RBOSS: IOM and Sheffield

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RBOSS continues apace. It was never going to be something that was ever going to stop, but there were (apparently forlorn) hopes that we could at least slow it down.

It seems not. Here’s that statue of the Bee Gees on the Prom in Douglas, now famous for the white line that surrounds the figures of Barry, Robin and Keith:

The statue itself is bad enough. It didn’t need treating to a DEHAZE wash drowning.
And beagle-eyed readers will notice that this one has been used on a calendar. That means that there are at least 28 days (and probably more) when this image is going to be staring at you from your kitchen (or whichever) wall.

Absolute masochism.

And then we head to Sandygate: the oldest football ground in the world, and home to the second oldest football team in the world. But not for much longer, looking at the frankly apocalyptic clouds overhead here:

To be fair, this is less RBOSS and more r/shittyHDR. But the same rules apply.

And there’s absolutely no need for fawning comments like “an amazing capture” or “beautiful [heart emoji]”. Although they are all over this post on Facebook. This image is a record of a visit to a historical, non-league stadium in suburban Sheffield, not some Hurricane Milton lookalike contest.

Remove the ridiculously over-dramatic sky and it’s just perfect at what it’s supposed to be. But now everyone’s looking at the scary clouds and wondering of any of the (somewhat meagre) fanbase survived.

They’ve forgotten that you went to watch the footy.

Completely unjustified.

I know that there are a few people out there who think that these sort of blog posts are wrong, and that art is art. And they’re definitely right on the second bit. But art (is this really “art”?) should also be open to criticism, and when it’s blown out by too many lightroom or snapseed filters or sliders, I will call it out.

Things are often actually quite nice just as they are, and they don’t need stupid amounts of editing just to try and get you a few extra likes or karma points.

Quota Walking Trail

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We’ve done the Nuwejaars Wetlands before, and it was very special. And whenever we drive out that way from Agulhas, it’s always like a mini-safari even along the public roads.

The great news is that this week, the NWSMA have opened a new walking trail through the area: The African Marsh Harrier Trail. There’s a lot to see…

… and it looks like a really good day out.

The creation of the trail was funded by WWF South Africa, with the support of the Overberg District Municipality. 
The relaxed and unchallenging trail is ideal for walkers of any fitness level, including children. It takes around two to three hours to complete. And it’s meant to be enjoyed slowly while taking in the incredible wildlife that lives in the wetlands, especially the bird life. 

As mentioned above, just getting there is often educational enough, so I’m looking forward to some decent fun with the long lens next time we are down there.

Murk

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When spring finally came, it came in HOT!

Temperatures have been into the 30s for most of the last week, and with the still, warm air over the city, the air quality has been noticeably decreasing. But what we’re seeing (or not seeing, because it’s so polluted) at the moment is only classed as “Moderate” on the AQI (Air Quality Index (low numbers are better numbers)) scale:

But look at that: today’s allegedly “Moderate” levels have nothing on tomorrow, where – in the early afternoon – we’re looking at “Very Unhealthy” air quality, before returning to something altogether (well, slightly) more satisfactory on Wednesday and Thursday.

Here’s the AQI scale for reference:

And you’ll note immediately that we run up 3 steps to the penultimate level of nastiness in the next 24 hours. That’s mainly due to high counts for PM2.5 and low level ozone:

PM2.5, (also written PM2.5) are tiny particles of dust or soot – especially prevalent in vehicle exhaust fumes – and which are contributing to the murky, hazy atmosphere over the city at the moment.

Then – and bear with me here – add in those high levels of low level ozone…

Yes, I know it’s a bit confusing: high levels of high level ozone are good – thanks for using your roll-on deodorant back in the 1980s and 90s – but we really only want the ozone about 20 or 25km up there, and not at ground level:

Ground-level ozone or the “bad” ozone that forms closer to the Earth in the air we breathe. This ozone is not usually emitted directly, but rather forms from chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in sunlight.

These pollutants can have acute effects on people who suffer with asthma or other respiratory diseases. Especially at these hugely elevated levels. It’s not called “Very Unhealthy” just for shits and giggles (neither of which are symptoms, by the way).
Longer term effects can include cardio-vascular problems and issues in pregnancy, but we’re fortunate in Cape Town that while quite ugly, these are fairly rare levels for this little corner of Africa.

A small cold front passing over or near to the Cape on Wednesday will see a lot of this nastiness blown out into the South Atlantic where it can dissipate and harm the wildlife instead of us important humans.

But in the meantime, if you are sensitive to pollution and/or you do suffer from asthma or a respiratory illness, you might want to take steps to protect yourself from what promises to be a rather unpleasant day tomorrow.

Stay safe.

Reset

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I haven’t played football in ages, and I hadn’t realised how much I missed it.

So, when the offer of a Sunday morning friendly came up – and with it, a chance to review the revamped facilities at Hellenic – I jumped at the chance.

This was a good morning, and the social afterwards only added to the fun. A real reset with some great guys. Everyone giving their utmost in the 32oC heat, but all in really good spirit.

The cold beers were never more welcome, and I can’t wait to get back to some regular games as soon as the new season starts.

In fact, all in all, it’s been a very good footballing weekend.

Related: I am BROKEN!

On James Bond

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I don’t do films, but I was amazed by this stat (and the offer – how big must Prime’s servers be?!?).

If you’d asked me how many James Bond films there have been, I’d have guessed somewhere between 20 and 30.

Not somewhere between 20 or 30 thousand!!!!

That’s an average of over 4,000 films per James Bond actor, of which Roger Moore was by far the best.

Incredible work rate all around, though.