31 March 2006
30 March 2006
My Grandad died yesterday
...and I feel nothing. I dunno, when i was growing up, we'd go and see my nan every Sunday. She'd be sitting in ger chair by the 2 bar electric fire, a pack of No.6's on the arm of her chair. we'd do this every weekend, yet Grandad would never be there. Sometime's he would turn up, but I can only remember his Cement truck, the barrel turning slowly.
Xmas was a laugh though, he had this piece of sack-cloth with the card suits, a crown and another symbol on it, and he'd have three dice with the corresponding pictures. We'd place our bets (pennies) on the symbols and he'd roll the dice. if our picture was rolled, we got the money back double. 2 symbols triple. three symbols, a pound (the motherlode)
Then my nan died. cancer. Horrible. Grandad moved to a small bungalow over the road from my Mother's house. I remember I'd just been up town with my brother and I'd bought a lego cement truck, I wanted to show Grandad. He was happy to see us.
Then he met.. someone who wasn't nan. This woman didn't ingratiate herself to the family very well, even called my niece a bitch to my sister. Maybe she was, but we're not going to have this woman talk to us like her opinion matters.
This was many, many years ago. I suppose I'd met and spoke to him twice in 10 years. He didn't come to our wedding (didn't invite him, actually) And he never met Luke. I think I actually would have liked to have introduced them, but I didn't have the faintest clue how to contact him.
Anyway, for what it's worth..
Arthur Kench - R.I.P.
Xmas was a laugh though, he had this piece of sack-cloth with the card suits, a crown and another symbol on it, and he'd have three dice with the corresponding pictures. We'd place our bets (pennies) on the symbols and he'd roll the dice. if our picture was rolled, we got the money back double. 2 symbols triple. three symbols, a pound (the motherlode)
Then my nan died. cancer. Horrible. Grandad moved to a small bungalow over the road from my Mother's house. I remember I'd just been up town with my brother and I'd bought a lego cement truck, I wanted to show Grandad. He was happy to see us.
Then he met.. someone who wasn't nan. This woman didn't ingratiate herself to the family very well, even called my niece a bitch to my sister. Maybe she was, but we're not going to have this woman talk to us like her opinion matters.
This was many, many years ago. I suppose I'd met and spoke to him twice in 10 years. He didn't come to our wedding (didn't invite him, actually) And he never met Luke. I think I actually would have liked to have introduced them, but I didn't have the faintest clue how to contact him.
Anyway, for what it's worth..
Arthur Kench - R.I.P.
28 March 2006
27 March 2006
Pear-shaped...
Well, Dan came and got the car today, meaning I was walking around with £1500 in tens & twenties in an envelope in my pocket for about 3 hours. The plan was, after work I'd walk a mile up the road to have a look at a Laguna. I'd driven past it last night but it was dark and pissing down, so i didn't get a good lok. More fool me.
Got there today and it's not so good in the daylight, peeling paint, hole in the leather seats. Ho-hum i think, i'll give it a spin. I call the guy, Paul. Nice bloke but a bit of a chav. Starts the engine and I can hear the tappits screaming.
"Oh, it's sounded like that for a while, still drives nice."
"Mm-hmm. Let's see.."
So i rip it around a few local roads (it's the same area as the flat I use to live in) braking sharply to check tracking and brake wear.
"So, when was the cambelt changed"
"?"
"It's done 111,000 miles, has the cambelt been changed recently?" This throws him, so he starts looking through the service records.
"It doesn't look like it's been changed. But it must be due for one"
"yeah, about thirty-thousand miles ago" (For the unmechanically minded, The cambelt basically stops the pistons trying to create a sunroof in the top of the engine block)
So I call annie and tell her to call the insurance company to see how much it would cost to insure it. I pop to my sisters around the corner and wait for annie's call...
£200 now until the end of the year, £600 a year after that.
I now have no car - which sucks...
Got there today and it's not so good in the daylight, peeling paint, hole in the leather seats. Ho-hum i think, i'll give it a spin. I call the guy, Paul. Nice bloke but a bit of a chav. Starts the engine and I can hear the tappits screaming.
