Hollyoak Climax

Being a fan of that yoof soap drama Hollyoaks I was utterly gripped by the simmering story of the evil Claire architecting the demise of poor old Max and Tom Cunningham and doing a runner with his money.

This plot has been building and building for the last few months until finally it reached its conclusion just the other day. In all my wisdom, I settled down to watch the two double parter on the Wednesday only to realise that I was due to go out Thursday for a couple of beverages with my mate Pickle. The conclusive episodes were on Thursday. Bummer! So the last episode is a Max who has just had major heart surgery and his evil wife Claire who has been emptying his drug capsules of medicine finally cottons on that she is indeed evil tries to do a runner with his little bruv Tom. So just as he confronts her about her scheming ways then just as night turns to day she convinces him that he's lost the plot. The strain is too much and he faints. The next thing, Claire has taken Tom out for a game of footy (supposedly). Max comes round to hear Claire screaming that Tom has fallen into the icy lake. With all the strength he could muster, Max struggles to the lake to see Tom's jacket floating in the lake. He jumps in and frantically tries to find the poor little soul only to realise that he has been locked in the car. The betrayal and the smirk of Claire is all too much as he goes into shock and sinks.

Mean time, O.B. Max's best ex-mate finding out where the evil wench has taken the two helpless heros comes tearing around the corner, takes one look at Claire and decks her one (that is hitting her across the face) and jumps into save Max. He drags him out....(intro emotive music). And that was it. What a tear jerker. I almost cried. Then by chance, yesterday evening they did the repeat and what joy it was to see Max alive and well!! Hooray!!!!

You see!? Hollyoaks isn't all tits and arse. Although that Louise (pictured above) does look dishier by the day.

A question of ....excess

Football. A great sport. A national sport for us brits. My order of preference. Formula 1, Boxing, Football, Darts, Snooker/Pool, and then everything else.

For most people, and I have asked this to many about which comes first in there life. And if you get a sensible answer then the result would be roughly as follows:

Partner/Spouse/Other-half/Ball and Chain, family and friends, work, hobbies/sport, everything else.

I would put myself in that particular way as well.

For some however, football or a sport, becomes the only thing in there life. I've watched a couple of good football movies but usually the ones that would suggest that they are more of a training manual for football violence more than anything else (Green Street, Football Factory, I.D). Just the other day I was asked if I want to see the Millwall and Gillingham game. If I am to retain my charming good looks then going to that game was a no no.

I am rambling a little here. My football team of choice is Liverpool and has been since I was a kid. I've never been to watch them. No opportunity and South London seems devoid of Liverpool fans. I prefer the comfort of a pub or living room with a few beers anyway.

So my point being that I fail to understand how any person can be so consumed by the beautiful game that the whole culture of football is rather like a rudder on a ship. Something that steers an individual through life. Work, family and friends are just an unfortunate consequence of life.

That phrase, "too much of a good thing...." Seems to ring true. Like eating too much bacon would give you a heart attack. Drinking too much booze will wreck your liver. Smoking too much will turn your lungs into raisins. And finally too much drugs like cocaine will make your nose drop off, or depending where you administer it, will make that body part drop off. Actually I think coke does a little more than that. Paranoia, mood swings, irritability. Hey! hang on. Doesn't that happen when any of the other things are suddenly absent from ones system? Not sure about the bacon though.

Just looking at that quick list, it seems that I could have chosen anyone of those topics. But I believe I have lectured on the woes of these substances before. Football seemed a more challenging prospect. For example, I have yet to understand how if Liverpool (the team I support) lost like they did last week, but yesterday results put us ahead of Arsenal again, would ruin my day......

I think the closest I have ever felt like that was Mika Hakkinen losing the world championship in 2000.

'tis the season to be jolly....tra la la la la ....

Things not to do during the festive season.

Shopping - "Are you going to the christmas sales?" asked a friend of mine. Mmmm. Why not I thought as I made the very short journey towards Croydon and turned back at the first hint of traffic and volume of people. Avoid large shopping centres and supermarkets

A quick trip to Victoria did the trick. Quick journey and hassle free. Got served immediately. Had a nice meal. Came home. Hassle free. What a gem of a place Victoria is for shopping. Who needs Oxford Street.

Making New Years celebrations arrangements - They always go tits up. Safer to be locked in with a bottle of bubbly or down to the local drinking establishment that you know and love.

Prepare for any kind of new years resolution - Quit smoking? Cut down drinking? ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! - but will try

Contact old friends - I wonder how many people have tried this one. It just doesn't work. Not only that, there were good reasons that people drift apart. Just like scientist shouldn't drill down to Lake Vostok....You don't want to unleash something potentially lethal from something that has laid dormant for years.

Not to mention..

Nose job.

Holiday season

Christmas good. Catching a cold, bad.

Comedy

Just watching Father Ted Christmas Special.

Best bit by far is eight priests lost in Irelands biggest lingerie section at a department store while Father Jack is passed out in the creche with the kids shouting bastards....Hilarious!

Odd thing to Say

Whilst watching "Animals in the Womb", which incidentally was the source of my last post, I heard the line,

"....so the female elephant has dedicated four years of her life because of a single sperm."

Was there a hint of feminism in that sentence? Or was the female commentator speaking out for the hundreds of female elephants out there? Would it have sounded any better for David Attenborough or other bloke commentator to have said the same? Perhaps not.

