Whoosh

Weird weekend. Basically watching rugby and painting walls. Odd combination. But also means that I have very little of interest to say - so I won't.

Rugby World Cup

Too sad. Too sad.

Thug

The other day at a work dinner my boss was surprised that I didn't play rugby. This isn't because I talk about it a lot. But he thought I was ideal for the scrum. He qualified this by saying it was because of my aggression. I was really quite shocked. I never thought anyone would think me aggressive. He did qualify it further when I expressed my surprise that he seemed to think I was a thug by saying it was a combination of aggression and finesse, but I don't think that reduces my surprise. However, having thought about it in more depth, I am beginning to wonder if he meant that my face looked as though I play rugby!

Once Upon A Time

Well just "Once" really. Or any incarnation of "once" paint. Because it is a lie. Always a lie. One coat is never enough. Every time I buy in hope, every time I am disappointed. I used to think it was because I would buy a light paint to go over dark, or vice versa. But no, a cream paint over magnolia still needs more than one coat. It really annoys me.

Wooing

The Labour conference is over. I do struggle to understand why those of you who support Labour fail to see how cynical they are.

You've got Yvette Cooper saying how we need more housing and that not enough has been built over the last decade. Yes, but I would point out that Labour have been in charge for that decade and that the man who is now in charge was actually the second most important person in the country during that time.

You have got Jack Straw saying we need to change the laws on self-defence. This is the poilicy that was suggested by the Conservatives two years ago and was squashed by Labour. But now, before an election, they suddenly seem to adopt a policy that will bring disenfranchised conservatives over. And how, just how, has Jack Straw been able to stop criminals on four occassions - where is he going that he manages to be in the trouble spots? Never him being attacked, but him managing to come to the rescue of others, like a rather low-rent superman.

I still haven't worked out what Brown was up to bringing Thatcher to Number 10. I admire Thatcher, I think she was good for the country (and I know that certain readers will have found their opinion of me plummet further) but I really can't work out how a Labour Prime Minister would be happy associating with the person who was the scurge of the unions.

I don't want Labour trying to woo me by adopting the policies of my party, or by hugging someone I admire. What I want is them to come out and discuss, debate, and convince me of their arguments. I will listen to debate, I will consider strong reasoning, but what I won't do is be swayed by window-dressing

Waited

It's cold

Six floors up,

On the roof,

Even wrapped

Against the wind,

Thick clothes

Not enough

For the concrete

Below me.

And I've waited.

Lain here.

Patient,

But so cold.

Waited.

And it's now

I see you

At the window

Enlarged

In the sights

As my finger

Caresses

The trigger.

Hesitant

How easy
To sit
Here
Thinking,
Almost dreaming,
Of your hand
Brushing my face,
The warmth
Burning my cheek,
Of your smile,
Your laugh,
The spark of your eyes,
Of you knowing
That you are pushing,
Wondering how much
You can allow
Without saying yes.

How easy for me to sit,
Much easier,
Than approaching you again.

Casino Royale - Ian Flemming

Having found the film particularly bad I wonddered whether Ian Flemming could really have done such a bad job with his first Bond story. So I decided it was time to read my first Bond and see for myself. Now, you have to allow for the fact that I am in the mood for devouring books, having not read a lot recently. Even so, considering all the family things I should be doing, just over 24 hours to read it all would indicate that I had problems putting it down.

Unlike the film there was a good plot-line to the book. The characters draw you in and the atmosphere is palpable. Bond here really doesn't survive by using gadgets, he survives through a mix of some skill and some luck. He only has his wits to pit against the enemy. But the thing is, in the film there was no need to have the poisoning scene, had they stuck to the book it would have been all the more believable.

Politically not correct, it is obviously written in a different age. Bond is cold, he isn't a typical hero, but he is also a marked chauvanist. He admires women as things of beauty, things that can get the heart pumping, but does not respect them and certainly does not understand them. Interestingly he himself does not see his status as one to look up to, "to become a 00 is easy, it simply indicates you can kill in cold blood". And at the end he shows how capable he is of being cold.

Summary - bad film, great book.

I Hope He Isn't A Betting Man

I am sorry. There is no way to describe Brown other than unlucky. I can't believe the number of things that have happened since he became president, whoops, I mean prime minister. On top of the first bank run in over 100 years, foot and mouth, terrorism etc he now has to also contend with Bluetongue.

Now, to be fair, we have been expecting Bluetongue to arrive. It was only a matter of time. What makes it unlucky is the timing. This is really a summer disease. By now we all thought that we had escaped it for this year. But no, with Gordon, it was more a case of lulling us into a false sense of security. And although as a disease not as serious as Foot and Mouth, it comes on top of a time when the agricultural industry is already reeling. It is a heavy blow.

Because....

If you are a fan of PostSecret (in fact, even if you are not because you should be) then you will like this. wdydwyd is a collection of self portraits of people saying why they do what they do. Like PostSecret some can be inspirational and some sad, but all are a door into what makes us.

And If You Show One....

The other is essential -

OK Go

I know this has been shown on other blogs before, but I still think it fantastic and worth reminding people -

Rugby World Cup

I am going to keep posts on the World Cup to a minimum in order not to antagonise my readership but - WALES WON 72-18. Good match and Japan played well but Wales were convincing.

