So today I have spent a fair amount of time photographing girls' clothes in order to list them on eBay. There are a fair few quality items that my girls have worn and loved, and these still have plenty of life left in them - good old Boden! (for the most part).
If you are at all interested, here is the link.
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Saturday 16-05-14 Knockhatch and Eurovision
Earlier in the week (Tuesday, to be precise) The Youngest celebrated her seventh birthday. Yesterday as part of the continued celebrations we took her and two friends (and our other two) to Knockhatch Adventure Park. I've written about Knockhatch before, but again it's an enjoyable day out. It is a nice mix of animal exhibition / zoo and activities.
The weather wasn't that great to start with, it certainly wasn't as warm as it had been Thursday and Friday, and actually I was a bit worried that we were under-prepared, clothes-wise at least. We didn't have coats or jumpers, but we decided to risk it for a biscuit. We certainly weren't under-prepared on the food front; the bag of food I lugged around must have weighed a stone at least, but then I suppose you can't feed seven hungry mouths on thin air...
We fed the animals, and then hit the Quadapillar barrel ride. Then into the park for free activities, and first up was the Demon Drop Slide. Both Eldest and Youngest conquered their fears, and went down it, the Middle One didn't pluck up courage until later in the day. Our guests didn't try it out. I'm not sure I would manage it, frankly. Then we went further into the park, there was the Wave Runner for the more adventurous and the inflatable bouncy pillow for the less so. All the kids had a good time, we managed to make headway into the stone of food, and it was quite relaxing. The kids were off and enjoying themselves and TW and I sat and chatted.
They did spend quite a lot of time inside in the soft play area, which was confusing to me, with all the things to do outside, but that was probably for the best - I ended up with sunburn, which I think I got later in the day. We also went boating, which was included in the price, I managed to find it difficult to get into and out of the boat, which certainly amused TW, and the Eldest was grumpy because she wanted to row, and I didn't let her. After that I felt a bit washed out, like it had been an adrenaline rush, except I didn't feel a rush at the time. I did find it uncomfortable and difficult to row in the lifejackets they gave us, but I think I relaxed into it eventually...? We didn't leave until after 4pm and then stopped off briefly at a tent exhibition at Middle Farm, which showed us that we can't really afford a new one, I will just have to keep an eye on eBay I guess...
Then to finish the day off, I watched the Eurovision Song contest. Graham Norton's commentary was enjoyable, most of the songs were utter rubbish, but the costumes and the faux emotions were a sight to behold. Russia were the favourites to win, but as we were listening to the scores coming in, as we were falling asleep, Australia and Ukraine seemed to be doing quite well. It would have been a bit weird, watching the Eurovision next year in Melbourne or Sydney, but in the end Ukraine prevailed. Considering the history between Ukraine and Russia, and the subject matter of the Ukrainian song, I wouldn't be surprised if that leads to some kind of diplomatic incident.
It was a full day, just writing about it has tired me out, I might need to go back to bed. At least we're not planning on an active morning today, that might give me a chance to regroup and recover...
TTFN.
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Wednesday 16-05-11
Today has been a little dull and as expected. So no issues there. There were two things that I thought worth mentioning, and the first of those is the Palace leaks. Firstly Cameron was filmed stating that the countries of Nigeria and Afghanistan were "fantastically corrupt". I think his expectation was that we should infer that actually it was quite an achievement to get these parties to the table. I don't know, but it seems that this was an unguarded moment.
And then, following the PM's unguarded moment, there came the Queen's unguarded moment. Anyone might think that this news nugget was released in order to eclipse Cameron's faux pas, but that would indicate high levels of organisation, which I don't think can be assumed in this situation.
Any way, all of that is secondary to the beauty that is coleslaw.
When coleslaw is combined with a spicy flavour such as Branston pickle or southern fried chicken, it possesses a majesty which is altogether "other". It certainly lifted my sandwiches from the mundane to the glorious, and anything that can do that on a Wednesday lunchtime should be celebrated. All hail the 'slaw!
TTFN
And then, following the PM's unguarded moment, there came the Queen's unguarded moment. Anyone might think that this news nugget was released in order to eclipse Cameron's faux pas, but that would indicate high levels of organisation, which I don't think can be assumed in this situation.
Any way, all of that is secondary to the beauty that is coleslaw.
When coleslaw is combined with a spicy flavour such as Branston pickle or southern fried chicken, it possesses a majesty which is altogether "other". It certainly lifted my sandwiches from the mundane to the glorious, and anything that can do that on a Wednesday lunchtime should be celebrated. All hail the 'slaw!
TTFN
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Tuesday 15-05-10 Birthday Celebrations
So today was our youngest's birthday; she was seven years old. She was awake early, as usual, she came up the stairs to our room in the eaves at 06:30. I was awake as normal, so I wished her Happy Birthday loudly and woke TW up quickly. She opened her presents and seemed to be happy with them, which was a good thing. For breakfast TW had brought in pains au chocolat, and I think it was that which sent me into a tizzy. I didn't make tea, I didn't take a cheque into Brighton to pay into the bank, I was unfocused at work. Never mind though, I got through it.
Getting home I discovered that the Youngest's godfather was visiting; I did know he was coming but had forgotten. It was great to see him again and the girls doted on him, so his visit was a good thing.
I had a little flutter on Rising Pune Supergiants today and only narrowly lost; Dhoni got run out in the final over. I'm sure that they would have won if that hasn't happened. As a result I bet on West Ham against Man Utd at 2-1, a two-fingered salute against the betting powers that be. I child have cashed out early for an easy but small win, but then shortly after half-time Man U equalised. They actually went 2-1 up and I was ready to resign myself to my loser fate. But then West Ham came back and won 3-2, and so I clawed back £1.29. A nice end to the day.
TTFN.
Getting home I discovered that the Youngest's godfather was visiting; I did know he was coming but had forgotten. It was great to see him again and the girls doted on him, so his visit was a good thing.