It almost makes a bloke feel guilty. Ouch!

Well I Never!

A male elephants testicles weighs 6 kilograms...presumably each? Bet that makes a man feel a little.....well little. And they don't drop either. So kicking a charging bull elephant in the balls won't make the slightest bit of difference. Start praying.....

Rats!

I'm a fan of science mags and I regularly buy Focus magazine. An interesting article about rats in the urban environment caught my attention. One part in particular worried me slightly. It seems as though these critters can evolve at an amazing rate. A small colony of rats finding home in an industrial freezer over some generations had adapted to their environment in creatures with longer hair and shorter tails. All in the space of a few decades as opposed to millions of years of evolution for us human beings. Incredible. Are we seeing a step up in the takeover the dominant species, humans? Perhaps by our own making are we promoting these vermin into a super species that in thousands of years may evolve into a human like physiology but with big teeth?

The current evidence is that these animals can tolerate high levels of toxic chemicals associated with rat poison. As mentioned before, they adapt extremely quickly and thanks to our love of McDonalds and other fast foods discarded by drunken revellers, fatten them up and make them stronger. Its is a heavy protein diet that makes them this way. Interestingly with the chemicals we currently ingest with this kind of crap, surely their fate is sealed in much the same way is ours. A population of overweight lardy arses?

Virgin and religion

I came across an interesting article tonight. Komodo dragons giving birth to baby dragons without intercourse with a bloke dragon. Interesting phenomenon. I suppose it adds credibility to the Jesus birth theory, you know, the Virgin Mary and all that. Does this mean the re-birth of Jesus Christ?

Wisdom and Pickle

After cheering me up my mate Pickle gave me some sound advice.

"life goes on and on and on and on......"

Sound.

Feeling like Sh*t.

Three reasons to feel like crap this morning.

Firstly, I enjoyed a night out last night with some of the "old crew" colleagues and mates for a final drink at my local drinking establishment. It was there that I concluded the mystery of the shagging at work story by finding out who the culprits were. It cames as quite a suprise as to who the male counterpart was. And then I also found out about the shagging in the disabled toilet at St Stephens Tavern story and who was involved in that. All I can say was that she was a regular frequenter of the Sports and Social.

It seems as though Pickle and her mate managed to talk to each other. I suspect that it was more of a step to a path in the right direction more than anything else. It sounds positive and very much in line with the christmas spirit. And speaking of spirits; is why I am feeling so awful. But there was a reason behind it.

Second reason for feeling like poo. My good mates wedding. Decision made. Will not go. Best wishes to Sweetie. Hope all goes well...

Lastly, when will they make owning and firing a gun in public at over enthusiastic road workers who insist on firing up an angle grinder at 7.30am???? Is that legal? And the thing that really, really pisses me off is that while I have been reading other peoples blogs from about 9.30am until now, there has not been a peep from the f**kers!! Basta*ds! W*nkers! I very nearly saw red. Never have I been so close to clumping worker on the head.

p.s. It took me five attempts to spell deliberately correctly. Probably suggests that I had five drinks to many.

This Life

Does anyone remember "This Life". BBC2 night time telly was never better. Ten years ago the Beeb introduced us to a drama about a bunch twenty something year olds and the trials and tribulations of being an adult, being gay, having affairs, finding jobs etc. Sounds like sh*t boring stuff when put on paper. But with the quick camera work and some direct, honest threaded plots made for exciting viewing.

What was I doing at 22? I was doing pretty much the same as some of the characters in the drama series. Just out of university, having to cope with real grown up things, bills, rent, social life, bad relationship and so on. It had amazing appeal to anyone fitting a certain profile. That being pretty much everyone of that age that I knew. It was a show to talk about. The best bit of the entire two series? Of course it has to be the punch up at the wedding where Milly's secret affair gets found out. Cracking stuff!

So the BBC are doing a reunion special on the 2nd of January 2007. Will it be any good? For those who never saw the original, I'd say don't bother watching it. You wouldn't know what's going on. There was a certain intimacy with the viewer with each episode that for some one "on the outside" wouldn't understand. For those that did like myself, I suspect that it'll be good viewing but perhaps will have lost some of that sparkle of ten years ago. But hey I guess some of the sparkle I had ten years ago seems to have matured (not faded as was the first word that popped into my head).

Timing

I woke up this morning a little strange. As if yesterday hadn't actually happened. I appreciate that no such thing as that really happens. You can't deny history. Upon waking, you know, that stage where you're just at that twilight point of dreaming and awake, these words were spoken in my mind, "don't wait until its too late". I think I know what it means......

Have there ever been moments where you have been not quite brave enough or had the courage to just say what you think or feel to someone for fear of getting a response which not quite what you hoped for? Just enough hesitation not to say what you want to? Consuming too much alchohol that you might hope that those words come out accidentally but don't? So time goes by and that opportunity is lost? Perhaps that's what those words mean.

Balls as Big as Asteroids.

Not exactly the Profumo affair...

Who'dve guessed it old that old party animal hopeless Lembit smooching with one hit wonder and one half of the Cheeky Girls Gabriela. I feel sorry for Sian Lloyd although a couple of mates of mine who have met both Hopeless and Sian suggested that they were as bad as each other and that perhaps their personalities off screen matched that of a hippo with constipation. These TV personality types, Pah! As for Hopeless, I've had first hand experience of his slightly arrogant alter ego. I digress.

