london
I am fine, but my friends are not.
It unsettles me, because i cannot do anything to help them and it makes me realise we cannot live another person's life. They will have to live it themselves and if they are ill, they have to suffer it.
I have been ill in the past, usually something trivial, like flu and it can be really awful, and i used to wish there was someone with me to keep me company, but at the same time not really wanting anyone around because they won't be able to help really.
So I feel contradictory and when i get well again, i soon forget all about the feelings i have when i was ill.
How easy it is to forget.
But when friends get really ill, one feels very helpless. Much more helpless when it is a loved one.
I can only fall back on my 'conversations with God' books. They help me accept things as they are and be calm.
I find those 'conversation with god' books by neale walsch are so helpful with anything that distresses me... when i see an arguement on tv, like now ... on some tourist program that exposes the sharp practises of the holiday hotels , doctors, tour guides, it is distressing until i tell myself it does not matter ... souls wants to experience all this cheating and whatnot...
no point getting angry or sad or whatever about it.
So with illness,when loved ones get really seriously ill, and may die... i can only say, I accept whatever the person's soul wishes. I leave it to the person's soul whilst hoping the soul will make it well again and the person restored to good health.
it is something i have to always keep in mind, when someone i love is ill. to accept what their souls desire, whatever it is, and hope that they will get well again so that we can enjoy life again... And resolve to appreciate the person more.
And yet i know, that once if and when the crisis is over, we shall forget about the anguish and go blithely on as before.
Untill the next episode of illness.
Humans!! what strange forgetful people we are.
Thursday, 29 July 2010
Sunday, 25 July 2010
we are really on our own
london
The reason why i said that is because I wanted to talk about something and there is no one i can confide in. I just want to chat with someone.It is quite ordinary conversation, so ordinary that it is not worth calling a friend to talk.
have you ever had that feeling, where u want to chat with someone , just for company... but there is no one who u can call on,(its 11.18pm now , rather late to call anyone) or there is no one u can feel who will be free to chat?
Well, tonight i did want to have conversation, but there is no one i can chat to in the flat tonight. Everyone is out, and even if they are in, i dont think they are the people i want to chat to.
There are some thoughts where it is best done with strangers. Either because people who know you allready have heard it before, or u just want strangers to listen , people who dont know u nor care about you. THey can be just sounding boards.
That is why i think samaritans do a good service, they provide a listening ear.
Maybe that is why these lonely guys go to pubs and bars, where they can strike up conversation with strangers and get to chat to someone who dont know them and so can tell their story all over again.
This blog is quite good in that it allows me to voice my thoughts , which would normally be unspoken. I prefer to speak to someone who might not be interested in hearing it.(sounds paradoxical) or rather, i mean to say it is more a monologue than a dialogue. And since even if there is a stranger sitting next to me for me to chat to, i assume he wont need to say anything as i am the one who wants to talk not him. So a blog can be as good as talking to a real life stranger.
All those people who said it is just the saying that is important, not what is said, or who it is said to are quite right. In the end, any receptacle will do. Most people will write in a diary, and keep it secret. Yet it is nice to throw our thoughts out into the world and a blog is the perfect vehicle for doing that.
Maybe i have been seeing too much depressing tv... I had just seen this new tv series about the modern sherlock holmes. It is based on the sherlock holmes books, but set in modern london. I felt rather depressed after seeing it.
It is very arty and farty... tonight's was about a serial killer who killed 4 people and made it look like suicide. the whole show was quite cleverly done, and at the end it suddenly reminded me of all the detective series involving two people playing off each other. Sherlock and dr watson seem like another one of those partnership in crime solving that is so prevalent in modern day tv series.
i think all that killing made me rather sad. yet, it wont be drama if there is no killings. That is why crime stories are so popular. I find them so depressing.
I dont like them, but there is no getting away from them as they are everywhere. I noticed crime novels are super abundant in libraries. I dont borrow them.
Ah well, I am sure this feeling will pass. I like my own company, so i can take these occasional feelings of wanting company in my stride. Tonight, I shall read the books i borrowed from the library and they shall keep me company... It is easy to go into another world when reading a book and the companionship they give is far more fulfilling than any person can give. I can discard the book and read another without compunction for one thing. you cannot abruptly shift from one person without hurting their feelings.
The reason why i said that is because I wanted to talk about something and there is no one i can confide in. I just want to chat with someone.It is quite ordinary conversation, so ordinary that it is not worth calling a friend to talk.
have you ever had that feeling, where u want to chat with someone , just for company... but there is no one who u can call on,(its 11.18pm now , rather late to call anyone) or there is no one u can feel who will be free to chat?
Well, tonight i did want to have conversation, but there is no one i can chat to in the flat tonight. Everyone is out, and even if they are in, i dont think they are the people i want to chat to.
There are some thoughts where it is best done with strangers. Either because people who know you allready have heard it before, or u just want strangers to listen , people who dont know u nor care about you. THey can be just sounding boards.
That is why i think samaritans do a good service, they provide a listening ear.
Maybe that is why these lonely guys go to pubs and bars, where they can strike up conversation with strangers and get to chat to someone who dont know them and so can tell their story all over again.
This blog is quite good in that it allows me to voice my thoughts , which would normally be unspoken. I prefer to speak to someone who might not be interested in hearing it.(sounds paradoxical) or rather, i mean to say it is more a monologue than a dialogue. And since even if there is a stranger sitting next to me for me to chat to, i assume he wont need to say anything as i am the one who wants to talk not him. So a blog can be as good as talking to a real life stranger.
All those people who said it is just the saying that is important, not what is said, or who it is said to are quite right. In the end, any receptacle will do. Most people will write in a diary, and keep it secret. Yet it is nice to throw our thoughts out into the world and a blog is the perfect vehicle for doing that.
Maybe i have been seeing too much depressing tv... I had just seen this new tv series about the modern sherlock holmes. It is based on the sherlock holmes books, but set in modern london. I felt rather depressed after seeing it.
It is very arty and farty... tonight's was about a serial killer who killed 4 people and made it look like suicide. the whole show was quite cleverly done, and at the end it suddenly reminded me of all the detective series involving two people playing off each other. Sherlock and dr watson seem like another one of those partnership in crime solving that is so prevalent in modern day tv series.
i think all that killing made me rather sad. yet, it wont be drama if there is no killings. That is why crime stories are so popular. I find them so depressing.
I dont like them, but there is no getting away from them as they are everywhere. I noticed crime novels are super abundant in libraries. I dont borrow them.
Ah well, I am sure this feeling will pass. I like my own company, so i can take these occasional feelings of wanting company in my stride. Tonight, I shall read the books i borrowed from the library and they shall keep me company... It is easy to go into another world when reading a book and the companionship they give is far more fulfilling than any person can give. I can discard the book and read another without compunction for one thing. you cannot abruptly shift from one person without hurting their feelings.
Saturday, 24 July 2010
gas and electricity may-june-july 2010
london
Added.6pm
Simon came back with a microwave. It seems he went to argos to buy it for £25. I asked him why, he said the one i got now is not good. it groans a lot he said. It doesn't, just moans a bit when u start it, and i said to him well if u have been around as long as that machine, you would groan a bit too. haha.
he cannot see that it might groan, but it works.
These old models do last a long time, and is idiot proof. So even the most cack handed guest can work it without damaging it.