I had a little flutter on Rising Pune Supergiants today and only narrowly lost; Dhoni got run out in the final over. I'm sure that they would have won if that hasn't happened. As a result I bet on West Ham against Man Utd at 2-1, a two-fingered salute against the betting powers that be. I child have cashed out early for an easy but small win, but then shortly after half-time Man U equalised. They actually went 2-1 up and I was ready to resign myself to my loser fate. But then West Ham came back and won 3-2, and so I clawed back £1.29. A nice end to the day.
TTFN.
Sunday, May 08, 2016
Sunday 16-05-08 II Making The Most of the Good Weather
 |
| Worthing (pebbly) beach today |
So on the first weekend of good weather of the year, we made the most of it. Took the kids and accompanied by the neighbours we hit Worthing seafront, near Goring Gap, for two hours or so.
The sea might look a bit wonky, but to be honest it was so bright that I couldn't really see what I was taking a picture of. Let's hope for many more...
TTFN.
Sunday 16-05-08 I TW is Home
TW went away to a conference on Friday, all the way up to Telford. I worked from home Friday morning and took a half day in the afternoon so that I could pick up the kids from school and ferry them to their after school club, which happens to be rugby on a Friday. It was a lovely sunny afternoon, just right for sitting out and watching other people (i.e., my own kids) running around and being active.
We had chicken pie for dinner, which TW had bought earlier, since she knows that my skills don't reach that far; I may be able to cook what's in front of me, but I've got no idea where it comes from. I also cooked carrots and potatoes, which they loved for some reason - I think it was due to the fact that I overcooked them, so that they were soft, and then coated them in butter. The potatoes that is, not the kids. I don't think I've ever coated my kids in butter. Anyway, the general consensus was that TW was never allowed to cook potatoes again, and it was now my job. Small victories :)
Despite telling myself that I wasn't going to have any alcohol on Friday evening, I found that I was in the possession of a bottle of red wine, so I drank that as I watched more episodes of Trapped. I've really enjoyed it so far, it's well-placed and the characters are interesting. I got through three episodes on Friday night, and then toddled off to bed.
Saturday morning I felt a bit fragile, so took things easy, which was not a challenge. The girls were all watching YouTube blogs (vlogs?) and trading information. The eldest and middle children were watching on their phones, and the youngest was using her tablet. All with headphones on so silence reigned. They were used to watching Good Mythical Morning, but they have recently discovered UK vloggers, such as Zoella. I do worry sometimes about the content they are watching, as they are aged 7 - 10 (the youngest is 7 on Tuesday), but I think on the whole it is fairly innocuous.
Anyway it got to the point where I had to insist that we went out and got some fresh air, so we must have been surfing the internet for too long, if it got to the stage where I'd had enough. I had packed up a parcel for return to Amazon (a pair of faulty headphones, no less), and was suffocating in the dark of the front room, with the curtains and windows closed. I did suggest a walk along the seafront, but the traffic to get across West Worthing crossing was backed up horribly and so we drove to the local park instead. The Youngest met a schoolfriend of hers and they all played nicely (more or less) for an hour or so. I gave the Eldest some money for ice creams, and so they ranked it as a success too.
The afternoon was less structured; despite the warm weather, or probably because of it, the sun disappeared, and there was no push to actually make it to the seafront after lunch (cheese on toast, in case you were wondering). So the girls played out on the street with their friends and the hours passed unnoticed. I had threatened or suggested to cook something that evening with the same soft boiled potatoes that had been such a hit on Friday night but in the end I took the easy option and thanked the Co-Op for preparing our dinners; a variey of curries, pizza and lasagnes.
Once the children were tucked up in bed it was on with Trapped (no wine this time) and I am getting close to the denouement, in fact I was 15 minutes into the final episode when TW got home. She had a good day at her Younique conference, and was quite fired up about making a go of it. And in light of that I should mention her selling page. Younique seems to be quite pricey, but those who've tried it seem to think it's worth it. I don't wear make-up myself, so I wouldn't know. The last time I wore make-up, I think, was at a fancy dress party with an "under the sea" theme - I went as "Coral", i.e., an older lady in pearls and a hideous dress I picked up from a charity shop.
So I will need to finish Trapped tonight, after the kids are tucked up again, and then we'll get on with The Bridge, I think. I do enjoy these Scandinavian noir thrillers.
That's probably enough about the weekend so far, now we've got to get on with Sunday.
TTFN.
We had chicken pie for dinner, which TW had bought earlier, since she knows that my skills don't reach that far; I may be able to cook what's in front of me, but I've got no idea where it comes from. I also cooked carrots and potatoes, which they loved for some reason - I think it was due to the fact that I overcooked them, so that they were soft, and then coated them in butter. The potatoes that is, not the kids. I don't think I've ever coated my kids in butter. Anyway, the general consensus was that TW was never allowed to cook potatoes again, and it was now my job. Small victories :)
Despite telling myself that I wasn't going to have any alcohol on Friday evening, I found that I was in the possession of a bottle of red wine, so I drank that as I watched more episodes of Trapped. I've really enjoyed it so far, it's well-placed and the characters are interesting. I got through three episodes on Friday night, and then toddled off to bed.
Saturday morning I felt a bit fragile, so took things easy, which was not a challenge. The girls were all watching YouTube blogs (vlogs?) and trading information. The eldest and middle children were watching on their phones, and the youngest was using her tablet. All with headphones on so silence reigned. They were used to watching Good Mythical Morning, but they have recently discovered UK vloggers, such as Zoella. I do worry sometimes about the content they are watching, as they are aged 7 - 10 (the youngest is 7 on Tuesday), but I think on the whole it is fairly innocuous.
Anyway it got to the point where I had to insist that we went out and got some fresh air, so we must have been surfing the internet for too long, if it got to the stage where I'd had enough. I had packed up a parcel for return to Amazon (a pair of faulty headphones, no less), and was suffocating in the dark of the front room, with the curtains and windows closed. I did suggest a walk along the seafront, but the traffic to get across West Worthing crossing was backed up horribly and so we drove to the local park instead. The Youngest met a schoolfriend of hers and they all played nicely (more or less) for an hour or so. I gave the Eldest some money for ice creams, and so they ranked it as a success too.
