The drawing is a sketch from a photo of an native american Indian called two guns. The quote was inspired by a quote in one of Carl Jungs books from a conversation he had with a native american Indian who said, "They are always seeking something. What are they seeking? The whites always want something. They are always uneasy and restless. We don't know what they want. We think they are mad." It is also talked about in Eckhart Tolle's book The Power of Now.

I plan to re-do it at some point.

Carls JNR

Not many people in the UK have heard of Carls JR, but there has to be one in London somewhere.

These burgers are absolutely insane, possibly the biggest you can buy. I was lucky enough to stumble across this place when I was in Russia a few years ago and was in heart attack heaven.

The above is the Guacamole Bacon Six Dollar Burger and weighs in at over 1000 calories.

Not quite sure what to make of their ad campaign though...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuNCMYKViN4

Maverick Sabre

This guy is so good. You might recognize him from 'Jungle' by Professor Green. What a voice. He's got soul! Kind of a mix between london, ireland and jamaica. I bought his E.P. and its good. Check out this video here of him performing live. Incredible!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUWDDkR_q3A&feature=feedrec_grec_index

Life of Rhyme

If you haven't already checked out this documentary then it's well worth a watch. Seems intelligent, thought provoking, and well represented. Could definitely be of benefit to people who have are interested in learning more about street/urban culture in britain. link below.....





http://www.channel4.com/info/press/programme-information/life-of-rhyme

EIGHT THINGS TO CHECK BEFORE BUYING A SECOND HAND BIKE

NB: This guide is based around buying second hand racing bicycles however I'm sure would be useful for buying other types of bicycles too. It has been written explaining everything, so should be useful both to beginners and those that already have good knowledge of bicycles.

Over the past three years I have bought or sold a total of 7 different bicycles. Some of them I found useful for a while, and then sold when I bought a new bicycle, and some of them I have bought and then sold again for a few reasons: they have had mechanical problems, have been poorly looked after, are the wrong size or just total trash.

Through these experiences I have developed a check list to ensure you get a good bicycle and don't loose any money or get ripped off, something that would have been extremely useful to me had I had it 3 years ago, and I hope you will find useful too.

1. Check the stem and seat-post move freely

This is a quick check that can be done using an allen key multi-tool. The stem is the part attaching the handlebars to the rest of the bicycle and can be loosened by turning the centre top bolt anti-clockwise. When it is sufficiently loose check the stem can move up and down freely within the frame.

After you have done this re-tighten and loosen the seat pin where the seat-post goes into the frame and check the seat-post moves up and down.

This is probably the most important check. It is important that you can move the stem and seat-post in order to beable to alter the bicycle so that it will fit you properly and be a comfortable ride. The stem and seat post must both be oiled regularly in order to keep them from becoming stuck. If either are stuck this also means that other parts of the bicycle are rusted together and and when you want to repair, service, or change a part on it, it will take a great deal of work. You may even end up with an immovable seat post such as the one pictured below

As you can see a beautiful hand made Mercian frame that is pretty much useless due to the seat post, stem and bottom bracket being totally stuck, and being so far stuck in they are impossible to cut out.

2. Check the Wheels are True

This is another quick check you can do which could save you a lot of time and money. If you hold the bike firstly so the front wheel is off the floor, and spin the wheel whilst looking at the profile of the wheel, (as below) and watch the wheel to see if it appears to wobble from side to side whilst it is spinning. If it wobbles noticeably, the wheels is either buckled or damaged

If it is buckled, the wheel will wobble both ways as the wheel spins, (left and then right). If the wheel is buckled it can be fixed, by either a bicycle mechanic (which will cost between £10 and £15) or can be fixed by yourself using an adjustable spanner. It is a common misconception that truing wheels yourself is very difficult and you need a spoke spanner. This is not true and you can easily fix small buckles yourself with a little practice using an adjustable spanner, although it does take a little more time! If you have this problem and wish to try reparing it yourself this video can tell you how :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP6cwZxxAFM&feature=channel

If the wheel wobbles but not side to side, just to one side then this means your rim is probably damaged and you will need to replace your wheel. Which brings me to my next point....