After all, new does not mean it lasts. The one we bought, only about 4yrs old (or may even be just 3yrs old) has gone kaput recently. Our young guest wrecked it and shorted the electricity in the flat while he was at it. So much for new things. Ah well, i think it is a waste of money to buy new, especially when i got this recycled one that works just fine.
But it is simon's money, so i guess he can spend it the way he wants.
I remember my mother shaking her head when my father came home with something he bought that she did not think much of. And i can understand how she feels. haha.
I got the bills today posted to me.
Gas bill is 74p
I used only 1 metric unit used over 82days
1 metric unit= 11.18kwh x6.620p = £0.74p
last year I used 77.12kwh, costing £5.40
Electricity bill is £43.46p
I used 285 kwh used over 82days
First 112kwh x 22.378p= £25.06
next 173kwh x 10.638 = £18.40
total used £43.46
They summarised my last year's electricity usage as 1328.42 kwh costing £198.13 less £4.44 credit for dual fuel discount and it came to £193.69
I am delighted at these figures. even with the coldest winter for how many years it has not increased my bills.
Added.6pm
Simon came back with a microwave. It seems he went to argos to buy it for £25. I asked him why, he said the one i got now is not good. it groans a lot he said. It doesn't, just moans a bit when u start it, and i said to him well if u have been around as long as that machine, you would groan a bit too. haha.
he cannot see that it might groan, but it works.
These old models do last a long time, and is idiot proof. So even the most cack handed guest can work it without damaging it.
After all, new does not mean it lasts. The one we bought, only about 4yrs old (or may even be just 3yrs old) has gone kaput recently. Our young guest wrecked it and shorted the electricity in the flat while he was at it. So much for new things. Ah well, i think it is a waste of money to buy new, especially when i got this recycled one that works just fine.
But it is simon's money, so i guess he can spend it the way he wants.
I remember my mother shaking her head when my father came home with something he bought that she did not think much of. And i can understand how she feels. haha.
I got the bills today posted to me.
Gas bill is 74p
I used only 1 metric unit used over 82days
1 metric unit= 11.18kwh x6.620p = £0.74p
last year I used 77.12kwh, costing £5.40
Electricity bill is £43.46p
I used 285 kwh used over 82days
First 112kwh x 22.378p= £25.06
next 173kwh x 10.638 = £18.40
total used £43.46
They summarised my last year's electricity usage as 1328.42 kwh costing £198.13 less £4.44 credit for dual fuel discount and it came to £193.69
I am delighted at these figures. even with the coldest winter for how many years it has not increased my bills.
Thursday, 22 July 2010
my £10 M&S voucher from times offer has arrived
london
Added. 8.44pm. i forgot to say that our microwave packed up this morning. i was at the gym, and found it not working when i got back.
Simon tells me that at about 12pm the whole flat had its electricity cut off, with my fuse box tripped out. Dont know what happened. As usual, these things go wrong when i m not in. haha. Either my soul dont want to bother with it, or my soul do not want this, andit can only happen when i am not there. haha.
i changed the fuse in the plug, and it still did not work. Dont know what is wrong with it.
Luckily, i found a microwave in the recycling bins some time ago, and at the time i thought i shall take it to give to Rita, or any of my friends, but now it seems i will have to keep it for myself.
I am glad i picked it up, as i need a microwave now. Its a real old moulinex microwave, with a dial timer. but it works. i only use my microwave to heat food.
6.54pm Added.
I had been showing my friend from paris around cardinal place shopping centre as i wanted to credit my M&S card with the £10 vouchers given to me and he wanted to buy shoes and white shirts for work.
He is on an internship. The company , which is financed by the french govt to help 18-30yrs old french citizens, will find work experience for him in london. He is here for 2months. he can select a job, work for a few weeks, and if he wants to change, he can find another lot of work from the list and do that for a period and change again...
I thought it rather strange for someone to pay the company. (he paid them £1700)to find him work placements so he can get experience in a variety of jobs. he gets paid for the work too.
(He says his salary is will be about £200 a week. )It sounds like a funny arrangement, but it seems to work because he is here.haha. he also gets to improve his english as it seems that is quite important to find work.
Maybe the english govt could do that in paris, or new york... or maybe it can only work in London, because there is so much vacancies to be had here. he said the list he was given featured businesses with french links.
(Added 8.8.10. Well, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. He found out that they did not really keep their word.)
he bought a pack of 3 long sleeved white shirt for £19.50 and one non iron short sleeved shirt for £12.
And clark shoes on their sale price of £34.
I had a lot of fun trying out the shoes and sandals too. I can see why people like shopping... I have no desire to own those shoes though, so that may differentiate me from ordinary people.
and we went to the sainsburys where he bought gammon steak from the delicatessen, £2.50 (which he later says is not a patch on the ones in Paris, though the Paris ones sell for 20€. so i guess for the price, u cannot compare really.
His sainsburys bill came to about £10 which includes some sandwiches and a £3 pack of 10 cocacola cans and some packs of crisps.
I still cannot get over how high people can spend on a supermarket shopping trip, because my usual bill each trip is about £1 or £2 or so. haha.
He tells me he cannot cook, nor like to ... so all those ready made meals will cost.
For all I know, he may be a rent boy, haha. and his work experience is only a cover whilst the real money is made from selling his body. I dont mind,I like befriending anyone. if he is successful as a rent boy , good on him.
The M&S vouchers ( £5 vouchers, 2 of them) came in the post today. That's nice of them to send it so quickly. It was from their promotion letter to me to collect their mastheads.
this promotion is better value, as far as promotions go, as it involves money.
I have been reading the actual newspaper instead of online since the paywall went up. I like reading the printed newspaper anyway.
Wednesday, 21 July 2010
just chatting
london
I use this blog to write my thoughts just to make conversation with myself. And hopefully it might strike a chord wiht some one in the blogosphere. But it is more for me to say it and get it off my chest as it were rather than anything.
This morning, i wanted to buy peanut butter from marks and spencer. At £1 for their crunchy 340mg it is comparable to tesco's. I forgot to go immediately after my gym, when it will be before the lunchtime crowd arrives. When i did go I was surprised at the queue to pay. it stretched right round two sides of the store. so i put back the peanut butter and left the store. I shall get it another time.
Well, if there are so many still wanting to shop i guess it cannot be as bad economy as all that. Walking through the cardinal place shopping area, i was surprised it was so busy, all the eating places were full of people, and even those sitting in the public places eating pack lunch were eating it out of food bought from the stores rather than bringing their own home prepared foods.
Do people still feel rich enough not to bother to make their own lunch?
Last night, a friend who i met recently , who is an airline steward with an american airline, ask me to meet him at the white swan, a pub near me. it has a nice ambience, but i was surprised that the pint of lager,(stella artois from the handpulled pump) cost £3.60. Its been ages since i went to a pub. he offered to buy me a drink, but i did not want him to spend money on me buying some drink that i dont like,so i declined. I won't want to buy a drink for myself, and see no reason to accept a drink from another even if it is a treat. I dont like lager, in fact i dont like any alcoholic drinks. ( which saves me a lot of money haha). I suppose i could ask him to buy me a non alcoholic drink, but i dont fancy asking him to pay for an orange juice, which is reconstituted water anyway. There was nothing there i wanted to drink apart from water from a tap, and even then i was not thirsty.
