Simon & the City

...how to lose friends and alienate people. tell the truth about bankers and politicians.

2012-01-27T15:24:00.004Z

If you're a top dog in banking you can go and run any bank in the world, why should you go and run RBS? Why should you go and run a bank that discredited British politicians think they have a God given right to interfere in? Why should you go and run a Bank where these people think they can dictate how it's run and how much you should earn? People who themselves are not worth the money they're paid. People who themselves abuse tax payer's money to build bird houses and watch pay-per-view porn? Yes indeed, why should anyone want to go and run RBS?

The only way RBS will ever repay the British taxpayer is by it being run by respected bankers who know how to turn the bank around and return it to strength and profit. Come out of the clouds and accept that the only way you will attract and retain these people is by offering them a competitive salary - and if that means big end of year bonus' then so be it. If not the bank will probably end up being run by someone from TOWIE, be bust within a year and in need of another multi billion pound bailout.

RBS is likely to post a profit this year. Not bad eh? Not bad given this bank turned in the biggest corporate loss in history just a few years ago. Someone is clearly doing something right - don't they deserve to be rewarded for it? And shouldn't that reward reflect the industry they work in?

Seriously Britain, it's time to wake up and smell the coffee. Stop bashing the bankers and start pointing the finger at those who are really responsible for the shit we're standing in - Politicians.

...forever friends?

2011-05-19T23:08:00.002+01:00

So, Lord Jones has had yet another swipe at the city he supposedly loves so much. This is the man that was happy to hammer the final nail in the coffin of MG Rover, putting thousands on the dole and serving a huge blow to UK manufacturing. He is also the man who branded us 'lazy' and told us all we should take a leaf out of the book of the Polish and now he's branding us all as 'stupid' by bemoaning our supposed lack of skills. I have to say, all this reminds me of an old adage - 'with a friend like him, who needs enemies?'

...seriously, where does the time go?

2009-09-26T22:00:00.003+01:00

Yet again another year goes by - almost to the day - without an update. Maybe this is how its meant to be? Maybe its an annual diary? Heaven knows, when i've kept diaries in the past they rarely get updated after February 12th...

The credit crunch has come and gone, but its affects are well and truly still with us. Dearest Gordon has just come back from the G20 summit in Pittsburgh, straight into the Labour party conference. He's fighting to keep his job within the party and to keep leading the country - ironic that overseas he's seen as a great statesman and was this week given and award in relation to such. I've no great affection for the man, but I think the Labour governments since 1997 have been good for the UK and don't have much confidence that a Conservative government would improve on what the current administration are doing. The public generally have no interest in politics and he'll be judged on what he does in the few weeks leading up to the general election. Again though, maybe that's how it should be - the past is already past. Should a party be given another 5 years in power on the basis of what they have done? or should it be purely on what they 'say' they're going to do in the next?

Anyway, what about me? Well I think as of the date of my last update i'd just returned from Ibiza after a strange summer considering buying a bar. I'd lain on the beach during September trying to decide what my next move should be. The decision was to come back to the UK for the winter, move to Manchester and work in a bar .This would give me the option and the experience to return to Ibiza this summer and work the season. I moved to Manchester and got a job in the Rembrandt Hotel - the top 'men's bar' on Canal Street. It was a good move and I settled into a life in Manchester really quickly. Unfortunately, this created a problem. When April came and it was time to decide whether to return to Ibiza for the summer, the decision was a difficult one. In the end, as the offer of work in Ibiza did not seem secure and I had a heap of my own insecurities about the move, I decided not to go. I continued to work at the Pub during the summer, but by mid August decided it was time to move on...but to what?

I sit here now, after six weeks of travels to Ibiza, Mallorca and Barcelona, still without any sense of direction. There is no great ambition, just a very long list of things I don't want to do. I've been served with a possession notice for my apartment and I have until the end of November to get out. This is naturally focusing my mind and may turn out to be a blessing in disguise - who knows! Current fave option is to throw more money at the situation and take an apt in Barcelona in January. The focus would be language studies, to give me some confidence in my use of the Spanish language, which may in turn provide me with the confidence to tackle finally working in the country. The last two years have spelt out to me that from a work perspective, i want to integrate, at least partially. I don't want to work only serving the ex-pat crowd.

Come back again next year and we'll see what another year in my life has served up.

..gone but not forgotten...

2008-09-17T23:40:00.003+01:00

I really thought that after a year this blog would have been deleted, but no, it still lives. There's a little bit of silicone somewhere in the world keeping it safe and snug - bless!

I always knew it would be a fad with me. Shame really as I quite like being bizzare and topical and getting things off my chest. Trouble is, i don't feel like i can be honest as its public, so get bored. Trouble is, if i just wrote a diary that no one saw, i'd consider that a waste of time too. There's something perverse in that, isn't there?

Anyhoo, credit crunch, boy its getting serious...

...the sand slips through the hour-glass...

2007-09-03T15:12:00.000+01:00

Its like holding a shell to your ear. The sound of the breeze gently moving over the ground...

...here we go again, new year, same story.

2007-05-17T16:31:00.000+01:00

Eurovision. There have been many words written on the subject in recent days and many of them are simply last years words regurgitated. I am older than I care to admit and have taken more than a passing interest in the subject since Bucks Fizz became my childhood heroes (after Adam Ant, Abba and Tina Charles – God aren’t kids fickle…) when they won the competition in 1981. And, I have to say, I struggle to remember a time when people didn’t complain about a) The Voting and b) Terry Wogan’s commentary.

