1490 days ago
The twitter exchange below is self explanatory.I despair…
2142 days ago
I record with Argentina and Iceland in the background on mute. Hell's teeth who on earth could support the fecking Argies? I explain the sheer torture Brokerman Dan Levi has in store for me in six weeks time and give him a reason to add to that. Andalas (ADL) is utterly worthless crap and his commentary on Friday and the statement that resulted utterly stinks. Anyhow consider how he will torture me as we walk 32 miles, feel sympathy and SPONSOR ME HERE. Then I look at Paul Scott winning an award for PR and at events at Theranos and Tesla.
3555 days ago
The sharp sell off last week in equity markets could be the precursor of worse to come. Argentina went bust. The biggest bank in Portugal seems to be heading the same way. So in this cheery vein this week’s reader poll asks who is next to go bust. We offer you a range of ptions. Vote now, poll closes Sunday night:
3575 days ago
I snuck out last night to watch the World Cup. The longer it lasted the more I could put off driving back along the long and windy road in the dark to the Greek Hovel. And even worse, to getting out of the car, walking ten yards through the grass to the Greek Hovel wondering what wildlife was lurking in the grass or inside the hovel. As it happens it was a wildlife free experience. Even Mr Rat seems to have “taken his medicine” and disappeared.
The taverna was packed and it soon became clear that I was the only person not supporting the Argies. As the Argies “scored” the taverna rose as one. As the linesman raised his flag for offside one fist punched the air. It was then that the dirty looks started.
How I wished I spoke Greek and could have explained that I too loathe the krauts but that the Argies are for Falkland’s related reasons even worse. But I spoke no Greek and so the loud cheers and increasingly timid punches from me continued. And then the Belgrano moment…The Argies sunk by a sub. The Taverna was not happy. I was rather hoping that it would go to penalties so postponing my encounter with wildlife diversity back at the hovel but on balance was delighted.
Watching Germans celebrate and Angela Merkel smile and clap with joy caused me no great pleasure but
3598 days ago
Tonight’s first World Cup game sees Islamofascists Iran up against the Argies. As a keen supporter of the Falkland Islands but also not a great fan of a country which strings gays up from cranes, treats women like third class citizens and wishes to complete Hitler’s work when it comes to the Jews this is a dilemma.
In an ideal world both would be found guilty of cheating and lose 10 points. Or maybe Argentina could default on its debt at half time (as it does every few years) and like a football league side lose 20 points?
It is too hard to call…on balance I suppose you have to go for the underdogs. Come on Iran!
3605 days ago
So Ireland did not make it to Brazil. That leaves me with a dilemma – who to support? If this was Rugby and Ireland were not playing it would be simple: anyone playing England. The swagger, pomposity and arrogance of English rugby drives me to supporting anyone up against the Old Enemy. But I just don’t feel that way about soccer.
The selection of Neanderthal half-wits who wear the England shirt and whichever hapless sap is in charge do not rile me in the slightest. I feel a general sense of contempt for all the Premiership prima donnas but there is no great hostility towards England as a national side. And so on balance I wish England well and will naturally cheer them on for their entire campaign. All three matches.
But I’d rather like to be rooting for a side with a good chance of making it through to the second phases. And also I really find it hard to root for any team that has as its talisman Wayne Rooney. And every time I see Joe hart on TV earning yet more money promoting shampoo I find myself wishing the mercenary pig nothing but ill. As such my mind had wandered to Greece. I was told that the Greek team – who collectively earn less than Mr Rooney does on his own – are not that bad. Having now seen them play I accept that they are quite bad.
Having completed a fiendishly complex sweepstake created on an Excel spreadsheet by a friend of the Mrs which forced the Mrs and I to predict every result and how many goals Messi scores, I now reckon that the last four will be Holland, Portugal, Brazil and the Argies. And I’d go for an all South American final with the hosts winning.
So I cheer for Greece and England. And as neither will make it past the group stages there is unlikely to be a time when I have to choose between the two. After that – how about Holland. As they play in Orange the Ulsterman in me sees the links and they were superb against Spain.
3746 days ago
You know I have a hard life. Deciding which 14 bottles of beer to drink is the sort of chore that I have to suffer. I can sense the waves of pity heading my way. Actually it was not quite as it seems.
