Showing posts with label Money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Money. Show all posts

Monday 26 February 2024

Life?


One of my beautiful and highly intelligent nieces posted on facebook a wee while ago something about life always being one thing or another.   Well yes, that's what it is.  One day you are up, the next down, nothing runs smoothly for long, this she needed to remember, is how it is.
Life here has been slow, but smooth in a way.  Yesterday I was fed by the neighbour, she gave me a roast dinner!  I gave them a bottle of wine and that pleased him, I'm not sure how much she got...
A couple of nights ago she knocked on my door with a question regarding the young lass in the other flat.  This ended with a promise of a dinner, which she brought up to me, after 6 pm.  I had been expecting this at 2 or 3 pm but there you go.  I had eaten by the time it arrived and forced this down.  It was fabulous!  I have eaten little today. This is all well and good.  I had been seeking a chance to meet them more.
On the other hand, when my friend decided to die last year she left me money in her will.  I expected a few hundred but she gave me a huge sum!  Stunned as I am I managed to let it happen.  Now I wonder what to do with it?  Naturally, this means informing the Council regarding the Housing Benefit, which will now stop.  I canny mind if I need to tell the pension people, but I'm sure I must.  So, here I am now with a bit in the bank awaiting news of the changes ahead.  I will survive, bills will be paid, changes will occur.  Easy come, easy go it appears.  1st world problems.  
However, my weight, at 15 stone, has increased today by 2 pounds.  As there was no need to eat today. I also exercised in an attempt to reduce things more.  Crossing to the council office, then around the town to Tesco to save me rising early in the morning, obtaining a couple of needy things and nothing else I hobbled home.   What with checking paperwork, online info, printing things, letter writing, and so on, I have filled the day well.  Tomorrow I may even do something useful!  
You will note I scribbled this in a hurry...


Tuesday 17 January 2023

Wealthy Memory...


How lovely to be wealthy!
Emptying the pockets, searching the cash lying around, and I find all this.
This is the result of Covid!
You see, with Covid around nobody wanted to touch cash so the card came out of the wallet.
This meant that when cash was made use off, such as in the club, then change was given.   Though never enough I say.  This meant that gradually the pockets filled up with loose change.  Now much of the small stuff can go into the cider jar and be made use off at Christmas, well next Christmas as there was too little to bother about this year, and all I need carry is a small amount of what may be required in an emergency, which never arises.  Therefore I have cash abounding, but in reality no money.
Having missed the last two trips to the club for the old man's meeting I have the cash that I would make use of there.  Still, it makes me feel rich to hear it jingle in the pocket.


However, I have had an idea.  I will forget using the cider jar contents for next Christmas's Brandy gift to myself, instead I will turn it into one of these.  This way it will fill up very much quicker and I may have the Brandy by Easter at this rate.
My memory always had a hole in it, however, now it is becoming larger and developing into a canyon instead.  Names are always hard to remember, much worse now, working out why I turned to a page on the laptop is becoming a normality, but always managing to pay my bills, sadly, has not yet failed.


Saturday 15 October 2022

Fame and Fortune the Slappers Way

I am contemplating the suggestion that I ought to set up a video link and offering myself to the world on 'Only Fans' or some such channel.  One of my young women has made this suggestion and I have been cogitating on it all day.  
Obviously the days of the week would determine the normal routine, though some may not notice a difference, and carrying the camera through the park and into Tesco or wherever might find some difficulties arising.  Especially with that big bloke on security at Sainsburys.  
However, my daily trip to the laptop ought to be worth something cash wise from DELL, as it is their machine that is driving me mad.  Also Microsoft would get many a mention throughout the day, just as they did yesterday when I could not work my way through 'Outlook' as it has been amended again by a 13 year old maniac.  Their name was used often.
'Firefox,' would get less attention as bad language is rare with that browser, but for a fee it could be mentioned daily.  As indeed would 'Opera,' which I use to scribble this rubbish as it has a much used spellchecker on it.  
A camera in an appropriate place would offer views of me slumming it working during the morning, hopefully with a bit of sunshine creeping in.  I say 'working,' I mean 'reading the online press and Twitter.'  My opinions are freely offered loudly if the neighbours are out.   Surely there is a number of viewers for such a sight?  
Also, when I rise, like Larry the Cat chasing a Fox from Downing Street, the viewers would then enjoy my catering skills at the oven.  Brandishing sauces (donated by a variety of companies) while placing mince pies from Murdoch's Butchers in Forres in the oven would surely acquire interest from the far north.  Indeed even abroad!  The dash and daring with which I stir the pot, throwing in, and I mean throwing, a variety of spices, sauces, and things found at the back of the freezer, would be an encouragement to many in these 'hard up times.'   Enabling the world to note how a large pan can produce enough soup for a week must be worth something, if even only to the 'Food Banks!'  


