You are currently browsing the The English Guy's Personal Blog weblog archives for September, 2009.

Posted at 9:33 am • Trackback Trackback

Posted in life

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Sep 29
2009

Posted by richard

Our unelected leader, Gordon Brown, tyrant in all but name, has been giving his speech to his cronies.

He has used the speech to bandstand new policies that wants to get going. One of them is appealing, curtailing the anti-social behaviour of some families, especially poignant given the suicide of that lady (Fiona Pilkington) and her kid that’s been in the news lately. Interesting idea but really, getting rid of police paperwork and getting police on the street might be better.

Also, he’s really pushing the national ID card system and while I don’t have an issue with it, -WE- have to pay upfront for it and if it’s compulsory that simply isn’t fair to force people to pay £100. Not to mention that examples have been ridiculously easy to hack.

He admitted that he’s going to have a hard time getting re-elected though, and for once I think he’s actually seen the light. Yes Gordon, you probably won’t be sitting on the same side of Parliament in a few months time. Thank God. No wonder President Obama gave you the cold shoulder, he knows your probable future!

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Posted at 12:05 am • Trackback Trackback

Posted in work

2 comments - Latest by:
  • richard
    Mac,my list on Skype and MSN is getting larger and larger. ICQ! There's a name I haven't heard in a long, ...
  • macbros
    Shame on the people that fall for these things and shame on them for even giving them the time of ...
 

Sep 26
2009

Posted by richard

I think that after many years of working on web sites, development and so on, I’m fairly used to lots of scams like people adding you on msn just to hawk their wares, video chat and so on.

But yesterday I had some Indian guy on Skype add me, and then start pestering me. He was well pushy, asking me what I was doing, several times, then started on asking me about ‘procedures’. I eventually got what he was trying to say, in his bad english, that he wanted to work on code for me, for outsourcing.

It was a bit out of the blue to say the least, and a bit inappropriate for Skype. He got blocked, but I dare say more will pop up.

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Posted at 10:59 am • Trackback Trackback

Posted in life

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  • richard
    Sloes are fruit, they grow nearly everywhere in hedgerows over here. They're small and black/purple coloured, a little bit bitter, ...
  • macbros
    What are sloes?
 

Sep 25
2009

Posted by richard

The time has come, sloe gin is in my thoughts.

Every year since I got back from the states (except last year, the crop was terrible), I’ve made sloe gin. The first year was two bottles, this year will be about six bottles.

Sloes are quite plentiful and you can find them everywhere, in roadsides, in fields (ask the farmer before picking them please!), back roads and so on. There are bushels of them, and this is the time to start picking. Heeding the old wive’s tale, you must wait until the first frost before picking – you can cheat and pick them and pop them in the freezer for an hour or two.

The recipe is simple. One third sloes, one third sugar, one third gin. Put them all in a bottle, seal, and let sit. The longer you let it sit the better, like wine I suppose, but I generally start in on mine around Christmas time, just before so I can get in the mood. Drain the sloes out of course, and top it up with gin if it’s too sickly for you. I like it like a liqueur though, some like it less sweet.

Oh and one other thing, I rotate the bottles every few days just in case.

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Posted at 10:20 am • Trackback Trackback

Posted in humour

3 comments - Latest by:
  • richard
    Yeah BackAlley and he'll keep on looking like that for centuries to come :)
  • BackAlleyKnees
    I'm so glad someone else has this thought as well!! His face looks wonky. But I will give it to ...
 

Sep 23
2009

Posted by richard

Does anyone else think that (Colonel) Gaddafi has had plastic surgery? He looks like a plastic toy whenever you see him, and when he talks his lips barely move. I wonder if he has a little button on the back of his head…

Definately something going on around his eyes, you barely see them anymore, shifty bugger. And judging from his latest nonsense at the UN, it would seem he’s getting on a bit in years.

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Posted at 9:06 am • Trackback Trackback

Posted in featured

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  • macbros
    LOL! Right on! In your FACE FOX! Fox news is like a rag mag IMO. It's only good for a laugh, ...
 

