Not such a Good Boy

Weight Loss - Well I've got to be honest and admit I've not been too good with what I've eaten this week, don't know why but I've had a coulpe of crazy moments when I've stuffed all the wrong stuff down my throat. With my holiday starting this Sunday I think thats it for weight loss for three weeks but I've promised myself it'll be straight back on track on my return.

Olympics - I don't know if you've all been watching the Olympics but I have and have got to say I'm proud with what my country has achieved, currently we are third in the medals table with 18 golds. The two countries above us China and America have many more times the population so we can't expect to beat them. Ok another big country Russia may pass us (currently one behind) but its still a fantastic achievement, our best medals haul for 100 years.
And lets not forget we'll have home advantage next time.

Holiday - As I said earlier I'm away from Sunday so don't know when I'll be next online so don't think I'm ignoring any of you. I will try to post while away. The start of my trip is not quite going to plan, I went to get my train ticket and found out that Sunday they are working on the line to Leeds where I should change. I've now got to go via York which takes quite a bit longer, nothing major just a pain as I'm not flying while Monday just staying overnight in Manchester.

Will I Fly

1. Flight - Well I'm a bit worried after reading todays newspapers, apparently Baggage Handlers & Security staff at Gatwick & Stanstead Airport are staging a one day strike on August 25th over a long standing pay dispute. As it happens that is the day I fly to America for my holiday but I'm flying from Manchester not one of the airports involved. However I read on and apparently staff at Manchester are voting this week on whether they will join their colleagues. So I'll now be watching the news to see what happens.

Even if they do walk out my flight may possibly be ok as I'm flying with American Airlines and so far they are not effected at the other airports.

What narks me is they seem to do this each year at what is probably the buisiest weekend (its the bank holiday) ruining thousands of peoples holidays. All I can do is keep my fingers crossed.


2. Surprise Trophy - Went to a TT training day today and one of my team mates in the York Veterans Yorkshire League team was there. He'd been to the county presentation evening and apparently I'd won the divisional merit award, I didn't know at all. Its quite a nice trophy a clock set in a glass stand (see photo).

3. Killer Pool - On my last Post the lovely cactusfreek asked how do we play "Killer Pool", well here is an explanation :-

First you need a group of Pool players (the more the better), then everyone pays a pre-decided amount of money usually £1 each but can be more if you want to up the stakes.

Everyone is given a number say 1 to 10 if you have ten players. All the cards numbered from one to ten are taken from a pack of playing cards then shuffled at put on the side of the pool table upside down so nobody knows which card will be turned over.

Everyone is given 3 lives then the first card is turned over. Whoevers number is turned over breaks and has 2 shots (if needed) to pot a ball. The next card is then turned which decides who the next player is and he must pot any ball (other than white of course), you just carry on turning the cards to decide whoose go it is. Other than whoever breaks players only have one shot to pot, failure to pot you lose a life, once you have lost all 3 lives you drop out.

Once all 15 balls are potted the pack is re-racked and you continue until only one person is left with any lives and he takes the money in the pot. Obviously deciding the order with the cards means you don't know who will be next (its possible to go again yourself), this stops players cheating and leaving their mates on then sharing the money. If all the cards are turned and people are still in they are shuffled and replaced, you then continue.

Win, Win, Win.

1. Winning - "Well its not the taking part its the winning that counts" Hell I'm on a good run Friday :- I played my mate Lofty at Golf, it was a tight match and he was one up with three to play but I managed to turn it on and win the last three.
Saturday :- Of course the mighty whites won theor opening game at Scunthorpe with goals from Jermaine Beckford & new signing Enoch Showumni, it was a good result as Scunny came down from the division above last season.
It was also the qualifying for the table tennis tournament I had a difficult group and was trying out a new bat and had to settle for finishing in band three.
Sunday :- Well I turned it on at the Table Tennis to reach the final of my section only dropping one set on route. In the final I trailed in the first set 8-4 but bounced back to win 11-8 then really turned on the style winning the next two 11-2, 11-1. Best I've played for a long time and won some prize money for my efforts.
Monday :- Didn't have a Pool league match but all our team turned up for practice. We ended the night playing "Killer" for money. We had two games and no prizes for guessing who took all the money in both (yes).
So long this winning streak continue cos the mighty Whites are in action again tonight at Chester in the League Cup and of course I've got my ticket for tomorrows National Lottery (now that would be nice).

2. Weight Loss - I was quite happy the other day when I tried on some casual trousers I bought awhile ago. They were previously too tight so I've never worn them. Well the result is I'm planning to take them on holiday. I have another pair of pin striped jeans, they look really smart but to be honest I couldn't previously fasten them but now I can. However they are still too tight to actually wear so I've still a target to make but I'm doing ok.