For many years the voting argument was aimed at the Nordic countries for patting each other on the back with the obligatory ‘douze’ points – Not forgetting Cyprus and their 12 point love of Greece. However, in this new millennium that all seems to be forgotten (even though it continues as before) as we have a new enemy, ‘the east’.

Apparently ‘the east’ are now rigging the voting and making a mockery of the competition. Plus, viewers no longer vote for their favourite song, they vote according to a country’s political pursuits – maybe we should rename it the Eurovision Political Popularity Contest?? At the end of the day we all believe what we want to believe, but I think it’s all nonsense.

Its already been pointed out on various blogs that if you only count the votes cast this year by the ‘western’ countries, the result is exactly the same – a win for Serbia and a second place for the Ukraine. In fact, there is little change in the top ten highest scoring countries and the UK and Ireland’s place at the bottom. Proof, if you want to believe it, that a handful of the now massive 42 voting countries, awarding 12 points to their neighbours, does not distort or corrupt the result. Let’s not forget that apart from the odd exception (e.g. Ireland) Eurovision is won by a different country every year. Its also been pointed out that this year’s competition was held in Helsinki – because ‘western’ Finland won the competition last year of course with just as many Balkan, former soviet and Yugoslav countries voting for one another. Critics in this country seem to forget that ‘most’ countries do not award their neighbours 12 points and all countries award many other points besides the magic 12. This guarantees the spontaneity of the result each year.

As for the political element, well come on, how many people in this country can name more than one other political leader in Europe? Sure we all know Bush and Putin, but who can rattle off the name of the current Slovenian leader or even that of our close neighbours France and Italy for example? To suggest that people voting in Eurovision are being that articulate en-masse is ridiculous. Respected BBC ‘DJ’s’ are suggesting it’s the Iraq war that has consigned us to the bottom of the heap – with respect, does anyone remember the French position on the Iraq war? And what good has it done them? I believe they were at the bottom of the heap along with us and Spain – who pulled their troops out of Iraq - and Germany and Ireland – the former I’m not aware even has an army or that the second has any troops there either… Let’s also not forget, if you think the UK is suffering for being perceived as a war mongering country, how on earth did Serbia end up winning the competition? No only did it win, it won with massive support from its own neighbours, many of whom it was at war with until a few years ago!

So why has the UK done so badly in recent years? It’s worth remembering that as the UK, Germany, France and Spain (the big 4) pay the biggest contribution to the staging of Eurovision, we automatically qualify for the final. Many people forget that there are actually two Eurovision song contests, so if you are not one of the big 4, or one of the highest scorers on the night, you have to take part in the qualifier and face the possibility that you may not make it to the final. This could be where some of the ‘partisan’ voting comes from. I am reliably informed that much is made in the commentaries in many countries of the fact that the big 4 automatically qualify and therefore do not need the support of the viewers as much as the other countries. This means that your vote is more valuable to a non auto-qualifying country, as not only will you help that country potentially win, you will help them qualify automatically for next years final too. You can then understand why viewers may vote for a neighbouring country where there may be a shared language, culture and a few aunts and uncles.

There can also be momentum behind many of the highest scorers. For example, this year’s Ukrainian entry courted much controversy to the stage where effigies of the singer were being burned in the streets. This ensured a lot of publicity for the song so it was already familiar to many people before the final itself. It will also have attracted a lot of support from those who wanted the song to do well to make a point to the critics – this may have hurt Scooch who turned in their own, excellent, camp performance.

Many of the singers too are well known in their native territories – the winning Serbian singer included. This will also guarantee a certain amount of support. By contrast, our performers are usually unknown or fairly minor celebrities as, given our attitude towards the competition, no big western acts will entertain the idea of entering.

Then there is the European mood and the quality of the performance. There is no such thing as a sure fire formula for winning Eurovision. Just contrast last years incredible performance-led winners Lordi with this years minimal, lyric-centric winner. There is just no way of knowing what Europe is going to warm to. A few years ago Javine gave an excellent performance for the UK of what was essentially a carbon copy of a previous winner. Unsurprisingly, she didn’t win. This has never been the way to win Eurovision. You need, a little originality, a little momentum and a whole lot of luck!

And the less said about Gemini, the better…

On the whole I think Eurovision is a great event and it does not deserve to receive the sour-graped criticism we have seen since Saturday. While the funding and qualification criteria remain as now, its true that things will remain stacked against us, but at the same time I do not feel that we stand no chance of winning – or at least ‘doing well’. With over 40 countries taking part, the show is a lottery. You cannot guarantee you will do well or win on a regular basis. My enthusiasm for the show was ignited when Bucks Fizz claimed the crown back in 1981 and it was 16 years before we won again. Its only been 10 years since our last win, so come on Britain, get over it!

...anti climax.

2007-03-22T08:28:00.000Z

It was my Birthday on Tuesday. Happy birthday to me.

This update nearly didn't happen as on logging in I was forced to move my blog to some fucking corporate google bollocks. I thought a blog was supposed to be about freedom of expression and now i've been forced to align myself to some fucking corporate internet fascist organisation.

This blog will now either be moved or deleted. If I get one bloody email from google telling me how much better off i'll be if I use their email or messenger i'll self combust...

...spirito de simon & the city!

2007-02-27T14:47:00.000Z

It’s taken me nearly two weeks to post this update! S&TC has been very busy lately (mainly painting doors) but this story cannot go un-published so here goes!

Cast your mind back to the evening of Tuesday 13th February, this was a night in the true spirit of Simon & the City. I had wanted to see Shayne Ward in concert for ages and had planned to attend his Birmingham gig on the Saturday of the same week. Unfortunately, as the date drew nearer, so my funds drained and I knew I would not be able to afford/justify the ticket…But no fear - enter stage right my good ole chum, Chig. A good friend of his, who will remain nameless (lets just call him a Troubled-Diva…) offered him a review of Shayne’s Nottingham gig and guess who he asked to accompany him? That’s right, me!

