more serene take on life and the attendant twists and turns it brings to the random thoughts of a weird 9ja dude. To celebrate, I\u0026rsquo;ve decided upon due consultation, to hold a Blogference - a la Vera, where I get to answer any questions you care to ask. Whilst I cannot guarantee an answer to any and every question, I will do my best to provide an answer within the confines of two conditions - that the answers do not compromise my already tenuous grip on anonymity nor will they require me to compromise any other person\u0026rsquo;s anonymity. I expect to be able to do a post on the 29th of April (when my first extant blogger post was posted) to answer them. Questions may be asked via comments to this post or by email to raz9ijaboi@yahoo.co.uk .\nSpecial shout-outs for the following peeps for making a difference by doing their thing.\nCalabarGal : My first ever commenter on my now defunct drjax blog - she\u0026rsquo;s since quit blogging actively.\nMiss Opeke: My blogger \u0026lsquo;mentor\u0026rsquo;\u0026hellip;You\u0026rsquo;ve still not suceeded in making me a Rascal Flats fan. I hope you kept an XML of your old blog, cos if it all went down like that its a real big shame!\nLolar\u0026rsquo;s Blog - the first and only person I succeeded in convincing of the therapeutic effects of blogging\u0026hellip;She\u0026rsquo;s also since turned tail and fled.\nButterCup of the sweet and fiery duo --- My first ever serial commenter. Its not for nothing that you did sit atop my list at the old place. And you do make sense\u0026hellip;Believe me!\nHot Doug \u0026mdash;The consumate \u0026lsquo;belcher\u0026rsquo;. Plus we share a love for C.S. Lewis, Charles Dickens and some other things. The only snag is he has refused to do a DB through my bespectacled eyes post - now that would be perfect.\nNaughty Eyes - who tagged me for my first ever meme\u0026hellip;. You\u0026rsquo;ll never know how getting to do that meme told me I\u0026rsquo;d finally belonged! Err the current slew of Memes on my inbox will have to be tackled in future. Can\u0026rsquo;t keep up with them now\u0026hellip;\nChxtaBee \u0026amp; Madam SSD\u0026rsquo;s Nigerian Curiousity Blog: Whose different take on life and politics almost changed the way I view the world.. Still an armchair politician but you peeps rock.\nDabizniz - Thanks for sharing your story - You modelled for me in real terms how men need to get on with life - Knuckle down and do what needs to be done - palatable or not!\nFunms - the rebirth - The forthright way you blog about your Journey reminds me of my littlest sister (I don\u0026rsquo;t mean you\u0026rsquo;re little o) \u0026hellip; Keep sharing the journey\u0026hellip;.Trust me it will count for something in the end..\nJaycee/ TERC / BBG/ Rita/ Chi-Chi/ Debbie/ Remi: I read these blogs sometimes I feel as though God parted the curtains and spoke to me. If we could get y\u0026rsquo;all to update on successive days, we\u0026rsquo;d not need any devotionals!.\n\u0026lsquo;Big Sis Neffie\u0026rsquo; - LOL\u0026hellip;. U make sense in your own way.. That\u0026rsquo;s all I\u0026rsquo;ll say on that\u0026hellip;And I did have to read this post thrice. Not sure I understood it eventually! Now if you could replace that \u0026lsquo;annoying little brother DB\u0026rsquo; moniker with something less irksome, that would be perfect. Thank you very much.\nVera - for bringing rib cracking humor every three days.. awesome! Err I hear Verastic is the mumu version of Vera?\nGoodnaijaGirl - I\u0026rsquo;ve learnt to also laugh at myself - Priceless.\nConfessions - Even a shrink needs a shrink. And you delivered. Thanks.\nTo all the organizers of the NBA09 awards --- you guys rock, for everyone who nominated me, thanks.. You convinced me blogging made sense.\nAnd to the whole bunch of newer e-friends that I have made, if I listed each of you i\u0026rsquo;d simply have to rehash the entire list from the NBA awards page! You\u0026rsquo;ve made blogging a full 2 hour a day job! I wonder how I\u0026rsquo;d keep up when I get my day job back!\nTo the anonymous readers - Dee \u0026amp; Mimz - and the others I don\u0026rsquo;t know - like the dude from Upsala, thanks for stopping by my world.. but hey show some love by commenting aight?\nP.S. I\u0026rsquo;ve asked a number of the newer peeps I read to do one post on here in the spirit of supporting newbies. PLEASE show them some love when they do!!!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/30/3-years-on-the-journey/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eToday marks the 3rd anniversary of my first ever blog post. What started off as an anger induced journey on my old blog-city blog(which was deleted when blog-city stopped being free)in 2006 has since evolved into a more serene take on life and the attendant twists and turns it brings to the random thoughts of a weird 9ja dude. \u003cstrong\u003eTo celebrate, I\u0026rsquo;ve decided upon due consultation, to hold a Blogference - a la Vera, where I get to answer any questions you care to ask.\u003c/strong\u003e Whilst I cannot guarantee an answer to any and every question, I will do my best to provide an answer within the confines of two conditions - that the answers do not compromise my already tenuous grip on anonymity nor will they require me to compromise any other person\u0026rsquo;s anonymity. I expect to be able to do a post on the 29th of April (when my first extant blogger post was posted) to answer them. Questions may be asked via comments to this post or by email to \u003ca href=\"mailto:raz9ijaboi@yahoo.co.uk\"\u003eraz9ijaboi@yahoo.co.uk\u003c/a\u003e .\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"3 years on.. The Journey..."},{"content":"1. That a mad man decides to dance naked does not mean that sane men should beat the drums ~ West African proverb.\n2.Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. ~ Viktor Frankl\n3. Never give in. Never, never, never, never — in nothing, great or small, large or petty — never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. ~ Winston Churchill\n4. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent than the one derived from fear of punishment ~Mohanadas Ghandhi\n5. It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters. ~Mother Teresa\n6. The Kingdom of Heaven is not for the well-meaning: it is for the desperate. ~ James Denney\n7. Dear God, get me out of here: let me go somewhere else where I can fight the evil which surrounds me here and which I am forbidden to fight -but do not take from me my anger my indignation at injustice so that I may continue to burn to right it or destroy. ~ Dennis Brutus\nThe songs: TobyMac\u0026rsquo;s Irene and Casting Crown\u0026rsquo;s - Does anybody hear her Think Truly, Collaborate globally and contribute locally.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/28/7-random-quotes-and-2-songs/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e1. That a mad man decides to dance naked does not mean that sane men should beat the drums  ~ West African proverb.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2.Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. ~ \u003ca href=\"http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/v/viktorefr160380.html\"\u003eViktor Frankl\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e3. Never give in. Never, never, never, never — in nothing, great or small, large or petty — never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. ~ \u003ca href=\"http://www.winstonchurchill.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=423\"\u003eWinston Churchill\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"7 random quotes... and 2 songs......"},{"content":"\u0026ldquo;You really are so predictable\u0026rdquo;, she said,\nOne hazy African harmattan day\nRemiss for words, all I could do was peer,\nThrough horn rimmed glasses; hand me downs they were\nFrom father, who had it from his father, my grandfather.\nA legacy of Lugard’s Nigeria.\nYou see I’m from another time,\nAn age when email was not the norm,\nWhen people talked at the village square.\nAnd drank and sang, and danced till their feet were sore.\nAnd fathers, spoke with sons, as did their very own fathers..\nA legacy of years gone by\nSpontaneity, pray tell me what that is,\nIs it a hundred tweets saying \u0026ldquo;I love you\u0026rdquo;,\nOr two hundred facebook pokes a day,\nOr is it more like thoughtful gifts, special times\nSpent dancing in the sun?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/28/on-being-so-predictable/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;You really are so predictable\u0026rdquo;, she said,\u003cbr\u003e\nOne hazy African harmattan day\u003cbr\u003e\nRemiss for words, all I could do was peer,\u003cbr\u003e\nThrough horn rimmed glasses; hand me downs they were\u003cbr\u003e\nFrom father, who had it from his father, my grandfather.\u003cbr\u003e\nA legacy of Lugard’s Nigeria.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou see I’m from another time,\u003cbr\u003e\nAn age when email was not the norm,\u003cbr\u003e\nWhen people talked at the village square.\u003cbr\u003e\nAnd drank and sang, and danced till their feet were sore.\u003cbr\u003e\nAnd fathers, spoke with sons, as did their very own fathers..\u003cbr\u003e\nA legacy of years gone by\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On being so predictable...."},{"content":"I wonder why I lose my cool,\nWhen your pretty face I see.\nI wonder why my heartbeats increase,\nAnd why I just act like a fool.\nI’m usually as cold as a tool,\nAs steady as Polaris keel.\nI, whose composure is a well honed skill,\nHave suddenly begun to drool.\nI want to hold your hand someday,\nWalk you home, through thick and thin,\nTell tales of love that leave me flustered.\nI want to spend my best of days,\nBeing there for you, knowing you’re there for me,\nBuilding together a monument of love…..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/27/to-zoe/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI wonder why I lose my cool,\u003cbr\u003e\nWhen your pretty face I see.\u003cbr\u003e\nI wonder why my heartbeats increase,\u003cbr\u003e\nAnd why I just act like a fool.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’m usually as cold as a tool,\u003cbr\u003e\nAs steady as Polaris keel.\u003cbr\u003e\nI, whose composure is a well honed skill,\u003cbr\u003e\nHave suddenly begun to drool.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI want to hold your hand someday,\u003cbr\u003e\nWalk you home, through thick and thin,\u003cbr\u003e\nTell tales of love that leave me flustered.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"To Zoe......."},{"content":"Just Toluwa claims to think in her language which I\u0026rsquo;d assume is Yoruba. I, Akpenvwoghene DB, think in Pidign English; not the rarified widely intelligbile variant as spoken by the Fine boy Agbero but the razz, crass variant, spoken in the creeks of the Niger delta where my progenitors trace their ancenstry to. A number of people have cast aspersions on my Pidgin English abilities, as well as the appropriateness or otherwise of my raz9ijaboi moniker. This should put an end to it forever! Enjoy\nStorwwe, storwee,storwee. Once upon a time, time time,\nI gats give thanksgiving o. For wetin Baba God do for me one day like dat when I still Univeristy o. One time like that, wen we dey 400 levels, we come dey hustle IT foroye kompini . Dem come talk say make we collect letter from school, go give the kompini, wether dem go fit find one koro make we for pam do the thing.\nMe sef follow go kollet letter o. No be im as I come dey pass one ogbonge market like that one raz bobo come generally trybracket me (make I call am YeyeFowl). Im kom talk ‘ascuse me’ for wetin be like frensh. U no say as korrect bobo now, meself dey form say I code. Im come bring one tashere paper comot, come dey try ask wether i know one road like that.\nBobs, as I check the paper ehn, me no know the road o… I come tell the guy say I no know o.. As I come wan waka commot, na im one other yellow pawpapw paddi (YPP) come form bracketing the two both of us o.. Me never even still code wetin dey happen. Im come dey form some kain yarnz with Yeyefowl. Me just dey, dey look like lucozade, boya na jaxzz dem use take kolobi me sef me no know again. On a nomal level ehn, I suppose don jar tey. As dem come yarn finish YPP come tell me say Yeyefowl been bring things from Cameroun for one Alhaji Yaguda like that. But as the goods show, Alhaji no come get the moni so na to hail the goods come remain. Im come talk say make we go where dem hide the goods, make I see CD, TV, radio all those kain electronis dem. As dem mention CD, me self don begin dream na, how Stella wey dey carry nose for me before, go come know say I get CD player for ma room for off camp.\nAs we reach the place, YeyeFowl come talk say the paddi wey get the key no dey. But make we generally drink salt and water take seal the runs. If you see swear wey we swear that day ehn, even our enemy head no go fit collect am finish o. Me, a whole Akpenvwoghene follow drink o…Last last dem come talk say we gats bring money, all man come talk how muh dem go fit fit bring. Me wey jus\u0026rsquo; hustle get one oye kompini scholarship like that from my mama village racket come talk say I go bring 50k… Feefty K for the year 2000 no be mai mai moni o…\nNo long tin, dem come talk say, make all man go hustle the moni come, say we go block for that same joint the next monday come divide the goods. God wey save me be say by that time the jazz don dey finish sha, so as sharp man concine, me come dey talk say I fr like reach town go collect moni form one uncle like that, but say i go bring the 50k for Monday. As I just jejely comot, I run enter bus sharply go my papa house go sleep gently o…\nMa people, na so gboogbomo for gbab me for my own town o, sake of say I wan collect CD player because of Stella. E ba mi ki Alleluia!\nFor the uninitiated : I was on campus trying to secure an internship placement at an IOC. On my way back with the letter, I passed by a busy market, where some scammers tried to rip me off by offering me a cheap CD player and then a share of profits of the sale of the remaining goods. I managed to escape eventually without parting with any significant amounts. Hence the \u0026rsquo;testimony'\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/26/the-gbomogbomo-chronicles/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://toluwa.blogspot.com/\"\u003eJust Toluwa\u003c/a\u003e claims to think in her language which I\u0026rsquo;d assume is Yoruba.  I, Akpenvwoghene DB, think in Pidign English;  not the rarified widely intelligbile variant as spoken by the \u003ca href=\"http://agbero.blogspot.com/\"\u003eFine boy Agbero\u003c/a\u003e but the razz, crass variant, spoken in the creeks of the Niger delta where my progenitors trace their ancenstry to. A number of people have cast aspersions on my Pidgin English abilities, as well as the appropriateness or otherwise of my raz9ijaboi moniker. This should put an end to it forever! Enjoy\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The GbomoGbomo Chronicles........"},{"content":"Good Naija Girl posted a poem about (I think) some dudes\u0026rsquo; overbloated impression of the effect they have on women folk\u0026hellip;.Fortunately or unfortunately, I fell headlong into the trap\u0026hellip;. Some background: My eminently royal \u0026lsquo;wowo\u0026rsquo;ness was strolling \u0026lsquo;jejely\u0026rsquo; on the road yesterday o, when my eyes locked with some snazzy babe across the road.. Evidently she was as suprised as me, cos the books she was carrying slipped from her grasp\u0026hellip;. Like all peeps \u0026lsquo;hounded\u0026rsquo; by an overactive imagination, I went ahead to invent a different scenario in my head, that had me being a super cool, unsettling influence..I even gave her a name\u0026hellip;. Enjoy\u0026hellip;\nFor Chloe\u0026hellip;\nAcross the road our eyes did meet,\nThat sweltering, sun splashed day in March.\nDid time stand still on Bloomsbury street\nAs I stepped out of Thistle’s arch?\nI don’t know how it made you feel,\nI know I felt like time stood still.\nMy palms went wet, heart beat increased\nAs though I’d just run up a hill.\nYou spilled your books, splashed them about,\nYour regal pose seemed to all but melt.\nA cold sweat seemed to drape your brow,\nBut did you feel what I just felt?\nI rushed across the street to help,\n‘I would have none of it’ you said.\nA hammer blow never more keenly felt,\nI straightened up to let you be.\nYour knees seemed weak, your hands they shook,\nAs you straightened up from the dirt,\nYour eyes, they danced, you gave me that look,\nOr was I just imagining things?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/25/a-poem-and-an-unusual-source-of-inspiration/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGood Naija Girl posted a \u003ca href=\"http://goodnaijagirl.com/wishful/\"\u003epoem\u003c/a\u003e about (I think) some dudes\u0026rsquo; overbloated impression of the effect they have on women folk\u0026hellip;.Fortunately or unfortunately, I fell headlong into the trap\u0026hellip;. Some background: My eminently royal \u0026lsquo;wowo\u0026rsquo;ness was strolling \u0026lsquo;jejely\u0026rsquo; on the road yesterday o, when my eyes locked with some snazzy babe across the road.. Evidently she was as suprised as me, cos the books she was carrying slipped from her grasp\u0026hellip;. Like all peeps \u0026lsquo;hounded\u0026rsquo; by an overactive imagination, I went ahead to invent a different scenario in my head, that had me being a super cool, unsettling influence..I even gave her a name\u0026hellip;. Enjoy\u0026hellip;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A poem..... and an unusual source of inspiration.."},{"content":"\nIts almost 2am and I can\u0026rsquo;t sleep\u0026hellip; Some dude got me mightily worked up this evening and my vexation almost knew no bounds.. That prompted me to spew my shortlived rant, which I\u0026rsquo;ve thankfully deleted. Sowwrry for over exciting you over nothing. I\u0026rsquo;m over it now anyways\u0026hellip;Since I am awake, I might as well do these memes that have been hanging over my head for a whiles now.. First off Naijababe tagged me in February and then both Tigress and Poeticallytinted tagged me with the honest scrap award fairly recently. Since Naijababe\u0026rsquo;s list is lonnger than 10 items, i will take that as a neccesary and sufficient condition to claim the honesty award! Here goes\u0026hellip;\nI have unilaterally decided not to tag anyone.. Cos all these memes are sthng else! Errr\u0026hellip; the first seven people to read are tagged!\nWhere\u0026rsquo;s ur cell phone? - On my table Where\u0026rsquo;s ur significant other? - Dunno? Missing? Still looking - Take yr pick! Your hair colour? - Kwashiokor brown from eating too much sphagetti and too little beans! Your mother? - Asleep of course! Your father? -Ditto Your favorite things: My HTC TYTN II Your dream last night? Too serious to dream Your dream goal? Pipeline Technical Authority at an oil major by 2015 The room you\u0026rsquo;re in? The absurdly tiny campus room that costs more than my my entire house in 9ja. Mscheeew Your hobby? Football Manager on my lappie, Shakespeare and stalking blogs Where u wanna be in six years? Houston, Texas or Calgary, Alberta Where were you last night? In my bed of course! What you\u0026rsquo;re not? Snobbish One of your wish list items: A certified akara maker! Where you grew up? Somewhere in the jungles of the NigerDelta Last thing you did? : Send an email What are you wearing? \u0026ndash;Errr u don\u0026rsquo;t want to know.. Trust me.. Your pet: None. Your computer? Dell Inspirion D620 Your mood: Sober, Slightly pensive Your car? Sold Something you\u0026rsquo;re not wearing? A facecap Favorite store? Primark \u0026ndash; Cheap I know.. but functional\u0026hellip; Your summer? Dunno Love someone? I think so\u0026hellip; Your favorite colour? Sky blue \u0026ndash; of the Manchester City football club home strip ilk and Red - YNWA Last time you laughed? Over lunch Last time you cried? 12 March 2009, before then sometime in 2003 Are you a bitch? Obviously doesn\u0026rsquo;t apply Favorite pastime: Shakespeare + a tall glass of milk + a pack of tortilla chips - heavenly Hater or lover: Depends on the context Genuine or fake: Genuine \u0026ndash; Typically Any vices? - Caring too much abt peoples feeling to my own detriment sometimes Pro life or wire hanger: Depends on the context! Mccain or Obama: Err.. any of them on the PDP platform? Pro-plastic or natural: Dunno.. Update (due to popular demand) ne pas être dans de nombreuses situations où j’ai eu à choisir Dream job? Chilling on my yatch somewhere in the Carribean\nAs I have already done the 25 things and the 2 truths 1 lie memes I\u0026rsquo;ll just leave it at that\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/24/the-curious-case-of-my-not-so-idiopathic-insomnia-and-two-memes/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"honestscrap\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/honestscrap.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts almost 2am and I can\u0026rsquo;t sleep\u0026hellip; Some dude got me mightily worked up this evening and my vexation almost  knew no bounds.. That prompted me to spew my shortlived rant, which I\u0026rsquo;ve thankfully deleted.  Sowwrry for over exciting you over nothing. I\u0026rsquo;m over it now anyways\u0026hellip;Since I am awake, I might as well do these memes that have been hanging over my head for a whiles now.. First off \u003ca href=\"http://cogitations-on-the-web.blogspot.com/2009/02/not-onebut-two.html\"\u003eNaijababe\u003c/a\u003e tagged me in February and then both \u003ca href=\"http://gangstatigeress.blogspot.com/\"\u003eTigress\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"http://adorable-onemorestep.blogspot.com/\"\u003ePoeticallytinted\u003c/a\u003e tagged me with the honest scrap award fairly recently. Since Naijababe\u0026rsquo;s list is lonnger than 10 items, i will take that as a \u003cstrong\u003eneccesary and sufficient condition\u003c/strong\u003e to claim the honesty award! Here goes\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The curious case of my not so idiopathic insomnia and two memes"},{"content":"Over the past few days, the transience of life has been brought very forcibly to the forefront of my mind. Maybe it’s the new streak of grey in my beard, or the news of yet another young acquaintance who is no more, or it’s the startling realization that the kids who were born the year I completed undergrad study are all knocking on the door of their teenage years\u0026hellip;. The various random thoughts coursing daily through my head have agglomerated around three key concepts - Cogitation, Connection and Contribution.\nEvery system has its laws, its rules of engagement if you like, that govern the interactions between the elements thereof. Classical mechanics obeys Newton’s Laws of motion, planetary motion accedes to Kepler’s laws and Computational fluid dynamics agrees with the Navier-Stokes equations. Life, also has laws that govern it - sowing and reaping, absolute standards of good and evil and the like. The difference between a rigid body and a human being is the power to choose. To achieve long term success in life, we need to identify these laws (by deeply pondering them) and choose to align with them. Consider the first idea for life as an invitation to cogitate on the axioms of life.\nWhilst each life is different in its specifics, the same basic issues crop up – relationships, careers, hurts in the past, trepidation about the future and the like. I would aver, that no matter how complex a situation appears to be, it is amenable to the relentless massaging that breaks it up into manageable bits. Consider the second idea for life as an invite to collaborate globally. Read books, talk to people, use the internet. It is more likely than not someone somewhere has had the same or similar issue and you can glean ideas to help you tide over your own specific situation.\nWe live in a real world – specific people that we see and relate to. Consider the third idea as an invitation to contribute locally. Each experience we go through adds to or subtracts from us – knowledge, toughness and possibly the ability to empathize with someone else in our real worlds. We need to contribute to the lives in our world as opportunties present themselves. We do not need to wait for the mega outreach to an impoverished African country to make a difference. Do it for the person next door who is hurting. As you learn by doing it on a small scale, opportunties for larger scale contributions will come.\nMay I offer you a tagline: Think Truly, Collaborate globally and contribute locally.\nOn this day that Jade Goody passed on, David’s prayer in Psalm 90:12 reverberates in my head. So teach us to number our days, that we might apply our heart to wisdom…..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/22/reflecting-three-ideas-for-life/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOver the past few days, the transience of life has been brought very forcibly to the forefront of my mind.  Maybe it’s the new streak of grey in my beard, or the news of yet another young acquaintance who is no more, or it’s the startling realization that the kids who were born the year I completed undergrad study are all knocking on the door of their teenage years\u0026hellip;. The various random thoughts coursing daily through my head have agglomerated around three key concepts - Cogitation, Connection and Contribution.