A Surprise Worth Waiting For!

Bob Dylan has won the Nobel Prize for literature, how cool is that? The committee took their time and speculation about a surprise was bubbling under the surface. Bob Dylan is as much poet as songwriter, he more or less created an entirely new genre singlehandedly in both fields and now it seems it's not just his fans who are aware of it. Brilliant, well done to Bob and to the Nobel committee. Brilliant.

Malcolm Snook sailor, writer, blogger.

Inspired and Inspiring

David Thouless, Duncan Haldane and Michael Kosterlitz will share the Nobel prize for physics, for work on exotic states of matte. Brilliant, not just them, but the whole thing. I believe the decision was based on the beauty of the maths, which is lovely in itself, but the benefits of the discoveries are mind blowing too.

When I was a school, a very long time ago, we were asked to draw pictures to show what the world would be like in the twenty first century. Most of us drew flying cars and the like, but cars still have four wheels, pneumatic tyres and most of them still have an internal combustion engine. The world really moved on in two areas, most obviously in terms of information technology; most information is available at the push of a button and a few clicks on a mouse, which was simply a cute looking pest back then.

The other area where we've made huge progress is in materials, steel that won't rust, carbon fibre, well, fibreglass before that, kevlar and much more. However, these three guys have moved things forward hugely, to use correctly an oft misused term, they've made a quantum leap. Who would have thought there were more states of matter than gas, liquid and solid? Who'd have thought electricity could flow with no resistance at all?

Brilliant, for them and for all of us, very well done guys.

Malcolm Snook

An Opportunity To Celebrate

The new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture opens this weekend. Against a backdrop of racial tension, trigger happy police, protests and violence something good is actually happening on the hallowed ground of America's capital, a stones throw from the Lincoln memorial.

The museum tells the story of slavery, war, emancipation, a history which must and I believe never will be forgotten. It also tells of the great achievements and dignity of African Americans. African Americans have risen to the highest offices of the state, but they have also made a cultural and sporting contribution which cannot be overstated.

In sport, music, dance, literature, art and much more African Americans have overachieved against huge odds. Problems remain; racism, fascism and prejudice must be fought, but this weekend lets celebrate with all Americans the recognition of Black America's struggle and its spiritually uplifting success.

Malcolm Snook Author And Blogger 

He's My Brother, He Ain't Heavy (Obviously!)

Jonny Brownlee was so nearly world series champion, but with yards to go to the finish he collapsed, the sight of his brother Alastair picking him up and helping him across the line so he could finish second was almost inexplicably moving. I'd like to think a brother could, would do nothing else, but in a world where winning seems to have become everything, maybe it was some small surprise to see an athlete do the right thing; actually it puts one in mind of the spirit engendered by the Paralympics more than anything else. A little bit of a lift for the soul.

Malcolm Snook

Setting An Example In A Dark Place

The White Helmets in Syria are working to save lives and help people, no matter their beliefs or what 'side' they belong to. Jo Cox nominated them for the Noble Peace Prize and it seems others are getting behind the call. Thank goodness, as much as I like Obama, giving him a Nobel Peace Prize in the hope he'd do some good was an error, these are exactly the sort of people the prize should go to. People putting their own lives on the line to help others and working for a peaceful world by EXAMPLE not words. Inspiration in a dark place.

Promote peace.

Inspiration from those who struggle most

It's not just the incredible record breaking medal haul of Paralympics GB as impressive as it is, it's the joy and the refreshingly frank interviews from real people who've struggled against adversity and come out on top, it's the humanity, the sportsmanship, the international camaraderie, the real people, whatever the nationality. When Europe and the Middle East are in crisis, when the USA is divided down the middle and continues its love affair with guns, mass shootings and racism, when there's so much going wrong in our world Paralympians are an utter joy and an inspiration.

Malcolm Snook

Dion And Gobi

Dion Leonard is an extreme marathon runner, hats off to him for that. On a run across the Gobi desert, of all places, he was joined by a small dog which he befriended and shared his water and food with. The bond grew, the little dog was named Gobi and Mr Leonard decided to bring her back to the UK.

He had to go on ahead and the little dog escaped her carers in China to look for him and promptly disappeared. Not to be beaten Mr Leonard flew back to China and managed to find his lost companion. Now she will be quarantined at this end of the journey.

When there's so much bad news around this is an uplifting story with a happy ending.

Malcolm Snook

The Night Tube In London

OK it's only two lines and only Friday and Saturday, but there's more to come and it's a real move in the right direction. I love London but all night transport is a must for a great capital city. New York isn't a capital city but the trains run all night and New York is all the better for it. In Budapest the underground stops late at night, but the trams keep going all night, come on London, great theatres, dancing and night life, lets have public transport to go with it.

The author uses Redbubble

Team GB

I don't watch the Olympics from dawn to dusk, but what I have seen from Team GB has been outstanding, the cyclists had my heart in my mouth, the rowers were imperious, the sailors, my own sport, made me proud, can't mention everyone but did you see the silver in trampoline, what a girl, and from nowhere, well Sheffied actually but nowhere in the rankings more or less, well done! Have you seen the medal table this morning and noted the size of the countries around us. UK sport has achieved something special and I believe fairly.