After a hot and hearty meal at Wagamama, we jumped into a cab to travel the short distance to the Nottingham Arena and headed to the Box Office to collect the tickets. On entering the arena I could barely contain my excitement as we were led to our seats in the middle of the FRONT ROW! Boy how it pays to have friends in high places!! While sitting rather excitedly, waiting for the show to begin, I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to investigate. A guy two rows back was pointing at a female companion of his and said ‘she wants to know if you’re Shayne’s brother!’ – Flattered and somewhat flustered I replied ‘…unfortunately not mate!’ It was at this point I realised I was dressed a little too similar to the photos of Shayne that were being flashed up on the video screens! It seems a white shirt, plain v-neck sweater and a few mills of stubble are all you need to get the Ward look!

Anyway, 9pm finally struck and Shayne was thrust up from beneath the stage right in front of me! I was so close I could tell you his religion and see the price tags hanging of his rather fabulous accessories!

It was a shame there was no new material for him to perform, but given his operation last year, it’s probably not surprising given it must have set the record company machine back a couple of months. He treated us to the best of his No.1 album, together with a wealth of classics which included George Michael’s ‘Fast Love’, ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ by The Darkness and ‘Never Too Much’ by Luther Vandross. One performance that really worked for me was a cover of ‘Dare’ by Gorillaz. The vocal arrangement and indeed the whole feel of this record suited Shayne perfectly. It’s exactly the style of music he and his record company should be pursuing. Let’s hope the positive reaction to this particular performance influences Shayne’s second album which is currently in production!

There were two theatrical sections to the show – one a tribute to the man in purple – Prince and another to the Milk Tray man, sorry James Bond! The latter saw Shayne lowered onto the stage to the opening bars of Bond theme ‘Live and Let Die’ - his performance of which contained spectacular pyrotechnics warranting the under 7s to be issued with ear plugs!!

After giving me a wave and a smile, Shayne left the stage to the roar of the fans in the arena. He wasn’t gone for long though and returned to perform his no.1 hit ‘That’s My Goal’ followed by the fans favourite, ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’. The show left me in no doubt that Shayne is a great talent. His voice is incredibly strong and charismatic and his stage presence engaging – mainly down to those smouldering good looks! What he needs now is for his record company to understand him better and together produce a killer album!

High on Shayne’s smile, Chig and I left the arena for a late night cruise around the centre of Nottingham, followed by drinks in a local bar with our hosts. Yes, in one evening, I had discovered a new city, new friends and a new star! Truly a night in the real spirit of Simon & the City!

The author would like to express his sincere thanks to all who made the evening possible and so memorable. He would also like to point out that the person with Shayne in the accompanying photo is not him, but presumably the owner of the rather fabulous linked web-site. :-)

...well done your majesty!

2007-02-12T13:50:00.000Z

Congratulations to the lovely Helen Mirren on winning the Best Actress BAFTA for 'The Queen' which also won Best Picture. I saw the film and she was fab! She was equally fab in Channel 4's brilliant 'Elizabeth I'

Well done love!

....shame the whole proceedings were spoilt by Jonathan Ross' inane drivel...

...spoke too soon...

2007-02-12T13:33:00.000Z

Seems 24hrs is a long time in weather forecasting in the UK. We had days of hullabaloo (have i just invented a word?) about the fact that it was going to snow on Thursday and we coped marvelously for a change! The schools were closed and the roads gritted and everyone got to work and back again without any problems what-so-ever, hurrah! The weather forecast for friday was equally consistent throughout the week - dry, i.e. not snowing. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell mother nature and friday afternoon we had a heavier spell of snowfall than the day before!!! The roads weren't gritted and the entire city ground to a halt... I have arrived at work today to tales of 4hr journeys home that should have taken 20mins...and do you think there is any mention on www.bbc.co.uk of their failure to accurately forecast the weather? Of course not...!

But I'm remaining positive! No Mr Negative here! The trains were running on time and despite a few worrying moments driving home from the station I reached my abode in good time! Within two days the snow has gone and the world is back to its crazy, loveable self! :-)

...remaining positive, despite the weather!

2007-02-08T11:00:00.000Z

Anyone reading this who does not live in the south of England may wonder why some snowfall warrants a blog update - well we actually get very little snow here in the winter these days, so when we get a heavy snowfall like we did last night - and are still getting as I type - its big news! Everyone gets very worked up about it and the transport networks grind to a halt before any snow has fallen!!

Anyway, I decided to leave my car at home toady and get the bus and do you know what? I was early!

...john-paul is gay, Yay!

2007-02-07T14:39:00.000Z

...it was the moment we've all been waiting for! You could hear the collective cheer across the country as gay E4 viewers heard the words we've been longing John-Paul to say for so long ... 'i'm gay'.

Those without the joys of 'digital' TV can watch the magical moment on Channel 4 tonight from 6:30pm.

...life update - with a positive spin!

2007-02-07T11:04:00.000Z

Well, Christmas was very pleasant as always. Mum cooked a lovely dinner and i had lots of lovely presents. It's the build-up that's not quite as fabulous - see earlier blog update...

A few weeks of January austerity have been followed by a few weeks of fun and frolics! Late January saw me jet off on my break from the winter blues to Ibiza, via Valencia. Can you believe the return flight to Valencia from Coventry only cost £35! (cost me £40 to park at the airport for the week mind :-) ) There are no direct flights to Ibiza in the winter, so one has to go via some other, fabulous winter destination!