So it looks like the Sports and Social may indeed be graced once again by Hopeless and his new bit of crumpet soon enough.

One most amusing bit of the interview with Sian was her following observation of the House of Commons:

"Lembit is a real barfly and there's a massive drinking culture in the House of Commons. The drinking is beyond what most people would even begin to comprehend. It is hard core."

No shit love! I'd never have guessed it.....

Look a likey?

I was watching something on the telly the other week and both of these people appeared on screen one after the other and surely enough they could have passed off as each other. In the cold light of day, I'm not so sure. These pictures don't quite do justice, but perhaps in motion...they could be one and the same.

Maraca's

Why does the word maraca's sound a little rude? Or could it be because of my staple diet of Benny Hill and Carry On Movies?

"That's a fine pair of maracas you have?" - Is that rude? Or simply a complement to a fine set of musical instruments from a prehistoric Moroccan origin.

Also known as Rhumba Shakers - Even worse.....or I have a filthy mind.

Stalker again....

Yes. I'm still not worried about this lady rather obssessed with me. This time a phone call at 4.27am. As luck would have it I was out having a couple of lemonades with 2darts senior, Ma 2darts and Guiness (family friend). Having consumed copious amounts while listening to the local singing talent, "Black Elvis", I got home for some urgently needed zzzzz's. I anticipated a peaceful sleep and the phone rings. No way! 4.27am! Stalker! Damn.

Speaking of Black Elvis who captures all the knee jerking epileptic fit simulating crazy kind of dancing in all its original glory, the music was a little loud for the size of the pub. I mentioned this to my mate Guiness to which the response was, so that people outside would hear it and then might be enticed in to coming in for drinks and amusement. If that were true then it really would be a honey trap of some magnitude. Whilst the regulars are slowly becoming deaf, the people outside are oblivious to this damaging effect. Initially they would walk in with the delight of seeing Elvis gyrating and swinging his hips and they'd buy a drink, after which they might comment a little about the volume of the music to each other. A few drinks later, they may glance to the sound engineer as if to hint at turning the music down. A few more after that they can't hear a word. At all. Next time I'll bring in the ear plugs.

Another theory could be that the owners of the pub are a little hard of hearing. As they make the judgement call, they have the last word.....and Elvis too.

A great night though made all the more amusing by the loud music promoting misunderstandings, mis-hearing, missing my mouth with the beer. Oh, and speaking Beerglish by the end of the night.

Mobile Messaging and technology

My job allows me the pleasures of experimenting/playing with new technology. I like my job a lot. Not a lot of people can say the same. The people I work with are great professionals and top chaps and chapesses.

Mobile technology has made us pretty much contactable nearly one hundred percent of the time. I was contacted last night just after midnight by my friendly stalker and a little later by someone at close to 2.00am. You can be contactable whilst shopping, out walking, in the gym, at meetings, in the library, at a doctors surgery, having a bath, taking a sh*t, self pleasuring or pleasuring another. I think you might be beginning to understand where I'm going with this.

It is comforting to know that you can contact someone almost at anytime of the day and for others to know that you are contactable. However there comes a time that one just wants that privacy away from email, telephone calls, text messaging etc and even snail mail. Where can we go ? What do we do about it? Someone once said of wearing a faraday cage wherever you go. Not a bad idea. But by doing that you'd draw much more attention to yourself. Not so good.

I just had a vision of the future where escape from being audited electronically is part of being born, where peoples mouths will be so small from lack of vocal communication and that food would be drip fed rather than chewed as people simply won't have time as everyone will be addicted to communication by plugging themselves in. People won't need to groom or wash themselves as their virtual counterparts will do all the flirting and procreation they need. The act of walking/exercise will be simulated by muscle agitators much like the ones that are on sale for toning your stomach muscles. Daylight only by UV light. Such will the need be for powering such technology that every natural resource on the planet will have nearly been consumed and human beings will have been sufficiently genetically modifed to breathe an air substitute or dual atmospheres much like duel fuel cars that we have at the moment.

Scary.


Pnuematic drill now outside my window. What a Saturday this turning out to be!

Good Morning.

Bed early last night. Early'ish this morning waking up to Goldfrapp. What a pleasant experience indeed. Although now hearing someone hack-sawing through something. Just a little something to taint the mood. Now the phone ringing. Is it me or can I see a dark storm cloud approaching rapidly? Oh well.

Living in London IS about tolerance. I think some of the most tolerant people must live in London other than small towns and villages that are central to tourist attractions. They must have a hell of a time of it.

Hack-saw is getting louder. The chap down stairs is re-decorating the flat. He doesn't live there. He's preparing the flat to rent it out. Why he cannot do this sort of thing during the week is beyond me. He is there during the week as well.

SHUT THAT NOISE UP!!!!!

Christmas Party

Useful tip when going to a christmas party not on a friday night. Book the following day off.

Great party. I behaved myself (for once). I even resisted an offer of a snog. How grown up of me is that?

Far too much of the fun juice and made the devastating decision to follow the fellow party goers to the pub. Far too much hooch there although I got a better understanding of my fellow workers. Its nice to get an insight especially out the work arena. I think a once a month thing should be in order.

Kebab followed as is my tradition. Forgot to buy cat food so will have to make the extraordinary trip to the pet shop of dubious practices.

Forgot something at work so will have to make that journey too.

