Any interest in the above three generally singals that a weekend is about to begin. With a little more time on my hands than normal on a Thursday i sloped off in the direction of the town, debit card in hand, and so began the countdown to the start of the weekend!
As usual when you have a little extra cash burning a hole in your wallet or wherever you stash your cash on walkabout, previous forays into town this week have given more weight to the age old theory that whenever you want to spend, every shop goes to an extra effort to fill their rails with complete and utter crap!
Nevertheless i persevered and today managed to make an exit with a couple of tops, belt and watch. A good start to the day culminating in cashews and beer this evening to celebrate the coming of the last working day of the week with comedy provided by Mock the Week.
7 hours of work tomorrow and then freedom for a little while once more...
Thursday 30 July 2009
Wednesday 29 July 2009
Road Kill
Looking for new ways to amuse yourself at the weekend? Why not try Street Luge! Created in California by apparently bored skateboarders sometime in the 70's Street Luge offers people the chance to hurtle down the steep and sloping roads at speeds of up to 70mph. While over the years safety equipment and guidelines have been issues by various governing bodies Street Luge never quite maintained a grasp on the mainstream sport industry and has often been overlooked in favour of stadium extreme sports. Nevertheless there is still thought to be over 1200 lugers worldwide and if you want to help them raise the profile one more check out the vid for an insight into what these guys get up to!
Fail?
Bouncing through internet threads and forums these days is Fail, an accusation levied at someone who hasnt quite got something right. Such is the popularity of laughing at the cock ups of the stressed and embarassed new sites have come into creation to help it along. Check out the video below courtesy of failblog.org with what followers may describe as an epic fail!
Back from indifference!
Well finally i have made it back to blogland after a couple of weeks out. With a heavy work schedule and a full social calendar to match (dramatic i know!) the little time ive had to myself ive felt too tired to have a continuous thought for more than a few moments!
It has led me to believe that we would have advanced much further as a species if we actually had more time to ourselves to think of stuff worthwhile doing! Did all the great inventors work in quiet, darkened rooms away from birthdays and weddings and parties? Not to mention work- did they all live squalid, luxury deficient lives before they hit the big time with their master invention? How do people working full time jobs, caring for kids, assuming other responsibilities cope with such busy lives?
Look around these days and there is an array of theories and products and classes all designed to de-stress the stressed worker, to relaxed the unrelaxed and to relieve the anxiety of the anxious. Great. But when do people find the time to do all this stuff? Are these classes all attended by people with less hectic lives and already fairly relaxed?
Gym membership has rocketed in recent years- why? So people can get fit, de-stress, become healthier? Speak to your average regular gym user and they will tell you they feel great or had a really good session. Scratch beneath the surface and the anxieties begin to appear - the fear of looking silly in front of the nearby `Olympians`, the struggle for the chance to use a machine in a crowded gym then to be hounded off it minutes later, the fear of impending doom if a planned gym visit has been missed (think hectic work and social calendar) - what do the gyms do to combat this? They put on classes.
And for those of us who dont do classes? Well we blog i guess...
It has led me to believe that we would have advanced much further as a species if we actually had more time to ourselves to think of stuff worthwhile doing! Did all the great inventors work in quiet, darkened rooms away from birthdays and weddings and parties? Not to mention work- did they all live squalid, luxury deficient lives before they hit the big time with their master invention? How do people working full time jobs, caring for kids, assuming other responsibilities cope with such busy lives?
Look around these days and there is an array of theories and products and classes all designed to de-stress the stressed worker, to relaxed the unrelaxed and to relieve the anxiety of the anxious. Great. But when do people find the time to do all this stuff? Are these classes all attended by people with less hectic lives and already fairly relaxed?
Gym membership has rocketed in recent years- why? So people can get fit, de-stress, become healthier? Speak to your average regular gym user and they will tell you they feel great or had a really good session. Scratch beneath the surface and the anxieties begin to appear - the fear of looking silly in front of the nearby `Olympians`, the struggle for the chance to use a machine in a crowded gym then to be hounded off it minutes later, the fear of impending doom if a planned gym visit has been missed (think hectic work and social calendar) - what do the gyms do to combat this? They put on classes.