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Reflecting..... Three Ideas for Life"},{"content":"Err… so all in one week – I grilled chicken to dryness and almost set off fire alarms, my diet has consisted only of spaghetti, chicken and chips, I woke up today craving/lusting for piping hot akara, and my mum has been on my case. So I am putting out a classified ad for a certified akara maker. Enjoy\nJob Title: Certified e-Akara Maker Req ID: JustDB-09-20/2011 Category: Multiple Location: StuckVille, Limboland\nRole Synopsis: A need for a Certified Akara maker has arisen at DB \u0026amp; Associates. Conventional wisdom suggests that the way to any client’s heart is the stomach. It is thus imperative that this position be filled on priority.\nThis position will involve the unearthing of rare culinary delights to complement the standard Nigerian suitcase of pap and akara, amala and ewedu, pounded yam, beans and dodo amongst others. This is anticipated to include extensive research work to source and ultimately verify in full scale tests, the suitability or otherwise of items to complement the basic suitcase offered. The role will require regular interaction with other members of the industry and will involve the adoption of best practices to ensure that consistently high levels of performance are maintained at all times.\nKey Accountabilities:\nProvide timely servings of aforementioned culinary delights as per agreed time lines and also upon demand provided a mutually agreed ‘minimum time to delivery’ is provided. Provide ‘chew-chew’ on Saturday afternoons while football watching is ongoing as well as samples while the main items are being \u0026lsquo;cured\u0026rsquo; to elicit feedback. Manage Project expenditure within mutually agreed limits as bench marked against industry best practices. Ensure project architecture is consistent with size and scale and takes into account the activities of ‘mini-me’s Offer measured opinions on everything from apoplexy to zoology, be able to engage client on issues. Listen to complaints from Project Manager and provide considered advice on the way forward. Accompany Project Manager on meetings with National operators and support claims with data to refute any frivolous arguments. Offer complementary massages (and any other services required) as needed. Essential criteria and qualifications:\nDemonstrable evidence of Project Management skills NOT acquired in a live role Culinary skills, or the ability to acquire them at short notice greater than 9.55 on the Gordon Ramsay Project architecture skills greater than 8.75 on the Martha Stewart scale Eye candy potential greater than 9.99 on the Halle Berry scale Sufficient knowledge of football to be able to recognize Liverpool shirts as opposed to Man Utd or Arsenal shirts. Teamwork and interpersonal skills. Emotional intelligence sufficient to detect subtle shades of moroseness and apply TLC to resolve them. Dwarfs and Midgets need not apply. Relocation available: Yes and desired. Travel required: Yes, depending on initial location of successful applicant. Is this a part time position: No Renumeration: Competitive at start, performance- based for the duration of contract and indexed to the relevant industry benchmarks. Projected Start Date: Pre-screening and field trials for successful candidates will commence in September 2009. It is anticipated that the full role will be awarded in time to commence 4Q2011.\nApply Within\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/20/classified-certified-e-akara-maker-required/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eErr… so all in one week – I grilled chicken to dryness and almost set off fire alarms, my diet has consisted only of spaghetti, chicken and chips, I woke up today craving/lusting for piping hot akara, and my mum has been on my case. So I am putting out a classified ad for a certified akara maker. Enjoy\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJob Title: Certified e-Akara Maker\nReq ID: JustDB-09-20/2011\nCategory: Multiple\nLocation: StuckVille, Limboland\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Classified... Certified e-Akara maker required"},{"content":"If the internet made information globally available, Google made it accessible…A few weeks back, someone \u0026lsquo;googled\u0026rsquo; my real name and could have been able to piece together a considerable amount of my history – stuff like my secondary school and the year I left, my University, my father’s name and some of the work he’s done, my work history, comments I’d made on some blogs in my real name and some stuff I was rightly ashamed to be associated with - like the mug shot i uploaded to the Liverpool website\u0026rsquo;s worldwide fan database!\nThat got me thinking about the stuff I do online and just how, when I decide to go head to head with Hot Doug for the Nigerian Presidency in 2023, some smart kid could pull off stuff from Google to knock me out of the race. Now in addition to searching on Google, we can blog, read books, buy and sell, organize our own computers, travel the world, swap videos, organize, create and share documents, network on-line, store, share and edit pictures, talk and even pretend to be Italian business men from the comfort of our Ojuelegba boys quarters (with the connivance of Starcomms that is) for the \u0026lsquo;19\u0026rsquo; men! If stuff like Google Analytics can pull a lot of data about visitors to your site almost at an IP-based level, I wonder what the master database it is cross referencing can do\u0026hellip; That’s a whole lot of power for one company to have methinks…….So I’ve started by deleting my Nigeria-Friends account, turned off the public listing I’ve got on Facebook, as well as deleted my PerfSpot and Hi5 accounts…. Wouldn’t want a boredom induced piece of indiscretion to cost me dear in future… Or maybe its all a part of life and we all just need to get on with it!\nEver \u0026lsquo;googled\u0026rsquo; your real name? You just might find it therapeutic!\nP.S. Thanks for all your thoughts on my last post\u0026hellip; I REALLY am over it\u0026hellip;..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/18/the-fear-of-google/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIf the internet made information globally available, Google made it accessible…A few weeks back, someone \u0026lsquo;googled\u0026rsquo; my real name and could have been able to piece together a considerable amount of my history – stuff like my secondary school and the year I left, my University, my father’s name and some of the work he’s done, my work history, comments I’d made on some blogs in my real name and some stuff I was rightly ashamed to be associated with - like the mug shot i uploaded to the \u003ca href=\"http://www.liverpoolfc.tv\"\u003eLiverpool\u003c/a\u003e website\u0026rsquo;s worldwide fan database!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Fear of Google......"},{"content":"My last post on soulmates came just about as close as it could get without being ultra personal.. Truth is I once thought I had a soulmate who I thought I had finally gotten over. Talking with someone over the weekend however rudely awakened me to the fact that I had not!\nDi checked all my boxes - not just in a physical way. Warm and bubbly, super spiritual without coming across as obnoxious, intelligent, able to discuss on anything from calculus to zoology and with a really mature head on her shoulders, it looked like it was chemistry on steroids. Plus we were good friends for 20+ years\u0026hellip;.\nUnfortunately we were on different timelines. I had a five year plan that had me getting my dream job at 22 and hooking up at 26. However a succession of ASUU strikes and my SUG President friend combined to throw my plans out of line- plus I had a wee bit of doubt and played all kinds of scenarios in my mind (RocNaija called it analysis paralysis). Long and short, I didn\u0026rsquo;t commit and after hanging on for moi - she was snapped up by another dude. I reacted like a petulant teenager \u0026ndash; morose for several weeks (was on vacation at the time), started my first anger filled blog (which i eventually deleted), cut off all communication, and basically tried to forget it. It hurt too that I got to hear by a YahooIM!\nUntil this weekend though I believed I had lived it down, until I was forced to remember it all again\u0026hellip; Walking through the issues in my head, I\u0026rsquo;ve finally realized that I didn\u0026rsquo;t have a divine right to her heart and if i didn\u0026rsquo;t commit she was very free to move on\u0026hellip;Finally I can say I\u0026rsquo;ve truly forgotten it..I still do not intend to get chuumy though\u0026hellip; Better to be safe than sorry as they say!\nPersonally, I think there are several people we can connect with on multiple levels \u0026ndash; not just one\u0026hellip;.And how well we connect depends on how much effort we are willing to put into it to make it work\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.\nEdit: LoloBloggs has a different slant on why dudes fail to commit\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; Read it here\u0026hellip;. Thanks for sharing\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/16/finally-the-truth-about-di/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMy last  \u003ca href=\"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/15/quick-question-soulmates/\"\u003epost on soulmates\u003c/a\u003e came just about as close as it could get without being ultra personal.. Truth is I once thought I had a soulmate who I thought I had finally gotten over. Talking with someone over the weekend however rudely awakened me to the fact that I had not!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDi checked all my boxes - not just in a physical way. Warm and bubbly, super spiritual without coming across as obnoxious, intelligent, able to discuss on anything from calculus to zoology and with a really mature head on her shoulders, it looked like it was chemistry on steroids. Plus we were good friends for 20+ years\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Finally.. The Truth about Di...."},{"content":"Got into a somewhat emotive discussion with someone today that indirectly led to this question.\nIs there such a thing as a \u0026ldquo;Soulmate\u0026rdquo;? Or is \u0026ldquo;Love\u0026rdquo; simply the intersection of two stochastic loci? i.e. is there \u0026ldquo;The One\u0026rdquo; or its all a random thing\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/15/quick-question-soulmates/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eGot into a somewhat emotive discussion with someone today that indirectly led to this question.\u003cbr\u003e\nIs there such a thing as a \u0026ldquo;Soulmate\u0026rdquo;? Or is \u0026ldquo;Love\u0026rdquo; simply the intersection of two stochastic loci? i.e. is there \u0026ldquo;The One\u0026rdquo; or its all a random thing\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Quick Question...... Soulmates?"},{"content":"Update: I\u0026rsquo;ve renamed my blog \u0026ldquo;Just Thinking\u0026rdquo; to reflect the more thoughtful mode I seem to be slipping into day by day\u0026hellip;\nMe Ma and I have a cordial relationship; not the lovey dovey, mushy eyed, i-miss-you-always kind, but more like a pragmatic, mutually respecting, i-have-your-back-so-you-can-call-me-if-you-have-an-ish kind. My bad though, I\u0026rsquo;d not called her for a week so she was just a weee bit justified in calling me up.\nApparently, she had done quite a bit of running around for my kid sister\u0026rsquo;s wedding in April and she needed to vent. Only snag though was that I knew that was only the hook, the full gist would encompass many other things\u0026hellip;.. Plus I was grilling some chicken, and fantasizing about the eating part.\nLike the \u0026lsquo;good son\u0026rsquo; that I am, I listened patiently to her rant about the various things she was having to chase, silently fuming, cos i knew all this was prepping me up for the big question. And then the first question. Was I planning to attend? Thankfully I\u0026rsquo;d just confirmed my return ticket so I could check that box \u0026ldquo;Yes\u0026rdquo;. And then the big ish \u0026ndash; was I \u0026lsquo;seeing\u0026rsquo; anyone at the moment? She probably heard my sharp intake of breath, and quickly proceeded to add that she \u0026lsquo;was only asking o\u0026rsquo;, so she could be \u0026lsquo;praying along with me\u0026rsquo;.\nLike the quintessential, hard-nosed pragmatist that I am, I quickly let her know I wasn\u0026rsquo;t and that if she was interested, I could set up a conference call with she and my Dad to go through my current version of the 5 year plan\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; The 5 yr plan is infamous in my house for being methodical and near fool-proof to all the parental arguments. She quickly pulled out of the arugument - cosidering it was quite a few minutes past 11pm her time, she opted to just defuse the tension and let me be.\nThe chicken? I thought I\u0026rsquo;d turned off the grill when the initial discussion went past 15 mins, unfortunately I\u0026rsquo;d actually raised it up to the highest level. My chicken ended up like burnt toast, thankfully it didn\u0026rsquo;t set off the fire alarms which would have been a whole different issue.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/13/telephone-conversationand-the-case-of-the-over-roasted-chicken-parts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eUpdate: I\u0026rsquo;ve renamed my blog \u0026ldquo;Just Thinking\u0026rdquo; to reflect the more thoughtful mode I seem to be slipping into day by day\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMe Ma and I have a cordial relationship; not the lovey dovey, mushy eyed, i-miss-you-always kind, but more like a pragmatic, mutually respecting, i-have-your-back-so-you-can-call-me-if-you-have-an-ish kind. My bad though, I\u0026rsquo;d not called her for a week so she was just a weee bit justified in calling me up.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApparently, she had done quite a bit of running around for my kid sister\u0026rsquo;s wedding in April and she needed to vent. Only snag though was that I knew that was only the hook, the full gist would encompass many other things\u0026hellip;.. Plus I was grilling some chicken, and fantasizing about the eating part.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Telephone conversation.....And the Case of the (over) roasted chicken parts..."},{"content":"Found this piece on the BBC Website that quotes some US research in asserting that women are at a greater risk of suffering health damage from failed marriages than their male partners in suffering. Apparently by studying 276 couples who had been married for an average of 20 yrs, it was shown that women tended to report more depression and to be at a greater risk of showing metabolic syndrome\u0026hellip; Whilst the underlying reasons are still not fully understood, some factors considered for being responsible include women\u0026rsquo;s more complex emotional makeup and their tendency to worry more amonst others.\nWith physical, collateral damage of this nature though, the more longer term effects might not even count in the long run anyways\u0026hellip;.. But then the things we do for love\u0026hellip;\nSmall wonder Baba Solo talk for Bible say \u0026ldquo;the way of a man with a maid\u0026rdquo; na one of the four tins wey tire am for life sef\u0026quot;. ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/11/another-reason-to-look-before-you-leap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFound \u003ca href=\"http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7925360.stm\"\u003ethis piece on the BBC Website\u003c/a\u003e that quotes some US research in asserting that women are at a greater risk of suffering health damage from failed marriages than their male partners in suffering. Apparently by studying 276 couples who had been married for an average of 20 yrs, it was shown that women tended to report more depression and to be at a greater risk of showing \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolic_syndrome\"\u003emetabolic syndrome\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip; Whilst the underlying reasons are still not fully understood, some factors considered for being responsible include women\u0026rsquo;s more complex emotional makeup and their tendency to worry more amonst others.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Another reason to look before you leap........."},{"content":"Did this silly meme on Facebook a while back\u0026hellip;..Just tot to share it on here too\u0026hellip;.\n1. I’m left handed… and that has always made people think I’m smarter than I really am..\n2. Had perfect vision until I was struck by a soccer ball directly during a game.. Still took me another 10 years before I accepted to use glasses – and that was only because I failed an eye test during a routine medical at my last job.\n3. I used to have these peculiar nose bleeds for no reason when I was young, grew out of them eventually…. Never got to know why they occurred by the way…\n4. Used to have a slight stutter when I was much younger.. Still stutter occasionally when I get way too excited….lol\n5. I’ve fantasized about going to Canada since I was 11. A friend of my parents emigrated there in the early 90s and sent back pictures of the family in snow.. And I made up my mind there and then I would go there too. Still haven’t made it out there though.. lol..\n6. I used to be addicted to peanut butter. For want of anything to do over Christmas, I rediscovered my love for it.\n7. I typically take a long time to decide, but when I decide, I usually stick with it all the way..\n8. Was completely apolitical before I started blogging and reading blogs.. Still only an armchair politician only though…\n9. I’m addicted to Football Manager – I’ve played every incarnation since Championship Manager 01-02. And my introduction to it came from another one of my pet peeves which is………\n10. Listening to the BBC World Service – back in the day before my father had the money to buy a DSTV decoder, my kid bro and I listened to the BBC World Service for news of our beloved Liverpool. We actually saved up money to buy cassette tapes which we used to record the commentary for play back if we were going to miss it “live”.\n11. I loved Chemistry growing up, wanted to be a Process Engineer, but my mum got the area scholar, a guy we called the artful dodger due to the number of times he escaped from impossible situations, to talk me into Mechanical Engineering, from which I have digressed into Pipelines…\n12. I’m very into spreadsheets \u0026mdash;- I have spreadsheets that track what I buy or plan to buy, action items I need to close out etc.. Complete with graphs showing percentage completion vs. targets, VLOOKUP tables and macros.. Crazy, I know.. But I do love to relentlessly massage data… Used to have a spreadsheet that I checked every potential date off against… Needless to say, I’ve since chucked it out the window.\n13. I like to believe that I have an eclectic taste when it comes to music – rap, hip-hop, rock, some country all work for me…. Currently have T-Bone’s “Name Dropping” and the Mary J Blige/ U2 duet “One” on everlasting repeat on my HTC phone, as well as occasionally listen to some Natasha Bedingfield, Newsboys, DC Talk and TobyMac..\n14. My friends tend to trust me with the shady details of their lives… And I tend to give them advice which they usually say is useful.. Unfortunately, I do not take my own advice…\n15. I’m one of those dudes who take a while to get talking.. But once I get in the groove, there’s no stopping me…..There are still long term friends of mine who could almost bet their sweet lives and their year’s salary that I “don’t talk”.\n16. I’ve read “The Complete Works of Shakespeare.. My mother’s copy was lying around the house for like forever.. So one holiday between JSS3 and SS1, I finished it.. Don’t think I understood much of it.. I sure loved his Sonnets though..\n17. I’m currently reading (or trying to read) my school books, Max Lucado’s “Come Thirsty”, Obama’s “Dreams from my Father” and Charles Dickens “David Copperfield”. Wonder how I’m keeping up with all of them at the same time though..\n18. I’m not exactly a movies person – but in the last few months I’ve watched / re-watched “A walk to remember”, “27 dresses”, “300”, “Taken”, “The Bourne Trilogy”, “Amazing Grace” and “Another Cinderella story”.\n19. I love BMWs \u0026mdash; The last car I drove before heading back to school was a Jet Black 3.25i……\n20. I’m a bit of gadget freak – especially when they are Windows Mobile devices – went thru a Dell Axim x50v, an Eten E500, an Eten M600 (with GPS) all between 2005 and 2007. Currently chugging along with a HTC TyTn and a HTC TyTn II.\n21. Back in the day when I was a Uni student the first time, I was the youngest person in the Tech Faculty, and the second youngest in the Science, Medicine and tech Faculties combined.. This time around, unfortunately, I cannot say that anymore….\n22. On my 21st birthday, I drew up a 5 year plan \u0026mdash; that had me getting my dream job at 22, an MSc at 25 and getting married at 26… Got the job a year later than planned (no thanks to my SUG Presido friend who shut down the school for a full year) and I\u0026rsquo;m currently chasing the MSc.. The marriage thing? Erm… I revised the plan..\n23. I also wrote a lofty mission statement for my life at the same time.. Needless to say, its been revised so much, it barely resembles the original anymore\u0026hellip;.\n24. My beard is growing grey…Plus I’ve got a couple of strands of grey in the centre of my head.. LOL\n25. I talk to myself a lot.. Its a disturbing habit, but i find keeping up a dialogue helps me straigthen out the different sides of an argument.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/08/the-25-random-things-meme/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDid this silly meme on Facebook a while back\u0026hellip;..Just tot to share it on here too\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1. I’m left handed… and that has always made people think I’m smarter than I really am..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2. Had perfect vision until I was struck by a soccer ball directly during a game.. Still took me another 10 years before I accepted to use glasses – and that was only because I failed an eye test during a routine medical at my last job.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The 25 random things meme..."},{"content":"\u0026ldquo;Corpus omne perseverare in statu suo quiescendi vel movendi uniformiter in directum, nisi quatenus a viribus impressis cogitur statum illum mutare.\u0026rdquo; _\n_\nI was involved in a little discussion on my FB wall with a friend of mine on Newton\u0026rsquo;s Laws of Motion when I inadvertedly typed \u0026ldquo;straight lin emotion\u0026rdquo; instead of \u0026ldquo;straight line motion\u0026rdquo;\u0026hellip; Our discussion quickly switched to how the three laws were largely symptomatic of human behavior. After several back and forths, we finally agreed on this interpretation\u0026hellip;\nEvery human being will stay in a state of like, hate or neutral feeling except insofar as he/she is enticed to change state by force (yarnings, doings, levels, money etc) impressed\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.\nMore seriously though, the true interpretation of the latin is\n\u0026ldquo;Every body perseveres in its state of being at rest or of moving uniformly straight forward, except insofar as it is compelled to change its state by force impressed\u0026rdquo;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/06/newtons-first-law-of-emotion/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Corpus omne perseverare in statu suo quiescendi vel movendi uniformiter in directum, nisi quatenus a viribus impressis cogitur statum illum mutare.\u0026rdquo; _\u003cbr\u003e\n_\u003cbr\u003e\nI was involved in a little discussion on my FB wall with a friend of mine on Newton\u0026rsquo;s Laws of Motion when I inadvertedly typed \u0026ldquo;straight lin emotion\u0026rdquo; instead of \u0026ldquo;straight line motion\u0026rdquo;\u0026hellip; Our discussion quickly switched to how the three laws were largely symptomatic of human behavior. After several back and forths, we finally agreed on this interpretation\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Newton's First Law of (e)Motion"},{"content":"Blogsville peeps \u0026ndash; Thanks for all the kind words of advice and unique insights you served up whilst I was trying to come to terms with my Journey of Rediscovery!\nA big cup of coffee is currently keeping me awake, so I decided to head off to Boundless.org to see what they had to serve up and found this cool article which tried to list some of the different things between guys and girls..\nA few items caught my attention; like the ones about girls using the restroom as a social lounge (maybe that\u0026rsquo;s why the comode seat is such a Big Issue), guys being more impulsive buyers, the 437 items in a typical girl\u0026rsquo;s bathroom and guys being pig-headed about asking for directions.. The most hillarious one had to be number eight!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/03/thanks-and-the-list-guys-15-items/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBlogsville peeps \u0026ndash; Thanks for all the kind words of advice and unique insights you served up whilst I was trying to come to terms with my Journey of Rediscovery!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA big cup of coffee is currently keeping me awake, so I decided to head off to \u003ca href=\"http://www.boundless.org\"\u003eBoundless.org\u003c/a\u003e to see what they had to serve up and \u003ca href=\"http://www.boundless.org/regulars/list_guy/a0000829.html\"\u003efound this cool article\u003c/a\u003e which tried to list some of the different things between guys and girls..