The Anonymous Patient

Check out The Anonymous Patient a new novel, updated regularly.

"Are you OK? Can you hear me? Hello?"

His eyes were shut and his face was pale. Blood dripped from his nose down the back of his throat causing him to cough. Blood spewed from his mouth covering his white T-shirt. He laid motionless on the floor.

He was in a hospital when he woke, he felt numb all over. A nurse spoke to him, first with the pleasantries; "how are you feeling?" and "its beef casserole for dinner is that OK?" and then "are you warm enough?". The pleasantries were soon dispensed with and the real questions began. "How old are you? Whats your name? Where do you live?" Question after question, they wanted to know everything. He gave false answers, a false name, a false address, he also lied that he was eighteen."Is there anyone we can contact?" the nurse finally asked "No. No one" he responded sternly. The nurse seemed dissatisfied with this response but didn't query the matter further. The doctor came to see him. He was prescribed pills, they looked like tic tacs, but instead of emitting a sweet mint flavour they tasted of nothing, like cheap worn out chewing gum. He was instructed to take daily doses, which he did. The doctor explained to him what they were for and how long he would need them, but he took no notice.

His hospital life continued, he was soon bored by its monotony. He spent most of his time watching the TV, the channel was decided by consensus amongst the patients on the ward, rarely was his favoured choice shown. Pills twice a day, morning and night. and food three times a day; breakfast at eight, lunch at one and dinner at five-thirty. The food was appalling and although the meals changed the flavour did not. The doctor, who rarely came to see him, explained that without anywhere to go and without anyone to care for him it would be some time before he would be discharged.

He was trapped, like a fly in a spiders web. No one to turn to, no family, no friends, no future.

Don't forget to Follow! You can find us on Twitter @YankeeZuluBlog or Email us at YankeeZuluEmail@gmail.com

Poem of the Day

 A new poem everyday.

If

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;   
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;   
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,   
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,   
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling 1895

The Tyger

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright 

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare sieze the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art.
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,
And watered heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

William Blake 1794

Don't forget to Follow! You can find us on Twitter @YankeeZuluBlog or Email us at YankeeZuluEmail@gmail.com

Jessica Ennis Takes Gold at London 2012

Jessica Ennis Is Olympic Champion

- Jessica Ennis wins gold in the heptathlon at London 2012.

- Mo Farah wins gold in 10000m

- Greg Rutherford wins gold in Long Jump  

Jessica Ennis is on track to win Gold at London 2012

After two ferocious days of competition, Jessica Ennis came out on top in the Women's Heptathlon at London 2012. The 26 year old Brit blew away the competition to secure her first Gold at her first Olympics. The poster girl of the London 2012 Olympics didn't fail to produce with an outstanding display across the 7 events; 100m Hurdles, High Jump, Shot Put, 200m, Long Jump, Javelin and 800m.

Day One

Ennis got off to a dream start on day one of the competition, achieving personal bests in 2 events and finishing top of the points table with 4158 points, 184 points ahead of nearest competitor Austra Skujyte.

100m Hurdles- Ennis's best event from day one, she achieved a record breaking 12.54 seconds, a new British record and the fastest time ever run in a heptathlon. This gave Ennis 1195 points after the first event, putting her in 1st place after the 1st event.

Jessica Ennis sets new British record in 100m hurdles

High Jump- Ennis achieved an average 1.86m in the high jump, finishing 5th in the event. This gave Ennis 1054 points, which meant she kept her overall lead in the competition with 2249 points.

Shot Put- Ennis would have hoped for better in the shot put, she performed under par with a distance of 14.28m. Ennis finished 9th in the event and achieved 813 points. This put Ennis 2nd overall in the competition with 3062 points after the third event.

200m- Ennis proved her worth in the final event of day one, she finished with a time of 22.83 seconds, a new personal best. Ennis finished 1st in the event gaining 1096 points moving her back into 1st position with 4158 points.

After day one Ennis said in an interview, "I'm still in shock about the hurdles but it was a bit up and down. High jump I was a bit disappointed by, but not too bad. Shot put also a little bit disappointed, but all solid performances and two PBs is Brilliant."

When asked about the home crowd Ennis said, "It's been amazing, the crowd have been unbelievable. I know it sounds cheesy but they really do lift you when you come round the bend and hear the roar. It makes a huge difference."

Day Two

The second day of the competition saw the athletes competing in the Long Jump, Javelin and 800m. Ennis has fallen behind in the Long Jump and Javelin in the past, she needed good results here to secure gold.

