El Famous Winter Break....(my arse.)

In an article, (nicely written) by Leroy Rosenior in The Guardian puts forth the articulate case for a Winter Break for footballers pretty much citing the first two weeks in January as the ideal spot. Using all the old arguments, improved fitness, less jaded players, fewer injuries due to not playing when it’s freezing and so on. All well-put argument and doubtless true. I completely side with Rosenior and honestly, a couple of weeks without Mourinho grumping his way across our lives would be good for all our souls.

However: the INSTANT this fabled Winter Break is agreed, the money desperate club owners will be off arranging exhibition games in far flung corners of the world.

A Winter Break would be a wonderful thing, I wish we could get one, but it ain’t gonna happen, Leroy.

https://goo.gl/dCvRWh

brendan

Mockingjay Pt 1. ('The Hunger Games 3.)

The Mockingjay Part 1. (The Hunger Games 3)

Went out on a foul day, weather wise for a Christmas Eve treat at the movies. The Hunger Games Part 3, Mockingjay 1. Susan was expecting the place to be packed-it being Christmas Eve. There were 5 spectators, me and Susan at what appeared to be a Mother and three Daughters.

There are three books in the Hunger Games series and while book one was excellent, quite a few folks I know think alike with me that books 2 and 3 were a bit less spectacular.

Film 1, The Hunger Games was terrific and some of the scenes took my breath away. They seemed a perfect exposition of the books major scenes. When the director and co-screenwriter was replaced for Film 2, “Catching Fire,” everyone thought that things would go downhill.

To everyone’s surprise, including my own, “Catching Fire,” was a better film than, “The Hunger Games.” It did re-use some of the same devices from THG, but I suppose that is what the peanut gallery and the financiers require.

Film 3 diverted, as does the books to a differing theme, where Katniss is under great pressure to become a heroine for the resistance against the capital of Panem. Susan mentioned that Jennifer Lawrence didn’t look so good in the role, and I noted that her outfits, including the boiler suit, and some of the scenes were not filmed to make her look as sexy and alluring as she had during the previous two movies.

I think that was a courageous and proper decision by the director and no doubt in part by Lawrence herself. (Actors can be very fussy about looking their best and can be right cranky when it doesn’t go according to their wants.)

The character was meant to be in doubt about her role and Lawrence shows that doubt very well indeed. Surely this is not pandering to the audience, but respecting its intelligence and giving them something to chew on? I’d much prefer to be challenged in this way than be beaten across the head with explosions and men in spandex hurling magic hammers.

Josh Hutcherson lost a lot of weight for this segment and his transformation into the tortured Peeta was remarkable, both in make-up and acting. Liam Hemsworth excellent in a small part-he still jumps off the screen. Jennifer Lawrence, what can you say? At times, her acting appears to be quiet, in that she doesn’t rip up the furniture like some, but she’s still an actor capable of wide ranging expression of emotion.

I enjoyed Mockingjay Pt 1, I recommend you watch it with sub titles enabled. There is a lot of dialogue that needs to be appreciated, and there’s a lot of noise which gets in the way of hearing that dialogue.


brendan

Blood Pressure

 This is my BP today at lunch-time. I've swum a mile early doors. I've walked three miles before the sun got too hot and that's why the pulse rate is so high. The BP is okay though, a bit of positional wobbliness and brain fade:)

Swimming at 0700, with the pool lights on was lovely. Dark outside, then the dawn came up at about 0721 as I was swimming. As close to bliss as I can imagine, lovely.

Its the oddest thing, working a low carb diet, the food is great and nutritious and oddly enough: pretty much all the stuff I like to eat. Lots of meat, fish, eggs and vegetables. I do miss cereal, bread and potatoes, but.......do I really? Thing is, I ate bread all the time, ALL the time and it was enraging: compared to now, just how one feels hungry so soon after eating a huge dollop of bread.

I learned to eat, all wrong. Avoiding all sorts of things I shouldn't have been avoiding and eating all the things I shouldn't.

So: I've started to lose a few pounds and without doubt, I have no feelings of hunger. I get the occasional passion for this or that, of course, but I can't get Brusters Ice Cream here in the UK and there is no such thing as proper Mexican food, either. So that's out.

Here's a couple I did this week that worked pretty good, low in carb, fat and all sorts, but reasonably nutritious and filling.

Trout Soup

Mackerel Salad

Beef Scramble