I Can Get Away With This for Days and Days

With 200 odd photos, I can do this for months.

A proud father and his daughter.

The bride and groom.

The brothers.

A Single Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Safter Than a Greek Bank

Credit rating agency Moody's has downgraded the credit rating of Lloyds TSB, RBS, Nationwide and Santander UK for being crap at being banks and about as creditworthy as Greece.

Mmmm - perhaps it is indeed time to withdraw the cash-stash and put it under the bed for safe-keeping.

Apparently Adam Werrity, a ministerial aide with a speech impediment, is accused of having been Dr Liam Fox's best man at his wedding. I suppose someone had to do it though.

Catch 22.5 for Apple in Cirencester

Strange, isn't it? The economic crisis was caused by people having too much debt; it's being extended because people are cutting back in order to pay off their debt (or actually because easy credit is no longer available), yet the only solution to the crisis going on forever is people spending more and getting deeper into debt. It would have been better if people had never gotten into debt in the first place.

The ridiculous thing is that people like me, who have no debt (and thus did not contribute to the economic collapse) are being punished through low interest rates on our savings, while those with heavy debt are revelling in record low interest rates. Summat not quite right about that.

It it right to have low interest rates so businesses can borrow to hire more people to produce more stuff for people to buy on more credit?

Ref Steve Jobs' death: it's like Princess Diana all over again. In the 60s and 70s the gurus were Indian mystics; these days they are the technology wizards. I wonder if there will a similar outpouring of emotion when Dyson eventually kicks the bucket?

When I Googled "Dyson turnover" I discovered that Dyson's revenue was £770m in 2010; when I Googled "Apple turnover" I got nothing but confection recipes.

I hear the Conservatives are to give help toward childcare for low income families and thus encourage them into work. Canny buggers, these Conservatives - offering money which they know they won't have to pay out, as there are no jobs for these parents to go into.

Personally, I can't see what's wrong with staying at home to look after your kids. If you can't afford kids without both parents working, then perhaps you shouldn't have kids in the first place.

Going up to Accrington for my daughter's wedding shortly, so posting may be sporadic till Monday. Hope the dentures stay in during my speech - I'm finding it impossible to say; "Cirencester." Hay has threatened to heckle me with comments such as; "Say Cirencester," or "Say Suzie sews socks on the sea shore."

I may get a post or photo logged with my Blogger App.

Armadillo Dentures on TV

Apropos of yesterdays post about the benefits of tactile buttons when emailing or texting; I recently had cause to email one of my work colleagues who rejoices in the forename of Arkadi (he is an Israeli of Russian extraction). I was somewhat rushed and didn't bother to check what my HTC had actually produced. Never having come across the name Arkadi before, the HTC translated it as Armadillo. It caused some hilarity at work,

Talking of extractions, had my new dentures (top and bottom) fitted yesterday; I feel like I have a large piece of masonry inhabiting my mouth and can't speak or eat properly, despite them being only partial.

The whole point of them was to enable me to 1) smile without showing gaps - especially as I'm meant to be giving a speech at my elder daughter's wedding on Saturday - and 2) eat a steak without having to swallow it whole. While 1 has probably been achieved, I fear 2 will be impossible and I'd rather eat without the damned things.

I guess I'm pretty lucky, as at my age neither of my parents had a single tooth of their own in their mouths and wore full dentures. I may be tempted visit Latvia next summer to engage in a spot of dental tourism and get some implants.

Is it me getting old and grumpy, or does making TV entertainment now consist almost entirely of following some poor bugger around with a camera while he or she is engaged in their mind-numbingly boring job or buying a house? Oh, sorry, I forgot about the repeats...

Tactile Tensions

Apple is about to bring out its latest gew-gaw.

Can't say I'm enamoured of mobile phone touch screens, especially when it comes to texting and emailing. I spend half my time correcting text due to the problem of sausage fingers. At least with a Blackberry you have tactile buttons and can virtually text without looking at the device.

I have ordered a BlackBerry for work and will use the HTC only for phoning people.

Firing the Generals More Easily

I was listening to George Osborne being interviewed on Radio 4 yesterday morning. He was crowing about the business initiatives the Conservatives are implementing and said; "We're helping businesses to fire people more easily." I wonder if he'll later regret that statement?

In another radio programme I learned that the British Army has 256 brigadiers and generals. Apparently the Israeli Army, which is of comparable size, has only 48.

I Simply Can't Believe It

Stop press - plain old water vastly more expensive than water with stuff added to it.

Merry Xmas - Back to Black on the Road

Given the heatwave, we decided yesterday to have a BBQ. I duly went to Lidl for some charcoal. I was horrified to be confronted by Xmas goods.

AC/DC have released four different brands of wine: You Shook Me All Night long Moscato, Hells Bells Sauvignon Blanc, Highway To Hell Cabernet Sauvignon and Back In Black Shiraz.


Not sure about you, but I can't help but get the feeling that the UK is being run by a bunch of boys barely out of nappies. Same goes for the opposition. Time was when it was inconceivable for any party leader to be under 60. I just wish they had a few grey hairs these days and a lower opinion of their powers of deception (they seem to have been exposed to the self-deception virus, which makes them think we can't see through their insincerity).

The government is considering increasing the speed limit to 80mph. Good idea! Personally, I stick to the speed limit when travelling to an appointment in order to save fuel. The only time I exceed 70mph is if I'm running late on the return journey. The greatest danger on motorways - which happen to be the safest roads on our transport network - is drivers (especially lorry drivers) falling asleep.

A decision has to be made as to what is an acceptable level of motorway road deaths and set the limit accordingly. Everything we do carries risk and it's just a case of determining what is a acceptable level. I have no issue with that.

Compulsory Nostalgia

Anyone remember these chaps?

Compulsory retirement at 65 was phased out yesterday, which is a good thing, as I'm probably never going to be able to afford to live on a pension anyway. Many of my generation, and the ones below me, are going to have to work till we drop, not that I have an issue with that - can't see myself being retired anyway.