Ve vant to suck yur Bluuuud!

I've been neglecting my duty as a blood donor for a while, probably coming up to a year since I last donated.
I went to a mobile donation centre (a big trailer in a carpark), filled in forms, and sat in the waiting room (a minibus parked next to the trailer) patiently awaiting the command for the next donor.

I tend to become hyper sensitive to the way my body feels before giving blood, or just after an injection. Questioning every little thing; like an itch that could turn into eczema, or a mis-timed sniff that could be the starting point for the next international health crisis

Giving blood is a rewarding experience, you get to lie down for a bit, then get given a cup of tea and biscuits while you sit and chat with the lovely nurses, and you walk away with a feeling of having done something positive for humanity.

According to the national blood service website, there is only about 8 days of blood available for the most common type O+.

Click on the links below to find out more.

Welsh Blood Service
National Blood Service

Image by Stuart Buckley

I Met the Walrus

John Lennon is interviewerd by a 14 year old kid. The kid sounds together enough to give a proper interview, and John sounds his usual peace-loving self, but after a while i stopped listening to the dialogue and marvelled at the animation in the video.

If you can, watch it in 720p, its worth it.

The Youth of Today

On the way to the post office to collect my pension I came across this vehicle, carelessly parked after what looked like an accident (note hole in bonnet and loose headlight). The driver was clearly under the influence as they left the roof down on a rainy day, and gave scant regard for the authority of "no parking" signs.

I don't know what they're teaching these kids in school these days, but when i was young, we at least parked parallel to the kerb when we abandoned vehicles.

Rugby? What Rugby?

I heard there was a rugby match on in Cardiff today, Wales vs. Italy. I only know this because we were giving away tickets in the union last night in exchange for dunking people in a tub of murky water.

Obviously I had to make it seem to my welsh cousins that I was taking an interest in the sport that was happening less than half a mile from my front door, so under the cover of darkness I crept into town.

...and took some photos of buildings.

I feel so patriotic, I may shed a tear.