And for those of us who dont do classes? Well we blog i guess...
Monday 6 July 2009
Manic Monday
Well the arguably worst day of the week is almost at an end. Thank God! After a very disturbed sleep last night it was a long day at work followed by a very lazy night tonight! Therefore today's blogging is going to be minimal to say the least!
Well theres been some interesting and deadly developments in the Chinese region of Xinjiang. A protest on Sunday of about 300 Uighurs (Turkic Muslims) soon swelled to around 1000 before disturbances and violence broke out. As is usual in these circumstances Beijing claimed the Uighurs went on the rampage, however Uighurs leaders living in exile claimed the police shot at students. Either way it led to the arrest of hundreds of Uighurs over the weekend.
Governement sources said that hundreds of shops and cars have been attacked by weapon carrying Uighurs. In the following hours around 156 people are said to have been killed, mostly believed to be Uighurs who claim police have fired upon them indiscriminately. There was said to be previous tension between Uighurs and the Han ehtnic groups but this has yet to be established.
Certainly it is the largest scale public unrest for some time in China and the fear is that it has been dealt with with the same ferocity as in previous times. Reports are already suggesting posts on social networking sites have been removed or blocked to ensure the events are kept hidden from the outside world. This is a side issue regardless though and one that is inevitable when dealing with occurrences in China that may be viewed negatively by other countries.
The real issue is ethnic tension. Is it possible for those of different ethnicities to live safely, securely and perhaps most importantly happily alongside each other? In every country people are divided by various differences from the obvious to not so obvious. Campaigns and education go some way to enlighten people of others rights, views, religion, fears, beliefs and outlook but sometimes it feels too little.
Integration seems to be the key factor- when groups of people go into a different, possibly unknown environment it is only natural for them to associate with those who seem to hold common values or backgrounds. Then those outwith begin to fear this new unkown that has appeared in greater numbers and the cycle of disassociation continues.
Community leaders and educators need to take the lead in putting greater emphasis on cultivating a society of openness and acceptance. Perhaps there has always been tension and always will but we should never give up the courage to reach out to people we dont undertsand and foster new, productive relationships with those around us.
Well theres been some interesting and deadly developments in the Chinese region of Xinjiang. A protest on Sunday of about 300 Uighurs (Turkic Muslims) soon swelled to around 1000 before disturbances and violence broke out. As is usual in these circumstances Beijing claimed the Uighurs went on the rampage, however Uighurs leaders living in exile claimed the police shot at students. Either way it led to the arrest of hundreds of Uighurs over the weekend.
Governement sources said that hundreds of shops and cars have been attacked by weapon carrying Uighurs. In the following hours around 156 people are said to have been killed, mostly believed to be Uighurs who claim police have fired upon them indiscriminately. There was said to be previous tension between Uighurs and the Han ehtnic groups but this has yet to be established.
Certainly it is the largest scale public unrest for some time in China and the fear is that it has been dealt with with the same ferocity as in previous times. Reports are already suggesting posts on social networking sites have been removed or blocked to ensure the events are kept hidden from the outside world. This is a side issue regardless though and one that is inevitable when dealing with occurrences in China that may be viewed negatively by other countries.
The real issue is ethnic tension. Is it possible for those of different ethnicities to live safely, securely and perhaps most importantly happily alongside each other? In every country people are divided by various differences from the obvious to not so obvious. Campaigns and education go some way to enlighten people of others rights, views, religion, fears, beliefs and outlook but sometimes it feels too little.
Integration seems to be the key factor- when groups of people go into a different, possibly unknown environment it is only natural for them to associate with those who seem to hold common values or backgrounds. Then those outwith begin to fear this new unkown that has appeared in greater numbers and the cycle of disassociation continues.
