Nice article about rugby league in the Guardian
I like to cover a range of topics, and today we’re moving back to rugby league. This article, courtesy of Guardian write Andy Wilson, regarding the move at the end of this season of Chris Ashton from Wigan Warriors Rugby League to Northampton Rugby Union. It makes for very interesting reading:
It seems unlikely that Chris Ashton will have read a column in The Australian newspaper by Wayne Bennett, the long-serving and hugely respected coach of the Brisbane Broncos, before making the decision to leave 
Wigan and double his money in rugby union with Northampton later this year. But as British rugby league clubs confront the growing threat of losing talented young players to union, they could do much worse than post Bennett’s latest words of wisdom on their dressing room walls.
“Life’s experience has taught me that if you’re not happy - no matter what money they give you - it’s not worth it,” he wrote, in reference to the protracted recent contract negotiations of two of the biggest names in southern hemisphere rugby, Lote Tuqiri and Sonny Bill Williams. “Lots of people make bucketloads of money but are terribly unhappy with their lives and themselves. What makes you happy is being in good organisations and being there for the right reasons. The greater the money, the greater the expectation. No one’s a miracle man every weekend.”
Wayne Bennett
Keep the squid on ice
Some of you may remember the capture of a colossal squid, or Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni for those of you who want the official name, that I reported on posted last month. Well now it is back on dry land and everyone is trying to work out what to do with it. The Japanese are already sharpening their sushi knives, but I think researchers are going to get first look at this one. But their first problem is how to get at it. Confused? Well read on…
A note about comments on my site
A few people recently have emailed me, saying that they can’t access the comment section on some of my articles to write comments. This occurs in the articles I write which do not have a “Continue reading this entry” link. I apologise for this, and am including those links where I can. In very short articles though, this may not be possible. It is a problem with the site style and is quite difficult to get rid of. Please bear with me over the next few weeks and hopefully by the end of March things will be sorted out.
Keep reading and keep commenting (when you can!)
A link to some great underwater photos
As many of you know, I love spending time under the waves, and the waters of Okinawa hold a special place now and always in my heart. Some of my photos come out quite well, but I’d just like to pass on a link to a friend’s photo gallery. Her name is Danielle Caceres-Bricheno and she’s another Brit living in Okinawa. She’s a professional underwater photographer and some of her shots are breathtaking. Even if you only have a couple of minutes of free internet time, check her sites out at:
www.pbase.com/the_underwater_world - Diving photos
www.pbase.com/world_nomads - Land photos
You will be very glad you did. As I said to her myself, she takes the kind of photos I would love to take. Admittadly, part of it is that her camera equipment is almost as expensive as my car, but you’ve still got to have the skills to take the shots and play around with them a little to get the best out of them.
Enjoy the shots, and take care. I’ll be back with diving/travelling/Japanese writings again soon.
Dolphin slaughter in Japan
I have just been sent a link to a video clip by one of my good friends and a fellow diver. It is a video about the killing of dolphins which goes on in Japan, and is narrated by actor Joaquin Phoenix. Please take the time to watch it, but also read my comments below before passing final judgement. I can’t seem to get the video to embed in this page, so I’ll have to give you a link for now. Bear in mind, this clip is not for the faint-hearted.
http://www.glumbert.com/media/dolphin