I booked one night in Valencia to re-acquaint myself with the place and stayed in a lovely four star hotel. Valencia loves everything modern and its hotels seem to reflect that. There are no shortage of modern boutique hotels to be had! Try booking through www.venere.com my favourite travel web site - everything is ieuros's and you don't pay until you check-out! The city itself is a vibrant mix of old and new. From the narrow streets of the old town to the ultra-modern edifices that make up the City of Arts and Sciences! English is not widely spoken though so get out that phrase book! It was great for me though, as I am studying Spanish and was therefore forced to use it! - Blimey, i'm beginning to sound like some naff travel writer!!

One problem I always seem to have in Valencia though is tracking down its gay scene! Thankfully Gaydar.co.uk came to the rescue and after a long luxurious bubble bath, I ordered in. Yum, yum... ;-) Most of my 24hrs in the city though, involved walking the streets, absorbing the atmosphere in the pleasant January sunshine, stopping for a coffee and a toasted sandwich in a little cafe before hitting the streets again to take in a few more sights. Lovely! By the end of my first 24hrs out of the UK I felt thoroughly relaxed!

Next came my evening flight to Ibiza (thanks to www.iberia.com ) and after a power-cut in the terminal building which knocked out all the check-in desks and a slight delay, i was on my way! Stepping off the plane at Ibiza airport I felt like I had come home. It's a strange sensation. Valencia was familiar to me as I have been before, but for some reason Ibiza puts its arms around me and says 'welcome home'...

Anyway, the next four days were filled with sunshine, wind, rain, cloud, alcohol, ham, cheese, sex, anxiety, noise, silence, desire, fun, tension, surprise, deceit and some sleep - aided by wax ear plugs from Boots, Â£1.99. Just a normal few days in Ibiza really... The journey back home was fairly painless (again via Valencia), but yet again I found myself in a limbo world, unsure about whether to make Ibiza my home and at the same time having little desire to return to the UK.

Another 24hrs later I was back at work and back into my old routine - looking for cheap flights to Ibiza... ;-)

But it doesn't end there...soon it was the weekend again and I was off on my travels again! This time the destination was a little closer to home - Rugby to be precise - and a very nice room at the local Holiday Inn. There I met up with some friends for a Birthday/Housewarming party which was jolly good fun! Food, Karaoke (I murdered Dolly Parton / Dead or Alive & Relight My Fire...) too much booze - again (seems to be a worrying trend for 07) and shock at the amount of port spilt on the hall carpet by the next door neighbour, all rounded off with a lovey sunday lunch of Gammon, Egg and Chips!

Trying to maintain the party vibe (and as a form of distraction - see earlier update) i was in the pub last night for another Birthday and this weekend I've got yet another! - Meal and a club I think, Mailbox/Nightingale(Sophie Ellis-Bextor!) The following friday is XXL - Is there no end to my life of distraction!

Simon & the City are certainly living life to the full right now! - Is that positive enough for you?!

...i know its february, but happy new year anyway!

2007-02-07T10:12:00.000Z

I've just read my last update and god! wasn't it depressing! It reminded me of how I used to keep a diary. For quite a few years i'd get a new one for Christmas and start recording my thoughts. Unfortunately, just like all those people going on diets and joining gyms, i'd usually given up by March... One day I sat down and got out all my old diaries and started to read them. It was not much fun. Year after year of repetitive entries about having a bad day, feeling down, hating my job, etc, etc. What was most evident was that my state of mind had never changed. I'd got new jobs, had holidays, loved and lost, yet still the underlying theme of my entries was completely negative. I did not like this person detailed in front of me and swore I would never keep a diary again. They say that writing a diary is good if you're feeling depressed. Rubbish I say. It just sits there as a constant reminder of unhappy days, weeks and months, detailing how you feel life is not working out as you'd hoped and how your dreams seem as distant as ever. Sometimes indulging your negativity is not a good idea. Sometimes you should close your mind to it and stick on a Victoria Wood DVD, or get down the pub with your mates for some serious gossiping about this weeks celebrities. Distraction is better than indulgence! I'm pleased to say I have stuck to my word and have never kept a diary since! - Unfortunately, my last blog update read just like one of those diary entries of old... I need to start putting a positive spin on things to avoid history repeating itself....cue Shirley... :-)

...Pre Christmas Blues...

2006-11-30T08:36:00.000Z

It's been a quiet time in my world recently. You could say that's a good thing, I mean, ok so nothing really exciting or rewarding has happened, but equally nothing bad has happened either. That said though, its not particularly the happiest of times. My health has not been great lately. I think my body is punishing me for coming home from Ibiza...It was a hard homecoming and the subsequent post Ibiza blues/depression could have a lot to do with it (Well that and the fact I picked up Gastroenteritis on the way home...). But everyone around me is suffering with their health too, in one way or another. We're a big bunch of poorly bunnies! :-) Its a naff time of year really. I'm sure there are people who love the onset of winter, the crisp, cold mornings, the golden leaves being trampled underfoot and the sweet anticipation of the festive period - but I've yet to meet any!! As far as I'm concerned, the summer holidays are far behind us - I desperately want to fly away to the sun before Christmas, but can't afford to because of all the whoopee cushions and other associated rubbish I've got to waste my money on for that very event! - the weather is cold and miserable, cant afford to go out (see earlier comment re whoopee cushions), don't feel like going out (see earlier comments regarding the weather and being ill) and there is nothing really to look forward too...

