Sunday, January 30, 2005

 
Why is it that if you use this site to help lose weight they give you result in a PIE chart!

posted at 21:51.......link.......





 
Hurrah, finally managed to pay our hosting company after two months of trying to get them to accept the payment! All my D3sk B email addresses are back up and running.

posted at 21:49.......link.......



Thursday, January 27, 2005

 
I've found my way to OCD UK which amongst other things has a forum section just for families and relatives of sufferers. I'll keep an eye on it and see if I can get answers to some of the home problems there.

posted at 18:55.......link.......





 
O.K. I'm back. Or as much as I ever am.

This last week has seen me in Newmarket, Hull, Spalding and all points in between.

The trip to Spalding was non-work related, the reason for which will be revealed probably next week, but we were visiting the regional offices and resource centre for SENSE, a charity involved in improving the quality of life for people suffering from, usually, varying degrees of deafblindness plus other learning and disability issues, or sometimes just one of the primary senses and additional disabilities.

We went to visit Kev's niece, Paula, who was born deafblind after her mother contracted rubella during pregnancy. Paula is now into her thirties and is resident at a shared house with two other women and their carer. (Pictures to follow).

Paula is profoundly deaf and blind to within 2-3 inches of her eyes. Despite this, she is able to shop, cook, clean and carry out many other day-to-day tasks as well as take part in her favourite hobbies of ten-pin bowling and ice-skating.

Meeting with her, her friends, and the staff was amazing. The staff are exceptional, oozing calm and caring, and the residents all respond. It takes months if not years to just stop the negatives in their lives before introducing some of the many positive things that they do. Ongoing projects are their garden which has involved many the building and carpentry skills required. One lady there, also suffering deafness and some loss of sight, is also autistic. She is incredibly creative, examples of her work will also be also over on my photo pages later, along with other examples of things created by other residents. Many of us will have seen the programme about the young coloured autistic child that creates drawings of famous buildings from memory having visited them once. She does the same, but in pottery and needle point. She had a sideline going at one time of visiting churches where people were getting married and then re-creating the church as a model as a gift.

It makes it very difficult to go home and then whinge because everything isn't just as you want things.

posted at 13:08.......link.......



Sunday, January 23, 2005

 
It's getting very boring writing "haven't got time to post, posts", but it is the truth. This is just a very few minutes snatched on Kevs computer before we rush off again. But at least you know I haven't expired.

Yet.

posted at 13:56.......link.......



Wednesday, January 19, 2005

 
Hellish McBellish, I'm tired. Juct can't get enough sleep at the moment and no opportunity to lie in this weekend. In fact Saturday, Sunday and Monday all need me to make early starts.

Going to bed is one of the best examples of how once you attain something it loses it's appeal. As a child there is nothing you want more than to stay up as late as possible, then once you have the opportunity you suddenly realise how much you want to have an early night.

Just never satisfied!

posted at 13:17.......link.......





 
I've never read any of Jeffrey Deavers books, he of The Bone Collector, until this week. Then, of course, I've gone into over load and am reading them at a rate of one every 48 hours. I guess that's in the can't put them down league.

I've not seen the film starring Denzil Washington but I'll try to catch it just to see how close it is to the original.

posted at 13:14.......link.......



Monday, January 17, 2005

 
O.K. Technical question.

If a website is rendering pound signs with an A in front of it i.e. A£100.00, whats causing it and how do I stop it, is it a setting on the computer or does it need code to get round it? posted at 15:52.......link.......



Thursday, January 13, 2005

 
Perhaps we should have big signs at airports and sea ports announcing "Welcome To The World of New Puritanism".

It suddenly struck me today that this is where we are heading, or perhaps even where we have already arrived. Our very thoughts, words and deeds are now scrutinized to see if they are open to causing offence to anyone. How much longer can we, as a society, carry on pushing our heads further up our backsides in order to achieve perfect political correctness. There must surely come a time when pc becomes so offensive that it too must be abolished as an outdated attitude. Perhaps we have arrived at that point.

One of my favourite jokes would be considered racist. Actually it would probably be classed as blasphemous as well. It is like many jokes of that type, not an attack on coloured people but at the attitudes of racists. It's also funny. Sorry. And no, I'm not telling it here because the Puritans will probably descend. I also have a fund of jokes that take the piss out of us Yorkshiremen. It doesn't cause me a problem. Well, not after I've hit the person who tells it! (JOKE!!!!).

