central park then off to see the baby

l got dragged out of bed today at 10.45am as myself and the FPO had to be in the Boro to meet Robbo and Kerry for a meal at 12 (Central Park). All went well (although it cost £60 each), we said our goodbyes, then it was off to the brother and sister in laws for fireworks, food and drink. There was a bit left over afterwards (see the hot dogs and baked potatoes), but again it went well, we saw the baby (Lauren), (me for for the first time) and then headed back to sunny Catterick with NORRRRAAAA.

Just watched Lee Mack live (excellent) and the FPO is currently watching X Factor or some other kind of crap like it. Like a News of the World reporter, l have made my excuses, left, then came upstairs to escape it. Still off work as well. Excellent!

toodle pip

saving money in york

It's bliss at the moment as l am off work until Tuesday afternoon, the last day off being a finance meeting in York last Thursday. This was about as exciting as you can imagine, but the cuts we are to implement will save about £200,000 a year, which has to be done because of the bastard government. I was meant to be working on Friday, but while l was in York l received a call saying that another worker would do my shift if l wanted. Didn't take long to think of an answer to that question.

l am also a hero (again) as l argued the case for the same meals being eaten together within workplaces (it's a long story), and convinced the head honcho of the merits. Result! The staff teams were pretty pleased (to say the least) when l told them on my return (l had to drop off some rotas at various houses). Never trust anyone l say, l'm sure they will still find something to complain about, but you can only do your best and be true to yourself, so sod it.

Off to the brother and sister in laws tomorrow/today for booze and fireworks (and to see their devilish offspring). Also going for lunch in the Boro beforehand, so may be a little tiddly (ooeer) when l turn up. Still, that's the only way to handle families l say.

Also, it's.................................Nearly Berlin time! Less than four weeks to go and l am starting to look forward to it. Hurrah!

toodle pip

spaced out kids after the dentist

"Mum, will you marry me?"

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joel burns - it will get better

Joel Burns is openly gay city councilman from Fort Worth in Texas. Christ on a bike, l don't even know why l watch so much strange stuff, but sometimes l wish l hadn't. l am not gay (and there's nothing wrong with being gay either), but l cried like a little baby watching this, nearly as much as l do watching important football matches. Great stuff, but l may have to stick (literately) to porn and music in the future, l can't handle these proper emotions.

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really impressive cakes

These are what l call cakes!

Very impressive just as works of art.

Buy them here : http://highlandbakery.com/

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mad men - don draper says what a lot

It's a great series and the most recent one has been one of the best, but Don Draper does say "What" a lot.

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recent meals out

No wonder l have to slave away every bloody day. All this food (and wine) is killing me. What a way to go though.

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the dakota building in 1912

The Dakota building in 1912. This is where John and Yoko lived and where John was shot. Strawberry Fields is just opposite in Central Park.

l would have loved to have been able to visit or live in New York in those days. Look at all the space. l also reckon it would have been pretty damn violent.

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football - bloody hell

Another splendid evening of watching Manchester United destroy an inferior (Turkish) small time European team. Then again, there are other things to consider this fine night.

1 : Bebe was homeless and the press are trying to make the guy seem like he is useless, but seeing as l know better, he can hold up the ball, has skill, and can play a bit (master class talk). He will turn out fine and the seven million will seem like a bargain.

2 : Messi. Still the best player in the world, by far. He might have had a poor World Cup (by high expectations), but l am sure he also had the most shots. He was just unlucky. Still easily the best player in the world.

3 : David Villa. He is an excellent player and will turn out to be class. He has just been unlucky so far, hitting the post a lot. Then again, he has fitted in well to the Barcelona team and has linked up well and assisted others (l am a European follower of football). Cream rises to the top eventually (and all that clichéd crap). He is class.