"Oh, it's sounded like that for a while, still drives nice."
"Mm-hmm. Let's see.."
So i rip it around a few local roads (it's the same area as the flat I use to live in) braking sharply to check tracking and brake wear.
"So, when was the cambelt changed"
"?"
"It's done 111,000 miles, has the cambelt been changed recently?" This throws him, so he starts looking through the service records.
"It doesn't look like it's been changed. But it must be due for one"
"yeah, about thirty-thousand miles ago" (For the unmechanically minded, The cambelt basically stops the pistons trying to create a sunroof in the top of the engine block)
So I call annie and tell her to call the insurance company to see how much it would cost to insure it. I pop to my sisters around the corner and wait for annie's call...
£200 now until the end of the year, £600 a year after that.
I now have no car - which sucks...
26 March 2006
Saying goodbyee to old friends
It's weird, but it's only a car..
It's a wrench getting rid of it, it's done us bloody good service. annie used it for Kleeneze (spit) and it's taken us, quite literally around the country, from Ashford, across to Bristol, through wales (and a bloody expensive toll bridge - next time we'll swim), up to Shrewsbury (shit) up to carlisle (before the flood), along Hadrian's wall to Kelso, just so I could see the place i might have got my original surname from, up around Edinburgh to Kircaldy to visit with friends, back down to Harrogate to meet up with Nathan and a few beers. Then it was a 4-hour slog back down to ashford, cutting the holiday short as my pregnant wife was feeling like shit - back home to the shithole flat and a fridge that ran out of electricity around Bristol-time.
Happy days...
An ego can be an awful thing...
Taken from imdb
" 'Brokeback' Actor Says He Was Victim of "Movie Laundering"
Randy Quaid has filed a $10-million lawsuit against the producers of Brokeback Mountain, claiming they misled him into believing that the film was "a low-budget, art-house film, with no prospect of making any money" so that he would sign on at a low salary figure. Quaid said in the lawsuit that he originally was approached in 2004 by director Ang Lee, who told him, "We can't pay anything, we have very little money, everyone is making a sacrifice to make this film." In fact, he says, the film has proved to be a box-office hit, grossing around $160 million worldwide. Quaid charged in the lawsuit that he was the victim of a "movie laundering" scheme intended to obtain his services as an actor in Brokeback "on economically unfavorable art-film terms."
Yeah, randy, I can see how you were really hard done by, what with you being an A-list celeb and everything... Twat
" 'Brokeback' Actor Says He Was Victim of "Movie Laundering"
Randy Quaid has filed a $10-million lawsuit against the producers of Brokeback Mountain, claiming they misled him into believing that the film was "a low-budget, art-house film, with no prospect of making any money" so that he would sign on at a low salary figure. Quaid said in the lawsuit that he originally was approached in 2004 by director Ang Lee, who told him, "We can't pay anything, we have very little money, everyone is making a sacrifice to make this film." In fact, he says, the film has proved to be a box-office hit, grossing around $160 million worldwide. Quaid charged in the lawsuit that he was the victim of a "movie laundering" scheme intended to obtain his services as an actor in Brokeback "on economically unfavorable art-film terms."
Yeah, randy, I can see how you were really hard done by, what with you being an A-list celeb and everything... Twat
24 March 2006
Fucking Warner Bros and their copyright bollocks.
(a.k.a. pissed post #1)
I'm a great fan of Harry Potter, as my friends and colleagues will testify. I'll defend the books until my ears bleed (The Nazi's were the last lot to burn books, lets get that one out of the way) but I'll stall when it comes to the films.
Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets were shit films. Chris Columbus painted toffee and candyfloss all over stories that, while child-centric, had a deep underlying dark tone to them. A tone that had darkened as the books progressed, reaching a low with the unheroic death of a liked character. But no. we had to end the second film with that embarrassing Hagrid-wank-fest.
Sorry, I digress. I got goblet of fire today, a film I like more than prisoner, mainly because there wasn't some mexican at the helm who kept trying to infuse subtle undertones of a pubescent threesome into the mix.
Anyway. I own it on DVD, having paid to see it at the cinema but WB have all the cash they're going to get out of me with regards to this film.