'Waterstones' and 'Amazon,' not to say 'World of Books,' must be willing to part company with the readies for an advert?  I could pose on the filthy couch surrounded by their offerings, reading the latest (non-fiction) tome that has been obtained through a gifted book token.  My opinion would surely be of benefit to the aspiring author, to those concerned with the subject, and readers desiring to purchase.
Doing this while quaffing 'Sainsburys Red Label Tea,' or 'Bells Scotch Whisky,' surely would deserve a decent response?  
The surrounding scenery, the dust on the mantlepiece, the unhoovered floor, the drying washing hanging around like a bad smell,  would ring a bell with many a man devoid of women to tidy up.  They too would enjoy the coverage of football, even if their team was losing.  After all, it's not whether you win or lose but how you play the game.  All football fans agree to this.
What...?  Oh!
Obviously, with the latest Tory Chancellor denying outright his intention to become the next Prime Minister and thereby making clear his intention to become the next Prime Minister, we can be assured that energy costs will rise again.  This may mean mush of my coverage on these 'TikTok' channels will be somewhat dark.  This, especially when advertising swimwear, which appears to be the only thing that the women actually do, might of course be better in the dark.  
Political harangues,  football commentary, Sunday sermons (that will bring in the crowds, to complain), travelogues of places I have never visited, family history, until the injunctions arrive, and constant references to 'The War,' though I will probably mean the 'Great One,' are surely the stuff to bring sponsors knocking on my door, instead of 'Hermes Drivers' looking for my neighbour. 
I can start planning the camera positions, not counting the one seeking stars in the sky as there is little room in the sink, and then await the many offers that must fall through my door.  
Of course, if successful the price demands rise accordingly.


Friday 8 April 2022

Boris at Work

Tee Hee!  Boris has done him good this time!
There can be no doubt that the information that Sunak, our great Chancellor, the man in charge of the UK financies, has a wife, living with him in Downing Street, who is claiming she is a 'Non-Dom,' came from Boris to his friends in the media.  That is, she lives abroad most of the year and thereby dodges tax!  By this devious means she can avoid paying tax her husband, the Chancellor, has not asked her to pay as he is also somehow involved in her many companies.  So, the man who charges tax sleeps with a woman who dodges tax (just like he does) and now the information is out about her dodging and the people are not happy.  This multi-millionaire, married to an even multier-millionaire, dodges tax while her hubby intends to take the top job as PM.  
Tee Hee, that has been crashed as Boris has involved his friends to ensure we now all know about his dodgy dealings.
Again Boris is playing politics well here, as we now also know that the tax dodging Chancellor, with a resident non-dom wife who dodges tax, also spent 18 months as Chancellor of the UK while holding a 'Green Card' in the United States (where one of his 12 homes can be found).  This means for that 18 months he became a US citizen and yet was in the UK cabinet!  
Surely Boris knew?  
Now, you will be surprised to know, this also is across all the media and Boris is saying nothing at this time, I wonder why?  Tee Hee.  When it comes to seeking the top job you need friends who know how to play the game, Sunak has few friends, little experience and is learning the hard way how to deal with Boris.
By the way, I wonder how those pictures of Boris, taken from the Chancellors window, got into the media?
Anyway, we await the next chapter of this fight for the top job.
Once Sunak is done for we can expect tales about Liz Truss, though surely she cannot be serious, and such tales that would make her look bad, tsk, I wonder who could do that to the wee girl?


