I know you've been counting but it's now 5 months since my last post. Why? It's because I use Faecesbook instead.
So, I think I'm going to bid you all a very fond farewell. It's been a pleasure communicating with you all and I wish you all happiness and health in the years ahead (god doesn't that sound puke-inducing!!!)
A blatent plug Now, I suspect that some of you out there like jewellery. What's more, you obviously have taste (why else would you be reading this blog?); so why not take a look at Naomi's (my daughter-in-law) business website.
Even I, as a mere male, can see that there is some interesting stuff for sale. And all a million miles away from Ratners!!!
If you like what you see, please pass on the link.
Back to normailty Back in the UK and, 2 weeks later, it's almost like the holiday never happened. Just have to start saving up for the next trip to the states. The current plan is to go from NYC to Boston, do a bit a travelling around then back to NYC
Postcard from America Helo boyz and gurls (and any grown ups who have found there way heer)
Well, I did finish being in Canadia and the Viagara Falls were reelly, reely goode. Just dont no wy the falls keep goin. I meen, why hasnt all the water in the lake draned away? Like puling the plug in the barf!
Any way, we did go to the adirinducks and I got to driv a car wiv the weel on the rong side. And I didnt crash at all. Silly amerikuns do driv on the rong side of the rode. But they didnt crash me so thats ok.
The adi-thingys were good. there were lots and lots of lakes and rivers and mountings and even some waterfals but non were as bigg as viagara. Then after a few luvly dayz we got the train bak to manhaten.
An thats were we ar now. In a hotel on 42 strete. Funny ny givs its rodes numbers not names. xsept furver sowth where they do hav names. Ver od peeple them amerikans.
Any way, time for my bed as we ar goin to a beech tomorow
Now, it's not often that I am lost for words but having just been on the Maid of the Mist I am speechless. All I can say is, if you ever get the chance - DO IT!
I suppose that as I'm back here I might as well update.
Flew out of the UK on Friday, in a vain attempt to avoid that wedding.
Had a splendid flight across the Atlantic on Virgin. Airline food OK, airline beer beter! Then it went s bit downhill as we had to queue for over an hour to get through immigration. A cab ride to Manhattan later and we were in our hotel on W52nd. We took a walk into Central Park on Saturday then met one of the cousins for dinner. Sunday we went to her apartment, which has a fabulous view across the Hudson down to Ellis Island and across to the Statue of Liberty. A view to die for! Met up with more family and had a splendid day. On the way back, we took a quick detour via Penn Station. With a 7:15am train ride we thought we ought to suss out where everything was. So we had a rather early alarm call yesterday, followed by breakfast in a local diner - just toast and coffee - then the very, very long train ride up to Niagara Fals, Ontario. The train follows the Hudson valley for quite a way, so some nice scenery. Then it's through "normal" New York state. One observation: so many houses don't have fences around their gardens. So unlike the UK.
Am writing this in my hotel room on he 35th floor overlooking the falls. Who cares that it's raining, the view from our bedroom is spectacular. It's really fascinating how the mist hides bits of the falls, then all of it, etc.
We leave on Thursday to go to the Adirondacks then back to Manhattan for a few days. Could definitely get used to this sort of living
Bloody dangerous thing to do to folk of my advanced years. Now I'm not going to point a finger at anyone. This person knows who she is but I'm not going to name her.
My excuse for not being around is that, despite my senility, I tend to use Faecesbook as many of my ex-colleagues are there.
But I guess I shouldn't neglect my friends here. That said I'm off to the states for a holiday on Friday so you'll all just have to wait for my next post until I get back.
Still chuckling after tonight's 1-1 draw (well, why not? Both my grannies were Welsh). You could tell by the commentary that going 1 up after 4 minutes was the start of a great England performance/win. Except the Americans had other ideas and thoroughly deserved the draw, Do feel a bit sorry for Robert Green. One mistake = one goal; the joy of being a goalkeeper.
4 years ago everyone was wondering why Sven took an unknown 17 year old, this time everyone is probably wondering why Fabio took a central defender who can't even have a kick around with his kids. Not only takes him but plays him, well for the first half at least. Hysterical! <= see that's me tempting fate. It might be that LK plays every game from now on and single-handedly wins it for England. On the other hand, perhaps he'll just limp around a bit.
Just been told that an England fan on TV has said "At the minute, a draw is better than a loss!. I expect ITV will sign him up as a pundit; certainly more insightful than the usual crap from Andy Townsend.