So why oh why oh why, after putting the DVD into my antiquated Sammy 709, does the unskippable "You wouldn't steal a car" bullshit advert come on?
Sorry, I haven't stolen this DVD and I find it fucking insulting that you are inferring that I would. So why should I see this shit EVERY TIME I WANT TO WATCH THIS FILM??
That said, there is this little chinese guy that comes around at work every now and again with his 3-syllable sales pitch "deeveedee?" I just tell him to go away, mainly because he's proving F.A.C.T right about piracy funding people smuggling.
No, I don't feel sorry for him. No, he legally shouldn't be in this country.
DVD's are great and everything, Hi-Def, 5.1 and DTS, extra features, but it's like I mentioned about the PSP, it's too easy to hack and exploit. They can try to enhance security on the DVDs, but the determined geeks with nothing to do all day except sit in their Mom's basement ripping programs apart are going to nullify all that work and release it as open source.
With the advent of Hi-def and Blu-Ray (can anyone spell betamax?) the pirate market will not go away, it'll just become more expensive. But no amount of cheaply-made anti-piracy adverts is going to make a hell of a difference to that.
23 March 2006
Normal sevice might be resumed
Housework, chores, shopping, selling me car on ebay. All these things are stopping me from typing incredibly witty and verbose stuff.
Oh, and trying to get the cockateil back into the bloody cage...
Oh, and trying to get the cockateil back into the bloody cage...
20 March 2006
Everything in Moderation
Now, I like my PSP, I think it's an incredible piece of kit, and Sony themselves have advertised the handheld as'opportunistic gaming', whereby you can just pick it up when you've got a spare 5 minutes and have a quick fumble with Tommy vercetti..
This guy, however, took 'opportunistic' a little too seriously. Prick. How the hell is he gonna get any kind of plot cohesion if he's only playing in 30 second bursts?
While I'm on the subject of PSP's, Sony have recently reported 'Disappointing sales' of UMD's, the 'dvd movie' side of the PSP universe.
Well, duh.
Upon the release of the PSP console, Sony were also good enough to supply 1gb memory cards, 2gb memory cards and include firmware that plays Mp4 video files. They also told everyone that software is available that can convert VOB files (Raw DVD Data) into MP4 file. All you needed was a program that could rip the vobs off a dvd. That'll be DVDdecrypter then.
Now, I have a collection of DVDs that could be described as 'healthy' (needs updating, actually), and is I'm getting quite adept at all this ripping and converting lark, I technically have over 300 titles I can watch on my PSP within an hour. I currently have Bill Baily: part troll and 2 episodes of Blackadder II ready for the viewing.
I bought Wedding Crashers on UMD, funny enough film, and it's got a few special features (deleted scenes and a commentary track) but it's simply not as good as the DVD, which is exactly the same price.
Unless Sony release certain movies exclusively on UMD, or include UMD only features on the discs, they'll never make money.
I'll repeat to the point of advertising that the PSP is an awesome piece of hardware, but Sony made it too user friendly. It was hacked within a month of release to play downloaded games.
I'll buy the games, but I'm not gonna pay for a movie that I can also enjoy in widescreen and dolby 5.1 as well
\rant off
\\ stop going to Fark
This guy, however, took 'opportunistic' a little too seriously. Prick. How the hell is he gonna get any kind of plot cohesion if he's only playing in 30 second bursts?
While I'm on the subject of PSP's, Sony have recently reported 'Disappointing sales' of UMD's, the 'dvd movie' side of the PSP universe.
Well, duh.
Upon the release of the PSP console, Sony were also good enough to supply 1gb memory cards, 2gb memory cards and include firmware that plays Mp4 video files. They also told everyone that software is available that can convert VOB files (Raw DVD Data) into MP4 file. All you needed was a program that could rip the vobs off a dvd. That'll be DVDdecrypter then.
Now, I have a collection of DVDs that could be described as 'healthy' (needs updating, actually), and is I'm getting quite adept at all this ripping and converting lark, I technically have over 300 titles I can watch on my PSP within an hour. I currently have Bill Baily: part troll and 2 episodes of Blackadder II ready for the viewing.
