Coffee

Beverage	Volume (oz)	Calories
Instant coffee	1 tsp	4
Instant coffee	8	4
Espresso Coffee	1	1
Brewed Coffee	8	2
McDonald’s Cappuccino	16	130
McDonald’s Latte	16	180
McDonald’s Mocha	16	330
McDonald’s Brewed Coffee (Large)	16	0
Dunkin Donuts Latte	10	120
Dunkin Donuts Cappuccino	10	80
Dunkin Donuts Mocha Swirl Latte	10	230
Dunkin Donuts Brewed Coffee	10	15
Starbucks Brewed Coffee	16	5
Starbucks Caffè Americano	16	15
Starbucks Caffè Latte	16	220
Starbucks Caffè Mocha (no whip)	16	290
Starbucks Caffè Mocha (whip)	16	360
Starbucks Cappucino	16	140
Starbucks Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha (whip)	16	560
Starbucks Caffe Vanilla Frappucino Blended Coffee (whip)	16	430
Starbucks Hot Chocolate (no whip)

American budgets

The US Government gave $658.1 billion to provide for the Defense Department, an increase of $68.1 billion for 2017-18. Mr Trump knows this will create jobs. But at what cost to the rest of the world. Never ending wars and selling arms is great business for America. Making other NATO countries spend 2% of their GNP on arms will be great news to the American arms supplier. This is leading to a volatile world. American has heightened tension with Russia, China, Iran, North Korea and many smaller countries. They have troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, at war. Mr Trump is not good on International Politics, for example he criticised Qatar for supporting terrorism yet his biggest and busiest Airbase (with 10k troops ) overseas is in Qatar. The world needs to cut Arms proliferation. It needs to stop making arms and munitions. American needs to lead this. They could spend their on education and health care. 

British Sport

Here is just a few of Britains sporting heros.

 Miss Konta , tennis, • She was born in Australia to Hungarian parents but moved to UK aged 14

Mr Froome , cycling born on 20 May 1985 in Nairobi, Kenya, represented Kenya, became British in 2008.

Mo Farah, Athletes, He was born on 23 March 1983 in Mogadishu, Somalia moved to Britain in 1990.

Nasser Hussain, Cricketer, 28 March 1968 Madras, Tamil Nadu, India moved to U.K. In 1975.

Rugby

Rugby

In NZ There are 150,000 registered rugby players. Out of those, there are only about 250 professionals. 600 clubs. Last year two players suffered catastrophic spinal injuries, rendering them unable to walk. ( ACC supports catastrophically injured players throughout their lives, which contributes to the yearly cost.) ( ACC is the sole and compulsory provider of accident insurance in New Zealand for all work and non-work injuries. The corporation administers the ACC Scheme on a no-fault basis, )

Ireland

221 clubs. 153,000 registered players. The IRFU have 14 centrally contracted players.

( In Ireland you have to sue someone and wait years for compensation or rely on charity)

Luftwaffe Eagle

Luftwaffe Eagles

My father ( 88yo ) told me a story yesterday which I never heard before.

My father Norman Sinnott ( age 12. ) was in his back garden in Newtown park Blackrock with his father Reginald when they heard the unusual noise of an aeroplane. Not many planes were around Ireland in 1940. His father said it was a bomber. He was surprised thing he was exaggerating. Minutes they heard an explosion in the distance with another one seconds later. He then said they had bomber Dunlaoghaire. 

20 December 1940; Around

A Lifetime

           A lifetime.

On the 20th of September this  year (2016) I will be celebrating my 40th year of living with a spinal injury. In 1976 I was the front seat passenger of a car that crashed into a bus near New Ross. I was flown to the national Rehabilitation centre NRH in Dunlaoghaire. I had a complete C5/6 spinal cord injury ( Quadriplegic ).  I was paralysed from the shoulders down as well as my bowls and bladder . My face was cut up but that healed. I was put on traction for weeks and manually turned every 3 hours. After 3 weeks I caught meningitis but They saved my life  with excellent care. I was lucky that I accepted my disability right away. I never blamed anyone. I knew I just had to make the best of it. It was much harder for my family and friends. They had to look at me in bed and  then in a wheelchair.

