New York City - day 2 - 10th July, 2012

We had a walk up to St. Patrick's Cathedral then went up the Rockefeller Centre for some breathtaking views of New York.  I could have spent the day up there just enjoying the amazing views.

We then went to Central Station, Madison Square Gardens and then spent the next few hours enjoying a bus tour of the city.

To view the 142 photo's taken today click here.

New York City - day 1 - 9th July, 2012

Arrived into Newark Airport to be met by a white stretch limo.
Once we were settled in we went for a wander and visited Rockerfeller Centre Plaza, Times Square M and M Shop plus various famous streets.

To see all 48 photo's from the 1st day of our holiday click here

In the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives by Steven Levy

In the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives by Steven Levy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a great book for anyone who is even slightly interested in Google. The info and background to the whole organisation is excellent. For a techie like myself I looked forward to my journey each day back and forward to work listening to this book on Audible on my phone (Android of course :-) ).
Superb!!!!

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Indian Winter

This joke was shared by a friend:

It's AUTUMN, and the Indians on a remote reservation in Oklahoma asked their new chief if the coming winter was going to be cold  or mild.
 
 Since he was a chief in a modern society, he had never been taught the old secrets.

When he looked at the sky, he couldn't tell what the winter was going to be like..

 Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he told his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect firewood to be prepared.

 But, being a practical leader, after several days, he got an idea. He went to the phone booth, called the

IPCC(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) 

and asked,

'Is the coming winter going to be cold?'
 
 'It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold,'

the meteorologist at the weather service responded.
 
 So the chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more firewood in order to be prepared.
 
 A week later, he called the IPCC  again.

'Does it still look like it is going to be a very cold winter?' 
 
 'Yes,'

the man at IPCC again replied,

'it's going to be a very cold winter.'
 
 The chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every scrap of firewood they could find.
 
 Two weeks later, the chief called the IPCC again.

'Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?'

 'Absolutely,'

the man replied. 

'It's looking more and more like it is going to be one of the coldest winters we've ever seen.'

 'How can you be so sure?'

the chief asked.

 The IPCC representative replied, 

'The Indians are collecting a shitload of firewood'

Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux by Therese of Lisieux
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I chose to read this book as a spiritual choice for lent. After hearing about Sister Therese of Lisieux I thought it would be a good choice. Turned out it was a good choice.
Her simple outlook on her love of Jesus and how to express this love is a great example of how we should all act. Her childlike way makes spirituality much more straightforward and easy to practice but her discipline in how strict she was with her spirituality sets a high bar for all of us to aim for.


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New Garden Feature

I spent Good Friday going to mass and the Way of the Cross.
I also tackled the garden and set about setting up a new feature for our new garden chairs and table.

Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II by George Weigel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Pope John Paul II was a true inspiration to myself before I read this book. After I read it I realised how truly a great man he was.
His life story, if fiction, would be too far fetched to actually believe. From his simple upbringing in Poland he encountered the horrors of Nazi occupation and then the further horrors of a Communist regime and then to come through the end of all that and rise through the hierarchy of the Catholic Church to become Pope and be one of the most witnessed human beings in history.
Pope John Paul II was a truly remarkable human being who was led through his life by God himself.

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