Community leaders and educators need to take the lead in putting greater emphasis on cultivating a society of openness and acceptance. Perhaps there has always been tension and always will but we should never give up the courage to reach out to people we dont undertsand and foster new, productive relationships with those around us.
Sunday 5 July 2009
the weekend
Well it has been a very good weekend. Friday was spent relaxing in front of the TV with a glass or 2 of wine, although i have to admit i was watching Big Brother, sad i know! By Saturday i knew a night out was needed and after a sneaky 2 glasses of wine in the afternoon i got ready and heading to a friends where cider and rum was drank- not together! Afterwards into town for a spot of clubbing where Passoa (reliving the student days) and Cheeky Vimto (port & blue wkd) was added to the combo! Normally such a mix of drinks would have me laid up on the sofa for the following day but im glad to announce that despite being tired no hangover has managed to kick in! A late lunch of bacon rolls washed down with Irn-Bru has helped also.
Yesterday saw Serena Williams win the Wimbledon womens final against her much fancied (in tennis anyway!) sister Venus and today Roger Federer takes on Andy Roddick- currently at 1 set all! Roddick having put Andy Murray out on Friday will fancy his chances so time will tell. I still have very little interest in tennis however and im desperate to see the return of the footie season!
Yesterday saw Serena Williams win the Wimbledon womens final against her much fancied (in tennis anyway!) sister Venus and today Roger Federer takes on Andy Roddick- currently at 1 set all! Roddick having put Andy Murray out on Friday will fancy his chances so time will tell. I still have very little interest in tennis however and im desperate to see the return of the footie season!
Saturday 4 July 2009
Mock the Week
A new series of the popular comedy show kicks off on Thursday 9th July on BBC2. Now in its 7th series, the show, hosted by Irish comedian Dara O'Briain, will feature regular comics Frankie Boyle, Hugh Dennis, Russel Howard and Andy Parsons as well as two other comics per episode. The show features regular rounds from `scenes we'd like to see`, `what a ...... would never say` and `if this is the answer whats the question?`. For those of you who have never seen the show take a look at the video below - this series runs for 13 episodes so don't miss it!
Friday 3 July 2009
Looking for somewhere for your next party?
This seafort, named NO Man's Land, sold for just over £900, 000 this year. Once a luxury hotel and corporate hospitality venue complete with two helipads and a swimming pool this seafort was built in the 1860's and in recent years came with a price tag of over £14 million. However with the owner running into financial difficulty it was sold at a fraction of the price. Not a bad way to impress your friends if you have a spare few quid...
Eurovision
An unlikely source of entertainment comes from remakes of some of the more amusing Eurovision songs. This effort by a couple of lads is a remake of Lithuania's 2006 song `We are the winners`. If the thought of listening to Terry Wogan drone on makes you want to scream and throw heavy objects at your TV try these alternatives...
Have I Got News For You
One of the classic parts of the show with Paul Merton and Jack Dee (guest host) at their best...
The Great Train Robbery
On the 8th August 1963 several men took part in the robbery of a mail train en-route from Glasgow to Watford, making off with £2.6 million- a considerable sum today but even more so back then! Now 46 years later one of those men, the now infamous Ronnie Biggs has applied for parole, due in part to his deteriorating health.
Jack Straw, the Home Secretary, has quite rightly denied him this. Deserved not only for his efforts to evade justice, however heroically they may have been portrayed since, but for his and others lack of concern as to who they injured in their efforts to steal the money, most notably the train driver who was hit with an iron bar and suffered trauma headaches until his death in the 1970's. As sad as it may be for his family as his health deteriorates further, he has had several strokes in recent years, the same concern should be given to him as he gave to others and that means keeping him firmly behind bars.
A separate but important issue that has been raised again through this is whether a politician should have any say in how long a prisoner is kept behind bars. Regardless of what the crime was this decision should be solely up to those responsible for sentencing and that is the judges. Anybody that could be swayed by fears of re-election problems if the wrong decision is made (in the publics eye anyway) should not be given these powers. Although the right decision, as in this case, is often made this practise needs changed to ensure everything is open and above board.