Hot date set for tomorrow night. Actually I thought she'd blown me out. Not quite the case thankfully. Patience man. Patience. Hopefully that may go well as she is very, very attractive, GSOH, and likes much the same sort of thing that I do, but in moderation. Wish me luck!

Bush

What on earth is wrong with that small minded man from the USA who thinks he's running the country? The man speaks of not being rushed into changing his Iraq policy. Thousands dead and counting. A country on the brink of civil war, if hasn't happened already and a mis-guided defiance of right and wrong. Sure, Saddam Hussein was not the kind of leader of a country that the people wanted and the people wanted so many different things for their selves but didn't get it for Saddam's policies. Global democracy is a wonderful goal. In a part of the world where democracy is rare how on earth does a democratic country such as the US impose its values and beliefs on a land not readily equipped for such sudden change? Like kids in a sweet shop; all of a sudden offered the freedom to steer their country the way they want after so many years of oppression. How does that work? History concludes that this strong armed tactic for decades will cause unrest and violent confrontation. The majority of the countries in the middle east have for a long time been used to a way of life. Not necessarily a happy one. Does a wave of a magic wand solve all the micro cultural differences in a land governed by dictatorship? No. Evolution of a society over hundreds of years is where democracy stems from. Another thing. Why hasn't the US walked into North Korea or Syria or Iran? Sierra Leone? Ethiopa? No capital interest. I'm bored of this topic. I'll be back with something else.

TV Advert music and video

Most adverts, especially the day time ones tend to be a pain in the arse and sometimes highly irritating. I must admit however that adverts for perfume and aftershave tend to have very high artistic value. Take the P.Diddy one at the moment. An advert for the MTV generation maybe but highly commendable.

Apologies for the earlier post

The article I submitted early this morning matched my mood for most of the day. Talk about the wrong side of the bed! So apologies for the out burst. One interesting thing all you fellows blogger might be interested in is the greater and less than symbols was acutally not supposed to be that. It was supposed to be "greater greater symbol censored less than less than symbol". Weird.

Too Much Coffee

While on my regular journey home I had to stop off for a splash and dash at the nearest public latrine. Unfortunately there wasn't one. So to the pub it was. Dash into the bog and finished what nature told me to do. As I turned to leave I thought I'd better grab some tissue to blow my nose only to face one of the most terrible things I have ever seen. A fully pebble dashed toilet. The smell. The dashing. At least there was some evidence that the poor soul had tried cleaning it up but no way man! Bad. Very bad!

Censorship

As <> mentioned last night that she was not happy about being identified in the blog that I should either not mention her or change her identity. Sorry? Since when did your blog-name relate to your real name? Only one person, weeks ago, put two and two together and in fact that he is such a nice bloke that I don't think it matters. The other sore point was that I made mention that Foxy was looking glamorous the other night. Ok. So did <>. Happy now? The trouble is that I have always said in previous blogs how <> has looked amazing. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and <>, there are many, many eyes looking at you in that way.

I find anything or anyone who forces some kind of censorship absolutely ridiculous. The point of a blog is to express ones self. If I really wanted to upset someone I would use their real name. Every person mentioned in my posts are real but have character names much like in a soap opera.

I had time to digest what was said last night and have come to the conclusion that the only kind of valid censorship is self censorship. Being adult enough to make a judgement call to decide what is suitable and what is not.

My blog. Believe me that this is an account of the world from my eyes. If you try and change that then this blog becomes worthless.

Two things happen from now on. The person who feels a little paranoid is now referred to as <> and perhaps will never be mentioned again. And to be honest I'm not bothered about it either. The other thing ? Like treacle, my blogs shall remain consistent.

Something more light hearted...

An old man goes to the doctor for his yearly physical, his wife tagging along. When the doctor enters the examination room, he tells the old man, "I need a urine sample, a stool sample and a sperm sample."The old man, being hard of hearing, looks at his wife and yells: "WHAT?""What did he say? What's he want?"His wife yells back, "He needs your underwear."

Ha! Haaaa!

Christmas Season

I feel like an old fart. Actually come to think about it, what does an old bit of flatulence feel like. What an old phrase! In fact what is the phrase "you old fart"? How old does a fart have to be to coin that phrase? Can one trap a fart in a jar and store it away for years and then release it into the atmosphere? Does farting on a piece of fabric retain its fragrance after a period of time?

I digress.

I spoke to a mate of mine about the seasonal part of the year that is upon us. Agreeing on the fact that christmas is for kids and the new year celebration is for adults. As I don't have any kids, does that make christmas less enjoyable? Dunno. I think christmas is about family and friends. New year is about that plus being with the one you love most. Not really about the venue although it does add to the excitement. The one thing that has bothered me about celebrating the new year is thinking about how many people do spend the night alone. Am I worried about that happening to me? Not really but I do feel for the people that feel that they are alone. Some say that lonliness is a state of mind. That is probably the most rubbish conclusion I have ever heard of. It is a deep seated emotional state that over time can be immensely difficult come out of especially when that person truely believes that there is absolutely no-one to share a few moments with. I'm not talking about relationships, I'm talking about the absence of friends and family. Someone to talk to. So my mind reminds me of a time when I did some voluntary work at an old peoples home many years ago. For the first time ever, I saw some characters that truely believed that they were lonely, but if it wasn't for the hard working commitment and love of the staff of the home, I truely think that it would be the saddest time of the year.