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Thanks........ and the list guy's 15 items!"},{"content":" The wind is moving, but I am standing still A life of pages, waiting to be filled A heart that\u0026rsquo;s hopeful, a head that\u0026rsquo;s full of dreams But this becoming, is harder than it seems Feels like I\u0026rsquo;m Looking for a reason, roamin\u0026rsquo; through the night to find My place in this world, my place in this world Not a lot to lean on, I need your light to help me find My place in this world, my place in this world\n- Place in This World (Michael W.Smith)\nBeen doing quite a bit of mulling over a lot of things over the past few weeks - work, post MSc plans, long term direction issues and stuff like that.. Truth is I technically still have a job, but I think I\u0026rsquo;ve lost my motivation for it\u0026hellip;Back in the day I was enthusiastic about taking on the challenges, now, i feel like its all a charade\u0026hellip;. I came close to walking away from it all last year, but i talked to an older colleague and he thought a year away might clarify things\u0026hellip; Got the year away.. but apparently the clarity doesn\u0026rsquo;t come with a break\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\nI get to talk to lots of people on a daily basis, people who have real issues - who would give almost anything to have my life - who wonder if I\u0026rsquo;m just plain crazy, I sometimes wonder if its just the \u0026ldquo;grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side\u0026rdquo; syndrome, if its a mini mid-life crisis, or there really are deep seated things which i need to address.\nSo I have committed to myself to rediscover myself\u0026hellip; to ask the hard questions and hopefully find what is my \u0026ldquo;Place In This World\u0026rdquo;..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/03/01/rediscovering-me/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe wind is moving, but I am standing still\nA life of pages, waiting to be filled\nA heart that\u0026rsquo;s hopeful, a head that\u0026rsquo;s full of dreams\nBut this becoming, is harder than it seems\nFeels like I\u0026rsquo;m\nLooking for a reason, roamin\u0026rsquo; through the night to find\nMy place in this world, my place in this world\nNot a lot to lean on, I need your light to help me find\nMy place in this world, my place in this world\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Rediscovering Me"},{"content":"I heard John Piper tell a story in a message today from his \u0026ldquo;Don\u0026rsquo;t Waste Your Life Conference\u0026rdquo; based on the Julio Diaz story\u0026hellip;\nApparently the guy\u0026rsquo;s a social worker and, like all chronic Bachelors, frequents a particular diner for his evening meal on the way back from work on Fridays. On this day, he was ambushed by a would-be mugger. Rather than attempt to struggle, Diaz proceeded to offer his coat, and then dinner to the teenager.\nUltimately, we do not know what happened to the teenager, but I dare say the uncommon show of empathy would have struck a cord in the would-be mugger\u0026rsquo;s life.\nGuess the moral of the story is that even something as potentially dangerous as a mugging could be a chance to make demonstrate the principles of Christ in the real world..\nYou can read the full story here on the NPR site.\nEnjoy this LightHouse family song.. Forever You and Me/ High\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/02/25/dont-wasteyour-mugging/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI heard \u003ca href=\"http://www.desiringgod.org/AboutUs/JohnPiper\"\u003eJohn Piper\u003c/a\u003e tell a story in a message today from his \u003ca href=\"http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/ConferenceMessages/ByConference/40\"\u003e\u0026ldquo;Don\u0026rsquo;t Waste Your Life Conference\u0026rdquo;\u003c/a\u003e based on the Julio Diaz story\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApparently the guy\u0026rsquo;s a social worker and, like all chronic Bachelors, frequents a particular diner for his evening meal on the way back from work on Fridays. On this day, he was ambushed by a would-be mugger. Rather than attempt to struggle, Diaz proceeded to offer his coat, and then dinner to the teenager.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Don't waste...............your mugging!"},{"content":"Guess its finally over now\u0026hellip;. Liverpool\u0026rsquo;s bid for the elusive 19th title has finally imploded, left limping by a collection of draws at home against the stoke citys, fulhams, Hull Citys and co this season, the final blow to severe the jugular seems to have been struck yesterday.. And for good measure, it had to come from an ex-Liverpool player from the Blue half of Manchester\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\nThat leaves the Champions League to look towards \u0026ndash; and with the kind of form Barca were in until this weekend, a Real Madrid finally getting into their stride and a host of other decent teams still in with a shout, it could be another long trek back home without any silverware. This summer the Yanks, Rafa, Parry and everyone at this football club needs to take a long hard look at how the season turned out. In a season that was ours for the taking, we imploded in January and handed the initiative to the Mancs\u0026hellip;.\nAs my friend Puksi, an Arsenal fan said, maybe we should just content ouselves with winning the titles in Football Manager, cos in the real world the gulf is way too big\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/02/23/and-so-the-elusive-19th-runs-away-yet-again/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eGuess its finally over now\u0026hellip;. Liverpool\u0026rsquo;s bid for the elusive 19th title has finally imploded, left limping by a collection of draws at home against the stoke citys, fulhams, Hull Citys and co this season, the final blow to severe the jugular seems to have been struck yesterday.. And for good measure, it had to come from an ex-Liverpool player from the Blue half of Manchester\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat leaves the Champions League to look towards \u0026ndash; and with the kind of form Barca were in until this weekend, a Real Madrid finally getting into their stride and a host of other decent teams still in with a shout, it could be another long trek back home without any silverware. This summer the Yanks, Rafa, Parry and everyone at this football club needs to take a long hard look at how the season turned out. In a season that was ours for the taking, we imploded in January and handed the initiative to the Mancs\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"And so the elusive 19th runs away..... Yet again!!!!"},{"content":"Is it \u0026ldquo;un-African\u0026rdquo; to be a slim girl? I ask because I was talking to an old friend of mine a couple of days ago. She\u0026rsquo;d seen a picture of moi on FB with like 10 kg extra from my suffering University years and was lamenting that she had stayed the same weight over all the years..\nApparently the big issue was that at some Houston party, some dude tried to \u0026ldquo;toast\u0026rdquo; her by saying she looked like his younger sister who was still in High School.. Quite rightly, my friend was indignant especially considering she\u0026rsquo;s 28ish at the moment and the dude in question was barely out of college. Her solution to that is that she needs to bulk up and \u0026ldquo;push out a bit of hips n backassi\u0026rdquo; to \u0026ldquo;look slightly like my ancestors\u0026rdquo;. Unfortunately, I have acquired a reputation for dispensing advice (although I don\u0026rsquo;t take my own advice), so her question was what options did she have for bulking up\u0026hellip;\nPersonally i feel she\u0026rsquo;s ok\u0026hellip;. She 5\u0026rsquo;-10\u0026quot; and weighs 142 pounds.. Guess that works out to a BMI of about 20ish\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;. So blogsville people, what are her options??????\nEdit\u0026hellip; As GNG pointed out its 142 lbs not stone!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/02/21/gaining-weight-what-options/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIs it \u0026ldquo;un-African\u0026rdquo; to be a slim girl? I ask because I was talking to an old friend of mine a couple of days ago. She\u0026rsquo;d seen a picture of moi on FB with like 10 kg extra from my suffering University years and was lamenting that she had stayed the same weight over all the years..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApparently the big issue was that at some Houston party, some dude tried to \u0026ldquo;toast\u0026rdquo; her by saying she looked like his younger sister who was still in High School.. Quite rightly, my friend was indignant especially considering she\u0026rsquo;s 28ish at the moment and the dude in question was barely out of college. Her solution to that is that she needs to bulk up and \u0026ldquo;push out a bit of hips n backassi\u0026rdquo; to \u0026ldquo;look slightly like my ancestors\u0026rdquo;. Unfortunately, I have acquired a reputation for dispensing advice (although I don\u0026rsquo;t take my own advice), so her question was what options did she have for bulking up\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Gaining weight -- What options?"},{"content":" If to be feelingly alive to the sufferings of my fellow-creatures is to be a fanatic, I am one of the most incurable fanatics ever permitted to be at large.\nWilliam Wilberforce (Abolusionist \u0026amp; Member of Parliament)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/02/18/wilberforce-on-social-responsibility/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIf to be feelingly alive to the sufferings of my fellow-creatures is to be a fanatic, I am one of the most incurable fanatics ever permitted to be at large.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wilberforce\"\u003eWilliam Wilberforce\u003c/a\u003e (Abolusionist \u0026amp; Member of Parliament)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Wilberforce.... On Social Responsibility"},{"content":"Nefertiti\u0026rsquo;s Journal of an angry woman post a few weeks back raised the issue of comode seats and the age old flashpoint of dudes who do not lower it after use\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;. It reminded me of something I\u0026rsquo;d seen on the internet a whiles back, where an Indian Economist, Hammad Siddiqi, took Game Theory, and applied it to this problem\u0026hellip;..\nHis conclusions? For dudes, leaving the seat down is an \u0026ldquo;inefficient operation\u0026rdquo; which provides the justification for them not wanting to do it, even if it takes a nano-second of their lives. For girls, its a \u0026ldquo;trembling hand perfect equilibrium\u0026rdquo;\u0026hellip; ie they may assume that it will happen, but in reality it has a low probability of occurence\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\nIf you fancy some analytical economics and some abstract mathematics, you can follow his analysis on the Science Creative Quarterly here.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/02/17/game-theory-and-the-age-old-question-of-the-comode-seat/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eNefertiti\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://confessionsofacagedbird-nefertiti.blogspot.com/2009/02/journal-of-angry-woman-12-things-i-hate.html\"\u003eJournal of an angry woman post\u003c/a\u003e a few weeks back raised the issue of comode seats and the age old flashpoint of dudes who do not lower it after use\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;. It reminded me of something I\u0026rsquo;d seen on the internet a whiles back, where an Indian Economist, Hammad Siddiqi, took \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_theory\"\u003eGame Theory\u003c/a\u003e, and applied it to this problem\u0026hellip;..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis conclusions? For dudes, leaving the seat down is an \u0026ldquo;inefficient operation\u0026rdquo; which provides the justification for them not wanting to do it, even if it takes a nano-second of their lives. For girls, its a \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trembling_hand_perfect_equilibrium\"\u003e\u0026ldquo;trembling hand perfect equilibrium\u0026rdquo;\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip; ie they may assume that it will happen, but in reality it has a low probability of occurence\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Game Theory.. And the age old question of the comode seat..."},{"content":"So I spent V-Day at home, with a tall glass of milk (make that several), a pack of tortilla chips flavored with some hot sauce (i forget the name) from Marks and Spencer, alternating between playing FM2009 on my laptop, popping into Facebook from time to time and trawling blogsville for the slightest attempt of a post by anyone that i hadn\u0026rsquo;t commented on whilst making sure to avoid all the mushy Hollywood guy-meets-girl-and-they-fall-in-love make believe sold as movies to the unsuspecting\u0026hellip; Given that meant my books were left unattended to for a whole day, (unthinkable - considering i shelled out 13k pounds before the pound went into freefall that is) it might have counted as a day completely wasted\u0026hellip;\nBut then there were some positives.. Someone (i\u0026rsquo;m not a magician so i don\u0026rsquo;t know who you are) sent me an anonymous SMS via Nokia\u0026rsquo;s attempt to latch on to the V-Day ethos. It probably gave a welcome boost to my battered morale after reading the very sad tales of V-Day a couple of peeps spawned on blogsville\u0026hellip;..The only downside to that is its so subtle that its downright unusable\u0026hellip;Barring my ability to hire a prophet, i\u0026rsquo;ll be unable to find out who sent it in the first place so its pretty much useless anyways\u0026hellip; But then i digress\u0026hellip;..\nThe dudes in my flat somehow got together, the discussion slowly gathered pace and soon we had the place rocking to our throaty laughter whilst everyone pretended to be an \u0026ldquo;expert\u0026rdquo; on why dudes and girls are sooooooo different\u0026hellip;.And how our wintry V-Day was or wasn\u0026rsquo;t the worst in our lives to date\u0026hellip; Another plus of course, especially in the climate of the credit crunch, was that there was zero cost associated with this V-Day.. Cheap maybe, but then it takes two to tango doesn\u0026rsquo;t it?\nMy dude O.O \u0026ldquo;The Prof\u0026rdquo; and his heartthrob finally decided this was the year to take the leap of faith and shack up for good\u0026hellip;.. Congrats to them.. Unfortunately i was unable to be one of the grooms men; but then such is life bro\u0026hellip;\nAnyways its not the end of the world, so i can stil SMILE\u0026hellip; Plus i\u0026rsquo;m currently at 2025 on my current FM09 save\u0026hellip;.. And what the heck, its \u0026ldquo;just a day\u0026rdquo; aight????\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/02/15/v-day-blues/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSo I spent \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine's_Day\"\u003eV-Day\u003c/a\u003e at home, with a tall glass of milk (make that several), a pack of tortilla chips flavored with some hot sauce (i forget the name) from Marks and Spencer, alternating between playing FM2009 on my laptop, popping into Facebook from time to time and trawling blogsville for the slightest attempt of a post by anyone that i hadn\u0026rsquo;t commented on whilst making sure to avoid all the mushy Hollywood guy-meets-girl-and-they-fall-in-love make believe sold as movies to the unsuspecting\u0026hellip; Given that meant my books were left unattended to for a whole day, (unthinkable - considering i shelled out 13k pounds before the pound went into freefall that is) it might have counted as a day completely wasted\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"V-Day Blues......."},{"content":"Found this interesting review of the Stimulus Bill on www.Boundlessline.org\u0026hellip; While I will not pretend to know enough about economics to join issues with the American Plan to pump about $1.2 trillion into the US economy to stimulate growth, a few of the items on the shopping list seem downright absurd to me.. A $246 million tax break for Hollywood movie producers, $650 million for the digital television converter box coupon program, $448 million for constructing the Department of Homeland Security headquarters, $248 million for furniture at the new Homeland Security headquarters, $150 million for Smithsonian museum facilities, $6 billion to turn federal buildings into \u0026ldquo;green\u0026rdquo; buildings, $75 million to construct a \u0026ldquo;security training\u0026rdquo; facility for State Department Security officers when they can be trained at existing facilities of other agencies, $110 million to the Farm Service Agency to upgrade computer systems and $200 million in funding for the lease of alternative energy vehicles for use on military installations sounds like a political scam of \u0026ldquo;Nigerianesque\u0026rdquo; proportions\u0026hellip; But then maybe our Naija politicians are understudying the American model in the first place\u0026hellip;. Join the debate here and read the full text here\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/02/10/a-different-take-on-the-stimulus-bill/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFound this interesting review of the Stimulus Bill on \u003ca href=\"https://www.Boundlessline.org\"\u003ewww.Boundlessline.org\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip; While I will not pretend to know enough about economics to join issues with the American Plan to pump about $1.2 trillion into the US economy to stimulate growth, a few of the items on the shopping list seem downright absurd to me.. A $246 million tax break for Hollywood movie producers, $650 million for the digital television converter box coupon program, $448 million for constructing the Department of Homeland Security headquarters, $248 million for furniture at the new Homeland Security headquarters, $150 million for Smithsonian museum facilities, $6 billion to turn federal buildings into \u0026ldquo;green\u0026rdquo; buildings, $75 million to construct a \u0026ldquo;security training\u0026rdquo; facility for State Department Security officers when they can be trained at existing facilities of other agencies, $110 million to the Farm Service Agency to upgrade computer systems and $200 million in funding for the lease of alternative energy vehicles for use on military installations sounds like a political scam of \u0026ldquo;Nigerianesque\u0026rdquo; proportions\u0026hellip; But then maybe our Naija politicians are understudying the American model in the first place\u0026hellip;. Join the debate \u003ca href=\"http://www.boundlessline.org/2009/02/bureaucrats-spending-trillions.html\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e and read the full text \u003ca href=\"http://www.readthestimulus.org/\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A different take on the \"Stimulus Bill\""},{"content":" He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.\nJim Elliot (Missionary to Ecuador and Martyr)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/02/08/jim-elliot-on-what-really-matters/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Elliot\"\u003eJim Elliot\u003c/a\u003e (Missionary to Ecuador and Martyr)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Jim Elliot on what really matters...."},{"content":"An abandoned Bugatti has just been sold for £3million pounnds in the UK.. In the midst of the credit crunch somebori was able to cough out that amount of money\u0026hellip; Hmmmm\u0026hellip; All you peeps whose parents still have a 1986 Volkswagen Bettle, or a vintage 1975 Peugeout 404 saloon car, hold on to it.. Maybe in the year 2100, your great grand children could rake in a few million quid\u0026hellip;.. That is if global warming doesn\u0026rsquo;t wipe the planet by then\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; More on that story here\nThis dude has devised an innovative solution to beating the credit crunch - turning his $67,000 dollar Porche into a mobile CV\u0026hellip;.Hmm\u0026hellip; hopefully we\u0026rsquo;ll get to hear if he snags a job that can turn in at least the $700 he\u0026rsquo;ll need to restore the paint..LOL..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/02/08/an-abandoned-bugattiand-an-innovative-solution-to-the-credit-crunch/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAn abandoned Bugatti has just been sold for £3million pounnds in the UK.. In the midst of the credit crunch somebori was able to cough out that amount of money\u0026hellip; Hmmmm\u0026hellip; All you peeps whose parents still have a 1986 Volkswagen Bettle, or a vintage 1975 Peugeout 404 saloon car, hold on to it.. Maybe in the year 2100, your great grand children could rake in a few million quid\u0026hellip;.. That is if \u003ca href=\"http://criepi.denken.or.jp/en/e_publication/pdf/den408.pdf\"\u003eglobal warming\u003c/a\u003e doesn\u0026rsquo;t wipe the planet by then\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; More on that story \u003ca href=\"http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090207/tuk-abandoned-bugatti-sells-for-3m-6323e80.html\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"An abandoned Bugatti.......and an Innovative Solution to the Credit Crunch..."},{"content":" The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not the X-rated video, but the prime-time dribble of triviality we drink in every night. For all the ill that Satan can do, when God describes what keeps us from the banquet table of his love, it is a piece of land, a yoke of oxen, and a wife\nJohn Piper (Pastor for Preaching Bethlehem Baptist Church)\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/02/02/piper-on-why-we-do-not-hunger-for-god/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not the X-rated video, but the prime-time dribble of triviality we drink in every night. For all the ill that Satan can do, when God describes what keeps us from the banquet table of his love, it is a piece of land, a yoke of oxen, and a wife\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Piper on why we do not hunger for God....."},{"content":"Have been listening to a bit of rap music in the past few weeks \u0026ndash; decided to explore some other music genres for a change - instead of the rock-esque stuff I\u0026rsquo;ve largely listened to in the past\u0026hellip; Stumbled on this song by T-bone and Eric Dawkins\u0026hellip; While the beats are OK, what caught my attention was how he incorporated the names of a number of other Christian peeps into the body of the rap. The words in full CAPS are the names of contemporary christian musicians\u0026hellip;.. Enjoy\u0026hellip;\nVerse1: I woke up in the morning, hungry threw some GRITS on the SKILLET, Ate JOHN REUBEN’S sandwich with ROD’s PARSLEY and cream spinach, Got AUDIO ADRENALINE up in my veins eating BILLY GRAHAM crackers while REBECCA’s reading ST. JAMES, I can only imagine all his love and MERCY on ME, when he died on the cross, Rose and threw my sins in the sea, open my bible, turn to genesis started reading Told YOLANDA how ADAMS sin got him kicked OUT OF EDEN, Then went to JEREMY’S CAMP on the 3RD DAY of the week and met this SUPERCHICK that I had been dying to meet, She wore a WHITECROSS and spoke with a DC TALK accent lived in BUILDING 429 right next to JACI VELASQUEZ, Was from the OC with SUPERTONE body, she said she stayed in shape cuz it was her temple and GOD’S PROPERTY, The phone rang, and I had been waiting on CAEDMONS CALL I told HEZEKIAH to WALKER to the HILLSONG mall. Chorus Whether you like hip-hop, punk rock or classic… We got what ya like if ya listen to it Turn this up in ya car stereo and blast it… There aint nothin to do but to do it We don’t quit, we don’t stop, Can’t stop singing till we reach top so throw ya hands in the air let your head start bopping, I’m about to do some name dropping.\nVerse 2 I flew KIRK to FRANKLIN for a BIG TENT REVIVAL, Then gave CREFLO a DOLLER just to let me borrow his bible, GREY VOLZ shared on the 2ND CHAPTER OF ACTS, Then I looked up and seen this kid TOBY the MAC, He was a, street kid with no CODE OF ETHICS so I took him to FRED’S HAMMOND eggs spot for breakfast, He ordered T-BONE and steak and yo my stomach was growling, I was starving but went ahead and got the SHIRLEY CEASAR salad, That’s when RAY BOLTZ straight through the door, trying to sell me some JARS OF CLAY he got from el SALVADOR, I couldn’t afford it if you know what I mean, so I picked up the phone called the REV. AL for some GREEN, He me gave AMY’S GRANT money, she had for a home and told me pray 4 HIM cuz they owed some money to 12 STONES, I called STEVEN CURTIS and I asked him to pray, like I do EVERY SUNDAY with RACHAEL LAMPA and RELIENT K.\nVerse 3 SMITTY asked me to TAKE 6 of his friends to STEVE’s TAYLOR, to get a EARTHSUIT, PLUS ONE for BILL GAITHER, jumped in my CARMAN heading toward EAST WEST And SWITCHFOOTs on the gas so my tires would KUTLESS, that’s when I seen GEOFF MOORE in THE DISTANCE But these KIDS IN THE WAY kept blocking my vision, jumped on the GRAMMATRAIN, Then straight OUT OF THE GREY I saw BRYAN DUNCAN his donuts at the PETRA café, I Couldn’t believe it starting feeling DELIRIOUS, but had to spread the good NEWSBOYS to those curious, There were 10 of them some, really arrogant I told TWILA PARIS and NICOLE \u0026ldquo;just (ig)NORDAMEN\u0026rdquo;, They can’t touch this Gospel sound, so bow down to the king and start CASTING CROWNS, He’s the, king of kings and lord of lords play this on your i P.O.D. to learn more, About all of his love when he took your place on the cross that’s the very first POINT OF GRACE, And I really can’t wait until I see his face with KEITH GREEN and RICH MULLINS at the pearly gates.