Forced smiles, now there's a thought. That's what this whole time of year is about! - Grin and bare it! From the enforced smile at your work Xmas do, to the enforced smile when you open yet another pair of socks on Xmas day, plus the whole grin-and-bear it attitude needed to the Winter weather! Yes tis the season to 'grin and bear it' :-)

On a more positive note, Dec 21st is the shortest day! After that the days are getting longer and you can try and kid yourself that spring is on the way! (Shame we have to get through the two most miserable months of the year first!) bah! Humbug!

...its been a while. (again)...

2006-11-03T17:24:00.000Z

I'm sticking with it. I know these updates have been few and far between - i think we're down to monthly updates now (if you're lucky) - but I still like the concept and if I do move to Ibiza in January i'll have a lot more time on my hands to let you know how warm it is where I am ;-) Truth is, i've been busier at work and my home laptop has been 'closed for repairs' for too long. As a result, updating and developing this blog has been difficult.

Anyway, I picked up my laptop from the 'repairers and original vendors' yesterday and so far so good! It used to blue-screen within about ten minutes - barely enough time for the Gaydar logon page to load ;-) but last night I had it running all night without a hitch! Please pray for me that it stays that way as my mental heatlh cannot cope with more problems!

I only told them about the blue-screen issue, but miraculously, the faulty modem and battery have fixed themselves too! (I may have Sony to thank for the latter issue as the battery may have been replaced by stealth!) Anyhoo, it may actually be that the vendors concerned are living up to their alleged 'top customer service providers' accolade!

Provided I do have a stable laptop, I may be able to take 'Simon & the City' to the next level!

My fellow blogger Chig has mentioned the world record attempt in Cardiff tonight to get as many Jones' in one place! Unfortunately I am not there having only learnt of it today but i'm hoping my aunt, cousin and any other distant family will be there doing their bit! - Mind you, 'distant family' isn't that all Jones' ??? ;-)

Chig also mentioned a clever way of boosting hits to your blog so here goes -

Shane Ward. Kylie Minogue. Madonna, Baby David, Malawi. Global Warming. ASBO's.

There, that should boost the site stats a bit. May get a few offers of dates from like minded males to!

...the most perfect day...

2006-10-09T14:20:00.000+01:00

It's intangible really but Tuesday the 19th September 2006 was probably the most perfect day ever. Now this may of course be dependent on where you were or what you were doing, but I was lying on Es Cavallet beach in Ibiza and I had a moment of clarity where I realised that everything, just everything was perfect. Now those that know me well will tell you I can be a harsh critic. There is rarely anything that I can't find fault with. I guess I can be a bit negative... yet at this moment, on this particular day, there was absolutely nothing I could fault! A gentle breeze brushed against my skin, the sky was clear and a perfect azure blue, the sea calm, warm and inviting. From the beach hut the sound of the Pituises soothed my soul and for the first time in a long time, my mind was at rest. If there really was a button you could press to make time stand still, that was the moment I would have pressed it...

Sadly, I had to watch as the sun set on that day and in time I had to return to this place called 'home'... Along with two tops and a pair of shorts, I left my heart behind, safe in the knowledge I would return. Never has a homecoming been so hard...

...big brother bother.

2006-08-23T16:25:00.000+01:00

Well its all over and so I thought i'd add my 'ten penneth' worth...not as good as last year, Richard should have won, Pete was a worthy winner too though, and who was voting for Aishleen?

So there you go....

Actually, it got me thinking. I really did think that Richard was the best and yet looking at the percentages in 'new Heat' magazine it seems I was very much in the minority. Also reading other blogs and listening to commentators on the TV, Richard just didn't appear to be liked very much. Question is, what does that say about me? (I can hear my friends laughing right now as they probably think I bring everything back to me!) What I mean is, to like him, does that mean i'm like him? Are my values similar and therefore am I out of step with the rest of the population? Well the answer is yes. I already know I think differently to most people and i'm just arrogant enough not to be bothered. I actually like it that way! As the saying goes, 'its everyone else that has the problem, not me!' - Makes for a lonely life though...oh dear, i can hear the violins starting up. Time to sign off.

...is that Autumn i can smell??

2006-08-16T15:25:00.000+01:00

Is anyone else thinking about the winter, or is it just me? We had a fabulous July, with loads of dry, warm and sunny days, yet here we are in August and it feels more like October. The chill breeze we've been having has reminded me we're on the slippery slope to yet another British winter. On the train this morning I was looking out of the window and imagining myself sitting there in my big winter coat, umbrella in hand, looking at the January frost on the trees. Brrr!

Question is, what will I do about it? Probably just moan... I would love to not be in England during the winter, yet, despite dreaming, I have been unable to come up with a viable plan to not be! Sure, I'll be into the second year of my Spanish course, which I guess is me trying to make the dream more of a reality - i'm hoping i'll wake up one day and realise I can speak Spanish, pack a bag and go - but I think i'm going to have to wake up and realise that yet another dreary British winter is all that's on the cards for me...

I'm off home shortly - was on the early shift today. Looks like it might rain. Did I mention how dismal British summers are too...?

...time to make a stand.

2006-07-31T16:33:00.000+01:00

The BBC has recently caused a great deal of hurt to the gay community by supporting the use of the word 'gay' to mean 'lame' or 'rubbish'. The BBC considers that because the word is used 'on the street' in this way, then its use is justified as they are merely reflecting the language used by their viewers and listeners. I consider this an outrage.

I would expect to hear uncomfortable language in a drama or documentary that was attempting to accurately portray life in Britain. As an adult I want the BBC to tell me the truth and not 'sugar-coat' life or culture that I am not familiar with. However, the original complaint was made to the BBC over the use of the word in a wholly inappropriate context and I am dismayed that the BBC considers it appropriate.

www.rainbownetwork.co.uk is currently publicising a petition to pressurise the BBC to change its guidelines on the use of this word. I would urge anyone who agrees that the guidelines should be tightened to sign this petition.

