loans available!!

It's a good job that some kind soul called Jonathan has been around dropping off leaflets to offer me a loan if l am desperate. He certainly looks to be offering competitive rates, at only 466.37% APR.
I think l'll pass, and l've also blanked his number out, as the last thing l want to do is advertise these kind of loan sharks that prey on the vulnerable in our society, especially in these times.

toodle pip

two lottery wins in the bag (hopefully)

That's me sorted for tonight and tomorrow - if l don't win both tonight's £24 million and tomorrows £13.6 million, l will be mightily pissed off.

Always hope for the best !!

toodle pip

EDIT 17.6 - DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMNNNNN!!!!!!

savings at tesco

After calling in at the local Tesco's for some shopping, l got home to discover that on my spend of nearly £65, l had saved 29 pence on branded items.

Hurrah!!

I'm in the money, and off out to celebrate tonight!

toodle pip

west ham united ticket prices

West Ham United are not alone in having these kind of prices, it's one of the many curses of modern football.
If you are a working class bloke wanting to take a couple of your kids to a game, you'd better start saving up, or get some overtime booked in.

toodle pip

charles moore on david cameron's wealth

This was actually printed a while ago, but l never got around to updating the blog. Charles Moore in The Telegraph, taking pity on our esteemed Prime Minister.
Stop sniggering at the back, and try to feel sympathy  for David Cameron, his inherited wealth, and his (to him) 'normal' lifestyle.
Sometimes you couldn't make this crap up

toodle pip

the original gypsy petulengro and spiritualists

To call me sceptical about Spiritualists and Palm Readers / Forecasters would be massively understating my contempt and disbelief for the money grabbing charlatans. This advert in Blackpool made me chuckle though, 'Tony Christie to make a comeback', as forecast by Gypsy Petulengro 34 years ago. I bet she would have lost count of the amount of stars she would have forecast would make a comeback in those intervening 34 years, and if you have enough non specific guesses, you are bound to strike lucky. Sadly, lots of people part with their hard earned money in the hope of some comforting news from dead loved ones, and to rip them off is contemptible. Either they are deliberately fleecing the public (lock them up), or truly believe they have a gift (in which case they are delusional).
Gits.

toodle pip

david james' records

The former England goalkeeper, David James, was recently made bankrupt, and his possessions sold. Even me, as a Manchester United fan feels sorry for him, so where are his friends when in his hour of need?. Among the many items on offer were his records, some of which are above, and if they meant half as much to him as my records mean to me, l'd like to think that, even though he is an ex Liverpool player, one of his rich ex footballer spice boys mates may have bought them back for him, but sadly, l don't hold up much hope. But you never know.

toodle pip

the bar bill at mortons private club

Spencer Matthews from 'Made in Chelsea' (whoever and whatever he/that is) has tweeted a bar bill from Mortons private club in Mayfair, which shows the amount paid as £488706.08.  Now this might not be his bill, it could be printed out as a laugh, and some on t'net think the bill was actually £48,706.08.
The thing is, even if it was printed out as a laugh, it is not too difficult to imagine some posh bastards on a night out spending that kind of money.  A Methuselah of vintage Crystal goes for about £40,000, so the bill can soon start totting up, especially if you are flashing the cash, sharing the booze, and trying to impress people. I thought l was living the high life in New York a few years ago ordering $300 bottles of champagne (I blame the drugs), but this is ridiculous.
England has always had an elite hierarchy, and a gap between the  poor and the very rich, but the current government is making the gap between them expand  at an alarming rate, while simultaneously trying to victimise the poor, sick and vulnerable members of the society they are meant to represent.
Meanwhile, the rich have the time of their lives, and inhabit a different planet and mindset.
Bastards!
Time for a revolution brothers and sisters.

toodle pip

the cartoon graph of wealth

No comments on this, as once l get started, l'll never get to bed.

todle pip

geoff and michelle win the lottery

This is Geoff and Michelle Hughes, who used to run the Colburn Lodge a few years ago, which was one of my local pubs.  They then moved to Middlesbrough and ran The Coronation pub in Acklam, which, as luck would have it, was also one of my haunts, as Robbo and Kerry lived around the corner from it, so l would go there and then stay over.
I found out last week that they had won nearly $78,000 on the lottery by getting 5 numbers (plus the bonus ball).  Now they are pretty nice people, but l am still bitter, twisted, and jealous as anything.
I would be off to America and Japan in no time if l won (and probably dead pretty soon afterwards).

toosdle pip.

the cardiff city promotion and tiger comic from 1972

Whilst scanning some comics for another blog (OK - l admit l am sad), l saw this picture of Cardiff City in an old Tiger comic from 1972.  They have just been promoted to the football premiership this week for the first time in about 50 years, which must be real 'Roy of the Rovers' stuff for Craig Bellamy, who went back to Cardiff to play for his old boyhood club, who he used to watch with his father, and who he has just helped gain promotion (the club, not his father).
The thing that sours it, is, as you can notice in the photograph, they are known as 'The Bluebirds' and play in a blue kit.
That is, until they were taken over recently by Malaysian billionaires, who then changed the kit to red, and bugger the team (or community that support the team's) tradition.  Luckily for them, the team have done excellently since then, but that is not the point.
Money doesn't talk, it corrupts and steamrolls everybody's principles, and leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
Then again, having no money at all is even worse.
At least now they will be amongst other teams with the same kind of ownerships and disregard for the fans, and l should know, l support Manchester United.
The modern commercialisation of football is shit.