4 : Real Madrid. it's difficult to like them them. Even though they have Ronaldo playing for them (ex Manchester United obviously), to me they are still Franco's team and l prefer Barcelona.

l also have happy memories of going to see Barcelona (up in the Gods) when l was travelling round Spain in the 1980's. If l can dig out an old ticket l will scan it (might be hard to find amongst my other junk). l also prefer Barcelona (easily) to Madrid as a city.

5 : The Bursapor fans against Manchester United tonight were outrageously buoyant and vocal. l know they have only been on the go for a short while (1963?), and may just be happy to be playing a top team, but their support was magnificent. lt puts to shame all the wankers that leave before a game finishes 'to beat the traffic'. Rather sadly, they were a lot more vocal and funnier than an Old Trafford crowd (or Liverpool). The United away fans are class, but those crazy Turks take some beating (and let's not be stereotypical and mention knives).

6 : Nani at the weekend. Yes he cheated (in my eyes). OK he played to the whistle, but he knew he handballed it and it should have been a free kick against him. Unlike De Canio for West Ham, he took advantage against an obvious injustice. I would rather United won games in an attacking, honest and (pretty) cool way, than win them in a boring defensive 1-0 or by cheating (in my eyes). l remember the 5-3 against Spurs a few years ago. That was class. This turned out to be (in my eyes again) grubby. The worst thing was, we would have won 1-0 probably anyway. lf we are going to win the league by cheating, then l will not be celebrating, even if we go above the enemy (Liverpool) by doing so. Class or Ass. It's not difficult.

Then again, no-one mentioned Gomez tried to cheat by throwing the ball miles away from where the handball occurred. I would still rather win (or try to win) the league with dignity and class, or not at all.

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halloween dogs

I saw a couple of examples of these on 'Have l Got News for You' at the weekend and thought they were great. Hence the above. The top one is my favourite (although l would stamp on the bastard if l ran into it).

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halloween magic

Just spent the evening hiding behind the settee to avoid having to give the young kiddies some sweeties, but they are about the only things l am scared of, apart from spiders (and l mean the sweetie hunting kiddies, not the sweets themselves).

l was talking to the FPO earlier and said that, although l don't believe in ghosts, if l thought l saw one coming towards me, l would put out my hand and try to pass it through it, even if l got a bit scared at the time. It's a bit like heights. l go up tall things and mess about, but l still have a slightly worried feeling about it, l just overcome it, so l can experience more (and overcome my pathetic mind). l would do the same with a (so called) ghost (although heights are real, ghosts are not).

l also think that if l did think l was seeing a ghost, l would be convinced it was just my (pathetic) mind trying to play tricks on me. Bloody stupid thing, l will have to get it removed, but where do you start? ls the mind just contained in the brain? The possibilities are endless and it is getting late, so l will leave that argument for another time.

l do despise people who take advantage of sad gits and pretend they are communicating with the dead as in " He wants to talk to you and say everything is OK, but it's not a clear line" sort of brigade. lf they could really produce a real talking skull, l would be first in line.

l do like the old posters though.

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a new baby has been born and l am scared

Had some outrageous news tonight. The FPO's sister (Louise) has only gone and dropped a baby. When l say dropped, l mean suffering for ages and then producing a rather large (9 pound something) baby. Looking at the father, and the size of his fat head, l did think the baby might be a bit unusual. But there is more. Louise was born on Friday the 13th, and this baby (girl, no name yet), has been born on Halloween. I am scared, very scared.

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work, work, bloody work (and reginald perrin)

Damn! (and Damn! again). l have been working way too hard as we still have not got all the new starters inducted yet, people are on holiday, and l have to slave away. Damn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Much as l love money and the spending of it, most of the time l don't really care about it, so even though l am earning a lot more in my new job, l would rather have an easy life. At least we are all off to Berlin soon, so there is something to look foreward to (as well as Christmas and the New Year). l also suppose that once all the new starters are inducted and working normally (or as normally as you can within our houses), life will be so much cushier. If not, it's time to do a Reginald Perrin and claim the insurance.