Prince Harry's latest escapade has roused indignation from may people because, basically, he's been caught doing what many 20 year olds do. He went to a private fancy dress party that was themed and wore something that might be considered by some as bad taste. Well, hello, that's what 20 year olds do. Yes, I've heard nothing on the radio today but people going on about how it is innapropriate for him to do such things, (double standards?), but are we not that many years down the line from when the "nation" rose up screaming that the Princes should be allowed a normal upbringing after the death of their mother. So it worked, we've got normal 20 year olds. When I was his age, my friends and I went to a fancy dress party sporting our highly prized mirrored Foster Grant sunglasses as blind men. Bad taste? Possibly. Then again, I did spend quite a few years as an area co-ordinator for collections for Guide Dogs For The Blind Assoc. Going back to the Prince's so called gaffe, one of the points made by those offended that we musn't forget what happened and to give Harry his due, he's managed to ensure that there has been plenty of exposure today as to the evils of Naziism, so maybe he's done more to remind people than many of the more well-intentioned attempts. To those who think I don't understand the implications of his actions, I have documented before about the trials of my grandfather in the first world war. His life was ruined by wehat happened fighting against the Germans under the orders of The Kaiser. Yes, I took offence when The BBC was going to screen The Trench because I didn't see reality TV as a suitable platform to even begin to understand what people went through, but if Harry wants to dress up as Kaiser Bill next time he can rest assured I'll not have a hissy fit.

No doubt my views here will offend. But I'm still going to post them because I believe it's my right. I can't spend my life worrying about the feelings of absolutely every least one of the other inhabitants of the planet. Those closest to me are enough to manage.

It has become so easy to offend, and more importantly it is apparently much easier to take offence, that we are in danger of failing to see the woods for the trees.
Cromwell would have been pleased, all we need now is a modern version of The Witchfinder General and all will be complete.

posted at 17:19.......link.......





 
Tonight Matthew I'm going to be a wine waiter.

Well, actually it's this afternoon. I'm helping out at an old peoples soiree and in charge of handing out drinks. I may decide to do everything with a french accent and see if I can get away with it.

posted at 13:45.......link.......





 
Yesterday there was another court case, (can't find a link yet), where a father now has a criminal record. He looked out of his window to see two youths (12 & 13) taking the shoes from his 5 year old who was playing in the garden. The village rumour was that the family had won the lottery. Like that should make a difference, but they hadn't. As he ran out the boys tried to run off. The first jumped over the garden wall and broke a couple of teeth, the other got a clip round the ear from the father. He was of course in court on assault charges. He had to plead guilty because, as his Counsel advised, there was a possibility he could be imprisoned. He couldn't take a chance, and what does that say about faith in our justice system. The judge mentioned that the father now accepts that the way he dealt with the boys, i.e. the clip round the ear, is not acceptable in this day and age.

What. And stealing the shoes off a five year old is acceptable?

posted at 13:45.......link.......



Wednesday, January 12, 2005

 
Blimey, I hadn't realised it was a week since I last posted. Just work gone mad.

One of the problems I have is that becasue B.T. are listed on my IVA, although I can pay the moeny I owe them, I am not allowed to, as that would give them preferential treatment over my other creditors. So as of yesterday I have been without a phone at home for 300 days. I don't miss the phone but not having the internet connection is doing my head in. It could even be another 2 to 3 months before it's all sorted as we are waiting for The Inland Revenue to confirm a final figure for settlement. I'm told it can take them up to 6 months and we are only just over 3 months since the court hearing.

All may improve shortly as we have just landed a big contract which, apart from paying me a months wages in one go, a minor miracle in itself, it pays for our offices and will allow us to get moved in and trading out of them, which in turn should increase our turnover as we will be able to work much more efficiently. Once we're in the office my first task will be to get an internet connection in!

On the work front as well, it looks like the Jersey contract will definitely happen. Not only that, but we now have more products being added to the potential work. As it is the installation will take nearly three weeks. That's my summer holiday sorted!!!

More to follow tomorrow.

Probably.

posted at 20:31.......link.......



Tuesday, January 04, 2005

 
Weehee, and now I've got Pure Land Mountain as ewll.

posted at 10:12.......link.......





 
I didn't make it to Norfolk last weekend so instead I've made arrangements to meet up with Erica, (Step-sister)[yes, the lesbian one], and Debbie at Heathrow as they fly back out to the States on Sunday. That's good I thought. Time we are meeting there. 8:00 a.m. !!!! Oh well, there goes the lie-in.

posted at 10:05.......link.......





 
Congratulation to Yorkshire Soul who has become the latest of my blogs that the library has decided is an occult site. Anyone who saw the New Years pictures of course might agree. Bloody Scary.

Before Gordon had his site revamp I was just picking up a series of blogs through a webring he linked to. I think it was called Ageless. (Gordon, let me know). This is a good webring because there are people blogging that are even older than me! I'd just started reading two or three on a regular basis and of course I hadn't made a note of the web addresses. Hurrah though, thank to the comment on the previous post I've got Lee back at September House.

posted at 09:59.......link.......



Monday, January 03, 2005

 
Indonesia and the surrounding area is made up of Christian, Muslim and other religious groupings.