I bought Wedding Crashers on UMD, funny enough film, and it's got a few special features (deleted scenes and a commentary track) but it's simply not as good as the DVD, which is exactly the same price.
Unless Sony release certain movies exclusively on UMD, or include UMD only features on the discs, they'll never make money.
I'll repeat to the point of advertising that the PSP is an awesome piece of hardware, but Sony made it too user friendly. It was hacked within a month of release to play downloaded games.
I'll buy the games, but I'm not gonna pay for a movie that I can also enjoy in widescreen and dolby 5.1 as well
\rant off
\\ stop going to Fark
19 March 2006
Gerry Adams gets detained by Washington Immigration
Cracks me up.
I'm just guessing that they had a problem with his answer to "Have you ever been a member of a terrorist organisation?"
I'm just guessing that they had a problem with his answer to "Have you ever been a member of a terrorist organisation?"
What the hell is a meme?
Oh, if only to be as verbose and well-read as my peers...
Courtesy of Mike, in amongst his other brain-spillages, was a list of questions. You know the type, they look entertaining, but without knowing it, you're opening up your psyche to anyone that wants a dig around. With some people that's ok, but with others...
1) What would you do if you could be a member of the opposite sex for one day?
Ever seen Porky's? Police Academy 1? I'm a simple man
2) What animal do you most identify with?
Koala. 23 hours asleep, one hour stoned
3) If you could wipe out one group of people off the face of the earth, no repercussions, who would the group be and why?
Pikeys, gyppos, white trash scum. Anyone who delights in the misery of others. And Jordan
4) OK, you get to have any magical power you want. What do you pick?
Invisibility. See Q1. plus It'd be pretty easy to get your hands on free cash
5) Would you pick the boat, or the mystery box? (a boat is just a boat, but the mystery box..that could be anything. It could even be a boat!)
The boat. I deal in certainties
6) How do you want do die?
Wearing a bandana, a P-90 in both hands, a cigar in my mouth, taking out the last of Al-Quaeda wearing a dirty vest and screaming my bollocks off. But it'll probably be in a hospital bed surrounded by my family, sitting in a puddle of my own fluids
7) How do you want to live?
As comfortably as possible, thanks.
8) Is there any character trait, action, or belief in another person that would make you lose all interest in them immediately?
If they talked about God too much.
9) If you had the power to legalize one illegal thing, what would it be?
Probably a stock answer, but Mary-Jane. Half the reason it isn't legalised is because the Govt can't regulate and tax it.
\soap-box off
10) Do you eat any foods in an odd way?
I used to lick the flavouring off Cheese & onion crisps first, then be heartedly disappointed that the un-flavoured crisp was moist and bland in taste... Oh, and I also used to dissect Twix fingers until there was only the biscuit left, then dunk it in my tea...
11) Have you ever had a supernatural experience?
Many, one resulting in personal injury, which I still bear the scars of..
12) Have you ever thought about something and had it come true?
Every bloody day, and it's beginning to freak me out a bit, actually
13) What was the worst experience you've ever had in a relationship?
Not realising what was going on behind my back, then looking back years later and realising it was all my own bloody fault
14) Ever switch your religion?
I have been baptised, but against my will (I was too young to tell the priest to piss off). I'm now agnostic with Atheist tendancies
15) What comes first: your lover or your family?
You've seen Luke. No contest
16) What do you want done with your body once you die?
Encased in Bronze witha plaquard saying "Avenge me" I might not actually need avenging, but I'd like to give those that survive me something to do.
17) Are you attracted to a particular sign of the zodiac?
Leo (Annie) and Taurus (Luke) I have a soft spot for Cancer too
18) Were you ever really good at something you really didn't like doing?
That's not of your goddamn business and I'd like you to stay out of my personal affairs. Oh, and the night shift at the hotel. I rocked, but the job sucked.
19) Is there a word or phrase you used to use that you would feel really embarrassed using now? (Ex. Phat; as if, etc.)
We used to say 'well' instead of 'very'. As in 'That bird was well fit'. Actually pretty much 50% of my vocabulary 1986-1992
20) You have 5 hours left to live. What do you do?