Jack Straw, the Home Secretary, has quite rightly denied him this. Deserved not only for his efforts to evade justice, however heroically they may have been portrayed since, but for his and others lack of concern as to who they injured in their efforts to steal the money, most notably the train driver who was hit with an iron bar and suffered trauma headaches until his death in the 1970's. As sad as it may be for his family as his health deteriorates further, he has had several strokes in recent years, the same concern should be given to him as he gave to others and that means keeping him firmly behind bars.
A separate but important issue that has been raised again through this is whether a politician should have any say in how long a prisoner is kept behind bars. Regardless of what the crime was this decision should be solely up to those responsible for sentencing and that is the judges. Anybody that could be swayed by fears of re-election problems if the wrong decision is made (in the publics eye anyway) should not be given these powers. Although the right decision, as in this case, is often made this practise needs changed to ensure everything is open and above board.
Something for the weekend...
Finally the weekend is here again and on cue the weather takes the obligatory turn for the worse! As i write Andy Murray is competing in the semi final of Wimbledon with the intention of being the first British male in the final for about 71 years! Even for those of you, like myself, who have little interest in tennis its one to keep an eye on. It's not often we get some sporting success so whether its tennis or elephant polo lets keep our fingers crossed! The final will be on Sunday 5th!
Thursday 2 July 2009
staying on the subject of music...
A relatively new craze that has had limited success is literal music videos - essentially the same tune but lyrics that describe whats happening in the video. Some are better quality than others but none better than the literal video for Total Eclipse of the Heart...
Music...
Coming onto my radar recently has been La Roux with her funky style and chilled out and mellow tunes reminiscent of Human League. Check her out...
In the news...
Smokers in Dundee are being offered £12.50 per week on a new scheme designed by NHS Tayside to help them stop smoking. The money is awarded to each smoker as they attend a smoking cessation session and successfully pass a test to confirm they havent smoked that week. The money is put onto a smart card that they can then exchange for food at a supermarket.
Good value for money? So far the scheme is claiming a 35% success rate with up to 20 smokers joining the scheme each week. The money can only be used to buy food and not cigarettes or alcohol which will go some way to appeasing the doubters but do we really need to resort to `bribery` to get results?
It certainly seems to be the way things are going at the moment and time will tell if it proves a success. With campaigns to help people stay away from smoking in the first place possibly stagnating this may be the way ahead. Combining this with the smoking age being raised and cigarettes and tobacco being possibly banned from display in future this may be a helping hand. But considering a good percentage of smokers are from deprived backgrounds more clearly needs to be done to help combat this issue!
Good value for money? So far the scheme is claiming a 35% success rate with up to 20 smokers joining the scheme each week. The money can only be used to buy food and not cigarettes or alcohol which will go some way to appeasing the doubters but do we really need to resort to `bribery` to get results?
It certainly seems to be the way things are going at the moment and time will tell if it proves a success. With campaigns to help people stay away from smoking in the first place possibly stagnating this may be the way ahead. Combining this with the smoking age being raised and cigarettes and tobacco being possibly banned from display in future this may be a helping hand. But considering a good percentage of smokers are from deprived backgrounds more clearly needs to be done to help combat this issue!
Wednesday 1 July 2009
THAT train journey
Ok kids, its story time!
If you're sitting comfortably, as the saying goes, then ill begin...
I travel regularly by train (more about that later) and to cut costs i try and book early, 2 singles sometimes being cheaper than a return and all that. The only drawback is you have to book specific trains - not a problem on this day so i went for it. Now booking a specific time, means a specific train and a specific seat. Again not a problem - i dont mind grabbing one of the small pull down seats by the doors as i dont travel huge distances usually and sometimes you get more breathing space on the busier trains but having had a busy day and it being a Saturday i was glad of the comfort of the pre-booked seat as the train pulled up to the platform.
