Venus Tour

Venus is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty. The planet probably received its name because it is the brightest of the planets known to the ancients. It is the brightest object in the sky except for the Sun and the Moon, and has been known since prehistoric times. Like Mercury, it was often thought to consist of two separate bodies: Eosphorus as the morning star and Hesperus as the evening star, but the Greek astronomers knew better than this.

Since Venus is an inferior planet, it shows phases when you look at it through a telescope from the Earth. Galileo's observation of the phases of venus was valuable evidence in support of Copernicus's heliocentric theory of the solar system.

The first spacecraft reaching Venus was Mariner 2 in 1962. It was later visited by many others (more than 20 in total so far), including Pioneer Venus and the Soviet Venera 7 the first spacecraft to land on another planet, and Venera 9 which brought the first photographs of the surface. Most recently, the orbiting US spacecraft Magellan created detailed maps of Venus' surface using radar.

Back in the late 40’s and early 50’s, a 34 year-old Ken McLoad (my father), embarked on a venture to produce and sell a sleek, fiberglass-bodied sports car which he named the "Venus". It used a donor chassis and running gear from a '49-'52 Ford, though I suspect it would mount on almost any chassis. He began design work on the Venus while in Dallas. In 1950 or 1951, he took a job as an engineer at a geophysical cable manufacturing company in Houston known as Vector Cable. (He later became President and served in that position for 18 years before the company was purchased by Schlumberger.) Naturally, he brought the Venus project with him from Dallas. In the next few years, he built a complete full-scale "plug" of the car body out of wood (from which to make molds).

As if a full-time engineering job and raising 3 kids was not enough, he and two other guys formed a company around 1953 or 1954 called Ratio Mfg. Co. to build and sell this car. Mr. D.Y. Gorman set up the business and handled the management of the company; Mr. E.F. Rockett was the pattern maker; and my father handled all of the design work. One of Mr. Gorman's teenage sons, DeWitt, actually worked on the Venus bodies, applying additional sealing resin and making then ready for shipping.

They built a prototype (and probably several more), had it photographed, and a story was written in the May 1954 issue of Motor Trend. I suspect they sent the story and photos to Motor Trend, as opposed to Motor Trend seeking them out.

Venus is a planet rich in mythology from many different traditions; it is not without reason that the forthcoming Venus Transit as attracted so much attention. The author, Maya White has been a student and teacher of the metaphysical world for over 25 years and her focus as an astrologer include Theosophy, mysticism, spiritual healing and natal & astrology charts. Love and relationships are high on the list of concerns for most human beings. There are some solitary souls who are quite content to live without a primary partner, but most of us choose to pursue intimate relationships for many different reasons. A loving partner helps keep away the cold, not only by warming the bed, but by supporting your dreams and listening to your fears. Close companionship is the way of the world for the majority, but modern society has made it an extremely complex process.

it has been a quick 12 months since I was here last! So much has happened. Let's see, I graduated from Fashion Design School, launched my own clothing line, bought a new dog (Harold ... he's very cool), went to India for the first time and so much more. Sometimes the weeks seem like a blur until all of a sudden you have these moments in time where everything pauses.

Coming to Wimbledon is one of those times for me. I think it happens once my bags are packed and I am on my way to the airport. Everything slows down and I realise that I am going to a place that I've dreamt about as long as I can remember. This sensation really hasn't changed much over the years.

I'm sure part of the intrigue has to do with the uniqueness of the All England Club and how the history of our game has been preserved here. The positive feelings have also increased over the years as Wimbledon has become the home of so many fantastic memories for me and my family.

My preparation in the weeks preceding Wimbledon has not varied much in recent years. I have taken the weeks off after the French Open to spend time at home in Florida. The objective has remained the same - rest my mind and body and fine-tune my game. The ultimate goal is, of course, to ensure that I am well prepared for Wimbledon as well as for a competitive summer season that follows. I have learnt that being prepared often-times means balance.

Balance for me means not too many social or business commitments and resisting the temptation to play too many tournaments. Essentially, getting myself to a point where I am well prepared to compete at the highest level during the most critical time. Balance sometimes means I have to turn down things that I would otherwise love to do, like fun trips, great social events and other opportunities. But finding balance also means that I make time to do things that interest me and keep my mind active.

So - what exactly have I been doing the last few weeks? Practice and workouts five or six days per week with my dad, hitting partner and often-times Serena. A few nice dinners with friends where we talk about life, always some good scoop and always laughs. I walked by my bookshelf the other day and saw a book that I had been promising myself I would read for years, Sphere by Michael Crichton. I finally opened it and it is an amazing suspense thriller that takes place mainly in the ocean. I mean I really haven't been able to put it down ... don't worry, I won't spoil the plot! I also caught up on my magazine reading and the fashion trades. I like reading about the current fashion trends.

Recently, I have been following designers like Blumarine (they have great prints); Pinko is a great European brand that has recently come out with some really fun collections; Ralph Lauren is a master of classics with a modern twist.

Watching the overall trends in the fashion industry provides insights for me as I continue to develop my own clothing line, EleVen by Venus Williams. At some point during my off weeks I make sure to spend time trading ideas with the EleVen design team and reviewing the latest updates. Just last week the design team came to visit me in Florida and showed me concepts for spring 2009.

The design process makes my mind spin and I really enjoy trading new ideas and creating a direction that will excite our customers. In a nutshell, EleVen targets active women who want to look great in all parts of their active lifestyles - whether they are at the gym, market or dinner. Evolving this strategy is a thrill and an extremely enjoyable part of my life.

Before heading off to London, Serena and I shot a commercial for one of our new sponsors that will begin running at the end of this summer. We did the commercial with two American football stars and it is VERY funny.

Now that I have arrived in London, I am announcing a new photography book project today. The book merges two of my favourite topics - tennis and fashion. The concept was developed with acclaimed fashion photographer Koto Bolofo, who travelled with me throughout 2005. It is a collection of photos that capture on-court images at tournaments (including an insider's look at my 2005 Wimbledon victory) and off-court photos that capture artistic/fashion-oriented themes and relevant cultural experiences.

There is a Suzanne Lenglen-inspired fashion shoot in Forest Hills, in Paris we did a surrealistic shoot inspired by Josephine Baker, in London we did a shoot in a home that quickly reminds you of The Great Gatsby, we did a Seventies-themed shoot in Harlem, Koto joined me on the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, where the tournament organisers arranged for me to play across a net that divided the European and Asian parts of Istanbul. Since Koto had many of these great ideas, I feel like I'm allowed to say how much I really love this project.

Of course my life is not all fun and fashion. While these activities are a nice “escape”, the responsibilities of my “day job” are not ever too far away. Beyond preparing to defend my Wimbledon title, my Wimbledon commitments include supporting the All England Club and WTA by participating in important press events and other obligations.

This evening I will attend an event to promote the launch of a new WTA marketing campaign which will be hosted by Sir Richard Branson. Tomorrow, it's more practice and then a media round-table with the international press for the Wimbledon defending champion. On Saturday more practice and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour player meetings. On Sunday a press conference attended by the defending champion and, of course, more practice. Sunday afternoon and Monday will be more practice and rest and Tuesday at 1pm it is show time.