3. Check the Bicycle Components and Compatibility

This may sound slightly OTT, but can definitely be a problem if you need to replace any parts. Whilst most bicycles are fine, some companies such as Raleigh and Peaugot make parts to manufacturer specific sizes. So if you are buying a bike that you feel may need some reparing at some point, check for compatible parts by asking the seller or doing a quick web search.

4. Frame Size

Obviously you can tell quite easily if the bicycle fits you by by sitting on it, but if you have to travel a long way or pay postage for the bicycle, then it is worth checking if it will fit you before. The easiest way to measure a bicycle is by asking the seller to measure the length from the centre of the bottom bracket, or bottom bracket axle (see picture) to the top of the seat tube. For adult size racing bikes, this will be somewhere between 49cm and 62cm.

To check your own size, measure your inside leg, in centimetres. Then take away 27cm from this measurement, and you will have the approximate size of bicycle you need.

5. Check the Drive Train Works Smoothly

It is very important to check the gears change smoothly, as this is a common area for problems and can be expensive and time consuming to fix. The best way to do this is to take the bicycle for a short ride, and gently click through all the gears, checking that the gears change smoothly.

If the seller is uncomfortable with you taking the bicycle for a short ride, you can turn the bicycle upside-down so that it's resting on the handlebars and the seat, and click through the gears, using your hands to turn the cranks.

If all the gears change smoothly you are on to a winner.

6. Check the Brakes

Obviously just as important as the gears are the brakes, however these are more likely to be easier and cheaper to fix. These can easily be checked, by checking you can stop abruptly on a short ride or checking from standing that the brakes can stop the wheels from turning. The brakes should be smooth and not get stuck, or slow down the bicycle at all when you are not pulling them.

Should you need to tighten or loosen your brakes at all, you can do this easily by loosening the nut which grips your brake cable on your brake caliper. To tighten your brakes, loosen the nut and squeeze you brake calipers together. While still holding your calipers in the position, tighten the nut back up. To loosen your brakes, repeat the process, while holding your brake calipers so that they spring apart slightly.

7. Check for Rust Spots

Check your bicycle for rust spots. You are bound to find some pitting on the bicycle in some places especially if it has chrome parts on it. Otherwise, if there are rust spots on the bicycle, there is a good chance it has not been not looked after. Especially if it has large rust spots on it, then you definitely shouldn't buy it!

8. Check for Impact Marks

Impact marks appear when a bicycle has been crashed badly and indicate that a bicycle definitely should not be purchased as it is unsafe to ride. You can easily recognise them as they are rings of rust or flaked paint around the tubes of the frame.

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

A brilliant album... but the same features that cause its brilliance also cause it’s flaws.

One thing I have always found interesting about Kanye is the mans child like temperament. This is a man who can feel so strongly about something that he just can’t keep it inside. And this is one reason for his brilliance because he is always trying to find ways to express these feelings. But also a reasons for his flaws because sometimes he just cannot keep his mouth shut and know when its appropriate to say/not say things. Like his incident at the VMAs for example.

On the first few listens of this album, it appears to be absolutely incredible. It is something that meshes together very well because it comes together legitimately as a whole peice of music rather than just a collection of tracks. The production has a somewhat rugged feel in places, which gives the feeling that it is not over produced. This is a style I have rarely heard in mainstream hiphop before. Such as on ‘Monster’ the beat just trundles along in the background, letting the mcs talk their hardest over the top.

It is Kanyes childish character that makes the album in this way. Throughout the album, it feels that kanye is trying to do something different, break the mould of those gone before him by bringing something different to his music. Before ‘hip hop’ has been influenced by many things : rock, pop, comic books, science fiction, politics. However here you feel it is being influenced by art, classical music, ballet, poetry, history. It is now how Kanye West tries to express himself by relating to history, anchient Pharoahs, greek mythology, Picasso etc. Kanye’s short film ‘Runaway’ conveys a character that is so beautiful yet misunderstood and therefore not welcomed by the world because she is different, which I can imagine is Kanye portraying the way he feels about himself, and it comes out in his lyrics. Songs such Gorgeous, Monster, Runaway and Hell of a life had me gripping my seat.