I know a lot of people would say u buy something from the bar to use the facillities. But i figured that his drink is enough to pay for our use of the premises.
so i just kept him company, till we were joined by my friend Rita, and her friend, David. They bought a drink each, so i guess we have done our duty to the pub, by bringing friends there.
then me and my friend walked to vauxhall, because he wanted to see the gay gym and pubs there.
i took him to Paris gym, which is a all male gym, and is a gay gym. I know the owners long ago when they first started sometime in the 90s. They have doubled in size, but the sauna and changing room is still the same. the equipment is very macho, massive monsters and quite intimidating even to me. haha.
it is not bad pricing, £390 if u pay a year's membership for their off peak, which is very generous, u can go anytime as long as it is outside the peak hours of 4.30pm -8pm. mon-friday. And they said if u come just before 4.30pm u can stay as long as u like. So it is very generous off peak hours.
the only thing is they dont provide free coffee, tea, drinks, and newspapers. I think my fitness first gym is more relaxing. They dont want people to hang around the gym i think, though they do have one computer for members to get online free and they ask members to limit it to 20mins. And their opening hours are long, up to 11pm weekdays.
It's a gym where u meet other guys and take them home or go back to their place. No eating in, as it were.
then we went to vauxhall tavern, and tuesday was the one day when it is free to enter. Other days they have shows which require a entrance fee. So i m glad that day we went there is free as i dont fancy paying just to enter. I have not been to this pub for a long time, but it has not changed much. Surprised it has so many lesbians. The young ones look like young boys... hmm hmm hhahah. shaven heads, fresh looking faces and slim bodies with small boobs.
There was a tranny act, she must be from usa, very professional, and sings her own songs. it was her first performance in a british venue, that is why she was performing on a free night . She could easily head a paid night. My friend from usa was laughing at her lyrics, but no one else was... sigh, american humour may lose a bit in the translation to a british audience.
I use this blog to write my thoughts just to make conversation with myself. And hopefully it might strike a chord wiht some one in the blogosphere. But it is more for me to say it and get it off my chest as it were rather than anything.
This morning, i wanted to buy peanut butter from marks and spencer. At £1 for their crunchy 340mg it is comparable to tesco's. I forgot to go immediately after my gym, when it will be before the lunchtime crowd arrives. When i did go I was surprised at the queue to pay. it stretched right round two sides of the store. so i put back the peanut butter and left the store. I shall get it another time.
Well, if there are so many still wanting to shop i guess it cannot be as bad economy as all that. Walking through the cardinal place shopping area, i was surprised it was so busy, all the eating places were full of people, and even those sitting in the public places eating pack lunch were eating it out of food bought from the stores rather than bringing their own home prepared foods.
Do people still feel rich enough not to bother to make their own lunch?
Last night, a friend who i met recently , who is an airline steward with an american airline, ask me to meet him at the white swan, a pub near me. it has a nice ambience, but i was surprised that the pint of lager,(stella artois from the handpulled pump) cost £3.60. Its been ages since i went to a pub. he offered to buy me a drink, but i did not want him to spend money on me buying some drink that i dont like,so i declined. I won't want to buy a drink for myself, and see no reason to accept a drink from another even if it is a treat. I dont like lager, in fact i dont like any alcoholic drinks. ( which saves me a lot of money haha). I suppose i could ask him to buy me a non alcoholic drink, but i dont fancy asking him to pay for an orange juice, which is reconstituted water anyway. There was nothing there i wanted to drink apart from water from a tap, and even then i was not thirsty.
I know a lot of people would say u buy something from the bar to use the facillities. But i figured that his drink is enough to pay for our use of the premises.
so i just kept him company, till we were joined by my friend Rita, and her friend, David. They bought a drink each, so i guess we have done our duty to the pub, by bringing friends there.
then me and my friend walked to vauxhall, because he wanted to see the gay gym and pubs there.
i took him to Paris gym, which is a all male gym, and is a gay gym. I know the owners long ago when they first started sometime in the 90s. They have doubled in size, but the sauna and changing room is still the same. the equipment is very macho, massive monsters and quite intimidating even to me. haha.
it is not bad pricing, £390 if u pay a year's membership for their off peak, which is very generous, u can go anytime as long as it is outside the peak hours of 4.30pm -8pm. mon-friday. And they said if u come just before 4.30pm u can stay as long as u like. So it is very generous off peak hours.
the only thing is they dont provide free coffee, tea, drinks, and newspapers. I think my fitness first gym is more relaxing. They dont want people to hang around the gym i think, though they do have one computer for members to get online free and they ask members to limit it to 20mins. And their opening hours are long, up to 11pm weekdays.
It's a gym where u meet other guys and take them home or go back to their place. No eating in, as it were.
then we went to vauxhall tavern, and tuesday was the one day when it is free to enter. Other days they have shows which require a entrance fee. So i m glad that day we went there is free as i dont fancy paying just to enter. I have not been to this pub for a long time, but it has not changed much. Surprised it has so many lesbians. The young ones look like young boys... hmm hmm hhahah. shaven heads, fresh looking faces and slim bodies with small boobs.
There was a tranny act, she must be from usa, very professional, and sings her own songs. it was her first performance in a british venue, that is why she was performing on a free night . She could easily head a paid night. My friend from usa was laughing at her lyrics, but no one else was... sigh, american humour may lose a bit in the translation to a british audience.
Monday, 19 July 2010
SWIFT code
london
A friend of mine tried to transfer money from usa to britain and I found out you have to give the SWIFT code.
here in uk, if we transfer within accounts in uk in sterling, we use just the sort code and account number.
But it seems for overseas transactions using electronic transfers u need the SWIFT code which consists of the international bank account number (IBAN) and the branch identifier code (BIC).
Both these numbers can be found in your bank statement. dont guess, dig out that bank statement and copy those numbers. Dont even bother to ask your bank to give you the numbers. Look at your bank statement.
Another thing, dont guess or search for it via google, each account has a unique set of numbers so only one way to find out ur swift code is to look at those figures given in your bank statement.
Personally, i get irritated with the banks for all these extra numbers and making things complicated so just as well i dont send money abroad or have anyone send me money from abroad. I prefer cash. So much less hassle.
How come with all these safeguards, the internet scams can still find it so easy to get money from people's accounts????
From high finance to the low down on my washing machine. I think it is on its last leg, as the spin dryer does not spin-dry the clothes effectively. It goes through the motions but at the end of the spin cycle, the clothes are still wet. I hope it is just a glitch and it will correct itself.
Like my microwave, the turntable did not turn but now for no reason at all it begins to move. What is going on I wonder?
Like the laptop, which returns to normal when it is restarted.
Why do things go wrong, and then correct themselves without any thing done by me? Not that i am complaining. in fact, i hope it will be the case with washing machine.
Added. 2.15pm
i have found out what is wrong with the washing machine. Nothing is wrong with it, but it is the old problem of clogged pipe from washing powder.
this time the clog is in the three way valve connecting to the waste pipe. it was solidly blocked.
So i cleared it, and now all is well.
From my experience, never use washing powder , use liguid detergent instead.
That clogged pipe must have been there for ages, right from when we first moved in , in 1991. Amazing that it took so long for it to cause trouble.
Not for the first time i am glad to be able to do a do-it-yourself job on it rather than call in the plumbers. this is common sense work really.
I suggest to anyone having problems with their washing machine, just clear the pipes. Saves u buying a new washing machine.
this is a nice way to talk about mundane things without boring my friends. haha.
you know how u sometimes feels the urge of talk about things that happen to you, they are trivial in themselves but u want to share, but at the same time u realise they are so mundane u really are trying your friends' patience if u ring and tell them about it, so u write it in your blog and bore the pants off those who read it. haha.