Back in the real world, earlier this week our beloved prime minister has informed the country that the upcoming cuts will affect us all. Except they won't will they Dave? I mean they're not likely to have much impact on someone who is worth over £30 million quid. What a twat, and we've got the c*nt for the next 5 years. Unless, and to be honest I don't have much hope of this happening, a few of the Lib Dems realise that they sold their souls/policies/beliefs for a bit of power. Then, having voted with Labour in a no-confidence vote to bring down the ConDem coalition, they leave politics forever. In the meantime, Labour get rid of all the c*nts like Ed Balls, re-discover their purpose in life and sweep back to power.
Actually I'm not sure which is the more implausible, the Lib Dems regaining any integrity or Labour ever being trusted as a left of centre party. Strikes me the country if fucked for decades to come. And yes, if I wasn't so fucking old I would see if there was anywhere I could emigrate to.
Hang on, how did a jolly start to a post turn out to be so negative?
Answers on the back of a £20 note to the usual address
Oh dear Another rant I'm afraid. But it's not my fault!
Israel has done it again.
With regard to this convoy, according to the BBC:
Israel had repeatedly said it would stop the boats, calling the campaign a "provocation intended to delegitimise Israel".
However, according to the UN Convention On The Law Of The Sea, Part VII, High Seas:
1. Except where acts of interference derive from powers conferred by treaty, a warship which encounters on the high seas a foreign ship, other than a ship entitled to complete immunity in accordance with articles 95 and 96, is not justified in boarding it unless there is reasonable ground for suspecting that:
(a) the ship is engaged in piracy;
(b) the ship is engaged in the slave trade;
(c) the ship is engaged in unauthorized broadcasting and the flag State of the warship has jurisdiction under article 109;
(d) the ship is without nationality; or
(e) though flying a foreign flag or refusing to show its flag, the ship is, in reality, of the same nationality as the warship.
Therefore, the fact that a nation doesn't like what they think the boats stand for, they have NO RIGHT to board a ship. Unfortunately, under this convention, warships are excluded from commited piracy.
Strikes me that if you are boarded in the early hours by a group of (possibly masked) armed men, wouldn't you defend yourself?
However, with the US seemingly incapable of rational thought over Israel, nothing will happen.
And to think that I used to be a very lonely voice on the left of UK politics in defending Israel.
Do you know ... ... that no-one on my friends list posted to LJ yesterday. So the question is - what the heck was so good about yesterday? Where were you all?
Sorry to hear your news Deb, very sad.
BTW did I tell you all that I am up in Blackpool? Well, as I post about once a decade almost certainly not. Well I am. It's expected that I'll be here till summer 2011. But as always in this job, we'll see. Blackpool itself is a bit sad really. Definitely well past its best before date. However, when I finally get off my ass in the evening I'm sure there'll be lots of photo-opportunities.
Ummmm, so much to bore you all with, so little enthusiasm to do so. You have all been very lucky
I don't know, you turn your back for a couple of weeks (while having a splendid time on Brittany) and look what happens.
A group of MPs, and their supporters, decide that the trappings of power are preferable to their beliefs and join in a coalition with another party who hold many opposing views. Hadn't realised that when I voted Lib-Dem I was actually voting Tory. Not that it matters here in Oxfordshire as the Tories could nominate a thick plank of wood and it would get elected. In fact that's exactly what they have done.
Don't get me wrong, I can see on a point of principle that the Lib-Dems might have found it difficult to support the Labour party (who only came second in the election), but to prop up a party that holds such opposing views, just means that I (and I hope a lot of other voters) will never vote for them again. After all, why vote for a centre-left party who then sell their souls to a right wing party. However, I am looking forward to hearing these turncoats justify why they are introducing policies that they fundamentally disagreed with only a few weeks earlier.
My problem now is how the hell do I vote in future. Since he demise of the Monster Raving Loony Party my options have been restricted. Guess it'll have to be Green (and just hope the Tories don't completely fuck the country before the next election).
Oh, and if any Tory supporters out there want to respond - don't bother! I've been left of centre since the tender age of 14 (so that's the last 44 years) and all I hear from Tories is "Blah blah ME ME ME blah blah blah nasty foreigners blah blah blah "greed is good" blah blah blah political correctness gone made blah blah blah" etc.