The afternoon was less structured; despite the warm weather, or probably because of it, the sun disappeared, and there was no push to actually make it to the seafront after lunch (cheese on toast, in case you were wondering). So the girls played out on the street with their friends and the hours passed unnoticed. I had threatened or suggested to cook something that evening with the same soft boiled potatoes that had been such a hit on Friday night but in the end I took the easy option and thanked the Co-Op for preparing our dinners; a variey of curries, pizza and lasagnes.
Once the children were tucked up in bed it was on with Trapped (no wine this time) and I am getting close to the denouement, in fact I was 15 minutes into the final episode when TW got home. She had a good day at her Younique conference, and was quite fired up about making a go of it. And in light of that I should mention her selling page. Younique seems to be quite pricey, but those who've tried it seem to think it's worth it. I don't wear make-up myself, so I wouldn't know. The last time I wore make-up, I think, was at a fancy dress party with an "under the sea" theme - I went as "Coral", i.e., an older lady in pearls and a hideous dress I picked up from a charity shop.
So I will need to finish Trapped tonight, after the kids are tucked up again, and then we'll get on with The Bridge, I think. I do enjoy these Scandinavian noir thrillers.
That's probably enough about the weekend so far, now we've got to get on with Sunday.
TTFN.
Tuesday, May 03, 2016
Tuesday 16-05-03
Today I mostly felt quite chipper, despite overdoing it slightly yesterday. But what else are spring bank holidays for, except spending time with friends and over-indulging?
We had quite an active weekend, considering how inactive I would be, given half a chance... We mooched around Worthing on Friday, and had lunch out at Street Thai. Saturday afternoon we promenaded along the seafront with my sister who is over temporarily from Singapore, it was good to see her.
Sunday we spent the morning in Eartham Woods, and yesterday was spent in Sullington Wood - when I wasn't sipping wine in the kitchen...
I packed up my Huawei MediaPad this evening as I've sold it on eBay. I hope the new owner likes it, it's a nice piece of kit. I got a Lenovo 8" tablet as a sort of upgrade (it was going cheap on eBay and I put in a speculative bid, and accidentally won...), and I can't justify having two tablets. I may rationalise our chromebooks too; we have two and we don't really need both. The older one might be worth £15 or so.
TTFN.
We had quite an active weekend, considering how inactive I would be, given half a chance... We mooched around Worthing on Friday, and had lunch out at Street Thai. Saturday afternoon we promenaded along the seafront with my sister who is over temporarily from Singapore, it was good to see her.
Sunday we spent the morning in Eartham Woods, and yesterday was spent in Sullington Wood - when I wasn't sipping wine in the kitchen...
I packed up my Huawei MediaPad this evening as I've sold it on eBay. I hope the new owner likes it, it's a nice piece of kit. I got a Lenovo 8" tablet as a sort of upgrade (it was going cheap on eBay and I put in a speculative bid, and accidentally won...), and I can't justify having two tablets. I may rationalise our chromebooks too; we have two and we don't really need both. The older one might be worth £15 or so.
TTFN.
Monday, May 02, 2016
Monday 16-05-02 Tory Irony
So we received this today, three days before the local elections...
So here is the funny thing about this for me...
It strikes me that they must have sat around, brainstorming, thinking how to get across the fact that, actually, the Tories aren't out of touch... I know! Let's call our local newsletter "In Touch"! That'll do it!
If there were any political party which one is likely to nominate as "out of touch", especially given recent pronouncements and defeats in the seat of power (the Houses of Parliament, both the Commons and the Lords), it would be the Tories. Both Labour and the Lib Dems, in my opinion, have a better public profile - when it comes to being "in touch" with the common people - than the Tories. So it strikes me as funny / odd that they would choose that phrase as the name of their publication. Still, I'm no PR guru...
And yes, those are my lovely comfy slippers which I have managed to include in the photograph. I don't feel like I'm properly at home and relaxed without my slippers on.
Monday, April 18, 2016
Sunday 16-04-17
Yesterday was a bit of a funny day; TW was away at a Younique "share best practice to increase sales" day from early doors, so I was left in charge of the kids.
We only had two here, as the street had gone sleepover crazy, but those two each had a guest. We got up, I hung out some washing, offered to make the girls breakfast. I was considering pancakes but we were out of syrup (as a condiment) so offered bacon and egg sandwiches. Of course my two said yes, but the odd thing was that *both* our houseguests said they weren't hungry. A weird coincidence. So they ended up not eating.
Then the girls played happily for the rest of the morning while I followed the IPL on the laptop.
I had put a small bet on KXIP (King's XI Punjab) to win, and they weren't favourites, so I was a bit nervous, but as it turned out it was a good choice, as they won. I'd also picked Royal Challengers Bangalore to win the next match, and was fairly confident because they were favourites and scored 191 in their innings. However, Delhi Daredevils matched their rate and thwarted my plans - that put paid to my accumulator.
In the middle of the day we had to pop and see the GiL as her phone wasn't working. The MiL had called to say she thought that Joan had left it off the hook, but that wasn't the case - she had a dead line. So I called Carol who logged out with BT and we left.
I did ask the girls what they wanted for dinner but didn't get a proper response, so in the end I gave them three lasagne ready meals, which they liked. It was a bit of a cheat from me; well it was a complete acknowledgement of my lack of cooking prowess and inability to get the girls to agree on a single meal.
Then TW got back just in time for the bath and bed routine, and things returned to a semblance of normality.
I had some gnocchi and pesto later on, and watched an episode of Limitless. And then it was bedtime...
We only had two here, as the street had gone sleepover crazy, but those two each had a guest. We got up, I hung out some washing, offered to make the girls breakfast. I was considering pancakes but we were out of syrup (as a condiment) so offered bacon and egg sandwiches. Of course my two said yes, but the odd thing was that *both* our houseguests said they weren't hungry. A weird coincidence. So they ended up not eating.
Then the girls played happily for the rest of the morning while I followed the IPL on the laptop.
I had put a small bet on KXIP (King's XI Punjab) to win, and they weren't favourites, so I was a bit nervous, but as it turned out it was a good choice, as they won. I'd also picked Royal Challengers Bangalore to win the next match, and was fairly confident because they were favourites and scored 191 in their innings. However, Delhi Daredevils matched their rate and thwarted my plans - that put paid to my accumulator.