So sorry if u have been bored, but i thank you for bearing with me.
Actually i like reading of these mundane things in people's blogs, but maybe it is just me. To me it is what life is all about, enjoying the mundane. Not everyone of us want the excitement of big dramatic events in our lives. Too tiring!!
A friend of mine tried to transfer money from usa to britain and I found out you have to give the SWIFT code.
here in uk, if we transfer within accounts in uk in sterling, we use just the sort code and account number.
But it seems for overseas transactions using electronic transfers u need the SWIFT code which consists of the international bank account number (IBAN) and the branch identifier code (BIC).
Both these numbers can be found in your bank statement. dont guess, dig out that bank statement and copy those numbers. Dont even bother to ask your bank to give you the numbers. Look at your bank statement.
Another thing, dont guess or search for it via google, each account has a unique set of numbers so only one way to find out ur swift code is to look at those figures given in your bank statement.
Personally, i get irritated with the banks for all these extra numbers and making things complicated so just as well i dont send money abroad or have anyone send me money from abroad. I prefer cash. So much less hassle.
How come with all these safeguards, the internet scams can still find it so easy to get money from people's accounts????
From high finance to the low down on my washing machine. I think it is on its last leg, as the spin dryer does not spin-dry the clothes effectively. It goes through the motions but at the end of the spin cycle, the clothes are still wet. I hope it is just a glitch and it will correct itself.
Like my microwave, the turntable did not turn but now for no reason at all it begins to move. What is going on I wonder?
Like the laptop, which returns to normal when it is restarted.
Why do things go wrong, and then correct themselves without any thing done by me? Not that i am complaining. in fact, i hope it will be the case with washing machine.
Added. 2.15pm
i have found out what is wrong with the washing machine. Nothing is wrong with it, but it is the old problem of clogged pipe from washing powder.
this time the clog is in the three way valve connecting to the waste pipe. it was solidly blocked.
So i cleared it, and now all is well.
From my experience, never use washing powder , use liguid detergent instead.
That clogged pipe must have been there for ages, right from when we first moved in , in 1991. Amazing that it took so long for it to cause trouble.
Not for the first time i am glad to be able to do a do-it-yourself job on it rather than call in the plumbers. this is common sense work really.
I suggest to anyone having problems with their washing machine, just clear the pipes. Saves u buying a new washing machine.
this is a nice way to talk about mundane things without boring my friends. haha.
you know how u sometimes feels the urge of talk about things that happen to you, they are trivial in themselves but u want to share, but at the same time u realise they are so mundane u really are trying your friends' patience if u ring and tell them about it, so u write it in your blog and bore the pants off those who read it. haha.
So sorry if u have been bored, but i thank you for bearing with me.
Actually i like reading of these mundane things in people's blogs, but maybe it is just me. To me it is what life is all about, enjoying the mundane. Not everyone of us want the excitement of big dramatic events in our lives. Too tiring!!
Friday, 16 July 2010
cashflow
london
I just had a taste of what it is like to be a business person.
Someone i know is juggling their cash flow. Writing cheques to pay for something, and hoping it wont be presented and bounced before money that they are expecting from someone else is paid into the account.
Frankly, I dont think it is worth all this worry and aggravation.
but obviously these business people think it is worthwhile.
I dont think it is worth it, even if later the business gets v successful and make lots of money. All those millions are not enough to compensate me for the total anxiety it will generate in me now.
No thanks.
I guess that will explain why i shall never be a millionaire haha. If that is the price, i am happy not to be one.
I just had a taste of what it is like to be a business person.
Someone i know is juggling their cash flow. Writing cheques to pay for something, and hoping it wont be presented and bounced before money that they are expecting from someone else is paid into the account.
Frankly, I dont think it is worth all this worry and aggravation.
but obviously these business people think it is worthwhile.
I dont think it is worth it, even if later the business gets v successful and make lots of money. All those millions are not enough to compensate me for the total anxiety it will generate in me now.
No thanks.
I guess that will explain why i shall never be a millionaire haha. If that is the price, i am happy not to be one.
Thursday, 15 July 2010
17 reasons why you save
london
I am afraid I did not write them. I found them whilst browsing in Digg.com and it is from wisebread.com
It is a v comprehensive list and I find it difficult to pick out any one to emphasise, they are all very good; (3 and 4 seem to be the same thing)
Number 1 . He did not say that having savings allows you to resign without another job being available. sometimes a job can get so aggravating that u want to leave. with savings u can. without it, u dont dare leave and that traps u. also bosses knows if u are desperate for the work and they will screw u. if u can leave, and say so, u might even get a raise as the boss tries to keep u from going. but you can only find that out only when u hand in ur resignation. it tells him u mean it.
Number 13 gives me a great insight into my own reasons.
to be able to not buy something i can afford is a strangely very empowering thing.
And number 10, it sharpens the mind, because i start figuring out creative ways of getting what i want instead of just buying it.
Normally i seldom read these financial gurus and their lists, but this guy seems to have summarise the reasons for saving very succinctly.
Of course, you only need one reason and that is good enough to save.
Some one asked are there good reasons to spend?
Buying to invest is a good reason to spend. For eg, borrow to buy a property and live in it, let out rooms, and get income and capital appreciation is a good reason to spend. It is also a good reason to borrow money.
I am afraid I did not write them. I found them whilst browsing in Digg.com and it is from wisebread.com
It is a v comprehensive list and I find it difficult to pick out any one to emphasise, they are all very good; (3 and 4 seem to be the same thing)
Number 1 . He did not say that having savings allows you to resign without another job being available. sometimes a job can get so aggravating that u want to leave. with savings u can. without it, u dont dare leave and that traps u. also bosses knows if u are desperate for the work and they will screw u. if u can leave, and say so, u might even get a raise as the boss tries to keep u from going. but you can only find that out only when u hand in ur resignation. it tells him u mean it.
Number 13 gives me a great insight into my own reasons.
to be able to not buy something i can afford is a strangely very empowering thing.
And number 10, it sharpens the mind, because i start figuring out creative ways of getting what i want instead of just buying it.
Normally i seldom read these financial gurus and their lists, but this guy seems to have summarise the reasons for saving very succinctly.
Of course, you only need one reason and that is good enough to save.
Some one asked are there good reasons to spend?
Buying to invest is a good reason to spend. For eg, borrow to buy a property and live in it, let out rooms, and get income and capital appreciation is a good reason to spend. It is also a good reason to borrow money.
Wednesday, 14 July 2010
Fetish week in london/a funny spam email
london
I have been getting a lot of enquiries about staying at my place recently, and i found out why today. haha.
It seems london is hosting for the first time, fetish week 14.7-18.7 and lots of gay guys, especially from germany, are coming to london for it.
Well, two of them are arriving today from germany for it. It looks like a busy week.
Everyone of us have received spam with dubious offers and we usually just delete them without reading them.
But just now i got one that made me laugh. It is purportedly from patricia hewitt MP.
'A few months ago, I was compelled to make an over estimation during a budget and set aside the sum of Six Million Three Hundred Thousand Great Britain Pounds (6,300,000GBP) with the sole intention of channelling it all to charity which I am delegating you to executed on my behalf...'
Coming at a time when the govt is strapped for cash, it strikes me as funny.
Oh yes, a simple overestimation, anyone can be forgiven for making such a mistake really ...hahaha.
I have been getting a lot of enquiries about staying at my place recently, and i found out why today. haha.