However in places Kanye gets over ridden by fear of being played down, and the childish fear of needing to prove himself and big himself up. It is here where I feel the album falls down. They say many leaders fall down by becoming power hungry and paranoid, and I feel kanye most certainly comes across this way, especially when talking about women. This is conveyed beautifully in the chorus of ‘Gorgeous’ but lyrics such as:

‘If we die in each others arms, at least I’ll get laid in the after life’

‘god dammit I’m killin’ this shit, I know full well, you’re feeling this shit, I don’t need your pussy bitch I’m on my own dick’

‘MJ gone, that nigga dead, I slap my bitch she call the feds, I did that time, I spent that bread’

‘The day that you play me, will be the same day mtv plays videos. That was a little joke voila. Praises due to the most high allah. Praises due to the most fly prada.’

I find laughable and overwhelmingly self indulgent and they ruin what would otherwise be beautiful songs. I mean these are funny comments, but in the most stupid, unintelligible way imaginable. How can the majority of people even try and relate to or appreciate such lyrics?

So overall this is an inspired album but in my opinion not a classic. If Kanye had taken a bit more time to write his lyrics, however, it may be a different story. The lack of depth in Kanye’s lyrics takes away the replay value of the record, and means the album will get tiresome, not quickly, but quicker than it should do for an album with so many high points.

8.5/10

Review of The Olive Branch, Clipsham

This is my third time eating at the Olive Branch, but the first time in the last two or so years. The pub was renovated and refurbished after lying dormant for a few years and re opened in November 1999.

The Olive Branch is located in the heart of Rutland in the picturesque village of Clipsham. The interior of the pun is very rustic and comfortable. Very well used and worn, with chipped paint work and worn tables. This provides a relaxed dining atmosphere, perfectly comfortable surroundings to have a chat and some dinner.

The menu looks like a shopping list. Little definition between starters mains and desserts, it takes quite a while to work out. It is mostly made up of british dishes that are locally sourced. Meat from a local butchers and farms and bread and baking products from the various local bakers, such as Hambleton bakery in stamford. The bread came as half a baked loaf, with a bread knife so that we had to cut the bread ourselves. It came with olive bread, nice touch. From the menu I picked a variety. For starter scallops with black pudding and apple sauce. I have to say this really was a really great starter, even though it wasn't what it said on the menu. What arrived was in fact scallops with apple sauce, pork belly and pancetta. but what a great combination of textures! It's very easy to get carried away and rave on about scallops just for being scallops but these were really fat fucking juicy scallops on small dashes of apple sauce with slices of pork belly in between and slices of crispy pancetta on top, finished off with a couple of tiny crab apples confit in a sweet juice of vanilla. The soft scallop against the crispy pancetta and the firm meaty pork belly worked really well.

For main I had roast beef (well it was sunday) and when asked how I liked it I said rare. The beef did not come rare but medium I expected at least a bit of blood. The dish was presented differently to a traditional roast with all the components piled up in a gigantic yorkshire pudding. This I believe was a mistake, as some of the veg had become slightly soggy, from having other food piled on top of it. The beef was good, thickly sliced and tender, and the roasties were nice and crispy cooked in goose fat, although the 'horseradish hollandaise' didn't taste of horseradish but just a little soapy. All in all I think parts of the main meal was good but they went about it the wrong way, as there is little point in making a roast beef sophisticated or elegant. The effort was there but it just didn't quite click together.

For dessert I had Summer fruits treacle tart with vanilla ice cream. The treacle tart was light and sticky and hot so that the ice cream melted through it.

Prices were very reasonable, for 3 courses, a drink, and coffee for four people it cost only £150

The service was good, waiters seemed a little nervous, inevitable in such a demanding restaurant but otherwise we were left to enjoy our meals and not often asked if everything was ok, which is how I like it.

Service: 7.5

Food: 7.5

Venue: 8

Local produce? lots of it