And then Ireland lost to France tonight. Ireland might never have shown, they are really not shining.

Have It

This is a very contentious area, should organ donation be opt in or opt out. Now, straight up, I admit this isn't something that worries me. Theoretically you can use any parts of my body you want once I am gone. Practically you may have problem finding bits that are worth using, but it's the thought that counts.

There is certainly a shortage of organs. And making the assumption that all have opted in would certainly help. But there is a fair level of thought that making this assumption makes us nothing more than a walking spare part. It is a very emotive subject, the roots of which are complex. If you beleive that the body is simply a vessel to help you get around then donation is not a major concern, but if you believe that the body contains your essence then donation is a lot more important.

And I have always wondered if we will ever get to taking a brain and putting it in a body. Is it a brain transplant or a body transplant?

My First Time

I have today taken the plunge and changed to Virgin Media. For years I have said I hate Sky, I think they are a terrible company, and I have been looking for an opportunity to change. Conversely my previous internet provider was fantastic, "Power Internet" , but they have had to concentrate more on business use and were just getting too expensive. The final clincher was the amount of spam email I was receiving, it was time to change address.

And it has been a surprisingly painless experience. They called to make sure I was OK with the time for installation (which was my first choice), they turned up and were efficient. Got the internet working relatively easily. Had a half hour argument with someone in India because there was a bit of disagreement about which package I had signed up for - I believed I should be getting the sports channels. I applied on-line for the VIP package, which includes the sports, but I didn't need the V+ box or a spare digibox (with only 1 TV in the house why would I need two boxes). I therefore unclicked for these options, just requesting one normal box. Apparently they say you have to take the package as is so they removed the sports channels even though I had left them ticked. My argument was that they shouldn't have made it possible for me to unclick an option and they shouldn't have sent an email confirming the deal. The answer seemed to be that they would send an engineer around with the two boxes I didn't want. It took a long time to explain that this would be a waste of their time and money as I didn't need or want them. The guy I was speaking to kept saying it was a better deal. I kept saying that something is only "value added" if the customer wants it, and I didn't. We finally agreed to let me have the package I wanted but not have the more expensive boxes. Allowing for me getting incredibly frustrated at one point he handled me well and all seems fine now.

Glug

I am not sure if this actually can count as news. We didn't need someone to say it. It was always obvious. Iraq was about oil. There was nothing else it could be about. Really wars come down to a few things - religion, land mass or material. We wanted their materials - in this case oil. In return we reap a religious war.

Media Monster

OK, I have to point out what a strange creature the media is. Approximately a month ago there was a foot and mouth outbreak. It proved impossible to turn on the news or lift a paper without being hit by a deluge of information. Now foot and mouth has reared up again and I have to hunt in order to find information. Where is the difference? What happened in a month?

Personal DNA

You are an Inventor

Your imagination, self-reliance, openness to new things, and appreciation for utility combine to make you an INVENTOR.

You have the confidence to make your visions into reality, and you are willing to consider many alternatives to get that done.

The full spectrum of possibilities in the world intrigues you—you're not limited by pre-conceived notions of how things should be.

Problem-solving is a specialty of yours, owing to your persistence, curiosity, and understanding of how things work.

Your vision allows you to identify what's missing from a given situation, and your creativity allows you to fill in the gaps.

Your awareness of how things function gives you the ability to come up with new uses for common objects.

It is more interesting for you to pursue excitement than it is to get caught up in a routine.

Although understanding details is not difficult for you, you specialize in seeing the bigger picture and don't get caught up in specifics.

You tend to more proactive than reactive—you don't just wait for things to come to you.

You do your own thing when it comes to clothing, guided more by practical concerns than by other people's notions of style.


If you want to be different:

Try applying your creativity to more artistic arenas, and letting your imagination take less practical forms.


how you relate to others
You are Considerate

You trust others, care about them, and are slow to judge them, making you CONSIDERATE.

You value your close relationships very much, and are more likely to spend time in small, tightly-knit groups of friends than in large crowds.

You enjoy exploring the world through observation, quietly watching others.

Relating to others so well, and understanding their emotions, leads you to trust people in general, even though you're somewhat shy and reserved at times.

Your belief that people are generally well-intentioned contributes to your sympathy regarding their problems.

Although you may not vocalize it often, you have an awareness of how society affects individuals, and you understand complex causes of people's behavior.

You like to look at all sides of a situation before making a judgment, particularly when that situation involves important things in other people's lives.

Your close friends know you as a good listener.


If you want to be different:

Because other people would benefit immensely from your understanding and insight, you should try to be more outgoing in social situations, even when they make you uncomfortable. Others will want to hear what you have to say!

So the big question is, is that really me?

Clasp

If I asked you
To hold me
Hold me close
Would you
Forgive me
If not forget

Survival

Made it. The last week is annually the toughest of the year. I have a lodge meeting, with all the learning that entails, and then BEVA, and for the last few years I have been speaking at that. Previous years have been free communications but this year was being on the panel for a workshop. That made me a "proper" speaker and I even got a gift from BEVA for speaking. Anyway the whole thing makes a very intense week, all day at the conference then out with our clients in the evening, it is non-stop. And I am usually shattered by the end of it. This year I also had a visit on the MOnday so I didn't get home until today. And I am shattered. But I survived!