It seems london is hosting for the first time, fetish week 14.7-18.7 and lots of gay guys, especially from germany, are coming to london for it.
Well, two of them are arriving today from germany for it. It looks like a busy week.
Everyone of us have received spam with dubious offers and we usually just delete them without reading them.
But just now i got one that made me laugh. It is purportedly from patricia hewitt MP.
'A few months ago, I was compelled to make an over estimation during a budget and set aside the sum of Six Million Three Hundred Thousand Great Britain Pounds (6,300,000GBP) with the sole intention of channelling it all to charity which I am delegating you to executed on my behalf...'
Coming at a time when the govt is strapped for cash, it strikes me as funny.
Oh yes, a simple overestimation, anyone can be forgiven for making such a mistake really ...hahaha.
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
we should teach gays self defense
london
I saw a tv program last night 'Dispatches, Africa's last taboo' on channel 4; about gays in africa being killed; and I caught an interview with a man who was saying openly that he will kill gays.
And then they interviewed a gay guy who said how scared he was and was just cowed into submission, and then, the interview went and ask him about wearing condoms for sex and linking the interview with theprevention of HIV.
What a thing to do, propagating the impression to any casual viewer to equate gays with aids and spreading that disease.
What i would like the interviewer to do is to ask the gay guy why dont u learn self defense and fight back. If anyone threatens you give as good as u get, and teach them a lesson that gay guys are not soft targets. If you are going to be bashed up u might as well bash them back and give as good as u get and hurt them too.
So that the byword gets round that you dont mess with gay guys or u will get hurt.
This is the approach that can be used for any form of bullying, which is what those homophobes are really doing.
Instead we get this namby pamby image of gay guys as wimps.
I say to those who go round saying they want to help gays, they will really help by encouraging and teaching these gays self defense and to fight back and create a tough guy image so that word gets round the general population that no one wants to mess with gays. That way they will help the weaker of their fellow gays so that the image of gays is one of 'hands off, avoid or regret it.'
What do u think of this strategy? I think it is excellent, but perhaps you can see a defect in this.
I know I should not be suggesting things in the comfort of my armchair in a safe country like uk. and u would be right to criticise me on this for not having gone there to see for myself how it really is rather than be so quick to offer my two cents worth. Ah well... you may be right and i should shut up. but hearing all this, i cannot help but at least offer this suggestion. Empower gay people rather than make them feel they are powerless or victims.
it is a fact that things on the ground there may not be so black and white or so easy to solve.
The trouble is most of the effeminate female transvestite gets recognised as gay, and those by their very nature are not aggressive.Or they may even be lesbians... I bet the tough butch gays who put on a persona of a thug, dont have this problem. i say teach those transvestites or lesbians self defense and a bit of aggression, so that they lay a clear message to any would be homophobe who wants to hurt them that just because i wear high heels does not mean i am a soft target.
Just as an aside, it is one strange paradox that in the natural world, weak creatures put on the coloring and shape of poisonous creatures to escape being eaten, and yet here we have guys putting on the colouring and aspect of a female , right up to the tottering heels and long fingernails, to emphasise their helplessness. And they ask why they are bashed. oh dear!!!
It looks like instead of handing out condoms, we should be organising self defense and organising physical (as opposed to psychologically) support groups and organisations so they dont get killed by homophobes. But maybe it is much more hard work to do that than just hand out condoms and advise.
Watch the tv programe link
I saw a tv program last night 'Dispatches, Africa's last taboo' on channel 4; about gays in africa being killed; and I caught an interview with a man who was saying openly that he will kill gays.
And then they interviewed a gay guy who said how scared he was and was just cowed into submission, and then, the interview went and ask him about wearing condoms for sex and linking the interview with theprevention of HIV.
What a thing to do, propagating the impression to any casual viewer to equate gays with aids and spreading that disease.
What i would like the interviewer to do is to ask the gay guy why dont u learn self defense and fight back. If anyone threatens you give as good as u get, and teach them a lesson that gay guys are not soft targets. If you are going to be bashed up u might as well bash them back and give as good as u get and hurt them too.
So that the byword gets round that you dont mess with gay guys or u will get hurt.
This is the approach that can be used for any form of bullying, which is what those homophobes are really doing.
Instead we get this namby pamby image of gay guys as wimps.
I say to those who go round saying they want to help gays, they will really help by encouraging and teaching these gays self defense and to fight back and create a tough guy image so that word gets round the general population that no one wants to mess with gays. That way they will help the weaker of their fellow gays so that the image of gays is one of 'hands off, avoid or regret it.'
What do u think of this strategy? I think it is excellent, but perhaps you can see a defect in this.
I know I should not be suggesting things in the comfort of my armchair in a safe country like uk. and u would be right to criticise me on this for not having gone there to see for myself how it really is rather than be so quick to offer my two cents worth. Ah well... you may be right and i should shut up. but hearing all this, i cannot help but at least offer this suggestion. Empower gay people rather than make them feel they are powerless or victims.
it is a fact that things on the ground there may not be so black and white or so easy to solve.
The trouble is most of the effeminate female transvestite gets recognised as gay, and those by their very nature are not aggressive.Or they may even be lesbians... I bet the tough butch gays who put on a persona of a thug, dont have this problem. i say teach those transvestites or lesbians self defense and a bit of aggression, so that they lay a clear message to any would be homophobe who wants to hurt them that just because i wear high heels does not mean i am a soft target.
Just as an aside, it is one strange paradox that in the natural world, weak creatures put on the coloring and shape of poisonous creatures to escape being eaten, and yet here we have guys putting on the colouring and aspect of a female , right up to the tottering heels and long fingernails, to emphasise their helplessness. And they ask why they are bashed. oh dear!!!
It looks like instead of handing out condoms, we should be organising self defense and organising physical (as opposed to psychologically) support groups and organisations so they dont get killed by homophobes. But maybe it is much more hard work to do that than just hand out condoms and advise.
Watch the tv programe link
Monday, 12 July 2010
things come to those who wait
london
The reason why i say this is because of something that happened this morning.
My flat have two ways of getting a tv signal. One is cable, the other is via an aerial. for digital reception, we need the aerial. But for many years now, we have been using the cable and so when we plug in the tv aerial, it did not work.
Recently, the whole estate had the aerial changed and the company that does it had a lot of complains from households after it was done because we did not get any signal. Even us, who use cable had it cut off. So they said they will come to fix it if we tell them. I took the chance to ask them to check our aerial.
I know the reason why now, because the tv man came to check, nothing wrong with the aerial, it was our tv not programmed for it..... We have it programmed for the cable reception.
I actually did thing it might only need reprogramming, but we did not know how to reprogram it. it is such a long time since we did it, we forgot how to.
But for years, we thought someone had cut the wires to the aerial and was blaming our upstairs neighbour for diverting the line when they renovated. Just goes to show u can get paranoid if u r not careful. We did not bother the neighbour as we could not care less about getting a lot of channels and the cable reception was much nicer than the aerial reception.
Just goes to show that things really are not broke but resting as it were. haha.
I suspect this was the case with my boiler too. it wont start, and i spent £200 to repair it. And then i found it was expensive to keep the pilot light on, and so i switch the whole thing off. I only switch it on when visitors come to stay.
then, the gas company installed a new meter, and it is so sensitive, the gas flow must be really improved and so all my gas appliances work well now. I have a suspicion that i need not have bothered to repair that boiler because it was just the gas flow that was too weak to operate it.