There, got that out of my system. Next on my list of rants is:
Why do people buy Cocoa Cola products? Can't be for the taste. Definitely can't be because CC are implicated in the murder of South American trade unionists. I also doubt it's because of their policy of putting bottling plants in areas of water scarcity and screwing the local farmers. Oh yes, now I know - they have a very effective marketing department.
So, how stupid is it for someone (me, that is) who very seldom posts to lj (mainly so I don't depress you all with the futility of life; assuming you call this living!) has joined the social network known as Facebook? I had a close shave a year or so ago when I had an invitation from another lj user but that was judt Facebook searching their address book, or at least that's what they said ... Znyway, an ex-colleague sent me an invite so I joined. Waste of time really as I'm fairly crap at posting stuff. Oh well, in other news work is fantastically busy, which is definitely better than the alternative. Just a pity I have to deal with f'ing morons! Right time to finish my drink and head back to the hotel. Yep, this post was courtesy of my new Nokia 5800 and the free wi-fi in a Weatherspoon pub. Ain't modern technology wonderful!
Just a quick post before retiring - don't be silly I'm not that old, no honestly I'm not, I've always looked older than I am; great at 14 for going into pubs, just not so great in your fifties, I mean, I look old enough to have a bus pass but not quite there - anyway, where was I before I rudely interrupted myslf,oh yes, a quick post. Ummm, what was I going to say ...
... Edgar Broughton, that was it. Well I did go to see him at Leamington Spa and he didn't disappoint. I took my camera and took a couple of hundred photos. The joy of digital, except when having to do all the post processing; I only photograph in RAW format nowadays. Anyway, there's probably a few dozen that I'll put on Flickr at some point.
Didn't get to meet Edgar as thereis an unwritten rule that security follow; something about mere mortals not being allowed to meet the superstars of rock.
Right it's getting late, no it is! Look, 11pm is very late when the alarm went off at 5am this morning. Especially when it was gone midnight that I settled down on Sunday (Monday). Then there's the drive up to Sheffield, followed a full day's work, then a trip to B&Q (who says I don't know how to have a good time). Oh bugger it, time for bed
So, let's see if I can get the hang of this posting lark. Apparently you can post more than once every few months. Who'd have thought it?
Well, boys and girls, her I am sitting on a hotel room in Sheffield, yep! I know how to go to exotic work locations.
I was about to start this sentence with the words "Did I tell you ..." but as I haven't posted for ages ... actually that's not true because I posted only a couple of days ago. Yes I know it's because someone kept nudging (and again Deb, I won't tell anyone it was you) but I did post. OK back to what I was going to say. Ummmm, oh yea - I'm off to a gig on Friday and I emailed the band to ask if I could take photos and they said yes. Just hope they're not expecting any of them to be any good. Not that they'll be bad; at least I hope they won't be.
As I didn't tell you, I recently went to a 40th anniversary. Not a wedding but a club, Friars Club in Aylesbury. And to celebrate they arranged a gig featuring The Groundhogs, Edgar Broughton Band and The Pretty Things. For the younger readers these were pop groups from the 60s/70s. Anyway, all of us old folk had a splendid time. I had hoped it would finish nice and early so I could go home and have a nice cup of cocoa before going to bed ready for the usual 5am alarm call. Damn pop stars, just because they didn't have an early start, they just went on and on and on. It was quite good though, a nice sing-along.
Then a week or so ago I saw that Edgar Broughton are playing at Leamington Spa on Friday, so I bought a ticket. It works quite well as I drive past Leamington on my way home from Sheffield. And it's these chaps that I'm hoping to photograph. I emailed Edgar Broughton and he sent a lovely reply saying no problem and to make myself known to them. Which is nice. Of course, I'll probably be as starstruck as a pre-pubescent Take That fan.
I have received not one, but THREE nudges!!! I mean, at my age that's like a good shove. Oh, and don't worry Deb, I won't tell anyone that it was you.
So I guess the idea is that I post something - oh look, I have already.
In the more mundane world of work, I am still in Sheffield; that's a year now. I noticed that in our resource system I'm supposed to be there till December, that's Dec 2010. Except I can't be. After 2 years at what the Inland Revenue class as a temporary place of work (which means you can be reimbursed for travel & subsistence) it becomes your permanent place of work and you're not entitled to expenses, and if you receive them they are taxable. So not sure what's going to happen.
Well, that should keep you all going for the next few months. In fact, with my track record, I suppose I ought to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.