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/02/01/name-dropping-by-t-bone-and-eric-dawkins/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHave been listening to a bit of rap music in the past few weeks \u0026ndash; decided to explore some other music genres for a change - instead of the rock-esque stuff I\u0026rsquo;ve largely listened to in the past\u0026hellip; Stumbled on \u003ca href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUu-teeAfsg\"\u003ethis song by T-bone and Eric Dawkins\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip; While the beats are OK, what caught my attention was how he incorporated the names of a number of other Christian peeps into the body of the rap. The words in full CAPS are the names of contemporary christian musicians\u0026hellip;.. Enjoy\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Name dropping........ By T-Bone and Eric Dawkins..."},{"content":"They say the Lord giveth, the Lord taketh\u0026hellip; Heard some really heart wrenching news today after signing on to Yahoo Messenger on a whim. An old friend of mine is no more - dead.. The worst part is that she\u0026rsquo;d been dead for over a year, and I only got to know today.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/02/01/when-death-calls/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThey say the Lord giveth, the Lord taketh\u0026hellip; Heard some really heart wrenching news today after signing on to Yahoo Messenger on a whim. An old friend of mine is no more - dead.. The worst part is that she\u0026rsquo;d been dead for over a year, and I only got to know today.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"When death calls..."},{"content":"Can\u0026rsquo;t seem to understand how the wheels have come off the Liverpool challenge for the Premiership this season\u0026hellip; At some stage we looked like we were going to pull away and then Rafa \u0026ldquo;Tinkerman\u0026rdquo; Benitez ran his mouth too far and its all gone bonkers since then.. Disappointing draws against Everton and Stoke in games we should have finished off and then a deeply disappointing penalty given away by that crappy dude Lucas have contrived to very clearly hand the initiative to the Manure yet again.. Considering that if the Mancs win, they will equal our prestigiuos 18 championships, it beggars belief as to how the events have turned out\u0026hellip;. If it was in Nigeria, and robbers could turn to goats to escape detection, I would have averred that Sir Alex Fungusen had visited the Okija shrine, and obtained a potion for orchestrating the demise\u0026hellip; Be that as it may 11 clean sheets takes some beating, and as my worst fears from earlier on in the season have all but been confirmed\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.\nWonder what the furore over this Ashley Madison ad really is\u0026hellip; Very interesting arguments for and against the ban on this Yahoo page\u0026hellip; I agree explicitly with the Bidermann dude that if the ad is banned, the alcohol and other like ads should also be prevented from airing.. But then his argument that \u0026ldquo;Ashley Madison doesn\u0026rsquo;t convince anyone to have an affair and merely accommodates people who have already made that decision\u0026rdquo; is a moot point. As i see it, if Ashley Madison makes it easier to cheat by providing a service, then someone who is considering cheating might actually decide to cheat based on the relative ease.. But then what\u0026rsquo;s in an ad right?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/01/31/on-liverpool-and-a-contentious-super-bowl-ad/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eCan\u0026rsquo;t seem to understand how the wheels have come off the Liverpool challenge for the Premiership this season\u0026hellip; At some stage we looked like we were going to pull away and then \u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1111835/Fergies-mind-games-pay-Rafas-rant-backfires.html\"\u003eRafa \u0026ldquo;Tinkerman\u0026rdquo; Benitez\u003c/a\u003e ran his mouth too far and its all gone bonkers since then.. Disappointing draws against Everton and Stoke in games we should have finished off and then a deeply disappointing penalty given away by that crappy dude Lucas have contrived to very clearly hand the initiative to the Manure yet again.. Considering that if the Mancs win, they will equal our prestigiuos 18 championships, it beggars belief as to how the events have turned out\u0026hellip;. If it was in Nigeria, and \u003ca href=\"http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7846822.stm\"\u003erobbers could turn to goats to escape detection\u003c/a\u003e, I would have averred that Sir Alex Fungusen had visited the \u003ca href=\"http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3540306.stm\"\u003eOkija shrine\u003c/a\u003e, and obtained a potion for orchestrating the demise\u0026hellip; Be that as it may 11 clean sheets takes some beating, and as my worst fears from earlier on in the season have all but been confirmed\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Liverpool and a contentious Super Bowl Ad......."},{"content":"Had one of my most embarrassing moments in class a couple of days back.. I\u0026rsquo;ve not recovered from the lousy sleep patterns i picked up while studying for exams..As such I\u0026rsquo;ve basically being only able to get to sleep in the 2.30 am - 4am time frame. Coupled with the fact that serious (boring) lectures have started, its been a real serious irritant\u0026hellip; Things definitely went pear shaped a few days back when in the midst of a very boring lecture, sleep started trying to blast my eyes.. I tried every trick i knew - chewing gum, bouncing my feet, forcing my eyes to focus on the board - all to no avail.. Most embarrassing moment occurred when i actually fell asleep and let out a miniature snore\u0026hellip;..Thankfully, it was nipped almost in the bud.. But it still drew a few peals of laughter from the peeps in the class.. Almost felt like I should just vanish.. Anyways I think I\u0026rsquo;m over it now\u0026hellip;\nOn a less self -deprecating note tho, wonder what it is with science and trying to provide a reason for every single daily occurrence - first it was why women cheat, now its why some people are more friendly than others .. Enjoy and have a good laugh\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/01/29/embarrased-and-then-a-gene-for-making-friends/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHad one of my most embarrassing moments in class a couple of days back.. I\u0026rsquo;ve not recovered from the lousy sleep patterns i picked up while studying for exams..As such I\u0026rsquo;ve basically being only able to get to sleep in the 2.30 am - 4am time frame. Coupled with the fact that serious (boring) lectures have started, its been a real serious irritant\u0026hellip; Things definitely went pear shaped a few days back when in the midst of a very boring lecture, sleep started trying to blast my eyes.. I tried every trick i knew - chewing gum, bouncing my feet, forcing my eyes to focus on the board - all to no avail.. Most embarrassing moment occurred when i actually fell asleep and let out a miniature snore\u0026hellip;..Thankfully, it was nipped almost in the bud.. But it still drew a few peals of laughter from the peeps in the class.. Almost felt like I should just vanish.. Anyways I think I\u0026rsquo;m over it now\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Embarrassed...... and then a 'gene' for making friends..."},{"content":"No real update today, so i decided to share a quote from some of the stuff I\u0026rsquo;ve been listening to..\nThe only thing worse than nostalgia is amnesia\u0026hellip;\n- Ravi Zacharias\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/01/26/random-quote-ravi-zacharias/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eNo real update today, so i decided to share a quote from some of the stuff I\u0026rsquo;ve been listening to..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe only thing worse than nostalgia is amnesia\u0026hellip;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.rzim.org/EU/home.aspx\"\u003e- Ravi Zacharias\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Random Quote.. Ravi Zacharias..."},{"content":"Found this story on Yahoo via an RSS feed\u0026hellip;.Its supposed to be some ground breaking research on why women cheat \u0026ndash; apparently there\u0026rsquo;s a conection between a certain hormone and the likelihood of women getting hit on by men\u0026hellip;.. Have a great read\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/01/24/finally-the-reason-why-women-cheat-lol/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFound \u003ca href=\"http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/090114/health/health_sex_women_hormones\"\u003ethis\u003c/a\u003e story on Yahoo via an RSS feed\u0026hellip;.Its supposed to be some ground breaking research on why women cheat \u0026ndash; apparently there\u0026rsquo;s a conection between a certain hormone and the likelihood of women getting hit on by men\u0026hellip;.. Have a great read\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Finally, the reason why women cheat.... LOL"},{"content":"BG called me today. There is clearly a drifting apart here. The bulk of her talk was based on the rash of people who\u0026rsquo;ve ended relationships in the last few weeks, including a number of close mutual friends. My cousin Ella thinks there are self esteem issues involved here and that I needed to reassure her of my 100% commitment. She and I are drifting apart\u0026hellip; I just know.. Sigh.. :(\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/01/22/drifting-apart/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBG called me today. There is clearly a drifting apart here. The bulk of her talk was based on the rash of people who\u0026rsquo;ve ended relationships in the last few weeks, including a number of close mutual friends.  My cousin Ella thinks there are self esteem issues involved here and that I needed to reassure her of my 100% commitment.\nShe and I are drifting apart\u0026hellip; I just know.. Sigh.. :(\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Drifting apart.."},{"content":"Tigress, Good Naija Girl, Jaycee, AbujaMaiden, Olufunke all got the right answers\u0026hellip; Unfortunately, yours truly is a back to school dude again, so there are no prizes for guessing correctly.. Maybe if i grab the new job I\u0026rsquo;m chasing, I\u0026rsquo;ll hold a celebration party on the moon.. LOL\u0026hellip;\n1. I spent most of my childhood years growing up on a University Campus. - True. Fortunately or unfortunately I\u0026rsquo;m was one of those kids who had sharp parents that I was always being compared with.. Thankfully, i decided to chase a different sort of job, else i would still be getting comparisms till date. Naughty Eyes thought we might know each other in real life.. Quite possibly, but then maybe that\u0026rsquo;s why I\u0026rsquo;m \u0026ldquo;the guy next door\u0026rdquo;..\n2. I’ve spent weekends at Tinapa, Obudu Cattle ranch and on a ship. - True.Olufunke\u0026rsquo;s reasoning around this was splendid.. Have to admit that\u0026hellip;If it were a more serious matter I\u0026rsquo;d have said \u0026ldquo;flesh and blood hath not revealed this to you\u0026rdquo;\u0026hellip; LOL\u0026hellip; All my times in those places were on team/ \u0026ldquo;belle\u0026rdquo; building meetings with my group at my last job\u0026hellip;..\n3. I‘ve worn glasses since I was six years old. - False. Good Naija Girl\u0026rsquo;s reasoning around this had me doubled over\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; Wonder what I need to do to sound \u0026ldquo;bespectacled\u0026rdquo;\u0026hellip;..I do use glasses at the moment, but I only started wearing them a few years back, after I completed the medical exams for my last job\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/01/20/the-2-truths-one-lie-meme-results/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://gangstatigeress.blogspot.com/\"\u003eTigress\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://goodnaijagirl.com/\"\u003eGood Naija Girl\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://light-her-lamp.blogspot.com/\"\u003eJaycee\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://abujamaiden.blogspot.com/\"\u003eAbujaMaiden\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://funke-thoughts.blogspot.com/\"\u003eOlufunke\u003c/a\u003e all got the right answers\u0026hellip; Unfortunately, yours truly is a back to school dude again, so there are no prizes for guessing correctly.. Maybe if i grab the new job I\u0026rsquo;m chasing, I\u0026rsquo;ll hold a celebration party on the moon.. LOL\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1. I spent most of my childhood years growing up on a University Campus. - True. Fortunately or unfortunately I\u0026rsquo;m was one of those kids who had sharp parents that I was always being compared with.. Thankfully, i decided to chase a different sort of job, else i would still be getting comparisms till date. \u003ca href=\"http://medianemesis.blogspot.com/\"\u003eNaughty Eyes\u003c/a\u003e thought we might know each other in real life.. Quite possibly, but then maybe that\u0026rsquo;s why I\u0026rsquo;m \u0026ldquo;the guy next door\u0026rdquo;..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The 2 truths, one lie meme Results...."},{"content":"Just wondering what it is with old school mates hooking up after many years\u0026hellip; Have heard of three weddings in the last 2 months between people who were old secondary school classmates of mine\u0026hellip;. Plus there\u0026rsquo;s one more to attend in 9ja in April \u0026ndash; sincerely hope i can make that on its a valid excuse to hit 9ja\u0026hellip; The pair who are getting married in April didn\u0026rsquo;t actually talk much between themselves when we were in school, well as far as I know, so i can\u0026rsquo;t just place the source of the sudden affinity..But then maybe its more a case of sticking with what you know versus venturing into worlds unknown in dating someone fresh\u0026hellip;..\nHeard some rather distubing news today \u0026ndash; got added by an old school mate on Facebook (where else do they re-enter your life from these days) \u0026ndash; who proceeded to take me to task very seriously on why yours truly was still very single.. More on that when I\u0026rsquo;ve had time and the civility to give a point by point rebuttal of his very withering attack on moi\u0026hellip;. Disturbing news tho was that a mutal classmate \u0026ndash; we\u0026rsquo;ll call her Oby \u0026ndash; had gotten married to some lousy chap in the late November time frame.. This was a very \u0026ldquo;serious\u0026rdquo; lady back in the day, got into Medicine early within a year of leaving secondary school, while i was still scouting for the best remedial centre to register in, and basically epitomized the classic \u0026ldquo;wife material\u0026rdquo; as one dude aptly described it back in the day\u0026hellip; Apparently, while she was still in Med school, there was this \u0026ldquo;raz\u0026rdquo; engineering bro who was always on her case, dhe being the very focused type would not have anything to do with him.. 2 years after Med school tho, she ended up marrying him\u0026hellip; As far as I know, the dude is basically jobless - tho he claims he\u0026rsquo;s chasing contracts in PH\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\nMy two questions then are:\n1. Do most people find it \u0026ldquo;easier\u0026rdquo; to date someone you\u0026rsquo;ve known for very long in a none romantic setting? Like a school mate, or someone from church, or the locality where you grew up?\n2. How serious is the pressure to just shack up with any available guy/ girl even if you know the\u0026rsquo;re crap just to acheive the married status once certain timelines are crossed?\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/01/18/the-case-of-the-old-school-mates-and-other-random-thoughts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eJust wondering what it is with old school mates hooking up after many years\u0026hellip; Have heard of three weddings in the last 2 months between people who were old secondary school classmates of mine\u0026hellip;. Plus there\u0026rsquo;s one more to attend in 9ja in April \u0026ndash; sincerely hope i can make that on its a valid excuse to hit 9ja\u0026hellip; The pair who are getting married in April didn\u0026rsquo;t actually talk much between themselves when we were in school, well as far as I know, so i can\u0026rsquo;t just place the source of the sudden affinity..But then maybe its more a case of sticking with what you know versus venturing into worlds unknown in dating someone fresh\u0026hellip;..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The case of the old school mates.... and other random thoughts..."},{"content":"Against my better judgement, I went back to school for a dose of \u0026lsquo;adult\u0026rsquo; education, after nearly six years of slaving for the capitalists working. Its exam time and I am not finding it funny. Hours on end of swotting, tons of material to store in my head and a few non academic thoughts running through my head. There is also the minor distraction of Football Manager on my laptop\u0026hellip; Thanks to Jaguda.com radio, I have music for comfort through the night. Thankful for minor miracles after all\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/01/15/exam-fever/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAgainst my better judgement, I went back to school for a dose of \u0026lsquo;adult\u0026rsquo; education, after nearly six years of slaving for the capitalists working. Its exam time and I am not finding it funny. Hours on end of swotting, tons of material to store in my head and a few non academic thoughts running through my head. There is also the minor distraction of Football Manager on my laptop\u0026hellip; Thanks to Jaguda.com radio, I have music for comfort through the night. Thankful for minor miracles after all\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Exam fever.."},{"content":"Completed the 3rd of 5 papers today.. Guess aside of the 2nd one (which had everybody completely fooled), the\u0026rsquo;ve been ok.. Hopefully results should start trickling in, in a couple of weeks and I\u0026rsquo;ll be able to know if the distinction thingy is viable or not\u0026hellip; Got tagged on this 2 truths, one lie thingy by Naughty eye.. So here goes\u0026hellip;\nI spent most of my childhood years growing up on a University Campus. I\u0026rsquo;ve spent weekends at Tinapa, Obudu Cattle ranch and on a ship. I\u0026rsquo;ve worn glasses since I was six years old. Edit\u0026hellip; Somehow I forgot to tag anyone the first time of asking.. But then maybe that was because I failed to make a note to do that on my spreadsheet\u0026hellip;..LOL.. I\u0026rsquo;m picking comments on my blog at random and tagging ppl as a result.. There\u0026rsquo;s no \u0026ldquo;method to this madness\u0026hellip;..\u0026rdquo; So here\u0026rsquo;s the tag:\nMajoram (for reminding me!!!) Capuchine Baby (Not sure if you\u0026rsquo;ve been tagged before, but not a bad idea to do it all over again) AbujaMaiden (Again not sure if you\u0026rsquo;ve been tagged before, but another go shouldn\u0026rsquo;t hurt) Olufunke Abby Naughty Eyes (The meme is therapeutic, so go ahead and have another shot\u0026hellip;) LOL\u0026hellip;.. Guess the rules are very well publicized.. but for emphasis, you have to tell us three things about yrself \u0026ndash; two truths and one lie, tag six other people\u0026hellip;. and some time in the future, you\u0026rsquo;ll let us know which was which \u0026ndash; after we have guessed our brains up and down\u0026hellip;..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/01/15/3-down-2-to-go-and-naughty-eyes-meme/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eCompleted the 3rd of 5 papers today.. Guess aside of the 2nd one (which had everybody completely fooled), the\u0026rsquo;ve been ok.. Hopefully results should start trickling in, in a couple of weeks and I\u0026rsquo;ll be able to know if the distinction thingy is viable or not\u0026hellip;  Got tagged on this 2 truths, one lie thingy by Naughty eye.. So here goes\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI spent most of my childhood years growing up on a University Campus.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI\u0026rsquo;ve spent weekends at Tinapa, Obudu Cattle ranch and on a ship.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI\u0026rsquo;ve worn glasses since I was six years old.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEdit\u0026hellip; Somehow I forgot to tag anyone the first time of asking.. But then maybe that was because I failed to make a note to do that on my spreadsheet\u0026hellip;..LOL.. I\u0026rsquo;m picking comments on my blog at random and tagging ppl as a result.. There\u0026rsquo;s no \u0026ldquo;method to this madness\u0026hellip;..\u0026rdquo; So here\u0026rsquo;s the tag:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"3 down -- 2 to go and Naughty Eye's Meme..."},{"content":"WOW.. Finally the 1st semester exams are here\u0026hellip; 3+ months of course work, lectures, field trips, discussion classes and library work are going to be put through a comprehensive test over the course of the next two weeks\u0026hellip;. I\u0026rsquo;ve got this nervy, on-the-edge feeling \u0026ndash; which in the past has served me so well.. Hopefully, I can harness it again and make a strong statement of intent per this MSc program\u0026hellip; The stakes are kinda high \u0026ndash; was grudgingly granted approval to pursue the Msc by my 9ja bosses \u0026ndash; so I need to lay down a marker and let them know it was worth the gamble\u0026hellip;..\nThree straight exams starting from tomorrow followed by a break for the weekend and then two more next week and then its all over\u0026hellip;..I\u0026rsquo;m so wanting to hit FM2009 after those exams\u0026hellip; Have stayed away from the game for so loooooong. LOL\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/01/12/finally-the-examsgoing-mia/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWOW.. Finally the 1st semester exams are here\u0026hellip; 3+ months of course work, lectures, field trips, discussion classes and library work are going to be put through a comprehensive test over the course of the next two weeks\u0026hellip;. I\u0026rsquo;ve got this nervy, on-the-edge feeling \u0026ndash; which in the past has served me so well.. Hopefully, I can harness it again and make a strong statement of intent per this MSc program\u0026hellip; The stakes are kinda high \u0026ndash; was grudgingly granted approval to pursue the Msc by my 9ja bosses \u0026ndash; so I need to lay down a marker and let them know it was worth the gamble\u0026hellip;..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Finally, the exams....Going MIA..."},{"content":" \u0026ldquo;Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs\u0026rdquo;\nJonah 2:8\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; ","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/01/11/memories-from-the-pre-black-sheep-years/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jonah%202:8\u0026amp;version=NIVUK\"\u003eJonah 2:8\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Memories from the pre-black sheep years....."},{"content":"Whoever said Don’t Fix what ain’t broke was speaking out of the right side of their minds. Best believe me!\nIn a queer way, I am a victim of trying to over-elaborate. Life was good – great job with decent prospects, a fair amount of money in the bank and the security being around family afforded. In a fit of petulance at a work decision that went a tad bit awry, I headed back to school to chase an MSc.\nMy intentions were clear – spend a year back in the academia, work the staleness of doing the same thing over and over from my system and return to my old job. Sadly the circumstances changed midstream, and here I am a reluctant immigrant as I call myself. There are pluses of course, but this is so not plan A.\nI am in transition – perhaps some day in the future, I will have cast off my reluctance and have accepted that this land will be a part of my near term future.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/01/07/over-elaborating/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWhoever said Don’t Fix what ain’t broke was speaking out of the right side of their minds. Best believe me!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn a queer way, I am a victim of trying to over-elaborate. Life was good –  great job with decent prospects, a fair amount of money in the bank and the security being around family afforded. In a fit of petulance at a work decision that went a tad bit awry, I headed back to school to chase an MSc.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Over-elaborating..."},{"content":"Another one from my poetry scrap book.. Wrote this one while serving the fatherland in Kwara State.. This was inspired while watching some \u0026ldquo;white-garment\u0026rdquo; chruch devotees dance and clap from the window of the class where i was invigilating an exam\u0026hellip; Enjoy it\u0026hellip;.