In the middle of the day we had to pop and see the GiL as her phone wasn't working. The MiL had called to say she thought that Joan had left it off the hook, but that wasn't the case - she had a dead line. So I called Carol who logged out with BT and we left.
I did ask the girls what they wanted for dinner but didn't get a proper response, so in the end I gave them three lasagne ready meals, which they liked. It was a bit of a cheat from me; well it was a complete acknowledgement of my lack of cooking prowess and inability to get the girls to agree on a single meal.
Then TW got back just in time for the bath and bed routine, and things returned to a semblance of normality.
I had some gnocchi and pesto later on, and watched an episode of Limitless. And then it was bedtime...
Sunday, April 03, 2016
Sunday 16-04-03 Too Much Media
So, I like to think I'm a fairly straightforward kind of fella. I get up most weekdays, and go to work, and I come home in the evening and have dinner, put the children to bed, and watch a bit of telly.
I've got some podcasts I listen to on the way to work, and I've bought a few e-books off of Amazon to keep me occupied when I've got a few minutes spare. I've bought a few DVDs of some good quality dramas to watch when there's nothing on the telly. And I collect a few comics because they're another form of escapism.
The trouble is, there is just too much stuff to consume! Our TV hard drive is running out of space, we have about ten per cent left of a 1GB capacity. Yes, the girls have a lot of films that stay there, but I have quite a few series lined up to watch: the latest Walking Dead series, a couple of Nordic thrillers - The Bridge, Trapped, Jordskott, a few American dramas - Tyrant, Suits, Vinyl, The 100... When will I get the time to watch them all? God only knows.
Then there's the DVDs of shows I've heard are good: The Wire (currently up to series 3, have 4 & 5 to watch), Battlestar Galactica (I've forgotten where I am, will have to start from scratch), Community 1 - 4, the first series of The Good Wife, Braquo and Spiral 1 - 3. These will all have to wait until I've cleared some space off the hard drive, and we aren't in danger of running out of space.
At least I know when I can listen to my podcasts, that is train time. Except that I record too many to listen to, and am currently listening to current affairs programmes which are a month old. I suppose the interesting thing is to see how things which have been predicted / discussed have turned out, but I'm not sure that is the intention. I have Today in Parliament, The Now Show, Westminster Hour, Any Questions, the Guardian Politics Weekly podcast all waiting to be heard. Then that's not counting Richard Herring's RHLSTP, Android Central's podcast, and others. At least Parliament is in recess at the moment, and Herring is between series, so I have a chance to eat into the 16+ hours of aural pleasure to eat into.
But where do the Kindle books fit in? And now I have a few physical books to read as well; the first Stephen Donaldson White Gold Wielder trilogy, a new (ish) PJ Tracy thriller, some Christmas-themed chick lit books (I like them, and I'm not ashamed to say it. I'm not the type of bloke who has to have a "grown up cover" on my Harry Potter books...). Amazon keep offering some Kindle books at 99p, and they look good and have good reviews, so I buy them but don't read them; at least I don't read them quicker than I buy them. So they are beginning to stack up... Currently I've got more than 100 books on my Nook reader and those are the ones I haven't read. I'm currently enjoying "47 Things" by Lilliana Anderson, and it is enjoyable, but it's a really difficult choice to make on the train - podcast or e-book? Which is a better use of time? Which do I need to consume, in order to reduce the backlog of "stuff" I have to get through?
I haven't even mentioned my comics yet. I started going to the comic shop to buy Daredevil and X-Men comics, and, fair play to the guys running Uncanny Comics, they've pointed out some good stuff for me to read in the years I've been going there. But the result is that I buy more comics than I read, and now I have a bookcase groaning under the weight of all the unread comics I've got still to plough through. Currently I am reading "Powers: Bureau" by Bendis / Oeming from 2013, which is a cracking read, but I've only just picked it up again after starting it a few months ago.
With all this good stuff coming at me at 100mph, I feel like I'm drowning in a sea of quality entertainment. There are times when I question whether I am using my time most efficiently, which is not the best frame of mind to be in when I'm watching a thriller or listening to an intense Parliamentary debate, or reading the latest e-book I've chosen. What I need, I guess, is to retire. Then I'll have an extra eight hours a day to submerse myself in this sea of escapism that I'm building up for myself. But then that raises a question: do I really want to sit on my arse when I'm 65 for a couple of years until I've consumed all this stuff that I've built up over 20 years? Will my tastes even be the same then? Who knows... But it will be worth keeping an eye on all this stuff, and in a year's time or so, seeing whether there is more of it, or less.. Am I like Canute, maybe, trying to stop the tide coming in? Well, I guess even if I am, it'll be an enjoyable way to go.
TTFN.
I've got some podcasts I listen to on the way to work, and I've bought a few e-books off of Amazon to keep me occupied when I've got a few minutes spare. I've bought a few DVDs of some good quality dramas to watch when there's nothing on the telly. And I collect a few comics because they're another form of escapism.
The trouble is, there is just too much stuff to consume! Our TV hard drive is running out of space, we have about ten per cent left of a 1GB capacity. Yes, the girls have a lot of films that stay there, but I have quite a few series lined up to watch: the latest Walking Dead series, a couple of Nordic thrillers - The Bridge, Trapped, Jordskott, a few American dramas - Tyrant, Suits, Vinyl, The 100... When will I get the time to watch them all? God only knows.
Then there's the DVDs of shows I've heard are good: The Wire (currently up to series 3, have 4 & 5 to watch), Battlestar Galactica (I've forgotten where I am, will have to start from scratch), Community 1 - 4, the first series of The Good Wife, Braquo and Spiral 1 - 3. These will all have to wait until I've cleared some space off the hard drive, and we aren't in danger of running out of space.