(Now , the meter moves even though all my appliances are switched off. i now turn it off at the mains switch.)
Anyway, now i have the tv working on the aeriel reception. it is not as nice as the cable, as there are ghost images, but the tv man says it will improve once we get a freeview box.
I wont bother to get one(unless i can find one in the recycling bins), but simon might like to as can get more channels than the present 5 we get now.
But the moral of the story is leave it alone and it will correct itself in time.
The reason why i say this is because of something that happened this morning.
My flat have two ways of getting a tv signal. One is cable, the other is via an aerial. for digital reception, we need the aerial. But for many years now, we have been using the cable and so when we plug in the tv aerial, it did not work.
Recently, the whole estate had the aerial changed and the company that does it had a lot of complains from households after it was done because we did not get any signal. Even us, who use cable had it cut off. So they said they will come to fix it if we tell them. I took the chance to ask them to check our aerial.
I know the reason why now, because the tv man came to check, nothing wrong with the aerial, it was our tv not programmed for it..... We have it programmed for the cable reception.
I actually did thing it might only need reprogramming, but we did not know how to reprogram it. it is such a long time since we did it, we forgot how to.
But for years, we thought someone had cut the wires to the aerial and was blaming our upstairs neighbour for diverting the line when they renovated. Just goes to show u can get paranoid if u r not careful. We did not bother the neighbour as we could not care less about getting a lot of channels and the cable reception was much nicer than the aerial reception.
Just goes to show that things really are not broke but resting as it were. haha.
I suspect this was the case with my boiler too. it wont start, and i spent £200 to repair it. And then i found it was expensive to keep the pilot light on, and so i switch the whole thing off. I only switch it on when visitors come to stay.
then, the gas company installed a new meter, and it is so sensitive, the gas flow must be really improved and so all my gas appliances work well now. I have a suspicion that i need not have bothered to repair that boiler because it was just the gas flow that was too weak to operate it.
(Now , the meter moves even though all my appliances are switched off. i now turn it off at the mains switch.)
Anyway, now i have the tv working on the aeriel reception. it is not as nice as the cable, as there are ghost images, but the tv man says it will improve once we get a freeview box.
I wont bother to get one(unless i can find one in the recycling bins), but simon might like to as can get more channels than the present 5 we get now.
But the moral of the story is leave it alone and it will correct itself in time.
Saturday, 10 July 2010
some gay stereotypes
london
A really funny article about gay stereotypes...
Can you recognise yourself in any one of them?
the muscle mary stereotype makes me laugh... 'the tattoo on his arm actually say kung po chicken did he but know it'.
Can you think of any others he has missed... what about the effeminate camp queen as portrayed by quentin crisp. or the john inman character in the tv series 'are u being served?' The stereotype has been around so long maybe it has become mainstream and no more considered a stereotype.
A really funny article about gay stereotypes...
Can you recognise yourself in any one of them?
the muscle mary stereotype makes me laugh... 'the tattoo on his arm actually say kung po chicken did he but know it'.
Can you think of any others he has missed... what about the effeminate camp queen as portrayed by quentin crisp. or the john inman character in the tv series 'are u being served?' The stereotype has been around so long maybe it has become mainstream and no more considered a stereotype.
Friday, 9 July 2010
home made pate, tomato ketchup
london
I love pate, and used to buy it from the supermarkets. They are quite expensive when u consider they are just mashed up liver.
I found a recipe for it, which is so simple that i made it with the 10p chicken liver i bought. I like recipes that dont involve a lot of ingredients. this one is just one orange zest and juice.
It is delicious, i made a lot as u can imagine and freezed them. I put them in small glass containers which are meant to make egg custard or creme brulee, i bought them ages ago cheap fr a charity shop but never made any creme brulee with them. they are just the right size for a portion of liver pate. it is very nice to have with toast.
I wonder if lamb liver will be just as good to make pate. i have one pack bought for 10p and frozen. I googled it and found this recipe which is easy and does not involve long cooking.
I saw in my tesco they were selling 3 for £1 for tomato puree in a tube.Usual price is 48p each. i thought they will come in useful for making bolognaise sauce, and also make my own tomato ketchup.
I did it this morning, mixing it with some vinegar and sliced green chili with soya sauce. My version of chili sauce.
the normal ketchup sauce can be made by mixing tomato puree with vinegar and suger. lovely, especially as i have stopped buying tomato ketchup. this is the most cost effective way of getting the sauces.
chinese barbeque sauce is tomato puree mixed with soya sauce(mixture of black and light soya sauce) and a bit of vinegar with suger to taste.
You never have to buy ready made sauce again.
I love pate, and used to buy it from the supermarkets. They are quite expensive when u consider they are just mashed up liver.
I found a recipe for it, which is so simple that i made it with the 10p chicken liver i bought. I like recipes that dont involve a lot of ingredients. this one is just one orange zest and juice.
It is delicious, i made a lot as u can imagine and freezed them. I put them in small glass containers which are meant to make egg custard or creme brulee, i bought them ages ago cheap fr a charity shop but never made any creme brulee with them. they are just the right size for a portion of liver pate. it is very nice to have with toast.
I wonder if lamb liver will be just as good to make pate. i have one pack bought for 10p and frozen. I googled it and found this recipe which is easy and does not involve long cooking.
When you read these recipes u soon realise they are all basically the same, you just ring the variations with herbs, bacon, or orangejuice/zest . i daresay u can use lemonzest/juice too. or u can chuck in olives, and whatever is handy.
I shall be making more pate now, as 10p reduced livers comes up quite often in the supermarkets. No one seem to like buying them. haha.
I saw in my tesco they were selling 3 for £1 for tomato puree in a tube.Usual price is 48p each. i thought they will come in useful for making bolognaise sauce, and also make my own tomato ketchup.
I did it this morning, mixing it with some vinegar and sliced green chili with soya sauce. My version of chili sauce.
the normal ketchup sauce can be made by mixing tomato puree with vinegar and suger. lovely, especially as i have stopped buying tomato ketchup. this is the most cost effective way of getting the sauces.
chinese barbeque sauce is tomato puree mixed with soya sauce(mixture of black and light soya sauce) and a bit of vinegar with suger to taste.
You never have to buy ready made sauce again.
Wednesday, 7 July 2010
make a date, day in a life on 24.7.2010
london
Read it in the newspapers today that Ridley scott is doing a self film project involving the world. Everyone take a video of their day on 24 july and put it on youtube and let him know, and he will make a film of it.
Sounds good, as everyone has a digital camera nowadays and it can take videos easy. i was testing mine, and it sure was easy to do.
The results may be boring , that is the risk we have to take. haha.
The limitations of these kinds of exercise is that it is purely confined to the visual. it should be subtitled a visual view of a life of a day.
I found out that day is a naked walking day so i might bring along my camera and take videos. Whether i will submit it is another question, as people might not like their picture published. mostprobably i shall edit it so no faces are seen, but i m not sure how to edit these things. whatever the outcome, i think it will be nice to have some shots naked in the great outdoors.
Read it in the newspapers today that Ridley scott is doing a self film project involving the world. Everyone take a video of their day on 24 july and put it on youtube and let him know, and he will make a film of it.
Sounds good, as everyone has a digital camera nowadays and it can take videos easy. i was testing mine, and it sure was easy to do.
The results may be boring , that is the risk we have to take. haha.
The limitations of these kinds of exercise is that it is purely confined to the visual. it should be subtitled a visual view of a life of a day.