\nThe Dance of the Mountain god…\nThe claps begin,\nSlow, petulant,\nLike tiny drops of rain which then increase,\nAs feet pound the rocks, oblivious of the pain,\nHigher and higher the tempo goes,\nAs men stand enthralled in worship of the mountain king,\nExploding sound, compelling throes,\nAs frenzied claps around the mountain ring.\nAnd then the lull,\nAs silence like a cloak falls down;\nAn interlude between booming thunder claps.\nThe only sound a bell, disturbing the suspense.\nA shuffle here, a sniffle there; intimating us of pain.\nThen suddenly the claps restart,\nAccompanied by the boom of drums,\nClanging cymbals as all take part, with frenzied steps, exploding sounds.\nA cacophony berserk; children swaying, women swooning,\nEcstatic noises renting the air.\nBuilding a crescendo, a climax of exploding sound,\nOf feet that seem to beat alone,\nOf sublime steps somehow gone berserk\nIn this dance, the dance of the mountain king\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/01/05/dance-of-the-mountain-god/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAnother one from my poetry scrap book.. Wrote this one while serving the fatherland in Kwara State.. This was inspired while watching some \u0026ldquo;white-garment\u0026rdquo; chruch devotees dance and clap from the window of the class where i was invigilating an exam\u0026hellip; Enjoy it\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Dance of the Mountain god…\u003cbr\u003e\nThe claps begin,\u003cbr\u003e\nSlow, petulant,\u003cbr\u003e\nLike tiny drops of rain which then increase,\u003cbr\u003e\nAs feet pound the rocks, oblivious of the pain,\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Dance of The Mountain God.."},{"content":"Stumbled on this interesting \u0026ldquo;experiment\u0026rdquo; by Neenah Pickett. She\u0026rsquo;s taken the initiative to set up a personal website for dudes to come find her. Let\u0026rsquo;s see how it shapes up, hopefully it should open some not-normally-open doors.. Pray some of our sharp \u0026ldquo;Yahoo Yahoo\u0026rdquo; boys don\u0026rsquo;t spin her a smooth love story and bail with some of her money.. Or use her to gain a chance to sneak into America\u0026hellip;\nCan\u0026rsquo;t seem to remember how i managed to get into a discussion of soap commercials yesterday. Apparently, my flatmate had been talking with someone in Nigeria and they\u0026rsquo;d talked about the old Joy beauty soap advert where the Joy girl has a bath and takes a walk - making briefcases pop open, people overfil their glasses, doors slam shut on people\u0026rsquo;s hands - general mayhem i think\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; Heard some Nigerian comedian has done a joke about being around such a girl.. If anyone has a link to a video I\u0026rsquo;d like to see it please\u0026hellip; Have a great week y\u0026rsquo;all.. and hope the new year resoultions/ goals/ plans are making sense?\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/01/04/52-weeks-to-find-him-and-an-old-beauty-soap-commercial/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eStumbled on this interesting \u0026ldquo;experiment\u0026rdquo; by Neenah Pickett. She\u0026rsquo;s taken the initiative to set up a \u003ca href=\"http://www.52weeks2findhim.com\"\u003epersonal website\u003c/a\u003e for dudes to come find her. Let\u0026rsquo;s see how it shapes up, hopefully it should open some not-normally-open doors.. Pray some of our sharp \u0026ldquo;Yahoo Yahoo\u0026rdquo; boys don\u0026rsquo;t spin her a smooth love story and bail with some of her money.. Or use her to gain a chance to sneak into America\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCan\u0026rsquo;t seem to remember how i managed to get into a discussion of soap commercials yesterday. Apparently, my flatmate had been talking with someone in Nigeria and they\u0026rsquo;d talked about the old Joy beauty soap advert where the Joy girl has a bath and takes a walk - making briefcases pop open, people overfil their glasses, doors slam shut on people\u0026rsquo;s hands - general mayhem i think\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; Heard some Nigerian comedian has done a joke about being around such a girl.. If anyone has a link to a video I\u0026rsquo;d like to see it please\u0026hellip; Have a great week y\u0026rsquo;all.. and hope the new year resoultions/ goals/ plans are making sense?\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"\"52 weeks to find him\" and an old beauty soap commercial...."},{"content":"2008\u0026hellip;What a year\u0026hellip;Seems like it was only yesterday when my friend and I drove to church to attend the New year Service and to get the year rolling\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;Lots of stuff have happened to and around me.. Wonder what the highlights were tho\u0026hellip;\nOn a personal note heading back to school ranks up there\u0026hellip; One humid March evening, I finally decided I\u0026rsquo;d had enough of working on the edge; after spending the 4th straight weekend at work trying to troubleshoot a pipeline problem\u0026hellip;. Got home that night,and started the online application that has landed me on the MSc program I\u0026rsquo;m currently on\u0026hellip;..apparently to the distaste of my bosses - who told me they thought I was doing fine without the MSc and that it was unnecessary\u0026hellip;.Who cares? I needed to keep my sanity\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;My cause can\u0026rsquo;t be helped by the fact that a number of chaps also decided to flee in my wake too\u0026hellip; duh\u0026hellip;\nSurviving a major car crash also helped to put things in the proper perspective - especially the transience of life\u0026hellip;Thankfully I\u0026rsquo;d hired the cabbie and sat in front with my seat belt\u0026hellip; May have gotten my life snuffed out that morning but for that\u0026hellip;\nMy man \u0026ldquo;The Prof\u0026rdquo; got hooked up to the girl of his dreams\u0026hellip; Prof! who we felt was all nerdy and goofy and good for nothing except books, piping design and football manager dropped the bombshell and told us he\u0026rsquo;d been seeing one of the snazziest ladies in the department and that they were going to get married in 2009\u0026hellip;.That singular event convinced me again that miracles exist\u0026hellip; lol..\nDi, my \u0026ldquo;big sister\u0026rdquo; got the second kid in quick succession she wanted\u0026hellip;. With two kids out of the way she\u0026rsquo;s angling for a PhD.. Of course, family first is her mantra these days.. but she\u0026rsquo;s always got a sharp mind.\nHad my usual run in with the Mum on my birthday again this year\u0026hellip;.. Wonder why Mums always manage to \u0026ldquo;spoil\u0026rdquo; family gatherings by regaling you with tales of how Oby yr classmate from primary school got her second kid a couple of months back, or of how your friend from secondary school Tony got married a few weeks back and then reminding you that \u0026ldquo;Uncle Steve\u0026rsquo;s\u0026rdquo; daughter is in town and that she asked about you\u0026hellip;Guess all that is behind me now..\nNow my 2009 goals - iin no particular order\u0026hellip;.. Attend a Canadian Job Fair, the Offshore Technology Conference or NACE Corrosion 2009 (This dude needs to put himself on the radar for new employers to see u know) Extend my network to include worthy causes Re-ignite my God connection - Need to cast off this \u0026ldquo;black sheep\u0026rdquo; tag ASAP\u0026hellip; Find a personal mentor/ Life coach \u0026ndash; wonder why i need one tho.. Learn French\u0026hellip; Lose 10 kg - not overweight but could do with losing some weight u know\u0026hellip;. Make new friends – target 4 new friends that I do not already know at the moment. Reduce FM2009 game time. Play max of 14 hrs a week – ie 2 hr per day Follow up 9ja happenings more seriously.. At least I need to know what\u0026rsquo;s happening in my country right? Complete my evaluation of the works of CS Lewis, John Owen, John Calvin and Jacob Arminius. Visit another European Country \u0026ldquo;Significantly reduce\u0026rdquo; my Facebook time\u0026hellip;.. duh\u0026hellip;. Make a distinction on my MSc\u0026hellip; Tall order - but doable\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip; Hopefully I\u0026rsquo;ll still be on blogsville this time next year and i\u0026rsquo;ll be able to see how far i went on closing out these things\u0026hellip;\nHappy new year y\u0026rsquo;all\u0026hellip;..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/01/01/the-2009-master-plan/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e2008\u0026hellip;What a year\u0026hellip;Seems like it was only yesterday when my friend and I drove to church to attend the New year Service and to get the year rolling\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;Lots of stuff have happened to and around me.. Wonder what the highlights were tho\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn a personal note heading back to school ranks up there\u0026hellip; One humid March evening, I finally decided I\u0026rsquo;d had enough of working on the edge; after spending the 4th straight weekend at work trying to troubleshoot a pipeline problem\u0026hellip;. Got home that night,and started the online application that has landed me on the MSc program I\u0026rsquo;m currently on\u0026hellip;..apparently to the distaste of my bosses - who told me they thought I was doing fine without the MSc and that it was unnecessary\u0026hellip;.Who cares? I needed to keep my sanity\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;My cause can\u0026rsquo;t be helped by the fact that a number of chaps also decided to flee in my wake too\u0026hellip; duh\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The 2009 Master Plan..."},{"content":"I think I am lost\u0026hellip;. Caught in the never land between here and there, and never quite fitting into either. The last eighteen months have been intense - filled with activities which have changed me. Some came close to breaking me - like losing my Nigerian job, like enduring that nasty breakup, like feeling like the world caved in all at once\u0026hellip; I like to imagine I survived, and am slowly picking the pieces of my life back up and together again.\nIt is a new year.. Hopefully \u0026lsquo;09 brings better things to the party than \u0026lsquo;08, which if you ask me was my worst year yet. This is me in transition, jumping off the ledge, retooling a leaner, meaner me\u0026hellip; And hoping to make sense of both my worlds. Fingers crossed, e go better o!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2009/01/01/new-year-new-start-new-life/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI think I am lost\u0026hellip;. Caught in the never land between here and there, and never quite fitting into either. The last eighteen months have been intense - filled with activities which have changed me. Some came close to breaking me - like losing my Nigerian job, like enduring that nasty breakup, like feeling like the world caved in all at once\u0026hellip; I like to imagine I survived, and am slowly picking the pieces of my life back up and together again.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"New Year, New start, New Life..."},{"content":"Thanks to y\u0026rsquo;all who wished me a Merry Christmas. In view of the fact that I was stuck in Europe, that was the best I could have hoped for. Unfortunately there was no \u0026ldquo;White Christmas\u0026rdquo; where I was \u0026mdash;so my plan to take some pictures with snow to finally convince the \u0026ldquo;Doubting Thomases\u0026rdquo; that I was indeed somewhere in Europe failed to materialize\u0026hellip;.\nFound out that I have this unquenchable \u0026ldquo;lust\u0026rdquo; for peanut butter\u0026hellip; Yours truly ate it with everything over the Christmas - bread, rich tea biscuits, mixed with pasta.. I would be embarassed to even mention some of the things I did with it\u0026hellip;.Hopefully I\u0026rsquo;ll not add more than a few kilograms, and my regular brisk walks will burn it all off\u0026hellip;. lol\u0026hellip;\nWas glad for the break - took time out to play Football Manager 2009 on my laptop.. Ended up top of the Hall of Fame by 2016.\nFinally took the advice of a friend and watched 27 dresses. I\u0026rsquo;ve never being a fan of romantic comedies, especially now when my FB crush is still not showing face.. You know these things have a way of reminding you that you are still very single\u0026hellip;..lol.. Anyways, I liked it,(at least it kept me occupied for the lul in activity over Christmas)\u0026hellip;. And I definitely will watch it again\u0026hellip;..\nThe next big thing for me is to update my 5 year plan\u0026hellip;. Each year I review my goals from the past year on a number of fronts - career, social, humanitarian and educational and set out key action items to progress over the course of the year\u0026hellip;. This time one of the activities is to start a more \u0026ldquo;serious\u0026rdquo; blog on Nigeria and its issues \u0026ndash; hopefully promoting a dialog to identify ways that we as individuals can make a difference in our own small spheres of influence\u0026hellip;.\nA big influence on my life in the latter part of this year has been Rick Warren and his PEACE plan initiative. Hopefully, I can resolve my Spiritual black sheep status and get something useful with my life outside the field of Engineering\u0026hellip;.\nHere\u0026rsquo;s to 2009\u0026hellip;.. Hopefully, a year to make a fresh start and make a real difference\u0026hellip;. And capture the elusive 19th\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/12/26/27-dresses-peanut-butter-and-a-somewhat-merry-christmas/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThanks to y\u0026rsquo;all who wished me a Merry Christmas. In view of the fact that I was stuck in Europe, that was the best I could have hoped for. Unfortunately there was no \u0026ldquo;White Christmas\u0026rdquo; where I was \u0026mdash;so my plan to take some pictures with snow to finally convince the \u0026ldquo;Doubting Thomases\u0026rdquo; that I was indeed somewhere in Europe failed to materialize\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFound out that I have this unquenchable \u0026ldquo;lust\u0026rdquo; for peanut butter\u0026hellip; Yours truly ate it with everything over the Christmas - bread, rich tea biscuits, mixed with pasta.. I would be embarassed to even mention some of the things I did with it\u0026hellip;.Hopefully I\u0026rsquo;ll not add more than a few kilograms, and my regular brisk walks will burn it all off\u0026hellip;. lol\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'27 dresses', Peanut Butter and a somewhat Merry Christmas...."},{"content":"WOW.. Went to church yesterday and was wowed by the Christmas story presentation put up\u0026hellip; Everything from the kids singing \u0026ldquo;silent night\u0026rdquo; to the the main choir singing an up-beat rocky version of \u0026ldquo;Joy to the World\u0026rdquo; brought back memories from long ago\u0026hellip;..\nLiverpool almost gave me the perfect Christmas gift.. but yet again they failed to kill off a game that was there for the taking\u0026hellip; Even I, the most die-hard of pragmatic fans - have begun to have real serious doubts about their desire to win the elusive 19th this year.. Have a real fear deep down that we\u0026rsquo;ll not get a better chance than this year.. with all the \u0026ldquo;Big Four\u0026rdquo; bleeding points like snow on a white Christmas\u0026hellip;.\nWonder how Christmas will feel this year \u0026ndash; its my first time away from my family at Christmas.. Guess this chap had to grow up sooner rather than later anyways.. Plus all my flatmates have packed up and travelled \u0026ndash; Nigeria, France, Dubai and London \u0026ndash; dudes all gone leaving moi to my own devices for Christmas\u0026hellip;..\nAnyways, guess I\u0026rsquo;ll head off to church on Christmas day, come back for some serious bookwork and possibly see if there\u0026rsquo;s anyone I know willing for some small talk on the Tyne River\u0026hellip;..\nAnyways \u0026ndash; Merry Christmas to y\u0026rsquo;all and thanks to the credit crunch I have a real excuse not to give any gifts this year!!!!\nLast off \u0026ndash; here\u0026rsquo;s Joy to the World from Mariah Carey\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/12/22/ruminating/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWOW.. Went to \u003ca href=\"http://www.newcastleclc.co.uk\"\u003echurch\u003c/a\u003e yesterday and was wowed by the Christmas story presentation put up\u0026hellip; Everything from the kids singing \u0026ldquo;silent night\u0026rdquo; to the the main choir singing an up-beat rocky version of \u0026ldquo;Joy to the World\u0026rdquo; brought back memories from long ago\u0026hellip;..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLiverpool almost gave me the perfect Christmas gift.. but yet again they failed to kill off a game that was there for the taking\u0026hellip; Even I, the most die-hard of pragmatic fans - have begun to have real serious doubts about their desire to win the elusive 19th this year.. Have a real fear deep down that we\u0026rsquo;ll not get a better chance than this year.. with all the \u0026ldquo;Big Four\u0026rdquo; bleeding points like snow on a white Christmas\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Ruminating......"},{"content":"Wonder what I need to do to get married to a very rich diva\u0026hellip; Boy if i can make 50 million pounds from 9yrs, I\u0026rsquo;d be made for life.. That definitely will banish all thoughts of a credit crunch to the doldrums \u0026ldquo;like a bad night\u0026rsquo;s dream forever\u0026rdquo;.. Wonder why all these celebs hook up in the first place, if is only to part with loads of cash (maybe its not so hard-earned anyways or it really doesn\u0026rsquo;t hurt them lose the money). Maybe they do not believe in the love they sing about in their songs too\u0026hellip;.\nOn the subject of forgiveness and second chances, wonder what y\u0026rsquo;all think about our Nigerian bro who\u0026rsquo;s pleading for a pardon from President Bush\u0026hellip; Apparently the dude was convicted of driving for a drug cartel in New York way back in 1989. He\u0026rsquo;s however had 20 years of stellar behaviour, spent in church work.. Surely, that is paying back to the community and on the basis of that he can be excused? I mean, he can\u0026rsquo;t be the only one who has been convicted for driving for a new york crime syndicate\u0026hellip;What\u0026rsquo;s so special with this case? It does bring to the fore the negative image that Nigerians still have out there - the home of scammers, and everything bad. A gross generaliation (which is akin to intellectual suicide)but one which is very widely held.\nI don\u0026rsquo;t know but it looks to me that maybe there is just a little less tolerance in the West for other people. Maybe its the credit crunch but when even ex-Archbishop William Carey chips in with his own two cents (two pence is more appropriate right?) about tigthening immigration control, in the name of not forgetting \u0026ldquo;the importance of Christian identity\u0026rdquo; I wonder what the world is coming to\u0026hellip;Maybe he needs reminding that \u0026ldquo;there are only two races, the decent and the indecent\u0026rdquo;.\nGuess ultimately it boils down to two things: Nigerians who persist in doing stuff to rubbish the name of the beloved country and our crap leadership that persists in lining their own pockets as well as those of their own croonies with the nations resources, instead of building the infrastructure required to take Nigeria forward\u0026hellip;..\nNB: Did u ppl see this bill from lawyers to INEC? Hmmm.. I wonder if the chaps deserve the money - looks to me like Manchester City offering to pay someone 400,000 pounds a week\u0026hellip;.. Golly\u0026hellip;. Maybe i\u0026rsquo;m in the wrong career.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/12/16/random-thoughts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWonder what I need to do to get married to a very rich diva\u0026hellip; Boy if i can make \u003ca href=\"http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7784519.stm\"\u003e50 million pounds\u003c/a\u003e from 9yrs, I\u0026rsquo;d be made for life.. That definitely will banish all thoughts of a credit crunch to the doldrums \u0026ldquo;like a bad night\u0026rsquo;s dream forever\u0026rdquo;.. Wonder why all these celebs hook up in the first place, if is only to part with loads of cash (maybe its not so hard-earned anyways or it really doesn\u0026rsquo;t hurt them lose the money). Maybe they do not believe in the love they sing about in their songs too\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Random Thoughts...."},{"content":"JustDB, Dept of Razness, Faculty of 9janess, University of Somewhere, Someplace, SM5 10PL, Wherever. Date: Whenever this reaches you. eMail: Raz9ijaboi@yahoo.co.uk\nDear Santa, I write to table my most sincere wishes for this year’s Christmas tree to you. As you will most graciously remember, none of the things I asked for last year were delivered, possibly because some bully or some tall, dark and handsome dude (in the case of the wonderful girl down the road) hijacked them before they got to me. I understand your best efforts but would appreciate it if you could include some insurance on the postage to ensure I can at least put in a claim if the items get hijacked this year again.\nIf you could be so kind as to go through your records, you will realize that I have been a good guy this year. I stayed off alcohol and cigars as agreed last year; plus I was very generous to the needy people around me. The beggar on Somewhere street that I typically leave a couple of pence for each time I leave Primark will attest to this, as will the various children in Uganda and Tanzania that the change I drop off in the World Vision box at KFC has gone a long way to help through school. I also went out of my way severally to personally send money down to 9ja to take some kids off the street. Even you Santa will agree that this is a testament to my magnanimity and extreme devotion to the less privileged.\nUnlike last year when I had a rather long list of requests, I only have a couple this year. First off I’d like for that dear young lady I’ve been “poking” on Facebook without any response to poke me back at least. I believe your powers include being able to log on to FB, but if they don’t I’m willing to let you have my password so you can really see how gorgeous she is and how well she fits the list of criteria I sent to you last year (I can resend them if your email system has auto-archived my original email or if you’ve just simply lost it). Better still if you can make her like me very much that will be just fine!\nSecondly, I’d like to make straight A’s in my exams, while playing games on my laptop. Surely you have the password to the lecturer’s computer and can deliver the exam questions to me via my email address as listed above.\nThirdly, I’d like to get a brand new job in Canada. I\u0026rsquo;ve worked hard in 9ja but have had scant recognition for my extreme efforts. I\u0026rsquo;d like to try somme flexi-hours and see if it helps me better. Also I’d be much closer to you there and I can actually help you design a pipeline to transport all the gifts to people without stressing yourself that much. With the right process systems, I can even automate the process of loading the pipeline, linking it to your email inbox, so your wonderful reindeer can take a much needed rest.\nFourthly, my best friend Di, who you famously refused to allow me date, has had a baby and she’s feeling strained. I’d like it if you could make the kid cry less, so the young lady can get her strength back. Taking care of two little children is not easy.\nUncle Santa, I understand there’s a credit crunch and solving everybody’s issues may not be possible. If you have to prioritize, kindly remember that I’ve not had anything for Christmas in the past 10 years and I have lived an exemplary life in the past 1 yr. If I must have one request, kindly let it be my FB crush. At least if I am talking with her, my sorrow at not getting any other gift will be medicated. I can be reached via email if you require any further clarifications.\nYours Expectantly, Danny.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/12/11/dear-santa/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eJustDB,\nDept of Razness,\nFaculty of 9janess,\nUniversity of Somewhere,\nSomeplace, SM5 10PL,\nWherever.\nDate: Whenever this reaches you.\neMail: \u003ca href=\"mailto:Raz9ijaboi@yahoo.co.uk\"\u003eRaz9ijaboi@yahoo.co.uk\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDear Santa,\nI write to table my most sincere wishes for this year’s Christmas tree to you. As you will most graciously remember, none of the things I asked for last year were delivered, possibly because some bully or some tall, dark and handsome dude (in the case of the wonderful girl down the road) hijacked them before they got to me. I understand your best efforts but would appreciate it if you could include some insurance on the postage to ensure I can at least put in a claim if the items get hijacked this year again.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Dear Santa......"