The Black Dahlia

I've just finished James Ellroy's semi-fictional account of the real-life murder mystery, The Black Dahlia. In reality, the 1947 unsolved murder of 22-year-old Elizabeth Short shocked California. She disappeared one night in January. Her body was found cut in half and drained of blood in a vacant lot in the south of the city.

The book blends facts and fiction, and I honestly don't know much about the real case so I can't comment on how and where, but the story twists and turns, much like the reader's stomach once the murder details are revealed throughout the investigation. A love triangle, an obsessed young detective and a few other brutal murders create a rich tapestry of violence and police work. The 50's jive talk is easier to get through with google at your side- the average dictionary won't clear up confusions about long-gone dialect. There are a thousand reviews for this book out there. It's great. If crime mysteries are your thing, this is for you.

There are meetups happening in the city: Young Professionals in Manchester are meeting at The Wharf in Castlefield: perfect for a warm Saturday evening. There are plenty more if you search the site.

V for Vendetta

I found a classic graphic novel at a Manchester Golden Orbit comic fair a while back: V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. Released in 1988 and set in 1997, it predicts a totalitarian future in which a shady British government watches the every move of all of all of its citizens, including a browbeaten young girl whose parents were sent to a concentration camp, and a masked, caped figure determined to change the shape of the country by any means necessary- including violence.

The story follows both the girl, Evie, and the government officials trying to track down the elusive V, a classically educated, lethal terrorist. There are twists, turns, murders, bombings, and even a few cabaret acts mixed into the horror-laced world of 'future' London. A weighty, fascinating, relevant and gripping graphic novel, although the introductory red-on-black text is an eye strain.

There is a movie adaptation that I've yet to catch up on (it's typically not on Netflix).

Social Dieting

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Gold medallist. #smoothie @tgifridays #manchester #nightlife

A post shared by Matt Tuckey (@matttuckey) on Jun 21, 2019 at 11:00am PDT

I'm trying to find the middle ground between eating within a strict healthy diet, to which I always fail, and binging on takeaways and 400g bars of Galaxy. I've made many attempts, detailed on this blog, to get back into the shape I was in in 2010.

I was 28, though, getting my mum's healthy cooking and still riding off the back of years of Muay Thai training, which had left me with an incredible physique. I'm now 36, turning 37 in a month, 25kg heavier, hammering weights and cooking my own food, with variable levels of fat in each meal. At the time, I could eat a cheat meal once in a while, and it wouldn't have much of an effect on me. My weight would stay constant and I still had a 6-pack.

I moved out in November that year, and within weeks that toned stomach had gone for good. Year by year, the gym work I did put more and more bulk muscle onto me, but it came with more and more fat on top of it.

A couple of years ago, after numerous bouts of neuropsychology, counselling and psychotherapy, I caved in and started a course of antidepressants. I'm now on 30 mg Mirtazapine.

A couple of weeks ago I was sat in TGI Fridays on Cross St Manchester, with a group of mates I met through Meetup. The waiter came over to ask us if we wanted to take a look at the dessert menu. Of course we did. I ended up hammering a sticky toffee pudding and ice cream, to the point where I could burst. It dawned on me at that moment that I would never be able to stick to clean eating, but that there was one way of making things fair.

It all starts in the supermarket. If I just buy clean food, plenty of veg, no chocolate, no pre-made food like microwave meals or pizzas, but raw ingredients, then I'm only going to eat healthily. When I'm out with mates, which is every couple of weeks or so, I might drink or have food. And at those times, I can treat myself. Buy healthily alone, eat treats socially. Social dieting. And considering I rarely eat socially, the rule of thumb should result in me losing a few kilos in the next month.

Last time I weighed myself, Tuesday, I was 86.7kg. I'm aiming for 80 dead on, and aiming to get back into some trousers I haven't been able to wear for ages. This starts today...

It's been a good week:

The meeting with Ortons Writers Circle went great and the feedback I got on a poem allowed me to polish it off and upload it on Wednesday. I've got another poem for the group to review soon.