At least I know when I can listen to my podcasts, that is train time. Except that I record too many to listen to, and am currently listening to current affairs programmes which are a month old. I suppose the interesting thing is to see how things which have been predicted / discussed have turned out, but I'm not sure that is the intention. I have Today in Parliament, The Now Show, Westminster Hour, Any Questions, the Guardian Politics Weekly podcast all waiting to be heard. Then that's not counting Richard Herring's RHLSTP, Android Central's podcast, and others. At least Parliament is in recess at the moment, and Herring is between series, so I have a chance to eat into the 16+ hours of aural pleasure to eat into.
But where do the Kindle books fit in? And now I have a few physical books to read as well; the first Stephen Donaldson White Gold Wielder trilogy, a new (ish) PJ Tracy thriller, some Christmas-themed chick lit books (I like them, and I'm not ashamed to say it. I'm not the type of bloke who has to have a "grown up cover" on my Harry Potter books...). Amazon keep offering some Kindle books at 99p, and they look good and have good reviews, so I buy them but don't read them; at least I don't read them quicker than I buy them. So they are beginning to stack up... Currently I've got more than 100 books on my Nook reader and those are the ones I haven't read. I'm currently enjoying "47 Things" by Lilliana Anderson, and it is enjoyable, but it's a really difficult choice to make on the train - podcast or e-book? Which is a better use of time? Which do I need to consume, in order to reduce the backlog of "stuff" I have to get through?
I haven't even mentioned my comics yet. I started going to the comic shop to buy Daredevil and X-Men comics, and, fair play to the guys running Uncanny Comics, they've pointed out some good stuff for me to read in the years I've been going there. But the result is that I buy more comics than I read, and now I have a bookcase groaning under the weight of all the unread comics I've got still to plough through. Currently I am reading "Powers: Bureau" by Bendis / Oeming from 2013, which is a cracking read, but I've only just picked it up again after starting it a few months ago.
With all this good stuff coming at me at 100mph, I feel like I'm drowning in a sea of quality entertainment. There are times when I question whether I am using my time most efficiently, which is not the best frame of mind to be in when I'm watching a thriller or listening to an intense Parliamentary debate, or reading the latest e-book I've chosen. What I need, I guess, is to retire. Then I'll have an extra eight hours a day to submerse myself in this sea of escapism that I'm building up for myself. But then that raises a question: do I really want to sit on my arse when I'm 65 for a couple of years until I've consumed all this stuff that I've built up over 20 years? Will my tastes even be the same then? Who knows... But it will be worth keeping an eye on all this stuff, and in a year's time or so, seeing whether there is more of it, or less.. Am I like Canute, maybe, trying to stop the tide coming in? Well, I guess even if I am, it'll be an enjoyable way to go.
TTFN.
Monday, March 28, 2016
Monday 16-03-28 To Brexit or not to Brexit? - That is the question.
One of the most vexing questions we’ve been asked recently is whether or not we should leave the European Union. And to be completely frank, I don’t know whether we should or not.
There are several factors to take into account, and I don’t think any of them are decisive as yet.
Firstly there is the issue of sovereignty; I think this is quite a weighty issue and needs to be looked at seriously. Do we have control over our own destiny as part of the EU? Or do the majority of our laws come from “Brussels”? There are several conflicting data points on this: I saw something yesterday which advised that “just 13.2% of our laws have anything to do with Brussels, according to the House of Commons Library” (from here). However, here is another source of data advising that approximately 60% of UK legislation originates from the EU. And here is what seems to be a balanced piece which argues that any figure between 15% - 50% can reasonably be justified. So where does that leave us? I still don’t know.
I heard Julian Fellowes on Question Time a couple of weeks ago (our TV planner is full to the gunnels of stuff I still have to get around to watching), and I thought his approach was an interesting one; he wants to leave the EU but negotiate a trade deal which would leave business in the same position as it is today; that is, we would have free trade with the EU, but not be compelled to implement its laws or join its associated bodies. He stated that even if we had to pay in as much as we do today, then it would be worth it, since we would have our sovereignty back, and this would be a much stronger formulation than “an end to ever-closer union”.
On the other hand, there are those who argue that if we are not inside Europe and influencing the decision-makers, then we are paying in to a club where we have no say over its byelaws and regulations. And I can see that point of view too; however, we are one member out of 28 and so the question then arises - although we are part of the group, how influential are we?
Then there is the question of the general direction of travel of the EU. People have warned that the EU wants to create an EU army, and apparently “Article 42 of the Treaty on European Union provides for substantial military integration within the institutional framework of the union”, but would our exemption from “ever-closer union” excuse us from that? With UK military spending apparently on the wane, would we want to participate in and contribute to a European-wide standing force? Would that be in addition to or in place of our existing British army? I think I would have serious concerns about abolishing our national army and replacing it instead with a European army, but if we fund a European army in addition to our own national army, what would that accomplish?
I also saw an article on the Guardian website advising that “European Central Bank policymaker Benoît Cœuré is urging eurozone politicians to create closer economic and monetary union, or risk seeing the European project unravel”; again, would our exemption excuse us from that?
And if we are excused from military union, and financial union, is there much point in us being a “full” member of the EU at all? Again, I don’t know, but these are all serious considerations and need to be taken into account.
Some pro-Europeans state that we are safer as part of Europe, whereas others assert that we would be safer outside of Europe. So which is the correct version? I don’t know; the BBC had a stab at explaining the situation here, and I’m not sure that they come to a definitive conclusion. There are other services like Channel 4’s fact checking service, and “Fullfact.org”, which I think we should all make more use of; I have just signed up to FullFact’s emailed newsletter, and I hope it will shed light on some of these questions.
There are people who claim that by leaving the EU, we would save a lot of money, or free up that money to spend on our own national priorities. It is beyond doubt that we are a net contributor to the EU, but unless leaving the EU would directly lead to me giving less money to the government, i.e., pay less tax, this is an irrelevance to me. And even if a lower tax take was promised, I’m not sure that would sway me to leave *in and of itself*, as I can afford my current taxes, and I believe / assume that those funds go to deserving causes.