I would love to be filthy rich, just think of what you could do with that money?  You could buy yachts and sail around the Med, you could have 12 homes in various countries while you dodged taxes and made more money, you could sit back and enjoy life, or you could use the money for the common good while still enjoying all the best for yourself.  
How come people like today's multi-millionaire's fail to do that?  
I know of two rich men in Edinburgh who for years have donated much cash to all sorts of projects with little publicity and much gratitude.  Some 120, I think it was, millionaires wrote to the Chancellor suggesting they were taxed more and the poor taxed less.  His response was that they should just donate money to the Treasury!  Not all rich men are without morals, even those who vote for the Conservative's. 
Why do those who strive to be among the richest work so hard for what they cannot possibly make use of?  How do you spend excess millions?  Do you build penis shaped spaceships and rise high above the earth? Do you create an aircraft that flies around the world on little fuel?  Or do you invest it in people because you are not a craven greedy wretch?
What would you do?
 

Wednesday 12 May 2021

Thought's Occasioned by a Magazine

 
'The Oldie' is a magazine I have been reading most of the year.  It is well laid out, attractive design, with many items, some regular some occasional, they are all accompanied by astounding cartoons, relevant to life today.
However, this morning filling time reading a page or two I was once more aware of how limited many items were.  'Middle Class Angst' replaced with 'Middle Class Hero's.'  The 'heroic' stature given to long dead drunks, perverts or scoundrels, becomes a wee bit boring after a while.  People who the author would not allow through their front door are raised up as some sort of role model and we are expected to laugh at their doings as if they were worthwhile.  Usually these 'doings' just reflect an empty life.
In my mind several things can be said here, the most obvious is that the mostly middle class readership (who can afford the mag) want to identify with such individuals.  They desire to live lives that are 'free' from society objection, ignoring the cost, broken marriage, lost and confused children, sickness, death and other minor hindrences.  
One cause that often appears is lack of parental care.   
Boarding School: Such schools at eight years old is not, in my experience, something that binds a family, even if dad is in the forces or diplomatic service or some form of business.  Dumping kids at a distance, with no family contact, especially in the days before mobile phones such as we now possess, is cruel in my mind.  I am not surprised to find so many gay folks informing us of their situation often began in such circumstances.  How many 'celebs' have similar broken family lives behind them?
Public School:  The Public school ethos, whatever that is, where future leaders of power, church, media, government, get together to form friends or enemies for life and encourage 'The Old School Tie.'  This is the manner Boris has been making use off to run the country.  The attitudes encouraged at such schools do not encourage care for others, they certainly do not encourage 'socialism' in any form, instead it has become 'Look after number one,' us!
Bad Parents:  Whether sending kids to far off schools or just having too much money in the end, bad parents are responsible for bad children.  Fathers who have no intention of loyalty, mothers who play around, those who use the other for class, money or position reasons and make no effort at a real marriage will not produce contented children.  The lack of assurance, the lack of love will always show.  'Love' of course is not a feeling here, it is an action.  A daily action, often in difficult circumstances, a costly action, that is why so many fail!  When the wealthy fail it is not through lack of cash, it is lack of many other things.  Children are thus taught selfishness, lack of concern for others and indeed many spend their lives looking for the missing parental care elsewhere. 
Money:  Those who can afford Public Schools have no knowledge or understanding of how the people live, whether those of what we call 'working class' or indeed 'middle class.'  Their world is far removed from the daily life of most.  
It is clear Boris and his kind wish to keep it that way.  The moneyed class, and where did that cash come from? The moneyed class care little beyond themselves.  It is true that in the past some have taken action to change the world for the better.  Well educated Clement Atlee took to looking after those in London's East End, eventually leading the most radical government the UK has known.   Harold MacMillan, Eton boy at that, was far to the left of Tony Blair and that guy who is now the Labour leader.  He met the lower orders during the Great War, respected them and served them in the 1930's in Stockton to the extent of running soup kitchens for them, and depised Thatcher and all she stood for.  Thatcher of course was Lower middle class, the daughter of a shopkeeper.     
War:  Of course many mentioned in the magazine pages were born before or during the war.  This affected the entire nation and while all suffered a reaction the upper section of society had the privelage of being able to move about and spread their problems in a less stressful fashion.  Money was available, better jobs also, the rest of us just had to 'get on with it' and make the most of their lives.