Saturday:

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Haul from Sachas Comic Fair #graphicnovel #screenplays #starshiptroopers #shallowgrave #trainspotting

A post shared by Matt Tuckey (@matttuckey) on Jun 29, 2019 at 6:31am PDT

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I don't remember @snickers diversifying this much?! @buymoreshit #northernquarter #manchester #nightlife

A post shared by Matt Tuckey (@matttuckey) on Jun 30, 2019 at 10:39am PDT

If you do this on a first date, you’re more likely to find the one

Tamir Davis from Journalistic.org, a supporting platform for up-and-coming journalists, sent me this fascinating piece on activity dating. Bin off the Bar. Curtail the Club. Do something unusual for a first date.

• 85% of Brits who went to golf-related venues such as TopGolf, Junkyard Golf and Swingers for a first date found a higher success rate for a second date.
• Other creative first dates which resulted in second dates include: Ping Pong (81%), Bowling (65%) and Amusement Park (52%)
• 87% of those surveyed stated that activity dating would allow them to feel more comfortable when meeting someone for the first time.
• 89% of daters would also be ‘very likely’ to see someone again if their first date was creative and not cliché.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Online dating has rapidly become one of the most dominant ways Brits look for love – in fact it’s the third most popular means for meeting a long-term partner, and around half of all 18 to 34-year-olds are now using dating apps, according to the BBC.

But have you ever considered which types of first dates have the highest success rates? Recent statistics from Once.com reported that two thirds of Brits stated that they would choose to go to a chain restaurant on a first date, with the most popular choices including: Frankie & Benny’s (33%), Pizza Express (27%) and Nando’s (25%). But in doing so, success rates for a second date shockingly only amount to 4 in 10 (44%).

However, it seems Brits are moving away from conventional dating norms and taking a new approach in the form of “activity dating”, such as crazy golf, ping pong and rock climbing/bouldering. 

 

To illustrate just how popular activity-based first dates are, Golfsupport.com surveyed more than 1,000 British men and women between the ages of 18-35 to discover just how inclined they are to avoid cliché date ideas, and which activities appeal most for a first date and the chances of securing a second date.

Golfsupport can reveal that 85% of people who went to golf-related venues, such as TopGolf, Junkyard Golf and Swingers, found a higher success rate for a second date (85%) than those who stuck to the traditional dinner date (44% as per Once).

Other successful creative first dates which resulted in a second date include:

• Ping Pong - 81% success rate
• Picnic – 78% success rate
• Bowling – 65% success rate
• Rock climbing – 59% success rate
• Amusement Park (Thorpe Park, Alton Towers) – 52% success rate
• Snooker/Pool – 51% success rate
• Ice-skating – 47% success rate
• Trampoline Park – 44% success rate

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Day out in Manchester yesterday and schooled these 3 at mini golf ⛳️ champ 🥇

A post shared by Tom Johnstone (@tjohnstone1) on Mar 3, 2019 at 6:55am PST

Respondents also stated why they think leisure-based first dates lead to higher success rates:

• ‘The conversation naturally flowed due to the nature of the date’ (83%)
• ‘It was a fun setting’ (74%)
• ‘It was different to my usual dating scenario’ (67%)
• ‘There weren’t any awkward silences’ (62%)

Golfsupport.com also found that 87% of those surveyed stated that activity dating would allow them to feel more comfortable when meeting someone for the first time and would be more likely to go on a first date which was creative over one that wasn’t (92%).

Not to mention, a whopping 89% of daters responded they would also be ‘very likely’ to accept a second date thereafter.

Volvo Releases Cars for People Needing Heightened Protection: Did the Breaking Bad Writers Know?

Fans of Breaking Bad will have noticed that meth-kingpin-cum-chicken-shop-proprietor Gustavo Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) has a rather low-key form of transport, namely a 1998 Volvo V70. 

It seems, though, that inconspicuousness might not be the only reason Fring chose this particular car brand.

With the release of the Volvo XC90 Armoured, Volvo Cars takes another step as a manufacturer of armoured vehicles. The cars are designed and built to provide safe and comfortable travel with a high level of personal protection for the occupants.

"We are proud to be able to offer these armoured cars. With our armoured cars, we can provide vehicles with a high level of personal security for individuals who require heightened protection," says Stephan Green, Marketing Director at Volvo Cars Special Vehicles.

There is a growing global market for armoured vehicles at present, and a large number are manufactured with various protection ratings. Volvo Cars has received numerous requests over the past few years to develop an armoured XC90. Volvo Cars has extensive experience of building police cars, fire engines and diverse special vehicles with high requirements in terms of function, driveability and safety. In fact, the first Volvo police car was delivered back in 1929.