},{"content":"Spent a couple of minutes speaking with one of my friends.. and suddenly realized how \u0026ldquo;easy\u0026rdquo; the internet has made communication\u0026hellip;.This dude is that half-shy - half-reserved type who can barely keep a conversation going, but is absoutely fabulous on MSN or Facebook.. This dude manages to pull off witty comments that i\u0026rsquo;ve never heard from him in real life\u0026hellip;. I began to wonder if maybe communicating in real time involves so many nuances that most people just wilt rather than communicate effectively\u0026hellip;. Make no mistake, this guy is good - he finished in the top two in my class back in 9ja while yours truly finished in the never land of mid-table obscurity (as the football pundits so aptly put it) but the guy never was a talker\u0026hellip;.\nFound a sad tale on the web of a romantic proposal gone awry\u0026hellip; some romantic folks decided to propose marriage on the sea shore. Unfortunately, the wife-to-be got swept out to sea and died\u0026hellip;.Guess the simple things are most often the safest too\u0026hellip;.\nLiverpool finally won a premier league match, and Arsenal avoided another slippery patch against Wigan, Man Utd pulled one out of the fire at home to Sunderland and Chelski turned on the style against another team outside the top four.. Unfortunately, they will keep doing well against the lesser teams but come apart against ARSEnal (you cannot pass the ball better than them), Manure (too many game winners to track) and Liverpool (too much endeavor and hard work).. Anyways, at least Liverpool still sit atop the table for another week at least.. Let\u0026rsquo;s see what happens when Hull City come to Anfield next week\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/12/07/the-freedom-of-anonymityand-other-random-tots/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSpent a couple of minutes speaking with one of my friends.. and suddenly realized how \u0026ldquo;easy\u0026rdquo; the internet has made communication\u0026hellip;.This dude is that half-shy - half-reserved type who can barely keep a conversation going, but is absoutely fabulous on MSN or Facebook.. This dude manages to pull off witty comments that i\u0026rsquo;ve never heard from him in real life\u0026hellip;. I began to wonder if maybe communicating in real time involves so many nuances that most people just wilt rather than communicate effectively\u0026hellip;. Make no mistake, this guy is good - he finished in the top two in my class back in 9ja while yours truly finished in the never land of mid-table obscurity (as the football pundits so aptly put it) but the guy never was a talker\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The freedom of anonymity.....and other random tots..."},{"content":"Found this story on the BBC website. Its an ambitious heist at a top notch Paris jewelry shop.. Wonder how much publicity this might have gotten if it happened in Nigeria - or online????\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/12/05/theifry-in-paris/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFound this \u003ca href=\"http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7766850.stm\"\u003estory\u003c/a\u003e on the BBC website. Its an ambitious heist at a top notch Paris jewelry shop.. Wonder how much publicity this might have gotten if it happened in Nigeria - or online????\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Theifry in Paris......"},{"content":"Found this interesting article on Boundless.org. Dennis Prager is a Jewish American and a talk show host.. Enjoy his thoughts from the commencement address he gave to the 1997 graduating class of Pepperdine University.\nOne: The Greatest Struggle Is with Yourself - not with society.. Two: Trust Your Common Sense Three: Race is Unimportant Four: Don’t Leave Your Values at Home Five: Beware of Bad Ideas Six: Behavior Matters More than Intentions Seven: Religion is the True Counterculture\nParticularly loved this part\u0026hellip; When you can say, “No, I’m sorry; as tempting as that is [whatever that may be], I cannot do it,” others respect you, and you will respect you. When you know to whom you are accountable and you ultimately march to the beat of a higher drummer, you lead a more peaceful life.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/12/01/seven-ideas-for-life-some-gist-from-dennis-prager/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFound this interesting article on \u003ca href=\"http://www.boundless.org/1999/departments/the_podium/a0000033.html\"\u003eBoundless.org\u003c/a\u003e. Dennis Prager is a Jewish American and a talk show host.. Enjoy his thoughts from the commencement address he gave to the 1997 graduating class of Pepperdine University.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne: The Greatest Struggle Is with Yourself - not with society..\nTwo: Trust Your Common Sense\nThree: Race is Unimportant\nFour: Don’t Leave Your Values at Home\nFive: Beware of Bad Ideas\nSix: Behavior Matters More than Intentions\nSeven: Religion is the True Counterculture\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Seven Ideas for Life..."},{"content":"Just felt i needed to get this off my chest\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;..\nLast week marked the third month of my latest episode in the ongoing saga of \u0026ldquo;DB goes to school\u0026rdquo;. I\u0026rsquo;d been away from my books for about 6 yrs \u0026ndash; served the nation for one year and worked 5 - but then a number of work related events made me ask myself the hard questions\u0026hellip; On the surface I had a great life - an OK job, loads of wonderful friends, and I was racking up experience in an area of engineering i loved\u0026hellip;. But somehow, one morning in March \u0026ndash; after yet another emergency at the plant had made me come to work on a sunday and leave by past 9pm \u0026ndash; I decided I\u0026rsquo;d had enough and I applied to a school for an MSc placement\u0026hellip;. Got a letter of admission a couple of weeks later, and thus started my journey back to books\u0026hellip;..\nHave met loads of new people \u0026ndash; some great, some ok but some downright lousy..Like the dude who always boasts loudly in class about how many years of experience he\u0026rsquo;s got working in the industry.. How he\u0026rsquo;s led project teams, travelled to about 7 countries on training (at the last count \u0026mdash; unfortunately the number increases each time he decides to regale us with his importance\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;..), how he\u0026rsquo;s got a plum job at Esso, Shell or BP waiting for him and all what not\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;Or the chap who had this classic yoruba accent(apologies \u0026ndash; i mean no tribal slur here) when we resumed school - but now has this unconvincing Geordie accent - that sounds like someone has a chicken wire around his throat and he\u0026rsquo;s gasping for air\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.\nI prefer the anonymity that staying quiet gives me\u0026hellip; The ability to stay undercover and quietly plot my trajectory.. Maybe that\u0026rsquo;s why I\u0026rsquo;m hooked on blogsville.. for the anonymous window it gives me to say it the way I feel, without fearing that anyone\u0026rsquo;s ox is being gored\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.\nOr then maybe I should start practicing trying to sound like a scouscer in front of my mirror!!!!!!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/11/29/on-anonymity-make-believe-and-other-random-musings/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eJust felt i needed to get this off my chest\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLast week marked the third month of my latest episode in the ongoing saga of \u0026ldquo;DB goes to school\u0026rdquo;. I\u0026rsquo;d been away from my books for about 6 yrs \u0026ndash; served the nation for one year and worked 5 - but then a number of work related events made me ask myself the hard questions\u0026hellip; On the surface I had a great life - an OK job, loads of wonderful friends, and I was racking up experience in an area of engineering i loved\u0026hellip;. But somehow, one morning in March \u0026ndash; after yet another emergency at the plant had made me come to work on a sunday and leave by past 9pm \u0026ndash; I decided I\u0026rsquo;d had enough and I applied to a school for an MSc placement\u0026hellip;. Got a letter of admission a couple of weeks later, and thus started my journey back to books\u0026hellip;..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Anonymity, Make Believe and other random musings..."},{"content":"WOW..took some advice from y\u0026rsquo;all on blogsville and joined a discussion group plus reactivated my library card\u0026hellip; Have averaged 4 hrs of serious book work a day since sunday\u0026hellip; I should be on course to smash my exams at this rate..\nHmm - Just curious but can guys and girls be \u0026ldquo;just friends\u0026rdquo;? What do y\u0026rsquo;all think? I know a dude who\u0026rsquo;s stuck in limbo land over some young lady who he is \u0026ldquo;just friends\u0026rdquo; with and i\u0026rsquo;m wondering if that category even exists in the first place\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;. Fire away y\u0026rsquo;all\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/11/26/exam-fever-ii/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWOW..took some advice from y\u0026rsquo;all on blogsville and joined a discussion group plus reactivated my library card\u0026hellip; Have averaged 4 hrs of serious book work a day since sunday\u0026hellip; I should be on course to smash my exams at this rate..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHmm - Just curious but can guys and girls be \u0026ldquo;just friends\u0026rdquo;? What do y\u0026rsquo;all think? I know a dude who\u0026rsquo;s stuck in limbo land over some young lady who he is \u0026ldquo;just friends\u0026rdquo; with and i\u0026rsquo;m wondering if that category even exists in the first place\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;. Fire away y\u0026rsquo;all\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Exam Fever II..."},{"content":"Got a rude shock a couple of days ago\u0026hellip; My Degree Program Administrator circulated an email to all of us chaps on the provisional examination timetables.. Exams start off in just over a month and this dude has been chilling instead of reading since\u0026hellip; Told my friend that I was having problems motivating myself to read.. His advice? Print out all my fee receipts and my pay slips from 9ja and put them on my white board\u0026hellip; His reasoning is that if i keep looking at how much I\u0026rsquo;ve paid and how much I will not earn this year, I will sit up and read..Great advice anyways..\nSo i\u0026rsquo;ve decided to scale back on blogging and facebooking, restrict my email checking and replying to once a day (at night) and try to clear the backlog of book work.. Currently have the equivalent of two reams of A4 paper to peruse - and the bad part is the bulk of it is theoretical \u0026ndash; with very little calculations\u0026hellip;.. God go help im boy sha\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/11/23/exam-fever-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eGot a rude shock a couple of days ago\u0026hellip; My Degree Program Administrator circulated an email to all of us chaps on the provisional examination timetables.. Exams start off in just over a month and this dude has been chilling instead of reading since\u0026hellip; Told my friend that I was having problems motivating myself to read.. His advice? Print out all my fee receipts and my pay slips from 9ja and put them on my white board\u0026hellip; His reasoning is that if i keep looking at how much I\u0026rsquo;ve paid and how much I will not earn this year, I will sit up and read..Great advice anyways..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Exam Fever...."},{"content":"Just saw the shocking videos referenced by the waffarian. Such behavior is not only appalling, it is simply unacceptable. I\u0026rsquo;d hazard a guess that while Akwa Ibom may be in the spotlight on this issue at the moment, things like these are happening all over the country in the hinterland\u0026hellip;\nThe combination of spiritual zeal and half-baked knowledge has always being a fatal mix. I\u0026rsquo;m deeply ashamed to admit that I spent a couple of years in Eket and did not realize the full extent of this problem - yes we saw kids on the road and occasionally gave them money - but there was no concerted effort on our part to do something about it.. A couple of expats came together from time to time and provided funding to get some off the streets and into safe houses in other states for their safety - but the overwhelming response from us Nigerians was one of apathy and studied indifference\u0026hellip;\nIts all too easy to stand aloof and say “its not my cup of tea, let them do whatever they will as long as it doesn\u0026rsquo;t affect me”.\nOptions for facing this particular problem are not exactly copious \u0026ndash; I’d expect that more community engagement from the companies working in the area to educate the uninformed (they typically do a good job of laundering their images \u0026ndash; maybe for a change this will be a good cause to spend some PR money on); getting the Local Govt Authority to cater for some of the cast-aways may also help to ease some of the burden on the individuals who are doing something\u0026hellip;\nGranted the Helen Ukpabio lady has put out a film which is being labeled as the source of the new \u0026ldquo;inquisition\u0026rdquo; but these kinds of films depicting satanic powers at work have been around much longer - in fact a whole genre of Nigerian film developed around that in the 90s if my memory serves me right. Blaming this upsurge entirely on her is absurd to put it mildly.. Especially considering that not too long ago almost every serving from the Nollywood buffet included some flying god from the village wreaking havoc on an illustrious son or some witch doctor poisoning some one in its various incarnations.\nUltimately, its about a battle for \u0026ldquo;hearts and minds\u0026rdquo; - that all hands have to be on deck on..\nEven the Bible has some words on social justice\u0026hellip; \u0026ldquo;Judge true judgment, and practice kindness and pity, each man to his brother. And do not crush the widow or the orphan, the alien or the poor. And do not devise evil in your heart, of a man against his brother\u0026rdquo;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/11/16/on-social-responsibility/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eJust saw the shocking videos referenced by \u003ca href=\"http://waffarian-waffarian.blogspot.com\"\u003ethe waffarian\u003c/a\u003e. Such behavior is not only appalling, it is simply unacceptable. I\u0026rsquo;d hazard a guess that while Akwa Ibom may be in the spotlight on this issue at the moment, things like these are happening all over the country in the hinterland\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe combination of spiritual zeal and half-baked knowledge has always being a fatal mix. I\u0026rsquo;m deeply ashamed to admit that I spent a couple of years in Eket and did not realize the full extent of this problem - yes we saw kids on the road and occasionally gave them money - but there was no concerted effort on our part to do something about it.. A couple of expats came together from time to time and provided funding to get some off the streets and into safe houses in other states for their safety - but the overwhelming response from us Nigerians was one of apathy and studied indifference\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Social Responsibility.."},{"content":"Found this interesting article about forgeries of academic qualifications by some Asian students who somehow got admitted into Newcastle University.. With all the bad publicity 9ja has been getting (no thanks to crackdowns on journalists, inventive facebook scams and the brutalisation of a certain Ms Okere); its somewhat gratifying that not all things bad are Nigerian. On a more serious note though - what do y\u0026rsquo;all think drives the need to forge documents to gain entry into a University especially when these Universities have access to a plethora of tool for verifying these documents?\nAt a minimum, its a high risk gamble, and quite possibly has a greater than 60% chance of failing.. Then maybe again its the whole risk averse vs risk accepting argument..\nFull article can be found at..\nhttp://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2008/11/12/students-are-thrown-out-61634-22233973/\nUnfortunately i\u0026rsquo;m no good at html.. so u\u0026rsquo;ll just have to copy the link and paste it into a browser window..\nOff to school now..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/11/12/not-all-things-bad-are-nigerian/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFound this interesting article about forgeries of academic qualifications by some Asian students who somehow got admitted into Newcastle University.. With all the bad publicity 9ja has been getting (no thanks to crackdowns on journalists, inventive facebook scams and the brutalisation of a certain Ms Okere); its somewhat gratifying that not all things bad are Nigerian. On a more serious note though - what do y\u0026rsquo;all think drives the need to forge documents to gain entry into a University especially when these Universities have access to a plethora of tool for verifying these documents?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Not all things bad are Nigerian...."},{"content":"A poem I wrote many years ago \u0026ndash; when i was still a beardless teenager way back in Nigeria.. Enjoy\u0026hellip;\nWaiting for forever.\nWe had our hopes, we had our dreams, We somehow believed,in words and swords, We somehow believed, that one more coup, That some more troops, Would consign to the past, the pains we felt forever.\nSomehow we believed, in sugar coated tongues, In \u0026ldquo;fellow country men\u0026rdquo;,In \u0026ldquo;khaki covered men\u0026rdquo; To wipe away the past, like a bad night\u0026rsquo;s dream forever..\nSomehow we\u0026rsquo;ve waited, somehow we\u0026rsquo;ve panted, Some how hoping long, even against hope,\nSomehow expecting the recurring \u0026ldquo;Joshuas\u0026rdquo; To bring on us Utopia, Like fresh breezes from the sea.\nThe more we wait, the more the pain it seems, The more distant the land of promise seems,\nOf course we all but knew, somehow we\u0026rsquo;ve realized, We\u0026rsquo;ve waited, Yes, We\u0026rsquo;ve waited, Waited for forever.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/11/10/from-the-archives/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA poem I wrote many years ago \u0026ndash; when i was still a beardless teenager way back in Nigeria.. Enjoy\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWaiting for forever.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe had our hopes, we had our dreams,\nWe somehow believed,in words and swords,\nWe somehow believed, that one more coup,\nThat some more troops,\nWould consign to the past, the pains we felt forever.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSomehow we believed, in sugar coated tongues,\nIn \u0026ldquo;fellow country men\u0026rdquo;,In \u0026ldquo;khaki covered men\u0026rdquo;\nTo wipe away the past, like a bad night\u0026rsquo;s dream forever..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"From the archives....."},{"content":"Meen \u0026ndash; Haven\u0026rsquo;t felt this miffed in a veery long time\u0026hellip; Had a 9am class today, woke up at 6.30am, browsed through blogsville to catch up on all I\u0026rsquo;d missed over the weekend and popped into the bath.. only for the fire alarm to sound\u0026hellip; The silly porters had decided that 8.15am on a Monday morning was the best time to have a fire drill\u0026hellip;\nThe resulting 30 min delay meant i only completed preparation for classes at 9.00am and finally arrived the lecture hall a full 30mins after the lecture had started\u0026hellip; Doubt I learned anything form it by the way\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/11/10/rattled-by-the-fire-alarm/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMeen \u0026ndash; Haven\u0026rsquo;t felt this miffed in a veery long time\u0026hellip; Had a 9am class today, woke up at 6.30am, browsed through blogsville to catch up on all I\u0026rsquo;d missed over the weekend and popped into the bath.. only for the fire alarm to sound\u0026hellip; The silly porters had decided that 8.15am on a Monday morning was the best time to have a fire drill\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe resulting 30 min delay meant i only completed preparation for classes at 9.00am and finally arrived the lecture hall a full 30mins after the lecture had started\u0026hellip; Doubt I learned anything form it by the way\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Rattled by the Fire Alarm..."},{"content":"First off an apology \u0026ndash; Was tied up with my books (U know old men and books need time to gell together o)..\nLooks like some sort of normal service has been restored to the EPL\u0026hellip;Prof \u0026ldquo;WHINEger\u0026rdquo; getting a response from his boys against the Manure, Anelka shaking off his characteristic lethargy to score twice and send Chelski top of the table again and Robbie Keane getting \u0026ldquo;the monkey off his back\u0026rdquo; as Rafa Tinkerman so succintly put it..\nI\u0026rsquo;ve never been a fan of Arsenal\u0026rsquo;s immitation of \u0026ldquo;total football\u0026rdquo; but I have to admit I loved the way they put Manure to the sword - granted there were comical comments (like the back pass that Almunia picked up early in the game), dodgy moments (like Clichy\u0026rsquo;s handball - or ball to hand incident) but overall Arsenal were good value for their win\u0026hellip; The text messages I\u0026rsquo;ve been receiving seem to suggest that Arsenal fans feel like they\u0026rsquo;ve turned the curve \u0026ndash; but remember this was Manure and they generally do not come to kick you off the pitch like a Stoke City would do\u0026hellip; Let\u0026rsquo;s see how Arsenal do against a more physical side.. That will be the true test of how far they\u0026rsquo;ve banished the devils of the past.. Good part of the win is that it keep Manure several point behind Liverpool \u0026ndash; which bodes well for us\u0026hellip;\nChelski on the other hand have a knack for playing the smaller teams off the park in the short time Scolari has been around. My personal take is tyhat they will struggle to get results against the other member of the Big Four - a draw at home to Manure and a loss to Liverpool have not done much to change my mind on that..\nLots of positives for Liverpool from this weekend - two goals from Robbie Keane, a run out for Torres and a clean sheet would have helped settle some frayed nerves at Anfield.. Still early days, but quite possibly its shaping up to be a challenge that will last well into the new year at least\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\nAnyways, a great weekend of football was made exquisite by my completing \u0026ldquo;Half of a Yellow Sun\u0026rdquo; (after 3 months of sitting on my shelf), a trip to Yorkshire in the UK and a return to Facebook (yeah \u0026ndash; uunfortunatly i seem to lack the will power to stay off completely so I\u0026rsquo;ve promised myself two logons every day in my brand new account - once in the morning, once n the evening) Hope i succed at that\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/11/09/on-whineger-manure-chelski-rafa-tinkerman-and-a-weekend-of-premiership-football/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFirst off an apology \u0026ndash; Was tied up with my books (U know old men and books need time to gell together o)..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLooks like some sort of normal service has been restored to the EPL\u0026hellip;Prof \u0026ldquo;WHINEger\u0026rdquo; getting a response from his boys against the Manure, Anelka shaking off his characteristic lethargy to score twice and send Chelski top of the table again and Robbie Keane getting \u0026ldquo;the monkey off his back\u0026rdquo; as Rafa Tinkerman so succintly put it..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On WHINEger, Manure, Chelski, Rafa TINKERman and a weekend of Premiership Football.."},{"content":"Felt really bad last night\u0026hellip; Guess the initiating event was Liverpool\u0026rsquo;s cruel defeat to Tootenham Hotspur after bossing the game for 60ish minutes and scoring as early as the 3rd minute\u0026hellip; and the flurry of text messages I got form all over the globe (seriously).. Chaps from Nigeria, the US, the UK and even one from Australia all bombarded my phone with messages on how Liverpool have once again flattered to deceive and all what not\u0026hellip;.\nToo bad \u0026ndash; hope the guys can pick themselves up and go on a good run\u0026hellip; like after the Stoke game.. Feel that Rafa \u0026ldquo;Tinkerman\u0026rdquo; Benitez had a hand with some subs that didn\u0026rsquo;t need to have happened.. Well.. hindsight they say is perfect sight.. So i\u0026rsquo;ll not second guess the chap.. that\u0026rsquo;s why he\u0026rsquo;s paid so much and I\u0026rsquo;m just a bloody unknown guy lost in the crowd\u0026hellip;..\nAnyways \u0026ndash; stumbled on this video on YouTube (what will we not see on that site sef..) of Whitney Houston doing \u0026ldquo;One Moment in Time\u0026rdquo; at the opening of the Arthur Ashe Stadium.. Enjoy\u0026hellip; .