Bad Blogger

1. Bad Blogger - Well its a week since my last post and by my own standards thats about as long as I normally get between posts so I suppose I've been a bad blogger. To be honest I've felt a bit of a writing block, I've come online intending to write only to not feel motivated.

2. Excitement - I'm quite excited at present as tomorrow is the start of the Footie season, Leeds are away at Scunthorpe and its a early kick off (before everyone else). So if we win we will be top albeit for a few hours.
Its also the Olympics so our TV's will be full of sport, Team GB are hoping to come 4th in the medal table which would be great for a country of our size, I'll be supporting them all the way. Of course we are robbed of a few medals as our top sports are not played, if Darts, Snooker & Dominoes were in it just think how many medals we would win. Hell they include synchronised swimming and rhythmic gymnastics so why not.
Another thing I'm excited about is its only just over two weeks to my next vacation, so Chicago, Houston & New Orleans here I come.

3. Tax man - My friend the Tax man has been chasing me, I got a form sent to fill in this week. I think they have just noticed I'm paying them next to nothing since getting made redundant and they don't like that after the thousands I've given them.
Well I've nothing to hide so had no problem filling it in until I noticed the envelope they provided to return it. Instead of it been postage paid it said "please affix stamp here", cheeky b*****s.

4. This Weekend - I'm playing in a veterans (over 40's) Table Tennis Tournament in Halifax its the first of the season and I'm looking forward to it. The standard will be high with players from all over the country but I'm hoping for a few good wins but we'll see. I've actually been moved down in the county teams to Yorkshire 4th team from the 2nd team. I'm not dissapointed because the standard was getting tough for me, a lot of new players are reaching the 40 age group. In fact nobody in the county teams ranked above me are older so I reckon I'm doing myself justice to get selected where I am.
Back to the tournament Saturday is qualifying where we play in a group of 8 players, the top 2 go into band one, 3rd & 4th into band 2, and so on. The banded competitions are then played on Sunday, it'll be a amazing performance to getr in band one but realisticly band two would be good for me, think I can be competitive at that level.

5. Weight Loss - Well I reckon I've stagnated a bit, I've a few clothes I'd like to take on holiday but are slightly tight. At present I wouldn't take any of them (I like comfort) butI'll be trying them again before I go then making the decision. With this in mind I've started another push and limiting my daily intake, the last few nights I've managed not to eat late at night (think I've mentioned this is a problem for me before). Must admit last night I was really hungry but didn't give in.
I've also changed a few foods in my diet to lower calorie so its just about seeing how I go. Two weeks isn't long but I'm determined to keep it up after my holiday, I'm using clothes as my motivation.

Today is -

August 1st which is of course "YORKSHIRE DAY" so have a great one my friends even if you are not from Gods Own County.

So this is summer

1. Summer - Yes summer definately arrived this week its been sunny & hot for a few days but no point us getting used to it cos the rain showers are on the way. At least I managed to get some gardening done although the lawn needs cutting.
Trouble is when its hot and humid its impossible to sleep at night, we are not really geared up like some countries with air conditioning in every home. All you can do is sleep naked and sling the covers off, I was gonna post a photo but why should I give you all a laugh.

2. Weight Loss - Don't think I've done too well in the last week or so, had a couple of extra nights out and just sort of feel full. I don't think I've eaten that well although not that badly either but think I need to start counting calories again.
Saying all that I've been doing a few TT training sessions in preparation for the coming season and its been going well I think. I've entered a Veterans summer tournament in Halifax in a couple of weeks so that will be a true test of how its going. I am pleased though cos no signs of the tennis elbow or gout in fact no aches & pains at all, feel as good as anytime in the last 3 seasons.

3. Idiots - The people who have reponsible jobs in our country have again let us down, apparently the Passport office have lost 12,000 blank passports, fantastic thats half of the third world that will be on its way to burdon our society.