Reading about some cad this morning brought Boris to mind as many mentioned in the mag are very Boris like.  Indeed one individual rather scathingly mentioned parents of today's cabinet members in passing, and I am left wondering if the failures of school,lack of parents care and having too much cash has led to the Boris we see today?  His cheeky personality wins him many fans though udnerneath he is a scheming brat, very schoolboyish.  His battle for power with Eton Boy Dave Cameron saw him win, though honesty and integrity played no part.  It is difficult to consider what went on behind the scenes!  He now has power, without the ability or drive to make it work.  Where will it all end?  
His latest policies, declared by the queen, who managed not to spit even once, include Bills to cut the number of Labour voters, hinder judges from stopping parliament wrongs, both attempts to oppose anyone who might disagree with his decisions.  
This is the actions of a man afraid to debate, a man who needs control, a man who is afraid of the consequences when he loses that control, not the sort of man to be called democratic.  Boris has learned a lot from Fascist Steve Bannon, these are actions copied from Adolf during the 30's, although the press was already on Boris's side and only the BBC was to be taken over.  The nation has suffered a coup and does not see it.  Soon, the 'Red Wall' will realise they have been had, then what?
 

 

Saturday 4 August 2018

Morning Trip...


Just after six this morning the brain damaged head of mind got me out on my bike to see if it and I still worked.  In bright sun and with only an occasional dog walker or early morn jogger to pass I slogged along further than my knees would like.   For twenty minutes I enjoyed running around the quiet town and arrived home in fine fettle, except that when leaving the bike I could hardly walk!
However I forced myself to trundle about the park to loosen my pins again.  
Since then I have done nothing but stare at the laptop, eat, watch or listen to football and wonder why so may people go out in the sun on a Saturday.  It's an easy life today, but a lot of creaking going on.

 
The other day there was an item re the couple who won £57 million on the Lottery.  They were pictured in the paper shaking champagne bottles and talking of how they almost lost the ticket.  I was not impressed.  Winning the Lottery is a good thing and after I read this I found it hard not to dwell on what I would do with the cash one seaside home coming up I think, but on the other hand I would not be allowing them publicity revealing my name and how much I had won.
It appears that if you win and accept publicity the Lottery people give advice on making the most of then money, no publicity no advice.  I think it may be possible to find such advice my myself in reality. The publicity might be seen as a safe bet when suddenly confronted by such a large amount yet on the other hand you are now known to be rich and the media, evil, selfish and abusers of the rich, will follow you daily seeking bad stories to reveal to the voyeuristic readership.  Whatever hard luck you endure will be front page news, especially on slow news days, and those that know will wish for a handout from the media for tales of past misdeeds.  Of course I have always been nice, so this is not a problem for me but you never know what may arise once your name as a very wealthy Lottery winner is known.  Good job I trust Jesus and do not buy these things, yet if I could just have that house...

  

Tuesday 25 April 2017

Coining it in...


Being worked into the ground at the museum today, two visitors, two plumbers and one donation, I have not had time to really appreciate what is happening in the real world.  However a quick look at the news and I realise I was in the real world after all, what was offered on TV and press was not.  
Elections here, elections in France, Elections in Scotland and forests of newsprint offering lies all on behalf of the Tory Party.  I switched off and spent a few minutes watching Tory voters on 'Top Gear' drive silly cars across foreign lands and being stopped on occasion by very unhappy police officers in Reno, wherever that is.  I used to like this programmes, one the BBC cannot make these days as its strength came from the banter between three blokes.  Today all BBC programmes must have the token girlie, and all too often they are just that, 'girlies.'  I will not ask how they got on any of the programmes.  Of course I have no love of rich guys in flash cars racing one another wherever they are, this is all somewhat boring to me, even if they do occasionally have more informative pieces and it is at times funny.  Moved on now of course but in reality it had gone as far as it could.  I expect it will be shown on the 'Dave' channel for years to come yet.



Coming home via Tesco I was to busy lugging my heavy shopping bag (£22:58) to look for pictures in the sunshine.  Had the wind chill not been Arctic I may have gone out for some later, but really I just canny be bothered!   One thing those longing for 'the good old days' forget is they drive to supermarkets, buy almost all they require in one go, drive home and fill the fridge and cupboards all in one go.  Trailing from one shop to another lugging a big bag, possibly two or three, is beyond their imagining these days.  Struggling up the road I could imagine that scenario easily.   I wouldn't complain but I only went in for milk.