Its not just about the elderly. From all walks of life does loneliness affect people. From the hard nosed, coke sniffing, legal whizz-kid to the sanitiation engineer, it happens.

Why am I writing on a topic such as this? Because at least one time for whatever length of time, this happens to all of us. If you are asking if I am at that stage? Then no.

How often do you spend some time thinking of others?

Cable Entertainment TV

The cable televisual experience is crap. Not only are most of the channels offering repeats but they happen to be ones that I don't really care about. A fine example of this is Hallmark. The most pointless TV programming ever. Who the hell watches this channel? Daily Mail readers? The Daily Express massive. Members of the Womens Institution? Old retired folk? Single mums with fifteen children, each one by a different father? Please! I'm not being ageist or classist but it seems like these movies on this channel have about as much appeal as a melon up ones backside.

....with the exception of E4. What is it about repeats of "Friends" that most folk find eternally funny? I was never too bothered about watching it when it first popped up on Channel 4 back in the nineties but as they run a double bill every night at just about the same time I finish my daily chores after work, I look forward to the antics of those hilarious but overpaid Americans. What saddens me is there doesn't seem to be a Brit equivalent. Doesn't matter. At least there was "The Office". Even better and perhaps flattering also is that the American's took the format and made a reasonable job of it.

I wonder if they could do a job of "Only Fools and Horses"? No. Probably not. This particular show is a British Institution, much like the Mini or a pint of bitter and Dairylea.

Boxing part 2

Boxing and more boxing and more boxing. Saturday night and nearly an all star line up. The one everyone wanted to see a Harrison/Williams re-match and this time, it didn't disappoint. Cracking stuff right from the off. Harrison was a man after respect and had murderous intention towards Williams who I think is just about the bravest boxer around. He showed it too as Harrison laid into him relentlessly. I thought the fast pace would've simmered down into a steadier paced fight ending in a points decision. It thankfully wasn't to be. After Harrison cut Williams on the nose, Williams stepped up a gear, but so did Harrison. He not only smelt blood but tasted it too as there was enough of it flying around. Williams eventually destroyed I think broken heartedly told the spectators that his time might just be up. Perhaps. But just as Audley Harrison had said so last year and came back, so can Danny. Audley for Heavyweight champion of the world next year? I don't think so. Have you seen the size of the beast from the east, Valuev?

A mention to Amir Khan too. His first ten rounder against a very, very strong french man who just wouldn't go down. Or wobble. Look hurt. Looking at both builds, Khan was giving away a lot in terms of muscle bulk. I honestly thought this might have been his first professional defeat. Basically he was planted in there more as a sparring partner than anything else for Khan. Khan for all his speed and accuracy just couldn't harm the man. What it showed was it was a match about skill and technical boxing. No need for a knockout. One other thing to note. This was a test after all for Khan. Can he stay the course for a full ten rounds? Yes. Easily. Those top american boxers had better watch out.

Football and Trivia

Watch the Chelsea and Arsenal game last night? Cracking football! For the star that is Didier Drogba, he is a player that just doesn't know what the meaning of self restraint is. In all honesty I thought a 1-0 defeat to the Arsenal by about half time but then nearly 80 minutes in, a goal. It turned out that the majority of people in the pub were Arsenal supporters with the except of a few including a friend of mine who clearly and sensibly kept his gob shut........until that is a goal from Chelsea to which all of about three people shouted "Yeeeeesssss!!!" but were barely audible over the shouts of "Noooooo!". Hilarious. Why then as a Liverpool fan was I interested? I wasn't execpt for the fact that I'd bumped into these two nice characters a while back and had promised a night out. One in particular who is a rather attractive laydee!

Unfortunately said laydee had to leave, leaving my new found friend and I enjoying beer and pool. Cracking stuff. This leads me on to my theory of left handed people. I along with Jon and Barry's Beef and Audley Harrison are one of a few select people blessed with being left handed. Science indeed proves that lefters are faster and more multitasking thinkers.....and flatteringly true. (Tell me if my ego gets a little too inflated).

Old Age - (re-edited for the slightly sensitive person)

It must be a sign of maturing. I'm lying in bed nursing a hangover. Not a headache. I never get one even after having been on a massive bender. Nope, just the wasted feeling. Now I know what older people feel like when the old vino becomes more potent than it was several years back.

Actually while I'm on the subject of boozing. Last night seemed a very odd night. Oh hell, the whole week has been colourful to say the least. Lets start with the training course. I got in late, spent the first half an hour pissing about trying to get my head together. The course went well and I took the course trainer for a beerski. I should have left when he did, but of course me being me, I stayed for more. Then I spotted this really fit babe that I'd met some weeks back with her flat mate who's a top bloke. I sat with them for a considerable time. Two extremely pleasant people to indeed.

Some time later <> walks in with barely a hello to begin with and Foxy followed shortly after looking as glamorous as ever. The two seemed to have some kind of comedy act going on. Both blonde and a little dizzy that evening. I continued talking to my new chums until the fit babe had to leave. I sat for a while longer until I realised I hadn't spoken to the other two. So with that I brought along new chum and Joe the Sparky who I mentioned to them earlier that sexy babes Foxy and <> were at the other side of the bar. It kept the girls entertained or should I say the other way around while I played darts.