To access the petition directly go here...

...absence makes the heart grow fonder (or is it stronger?)

2006-07-28T10:38:00.000+01:00

If anyone has read this blog from day one then they'll know I predicted it would last about five minutes...and my prediction was pretty accurate! I am from the 3min generation after all! That said I do kinda believe in this whole blog thing. It's quite therapeutic really, given that I suffer from 'pent-up opinions' - There's a need there for me to express them, but as i'm not an 'in-your-face' kind of bloke, this way is ideal!

So what have I been up to and what's on my mind? We'll in brief, I've been away on training courses and had a nice holiday in the best place in the world - Ibiza - which is always entertaining! I did almost miss the flight home and decided in the taxi that if I were to miss it, it would be fate and I would stay...I got there with five mins to spare...

I don't want to lose Richard, Pete or Spiral from Big Brother tonight so please do not vote for Susie and Imogen!!!!! Poor Spiral, he was so upset to be nominated - I want to adopt him ;-)

Oo! The mobile phone saga has developed! - I've taken on a new contract with O2 and received a Samsung E900 phone. I have agonised for months over what phone to get. Basically there is not one out of the dozens available that ticks all my boxes!!! crazy! The Samsung on balance ticked the most but is still a disappointment. I once had a Motorola and I could set a different Text Message tone for each of my contacts. I then 'Upgraded' to a Nokia and found to my dismay that I could only set one message tone! This could still be anything though, including downloads. I now have this Samsung and again to my dismay have discovered that you can only have one message tone again, and it has to be one of the 10 naff tones installed on the phone!!! You can't even download your own!!!!!! For heavens sake! Every 'upgrade' I have is worse than the one before - what are the phone manufacturers playing at? If it wasn't for my desire to have an integrated 2 megapixel camera with flash (rather than carry one around in addition to carrying my phone) i'd go back to my old Motorola tomorrow!

...quick toilet update

2006-06-07T13:31:00.000+01:00

Gourmet Burger Bar, Brindleyplace, Birmingham - While the gents toilets are small and not very appealing, the lock on the cubicle door was working and there was Boots liquid soap for handwashing. :-)

Titash - Contemporary Indian Restaurant, Rugby. - As well as serving excellent food excellently, the toilets were clean, pleasant and had fully functioning locks! - Highly recommended!

...another waste of time.

2006-06-01T15:07:00.000+01:00

Don’t get me started on the weather. A recent test match in London between England and Sri Lanka was delayed due to rain. When play started later in the morning, the commentator announced that no further rain was forecast for the rest of the day. 2hrs later, rain stopped play. Last night I watched the weather forecast and looked forward to a dry, sunny and warm day. Instead I walked to work in the rain…Why, why, oh why in this age of the micro-chip and self flushing toilet is it not possible to accurately predict the weather a couple hours ahead? I’m not looking for a forecast for Christmas, I just want to know what the weather is doing tomorrow…If there is anyone reading this who lives in Dubin, could you leave a comment each morning detailing your current weather conditions. I’m sure this will be a more reliable way of predicting the weather for the day ahead!

….i’m probably super sensitive as I’ve just come back from a nice dry, warm week in sunny Spain…

what's on my mind...

2006-05-19T14:57:00.000+01:00

Big Brother 7, Doctor Who battling with the Cybermen and Eurovision in one week! Can I cope? Well, yes actually, but blimey what a week! Much fun was had last night hurling incredibly cutting remarks at the Big Brother housemates as they were revealed one by one! Its amazing how we continue to fall for these formulaic shows - I mean, in reality (pardon the pun!) this year will be exactly the same as last year and the year before etc... all thats changed is the names, the wallpaper and diary room chair! But we loved last year and the year before etc, so were bound to love it again this year!!!

I'm hoping the conclusion to Doctor Who is better than part one which was sleep inducing!!!

Then its Eurovision! Such a scream! But I have to say, i do take it a bit seriously too - many countries see it as a bit of fun and their act's often reflect that, but some of them take it very seriously and as a result there are always a handful of good pop songs performed by talented people. I like to think I have a bit of respect for it therefore and trying to spot the talent amongst the panto is all part of the enjoyment!

Update - car industry woes...

2006-05-17T13:48:00.000+01:00

Vauxhall (GM) have confirmed 900 job losses at Ellesmere Port. Comments from the management also convey ongoing concern about the long term viability of the plant - i.e. 'the need for further productivity improvements' - I hate being right about this...

whatever happened to 24hr drinking?

