2369 days ago
A kind reader in the land of the free emails with praise about my article on the Irish murder referendum HERE and makes a couple of suggestions. The first is that i should move to Texas and run for office.
2509 days ago
That Hollywood had a major problem with sexual harassment is beyond doubt. That it is starting to clean up its own Augean stable is undoubtedly a very good thing. One hopes that folks like Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey get their just desserts but also that those who were already rich and secure but who put their own careers before principle and said nothing so putting more vulnerable folks at risk are rightly pilloried. I refer to women such as Meryl Streep and Oprah Winfrey.
3168 days ago
Sadly in late June I shall not be in Bristol but will instead be working hard to rebuild the Greek Hovel. Even if planning consent is not quite in by then, I am free to start preparatory work such as digging out the stone floor of the bat room and demolishing the illegal construct on top of the rat room, the area known as the snake veranda.
The Mrs was set to join me but is now altering her travel plans. Tom Winnifrith just cannot compete with Deacon Claybourne, Gunner, Scarlett and Will Lexington. Nashville fans will know exactly what I mean. If you are not a fan of this must-watch TV series you do not know what you are missing.
We caught Gunner in action at a Country show last year in London. Rather suprisingly the actor who plays Texan born Gunner is in fact a Brit and is an accomplished singer songwriter as well as an actor. Gunner used to date Scarlett who is the neice of recovering alcoholic Deacon, now back with his sweetheart the star of the show Rayna. Deacon may or may not be dead, that is the cliffhanger at the end of series three. Well actually there was no way that Deacon who is the star of the show could be killed off, and as American viewers who are already well into Series 4 know, Deacon is alive but his ghastly sister Beverley is not doing so well.
At least for British viewers, Will is back as Gunner's housemate following the collapse of his faux marriage because he is in fact a closet homosexual. It
3848 days ago
A treat last night: two episodes of Nashville to catch up on. That, and a delicious thyme chicken and grilled vegetables prepared by the Mrs – what more could a man ask for? Normally on such a TV fest I would nip out during the commercials for a fag but as of last night I am on the e-cigarettes and, as such, there was no need to move for my commercial e-fag break.
After all, an e-cig is odourless and all it emits is water vapour. There is no question of passive smoking. And so as Viking River Cruises tries to persuade us to book into a cruise down the Rhine for some wife-swapping with 90 year olds, I take a drag on the e-cigarette.
“Why can’t you go outside for that?” said the Mrs. I despair. So reviled is anything to do with smoking in the UK today that I expect this is a common reaction. It is enough to make me take up smoking Marlboro Lights again.
Fear not. I have not. Tonight’s Eurovision Party (heaven help me, it is friends of the Mrs) may be a tester but my resolve is strong.
3854 days ago
Before leaving for Greece I asked the Mrs to do just one thing and to swear that she had done it: set the TV to record Endeavour and Nashville. She swore that she had.
I arrived home at 3.45 AM and by mid-morning she had finally fessed up. I ask you: is this not a breach of my human rights? Can I not seek compensation from someone?
We have been working hard on ITV Player and C4 Catch Up and are now only 1 episode of Endeavour (the young Inspector Morse) and two Nashville’s awry. She is forgiven but only just.
3876 days ago
In a couple of days I shall be on the road again, picking up the Mrs at Athens airport and heading off to the Mani. It is three hours to Athens, an hour to get lost in the City and then five more to the Mani. The Mrs will, no doubt bring CDs so for the last five hours it will be a mix of Nashville with the odd George Michael track (her choice not mine). But until we meet up I will listen to the radio as I love Greek pop.
The beat and some of the strains clearly have a Turkish influence (I hope no-one here is reading this) but there are also very European themes and so I am a big fan. Perhaps that is in part because I do not understand very much of what is being sung.
With English pop I know that 99% of the lyrics are inane piffle. With Greek pop I am sure that the same is true but I can kid myself that the pained lyrics are about the struggles of the War of Independence, the misery of 58% youth unemployment or the tragedy that has been joining the Euro. I know I kid myself but it makes for great listening. Sadly as I start to learn Greek the cost will be that I can no longer kid myself.
The track below from the High Queen of Greek pop Despina Vandi was one that the Mrs and I had on our wedding play list last year.
3954 days ago
One gets into a spot of bother with your bank accounts getting frozen in a country where you do a lot of business. But heck, you are on the AIM Cesspit, the accounts are in bongo bongo land so no-one will get to hear about this affair and you know that you will be able to sort the darkies out sooner or later so why should Pittards (PTD) have bothered to fess up to investors. Who gives a FF about AIM Rule 11 anyway?
It is not as if sleepy Nomad (step forward John Wakefield at WH Ireland) gave a damn – he told Pittards that there was no need to bother shareholders with news of this rumble in the jungle. But fear not, since I am an avid follower of the must read publication International Leather Maker I will help Pittards shareholders out by publishing for them the RNS statements they could not be arsed to publish themselves.
International Leather Maker really is a bodice ripper. The most read article of the past seven days is: ECO2L -Climate protection and Leather which relays the “First experiences with the environmental certificate: Energy Controlled Leather (ECO2L) by Dr Thomas Schröer, Verband der Deutschen Lederindustrie (VDL) Dipl. Ing (FH), Jutta Knödler, I-T-G GmbH.” Sod the next series of Nashville, Kylie on The Voice or the Bridge Series 2 this is real entertainment. It has it all.
I digress. My fave new website