The next thing I know, another lady friend of mine pulled me to one of the poshest dinner party events I been to for a long while. Not only that but I was waited on hand and foot. Christmas dinner was brought to me along with free booze and a pudding. I stepped out to visit the loo and found myself a little lost. When I eventually found my way back Foxy and <> called out to me. Somehow they had managed to blag their way into the event too. I've missed a little detail. All three women are friends with each other. The only problem was that my lady friend had fallen out with the other two, or should I say the other way around. Note to ones self. Never, ever get involved with a bunch of squabbling women. Terrible. Not only that but I had every intention of going to a friends party that evening. But the ladies were not so keen to release their pawn (me) in their battle.

So to summarise the week. I nearly ruined a wedding, I've been stalked, and I've been used and abused. How low can a bloke feel eh?

Actually the wedding bit turned out really welll for my mate Sweetie. Seems a good heart to heart with Big Nut about his seeming upsetting antics has got them back on track. So there must have been method in my accidental madness. I glad they are happy again. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself too well if it got cancelled. I'm not so sure about attending the wedding though.

The Voice of the Daily Express

Just logged on to the BBC news website. 'Princess Diana driver proved to have been drunk'; was the headline. What a suprise; to someone living on Mars. Who on earth really gives a toss (apart from said Daily Express readers). Nine years on and more of the same drivel only fuelling editors of that newspaper to carry on writing about this unfortunate accident.

In an alternate universe, I wonder what would have happened if she hadn't died. Would we still have Daily Express. And more to the point, just how many people does it take to keep the Daily Express going? And even more curiously, are there really that many old people still living to read this crap? I may just check out the readership figures.

Never has a car looked....

If a car was comparable to sex than this would be it.....

Nope. Better than sex. Cool fucking car!!!

Cars

Modern day cars have no character. Fact. Most of them have been designed in wind tunnels or crossed eyed designers with the exception of a few. The BMW Z4, BMW 6 series, Aston Martin, Chrysler 300C are some that I think will be classics sooner rather than later.





So with that, I present to you my all time classic cars.

• Shelby Mustang GT500 (given a choice between the most beautiful woman in the world and this...)


• Lamborghini Countach LP400S


• Ford Mustang 69, 71, 72 Boss


• BMW CSL (Batmobile)


• BMW M635CSI


• Lotus Esprit V8


• BMW M3 EvO E30


• Ford Capri Brooklands 280


• Mercedes SL500 Gullwing


• Ford Sierra Cosworth


• Porsche 911 RS 2.7


• Audi Quattro


• BMW M5 (any vintage)


• Pontiac Firebird Transam


• Chevvy Camaro


• Dodge Charger


• Dodge Challenger


• Ford GT40


• Aston Martin V8

I'll stop at that.

Fight Night.

Saturday night boxing......two days to go......

...and another thing.

Having a cold is bloody awful. I hate having a runny nose, a blocked nose, a crusty nose. You get my point. So as is the capitalist world we live in there are many a cold remedy which don't actually work at all. Do you seriously believe that taking all that lemsip, beechams powder is going to speed up your recovery? No hell does it! Just like tissues (for the nose). For what it is, it costs a stupid amount of money for one to blow out all that snot into some (on a ratio of function versus cost) expensive paper. Take the cost of kitchen towels instead. Cheaper; and they are advertised as being super absorbant! Why are some people too stupid to realise that while kitchen towels are made for soaking up liquid and other sticky type substances that people insist on buying tissues instead?

Come to think of it. What was ever wrong with using your sleeve? At least it's reuseable!

Toilet Roll

Bog roll. More to the point cheap toilet roll. Just to prove a point the other week I thought I'd just see if it was really worth the extra money for that extra comfort for ones derriere. So with that in mind and with the thought that are people really that sensitive to the touch of a piece of paper on ones buttocks I bought a pack of six for one pound stirling. I was soon eating my words. Remember the bog roll that you had to use at school. You know. The tracing paper effort which just slid off your arse leaving what should have been on the paper still on the ring of fire. Well this stuff is worse. You'd have to roll out at least ten feet of the stuff so that your finger doesn't tear through it.

So what amounts to an absolute bargin ends up killing more trees than the free London papers you get on the streets at the moment. In fact I may just grab a load of the newspapers instead. At least it would serve a dual purpose. Something to read while one is on the throne and then when one has squeeze out the last of the lunch/dinner/breakfast/last night's kebab, one can be kind to the environment and use it for the obvious.

Not quite...

Without sounding like I'm rambling, there is something that invokes thoughts about ones self when empathising/sympathising about anothers predicament. I have found that in the adventures, drama, excitement, sorrow of some of the people that surround me that I feel compelled to say something about it in the sense that I have known something similar.

Ok. Talking shit now. Too much time on my hands. American Pie 3 anyone?

Signing off...and if I don't then please someone cut off my typing hands.

What a f**ked up world we live in.

Today has been a happy sad happy not so sure day. Happy to be back at work. Never have I enjoyed a job more so than the one I have. Perhaps because I have had some time off? Unlikely as 1) I had a cold 2) My brief experience of adopting a stalker. No let me re-phrase that, a lady who wanted a little too much than I could give but couldn't take no for an answer. Until now.

The happy bit. Being back at work was loads of fun and good to be back in with my fellow professional workers.