4. Comedy Moment - We'll finish with a laugh again with another fantastic sitcom "The Good Life"
Created by John Esmonde and Bob Larbey, The Good Life's four series from 1975-8 are remembered, according to the Britain's Greatest Sitcom poll, as our 9th favourite laugh.
Constantly available on UKTV, it's a must visit for anyone interested in British sitcom.
On his 40th birthday to be precise, Tom Good decides that he's had enough of the rat race and that he and wife Barbara will become self-sufficient.
The pair convert their garden into a farm, get in the pigs and chickens, grow their own crops and on one memorable occasion, try to dye their own wool with nettles.
Tom and Barbara would just be lone loons were it not for their neighbours, the henpecked Jerry Leadbetter and wife Margot, a social climber who cannot bear chickens wandering the back garden.
The Good Life attacked the middle class and the 'alternative' lifestyle at once, showing Margot's snobbishness as blindness, and Tom's fanatical self-sufficiency as going too far.
Examples of Tom's pursuit of natural alternatives leading down the wrong path include his attempts to make a methane-powered car that continually breaks down, as well as the problems Barbara and Tom have trying to kill their chicken, forcing them through pride to make a 'sumptuous feast' of a single egg.
The Good Life was remarkable for the consistent characterisation. Though initially dominated by Tom, Barbara was soon balancing his mad schemes with pragmatism and comforting his occasional lapses into depression. Jerry's mocking derision of Tom's step sideways become grudging respect, and even snobbish Margot was human and real.
The series showcased the talents of Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal, Penelope Keith and Paul Eddington and made all three of the latter into solo stars afterwards, with Kendal becoming a sex-symbol (still is, let’s face it), while Keith in To The Manor Born and Eddington in Yes Minister created roles that were to become even better known than their Good Life creations.
Briers went on to create possibly the saddest small-screen comic character of all time, Martin Brice in Ever Decreasing Circles.
The thirty episodes of The Good Life became household favourites, and are still enduring icons of their time.
In a good-natured, light-hearted way, they showed how hard it was, and is, to be different to those around you, and the kind of courage it takes to be so.

Here is some short clips to laugh at :-

Making Allies

1. Obama Visit - We've just had the American Presidental Candidate Barack Obama visit UK as part of his European tour. To be honest it was quite low key in Britain but apparently in Germany he was given an heroes welcome with the newspapers comparing him to JFK. To be fair to him his speeches were good but I still find him very false, only time will prove me right or wrong.
While over here he had meetings with both the Prime Minister Gordon Brown & Leader of the opposition David Cameron, obviously keeping on the good side of both sides.

2. Night Out - Me and my mate Mark went for a night out around York last night visited a few Pubs, started in "The Terrace" which is a Sports Bar, then on to "The Stone Roses" which is freat for music, they only play British groups. After that we passed a few Pubs cos they were queing to get in as it was really busy as the Races had been on.
The next stop was "The Parish" which is a converted Church really adds charactor to the place. We then went to "The Corner Pin" a small local type Pub before ending the night in "Flares" which is a 70's theme Pub, I like it cos they play all the music I grew up with.
It was quite funny in the Taxi rank, three blokes tried to push in and a girl in front of me had a real go at them and put them in their place.

3. Footie Season - I'm getting excited as its only a couple of weeks to the start of the Football season. Leeds have been having a few pre-season games and are so far unbeaten with 3 wins and 2 draws. To be honest I never read too much into these games its just a case of getting the players fit, last year we didn't win one but when the real stuff started we won our first 7 games.
I haven't been able to go to any of these games but I'm hoping to go to Elland Road next saturday, they are playing a Dutch team should be good.
We've a few new signings, Andy Robinson from Swansea should be good, also big Enoch Showumni will give the team more options. We've also signed a really promising Scottish under 21 international Robert Snodgrass from Livingstone. We have a couple of other young strikers on trial Marcus Haber who is Canadian but more interesting is Argentinian Lucciano Becchio who scored 28 goals in 50 matches in the Spanish 2nd division.

Hopfully this will be the season we turn things around and start heading back to the top the debt is all gone, no 15 points reduction the fans beleive this is going to be our season. Obviously last year ended in defeat in the play off final to Doncaster but I hope the dissapointment will soon be forgotten. The fans are certainly rallying as they always do, seasonticket sales are up from last year when we smashed a lot of attendance records for the 3rd flight of English soccer. As shown below the turn out for the long trip to wembley was phenominal an estimated 55,000 Leeds fans made the journey to London which apparently the third biggest single Club support in the National stadiums history only beaten by Arsenal when they played a home European tie there and Liverpool for a champions league final.

The photo below shows the fans on wembley way before the match Leeds fans to the right & Doncaster to the left, think we outnumbered them a little.