"The XC90 Armoured (heavy) with VR8* protection rating (VPAM BRV 2009/ERV 2010) enables us to offer a car that provides a high level of protection while retaining the car's fundamental properties. Potential customers include security services who would use the car to transport high-profile individuals," says Green.

Work to develop a car with a VPAM VR8 protection rating commenced just over two years ago. A certified VPAM VR8 rating means the car has 360-degree ballistic resistance as well as explosive resistance.

The armoured car is built on the Inscription version of the Volvo XC90 T6 AWD, which is manufactured at the Torslanda plant in Sweden. The size and nature of the model make it the most suitable vehicle in Volvo Cars' product portfolio for armouring. From Torslanda, the car is sent to TRASCO Bremen GmbH in Germany, a company which has specialised for many years in building high-quality vehicles with high protection ratings.

"Production is classified, with stringent procedures and oversight in place in order to attain the stipulated ballistic requirements," says Green.

The high-strength steel armour is 10 millimetres thick, while the thickness of the glass can be up to 50 millimetres. The armour adds approximately 1,400 kilograms to the XC90, which brings the total weight of the car up to 4,490kg (including five occupants). To cope with the increased weight, the car is fitted with uprated suspension and new brakes.

"Production is carried out with extreme diligence, which is imperative in order to fulfil the exceptionally high requirements placed on this class of security product. We strive to ensure that the car retains its properties despite the extensive armouring. The armour is fitted discreetly to make the car barely distinguishable from a standard XC90. Every customer also has their own unique requirements, which we satisfy by means of customised production," says Green.

The Volvo XC90 Armoured (heavy) is available to order now and the first customer deliveries will be made at the end of 2019.

Volvo Cars also develops another version of the armoured car (light). This means that Volvo Cars has a full portfolio of cars able to offer high personal protection. These cars are built on the XC60 T6 AWD Inscription or XC90 T6 AWD Inscription.

These versions are geared towards different clientele than the XC90 Armoured (heavy). Users could be individuals or companies requiring a car with a higher level of protection due to a geographical risk or a heightened personal threat. A market for these types of protective vehicles also exists among security services, the police, the diplomatic corps and private individuals.

The cars are intended for Latin America and Europe. After construction, they are retrofitted in Brazil, where there is considerable demand for these types of cars as well as substantial experience of building them. These vehicles are designed to offer lighter protection compared with the XC90 Armoured (heavy).

The cars will undergo a battery of ballistic tests to ensure the required protection rating is fulfilled. They primarily provide protection against handguns.

The weight of the car is increased by around 250 kilograms, which is compensated for by upgrading the brakes and suspension. This means that the fundamental properties remain largely unchanged compared to the standard car.

Sales of these cars are scheduled to begin in the first half of 2020. Neither fried chicken nor meth included with purchase.

Zombie

Bags under my eyes, that comes as no surprise,

Staring right at my eyelids for most of the night

Tryna change my viewpoint, get a bigger panorama

Though when you've had Citalopram it comes around much harder

Feeling redundant like an out of date Pepsi

Waking up at random times just like it's narcolepsy

There isn't any cure, you can't just slap on ointment

Just pick up the phone and book another appointment

Sorry, Mr Tuckey, we're an oversubscribed clinic

Our next slot's in six weeks, want me to book you in it?

Another boring clerk, another warning in work

If I make another error I'll go terribly berserk

I try to change my diet up, eat more sweet potatoes,

no matter what I eat, guess which way my weight goes

And that's the way my day goes, it takes a lot from me

Try to live my life like I'm a man and not a zombie

Way past my prime and already a has-been

Thirty-something bachelor, wired on Mirtazapine

But there's always that moment when your head hits the pillow

Where all the day's thoughts start to swell and billow

I forgot one thing, and I didn't do another

Regrets and missed opportunities asunder

All my mistakes and countless blunders

Feeling like the carpet's been pulled out from under

My feet while I'm just trying to stand like a man

The slightest inconvenience I'm out of the chip pan

And into the fire where my thoughts will roar

Calm on the outside but feelings still raw

Here's something to explore: Can I accept my weaknesses,

Lying on my mattress, and sleep with peacefulness?

A zombie-like stillness outside on the surface,

But my heart still beats, and that's why there's a purpose.