The sad bit. Hearing the loveliest, closest soul mate being upset about something I cannot say made my heart sink, my involvement in it was even sadder. At the same time, I realised that the complication that has arisen had not been of my own making but of someone else. I have a lot of time for these two people and regard them as wonderful, fun loving, exciting friends but to hear one who I regard especially close to my heart as sad as she was made me feel helpless. I hope things work out for the better and indeed I really hope that in the grand scheme of things that this matter can work itself out.

I learned a lesson in honesty in relationships the hard way. I once had a relationship where my honesty made hell for me and ended very acrimoniously (I can't spell). That lady in question had issues with the world and the devil himself. It didn't stop me from being as truthful and as honest I could be with my last relationship. To this day I stand by being as open and honest with the person you love even if it occasionally means to suffer the irritation/anger/hurt of the other half for a relative brief moment. Open and honesty don't always make excuses for insensitivity if one can apply a degree of diplomacy to the scenario. Diplomacy on the otherhand didn't work with the psycho lawyer that I eventually left.

Consider a modern day problem with marriage. Life, society has made the concept "married for life" an almost laughable idea. Surely no-one these days gets married for life? Take a friend of mine, Pickle who seems to be going through this phase. Getting married has become much easier these days because so has getting divorced. I'm sure at the height of the modern concept of marriage, it was conclusive to get divorced, no, obligatory to get divorced after four years, give or take a couple. To hell with it, at one point one didn't even have to tell anyone that they were getting married. They just did it. What a sad state of affairs when it got that bad.

Call me an old fashioned romantic but I still believe in sharing my life with someone for the rest of my life and never looking back. By this I do mean getting married. It for me is still a very serious and sacred commitment that people should never walk away from. The problem may lie with how easy it is to get married without getting to know the person. I think this statement is wrong also. Its not about getting to know the person; that takes time. Its about having trust and being equals and at the very most respect. These three things (apart finding that your beloved is the sexiest and the most horny looking person ever) are what make that traditional eighty year (or as near as damn it) marriage possible. There are other secondary elements like a good sense of humour, a big **** (for men) or big **** (for women); I only jest, that helps.

A final note from me. By the way, I have American Pie 2 on the telly at the moment, the bit with the lesbian dare, not putting me off with my...oh my god....sensible preaching at all....Shit I forgot what I was going to say.....

Oh yes. Oh no. Yes. No. Yes. Yes. YES. NO!!! NO!!! NO WAY!!!

......the whole marriage commitment thing has to be 100 percent. Ever a little unsure? Not quite ready for it but love the person? Then wait. Then wait a little longer....Take some time out from the world. Maybe just for a day until you are sure you know thats what you want....that person if its with you are with at the moment or if its someone out there waiting for you can wait..

Peace, love and contentment...

Signing off for tonight.

Hollyoaks

Once Hollyoaks omibus was the staple diet of the single 20/30 something year old bloke on a sunday morning. Now this fairly middle of the road soap has a couple of interesting story lines. The peeping tom strand, the psycho wife strand, the baby strand and the hot babe working in the beauty salon strand. All incidentally involving some really fit babes strangely enough. Louise, Zoe, Claire and Becca. In no order of preference. Why else would a bloke be interested in Hollyoaks?

The Claire, Max and the money story line has certainly picked up pace where Claire has now emptied all the heart pills and hopes the gullible Max Cunningham will keel over leaving her with the insurance money. I can predict a few deaths along with way involving the Black Widow in waiting.

Becca facing jail for shagging a school boy is wondering who will look after the kid. Foster home love. Its the only way to go. I mean would anyone in their right mind ask Tony the analist or Jake the moron to raise a child? No. I predict that she'll go down and then lose the baby.

Zoe the student clearly too fit for Zack the scouse has clearly too much of the bottle blonde seeping into her head to realise that Mr Peeping Tom seems to all of a sudden like everything she likes and knows all the right things to say. Not a player, just a weirdo. Take me instead!! I predict an intense standoff at a bridge where Zoe is held captive by Mr Tom.

..and finally the luscious Louise who although dated Mr middle of the road bumbling copper seems to be pining for the dastardly Warren (too much coke and not enough vodka). This saga has dragged on for far too long and not enough footage of Louise. More please. Perhaps a lesbian affair with one of the McQueen sisters (apart from the ugly one) would spice things up. I predict a lesbian affair! :-)

Come to think of it, why was it fashionable to have lesbian affairs in all the major soaps one minute and then none the next?

More to the point, why aren't there more ethnic people in Hollyoaks. Why always the token black family? Eastenders is especially guilty of this crime. Of all the places in London I would have thought that a larger presence of ethnic minorities as central characters is in order.

Satyr

Satyr and Bacchante
Jacques Jena (1790-1851)

Masterful Film making...

Guillermo Del Toro, he of Hellboy and Blade 2 fame has delivered his masterpiece of film making in the guise of Pan's Labyrinth. Such a magical, violent, dark and eerie film that will have most adults shuddering, saddened and cringing. 'Its a fairy tale for adults' as one reviewer put it. The story is an intertwining of events during the Spanish revolution and of a girls adventure into the realms of fantasy. I cannot say much more than that as I would suggest any persons who wants to earn some cred to go and see the film. The only bother I had was that it isn't on general release in the UK so you'll have to go and find an Art House cinema, the ones that intellectual people go to. The one I went to was the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton, London. Its quite a nice cinema too, it has an almost art deco feel about it as you step into the main foyer. See this film and you won't regret it. I promise.