Malcolm Snook is a writer and photographer Redbubble is one example.

Juno Good

At last some good news, the Juno probe has successfully entered orbit around Jupiter. The scale of this achievement is beyond belief, the figures for distances and speed are beyond most people's comprehension, then there's all the debris and radiation problems. If the UK referendum around the 100 year commemoration of the Battle of The Somme shows the scale of human stupidity, then NASA have shown the potential for the ingenuity of our species. Three cheers for NASA.

Malcolm Snook is published on Nook, Kobo and Amazon

Well Done Wales!

It's fifty eight years since Wales took part in the finals of a major football tournament and fifty eight years ago they lost by a single goal to the genius of Pele. How great to see Wales back. As an Englishman I've watched the England team slide, more or less, since 1966 with apologies to Lineker, Gascoigne, Beckham and the few others who played with real skill and commitment and gave us hope.

For the Welsh it has been even tougher. I can't truly support Wales against my own, but I won't be down if you guys win either. If you were to win the championship I'd certainly celebrate with you. The England fans, ok some England fans, have let us down yet again and if many of the Russian fans did worse that's still no excuse. There are no reports of bad behaviour from the Welsh and judging by the sea of red plenty of Welsh men and women travelled. Lets hope the bad element in English football fall asleep like the England team in added time.

Well done Wales!

Malcolm Snook

Helping the Victims Of Acid Attacks

A team of medics has gone out to India, using their holiday entitlement, and at their own cost, to perform corrective surgery on young women maimed in attacks where acid was thrown in their faces. The supposed crime these women committed? Rejecting the advances of an unwanted a suitor usually and one can see why they would reject such a man! The mindless, arrogant violence is depressing, but the bravery of the women and the generosity of the medical teams is truly inspiring.

One World

Salute Eddie Izzard

Eddie Izzard's twenty seven marathons in twenty seven days to honour Nelson Mandela and raise money for Sport Relief was inspiring and uplifting. An achievement that makes world famous athletes look a little ordinary, this was extraordinary in the extreme and in the extreme heat. This from the man who brought us The Death Star Canteen. Genius and I don't use the word lightly. There was something he said on his run which was remarkable too, this may not be word perfect but it was something like 'It's not what you own it's what you contribute to the human experience.' Absolutely Eddie, absolutely.

Death Star Canteen

The Government Backs Down

The government has made a U Turn on disability payments. Well, thank goodness for that! How much was down to public discontent and how much was down to Iain Duncan-Smith's resignation is hard to say. I can't make up my mind if Duncan-Smith is a man of conscience, or just a devious, divisive politician. The latter I suspect, he's certainly one of those idiots who wants to risk other people's livelihoods by promoting Brexit. Still independence payments for the disabled stay and that's an upper not a downer!

The Greatest Sailor Ever

Yachting and Boating World has revealed that previously unseen, by the wider world at least, pictures of captain Joshua Slocumb and his boat The Spray have come to light in the possession of an elderly lady in the USA. Joshua Slocumb was the first man ever to sail around the world single handed. He was a tough old man. In those days there were not marinas every forty miles and he did it all under sail, no engine in his boat for emergencies, or for making progress on windless days, or for maneuvering in a harbour either.

His life before his famed epic adventure is remarkable too. He endured, mutiny, shipwreck and the loss of his wife from disease on passage. He saw his world crumble as steam started to replace the great sailing ships he loved and captained, yet for all this, the thing that strikes me most hard about Slocumb is the twinkle in the old man's eye, the humour, the humanity. He makes the spirit soar.

The greatest sailor ever.

Happiness Is A Choice

There's a lot wrong with the world for sure, but for many of us our worries are pretty small relative to a great many others, choose to be happy, it actually works!

Spread the word!

Trump Cancelled

Trump reportedly canceled all TV appearances Tuesday because he didn't like the way he looked  Great, neither do we!

Showboat

Didn't see myself as a fan of musicals, but was persuaded to go and see Showboat at The Crucible in Sheffield last night. Really fantastic, great music and singing, wonderful dancing, warm engaging characters and a moving story well acted and never morbid. A couple of good laughs too. Something for everyone and a really enjoyable experience.

Showboat dates back to the 1920s, so it's an early example of the genre, based on a novel I now must read. I think it could teach modern musicals a thing or two. Probably quite political in its day and still relevant today. Brilliant.

This is not an advertisement - but it makes me feel good.

I have a new Gretsch guitar, it's one of the Korean ones because that's what my budget stretched to and no more. It's great fun though, it's a thing of beauty and although I would buy a USA made one if I had the money I don't think it's terribly inferior, great finish and great sound, love the Bigsby and although I've seen some negative comments online about the pickups I find them just fine. There are sound comparisons online too which suggest it's not a huge difference.

I play and practice every day now and it makes me feel good about life.

Why This Blog?

I have a blog where I make political comments Malcolms Political Comment and a blog about things which cause annoyance in everyday life Things That Get Your Goat .

Lets face it politics rarely make you smile and things that get your goat certainly don't, so, to create some balance this blog is about good things that happen and that's all.