There is the issue of continued trade with Europe; some people claim that we won’t be able to trade on the same terms as we do today. I’m not sure that this would be the case; I have seen it written that the WTO (World Trade Organisation) takes a dim view of trade barriers being erected where previously there were none. And since there are no barriers to trade currently between the UK and mainland EU, and since all EU members (as far as I know) are members of the WTO, they shouldn’t introduce barriers to trade now. And I don’t think that trade between the UK and the EU would cease completely two years to the day after we invoked Article 50 (the right to leave the EU); I think it would continue as per today’s trade until the new terms were agreed.
We would still be members of global bodies – like NATO, WTO, Interpol, and I’m sure many others. So we wouldn’t retreat from international relations at all; we would still have our place at the table. We would still be part of the G7, the G20, the Security Council, etc. We would still have the Commonwealth.
There is a question over human rights, and labour working conditions too. We were instrumental in setting up the ECHR, the European Court of Human Rights, and now some people think that the judgements coming out of the ECHR are affecting our national legal system. There are criminals, for example, whom we would like to extradite, but they claim their inalienable right to a family life and the legal proceedings are delayed by years - one such high-profile case was that of Abu Qatada (if I've got that right?). It seems to be unclear whether we would have to leave the EU in order to leave the ECHR. The question has been asked in the European Parliament, and there is a paper by the UK civil service on the same topic. But I question whether we would want to leave the ECHR, or whether we would rewrite any of the judgements that we’ve implemented as part of our participation in the European Convention. I think the world is a different place than it was 40 years ago and the edicts of the ECHR are probably sensible for the most part.
Regarding improved working conditions, yes it would seem that being part of the EU has improved working conditions throughout the EU. They have legislated for minimum standards related to working and employment conditions as well as informing and consulting workers. One rule which I know that the EU introduced was the Working Time Directive, which states that workers can't work more than 48 hours in a week. That's a good thing, but the majority of the labour force work 35 – 40 hours a week, and so this shouldn't impact the majority of us; I do know that it had an impact on the NHS, as it limited the number of hours which doctors could be on call continuously for.
If we seceded from these agreements, do I think that this would lead to an immediate abolition of everything which has been implemented relating to human rights and labour laws? No, I don't think that would happen. And if it did, say for instance that the Tories removed some protections for labour, they could be voted out at the next election and those protections could be re-implemented, if the voting public felt strongly enough about that. Those in power wouldn't be able to blame those faceless grey suits in Brussels for that, since we would have taken sovereignty back into our own hands.
Then there is the question of the "reformed Europe" and what we would actually be voting for if we chose to stay in. I think that the concessions gained by Cameron fall a long way short of what he promised, and on that basis, I think voting for Brexit, just to spite him / give him a bloody nose, has a certain appeal. However, we then have to question who we would be lining up with... And George Galloway and Nigel Farage are not the sort of people I want to agree with politically. In fact, as a guide, if they are arguing for or against something, I would normally expect to take the opposite position. And that goes for most of the people voting for Brexit; they are not my normal political bedfellows.
One concrete aspect it would be a shame to lose would be pan-European co-operation in the area of education. I had the chance to go on the Erasmus programme, although I didn't take it, while I was at university. I could have studied in Venice or Holland for a year, funded by the EU. The fact that I didn't take advantage of that opportunity is still something that I regret to this day, but the fact that it is there and available is brilliant. If we withdrew from the EU, that programme would disappear, but surely its benefits have been appreciated, so would twinning programmes spring up in Erasmus's place? Possibly...
Another thing to consider is that it would take longer to go on holiday to Europe. We wouldn't be able to queue up in the blue flag lane, and countries could make us wait to enter, but since this is an infrequent, perhaps annual event (unless you happen to be a businessman working in mainland Europe), it shouldn't have much of an impact – in my view.
And yet, and yet...
We did manage to survive before joining the EU. We were actually quite successful, globally speaking. I'm not suggesting we aim for world domination again, but we could make our own way. And if we vote to stay in the EU, and we don't like the direction of travel, when would we sensibly review our membership again? In another forty years? We can't keep having referendums every five years or so, that would just be silly.
I did read that whether we leave or stay, there won't be much impact. At worst, we might have GDP 2.2% lower in 2030, and at best we may have GDP higher by 1.6%, depending on how the Brexit was handled. So maybe we're all worrying over nothing? I don't know, but I'm hoovering up facts and data points like nobody's business, trying to work out which is the right decision. And hopefully before 23rd of June that might become clear...?
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Saturday 16-03-19 A Short Trip to Morrisons
Today is the finale of the Six Nations, and as a result we have three matched lined up this afternoon / evening. I'm hoping that Scotland will put on a good show against Ireland, and of course, England complete the Grand Slam against France in Paris tonight. That would be the icing on the cake.
So, in order to get some air, and some cereal, I took the girls to Morrisons for a bit of ad hoc shopping. We bought some chips and dips for this afternoon, as well as some olives for me. The eldest chose classic houmous as her dip, so I went for a soured cream and chive dip as a palate-clearing counterpoint. We also plumped for cool Doritos, since they were on offer. We also hunted down some pork products for breakfast in the morning: the classic trio of bacon, sausages and black pudding. We've got mushrooms and baked beans in the house to complement those delicacies. And of course, with a salty breakfast you need fruit juice, so we went for the classic orange juice "with bits". We did go slightly *off piste* and bought some clementine juice, which I'm looking forward to trying,
So that's it for this weekend, I reckon. Apart from revisiting the shops to maybe buy a beer, I think I'll probably be sitting in this chair for the best part of it.
So, in order to get some air, and some cereal, I took the girls to Morrisons for a bit of ad hoc shopping. We bought some chips and dips for this afternoon, as well as some olives for me. The eldest chose classic houmous as her dip, so I went for a soured cream and chive dip as a palate-clearing counterpoint. We also plumped for cool Doritos, since they were on offer. We also hunted down some pork products for breakfast in the morning: the classic trio of bacon, sausages and black pudding. We've got mushrooms and baked beans in the house to complement those delicacies. And of course, with a salty breakfast you need fruit juice, so we went for the classic orange juice "with bits". We did go slightly *off piste* and bought some clementine juice, which I'm looking forward to trying,
So that's it for this weekend, I reckon. Apart from revisiting the shops to maybe buy a beer, I think I'll probably be sitting in this chair for the best part of it.