Have lots and lots of sex.
21) If you had to, would you eat another human to survive?
Depends on the human.
22) You're walking down the street with your best friend, when all of a sudden two people come out of nowhere. One grabs your friend and starts beating them up, bad. The other tells you you'd better not help, because their friend has a knife, and they will use it. But you don't see a knife. They don't even have their hands in their pockets. What do you do?
Pull out my own knife (You've seen them) and wade in a'slashing. I keed
23) Do you have a victory dance?
If you count pointing and laughing
24) Have you started using any phrases that you heard someone use on TV, in the movies, or in a book?
I try not to in recent times, but I can date my quoting back to Filthy, Rich and Catflap
25) Did you ever have to wear a uniform for anything in your life?
Every job I've had, apart from the first one. Which was a shit job
26) Is there a situation that you still look back on, going over it in your head again and again, thinking of ways you could have handled it better?If so, what? Or if there are a lot, pick one.
Grammar School. Maybe I should have paid attention
27) What's your favorite object that serves no real purpose?
That's none... ok, maybe my sword/knife collection. I'll never use tham unless in extreme circumstances, and run to a total value of about £600+
28) Pro-life or pro-choice? Why?
Choice, I'm a great believer in the induvidual being resposible for their own actions
29) For or against the death penalty? Why?
Yes, because there's some fuckbags out there that deserve it, but no, because of the mistakes made in the past
30) For or against gay marriage? Why?
For. See Q.28
31) Your first born child just told you they're gay. How do you feel?
Incredibly proud that they feel they know and trust me enough to tell me straight out
32) Is there anyone in your life worth going to jail for?
Yup.
33) Have you ever said something really clever to one of those annoying telemarketers? If so, what?
"I'm registered with TPS, you're breaking the law by calling me, can I have your name.. hello?"
34) What's your favorite weapon?
I'd have to say the Valdris, but for sheer use-ability, the samaurai sword that's currently under the bed comes a close second
Skipping 35 as I don't think it should be brought up in a warm and friendly Q&A
36) Which celebrity can't you stand that everyone seems to love?
Jade
37) Is there any food that is almost guaranteed to make you sick?
Parsnips, oddly enough
38) Do you screen your calls when you don't recognize the number, or does your curiosity get the better of you?
If it's my mobile I won't answer another mobile number If don't recognise it. I answer every call at home as we're TPS'd up
39) How's your self-esteem?
Whenever I'm feeling a little down, I just look at my son and remind myself that I helped create him. After that, I'm God
Courtesy of Mike, in amongst his other brain-spillages, was a list of questions. You know the type, they look entertaining, but without knowing it, you're opening up your psyche to anyone that wants a dig around. With some people that's ok, but with others...
1) What would you do if you could be a member of the opposite sex for one day?
Ever seen Porky's? Police Academy 1? I'm a simple man
2) What animal do you most identify with?
Koala. 23 hours asleep, one hour stoned
3) If you could wipe out one group of people off the face of the earth, no repercussions, who would the group be and why?
Pikeys, gyppos, white trash scum. Anyone who delights in the misery of others. And Jordan
4) OK, you get to have any magical power you want. What do you pick?
Invisibility. See Q1. plus It'd be pretty easy to get your hands on free cash
5) Would you pick the boat, or the mystery box? (a boat is just a boat, but the mystery box..that could be anything. It could even be a boat!)
The boat. I deal in certainties
6) How do you want do die?
Wearing a bandana, a P-90 in both hands, a cigar in my mouth, taking out the last of Al-Quaeda wearing a dirty vest and screaming my bollocks off. But it'll probably be in a hospital bed surrounded by my family, sitting in a puddle of my own fluids
7) How do you want to live?
As comfortably as possible, thanks.
8) Is there any character trait, action, or belief in another person that would make you lose all interest in them immediately?
If they talked about God too much.
9) If you had the power to legalize one illegal thing, what would it be?
Probably a stock answer, but Mary-Jane. Half the reason it isn't legalised is because the Govt can't regulate and tax it.
\soap-box off
10) Do you eat any foods in an odd way?