I found out that day is a naked walking day so i might bring along my camera and take videos. Whether i will submit it is another question, as people might not like their picture published. mostprobably i shall edit it so no faces are seen, but i m not sure how to edit these things. whatever the outcome, i think it will be nice to have some shots naked in the great outdoors.
Tuesday, 6 July 2010
if it is offered free to them, people will take it and keep taking.
london
Simon came back from work just now. He asked me what i would like him to cook. mushroom chicken sauce for pasta or fried chicken rice.
I was surprised because he never ask me what i want. our normal practise is to cook whatever we like, and let the other eat it or not.
Well, since he asked i said i want pasta with chicken mushroom sauce. I know he makes good pasta and i am too lazy to cook it myself because i have to stand over the pot to watch it so it does not overcook. Overcooked pasta is horrible to eat.
Anyway, I saw him eating and asked is it ready? he said he only cooked the mushroom sauce, i have to cook pasta if i wanted it as he had to get back to work.
Well, i did not mind, as he had cooked more rice, and i can just as easily eat the Chicken mushroom sauce with the rice as easily as i can with the pasta.
I said to him. i did not know u have to go back to work, i thought u have finished work. how come u ask me a choice. usually we cook whatever we like and the other can slot in to eat it or not. If you dont have the time, why not just cook whatever u like? how come you give me a choice?
he did not say anything.I still do not know why he gave me a choice. Seems like making his life difficult.
Added. I think i know why he asked. he had a big lot of chicken breasts to cook and wondered if he should cook two different dishes and so ask me. And then realised that having made the offer, he had given me expectations that he will make the pasta too.haha. and is too embarassed to say that he is only making the sauce.
When you want to do people a favour, u have to ask what is the consequences of it, and if it is too much trouble , dont even offer it.
Or do like i do. Decide for myself what i fancy and what is easy for me to cook and do it without asking anyone their opinion.
But it got me to thinking that other parts of my life are a bit like that.
Take for eg the gym and its coffee. I am not minded one way or another if i have coffee or not, though it is very nice to be able to get free coffee at the gym whilst i m reading the morning papers.
Recently the gym's coffee machine had broken and so there was no coffee.
I went to the other branch nearby and there was coffee but only enough for one cup. And no sign of them making a fresh brew. But it made me think that if they had brewed more coffee i would have made myself another cup even though it is not really necessary. But just because it was there, i would have drunk it.
Which makes me realise that we human beings will take things if given to us whether we ask for it or not.
So in the daily mail today i read of a account of a housing association officer saying how demanding those who were given social housing has become and how they were able to get social housing even though they were not eligible. he mentioned that once on the list, they remain on it, irregardless of whether they have got richer meantime.
And i was thinking well it is human nature to take it if it is given to you. no one will say no. And if u are foolish to continue giving it to them free, they will take it. There will always be some buggers who will take and take and push the boat on it, till u put a stop. Unfortunately with govt, no one dares to put a stop until a time like now when the govt got no money to throw away. But it means a lot of other people suffers. such is life and maybe not a bad thing.
Thus i have no complains against the govt now making huge cuts in the free handouts that they have been giving people. About time i should think.
Even i who would say no if i have enough was too weak willed to say no to a second cup of coffee at my gym, haha. And i confess i have even drank up to 3 cups before when it was available. i guess the gym is realising it is spending too much on free coffee.
Just as well they are restricting the coffee...I was beginning to suspect i have been drinking too much of it.
Added. 8.16pm. read this article about a money van accident and scattering euro coins everywhere and people grabbing it 50,000€worth. Cant say i blame them, haha. i would do the same if i were there. just goes to show if it comes their way people will take it. it's like a lucky break. haha.
Added 13.7.10 Glad to say the gym is still letting us have as much coffee as we like. good ol Fitness First.
Simon came back from work just now. He asked me what i would like him to cook. mushroom chicken sauce for pasta or fried chicken rice.
I was surprised because he never ask me what i want. our normal practise is to cook whatever we like, and let the other eat it or not.
Well, since he asked i said i want pasta with chicken mushroom sauce. I know he makes good pasta and i am too lazy to cook it myself because i have to stand over the pot to watch it so it does not overcook. Overcooked pasta is horrible to eat.
Anyway, I saw him eating and asked is it ready? he said he only cooked the mushroom sauce, i have to cook pasta if i wanted it as he had to get back to work.
Well, i did not mind, as he had cooked more rice, and i can just as easily eat the Chicken mushroom sauce with the rice as easily as i can with the pasta.
I said to him. i did not know u have to go back to work, i thought u have finished work. how come u ask me a choice. usually we cook whatever we like and the other can slot in to eat it or not. If you dont have the time, why not just cook whatever u like? how come you give me a choice?
he did not say anything.I still do not know why he gave me a choice. Seems like making his life difficult.
Added. I think i know why he asked. he had a big lot of chicken breasts to cook and wondered if he should cook two different dishes and so ask me. And then realised that having made the offer, he had given me expectations that he will make the pasta too.haha. and is too embarassed to say that he is only making the sauce.
When you want to do people a favour, u have to ask what is the consequences of it, and if it is too much trouble , dont even offer it.
Or do like i do. Decide for myself what i fancy and what is easy for me to cook and do it without asking anyone their opinion.
But it got me to thinking that other parts of my life are a bit like that.
Take for eg the gym and its coffee. I am not minded one way or another if i have coffee or not, though it is very nice to be able to get free coffee at the gym whilst i m reading the morning papers.
Recently the gym's coffee machine had broken and so there was no coffee.
I went to the other branch nearby and there was coffee but only enough for one cup. And no sign of them making a fresh brew. But it made me think that if they had brewed more coffee i would have made myself another cup even though it is not really necessary. But just because it was there, i would have drunk it.
Which makes me realise that we human beings will take things if given to us whether we ask for it or not.
So in the daily mail today i read of a account of a housing association officer saying how demanding those who were given social housing has become and how they were able to get social housing even though they were not eligible. he mentioned that once on the list, they remain on it, irregardless of whether they have got richer meantime.
And i was thinking well it is human nature to take it if it is given to you. no one will say no. And if u are foolish to continue giving it to them free, they will take it. There will always be some buggers who will take and take and push the boat on it, till u put a stop. Unfortunately with govt, no one dares to put a stop until a time like now when the govt got no money to throw away. But it means a lot of other people suffers. such is life and maybe not a bad thing.
Thus i have no complains against the govt now making huge cuts in the free handouts that they have been giving people. About time i should think.
Even i who would say no if i have enough was too weak willed to say no to a second cup of coffee at my gym, haha. And i confess i have even drank up to 3 cups before when it was available. i guess the gym is realising it is spending too much on free coffee.
Just as well they are restricting the coffee...I was beginning to suspect i have been drinking too much of it.
Added. 8.16pm. read this article about a money van accident and scattering euro coins everywhere and people grabbing it 50,000€worth. Cant say i blame them, haha. i would do the same if i were there. just goes to show if it comes their way people will take it. it's like a lucky break. haha.
Added 13.7.10 Glad to say the gym is still letting us have as much coffee as we like. good ol Fitness First.
Saturday, 3 July 2010
gay pride 2010
london
This comes round every year. This year marks the 40thyear of Gay liberation Front, that started the first gay march. The first ones are more political. Now it is more a celebration.
This comes round every year. This year marks the 40thyear of Gay liberation Front, that started the first gay march. The first ones are more political. Now it is more a celebration.