The countdown to the launch of our new Spanish themed wine bar Maribelle’s is accelerating. We go live on Monday February 3rd at 91-95 Clerkenwell Road. Fear not, Real Man Pizza is not closing – it thrives with its new menu as the quirkiest Italian restaurant in town. It is just that we are opening up our unused basement as Maribelle’s. And so last week I worked hard on:
Hiring a new waitress. The first girl to walk in was Ana from Spain. What can I say? Her CV was perfect, she wants to be a journalist but she could be a model. She had the job in 30 seconds. No messing about there. An easy executive decision.
Then the wines – 25 Spanish wines, white, red, rose, Cava. I love a white Rioja. That was fun. Eight Sherries as well. I know I kind of associate sherry with our grandparents, with what my philosophy tutor at Oxford Dr Malpas used to pour before a tutorial or with the 1970s. But white Sherries, chilled, can be fantastic and we have a cracking selection on offer.
Then to the “Spanish speaking beers”. This is a bit of a cheat. Of the 14 one is a Spanish cider. And seven come from Spain. The rest are from Argentina, Peru, and Mexico and – as a real cheat since they speak Portuguese there – one is from Brazil. I dithered about the Argie lager but it is just so good.
Then the real treat – the tapas menu. A few heated discussions with Maribelle herself (our chief waitress from Spain who has two degrees in economics and takes her clothes off to campaign for world peace) ensued. But we have agreement now and this week the cooks will be practising hard to get everything just right.
The sign makers are commissioned and new signage goes up this week while the electricians and carpenters are in over this weekend. This afternoon Darren and I will finalise the artwork (some debate over a brass model of a woman’s bottom is still to be concluded – I vote yes, Darren and his Mrs are dithering) and the furniture. And then down to the marketing literature featuring Ana.
All of the team at Real Man is very excited about this new venture. Fingers crossed. I hope to see many blog readers popping into Maribelle’s from the third. Hint: Ana works Tuesday to Thursday.
3894 days ago
Perhaps they were all psychic and sensed pending news but Clerkenwell's finest celtic Italian restaurant Real Man Pizza was a buzz all day yesterday. First up was blog reader Gareth to whom I promised a Piss off Argentina T-shirt in a caption contest a while ago. We will not go into details as to how much of a while. Gareth was in town, popped in for lunch and was – as you can see – presented with his shirt by myself (wearing my Sod off Spain T-shirt which is getting stacks of positive comments). You can buy both shirts only HERE
4065 days ago
The results of the Falklands Island Referendum are out. Turnout was 90%. 1,513 good folks voted to stay British. 3 electors voted to become Argies. To President Obama of the United States and President Cristina Fernandez of the bankrupt State of Argentina, I say: "your grasp of economics suggests that you are innumerate but even you can see that the message is loud and clear Piss off Argentina
Now please respect the principle of self-determination which throughout this world has, for a century, been universally accepted and just piss off and leave the Falklands alone. And British."
My only surprise is that there were three people on these British islands who wished to become Argies. But I guess after years of in-breeding you are going to get the odd person who ticks the wrong box by mistake.
You can, off course, show where you stand by buying your very own Piss off Argentina mug, T-shirt or hoodie in my online store HERE
4113 days ago
The Argie Type 42 Destroyer the Santisima Trinidad was the flagship of the invading forces the last time the Argies chose to ignore the principle of self determination and practice imperialism in the South Atlantic.
After Margaret Thatcher (rightly) gave the order to sink the Belgrano, this ship and the rest of the Argentine Navy headed back to port and sat out the military humiliation of their country in peace. The ship was decommissioned in 2004 but has sat in its full glory in port since then as a reminder of the Falklands campaign.
And this is it yesterday. Sinking faster than the Argentine economy.
4125 days ago
I have just worked a 22 hour day, juggling the needs of sick staff, bills to pay, deadlines to meet etc. That is what life is like in the private sector. The bit of the economy that employs folks, pays over taxes to support the State, etc. And the chances of myself or my staff getting a 32% pay rise this year are zippo. Frankly almost no-one in the UK will get that sort of rise this year.
But one bunch of parasites, tarnished by allegations of corruption, working 3 days in 5 and universally despised reckon they merit a 32% hike taking them from the top 5% of earners into the top 1%. Even had I worked only 21 hours yesterday I would still be livid.
This week’s caption contest is in honour of the scumbags who forget that they work for us not the other way round. Please post your captions in the comments section below.
The best caption will win an “It’s Time to leave T-shirt which you can also buy exclusively here.