The first two people through the door had come from a volunteer organisation for a chat with the boss.  On leaving they browsed the shop being amazed at how many items from their childhood were now considered 'historical!'  I know the feeling.  
One subject that arose was the comment concerning a 'Threepence piece' which she had used to her young family members.  None of them understood what she was talking about so she had to rake out old coins stored away upstairs and explain the difference between then and now.  It was only 1971 (15th February) when decimalisation arrived in the UK and our rather heavy old coins, including the threepence, were removed.  Such a fuss at the time, the 'Daily Mail' led a 'save our tanner' campaign to keep the silver sixpence that was being removed yet the public soon found it was not required and the campaign, like so many, ended in dust.  
Just thinking about the coins we used to know, large Victorian pennies, halfpennies and silver threepences (this visitor could not remember them), shillings, florins, half crowns, I am not old enough to remember 'crowns' themselves of 'Guinea's although guineas are still used when buying racehorses.  A guinea was worth One pound and one shilling, the shilling covering the costs of the sale apparently.  Today's coins are much smaller and cynics claim they are worth less.  Checking my pockets I note nothing is worth less than what is found there.

      

Thursday 7 April 2016

A Fool & His Money...




There is only limited coverage of the immigration crisis these days.  The right wing media, which in the UK is almost all of the media, is more concerned with ‘Brexit,’ that is the referendum vote concerning the UK’s membership of the EU.  David Cameron, who you will sadly recall is Prime Minister, has decided to send each and every one of us a 14 page document telling us why we need to remain part of the EU.  This is indeed one of the PM’s ‘PR stunts’ and dwelling on all the previous ones I suggest this one will fail as badly as they.
Indeed spending some £9 million on this can be considered upsetting to those like George Osborne the Chancellor who believe in ‘austerity,’ that is spending nothing on the people unless there is something in it for us.  Of course the ‘Brexit’ lobby are up in arms.  They see this as a biased one sided document so unlike the thin bits of paper they have been sliding under our doors recently.  The thin bits of paper reflect the Brexit lobby have not got £9 million of government money to put their own biased view over to the public.
Having watched the Scottish referendum and the abuse of democracy noted there can these people, who participated happily in that bias, now object to seeing the same used against themselves?  Tsk!
The immigrants?  They are still in the mess where they were left but are not 'newsworthy' at the moment.  Don't worry they will return when some editor decides he can make use of them.

The only other matter to fill the pages is the not very surprising news that rich people have been hiding their millions in tax dodging Panama banks.  The leak of millions of pages detailing famous peoples cash reserves in one sense does not surprise, the only question is how many have not been named by the media who have seen the papers?  These folks often forget to name all the names, especially if they are their bosses.  
Our favourite PR stuntman is once again involved.  His father, now deceased, placed a great deal of money there, David claims not to have earned a penny from this.  He forgot to mention his mother (who lost her job with Oxford Council because of David’s cuts) his mother has money in another tax haven which he will benefit from when she goes. Now David has admitted he sold such shares when he became PM for a mere £30,000 and paid tax, he claims, and has no other tax dodging to speak off.
Hmmm we will see in due course.


What is it that such people get from their money?  What can you do with umpteen millions?  You by houses, you care for friends and family and then what?  Do a deal to get another ten million?  Every so often we read of people doing just this and always ensuring they pay the least tax on their cash.  If they paid tax would it hurt them?  Paying £2 million tax and having a mere £18 million left to spend, would this hurt much?  How can you spend such amounts? 
Money is required but we put inordinate trust in money.  By having loads we can never be hurt, at least that is the idea.  However it fails all too often.  The recent crash cost many their homes as they spent too much and had too little to cover the loss.  This was caused not by buying homes required but homes and cars they wanted rather than needed.  Some lost everything. 
One man has won £35 million on the Lottery, I hope he keeps his mouth shut!  The media will follow him for ever now if he admits his cash.  So will many chancers after their share.  The clever man will buy what he needs wisely and make sensible use of the rest, keeping quiet about it all the way.