Call Him a Comedian?

Who planted the evil seed that has turned into Russell Brand? Channel 4 I suspect. Since when did he become a comedian? I was bored one friday night so I channel hopped for a while. I found a channel with a particular film that I wanted to watch but the adverts were on so out of curiosity I flicked over the the 'Russell Brand Show'. In the space of twenty second, I decided a couple of things.

He's a twat

Why do the late teens/early twenty-something year old audience find him so funny? I mean I can understand why racists find Bernard Manning funny (clearly not my cup of tea) because it is of a humour that I can understand that appeals to a group of people. But this Russell Brand? What Brand of humour is this? Am I missing something here? Has a generation of humour passed me by? Is this why my parents never found Euro Trash funny? or indeed Bottom? Oh dear. I'm turning into my Dad. Not really, my Dad has a brilliant, devilish at times, sense of humour. Russell Brand is truly the most worthless piece of entertainment on television. All built on a reputation of an ex-junkie and an alleged ladies man. Tabloid fodder twat.

Climate Change

As some of you know, I believe in saving the planet and I do what ever I can to help renew and reuse resources. I like to reuse plastic bags instead of getting new ones from the shop. I recycle newspapers and magasines and glass bottles and jars religiously. I even on occasions reuse toilet paper.

The popularity vote at the moment as the pace gathers momentum for changing our policies on global warming is for MP's to vocalise there concerns about the environment and what their initiatives are towards changing current policy. Now that I've just re-read that, it sounds like a load of old bull.

What irritates me is that politicians are trying to steer this issue for political gain. Here's another suggestion then. Like the United Nations, I believe there should be a global influencial body setup tasked with effecting anti-global warming initiatives. Decisions to decrease CO2 emissions should be made regardless of a countries economic status. The USA are major culprits as most of their economy seems to depend on oil. Without that the USA would collapse. The smarter people would say that perhaps as the richest nation on the planet, they could invest or take the lead in developing profitable alternative, greener sources of energy. Without sounding like there is a conspiracy behind it all, but what if cold fusion has already been invented. How could someone charge for something that is free? Surely the expense of harnessing this energy would be so negligable that putting resource in developing other great things like ending poverty and increasing education amongst the poor would be the way to go. Take away the cost of something means making a saving. Make a saving, spend it on something else.

Whatever happened to "Africa Aid". The richest countries cancelling out debt for some of the poorest African countries and providing financial aid to bring stability and harmony to the people. Politically driven and therefore a flop.

Scientists are best equipped to realise to the world the consequences of what is to become of our beloved planet and it is for the people as a whole to help counter act global warming. From the literature I have read so far, we have already started walking down that one way road to serious climate change, the question is now, what can we do to slow the effects? There is talk of harnessing nuclear power to provide us with a clean source of energy. I think it may be the only way to go. People whose belief lies in old fashioned idea's of nuclear energy being dangerous have every right to be but have they ever considered just how many years ago Chenobyl exploded. The kind of technology available now is much more sophisticated and reliable. What about terrorist attacks? We all live in a world where terrorism dominates our every lives (thank you Tony Blair and George W. Bush), with this consideration in mind, I would like to think that the builders of the next generation of nuclear power plants would take this into account.

All of the problems we currently face as human beings are closely interlinked. Poverty, education, regional conflicts, starvation, natural disasters, man-made disasters, political struggle, crime. All of these issues have a root cause. The circumstances in which we live in. If we could focus on a common objective then perhaps some of these other issues become lesser ones.

I don't pretend to know about what goes on in the world but I do think that the matters that I have mentioned above won't matter one little bit once our planet becomes our tomb.

Not Interested

I've never had a stalker before. Well, I shouldn't be too harsh but I received a text and a missed call. The former was sent at 3.39am and the voicemail left at 2.50am from a lady that I only met the once. Clearly impressed by my charm and wit I now have some trouble getting rid of this rather clingy lady. Dilema. I tried letting her down gently and clearly this has not worked. I haven't lied or made excuses but I haven't told her the real reasons (grin). Perhaps I should suggest that I am of an unstable mind. No. I can't say that otherwise that makes us two peas in a pod. Damn. Out of prison on good behaviour? Terrorist. No can't do that one otherwise the keystone cops will be after me too along with half of MI5/6. Perhaps I could tell her that I'm a Benylin Chesty Coughts addict. I don't know! Or I could just tell her to fuck off.

While doing some research, I found this. It has an american slant to it but is supposed to be for the UK audience. I wish I'd found this advice a about thirteen years ago... Askmen Women Psycho

Attention from the opposite sex should be flattering but when it gets to this stage, its just irritating. Hopefully it won't get scary. I'd better double lock the front door.......

CHAMPIONS!!!

My mate Dave and I became doubles darts champions again last night. We both played rather well although if it wasn't for some bloke who decided to take a picture as I was throwing my last dart to wrap up the second game, it would have been better. Best of five and a 3-0 thrashing. I took the first game and my mate Dave the other two. I couldn't believe we won at first. I'd like to thank my parents, my sister, my friends and especially Big Nut for some meditative councilling throughout the match and to the opposing team for which we could never have achieved what we did.

As true champions we celebrated in the only way my mate Dave and I know how. Result this morning, hangover, kebab all over the living room floor, recollection of unwanted attention from some amorous soul.