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Wednesday 16-02-17 Body Pump
Jesus. Why anyone would put themselves through that voluntarily is beyond me. And apparently they go back for more, as well.
Of course I am talking about Body Pump, the exercise class which is quite popular these days. TW had booked in with a friend but then, inexplicably, the friend dropped out (I joke, of course - having been to the class it was entirely explicable why she would drop out) and TW asked if I would join her.
Well, I had heard a lot about this Body Pump phenomenon, mostly from her, so I was keen to see what it entailed. I was a bit reluctant to go when the actual time came, because I was tired after work, but I was also aware that I hadn't exercised in months and it was "now or never". So I popped upstairs and slid into my running gear, which hadn't seen the light of day since the last open day at Worthing Leisure Centre, and we set off for Splashpoint.
As we walked in TW greeted all her friends and acquaintances and told them that this was my first Pump class, and the reaction was almost uniform - "oh, good luck, you'll feel it in the morning!" and we went in. We had to get mats and bars and weights, and Jo the instructor told me to take it easy.
We did the first section of the class, which I found quite difficult, and then TW told me that was the warm-up - which worried me somewhat. How was I supposed to endure another 50 minutes of that? To be honest though, there wasn't much time to think after that. I was too busy trying to keep up with the moves and the "dead rows" and "dead lifts" and "two-two" moves to worry about dying of exhaustion.
I did actually enjoy it, and I'm not feeling that bad today, although the day has only just started. If I get the chance, I will go again. I am aware that I don't exercise and I do need to get out there and run or push myself somehow. If we can get a babysitter maybe TW & I can become exercise buddies too, who knows?
TTFN
Of course I am talking about Body Pump, the exercise class which is quite popular these days. TW had booked in with a friend but then, inexplicably, the friend dropped out (I joke, of course - having been to the class it was entirely explicable why she would drop out) and TW asked if I would join her.
Well, I had heard a lot about this Body Pump phenomenon, mostly from her, so I was keen to see what it entailed. I was a bit reluctant to go when the actual time came, because I was tired after work, but I was also aware that I hadn't exercised in months and it was "now or never". So I popped upstairs and slid into my running gear, which hadn't seen the light of day since the last open day at Worthing Leisure Centre, and we set off for Splashpoint.
As we walked in TW greeted all her friends and acquaintances and told them that this was my first Pump class, and the reaction was almost uniform - "oh, good luck, you'll feel it in the morning!" and we went in. We had to get mats and bars and weights, and Jo the instructor told me to take it easy.
We did the first section of the class, which I found quite difficult, and then TW told me that was the warm-up - which worried me somewhat. How was I supposed to endure another 50 minutes of that? To be honest though, there wasn't much time to think after that. I was too busy trying to keep up with the moves and the "dead rows" and "dead lifts" and "two-two" moves to worry about dying of exhaustion.
I did actually enjoy it, and I'm not feeling that bad today, although the day has only just started. If I get the chance, I will go again. I am aware that I don't exercise and I do need to get out there and run or push myself somehow. If we can get a babysitter maybe TW & I can become exercise buddies too, who knows?
TTFN
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Tuesday 16-02-09 The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am Not Afraid To Die @ The Haunt
Just wanted to pen a few words, I went to see a new band tonight, the name is above, I am going to call them TWIABP for short. I got there in time to see the support band, Me Without You, who were quite good, and they had some good songs. I might buy some of their stuff in the future.
I must just say that The Haunt is a really bad place to see bands when the venue is sold out, especially for a 5'8" fella like myself.
Me Without You were able to harness the noisy bit of their songs, which allowed the crowd to go a bit mental;it did strike me at one point that these bands were a bit metal, and a fleeting thought was to compare these bands to those who might appear at Download, for instance; I wonder how they would compare? But I guess these bands, although they were noisy, would be too emotional for a rock festival...
By the end of Me Without You's set, I was at the toilet door, there was no way to get anywhere else. However, when they finished, everyone who was at the front streamed to the back, either to use the toilet or (possibly) to leave. Anyway, that gave me the opportunity to get down to the front and enjoy the band up close.
TWIABP are a seven-piece band, there is a drummer, a bassist, a keyboardist, and then there must be three guitarists and a vocalist. They work very well together; the quiet bits are quiet, and the noisy bits are noisy. They kind of remind me of an early Mercury Rev, who I once saw at King Tut's in Glasgow. They would build up to a crescendo and then just go apocalytic - not as epically as MBV, perhaps, or as creatively, but it was still cathartic.
I do plan to buy an album, probably the current album, by TWIABP, and I look forward to playing it to the children - let's see what they make of it! :)
All in all, it was a good night, and I should gamble on unknown bands more often - I might be pleasantly surprised (again)...
TTFN
I must just say that The Haunt is a really bad place to see bands when the venue is sold out, especially for a 5'8" fella like myself.
Me Without You were able to harness the noisy bit of their songs, which allowed the crowd to go a bit mental;it did strike me at one point that these bands were a bit metal, and a fleeting thought was to compare these bands to those who might appear at Download, for instance; I wonder how they would compare? But I guess these bands, although they were noisy, would be too emotional for a rock festival...
By the end of Me Without You's set, I was at the toilet door, there was no way to get anywhere else. However, when they finished, everyone who was at the front streamed to the back, either to use the toilet or (possibly) to leave. Anyway, that gave me the opportunity to get down to the front and enjoy the band up close.
TWIABP are a seven-piece band, there is a drummer, a bassist, a keyboardist, and then there must be three guitarists and a vocalist. They work very well together; the quiet bits are quiet, and the noisy bits are noisy. They kind of remind me of an early Mercury Rev, who I once saw at King Tut's in Glasgow. They would build up to a crescendo and then just go apocalytic - not as epically as MBV, perhaps, or as creatively, but it was still cathartic.
I do plan to buy an album, probably the current album, by TWIABP, and I look forward to playing it to the children - let's see what they make of it! :)
All in all, it was a good night, and I should gamble on unknown bands more often - I might be pleasantly surprised (again)...
TTFN
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Thursday 16-01-28 A Weekend in Winchester
So last weekend I finally gave TW her 2014 Christmas present - a weekend away.