Eager to beat the crowd of people on the platform i hopped on quickly and made my way down the carriage to find my seat. The carriage was relatively empty at the time but with the crowd behind me and more stations between there and my destination i again was glad of my pre-booked seat.
I prefer an aisle seat but this one was one of four at a table. Initially i had shuffled past before realising i had overshot and doubled back. There was a student sitting at other side of table. Probably about 18 and on his way back to his parents for the weekend break from uni he was sat with his bags to one side and his laptop on the table, playing some kind of fantasy game.
He briefly looked up as i put my bags down on the seat next to mine and i took my seat, opposite him. He glanced over his laptop and eyed me suspiciously. I briefly made eye contact and thought he must be annoyed at me invading his table space but thought no more of it and began raking through my bag for something.
After a few minutes i looked up from my bag to see him once again glancing over his laptop- this time more in fear than suspicion. I wondered why and looked round. It was the carriage. Empty! What happened to the crowd of people on the platform i have no idea. Another carriage perhaps. Either way i had just walked into an empty carriage, walked down the aisle and planted myself directly opposite the only other person present!
Now clearly this was one of those situations where you wonder how you got there- regardless of how, i was now sitting about a metre opposite a clearly confused and worried passenger. If that didnt make me look like a weirdo or a psychopath intent on killing him - i could already see his mind was clocking up newspaper headlines about his savage death to some pre-booked ticket nutter- but would moving again after just getting comfy make me look more weird? I hedged my bets, sat still and hoped the train would fill up over the next few stations.
Did it hell. The two of us sat staring in any direction but straight ahead for nearly an hour. He made a call to his mum (bless), possibly fearing he would never see her again lol He finally got off the stop before i did and im sure we both felt relieved! Whoever you were i apologise. I meant you no harm. But if i see you again i may just have to sit opposite again for amusement value. :o)
If you're sitting comfortably, as the saying goes, then ill begin...
I travel regularly by train (more about that later) and to cut costs i try and book early, 2 singles sometimes being cheaper than a return and all that. The only drawback is you have to book specific trains - not a problem on this day so i went for it. Now booking a specific time, means a specific train and a specific seat. Again not a problem - i dont mind grabbing one of the small pull down seats by the doors as i dont travel huge distances usually and sometimes you get more breathing space on the busier trains but having had a busy day and it being a Saturday i was glad of the comfort of the pre-booked seat as the train pulled up to the platform.
Eager to beat the crowd of people on the platform i hopped on quickly and made my way down the carriage to find my seat. The carriage was relatively empty at the time but with the crowd behind me and more stations between there and my destination i again was glad of my pre-booked seat.
I prefer an aisle seat but this one was one of four at a table. Initially i had shuffled past before realising i had overshot and doubled back. There was a student sitting at other side of table. Probably about 18 and on his way back to his parents for the weekend break from uni he was sat with his bags to one side and his laptop on the table, playing some kind of fantasy game.
He briefly looked up as i put my bags down on the seat next to mine and i took my seat, opposite him. He glanced over his laptop and eyed me suspiciously. I briefly made eye contact and thought he must be annoyed at me invading his table space but thought no more of it and began raking through my bag for something.
After a few minutes i looked up from my bag to see him once again glancing over his laptop- this time more in fear than suspicion. I wondered why and looked round. It was the carriage. Empty! What happened to the crowd of people on the platform i have no idea. Another carriage perhaps. Either way i had just walked into an empty carriage, walked down the aisle and planted myself directly opposite the only other person present!
Now clearly this was one of those situations where you wonder how you got there- regardless of how, i was now sitting about a metre opposite a clearly confused and worried passenger. If that didnt make me look like a weirdo or a psychopath intent on killing him - i could already see his mind was clocking up newspaper headlines about his savage death to some pre-booked ticket nutter- but would moving again after just getting comfy make me look more weird? I hedged my bets, sat still and hoped the train would fill up over the next few stations.