4125 days ago
Argie President Fernandez really is a hoot. The woman is beyond parody. As her country’s economy sinks further down the plug-hole her posturing gets ever more ludicrous. Even deluded tax dodging lefties (i.e. the Guardian) must by now be giving up on her. Her latest outburst is a classic. Speaking after she managed to retrieve some old sailing boat used by her Navy for training which had been impounded in Ghana as a result of the Argies not paying their bills, the Botox Queen said:
“Argentina once again has been attacked by speculative funds, and by others who threaten to come 12,000 kilometres (7,450 miles) to invade and militarise our Malvinas.”
Er…. hang on those would be the Malvinas commonly known as the Falkland Islands which have been British for almost 200 years, where 100% of the population want to stay British and where the only country that has tried to invade them and militarise them in the past Century has been the Argies in 1982. And we know what happened to the pride of Argentina’s navy then.
This is not going to stop. As the Argie economy sinks faster than the General Belgrano there will be more outbursts. This will only stop when Ferrnandez fails to deliver the Falkland’s for her people and like General Galtieri she pays the price for failed sabre rattling ( or in his case sabre usage) and is slung out.
And don’t forget to enter this week’s Caption Contest – Piss off Argentina special HERE.
4133 days ago
The Argentine economy is going down the toilet. Inflation is 25%, growth is slowing fast and workers are protesting on the streets. In large part this is down to the misguided policies of the Botox-loving President Fernandez. In order to deflect attention from her own incompetence the silly cow is once again stoking up a row over the ownership of the Falkland Islands where a plebiscite this year will show that 99% of the sheep shaggers wish to stay British.
Her latest ruse is to waste Argie Government cash by taking out an advert in a British paper which makes huge operating losses from spouting piffle for its dwindling readership of ageing deluded lefties and whose (profitable) parent company is one of the smartest tax dodgers going. I refer, of course, to the Guardian. Both Argentina and the Guardian can piss right off.
Britons settled in the Falklands when they were deserted since the European political elite who rule the artificially created country that is Argentina were, at that time, too busy exterminating native Indians
4185 days ago
My weekend has been spent walking in mid Wales. I needed a break from non-stop writing. And as always I am one who tries to be aware of local cultural sensitivities and so when in Wales…do as the Welsh do.
Hence on Saturday afternoon
4226 days ago
I know that some folks reckon that our Piss Off Argentina T-shirts and mugs are a gimmick and do not really exist. Well they do and always have done. And here is the proof: I have today received five in the post.
One is for me (as you can see below). Two are for caption contest winners other than me. One is for David Cameron for the next time he goes to the UN. And we will be presenting one to the Argentine embassy in London shortly as a gift for that mad cow who is in charge of the Argies right now.
4232 days ago
They are at it again. Argie President Kirchner has again demanded that the UK discuss the future of the Falkland Islands with her. What does this silly woman and her countrymen not understand. The Falklands are not called the Malvinas and are British.
Speaking to the assorted dictators and despots who sit in the UN General Assembly the silly woman claimed that
“Next year it will be 180 years since the UK illegally usurped our Malvinas Islands. We reiterate this is not a bilateral issue between the UK and us, this issue has become a global issue – there have been many resolutions all asking the UK to sit down at the table and talk to Argentina, but they refuse we just request compliance with the UN resolution.“
Ok. Let’s get the facts straight.
4261 days ago
Having enraged half the lunatics who fall in love with small oil shares and post demonically on Bulletin Boards with my bearish remarks about AIM listed oil exploration stocks Range Resources (RRL) and Red Emperor (RML) – and having been vindicated already – it is time to piss off the other half with a few comments about Falklands darling oil penny share Borders & Southern (BOR).
At 32.5p Borders is capitalised at £157 million. Its shares raced ahead on 23rd August after announcing its analysis of the Darwin well drilled earlier in the year. The results are a 46-49 degree condensate with a mean recoverable volume of 190 million barrels. The company will start a seismic programme during 2013 with drilling thus unlikely to take place until 2014. The company is fully cashed up to fund the seismic and its ongoing (not insignificant) PLC costs but to drill it must either farm out the prospect or pass the hat around yet again.
190 million barrels of condensate sounds a lot. But is it?
4330 days ago
The incredibly ugly woman who is President of Argentina (Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, if you care) has attempted to confront Call Me Dave over what she calls the Malvinas. History is written by the winners so I shall stick with the Falkland Isles. To give him credit CMD told the old trout to piss off and that is exactly what Britain should do if the Argies try anything on once again.