\n[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC7-srK_cNQ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;fs=1]\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/11/02/saturday-evening-blues/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFelt really bad last night\u0026hellip; Guess the initiating event was Liverpool\u0026rsquo;s cruel defeat to Tootenham Hotspur after bossing the game for 60ish minutes and scoring as early as the 3rd minute\u0026hellip; and the flurry of text messages I got form all over the globe (seriously).. Chaps from Nigeria, the US, the UK and even one from Australia all bombarded my phone with messages on how Liverpool have once again flattered to deceive and all what not\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Saturday Evening Blues..."},{"content":"I did the unthinkable today and deleted my Facebook account\u0026hellip; Not sure what finally pushed me over the edge but I sure knew it was coming\u0026hellip; Possibly it was the three hours wasted after my lectures today responding to comments on my pictures and trawling the profiles of my friends looking for comments to add, or maybe it was the heated exchange I had with some chap over Obama and McCain and how relevant it was to the rest of the world (especially Nigeria) who it was that won\u0026hellip; Quite possibly, it was exacerbated by the friendly jibe my best friend\u0026rsquo;s kid sister threw in my direction - a candid warning to her big sis not to get addicted to FB like yours truly\u0026hellip; Or maybe it was the ease with which it is possible to breach the walls of anonymity and become \u0026ldquo;friends\u0026rdquo; with someone you\u0026rsquo;ve never known from the start of evolution - much less from Adam\u0026rsquo;s time.. Or maybe it was the threat of potential employers snooping around on FB for mug shots of prospective employees\u0026hellip;..\nWhatever the reasons, I finally did it.. And I hope I have the steely resolve to stay away from it (apparently I\u0026rsquo;ve got till mid November to rescind my decision before FB finally pulls the plug on all my online stuff\u0026hellip;.).\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/10/30/me-and-my-facebook/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI did the unthinkable today and deleted my Facebook account\u0026hellip; Not sure what finally pushed me over the edge but I sure knew it was coming\u0026hellip; Possibly it was the three hours wasted after my lectures today responding to comments on my pictures and trawling the profiles of my friends looking for comments to add, or maybe it was the heated exchange I had with some chap over Obama and McCain and how relevant it was to the rest of the world (especially Nigeria) who it was that won\u0026hellip; Quite possibly, it was exacerbated by the friendly jibe my best friend\u0026rsquo;s kid sister threw in my direction - a candid warning to her big sis not to get addicted to FB like yours truly\u0026hellip; Or maybe it was the ease with which it is possible to breach the walls of anonymity and become \u0026ldquo;friends\u0026rdquo; with someone you\u0026rsquo;ve never known from the start of evolution - much less from Adam\u0026rsquo;s time.. Or maybe it was the threat of potential employers snooping around on FB for mug shots of prospective employees\u0026hellip;..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Me.. and my Facebook"},{"content":"Hmm \u0026ndash; still awake \u0026ndash; time\u0026rsquo;s 2.12am here but a big cup of coffee is striving to keep me very much awake.. Had an assignment i needed to complete for some lecturer who does his utmost best to come across as recticent all the time and i felt a cup of coffee would help\u0026hellip;.\nWas delighted that my Liverpool team got the win against Portsmouth.. They\u0026rsquo;d huffed and puffed for 70+ minutes before a moment of madness gited them the winning penalty - Trust Stevie G to respond with a well driven penalty beyond the despairing dive to Calamity James\u0026hellip; Hmmm so wat else is happening to me at the moment?\nJust chilling, trying to catch up with my book work, evaluating my finances to decide if i need to work some more to tide over the period of my studies, etc etc.. lots of random thoughts going through my head\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;Great.. Well, gotta run now\u0026hellip; Have had my carthasis for the day\u0026hellip;..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/10/30/loving-liverpool-fc/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHmm \u0026ndash; still awake \u0026ndash; time\u0026rsquo;s 2.12am here but a big cup of coffee is striving to keep me very much awake.. Had an assignment i needed to complete for some lecturer who does his utmost best to come across as recticent all the time and i felt a cup of coffee would help\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWas delighted that my Liverpool team got the win against Portsmouth.. They\u0026rsquo;d huffed and puffed for 70+ minutes before a moment of madness gited them the winning penalty - Trust Stevie G to respond with a well driven penalty beyond the despairing dive to Calamity James\u0026hellip; Hmmm so wat else is happening to me at the moment?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Loving Liverpool FC"},{"content":"Hmmm \u0026ndash; still rubbinng my hands in glee over the most assured Liverpool perfromance at the Bridge since January 2004; calm, disciplined and \u0026ldquo;arsenalesque\u0026rdquo; at times with the approach play\u0026hellip; Liverpool were good value for the win and much as I\u0026rsquo;m shied away from saying this is the year of the 19th, i\u0026rsquo;m slowly building a head of enthusiasim again.. For us all the long suffering Anfield faithful, we pray fervently that The Rotator doesn\u0026rsquo;t blow it this time and that he keeps the same nucleus that has gelled so well this season.. IMO, Jnaury should bring in a genuine winger who can play on either side and a full back (Fabio, Dossena, Arbeloa) have done OK; not done great as I see it)\u0026hellip;.\nFingers crossed guys, lets see where we are are Christmas and then take it from there\u0026hellip;.\nNB: Could NOT signing Gareth Barry (and selling Xabi Alonso) be the transfer of the season????\n[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hbwwKPzP4w\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;fs=1]\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/10/27/the-elusive-19th/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHmmm \u0026ndash; still rubbinng my hands in glee over the most assured Liverpool perfromance at the Bridge since January 2004; calm, disciplined and \u0026ldquo;arsenalesque\u0026rdquo; at times with the approach play\u0026hellip; Liverpool were good value for the win and much as I\u0026rsquo;m shied away from saying this is the year of the 19th, i\u0026rsquo;m slowly building a head of enthusiasim again.. For us all the long suffering Anfield faithful, we pray fervently that The Rotator doesn\u0026rsquo;t blow it this time and that he keeps the same nucleus that has gelled so well this season..\nIMO, Jnaury should bring in a genuine winger who can play on either side and a full back (Fabio, Dossena, Arbeloa) have done OK; not done great as I see it)\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The elusive 19th?"},{"content":"WOW.. Four weeks have gone by like yesterday.. Four weeks of lectures on Tyneside\u0026hellip; Plus nearly two reams of reading materials covering everything from linear wave theory to fracture mechanics.. Meeen this book work ehnn.. Thank God say I even go now, like say I don marry get picki e for rough o\u0026hellip;\nAnyways I\u0026rsquo;m grteful for the opportunity to study again and give myself loads of options at the end (ppeline engineering no be yam o!!!)..\nEnjoy this great song from Article One.. And for those of you who\u0026rsquo;ve sent me emails asking why the stop - start blogging\u0026hellip; I promise i\u0026rsquo;ll be regular\u0026hellip; Shake hnads on it too..\nRegards ppl..\n[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-5ow3iJImA\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;fs=1]\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/10/26/four-weeks-gone/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWOW.. Four weeks have gone by like yesterday.. Four weeks of lectures on Tyneside\u0026hellip; Plus nearly two reams of reading materials covering everything from linear wave theory to fracture mechanics.. Meeen this book work ehnn.. Thank God say I even go now, like say I don marry get picki e for rough o\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnyways I\u0026rsquo;m grteful for the opportunity to study again and give myself loads of options at the end (ppeline engineering no be yam o!!!)..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Four Weeks gone.."},{"content":"WOW\u0026hellip; finally got through the second full week of lectures on Tyneside.. Calling them hectic wold be a disservcie to the sheer number and length of lectures i\u0026rsquo;ve had to go through - capped off by a dose of 7 hrs with Prof Phil Hopkins. Anyways i\u0026rsquo;d say i\u0026rsquo;m slowly geting back into the groove - except for one kind economics course like dat wey dey make boys sleep well well\u0026hellip;\nHeard the good news dat my man Ife is finally heading out to UCL in the next couple of days \u0026ndash; the chap deserves a break jo \u0026ndash; those imperialists wan kill the guy before (but na the guy dey form high flier before sha)..\nGuys enjoy this video from Kirk Franklin \u0026ndash; was touched by it after lsitening to it for the first time in over 2 years\u0026hellip; Ciao guys\u0026hellip;\nhttp://www.1cubed.com/mediaplayer.php?vID=26\u0026amp;sID=28\n[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTjSCy-R2-M\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;fs=1]\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/10/11/just-chilling-bracing-up-for-week-3/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWOW\u0026hellip; finally got through the second full week of lectures on Tyneside.. Calling them hectic wold be a disservcie to the sheer number and length of lectures i\u0026rsquo;ve had to go through - capped off by a dose of 7 hrs with Prof Phil Hopkins. Anyways i\u0026rsquo;d say i\u0026rsquo;m slowly geting back into the groove - except for one kind economics course like dat wey dey make boys sleep well well\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Just Chilling - bracing up for week 3!"},{"content":"WOW.. yesterday made it the 21st consecutive day on Tyneside for moi\u0026hellip;.I\u0026rsquo;m grateful for the chance to be away from the frenetic pace of work for a year, but at some stage i\u0026rsquo;d almost started second guessing my decision to go for an Msc..\nAll in all the pressure\u0026rsquo;s slacked off - completed registration, settled in seamlessly, starting to know my way around now and have meet some really cool guys on Tyneside..\nWent to church yesterday - Newcastle Christian Life Centre - www.newcastleclc.co.uk - and thouroughly enjoyed church for the first time in a while.. The sheer energy, passion and joy was enviable\u0026hellip; Planning to head back there a lot more times over the course of the year too\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/10/06/21-days-on-tyneside/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWOW.. yesterday made it the 21st consecutive day on Tyneside for moi\u0026hellip;.I\u0026rsquo;m grateful for the chance to be away from the frenetic pace of work for a year, but at some stage i\u0026rsquo;d almost started second guessing my decision to go for an Msc..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll in all the pressure\u0026rsquo;s slacked off - completed registration, settled in seamlessly, starting to know my way around now and have meet some really cool guys on Tyneside..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"21 days on Tyneside!"},{"content":"I wonder how many LFC fans are taking note of the fact that Xabi Alonso has had a big hand in conjuring up the best ever start to a Premier League campaign under Rafa the rotator? Big response from a world class player IMO.. The mere fact that Rafa was willing to pay 18M pounds for a replacement player along with all the constant noise about a move to Juve and then the Ar$e$ seemed to suggest that his Anfield time was up but the impact he\u0026rsquo;s had amidst average performances from people around him begs the question as to why he was on the way out\u0026hellip;Granted last season he was a shadow of himself, and he chose to witness the birth of his kid rather than travel (commendable IMO) but he\u0026rsquo;s shown his quality in past seasons..\nLet\u0026rsquo;s hope he can feature prominently in the drive for the elusive 19th\u0026hellip; On the balance of play tho\u0026rsquo; I find that diffcult to keep believing\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.YNWA Xabi\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/08/24/the-rejected-stone/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI wonder how many LFC fans are taking note of the fact that Xabi Alonso has had a big hand in conjuring up the best ever start to a Premier League campaign under Rafa the rotator? Big response from a world class player IMO.. The mere fact that Rafa was willing to pay 18M pounds for a replacement player along with all the constant noise about a move to Juve and then the Ar$e$ seemed to suggest that his Anfield time was up but the impact he\u0026rsquo;s had amidst average performances from people around him begs the question as to why he was on the way out\u0026hellip;Granted last season he was a shadow of himself, and he chose to witness the birth of his kid rather than travel (commendable IMO) but he\u0026rsquo;s shown his quality in past seasons..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The 'Rejected Stone'?"},{"content":"Crossed the 97% mark this week\u0026hellip; Got my ticket to Newcastle via London Heathrow yesterday so as it stands I\u0026rsquo;m almost good to go.. Still yet to hear anything back from HR yet on how much I owe.. I expect I have it covered tho'\nThot I\u0026rsquo;d be able to avoid having a sit-out for my chaps \u0026ndash; but I\u0026rsquo;ve been sternly warned that such a course of action will be unacceptable.. Guess I always knew I had no choice on this one..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/08/23/newcastlethe-waiting-game/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eCrossed the 97% mark this week\u0026hellip; Got my ticket to Newcastle via London Heathrow yesterday so as it stands I\u0026rsquo;m almost good to go.. Still yet to hear anything back from HR yet on how much I owe.. I expect I have it covered tho'\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThot I\u0026rsquo;d be able to avoid having a sit-out for my chaps \u0026ndash; but I\u0026rsquo;ve been sternly warned that such a course of action will be unacceptable.. Guess I always knew I had no choice on this one..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Newcastle.....The waiting game"},{"content":"WOW \u0026ndash; The Newcastle agenda crossed the 95% milestone last Friday.. Weeks of nail-biting suspense came to an end.. and when it did it was anti-climatic.. The weeks of palpating excel spreadsheets and evaluating various scenarios came to an end more in a puff of smoke than a roaring volcanic eruption..\nI\u0026rsquo;d skipped work, chartered a cab to Calabar and only arrived just in time to catch the last Arik Air flight to Lagos from Calabar\u0026hellip; Flight was eventful, rather bumpy but safe\u0026hellip; And then when the brown envelope was in my hands, i only felt a cold, calm detachment..\nWell thank God, I have my entry clearance, next steps are to apply for a leave of absence, clear my indetedness to the company and fly out..\nThe end of the beginnning is at hand\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/08/10/the-newcastle-agenda/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWOW \u0026ndash; The Newcastle agenda crossed the 95% milestone last Friday.. Weeks of nail-biting suspense came to an end.. and when it did it was anti-climatic.. The weeks of palpating excel spreadsheets and evaluating various scenarios came to an end more in a puff of smoke than a roaring volcanic eruption..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;d skipped work, chartered a cab to Calabar and only arrived just in time to catch the last Arik Air flight to Lagos from Calabar\u0026hellip; Flight was eventful, rather bumpy but safe\u0026hellip; And then when the brown envelope was in my hands, i only felt a cold, calm detachment..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Newcastle Agenda"},{"content":"Finally worked up the nerve to start blogging about my prospective Newcastle odyssey\u0026hellip;. By my excel spreadsheet estimates I\u0026rsquo;ve crossed the 78% milestone, paid my fees, booked my accomodation, self registered for school, moved my pounds into my dorm account - the works..\nCurrently waiting on the chaps from the High Commission to make a statement on my application to finally cross the 90% milestone..\nAs for me all I\u0026rsquo;m doing is twiddling my thumbs and waiting for the manifestation of the day.,,\nWatch this space..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/08/05/diary-of-a-would-be-school-boy/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFinally worked up the nerve to start blogging about my prospective Newcastle odyssey\u0026hellip;. By my excel spreadsheet estimates I\u0026rsquo;ve crossed the 78% milestone, paid my fees, booked my accomodation, self registered for school, moved my pounds into my dorm account - the works..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCurrently waiting on the chaps from the High Commission to make a statement on my application to finally cross the 90% milestone..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs for me all I\u0026rsquo;m doing is twiddling my thumbs and waiting for the manifestation of the day.,,\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Diary of a would-be school boy"},{"content":"WOW \u0026ndash; spent my first weekend in Port Harcourt for the first time in nearly two and half years and boy did I thoroughly enjoy myself!!!! The gist was great, the kids were awesome and just being around some really cool friends made my weekend.. Didn\u0026rsquo;t know I still enjoyed being around kids that much\u0026hellip;Great start to my birthday month\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/08/03/weekend-gists-ph/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWOW \u0026ndash; spent my first weekend in Port Harcourt for the first time in nearly two and half years and boy did I thoroughly enjoy myself!!!! The gist was great, the kids were awesome and just being around some really cool friends made my weekend.. Didn\u0026rsquo;t know I still enjoyed being around kids that much\u0026hellip;Great start to my birthday month\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weekend Gists -- PH"},{"content":"Spent May Day listening to the likes of Fred Thompson, Sharon McPherson, Ibukun Awosika, Leke Alder at the platform (www.theplatformnigeria.com ) .. Fred seems to be big on this TQM thing \u0026ndash; Meeting specifications, meeting expectations and providing excitement.. Maybe there is a fourth quality \u0026ndash; operating at a more fundamental level \u0026mdash; but none the less critical \u0026ndash; quality of thought\u0026hellip;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/05/22/the-fourth-dimension-of-quality/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSpent May Day listening to the likes of Fred Thompson, Sharon McPherson, Ibukun Awosika, Leke Alder at the platform (\u003ca href=\"http://www.theplatformnigeria.com/\"\u003ewww.theplatformnigeria.com\u003c/a\u003e ) .. Fred seems to be big on this TQM thing \u0026ndash; Meeting specifications, meeting expectations and providing excitement.. Maybe there is a fourth quality \u0026ndash; operating at a more fundamental level \u0026mdash; but none the less critical \u0026ndash; quality of thought\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Fourth Dimension of Quality"},{"content":"Russ Bush:\nA worldview is that basic set of assumptions that gives meaning to one’s thoughts. A worldview is the set of assumptions that someone has about the way things are, about what things are, about why things are.\nSt. Augustine of Hippo:\nTrue faith is bound up with reason\nJames W. Sire (The Universe Next Door):\nA worldview is a set of presuppositions (assumptions which may be true, partially true or entirely false) which we hold (consciously or subconsciously, consistently or inconsistently) about the basic make-up of our world.\nIf you are like me, who works in a corporate environment, you like buzz words - continuous improvement, improving the bottom line, bare essentials, proactive engagement, and the like. Add to that list hermeneutics, exegesis, 30/40 window, mission focused lifestyle - and worldview - if you play around in \u0026ldquo;spiritually\u0026rdquo; intellectual circles.\nSo do we need another buzz word, another catch phrase to bamboozle the lay man or the uninformed? Maybe bamboozle is only the end result due to wrong application and not the true focus of this. Simply put, our worldview is the sum of our basic presuppositions about the \u0026ldquo;why\u0026rdquo; of existence. This is of utmost criticality - wrong here a man is dead wrong everywhere else. This essentially becomes the prism through which we view life, the \u0026ldquo;evil in the face of a good God\u0026rdquo; connudrum, the problem of life\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;unfairness\u0026rdquo; etc.\nConsider your worldview not as some lofty, technical term meant purely for some old Christian apologist stuck in some old monastery somewhere but as a vibrant part of your thinking, living and doing in the \u0026ldquo;real\u0026rdquo; world. If truth has universal application then all worldviews are mutually exlusive and there must be a \u0026ldquo;right\u0026rdquo; worldview. Some assumption about the \u0026ldquo;why\u0026rdquo; of life must be wrong and some other \u0026ldquo;right\u0026rdquo;. 2 Tim 2:15 talks about us \u0026ldquo;studying to show yourself approved unto God\u0026hellip;. rightly dividing the word of truth\u0026rdquo;, rightly providing a basis for the reason we believe, instant in season.\nRemember - as a man thinketh in his heart - so is he!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2008/02/13/whats-in-a-worldview/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.bpnews.net/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=27244\"\u003eRuss Bush:\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA worldview is that basic set of assumptions that gives meaning to one’s thoughts. A worldview is the set of assumptions that someone has about the way things are, about what things are, about why things are.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo\"\u003eSt. Augustine of Hippo:\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrue faith is bound up with reason\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Universe-Next-Door-Jim-Sire/dp/1844744205\"\u003eJames W. Sire (The Universe Next Door):\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA worldview is a set of presuppositions (assumptions which may be true, partially true or entirely false) which we hold (consciously or subconsciously, consistently or inconsistently) about the basic make-up of our world.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"What's in a Worldview?"},{"content":"WOW \u0026ndash; Been almost a whole long month that I\u0026rsquo;ve ben away from blogsville \u0026ndash; Granted i was never the consumate blogger but i did manage to pop in from time to time to see what was grooving around blogsville.. But this last run was awful - first my ISP was struck by lightning inone of those freak tropical thunderstorms and their equipment got fried.. Then its taken the better part of threee weeks to attempt a fix - Awful - even by Nigerian Private Sector standards.. Only NEPA/ PHCN is more abysmal\u0026hellip;\nAnyways its great to be back, the imposed media sabbatical/media fast afforded us some soul searching - hopefully we\u0026rsquo;ll be back with a really big bang (and not a puff of wispy smoke)..\nEnjoy this article by Joe Carter on unpluging ourselves from Media.. (http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001584.cfm). Another one of the reasons I love stopping by Boundless.org TGIF folks!!!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2007/09/28/missing-in-action/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWOW \u0026ndash; Been almost a whole long month that I\u0026rsquo;ve ben away from blogsville \u0026ndash; Granted i was never the consumate blogger but i did manage to pop in from time to time to see what was grooving around blogsville.. But this last run was awful - first my ISP was struck by lightning inone of those freak tropical thunderstorms and their equipment got fried.. Then its taken the better part of threee weeks to attempt a fix - Awful - even by Nigerian Private Sector standards.. Only NEPA/ PHCN is more abysmal\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Missing in Action"},{"content":"Phew \u0026ndash; I\u0026rsquo;ve survived another year \u0026ndash; Another year of living and working in 9ja with all its attendant issues. I had several close shaves with death in the past 1 year - two car crashes that almost claimed my life (the last one finally totalled my 2001 3.25i BMW and left me with a cut on my head), a massive re-org at work that left 160 people considering what might have been if they\u0026rsquo;d opted for a different first job instead of tying up with an Oil \u0026amp; Gas major, two flights to and fro Lagos every month inspite of the real issues with the 9ja Aviation industry, several gruelling trips to Benin City from my enclave in the 9ja Delta (a 16hr round trip every 2 months) and most importantly another 1 year of surviving inspite of Mama\u0026rsquo;s phone calls..