2006-05-15T16:37:00.000+01:00

As Max Bygraves used to say on that factual documentary series conveying interesting facts about the British, 'Family Fortunes' - 'I want to tell you a story' ;-) I was in the Mailbox last night (for our international viewers, the Mailbox is an exciting mixed-use development consisting of shops, bars, hotels, offices etc...) with a couple of dear, dear friends looking for a relaxing sunday evening drink. Unfortunately we seemed to have gone to the wrong place. We arrived at 'Penny Black's', bought a drink and got comfy, yet within minutes the main doors had been pinned open, i'd got goose pimples and our conversation was being drowned out by the dragging of patio furniture in from the canalside. The time? 10pm.... At quarter past we downed our drinks and decided to move on. We headed to Bar Epernay as the rumor was it was open till 1am. Sadly this was not the case - 10:30pm to be precise... 'No worries' i said, 'we've still got ten mins till the bar closes and half an hour before they kick us out'. Plus they weren't dragging furniture around... Approaching the bar, the solitary barman looked at me and said 'sorry lads, we've closed the bar' (as he continued pulling a pint for another chap at the bar...also one of our party was female...) 'It's not 10:30 yet' I retorted (this is getting more exciting than a Jackie Collins!) 'Sorry, we've closed the bar...' he replied with a look that could easily have been fatal. Believe me I was close to combustion. Britain's biggest city with international aspirations and Tony Blair's controversial licensing reforms and here I am, aimlessly wandering the streets looking for somewhere that will serve me half a lager at 10:20 on a Sunday... Absolutely, bloody ridiculous!!! - And the Daily Mail was predicting a social meltdown with us all sat in bars 24/7 - yeah, right, chance would be a fine thing. Finally we gave in and headed to 'Liquid Fusion' at Zinc. Sure they were open and I got my drink, but the idea was to have a couple of relaxing beers and a chat discussing weekend happenings, rather than 'going clubbing'. But no, this is Britain, a country that clings to the past like a man to a cliff who earlier in the day was going to commit suicide but later changed his mind.... pretty much a daily occurrence for me. ;-) My days in the UK become more numbered by the minute... Cheers!

y'cant stop progress!

2006-05-15T13:24:00.000+01:00

As 'Bill the Battler' said in that well known factual Australian documentary 'Muriel's Wedding' -you can't stop progress... ;-) And looking today at Birmingham's much loved Rotunda building, that's certainly true. Anyone who's lived in the shadow of that building and come to identify with it, cannot fail to be very slightly emotionally distressed at its current state. It's quite bizarre that despite being grade 2 listed, you can still strip a building back to its concrete core...what does listing actually mean if you can remove the majority of its fabric, change its use, and give it a completely new identity? The Rotunda that will re-emerge a year or so from now will essentially be a completely new building. I hope the designers, Urban Splash, do not let us down...

...the car industry and the British economic model.

2006-05-11T11:06:00.000+01:00

You'll probably detect a slightly downbeat mood to this blog, which is to be expected. I'm a bit of a cynic and started this as an outlet for my frustrations with the way this world functions. One of these frustrations is mis-information and the way we are often only given 'half the story' - spoken to as though we are school children rather than adults. Where is this going? Well, i've read today that GM is looking to axe a thousand jobs from its Ellesmere Port plant on Merseyside. This is a third of the workforce. To cut a long story short, this is the beginning of the end for this plant. Although GM has made no such announcement, we know they are looking to axe 12,000 jobs in Europe and this will include plant closures. Peugeot has closed Ryton in Coventry using exactly the same approach - a slow wind-down. The reality is that Ellesmere, like Ryton for Peugeot, is a small satellite operation for GM. It has bigger plants employing far more people in Germany and Belgium and it makes perfect business sense to consolidate production there. So what is going wrong for the British car industry? I think we (or should I say successive Governments) decided to turn our\their backs on the car industry nearly 30 years ago. We were told that decline was 'inevitable' and that manufacturing could not compete with the 'cheap labour' economies of the new world. This argument was then used to change employment legislation in the UK to allow for lower wages and greater flexibility (i.e. the ability for employers to change your job or sack you with a moments notice). Again we were told this would ultimately safeguard jobs and attract new industries scared of setting up in 'high cost' Europe. For a while this seemed to be true. Indigenous car companies across Europe were struggling and our own continued to decline. Yet, at the same time, we were attracting Japanese car companies to open new plants here. The plan appeared to be working. However, at the same time governments in Europe (especially in France) continued to support their own car companies, providing much needed investment. Employment legislation too continued to offer greater protection than in the UK. If we fast forward to 2006 its clear we've been hood-winked.

Today 'high cost' Germany and France produce approx 6 and 3.5 million cars a year respectively, compared to a deteriorating 1.8 million in the UK and workers there enjoy greater employment protection and healthcare. I was shocked to learn that Spain makes more cars than we do at approx 3 million. Our high cost neighbours are home to four of the world's biggest, strongest and most profitable companies - Renault, PSA (Peugeot/Citroen), Volkswagen and BMW. So much for 'inevitable decline' eh? and the need to free up the labour market. After an initial surge thanks to the Japanese, expansion in Britain ground to a halt. We've allowed our indigenous car company to die (once the biggest in the world) and we are now nothing more than a satellite assembly location for several multinationals. Coupled with our weak labour laws, announcements like those at Ryton, Dagenham and Luton before and Ellesmere port to come, are - dare I say it - 'inevitable'.

I don't believe our car industries decline was inevitable 25-30 years ago, but today it is a fact. We were fed a line back then. Government's of both colour struggled with the trade unions and the car industry became public enemy no.1. In another 30 years there will be little or no car production in the UK. Have a nice day ;-)

...what a difference a lunch makes!

2006-05-10T13:31:00.000+01:00

You know how I said nothing was happening in the world? Well a: I didn't mean it literally, obviously! and b: well i've just had lunch and read my paper to find that the HP sauce factory here in Birmingham is to close! This is the end of yet another era for Birmingham. HP has been synonymous with the city for over a century and its factory a landmark on the M6 approach. HP sauce was bought by Heinz last year and from now on it will be made in a factory in Holland. After the loss of MG Rover and now HP, let's hope Cadbury isn't the next to go!

...midweek status report.