I used to lick the flavouring off Cheese & onion crisps first, then be heartedly disappointed that the un-flavoured crisp was moist and bland in taste... Oh, and I also used to dissect Twix fingers until there was only the biscuit left, then dunk it in my tea...
11) Have you ever had a supernatural experience?
Many, one resulting in personal injury, which I still bear the scars of..
12) Have you ever thought about something and had it come true?
Every bloody day, and it's beginning to freak me out a bit, actually
13) What was the worst experience you've ever had in a relationship?
Not realising what was going on behind my back, then looking back years later and realising it was all my own bloody fault
14) Ever switch your religion?
I have been baptised, but against my will (I was too young to tell the priest to piss off). I'm now agnostic with Atheist tendancies
15) What comes first: your lover or your family?
You've seen Luke. No contest
16) What do you want done with your body once you die?
Encased in Bronze witha plaquard saying "Avenge me" I might not actually need avenging, but I'd like to give those that survive me something to do.
17) Are you attracted to a particular sign of the zodiac?
Leo (Annie) and Taurus (Luke) I have a soft spot for Cancer too
18) Were you ever really good at something you really didn't like doing?
That's not of your goddamn business and I'd like you to stay out of my personal affairs. Oh, and the night shift at the hotel. I rocked, but the job sucked.
19) Is there a word or phrase you used to use that you would feel really embarrassed using now? (Ex. Phat; as if, etc.)
We used to say 'well' instead of 'very'. As in 'That bird was well fit'. Actually pretty much 50% of my vocabulary 1986-1992
20) You have 5 hours left to live. What do you do?
Have lots and lots of sex.
21) If you had to, would you eat another human to survive?
Depends on the human.
22) You're walking down the street with your best friend, when all of a sudden two people come out of nowhere. One grabs your friend and starts beating them up, bad. The other tells you you'd better not help, because their friend has a knife, and they will use it. But you don't see a knife. They don't even have their hands in their pockets. What do you do?
Pull out my own knife (You've seen them) and wade in a'slashing. I keed
23) Do you have a victory dance?
If you count pointing and laughing
24) Have you started using any phrases that you heard someone use on TV, in the movies, or in a book?
I try not to in recent times, but I can date my quoting back to Filthy, Rich and Catflap
25) Did you ever have to wear a uniform for anything in your life?
Every job I've had, apart from the first one. Which was a shit job
26) Is there a situation that you still look back on, going over it in your head again and again, thinking of ways you could have handled it better?If so, what? Or if there are a lot, pick one.
Grammar School. Maybe I should have paid attention
27) What's your favorite object that serves no real purpose?
That's none... ok, maybe my sword/knife collection. I'll never use tham unless in extreme circumstances, and run to a total value of about £600+
28) Pro-life or pro-choice? Why?
Choice, I'm a great believer in the induvidual being resposible for their own actions
29) For or against the death penalty? Why?
Yes, because there's some fuckbags out there that deserve it, but no, because of the mistakes made in the past
30) For or against gay marriage? Why?
For. See Q.28
31) Your first born child just told you they're gay. How do you feel?
Incredibly proud that they feel they know and trust me enough to tell me straight out
32) Is there anyone in your life worth going to jail for?
Yup.
33) Have you ever said something really clever to one of those annoying telemarketers? If so, what?
"I'm registered with TPS, you're breaking the law by calling me, can I have your name.. hello?"
34) What's your favorite weapon?
I'd have to say the Valdris, but for sheer use-ability, the samaurai sword that's currently under the bed comes a close second
Skipping 35 as I don't think it should be brought up in a warm and friendly Q&A
36) Which celebrity can't you stand that everyone seems to love?
Jade
37) Is there any food that is almost guaranteed to make you sick?
Parsnips, oddly enough
38) Do you screen your calls when you don't recognize the number, or does your curiosity get the better of you?
If it's my mobile I won't answer another mobile number If don't recognise it. I answer every call at home as we're TPS'd up
39) How's your self-esteem?
Whenever I'm feeling a little down, I just look at my son and remind myself that I helped create him. After that, I'm God
18 March 2006
London
Bloody weirdos, the lot of 'em.