Indonesia has been very anti USA and it's allies over the invasion of Iraq.

Al Q'aeda spend much time asking Muslim communities to rise up against the "Evil Agressors".

The USA has initially released over $250,000,000, the UK government an initial payment of £50,000,000 and, leaving aside any possible political slant of government interest, the UK population, of all ethnic groupings, £60,000,000. The money will be spent where it is most needed regardless of the religious and ethnic make up of the islands/countries involved. Japan of course, as a fellow sufferer of these "acts of God" has made even greater amounts of funds available.

Al Q'aeda groups and their hierarchy are said to have large deposits of money for terrorrist activities. These groups have donated exactly how much to even just their Muslim brothers in their hour of greatest need?

Meanwhile, in the Middle East, car bombs continue to go off in an attempt to kill, maim and harass the evil aggressor and it's allies.

It would be nice to think that perhaps, even though people may disagree vehemently with the invasion of Iraq, from the chattering classes of Islington to the terrorist enclaves in Fallujah, that some may start to think that perhaps the greater need of humanity in distress outweighs the politics and religious hatred that some seek to stir up for their own ends.

posted at 09:47.......link.......





 
I checked my balance at the bank yesterday. There was £705.00 missing. It was a pleasure to see it go. That was the first mortgage payment. Actually a month and a halfs mortgage payment so the next ones are less, hurrah.

I left it to the last minute to get the money together but there it was and that's all that matters.

I also found out yesterday we've made a largish sale, largish in as much as it's slightly more than this months target. I know it's only the 3rd but if the rest of the year goes as well as the first three days then I'm looking forward to 2005.

posted at 09:46.......link.......



Saturday, January 01, 2005

 
Happy Ney Year to everyone.

There's absolutely no chance of me doing a review of last year. As quickly as the memory fades it still can't be quick enough. So, for no other reason than I fancy doing it, here are some top tens from when I was a kid.

My Top Ten Board Games

1. Careers.


2. Millionaire.


3. Escape From Colditz.


4. Spy Ring.


5. Go.


6. Cluedo.


7. Chess.


8. Othello.


9. Mastermind.


10. Monopoly.

How many did you play?


My Top Ten "Girlfriends" from infant school.? (Although I only pledged my undying love to the first one. I think we were engaged, the way you are when you are 8).

1. Fiona Merry.


2. Elizabeth Bacon.


3. Caroline Lee.


4. Valerie Tranter.


5. Jill Gulliford.


6. Trina Barratt.


7. Ruth Norton.


8. Sally Boucher.


9. Susan Morris. (Well she wasn't at my school, but she was the first girl who I played "you show me yours if I show you mine" with.


10. Janice Jackson. (No, she wasn't either, but she was who I fancied in all my 9 year old glory whenver we went to Leeds to visit my Grandma.

Oh girls, where are you now?


My top ten destinations from childhood holidays.

1. Blackpool.
(Old habits die hard!) {Family}

2. Leeds. {Family}


3. Interlaken. {School Trip}


4. The Black Forest. {Best Friends Family}


5. Venice. (we actualy saw my double in St Marks Square.) {Best Friends Family}


6. Isle of Wight. {Family}


7. Branksome Towers Hotel, Bournemouth. {Family}


8. Sandbanks, Poole. {Family}


9. Jersey. {Family}


10. Somewhere in Holland where we saw clogs being made. {School Trip}

Top Ten Records from Junior Choice/Childrens Favourites. (Feel free to correct any lyrics you think are wrong)

1. Sparkys Magic Piano. Sparky, You can play the piano.


2. Tubby The Tuba. Oh, Senor Pizzicato. Please can I play the melody.


3. Big Rock Candy Mountain. Oh the buzzing of the bees in the sycamore trees.


4. Right Said Fred. You never gets anywhere if you're too hasty


5. Nellie The Elephant. They met one night in the pale moonlight, on the road to Mandelay.


6. The Highway Code. (No, I can't remember any of the lyrics the same as I can't remember any of the highway code now.)


7. The Dambusters March. Da, da da da da da da da.


8. The Court of King Caractacus. So if you want to see the fascinating witches who put the scintallating stitches in the britches of the boys who put the powder on the noses of the ladies of the harem of the Court of King Caractacus, you're too late!


9. Albert and the Lion. Took 'is stick with the 'orse's 'ead 'andle, and stuck it in Wallace's ear.


10. Hello Mudder, Hello Fadder. Here i am in, Camp Granada

Ten Games We Played at Playtime (Junior School). (Explanations on Request)

1. Football. (What a surprise!)


2. British Bulldog.


3. Wrestling


4. Black Peter


5. French Skipping


6. French Cricket


7. Dancing Dollies


8. Marbles


9. What's The Time Mr Wolf.


10. Stoor Ball

How did I ever have time to fit all that in.

posted at 11:49.......link.......