\nGuess Mama has valid concerns. My seeming lack of endeavour in the field of \u0026ldquo;settling down\u0026rdquo; has given her sleepless nights and almost added high blood pressure - I\u0026rsquo;ve seemed as committed to not getting married as she is to get me married off ASAP.. Seems like I\u0026rsquo;m at the stage of life where everyone has \u0026ldquo;concerns\u0026rdquo; about my single status - my favorite cousins have taken it upon themselves to send endless SMSs with names of eligible young ladies that are \u0026ldquo;available\u0026rdquo;, my sisters have been more circumspect merely resorting to regaling me with stories of which of my friends got married in the last quarter. But Mama\u0026rsquo;s efforts crown them all \u0026ndash; multiple 40 day fasts, long bouts of advice, carefully camoflauged \u0026ldquo;meet the girl\u0026rdquo; events touted as family get togethers - the entire gamut of what\u0026rsquo;s in her arsenal.\nTrust Moi - the quintessential pig-headed, obstinate, \u0026ldquo;question the answers\u0026rdquo; guy simply refused to be bullied into doing things under duress\u0026hellip;. and decided 2007 was the year to focus on the main things: defining my KPIs for life - milestones to attain with timelines within which to reach them.. Did I meet my targets - Yes and No; weight is still 15kg above target, networth is 25% below target, i\u0026rsquo;m still single - mixed results in general\u0026hellip;.\nGuess Psalm 90:6 captures the essense of what i feel on this day - every day that goes by is one less day to live, one less day to make and impact, one less day to prepare for \u0026ldquo;the One\u0026rdquo;, one less day for everything\u0026hellip; Here\u0026rsquo;s to hoping this next year brings \u0026ldquo;the One\u0026rdquo; at least!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2007/08/16/birthdays-kpis-and-mamas-calls/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePhew \u0026ndash; I\u0026rsquo;ve survived another year \u0026ndash; Another year of living and working in 9ja with all its attendant issues. I had several close shaves with death in the past 1 year - two car crashes that almost claimed my life (the last one finally totalled my 2001 3.25i BMW and left me with a cut on my head), a massive re-org at work that left 160 people considering what might have been if they\u0026rsquo;d opted for a different first job instead of tying up with an Oil \u0026amp; Gas major, two flights to and fro Lagos every month inspite of the real issues with the 9ja Aviation industry, several gruelling trips to Benin City from my enclave in the 9ja Delta (a 16hr round trip every 2 months) and most importantly another 1 year of surviving inspite of Mama\u0026rsquo;s phone calls..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Birthdays, KPIs and Mama's Calls"},{"content":"Phew \u0026ndash; The \u0026ldquo;danger\u0026rdquo; of documentation was brought home to me very forcibly a couple of days ago.. A friend of mine stumbled across an old year book from my campus fellowship (from which I graduated in 2002).\nFirst off the \u0026ldquo;me\u0026rdquo; in the picture was several pounds lighter, with bushier hair and the talk \u0026ndash; gist of launching my very own ISP wthin 10 years of quititng campus, writing songs and all what not \u0026ndash; was a far cry from what I\u0026rsquo;d actually gone on to do .. Only my name connected the picture of the scrawny 20-something year old guy with the \u0026ldquo;buff\u0026rdquo; guy I\u0026rsquo;d become..\nMaybe documentation is a good \u0026ldquo;danger\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; it forces us to look at our lives thru the prism of yesterday\u0026rsquo;s plans and tots and ask the hard questions - am i still on track or have i derailed..\nFor me - the year book was a wake up call, to as Jesus says to the church of Sardis in Revelations - Remember, then, what you were taught and what you heard; obey it and turn from your sins. If you do not wake up, I will come upon you like a thief, and you will not even know the time when I will come\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2007/08/04/haunted-by-a-yearbook/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePhew \u0026ndash; The \u0026ldquo;danger\u0026rdquo; of documentation was brought home to me very forcibly a couple of days ago.. A friend of mine stumbled across an old year book from my campus fellowship (from which I graduated in 2002).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst off the \u0026ldquo;me\u0026rdquo; in the picture was several pounds lighter, with bushier hair and the talk \u0026ndash; gist of launching my very own ISP wthin 10 years of quititng campus, writing songs and all what not \u0026ndash; was a far cry from what I\u0026rsquo;d actually gone on to do .. Only my name connected the picture of the scrawny 20-something year old guy with the \u0026ldquo;buff\u0026rdquo; guy I\u0026rsquo;d become..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Haunted by a YearBook..."},{"content":"Found Al Mohler\u0026rsquo;s (www.albertmohler.com) precise distillation of the essential qualities of would -be husbands and fathers over at Boundless (www.boundless.org). Couldn\u0026rsquo;t help asking myself if indeed my house was in order.. 13 critical dimensions of manhood from a Christian worldview - a must read for Christian men and the women who love them..\nRead the complete article at\nhttp://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001093.cfm\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2007/08/02/the-marks-of-real-manhood/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFound Al Mohler\u0026rsquo;s (\u003ca href=\"http://www.albertmohler.com/\"\u003ewww.albertmohler.com\u003c/a\u003e) precise distillation of the essential qualities of would -be husbands and fathers over at Boundless (\u003ca href=\"http://www.boundless.org/\"\u003ewww.boundless.org\u003c/a\u003e). Couldn\u0026rsquo;t help asking myself if indeed my house was in order.. 13 critical dimensions of manhood from a Christian worldview - a must read for Christian men and the women who love them..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead the complete article at\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001093.cfm\"\u003ehttp://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001093.cfm\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Marks of Real Manhood"},{"content":"Na wah o!!! Just saw my man \u0026lsquo;Pescara\u0026rsquo; nearly trading blows with an \u0026lsquo;Okada\u0026rsquo; rider on the road o.. The issue? A hand trolley pusher on the road had strayed off the kerb onto the road and the car he was in had to stop suddenly.. As a result the motor bike behind the svelte 406 he was in slammed into the car\u0026rsquo;s rear end and fell on the ground.. Rather than the bike man to accept he was wrong and apologize, he launched into a tirade in the local language about \u0026lsquo;people who use stolen money to buy cars and then consitute hazards to other road users\u0026quot;\nMy man \u0026lsquo;Pescara\u0026rsquo; was rightly indignant and tried to give the \u0026lsquo;okada\u0026rsquo; man a thorough explanation of how he was wrong and should apologize.. Trust 9ja now \u0026ndash; Before he started saying anything people had gathered and attempted mobbing my guy.. Na God save o! We no advise am before e take style enter im motor comot o.. Apart from having his car rammed, he got some knocks from the irate mob, had his shirt jacked and was massively rough handled.. all for an issue that he was not the root cause of..\nAnyways \u0026ndash; Na so 9ja be sha\u0026rsquo; \u0026ndash; Another hazard of living and working in 9ja \u0026ndash; Too bad..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2007/07/27/one-minute-madness/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eNa wah o!!! Just saw my man \u0026lsquo;Pescara\u0026rsquo; nearly trading blows with an \u0026lsquo;Okada\u0026rsquo; rider on the road o.. The issue? A hand trolley pusher on the road had strayed off the kerb onto the road and the car he was in had to stop suddenly.. As a result the motor bike behind the svelte 406 he was in slammed into the car\u0026rsquo;s rear end and fell on the ground.. Rather than the bike man to accept he was wrong and apologize, he launched into a tirade in the local language about \u0026lsquo;people who use stolen money to buy cars and then consitute hazards to other road users\u0026quot;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"One Minute Madness"},{"content":"All \u0026ndash; Found this interesting article over at my favorite truth shop - www.boundless.org Comments anyone?\nShow some respect. When it comes to respecting women, many Christian guys act no differently than the world. When I hear a man talk about other women disrespectfully, it is an immediate turn-off. Some guys will pour on the charm when they take a girl out on a date, but they don\u0026rsquo;t demonstrate the same consideration to their female friends. Even something as simple as keeping his house clean, so women feel comfortable when they visit, will make the women in his life feel valued.\nBe kind to everyone. Men may be surprised by how often a woman is evaluating them in a simple interaction they have with someone else. I not only look at the way a potential suitor treats me, I also watch how he treats others. Consistent kindness is an outward sign of inner character shaped by Christ. The same goes for service and generosity.\nSeek out spiritual guidance and accountability. The women I\u0026rsquo;ve talked to seem more concerned with evidence that a guy is engaged in the spiritual process than some benchmark of super-spirituality. When I am getting to know a guy, one of the first things I consider is whether he is seeking accountability from other Christian men. A lone ranger is a red flag.\nLove your family. My mom often tells the story of the first time she knew she wanted to marry my dad. It happened while they were visiting my dad\u0026rsquo;s brother and his family. Upon arriving at his brother\u0026rsquo;s house, my dad jumped out of the car and ran to his 3-year-old niece. \u0026ldquo;Little Weee-o!\u0026rdquo; he called, scooping her up and tossing her in the air. In that moment, my mom saw a future husband and father. Women also notice how men treat their sisters, mothers and grandmothers.\nTake marriage seriously. For many of my guy friends, marriage is something they never talk about. Even if they\u0026rsquo;re thinking about getting married someday, there is no evidence that they\u0026rsquo;re planning for it. Another evidence of readiness is a willingness to take on responsibilities. Many guys choose to continue living the carefree life they enjoyed in college, instead of embracing the new duties that come with adulthood. Those who consistently make wise choices in how they use resources, such as time and money, stand out. \u0026ldquo;I\u0026rsquo;m not looking for a boy,\u0026rdquo; a friend recently said. \u0026ldquo;I\u0026rsquo;m looking for a man.\u0026rdquo;\nTake initiative. I recently heard my friend Danielle describe how God had brought her together with her husband, Josh. After knowing each other for several years, Danielle and Josh began leading a small group together. Feeling ready to marry, 21-year-old Josh prayed that God would show him if there was a woman in the church suitable to be his wife. When no one came to mind after several weeks, Josh asked a trusted friend if he saw anyone. \u0026ldquo;What about Danielle?\u0026rdquo; the friend asked. Josh began praying specifically about Danielle. In the meantime, Danielle felt her heart moved romantically toward Josh when she had never seriously considered him before. After consulting with Danielle\u0026rsquo;s father, Josh approached her and asked if they might get to know each other for the possibility of marriage. A year later they were married.\nTake a Risk. Ultimately many guys let potential relationships dissipate because they let the moment of decision pass them by. They need to know that women respond to courage.\nFull text @ http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001303.cfm Copyright © 2006 Suzanne Hadley. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2007/07/14/what-girls-wish-you-know/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAll \u0026ndash; Found this interesting article over at my favorite truth shop - \u003ca href=\"http://www.boundless.org/\"\u003ewww.boundless.org\u003c/a\u003e Comments anyone?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShow some respect.\u003c/strong\u003e\nWhen it comes to respecting women, many Christian guys act no differently than the world. When I hear a man talk about other women disrespectfully, it is an immediate turn-off. Some guys will pour on the charm when they take a girl out on a date, but they don\u0026rsquo;t demonstrate the same consideration to their female friends. Even something as simple as keeping his house clean, so women feel comfortable when they visit, will make the women in his life feel valued.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"What Girls Wish You Know?"},{"content":"WOW \u0026ndash; tot I\u0026rsquo;d gone AWOL before but this certainly tops them all \u0026ndash; No fault of mine though, my lousy ISP here in 9ja decided they needed to switch their US based service provider - and it took them over 1 month to sort out \u0026ndash; Well - its good to be back and tho i hate to admit it - the speed\u0026rsquo;s a tad bit faster now\u0026hellip;\nHopefully when the MTNs and GloMobile\u0026rsquo;s of 9ja decide to turn on the HSDPA switches, they\u0026rsquo;ll price it within the reach of the avergae 9ja guy and we\u0026rsquo;ll not be dependent on these half-baked ISPs anymore..\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2007/07/14/9ja-wahala/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWOW \u0026ndash; tot I\u0026rsquo;d gone AWOL before but this certainly tops them all \u0026ndash; No fault of mine though, my lousy ISP here in 9ja decided they needed to switch their US based service provider - and it took them over 1 month to sort out \u0026ndash; Well - its good to be back and tho i hate to admit it - the speed\u0026rsquo;s a tad bit faster now\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHopefully when the MTNs and GloMobile\u0026rsquo;s of 9ja decide to turn on the HSDPA switches, they\u0026rsquo;ll price it within the reach of the avergae 9ja guy and we\u0026rsquo;ll not be dependent on these half-baked ISPs anymore..\u003c/p\u003e","title":"9ja wahala"},{"content":"Attended a friend\u0026rsquo;s wedding fairly recently\u0026hellip;Saw a lot of old chums, all nicely dressed, sweet looking gentlemen now – a far cry from the rowdy rabble we were a few years ago on campus. Guess the last time we saw ourselves in that number at one time was way back then in the Uni days..\nWe talked a lot about a lot but ultimately the discussions gravitated towards the “new life” our man had just stepped into – marriage – and the difficulties in meeting “good girls” at our stage of life. Young up and coming guys who are perceived to be doing well have the unique disadvantage of being seen as “arrived” and thus as good prospects.\nFor me though the wedding vows afforded me the opportunity to crystallize my thoughts around the essence of the heterosexual marriage union. What is the essence of the vow to “have and to hold, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health…. till death do us part“? The essence of marriage is captured in three words – partnership, provision, protection. All three words denote a requirement of leadership, responsibility and commitment – attributes which we do not acquire overnight. We will not suddenly become able to share our very lives in partnership in marriage if we have not being doing so long before. We will not be able to protect our wives physically or our husbands emotionally if we have not practiced this with our sisters, brothers and close friends. We will not suddenly be able to provide for a wife and children if we have not prepared long before.\nThe overwhelming requirement of all these is preparation; daily living our lives with the end point of marriage in view, daily asking ourselves – did I live my life today in a way that has prepared me to be a better husband and father or wife and mother? In a nutshell – living our lives seeking and utilizing opportunities to serve others should be the focus of our efforts.\nTruly – the day of the marriage is a specific moment in time when we physically say I do – but as Eric Simmons erstwhile Singles Pastor @ Covenant Life Church so succinctly puts it. “Every day is a day to say I do”\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2007/05/19/every-day-i-say-i-do/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAttended a friend\u0026rsquo;s wedding fairly recently\u0026hellip;Saw a lot of old chums, all nicely dressed, sweet looking gentlemen now – a far cry from the rowdy rabble we were a few years ago on campus. Guess the last time we saw ourselves in that number at one time was way back then in the Uni days..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe talked a lot about a lot but ultimately the discussions gravitated towards the “new life” our man had just stepped into – marriage – and the difficulties in meeting “good girls” at our stage of life. Young up and coming guys who are perceived to be doing well have the unique disadvantage of being seen as “arrived” and thus as good prospects.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Every Day I Say I Do"},{"content":"Sincere condolences to Chelsea and their \u0026ldquo;born again\u0026rdquo; fans - people who in the vast majority have been converted by a certain Russian\u0026rsquo;s billions.\nOnce again on the European stage Benitez has proved to be the master of Mourinho over two legs. Granted Liverpool never looked like scoring at Stamford Bridge (aside of the sublime moment of magic from Steven Gerrad) but Chelsea were also at best lethargic at Anfield.\nA number of Chelsea fans have hailed Mourinho for been spot on with his substitutions in the past but did he run out of ideas on the night? There was no pulling off a center back to bring on a wide player, nor was there a radical tactical shift to 2-1-7 from a defensive 4-3-3. He seemed listless, uncharacteristically un animated and on the whole dour faced. Maybe the \u0026ldquo;special one\u0026rdquo; just lost the plot and failed to read the game as well as his fans seem to believe.\nWell my beloved Liverpool failed to score the decisive 2nd goal in regulation time but Kuyt hit the cross bar, Cech saved superbly from both Crouch and Kuyt and Gerrad seemed to have forgotten how to shoot. Considering the meagre returns on the Abrahamovic millions in European football surely this is the end of the road for Mourinho at Chelsea?\nThanks to the Anfield \u0026ldquo;12th Man\u0026rdquo;. As Rafa Benitez famously said \u0026ldquo;The real special ones are the Liverpool fans at Anfield; when you run out hearing \u0026lsquo;You\u0026rsquo;ll never walk alone\u0026rsquo; being belowed out from the throats of the Anfield faithful you suddenly believe you can do the impossible.\nCongratulations to the real special ones \u0026ndash; I hope Man Utd get dumped out by AC Milan so we can settle our grudge match with AC in Athens! Watch this space guys\n\u0026ldquo;You\u0026rsquo;ll Never Walk Alone\u0026rdquo;\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2007/05/01/the-real-special-one/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSincere condolences to Chelsea and their \u0026ldquo;born again\u0026rdquo; fans - people who in the vast majority have been converted by a certain Russian\u0026rsquo;s billions.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce again on the European stage Benitez has proved to be the master of Mourinho over two legs. Granted Liverpool never looked like scoring at Stamford Bridge (aside of the sublime moment of magic from Steven Gerrad) but Chelsea were also at best lethargic at Anfield.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The real 'Special One'"},{"content":"I am still reeling from the sham called elections that were held in Nigeria this month. The flagrant abuse of power on the part of PDP, the lack of a credible opposition response and the total disregard of the 60 million (really?) registered Nigerian voters have combined to leave a sickening feeling in the depths of my guts..\nI\u0026rsquo;ve had time to think through the whole process though and find the following salient points worthy of note 1. The PDP won only because they rigged more - every other party with the exception of possibly FRESH and Pat Utomi - attempted to put in place structures to aid and abet rigging in their favor. The PDP landslide only happened because they had more muscle 2. Most of the opposition candidates only featured on the platform of the oppostion because they were unable to gain a toehold in the party that had the \u0026ldquo;powers that be\u0026rdquo; in each region. 3. No credible plans and agenda were articulated by the vast majority of persons standing for election.\nI don\u0026rsquo;t know if this is typical African resignation to the \u0026ldquo;will of God\u0026rdquo; or something but somehow maybe its the \u0026ldquo;best\u0026rdquo; candidate that has won at the end. A PhD in analytical chemistry plus time spent teaching in the four walls of a University seem to suggest that at least this man has a good head on his shoulders. Surely that is a better bargain than an ex- military warlord, a person who was fingered in major financial improprietes and an eloquent but other-wordly \u0026ldquo;man of God\u0026rdquo;. If I had been given the opportunity to vote, my vote would have gone to Prof. Paty Utomi but as has ensued, I was disenfranchised even before the votes were cast.. Well lets \u0026ldquo;wait and see\u0026rdquo; - obviously all efforts to get the vote anulled seem to be the wild rantings of an imprisoned child.\nMaybe what is key is if the President -elect has the guts to stand on his own two feet. You know\u0026hellip; I want to hear what a certain Tunde Bakare has to say about this new \u0026ldquo;Messiah from the North\u0026rdquo;!\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2007/04/30/this-pdp-tsunami/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI am still reeling from the sham called elections that were held in Nigeria this month. The flagrant abuse of power on the part of PDP, the lack of a credible opposition response and the total disregard of the 60 million (really?) registered Nigerian voters have combined to leave a sickening feeling in the depths of my guts..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;ve had time to think through the whole process though and find the following salient points worthy of note\n1. The PDP won only because they rigged more - every other party with the exception of possibly FRESH and Pat Utomi - attempted to put in place structures to aid and abet rigging in their favor. The PDP landslide only happened because they had more muscle\n2. Most of the opposition candidates only featured on the platform of the oppostion because they were unable to gain a toehold in the party that had the \u0026ldquo;powers that be\u0026rdquo; in each region.\n3. No credible plans and agenda were articulated by the vast majority of persons standing for election.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"This PDP tsunami"},{"content":"I\u0026rsquo;m the guy next door; the one who merges seamlessly into the flurry of life in a mega city\u0026hellip; Nothing spectacular, middle class, fairly well paid (at least well off enough to eat and drink and do whatever i want to do including vacation in the US, South Africa, Australia or wherever the next big thing is\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;)\nI\u0026rsquo;m in my mid to late 20\u0026rsquo;s, single \u0026ndash; make that very single \u0026ndash; don\u0026rsquo;t know anymore if it was more a decision or I\u0026rsquo;ve just found myself single till now\u0026hellip; Neither drink nor smoke (not blaming those who do), kind of shy (or reserved if you\u0026rsquo;re the type who calls a spade a digging implement) and above all anonymous, lost in the bowels of a mega city.\nOn here, I\u0026rsquo;ll share my thoughts on anything and everything I choose to.. Be rest assured, it\u0026rsquo;s only my diary\u0026hellip;.\n","permalink":"https://archive.rustgeek.me/2007/04/29/first-off/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m the guy next door; the one who merges seamlessly into the flurry of life in a mega city\u0026hellip; Nothing spectacular, middle class, fairly well paid (at least well off enough to eat and drink and do whatever i want to do including vacation in the US, South Africa, Australia or wherever the next big thing is\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m in my mid to late 20\u0026rsquo;s, single \u0026ndash; make that very single \u0026ndash; don\u0026rsquo;t know anymore if it was more a decision or I\u0026rsquo;ve just found myself single till now\u0026hellip; Neither drink nor smoke (not blaming those who do), kind of shy (or reserved if you\u0026rsquo;re the type who calls a spade a digging implement) and above all anonymous, lost in the bowels of a mega city.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"First-Off"}]