For both of us, that was. We left the kids at home with M&P on the Friday, well, they had them for a sleepover, and then the MiL picked them up on Saturday and looked after them until we got back on Sunday.
I had a day's leave left over from last year, so I took that on the Friday, and walked with TW and The Youngest to school. Then, when we got back to the house, we packed and headed off to Southampton. It was a weekend treat for both of us, but it was actually my present to her, so I couldn't really argue when she said she wanted to go to Ikea. I didn't like it, but I did get to sample the amazing Swedish meatballs that everyone keeps going on about - and quite nice they were too. Once she had had her Ikea fix, and casually spent £60 on napkins and other assorted tat (which was all "completely necessary", of course), we headed north to Winchester.
We've stayed in Winchester before, or rather I should say near to Winchester, at the Norton Park hotel. This time we stayed in town, at the Winchester Hotel & Spa, which was very nice. They were doing a deal, where they gave us £25 per person towards our dinner costs, which we happily took advantage of.
We had booked our evening meal in the brasserie on the first night, and the food was delicious. I had the sirloin steak, and TW had the seared tuna. Both were cooked to a tee, and we decided over dinner on Friday night to eat again there again on Saturday. It seemed a bit silly, when they were offering a discount on such delicious food, to spend real money eating elsewhere. So over the two nights I reckon we saved about £100, which I mentally offset against the £200 cost of the hotel stay - that made me feel better. On the Friday night after dinner we sat in the hotel bar and drank cocktails (TW) and whiskeys (me) - as a result, I felt a little jaded on the Saturday morning (some might say "no change there, then").
On the Saturday morning we walked into town and mooched around the shops. TW delighted in being able to shop at Joules, and Primark. We snuck into a lovely little coffee shop, where TW bumped into an old Uni friend - she was always bound to see someone she knew. We had a chat and then went our separate ways. By this time it was getting towards lunch, and so we looked for somewhere to eat. Luckily we chanced on Green's restaurant, which was a lovely little place. They did light bites and full lunches, and TW & I had some delicious snacks. TW had a spinach and salmon battenburg, which was an inventive and delicious meal, and I had scrambled egg, bacon and avacado on toast. It was a fine lunch.
After we got back to the hotel, we went for a swim and a sauna, and then prepared for dinner again. The second meal was just as good as the first, and we then went into town for more drinks back at Greens, before heading back to the hotel.
Sunday morning we got up and enjoyed the breakfast. They had everything - bacon, egg, tomatoes, hash browns, mushrooms, sausages, pancakes, fresh fruit salad, toast, tea, coffee, fruit juice... After breakfast I was so full I needed to go back to the room and have a lie down... :)
Unfortunately the weather was a bit grotty, so we checked out and headed home via Petworth and Midhurst. It was a nice drive, but we arrived home a bit earlier than expected. The girls were with the GiL in Brighton, so we had a nice quiet afternoon.
All in all, it was a lovely weekend, and well worth it. We agreed that we should spend time away together more often, and while it might not be a weekend away, an occasional evening here or there shouldn't be too difficult...
For both of us, that was. We left the kids at home with M&P on the Friday, well, they had them for a sleepover, and then the MiL picked them up on Saturday and looked after them until we got back on Sunday.
I had a day's leave left over from last year, so I took that on the Friday, and walked with TW and The Youngest to school. Then, when we got back to the house, we packed and headed off to Southampton. It was a weekend treat for both of us, but it was actually my present to her, so I couldn't really argue when she said she wanted to go to Ikea. I didn't like it, but I did get to sample the amazing Swedish meatballs that everyone keeps going on about - and quite nice they were too. Once she had had her Ikea fix, and casually spent £60 on napkins and other assorted tat (which was all "completely necessary", of course), we headed north to Winchester.
We've stayed in Winchester before, or rather I should say near to Winchester, at the Norton Park hotel. This time we stayed in town, at the Winchester Hotel & Spa, which was very nice. They were doing a deal, where they gave us £25 per person towards our dinner costs, which we happily took advantage of.
We had booked our evening meal in the brasserie on the first night, and the food was delicious. I had the sirloin steak, and TW had the seared tuna. Both were cooked to a tee, and we decided over dinner on Friday night to eat again there again on Saturday. It seemed a bit silly, when they were offering a discount on such delicious food, to spend real money eating elsewhere. So over the two nights I reckon we saved about £100, which I mentally offset against the £200 cost of the hotel stay - that made me feel better. On the Friday night after dinner we sat in the hotel bar and drank cocktails (TW) and whiskeys (me) - as a result, I felt a little jaded on the Saturday morning (some might say "no change there, then").
On the Saturday morning we walked into town and mooched around the shops. TW delighted in being able to shop at Joules, and Primark. We snuck into a lovely little coffee shop, where TW bumped into an old Uni friend - she was always bound to see someone she knew. We had a chat and then went our separate ways. By this time it was getting towards lunch, and so we looked for somewhere to eat. Luckily we chanced on Green's restaurant, which was a lovely little place. They did light bites and full lunches, and TW & I had some delicious snacks. TW had a spinach and salmon battenburg, which was an inventive and delicious meal, and I had scrambled egg, bacon and avacado on toast. It was a fine lunch.
After we got back to the hotel, we went for a swim and a sauna, and then prepared for dinner again. The second meal was just as good as the first, and we then went into town for more drinks back at Greens, before heading back to the hotel.
Sunday morning we got up and enjoyed the breakfast. They had everything - bacon, egg, tomatoes, hash browns, mushrooms, sausages, pancakes, fresh fruit salad, toast, tea, coffee, fruit juice... After breakfast I was so full I needed to go back to the room and have a lie down... :)
Unfortunately the weather was a bit grotty, so we checked out and headed home via Petworth and Midhurst. It was a nice drive, but we arrived home a bit earlier than expected. The girls were with the GiL in Brighton, so we had a nice quiet afternoon.
All in all, it was a lovely weekend, and well worth it. We agreed that we should spend time away together more often, and while it might not be a weekend away, an occasional evening here or there shouldn't be too difficult...
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