It is still going on as I write this, leicester square and trafalgar square are busy with stage shows, and i daresay soho square is full of dancing queens as the DJs will be playing their club dance music.
it's very pleasant to see all the gay guys out and about, and the weather has been mild and kind. It's opened to all, so not only gays throng there and that is as it should be. Nowadays, there is no need to be exclusive and it is so accepted to be gay that there is no stigma to joining in, with people not assuming u are gay just because u are seen there.
the downside to making it so mainstream is that it discourages guys from being outrageous, like going naked, or skimpily dressed, or having sex. (Oh yes, lots of sex in the past when it was held in the parks, brockley park especially). That takes the fun out of it for me, but then i have the naked bike ride. At least the bike ride is naked, but no sex unfortunately.
Trafalgar square has become a great venue for such gatherings since it has been redesigned during ken livingstones' mayoral time. its a good space used so much more often now than before.
The london cycling hire scheme have a stall there, and i found out that they are putting out the bikes in the centre of london, not out in the suburbs as i thought. so on the map i found plenty of bike parking areas very close to each other within the centre of london only. I do hope it succeeds and make money. they are useful for journeys taking less than 30mins within the centre that are too far to walk, and too short a distance for a bus ride, saving the bus fare.
Friday, 2 July 2010
newspapers
london
6.43pm Just had an email from Timesonline, saying that if i subscribe at £2 a week, i shall get the first 30days for £1 and subsequently £8.66 per calendar month. this was not clear in the website. I thought u can just subscribe for 1month at £1. the actual procedure to cancel is very torturous. u have to cancel not less than 6working days prior to the renewal date, or u will be charged the whole of next month.
The paper edition is £1 for the weekdays, £1.50 for sundayTimes.
Added 3.7.10 got an email from the times people offering me £5 a month if i call their number.
I read this morning at the bbc website that the times now is paid only. It seems there is a special offer for this month, £1 for all of this month.
I did not realise the pay for view has kicked in this month. I get to read the online times free because of their promotion, but lately, the headlines and articles there were so uninspiring, it did not tempt me to click on them to read them further. So, even though I can read it free, as long as i log on I dont do it. Now it seems u have to pay.
A lot of good writers have gone from the Times, so that the news analysis is poor.
This was brought home to me when i read johann hari's perceptive article in the Independant about goldman sachs and others in the spike in food prices in 2006-8.
It seems they were using food as derivatives and causing the price to escalate. and it was only the crash in 2008 that forced them to unwind their positions and allow the price to fall.
At the time, it was said that using the food for biofuels caused the shortage, but it was shown that potatoes, cassava that were not subject to hedges by farmers, did not rise in price as much. Also wheat was not used as biofuel, and it rose dramatically.
I remember that period when bread prices shot up. Now it has settled down with some supermarkets selling white 800mg bread for 50p.
When the Times asked us to register to read the paper before it goes on to pay per view, i thought they would make it much better than before... but i found it is worst, in that the news items were less, and the articles were superficial, without much analysis.
Why should anyone want to read them without the analysis since we can get news anywhere for free. I have compared their online version with the paper version, and it is clear the print version is miles better, and the online version of other newspapers are miles better than the times online version. It is not worthwhile to subscribe to it online.
They said that by asking us to pay they are going to give us more interaction with the writers, and enable us to take an active part in a dialogue with them. Frankly, if u read the comments, they are so inane, that they do not add a jot to the article. Better to just read the article and make up your own mind about it rather than read the comments. I have long ago not bothered to read them. The only thing that the comments section do is give satisfaction to a lot of people to add their two cents bit and get into arguements with each other about it.
I will continue to read the printed paper, as it gives the news in a very approachable way, I find it the easiest newspaper to read. It does not carp and whine like the daily mail, or daily telegraph. But I can get the papers easilyl, and free too, because i live in uk and so can get the printed version. Pity those who live overseas.
The guardian's writing style does not appeal to me.
As for the independant , the news coverage and writing style is ordinary, but the analysis by johann hari is v good. It is not easy to find him in the printed version, easier to find him online.
6.43pm Just had an email from Timesonline, saying that if i subscribe at £2 a week, i shall get the first 30days for £1 and subsequently £8.66 per calendar month. this was not clear in the website. I thought u can just subscribe for 1month at £1. the actual procedure to cancel is very torturous. u have to cancel not less than 6working days prior to the renewal date, or u will be charged the whole of next month.
The paper edition is £1 for the weekdays, £1.50 for sundayTimes.
Added 3.7.10 got an email from the times people offering me £5 a month if i call their number.
I read this morning at the bbc website that the times now is paid only. It seems there is a special offer for this month, £1 for all of this month.
I did not realise the pay for view has kicked in this month. I get to read the online times free because of their promotion, but lately, the headlines and articles there were so uninspiring, it did not tempt me to click on them to read them further. So, even though I can read it free, as long as i log on I dont do it. Now it seems u have to pay.
A lot of good writers have gone from the Times, so that the news analysis is poor.
This was brought home to me when i read johann hari's perceptive article in the Independant about goldman sachs and others in the spike in food prices in 2006-8.
It seems they were using food as derivatives and causing the price to escalate. and it was only the crash in 2008 that forced them to unwind their positions and allow the price to fall.
At the time, it was said that using the food for biofuels caused the shortage, but it was shown that potatoes, cassava that were not subject to hedges by farmers, did not rise in price as much. Also wheat was not used as biofuel, and it rose dramatically.
I remember that period when bread prices shot up. Now it has settled down with some supermarkets selling white 800mg bread for 50p.
When the Times asked us to register to read the paper before it goes on to pay per view, i thought they would make it much better than before... but i found it is worst, in that the news items were less, and the articles were superficial, without much analysis.
Why should anyone want to read them without the analysis since we can get news anywhere for free. I have compared their online version with the paper version, and it is clear the print version is miles better, and the online version of other newspapers are miles better than the times online version. It is not worthwhile to subscribe to it online.
They said that by asking us to pay they are going to give us more interaction with the writers, and enable us to take an active part in a dialogue with them. Frankly, if u read the comments, they are so inane, that they do not add a jot to the article. Better to just read the article and make up your own mind about it rather than read the comments. I have long ago not bothered to read them. The only thing that the comments section do is give satisfaction to a lot of people to add their two cents bit and get into arguements with each other about it.
I will continue to read the printed paper, as it gives the news in a very approachable way, I find it the easiest newspaper to read. It does not carp and whine like the daily mail, or daily telegraph. But I can get the papers easilyl, and free too, because i live in uk and so can get the printed version. Pity those who live overseas.
The guardian's writing style does not appeal to me.
As for the independant , the news coverage and writing style is ordinary, but the analysis by johann hari is v good. It is not easy to find him in the printed version, easier to find him online.
link to the paper that described food speculation.
He also wrote an article for slade.com only a month ago, speculating that just as the last great depression made the govt want money so much they brought back alcohol and taxed it, and so ended prohibition. he is saying that this depression and the govt need for money may well cause drugs to be made legal so it can be taxed and revenue obtained from it. Interesting if it does happen because i think we all know the war on drugs has failed. and the amount of money to be made from selling drugs that are currently illegal is enormous. And just as alcohol has not brought widespread alcoholism even though it has been legal now, so too making drugs legal will not herald disaster. Gambling is now legal, i dont see why the last taboo, drugs will not follow and be made legal as well.
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