4. Sitcom moment - For todays Sitcom I'm choosing another classic "Dads Army"
A comedy involving an all male (and predominantly elderly) ensemble with major worldwide catastrophe as its backdrop would get laughed out of any current BBC commissioner's office.
Yet Dad's Army lasted longer than the war itself and is a timeless, oft-repeated jewel in the BBC's crown.
Jimmy Perry was acting in the David Croft produced sitcom Hugh and I when he suggested the idea of a sitcom (in which he'd cannily earmarked himself for a role) concerning those men who volunteered to be the last line of defence should the Germans invade.
Croft was impressed, and despite BBC misgivings that it may be disrespectful to the Home Guard, a series was commissioned. Their fears were unfounded, as there was nothing more palpable in Dad's Army than the affection the programme makers had for the characters.
For all their flaws, these men, we could rest assured, would give their lives to defend Great Britain.
Based in the fictional seaside town of Walmington-On-Sea, the series used its setting for a sublime mix of character comedy and lunatic, slapstick escapades.
Social mores are no more acute than in difficult times, and Dad's Army was brilliant at exposing the flaws and anxieties of British society.
Central to the show was a triumvirate of brilliant comedy characters.
Captain Mainwaring was a jumped up, pompous, aspirational bank manager, reveling in the status accorded to him by his newfound rank.
Sergeant Wilson was a far more laid back figure whose urbane insouciance aggravated his superior in the extreme. Corporal Jones was the local butcher, a dotty old man prone to overreaction.
The contrast between Lowe's excellent posturing (and the ability to fall down behind a table and instantly reappear with his glasses skew-whiff), Le Mesurier's measured, laissez-faire delivery and Dunn's dedicated clowning ensured each character a place in comedy history.
It's a testament to the scripts that the platoon boasted illustrious actors in its ranks: admired Shakespearian Laurie was suitably apocalyptic as the cantankerous and pessimistic undertaker Frazer; noted playwright Ridley made the incontinent Godfrey; instantly loveable younger members Beck as the wily spiv Walker (the part Perry had written for himself before Croft talked him out of it) and Lavender as naïve mother's boy Pike were spot on.
Despite the backdrop of conflict, most of the platoon's problems were home grown, notably from jobsworth ARP warden Hodges (Pertwee, usually called upon to fall in a river and seethe with frustration) and the vicar and his verger.
Croft and Perry seemed to cover all comedy bases in a single episode: there were high levels of farce mixed in with brilliantly, subtly observed characters and catchphrases galore ("Stupid boy", "Don't panic!", "We're doomed" and "D'you think that's wise sir?").
Out of one of the gravest moments in this country's history, Croft, Perry and their peerless cast produced one of the most celebratory but least mawkish comedies of all time.
As long as there are fans of comedy, there will be fans of the Dad's Army.

Here's a three clips telling the story :-

Somebodys having a laugh !

1. Oil Price ? - Well I reckon somebody is having a laugh with the cost of Diesil for my car. Sad I know but when the cost of Oil rocketed recently I started to monitor the situation and compared with the price of fuel at the Pumps. I commented before that the government were taking the p**s because the higher the price went up the more they took in tax. As we pay 68% tax the amount they get is obviously more on a larger initial price so they could have cut the tax to motorists and still taken the same amount in actual money.
Anyway that not my complaint today but Oil has now come down on the World market. Well when it went up prices at the pumps went up at the same rate approximately so you would think when the World market dropped it would come down at the same rate, hell no so somebody is making a lot of money out of this.
Here are the figures - Oil peaked on the World market about 2 weeks ago at around $146 per barrel at that time the price at the pumps of filling stations near me were £1.31 per litre. Now since then Oil as dropped to about £128 per barrel a decrease of over 12%. Yet prices at the pumps have only dropped 5 pence to £1.26 a decrease of less than 4%.
If Oil had decreased the same way it went up we should be paying around £1.15 per litre.

2. Supermarket trip - Yesterday I had a couple of "run ins" at the supermarket. First was actually in the shop, I didn't need too much so I took a hand basket and got the items I wanted. When I got to the check outs I made my way to the "Hand Baskets" only till but as I arrived a women came flying in front of me with a Trolley basket and proceeded to put her shopping on the conveyor.
I thought about saying nothing but decided to point out the sign that said "Hand Baskets Only", the women started hurling abuse saying she had less than 10 items. I pointed out thats the rule in Tesco but we are in Morrisons and the sign clearly states "Hand Baskets Only". I was a bit disgusted none of the staff said anything and they actually served her. I think they just did it for a quiet life as she was really wound up. I just don't like ignorant people the rules are there for a reason, if she wanted serving quick and didn't have much stuff then she should have used a hand basket like everyone else in that queue.
Anyway that wasn't the only argument I got on that trip, as I walked out to cross the car park to my car I almost got run over by a bloke flying around dangerously in my opinion. He then wound me up by blasting his horn at me to which I pointed to the Zebra Crossing I was stood on. For those that don't know British law the pedestrian has right of way on a Zebra crossing. We exchanged a few choice words but he drove away when he saw I wasn't gonna back down, why should I when I was in the right.