Friday 28 November 2014

The Desire for Shiny Things



The US 'Black Friday,' an opportunity for greedy shopkeepers to line their pockets by selling treasure seekers imaginary bargains, has landed in the UK. This had led to police being called to many stores to separate fighting bargain hunters in many towns.  Remember this nation is wealthy, but we still have two million unemployed!  This nation is wealthy but we allow billions to be lost to tax dodging while the NHS is leaking billions through bad management daily. Millions are on the breadline yet crowds flock to the shops for these so called 'offers.'
Having moved from pauperism to poverty I know what it is like to be broke.  For far too long I suffered the indignity of having only sufficient to survive and no more.  This allowed the clothes I wore to wear out, not that I noticed, and many Christmases to be avoided as the money was not there. This was not the first time I have struggled, we all have at times and I can recall in 1982 deciding to buy a cheap tin of beans because I could not afford the one that was a halfpenny more expensive! This at a time when the Thatcher world was lining its pockets and quenching champagne at expensive lunches.
The problems mount when you have no money.  Others consider daily life a struggle yet manage to enjoy themselves aplenty.  Nights out, holidays, always able to obtain whatever they require, and fail to understand the poor man who has to make ends meet by careful budget and not going out.  Loss of friends you cannot afford to be with, or even worse those who insist on charitable aid embarrassing the poor and heaping coals on their heads leading to a desire to avoid them rather be fed by them. Family can be worse.  They understand both the position and the person however their care can be hurtful also.  One of my worst experiences was sending money to one of my great nieces, then about nine or ten years old, and having it returned "because you need it."  I should be providing for her yet she sent this to me!  That hurt so badly and still does.  I passed it on to her gran to ensure she got it somehow.
The best charity for the unemployed is a proper job of work, and one that pays sufficient to survive. For many men over fifty today this is unlikely and they too will endure what I endured to some extent.  A man's pride in bringing home a wage is dented badly when unemployed.  They may enjoy avoiding the daily grind but they do not enjoy the embarrassment, the inability to pay for others and the lack of cash to give to others.  Being unable to provide for his family is an awful emotion.
Having such a situation is made worse when half the world is found fighting over shiny things in shops.  'Black Friday' is encouraged by the media and the businesses that line their pockets this way and they care little about the hassle customers or staff endure while they struggle over items.  The sight of people fighting to obtain a TV that is £50 less than last week does not encourage me into stores, the opposite is true.  Quite what motivates the grab at such times  I know not.  is it just the desire to have the latest item?  Could it be the neighbours have one and we MUST have one also, even if it is only a super telly or computer or hoover or whatever?  What is this desire?  What part of our life is so empty that we need that shiny thing and are willing to fight to obtain one?  
We have all done it haven't we?  On at least one occasion we have gone out of our way for one such item, an item that now sits forlorn in a cupboard perhaps, an item that is not the reason for life after all.  There are things that we want around, for me a computer and a camera are the shiny things that matter, but would I trail to a superstore and fight over them?  I doubt it.  One will arrive eventually, probably cheaper, and I will keep all my teeth.  
The poor man must look on and wonder at the sights off Black Friday.  He struggles to buy bread, they struggle for a TV, he misses out luxuries such as a bottle of beer, they take home cases of whisky!  No wonder people are tempted into crime, no wonder resentment builds, and in such a society of hours the ones with shiny things ignore the poor man sitting there watching it pass by. No one will care.  Shiny things don't lead to happiness but they are good and enjoyable.  Better however is the contentment that comes from not seeking treasures but enjoying what we have.
Could anyone lend me a fiver.....?

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Wednesday 13 November 2013

Wednesday Wonderings



One thing I wondered about is the way the sun the other day gave off a very bright light, enhanced a blue sky, yet failed to emit more heat than a candle!  If you are built of ten thousand billion nuclear explosions I feel it right to demand a temperature higher than 'just above freezing' when I am out.  That nice BBC weather man cheerfully informed his waiting public that next week there "might even be snow."  I am glad he did not hear my remark at that moment, anyway it would have been drowned out by the cheering at British Gas headquarters! Being regarded as a pensioner I'mentitledto £200 heating allowance.  I can tell you that I am happy for this, especially as this flat faces north so little heat arrives at any time, and writing, reading, or doing anything outwith the 15 tog duvet is an arduous business.  With this in mind I am early in bed, laptop on top, noting that the blood has begun to return to my fingers once more.  And people say I have it easy?  Well yes I do these days.

The financial worry has eased considerably, I am trained in cheap living, and it is possible to do so happily, also my running costs are now low.  Not counting heat of course.  However I wonder about those who really do struggle.  Some fail to buy properly, expect cheap energy while using far too much, leaving lights on all day and the like, and appear not to comprehend the value of money.  These are not lazy or selfish folks, just those that cannot shop well. Others have less than me, debts still hanging over them, family and friends that demand constantly, and do without to help others.  My mother was a bit like this, although in Scotland she was not allowed to suffer.  Food banks will do a roaring business at Christmas.