Nah, i'm only kidding. Well, depends on the part of london you go to. Stick around the touristy bits, you're fine, but when you get into the living quarters, it gets a bit gritty. Just spent the day with a good friend who lives in the lambeth area (not for from elephant & Castle tube). He's a gay prison officer, so to live in a huge block of flats where some of the ex-cons live is a bit fraught with danger, but he manages.
He's got a lovely view from his balcony, from st pauls on the far left, past St Pauls, past Greenwich with the ever impressive sprouting of buildings at Canary Wharf. Annie didn't quite get too close to the window, and Dave himself is a bit icky around heights. Ironic, in an Alanis kinda way..
All through this, i always like to torment the Okie, as she's got a metaphoriocal boner for London. First text I get back; "Take a picture of the magic trees in Hyde Park" Dave hasn't got a clue as to what she's talking about, and suggests sellotaping a magic wand to a tree and photographing that. I almost do, but suffer from lack of wand and sellotape.
I had intended to go to harrods, as I always like to bitch about people with too much money, but i managed to do that on Oxford Street. People with too much money haven't got a fucking clue how to dress themselves, I think they do it deliberately. "Yes, i have money, and the only way for me to tell you this without actually stooping to talk to you is to dress like a prick. Like the mu-mu?"
Next time we'll have more spending money and I'm actually considering driving up there.
Yikes...
Nah, i'm only kidding. Well, depends on the part of london you go to. Stick around the touristy bits, you're fine, but when you get into the living quarters, it gets a bit gritty. Just spent the day with a good friend who lives in the lambeth area (not for from elephant & Castle tube). He's a gay prison officer, so to live in a huge block of flats where some of the ex-cons live is a bit fraught with danger, but he manages.
He's got a lovely view from his balcony, from st pauls on the far left, past St Pauls, past Greenwich with the ever impressive sprouting of buildings at Canary Wharf. Annie didn't quite get too close to the window, and Dave himself is a bit icky around heights. Ironic, in an Alanis kinda way..
All through this, i always like to torment the Okie, as she's got a metaphoriocal boner for London. First text I get back; "Take a picture of the magic trees in Hyde Park" Dave hasn't got a clue as to what she's talking about, and suggests sellotaping a magic wand to a tree and photographing that. I almost do, but suffer from lack of wand and sellotape.
I had intended to go to harrods, as I always like to bitch about people with too much money, but i managed to do that on Oxford Street. People with too much money haven't got a fucking clue how to dress themselves, I think they do it deliberately. "Yes, i have money, and the only way for me to tell you this without actually stooping to talk to you is to dress like a prick. Like the mu-mu?"
Next time we'll have more spending money and I'm actually considering driving up there.
Yikes...
17 March 2006
16 March 2006
Testing drugs for fun and profit
You may have heard in the news about these poor guys that had a pretty shitty reaction to some experimental drugs. While tests such as these are of course, necessary (If only to shut the peta fuckwits the hell up) but it shivers the spine to think these guys were that hard up that they'd put their lives on the line to earn £3000.
That said, in the ensuing days since, everyone connected with a voice has been piping up, one of the Placebo-popping patsies sold his story to the tabloids as soon as he was cleared. Nice.
One thing that ashamedly made me smile though, was that apparently, the affected men "Tore off their shirts, scratched at their skin, clutched their heads and started screaming". For the life of me all I could think of was...
With one mighty bound...
Well, I was getting right back down to it, but it appears my hibernating social life has woken up again. I've got a weekend off, and inbetween looking after Luke and showering affection on Annie (or visa versa), I was intending to do that character backstory and maybe think about a cohesive plot.
Instead, We're off up the pub tomorrow night to see one of Annie's friends (Sam, mad as a box of chinchillas) and on Friday, we're off to Jammie's second favourite place , London (after 'Hank's good time bar and Grill - Ask about our Stella specials').
Just off for the day to catch up with Dave, who we haven't seen since before Luke started existing. Cue a day in Harrods looking at stuff we can't afford... again..
After that I should have some time on sunday, but we're out window shopping for a new car...
Maybe next weekend...