Did it hell. The two of us sat staring in any direction but straight ahead for nearly an hour. He made a call to his mum (bless), possibly fearing he would never see her again lol He finally got off the stop before i did and im sure we both felt relieved! Whoever you were i apologise. I meant you no harm. But if i see you again i may just have to sit opposite again for amusement value. :o)
fly swatting episodes
Summer is here and with that comes flies, in particular bluebottles. I dont have a problem with them if they stay outside where they belong- but for the past 2 weeks they have been invading my flat and annoying hell out of me!
A quick read through google searched pages suggests the best thing to use to swat them is something that lets air flow through. Apparently the change in air pressure that comes with a newspaper for instance alerts the fly to danger and being capable of `jumping` in any direction they can escape with ease.
Fast forward a few minutes and im back, armed with an old badminton racquet. Despite the neighbours opposite no doubt worried about my sanity as i leap around the room swinging at apparently nothing, this has became a part of my daily routine of late. Now that the warmer weather is finally here i have the option of opening windows and letting flies in or keeping windows closed and roasting alive!
The prior being opted for i now have a fight on my hands. After the bodies started to pile up i decided i should also arm myself with tissues to pick them up and flush them down the toilet. The vast majority are relatively small but generally after popping a few of them the Mummy or Daddy turns up, buzzing around the room, evidently maddened by the massacre.
These, it must be said, make a satisfying pinging noise as they fall victim to my smash!
A quick read through google searched pages suggests the best thing to use to swat them is something that lets air flow through. Apparently the change in air pressure that comes with a newspaper for instance alerts the fly to danger and being capable of `jumping` in any direction they can escape with ease.
Fast forward a few minutes and im back, armed with an old badminton racquet. Despite the neighbours opposite no doubt worried about my sanity as i leap around the room swinging at apparently nothing, this has became a part of my daily routine of late. Now that the warmer weather is finally here i have the option of opening windows and letting flies in or keeping windows closed and roasting alive!
The prior being opted for i now have a fight on my hands. After the bodies started to pile up i decided i should also arm myself with tissues to pick them up and flush them down the toilet. The vast majority are relatively small but generally after popping a few of them the Mummy or Daddy turns up, buzzing around the room, evidently maddened by the massacre.
These, it must be said, make a satisfying pinging noise as they fall victim to my smash!
Heatwaves
Well,
this week was to see the UK temperature soar up to 30C. Woohoo! No hold on...its been crap weather all week! Everyday i turned on the tv and stupidly listened to the weather girl telling me how nice a day its going to be after a cloudy start. Each day i headed off to work wearing shorts and a tshirt to be confronted by wind and rain! Not 3 days in a row i told myself as i flicked tv stations to the weather forecast this morning. "There will be a clear start to the day but rain forming later on". Nice one, ill wear joggers and hoody. I managed to walk 2 streets before they started sticking to me with the heat! Tomorrow...shorts and hoody? new fashion statement...hmm
this week was to see the UK temperature soar up to 30C. Woohoo! No hold on...its been crap weather all week! Everyday i turned on the tv and stupidly listened to the weather girl telling me how nice a day its going to be after a cloudy start. Each day i headed off to work wearing shorts and a tshirt to be confronted by wind and rain! Not 3 days in a row i told myself as i flicked tv stations to the weather forecast this morning. "There will be a clear start to the day but rain forming later on". Nice one, ill wear joggers and hoody. I managed to walk 2 streets before they started sticking to me with the heat! Tomorrow...shorts and hoody? new fashion statement...hmm
my first post.
Well,
Welcome to my first blog people!
I guess i created this blog out of initial boredom and curiosity as to who the heck would take the time to read someone elses random thoughts on whatever comes into their head. Ive no main point or issue to talk about, just honest comments and opinions on things that happen to me day by day!
Feel free to post a comment or ask any questions :o)
Welcome to my first blog people!
I guess i created this blog out of initial boredom and curiosity as to who the heck would take the time to read someone elses random thoughts on whatever comes into their head. Ive no main point or issue to talk about, just honest comments and opinions on things that happen to me day by day!
Feel free to post a comment or ask any questions :o)
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