Two points.

1 : l am not insured, so if l do die, it is not an insurance scam, my FPO has probably killed me.

2 : l saw some of the new series of Reginald Perrin the other night. My giddy aunt, it was crap. Who the hell writes that kind of rubbish? If l was not such a lazy working class oink, l would get off my loathsome spotty behind and write something better myself.

Actually, three points.

3 : l am a spotty bottomed working class oink, so don't try and make me write something or do any extra work.

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cd packaging and prices

This has been bugging me for a while. All the record companies do is whine about how sales are dropping and people are downloading everything for free nowadays. A bit like back in the day when 'Home taping is killing music' was on the go. Admittedly it is worse now, but once the technology is there to replicate a CD pretty much how it is in the shops, you will do so, printing off the covers as well. Especially when the record companies had no qualms about overpricing product and ripping off the most loyal, record buying customers in the past. Remember the fact that CD's were about £15 years ago, including all the old acts that the companies had already paid out for, promoted, and then sold the same product back to the most loyal fans at outrageously inflated prices. Bastards. They reap what they sewed (that can't be the right spelling) back in those days and l can't blame people (like me) taking the free option. It's also galling when they prosecute either kids, or in the other case long term music fans (like me eventually), who have spent a lot of their disposable income on records, CD's and concerts already. they are also not too bothered about selling blank media (CD's, DVD's or tapes) so we can make those copies. It's about time the tables were turned and the customer had some power.

As Lennon said - Power to the people (and l'll see you in court)

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mostly girls poster

I like this old poster from 1936, as it advertises directly, to the point, and with no added fuss. Mostly girls.

They knew how to market shows in those days.

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new album sleeves (again)

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childhood in the states many years ago

Here's a couple of old photographs of kids in the USA from many moons ago. The top one was taken in September 1939 of a couple of Milwaukee lads watching a parade. Just look at the clothes on the lad to the right, they must have been pretty poor (ripped jeans, no shoes).

Then again, look at the clothes on the bottom picture. This is a Massachusetts street gang from1916. My my, they new how to strike a pose. I think l may start bringing those trousers back into fashion. It's a hard task, but l am up for it.

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even more old stars

Time is flying by way too quickly

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more rock stars getting old

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the little pea

What a great result this afternoon. Backs against the wall, Rooney out, and yet The Little Pea comes up with two goals. As a rather fantastic footballer (back in the day) l know a decent player when l see one. The Little Pea is 0ne of them.

The one thing that surprised me today was the fact no-one mentioned Gerd Muller scoring against England in the 1970 World cup (2-0 up and then losing 3-2) as Gerd (or Mr Muller) scored with a backward header similar to The Little peas today (but against Peter Bonetti).

Without a knowledge of your history, you're like a vegetable in this society (Aswad)

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Football - it's great

the new book by keith richards

l am looking forward to getting the new Keith Richards autobiography next week (if not sooner), even though it will have a load of dodgy tales in it that may not all be true.

There is no way it can ever be as good as fans of his want, but anything is better than nothing.

On the Stones front, here's some before and after pics of them.

Old age - what a bummer.

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jose was right about wayne rooney

Very insightful from Jose, but l am still pissed off with Rooney (or his advisers) for slagging off the club and players. I hope he still scores and plays well for United, as my love for them overrides everything, but, like Ronaldo, he has now blown it for me. He could have been up there with the Best, Laws, Hughes and Cantonas and become a legend. Now there's just a sour taste in the mouth.

Scouse money grabbing bastard

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is thatcher dead yet

What a great site this is- simple, yet straight to the point.

l'm stocking up on the party poppers.

http://www.isthatcherdeadyet.co.uk/

And l don't care that she is now a frail old lady - you reap what you sow (the old 'no such thing as society' witch)

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how to pet a kitty

If you desire a poster of this, go to :

http://shop.theoatmeal.com/products/how-to-pet-a-kitty-poster

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