3. American Hooligans - I see America as finally arrived in the World of Football (soccer) as news reports suggest a clash between English Supporters of West Ham and fans of Columbus Crew.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/2439908/West-Ham-fans-brawl-with-Columbus-Crew-as-football-hooliganism-hits-the-US.html

Had to laugh when I saw the videos on Youtube its more handbags at six paces been totally blown out of all proportion by the press.

4. Comedy - Just thought I'd do a comedy section of my post, my generation as been lucky to have lived through eras of fantastic sit coms on British TV so I reckon I'll show a clip and tell you all a bit about various one's each week for my blog friends to have a laugh at. Ok some of these clips are old but are quality. I'll start with one that everyone puts near the top of their list and start with "Only Fools and Horses" :-

"Only Fools' proved that you can set a show in a scruffy, violent working class Peckham Council Estate without getting all Ken Loach about it. It made cockneys out of everyone born within earshot of BBC1. And put Peckham on the map".
"'Only Fools' gave the world Derek Edward Trotter, the fast-talking, quick thinking whirlwind at the centre of the show who stirs up clouds of cash, sambuca, dodgy Russian video cameras and affection wherever he turns. A fool worthy of Dickens or Shakespeare".
"And it gave us Rodney Charlton Trotter, the ultimate sidekick, straight man and annoying kid brother. The voice of reason, yin to Del's yang. Two GCE's and not an ounce of sense".
"The show is chock full of family values, practical morality and workaday virtues. Family and friends, loyalty and decency, curry and chips. It handles the heavy stuff - thwarted dreams, miscarriage and even death. But can still turn this unpromising material into comedy gold sometimes in a single sentence".
"The show and the characters have grown with the audience in real time. Del's got older, milder, then richer. Rodders has grown some sense and jowls. And it's all 'real', not padding"!
"It has the single best sight gag on telly - Del falling through the bar, and the second best - the chandelier falling down".

Think I've gotta show both them clips (but there was so many more classics) :-

"Don't F**k with the Baldies"

1. Haircut - On Friday I was at a wedding evening do of a friend in York, during the day I played Golf with another friend who had come up for the do from Sheffield. Anyway following the Golf I went home to get ready and decided to give myself a quick haircut.
For some time now I've give myself a low maintenance cut using a pair of shears usually with a number one or two attachment. Anyway Friday when I took the first cut I suddenly realised I hadn't fitted a attachment, yes right down to the bone. Well there was nothing else I could do but continue so now I'm a complete bone head, what a plonker.

2. Cars - I was reading in the papers this week a list of the 10 worst British Cars of all time. Of no surprise to me was bang at the top of the list was the Austin Allegro. I can vouch for that one cos I once had one and it was crap, I had so many problems with that car even once the wheel nuts sheared and left on three.
I was dissapointed that in 2nd place was the Morris Ital cos I've also had one of them and I actually liked that car always thought it looked classy. Come to think of it though all my friends hated travelling in it cos the suspension was strange.
Obviously these where many years ago but neither was my first car that was a Vauxall Viva, loved that car never let me down.
What was your first car ?

3. Music Choice - The Doors with Light my fire

Is the World split in two ?

1. Zimbabwe - When it comes to world politics is the World split in two ? Last week we had the UN security sanctions vote against the Zimbabwe government getting vetoed which to me was quite disgusting. Mugabe's regime that has just sabotaged an election needs the world to stand shoulder to shoulder against them.
However the usual five candidates blocked the vote for sanctions led by the likes of Russia, China, Libya, South Africa & Vietnam(no surprise with any of these). To me its about time the Western world stopped trading with these such countries and just stuck together as one, I know who would be better off.

2. Knife Crime - I'm reading a lot in the newspapers lately about the increase in violent crime in our Cities and especially the use of knives among teens. Now I was totally amused with the governments solution to this they are suggesting people caught carrying knives will be made to visit victims in hospital.
Personally I've another suggestion "Put them in f****g Jail" and make the jails a little tougher and not like holiday camps. In high crime areas give police scanners with stop & search powers its not brain surgery.

3. Irritable People - Do you have anyone that your paths cross each week that really irritates you ? I've one such person in mind and he is really getting on my nerves he's such a sarcastic prat. So far I've bit my tongue but I think its a choice between trying to ignore him completely or tell him straight what I think about him.

4. Music Choice - "Its too Late" by Derek & the Dominoes