In those days the NRH was only learning how to care for spinal injured people. The OT department was only built and the gym had basic equipment. There was no sports gym and the hospital was very run down. The windows were draughty and single glazed, the beds were old metal ones and we lay on 3 pillows, no air mattresses. Condoms were glued on and drained into big glass bottles. There were no baths. The staff were wonderful and it had a great atmosphere. Every one was focussed on getting out by being rehabilitated to there level. At night bands would come into the wards and play music. We were aloud out to the local pubs and taken out to Shows. We were given bottles of Guinness at night as a tonic. At half six in the morning we had Mass piped through out the hospital over the loud  speakers. We never had any counselling, we talked among our selves about our difficulties. There was always someone worst then yourself. There was a lot ( 20 ) of young people between the age of 16 and 30 at that time. The third floor was full of old men in for limb fitting. There were a few  head injuries victims in each ward.

It was hard coming to term with being paralysed. I was and am unable to do anything for my self lying in bed. If no one came to care for me in the morning I would be just left lying there. Every other day someone has to manually empty my bowls. Someone has to feed me in bed and I must drink regularly. To get out of. Bed I have to be dressed and hoisted out. Today's electric chairs have improved ( there were very few in 1976 ). There were no accessible public transport,no accessible taxis. The first time when I went home was the worst, I realised for the first time life would never be the same. I could not get around the house and my family were unable to cope. We had to move house and my family had to slowly learn how to look after me. I was and still is not easy to care for someone with a SCI its ongoing. I can't take a break from my disabilities, I can't takea day off I'm still paralysed. 

Over the years I have studied and tried many things. You must get on with life. I studied computer programming and worked at it for two years but it's was not very rewarding. I studied at The Open University and got a degree in Social science. I had to write my essays on an old typewriter every month ( this was before word processors ) and had to dictate my exams. I took up watercolour painting in the 1980 and had success with a solo exhibitions  in The Guinness Hop Store in Dublin. 

I have travelled all over the world from Australia to East coast of America. Camping in France to a safari in Kenya. I have been to many sporting events. The American cup in Rhode Island, the Ryder Cup at The Belfray, the Euro88', Italia 90, Aussie rules at Gabba, Baseball at Fenway Pk. Soccer International in Landsdown Road ( could drive into the ground and park between the stands in 1979), and rugby, GAA. 

For 10 years I campaigned for rights for people with disabilities ( mainly with the Forum of People with Disabilities). We got to sit with  The Taoisceacht ( Albert Reynolds) at the Cabinet table. We got them to agree that a percentage of civil servants would be people with disabilities, public buildings must be accessible to all disabled persons, that building regulations would be changed, that Dublin bus would only buy accessible buses and kerbs would be ramped. I had many letters and articles published and appeared on TV and radio. I hope I did  my bit for the cause. But After all those campaigns a lot more needs to be done.

The greatest thing that happened to me was meeting my partner and now my wife. We have been together nearly 25 years. She has put up with me, cared for me through many ups and downs over the years. She has encouraged me over the years to keep going, We now have a son (  with a little help from the NRH ) who has changed my life.

In recent years I have spent a lot of time in General Hospitals with pressure sores. I have numerous operations on them. They do not know how to look after people with SCI in general hospitals. I do have to tell them I need turning regularly. They are good when they get used to you. But still showering and bowel management are nightmares. Being in general hospitals is hard for visitors. Then you have the problems of the HSE and The Government. They keep changing the rules, what you are allowed to receive. SCI is not a seen as a long term illness in the Irish health system. You are not entitled to a medical card. You cannot get health insurance for SCI. It's a total mess. It changes with Governments. With the Disabled services being cut all the time.

After 40 years life is a struggle but well worth fighting for. I am one of the lucky ones. I have a family and friends, live independently, and am not totally dependants on the State or charities.

♿️ Martin Sinnott BSc. July 2016. © 🇮🇪

American Foreign Policy Costing !

Iraqi security forces lost 2,300 Humvee armoured vehicles when the Islamic State jihadist group overran the northern city of Mosul, plus an arsenal of weapons and munitions.

Last year, the U.S. State Department approved a possible sale to Iraq of 1,000 Humvees with increased armour, machineguns, grenade launchers, other gear and support that was estimated to cost $579 million. List price for Humvee in 2011 was $200,000.

The American taxpayers was robbed ! And they have more to com. So will the Americans use missiles to take them out.a Hellfire missile cost $60K-$80K and $1K-$2K an hour to run.

So let's say 2000 humvees multiplied by $100,000 multiplied by 2000 missiles @ $70k is equal to $540 million. This was for one instance going on in Iraq. 

All this going on abroad

while millions of American are living And depending  on Food Stamps.