2006-05-10T11:55:00.000+01:00

It's a quiet week isn't it? I feel like nothing is happening in the world or in my life. Truth is though I'm still not 100% after my party weekend and have had a couple of early nights to compensate - not sure its working though. Tonight is the start of another weekend though so I have to pretend I'm fine. (Yes, i'm one of those modern city folk who thinks the weekend starts on a wednesday!) Spanish lesson first, that kicks it all off (haven't done my homework, again!) and what do you do when the lesson finishes? why go to the pub of course! We've been doing a bit of a 'crawl' thing recently, trying to have one in all those bars we've been promising ourselves we'll have one in one day! The night ended with us disturbing two 'hoodies' trying to steal a car at my local station...my car is parked there today so i'll let you all know tomorrow if its in one piece when I return!

If I was to make a social comment, it would be how these lads had an audience yet no one intervened. Sensible yes given that they may have been armed, but at the same time giving out all the wrong signals to these would-be crooks - do what you like and no one will try and stop you...Hmmmm....

what happened to the weekend?

2006-05-08T11:36:00.000+01:00

Sometimes you can have too much fun. I've not stopped since i left work on friday and today i'm paying for it! My head is pounding and my eyes are sore...early night tonight for sure. As a result i have no idea what has happened in the world, all my angst about not knowing the results of the local elections has disappeared (thanks to Chig for filling me in!) - i'm quite looking forward to reading my paper this lunchtime to re-engage! All have picked up on is that the Labour party is about to comit political sucide by turning on itself - rest assured chaps, the british public will punish you dearly...

Global issues aside, a special mention to Chig who's 40th Birthday formed part of my blur of a weekend! - Check out his Blog http://chig.blogspot.com A good night was had by all and I especially enjoyed the Eurovision Karaoke!! - Shame I didn't get to enjoy the yorkshire bricklayer, but hey, you can't have everything ;-)

...on the third day.

2006-05-05T10:54:00.000+01:00

Well its the morning after the local elections and i'm still trying to ascertain what has happened here in Birmingham. The BBC have let me down again as although they have declared Birmingham as NOC (No Overall Control) they haven't said who won what. So much for their up-to-the-minute web site! The result here will be interesting, as the local media have been very critical of the Conservative/Lib Dem administration. However, nationally the Labour government is under attack which seems to have benefited the Conservatives. Did Brummies vote on national or local issues? I guess I'll just have to wait and see...

In other news - Its official, on average I send 184 text messages and use 50 mins of talktime a month! My peaks are 253 texts (last month!) and 110 minutes of chatter. As a result, Vodafone Anytime 125 or O2 Online 50 tariff's seem the most appropriate - T-Mobile and Orange are just too expensive - haven't looked properly at Virgin or 3 as yet.... Getting exciting now eh?!

SOAPBOX ...and another thing!

2006-05-04T14:00:00.000+01:00

1. Why is the Birmingham Post's only food critic a vegetarian that doesn't eat desserts? I think the idea of a weekly vegetarian review is a great idea, but as a meat eating, dessert loving restaurant goer, I think the paper is failing the majority of its readers and the establishments concerned, by not having more comprehensive reviews. If they would like to offer me an expense account i'd be happy to offer my taste bud's own written opinions!

2. Why, when I go to the toilet in a bar or restaurant, are the locks always broken on the cubicle doors? I must live in my own little niaeve world...what goes on for them to get broken in the first place and why are they never repaired? Perhaps users would like to update me? Drugs bust? Raids by the 'No sex please we're Brtish' police? Everywhere I go seems to be the same and frankly i'm sick of it. I'm paying a fortune for the bloody drinks, i expect locks on the door, paper in the holder and hand driers that work!!!! Is it really too much to ask? Ever heard of hourly checks??!! Its not rocket science!!

Phew...that's better. Lovely day! :-)

Day Two...to vote or not to vote??

2006-05-04T09:44:00.000+01:00

Its local election day today...a chance to 'possibly' change who runs this fair City...as only a third of the seats are ever up for grabs, a change of political colour in the council house is usually a gradual thing. We've had a Tory/Lib Dem coalition in charge after years of Labour dominance and I have to say they're doing a pretty piss poor job. So when it came to voting today it should have been easy, however, things are rarely that simple. The incumbent Conservative Councillor has visited my home, left a leaflet and has his name on every lamp post. This guy actually seems to want my vote! He cares! - But by voting for him, i'll be supporting the current administration which I don't want to do... The Labour hopeful has done nothing... no visit, no leaflet, no posters...i only found out his name this morning when looking at the ballot paper!!! - Clearly this guy doesn't care whether you vote for him or not, so why should I? - Because Labour are the only party capable of removing the current administration... Arrrrgggg! Lib Dem? Again the candidate has done nothing and a vote for him is again a vote for the current crowd, so that's a 'no brainer'. The only other options are BNP or Green...Hmmm Fascists or Communists? - Again a 'no brainer'. I could just not vote, but I try not to do that. Turnout for local elections is always low and low turnout allows extremist parties to get a foothold - back to the Fascists and Communists again... So guess what? The Labour man got my vote....and I hope he's bloody grateful too. Infact if he's reading this, leave a comment and I'll meet you down the local. There you can say 'thank you' with a big box of Cadbury's Milk Tray (I always believe in supporting local industries! - Don't get me started on Rover) Apologies to the Tory guy - I really appreciate your efforts but the bigger picture here is the future of my city.

..the day the blog began.

2006-05-03T10:29:00.000+01:00

Downtime at work and you find yourself doing all sorts of crazy things. My mobile phone contract is up for renewal next month, so much of my time will be spent analysing my annual usage and looking for the nicest phone with the bestest tariff...you can tell this is going to be an interesting blog ;-) Come back soon for 'hot' updates on the search for the perfect package! (see I can put a bit of spin on even the most boring of subjects...)

And so the blog began...10:31am Wednesday the 3rd of May 2006. How long will I be able to keep this up? I give it a week....