Instead, We're off up the pub tomorrow night to see one of Annie's friends (Sam, mad as a box of chinchillas) and on Friday, we're off to Jammie's second favourite place , London (after 'Hank's good time bar and Grill - Ask about our Stella specials').
Just off for the day to catch up with Dave, who we haven't seen since before Luke started existing. Cue a day in Harrods looking at stuff we can't afford... again..
After that I should have some time on sunday, but we're out window shopping for a new car...
Maybe next weekend...
13 March 2006
Disclaimer
Ok. that one was a little deep. but fret not, the random outbursts and bad grammar start here...
A lot can happen in 4 years (beware: self-indulgent ramble ahead)
..and I'm not kidding. 4 years ago today I was living in hell, not purgatory, not limbo, but in the sweaty mitts of a breathing nightmare.
Hi, I'm pete, and I'll be your host.
I'm not going to tell you what my hell consisted of. I've put it down on paper before and that pretty much killed those particular demons. The reason I've backtracked to that point is that before Dante's back garden opened up, I was writing... something. It was running along smoothly with all the momentum of a runaway tricycle.
Then... it stopped. The juices stopped flowing. Inspiration dried up. Then to top it all off, events conspired to make me pretty much stop everything except work, breathe, sleep and sometimes eat. Then on April Fool's day 2002 it ended.
just under 3 months later, I married. 5 Months after that, i spent a month's honeymoon in Australia. Three days after I got back I got fired.
2002 was the worst and best year of my life
Then.. nothing. Inbetween work and juggling tight finances I went nowhere near the book. It just wasn't up there on my list of things to do. 'Don't get evicted' and 'eat', however, were.
2005, July 9th. Something else comes up.
This guy starts existing
Luke. Muh boyyy. Hatched 23/4/5
Pretty much takes up every waking hour. This is NOT a bad thing. I have wept real tears just watching him sleep.
I'm now 32. The wedding ring has left an indelible dent in my finger, hidden by a white gold ring I'll never remove, as permanent as, but a lot less painful than my many tribal markings.
The mark my boy has left on me goes deeper.
I'm content. Stable. Comfortable. I'd like a bit more cash, a few more hours sleep a night, but I can live with the hardship.
So, to the point (which has been standing in the corner, tutting impatiently and looking at its watch). I've just re-read the original draft of my book and edited where necessary. Some of it's crap, some of it's drivel, some of it's laughably written, but most of it's good.
I'm re-starting from page 67. Something about the Brothers never getting ill...
Hi, I'm pete, and I'll be your host.
I'm not going to tell you what my hell consisted of. I've put it down on paper before and that pretty much killed those particular demons. The reason I've backtracked to that point is that before Dante's back garden opened up, I was writing... something. It was running along smoothly with all the momentum of a runaway tricycle.
Then... it stopped. The juices stopped flowing. Inspiration dried up. Then to top it all off, events conspired to make me pretty much stop everything except work, breathe, sleep and sometimes eat. Then on April Fool's day 2002 it ended.
just under 3 months later, I married. 5 Months after that, i spent a month's honeymoon in Australia. Three days after I got back I got fired.
2002 was the worst and best year of my life
Then.. nothing. Inbetween work and juggling tight finances I went nowhere near the book. It just wasn't up there on my list of things to do. 'Don't get evicted' and 'eat', however, were.
2005, July 9th. Something else comes up.
This guy starts existing
Luke. Muh boyyy. Hatched 23/4/5Pretty much takes up every waking hour. This is NOT a bad thing. I have wept real tears just watching him sleep.
I'm now 32. The wedding ring has left an indelible dent in my finger, hidden by a white gold ring I'll never remove, as permanent as, but a lot less painful than my many tribal markings.
The mark my boy has left on me goes deeper.
I'm content. Stable. Comfortable. I'd like a bit more cash, a few more hours sleep a night, but I can live with the hardship.
So, to the point (which has been standing in the corner, tutting impatiently and looking at its watch). I've just re-read the original draft of my book and edited where necessary. Some of it's crap, some of it's drivel, some of it's laughably written, but most of it's good.
I'm re-starting from page 67. Something about the Brothers never getting ill...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)