I wonder also about architects!  The fashion today is for an architect with a 'big name' to be employed erecting the tallest structure in the world.  To my mind these monstrosities, such as the 'Gherkin' or the 'Shard' are not only ugly but reflect the Genesis verse, "Come let us build a tower that reaches up to heaven, and make a name for ourselves."  That is what such creations reflect.  These is no requirement for them, little purpose (the Shard is still half empty) and probably far to expensive to run.  To build a tall building might be required in places, Edinburgh had ten stories or more in a confined area hundreds of years ago, but those developments worldwide in recent years are merely for show. An 'Empire State Building,' a 'Post Office Tower' (BT to you),  or an occasional showpiece is one thing, cities full of them just a mess!   The picture I took many years ago to compare the craftsmen who built Leadenhall market and the architect who built the Lloyds Building next to it.  One reflect craft, the other plastic!  Both may well function properly inside however the outside, which is what most of us see is ugly! I am sure you agree.

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Monday 30 July 2012

Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud.



Typical UK summer.  The sun shines brightly, the sky is blue, and a chilly wind blows the big gray clouds in front of the sun and continues right up your trouser leg.  So it was today as I rested from my paperwork trials.  I have three lots of paperwork to deal with.  Each needs info from the other, half the info is not available, none of it is easy for my wee mind to follow.  Financial stuff goes over my head, counting my change is OK, but beyond that I struggle and today my mind has been wearied much.  I managed to get two important, but incomplete, excuses into the post this afternoon, the third one is just beyond me.  Hard work in the morning for me.  

I may put the horrid word verification back on for a while.  This morning I had 19 calls from Mr Anonymous waiting for me as I looked up the email.  Several more came during the day.  His broken English was added to by broken German at one point!  If he keeps this up I might go round to Peking or Vladivostok or wherever and break something he possesses!  I also had an offer from someone attempting to get another $20 million out of their country, probably our Chancellor George Osborne.  I ignored him.

I'm off to look for a calculator.....




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Monday 29 November 2010

Dreich

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This is a good shot of the early morning, at least MY early morning! Cold, snow covered, and generally miserable. Just like me I suggest! The several inches of snow up north do not make me jealous.  I don't like the cold and I want to be somewhere warm, beside the sea, and with a pretty young girl attending to my needs.


Fat chance!







He is 80, a multi millionaire, and recently they were attacked and robbed of jewellery worth £200,000.
I just wonder what a 31 year old lass would see in a multi millionaire who travels the world constantly, has a weak heart and has recently suffered a terrible shock? What does he see in a girl slightly older than one of his daughters? Does she perhaps share a love of Formula 1?






Wiki Leaks have revealed that political folk talk about one another and do not always like what they see! Arabs have been demanding the US remove the Iranian nuclear threat, US ambassadors have been offering honest appraisals of world leaders, and one of our Princes (just what does he do?) has been pretending he is his father and putting his foot in it. I wonder why the politicians are claiming Wki leaks are dangerous? have they something to fear....? This tells us nothing we did not guess already, it just brings it into the open.   


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Saturday 2 October 2010

Sunday 13 September 2009

Sunday


This was the sky yesterday, today we have not seen it once! There has been a cloud a thousand miles long covering the land today, or at least the eastern half! How annoying is that? The sun makes the worst days appear worthwhile, and gray clouds or darkness deepens our gloom. A gloom made worse as I climbed aboard the bike this morning to discover the gear lever mechanism has bust! I think my neighbour moved it yesterday when shifting furniture, and has damaged it by mistake. Now it only works in top gear! So no cycling for me. This adds to the money I am spending just now, money I do not possess! The new monitor, the gear mechanism,. and a new cartridge for the printer are just three items added to the pile. Two birthdays that cannot be avoided arrived this week, and the credit card bill, and some folk thinks those on the dole spend all their time sitting in pubs!



However as you know I am not one to complain. I just put on my cheeriest smile and face the world with joy in my heart. Sometimes this is encouraged by circumstances outside of my ken. Today one of these moments arrived. Hibernian (Edinburgh's 'Wee Team') fans have been boasting on 'Hibs Mad' (an appropriate name) that their manager is bringing in many new players and that third place in the Scottish Premier League is theirs for the taking. (Third place ensures European competition) Today this world beating combination travelled to Hamilton Academicals to play the team bottom of the league. They lost by two goals to nil! A Hibs man at the game denounced them as 'Non-triers!' He was downhearted by their feeble performance, which included their new buy stars. Excuse me for a moment.....