toodle pip

a bank gives out extra money

The Bank Of Scotland cash machine in Rutherglen, Scotland, started to give out extra money, until some spoilsport went and alerted the staff inside.  Cues had formed of people wanting to cash in, but l am surprised there wasn't a riot. The bank say they will be in touch with customers who 'Have been affected'.  I bet they will.

toodle pip

starbucks pays no tax

This is the sort of stuff that pisses me off when we are 'All in it together'.  I get sick of going on about how the Tories look after the rich, but there's more about the Starbucks tax avoidance at Channel 4 news here.  Boycott them and their stinking overpriced cups of froth (and eat the rich). 'All in it together' my arse.

toodle pip

jumping from space

So, Felix Baumgartner managed to do his dive from the edge of space and back to Earth in one piece, and the edited video above shows just how high (just over 24 miles) up he was, and how impressive it looked.  It's a remarkable thing to do, and is unlikely to be beaten, but it also made me think about the astronauts that risked their lives travelling further out into the great unknown.  The most famous ones are the Apollo 11 crew of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, who were the first ones to successfully go to the Moon, land, and then return (although Collins did not go onto the surface).  If you are so inclined, the item below is for sale at RR Auctions.  It is signed by all three Apollo 11 astronauts, and is a snip at just over $1,500 at present.  This is one of the many times when l should be loaded, so l can fill up the house with more junk.  Saying that, if l was stinking rich, l'd have a go at doing the jump myself.  Anyone can jump, it's the landing you have to worry about..

Phew!  I have managed to do the whole piece without going for the obvious 'The Man Who Fell To Earth.'

Damn!

toodle pip

jeff lynne at home

Watching a documentary about Jeff Lynne of ELO and The Travelling Wilburys (amongst others) yesterday, l was impressed by what appeared to be his front room.  A classic rock stars home, with the large rug, records on the wall, huge armchairs, and a robot in the corner.  To say l was jealous would be a rather large understatement.  He also came across as a likeable, down to earth bloke, who rose from good old working class stock to huge financial riches, hanging out and recording with his heroes, so good luck to him.  Saying that, re-recording his own records is the workings of a mad control freak with too much time on his hands, but what the hell, it's his time and his money, so if it makes him happy, l won't lose any sleep over it (but he probably will).

toodle pip

sunderland v manchester united 2010

Time is certainly flying by.  I went to this game exactly two years ago, but it certainly doesn't feel like that amount of time has passed.  It was a 0-0 draw, l ended up going by myself as Robbo ended up not being able to go, and l also got a parking ticket as (my own fault) l left my car on the grass outside of the Sunderland supporters pub outside the ground (despite the warnings about tickets). The price you have to pay to be cool.   I may well be (OK, I am) an arse, but l am seriously debating whether to bother with the Newcastle United v Manchester United game this weekend.  It will be about £40 (or more) for a ticket, add on drinks and travel to up the cost, plus it's also on Sky, where l can watch it from the comfort of my settee with crisps and ale, and then hit the pub afterwards.  I think the ticket prices nowadays are taking the piss, but l will also probably have to go in the Newcastle end, as l haven't got a ticket for the Manchester United away end.  This means it's not so atmospheric and much less fun, and to top it all, you have to (generally) keep quiet about being a United fan.  Last year it pissed it down and Manchester United got beat, so is it really worth it?  I think if an away end ticket or two materialises, l'll go, otherwise, my (limited nowadays) trips to matches may be coming to an end (apart from special occasions).  It's not like the old days.   I remember when you could just turn up with your pocket money on a whim (good bikes),  pay on the gate, indulge yourself with a programme and bovril, and still have enough left for a bag of chips and scraps on the way home.  Kids today don't know nothing blah blah blah etc etc ......

toodle pip

chris evans has the chitty chitty bang bang car

I have no great interest in cars, but this is one little beauty l would have liked to own.  It's the car from 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang', a film which l loved when l was a kid, and was bought by Chris Evans for £500,000.  He has finished making it roadworthy, and can now drive it home from work.  It certainly makes my Rover look like a pile of crap.  I wish l had loads of money, but it's good to know Chris isn't wasting his anymore (the jammy git).  Pictures are from The Sun.

toodle pip

£148m win on lottery

This couple from Suffolk have just won £148m on the Euro lottery.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

l am so jealous.

toodle pip

the piss taking rich and the long suffering poor

One of the many things that annoy me about the present government, is how they are targeting the poor and disabled, more or less calling them a bunch of scroungers who are on the fiddle, unless they themselves can prove otherwise, because 'we are in a recession' and the government are  'trying to rectify Labour's mistakes and rash spending'.   Then they reduce the tax for the rich.  Non of this surprises me, as this new report about the rich avoiding taxes and using off shore tax havens also fails to do.  Apparently, avoiding taxes to the tune of 13 trillion pounds.

Want to know what a trillion looks like?  Check out this diagram, because although it is dollars, it is still astonishing.

Bunch of bastards, all of them.

I've said it before, and l'll say it again, it's time for a revolution brothers and sisters.

toodle pip

the banking / libor scandal

toodle pip