Long Jump- Ennis performed well in the first event of day two with a distance of 6.48m. She finished 2nd in the event and gained 1001 points, keeping her in 1st place overall in the competition with 5159 points.

Javelin- Ennis put in yet another PB in the Javelin. Ennis threw a massive 47.49m. She finished 11th in the event and scored 705 points, this keeps her at the top of the points table, with 5954 points.

800m- Ennis secured gold at London 2012 in style with an 800m time of 2:08.65 seconds she finished first in the event and scored 984 points. This gave her an overall winning score of 6955 points. Ennis achieved a PB and a British record in the heptathlon.  

After winning gold Ennis said in an interview, "I can't believe I've had the opportunity to come to my first Games in London and won an Olympic Gold medal. It's unbelievable"

Fellow Britons Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford also won olympic gold in their events 10000m (Farah) and Long Jump (Rutherford).

Don't forget to Follow! You can find us on Twitter @YankeeZuluBlog or Email us at YankeeZuluEmail@gmail.com

Do You Want to Live Forever?

Neo Humanity: The 2045 Initiative

The 2045 Initiative is a nonprofit organization with the goal of creating a network community with the world’s leading scientists in the field of life extension by means of the cybernetic technologies and to support them as an investment hub, contributing to various projects.

The 2045 Initiative was founded by Dmitry Itskov in February 2011 in partnership with leading Russian scientists. The main objectives of the Initiative are:
1) The creation of a new vision of human development that meets global challenges humanity faces today.
2) Realization of the possibility of a radical extension of human life by means of cybernetic technology, as well as the formation of a new culture associated with these technologies.

The 2045 team is working towards creating an international research center where leading scientists will be engaged in research and development in the fields of anthropomorphic robotics, living systems modeling and brain and consciousness modeling with the goal of transferring one’s individual consciousness to an artificial carrier and achieving cybernetic immortality.

You can find out more about the 2045 Initiative at http://www.2045.com/ 

Don't forget to Follow! You can find me on Twitter @YankeeZuluBlog or Email me at YankeeZuluEmail@gmail.com

YouView TV

Get The TV Experience Everyone's Talking About

YouView is the brilliant new television service, Get it today. YouView offers customers a totally new Television experience. YouView has features other TV Services could only dream of. Missed your favourite show? watch it again on YouView with its amazing Scrollback guide. YouView links with the Internet, this allows you to search for your favorite shows, actors, directors. Toilet break? Miss nothing, use the record, pause and rewind features to optimize your viewing experience. Store up to 300 hours of recorded TV on the YouView harddrive. Want the best news? Its 100% free! Get it today or findout more info at YouView.com .  

Don't forget to Follow! You can find me on Twitter @YankeeZuluBlog or Email me at YankeeZuluEmail@gmail.com

USA Independence Day

Independence Day- A British Perspective

I've never quite understood Independence Day, I'm aware of it each year and i know a little about it, but being British its hard to know, or understand what it means to Americans. Here's my take on the US Independence from a British perspective.
Each year on 4th July, is celebrated by Americans everywhere to mark the day when their nation became independent and broke from the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1776. The 4th July is a national holiday in the US. This year it is the 236th celebration of Independence day. When I  think of Independence day, I think of a scene from The Great Escape, you can view the clip below. I view Independence day as a day of great patriotism for Americans, with great celebrations like in the clip below.

(Clip is only relevant from 0:08, its the only one i could find)

Is this perception of Independence day right? Is there anything I have missed? Comment below and tell me

Don't forget to Follow! You can find me on Twitter @YankeeZuluBlog or Email me at YankeeZuluEmail@gmail.com



Charity Of The Week

Charity Of The Week

Each week I will write about a charity that I think is worthwhile. I will update this page and add in all the Charities in the forthcoming weeks.  

The Make a Wish Foundation grants magical wishes to children and young people fighting life-threatening conditions. The Charity relies on donations from the public, it is an international charity and helps young people in over 47 countries. Make a Wish relies on volunteers from around the world, these volunteer 's help change the lives of young people, without them the charity cannot function. Please visit http://www.worldwish.org/ and make a difference today, become a volunteer or donate as much as you can, without your help the charity can't function. You can find the Charity on Twitter @MakeAWishIntl. Thank you

The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation is a small, effective charity funding key projects in Africa and Asia working to save critically endangered mammals in the wild. The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation supports anti-poaching and conservation projects throughout Africa and Asia making a real difference to the survival of critically endangered mammals. You can support the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation by making a donation. Find out more at their website http://www.davidshepherd.org/ 

Don't forget to Follow! You can find me on Twitter @YankeeZuluBlog or Email me at YankeeZuluEmail@gmail.com