Oh dear, I did enjoy that! Life feels so much better now.


Tuesday 17 February 2009

It's Just Not Cricket!



Now cricket is one of those strange English games that mean little to anyone with half a brain. Naturally it appeals to the average Englishman. We Scots have of course played this game to some effect but it has never got into the national psyche as it has the English and some other parts of the Empire (God bless the king!). In Scotland we would never stand outside a TV shop window watching cricket in the way we would look for the football results. In 1969 however when wandering through the City of London I came upon a surprising scene. Just outside the Leadenhall market there was a crowd of about thirty or more standing looking at an office window. There were so many people that while some stood in the gutter of a very busy road a policeman was on guard to ensure a passageway through the crowd was kept clear for folk to pass by! This was lunchtime in the city, a very crowded place, and here were people standing watching this window because someone had placed a TV there showing a cricket match! The England side were playing a 'test Match' against some visiting side and the English risked their lives to watch it! This would never have happened in Edinburgh! I was genuinely shocked! So why am I insulting your limited intelligence with this subject. Could it be something in the way our sins will be found out?

You see cricket has been played for many years in two simple forms. In one, often boring to the uneducated form, it lasts for up to five days, weather permitting of course. The other, a more recent invention, comprises a short 'one day' game, the kind played by many clubs throughout England every weekend. Folks got along quite happily for years with this, and for the most part there were little complaints. There were often complaints from me when men went on (and on) about the result of such encounters. Just how the game gets under their skin I have no idea, but I knew when it was getting under mine! During the days of the 'Raj' the Indian sub continent took up the game and today it has become the most important sport in that part of the world. The top stars have 'pop star' adulation at home and acclaim world wide. While the crowds at an English game were for the most part somewhat reserved in Asia they were far from this! Huge crowds, high temperatures, hard pitches and deafening noise accompanies the games. Losing is a sin, and victory is all important. The beer carrying Englishman wobbling down the stairs with a tray full of pints, often dressed in funny clothes for reasons I do not understand, gently supports his side, yelling the occasional funny remark - he thinks - and applauding the good play when it arrives. In the warmth of the southern hemisphere the noise never abates, the crowds screaming their support and informing the opposition of their opinion at all times, sometimes helpfully with stones! A 'Test Match' in any such city brings the whole place to a halt no matter what!

A change occurred in recent days, possibly to gain money from the TV companies, maybe just to try out a new innovation. This was called 20/20 Cricket. The game would be played in the evening, under floodlights and consisted of a mere 20 overs (Google it!) a side. This produced a fast action packed game far removed from the rather staid five day encounter. The crowds loved it! Quickly this has become a regular part of the cricket world, so much so that an American (isn't it always?) decided he could cash in - sorry, help develop the game further. This man, Sir Allen Stanford, (How come a Yank is a 'Sir?') his pockets bulging with cash decided on a televised tournament of 20/20 Cricket with huge financial rewards for the players involved. Normally these men make comparatively little cash in comparison with football players, and while in India they became wealthy the temptation to finance beyond their wildest dreams took hold with many of the top players. Several of the best from England joined the Australians, West Indians, and those from all the Indian sub continent and accepted the invitation to play in the new series. Money talked, and it is reported it affected the players so badly that at one point some had spent two hours discussing how to just celebrate receiving the cash! "The love of money is the root of all evil," the man said, you can add 'All that glistens is not gold!'

Tonight, in the midst of the 'credit crunch,' with financial fraud appearing in several places it has been announced that the company owned by Stanford has been charged with fraud! The small matter of $8 billion worth of fraud! Throughout the cricket world men are now sitting with broken dreams. The future that looked so good has ended. The trust we all put in cash has failed them, just as it has failed the world economy. "Man does not live by bread alone!" Now we all would like a million from a game or two of cricket and money is not wrong in itself, however the raised hopes, the jobs for the 'small people' lost around these tournaments, and the heartache that will follow is indeed cruel to ponder. Something ironic in all this in my view. Maybe living in my poverty and still being happy is better than watching the pot of gold slip out of the hands - just as the ball usually slips out of the English players hands!

Independent

New York Times