Sep 19
2009

Posted by richard

I thought that this was beautiful. Having lived in the US, and having watched Fox News, I know firsthand how biased it is, and often, how wrong it is.

I ran across this on LiveLeak and thought it was worth reposting. It’s about Amsterdam, Fox News (Bill O’Reilly to be precise) blasted the city as a cesspool of corruption, a bad place to bring up kids, etc., A film-maker made this short movie, thought you should see it.

God Bless the freedom of speech.

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Posted at 9:44 am • Trackback Trackback

Posted in life

2 comments - Latest by:
  • richard
    He was a famous cook on the telly. Really gregarious and outgoing, used to drink heavily when cooking, half went ...
  • melody
    I don't know who that is. But I was kinda sad about Patrick Swayze.
 

Sep 15
2009

Posted by richard

I can’t believe Keith Floyd is dead!

I used to watch his TV show as a kid and he was always a real scream with his antics, definately not one of those cooks to stand in a kitchen and cook. It seemed like he would continue forever.

At least he died like he lived, eating and drinking well. Thinking about it, it’s a good way to be, enjoying life.

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Posted at 9:42 am • Trackback Trackback

Posted in featured

5 comments - Latest by:
  • richard
    Apparently yes. The deep south, fundamentalist christians etc.,
  • melody
    Really? There are still religious people here?
 

Sep 14
2009

Posted by richard

Yes, you’ve heard right. Darwin, that staunch rock upon which all of our biological sciences are based, is too controversial for American audiences. Apparently they’re all too religious and will be offended by Darwin’s ideas (as though they didn’t already know them), especially in a movie. Surely if they’re offended by them, then they wouldn’t go to see the movie? Anyway, moving on.

So this nation of nearly 300 million people, which houses the dominant pornography industry, can’t stomach a film with major actors in it (and no porn!), that explains how one species might give rise to another. This, despite the fact that it has been proven in many species and you can even see it in action in some instances (butterflies in the UK, finches in the Galapagos).

God help us. Oops, did I just say God? That’s right, Darwin doesn’t say God doesn’t exist. He merely says that God didn’t design and create humans, but rather that He was the impetus for life, and life spawned more life and so on. That seems to be too difficult a concept to imagine for many Americans though.

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Posted at 5:59 am • Trackback Trackback

Posted in leisure

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Sep 13
2009

Posted by richard

What a disappointing Grand Prix. Another one.

Lewis just is not having a good season, and it seems that Button and Barrichello are the ones who will battle it out in the last four races. I am happy for Barrichello though, he’s raced for a long time and it’s finally coming together for him.

But Lewis seems to be pushing too hard and it never goes right for him.

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Posted at 5:53 am • Trackback Trackback

Posted in politics

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Sep 13
2009

Posted by richard

Labour has traditionally been one of those parties that is utterly socialist. People have always considered them err, let me put it delicately, nearly communist. But now they are digging into the middle class’ pockets to pay for the rash business actions of the rich bankers.

They are now considering removing benefits.

At work we have these conversations about how those with a family have an advantage over those of us who are single and have no kids. They get benefits, they get tax breaks and so on. Which is true, they do. And from a single person’s view it doesn’t seem fair. After all, if you want kids, that you’re decision and more importantly, your burden to bear. We, who are single or don’t have children, shouldn’t have to pay our taxes to pay for your kids. That seems fair doesn’t it?

Labour though, wants to see about these child benefits and pensioner’s winter fuel payments. That really does appear to be a bit unfair. Why not tax the rich? Those making above say, £100,000, make them pay a higher tax bracket perhaps at 50%?

If they are looking at child benefits and winter fuel payments, aren’t they affecting the lowest levels of society, those they traditionally defend above all others?

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Posted at 6:23 am • Trackback Trackback

Posted in life

6 comments - Latest by:
  • richard
    I'm terrible in the morning, really stumbling around, hitting my big toe on the bedpost etc.,
  • mel
    Awww poor rich. I'd like to see that. Not the stair-falling. You in a zombie-state, lol.
 

Sep 11
2009

Posted by richard

This week has been a long one, 6am starts at work every day, which means getting up uber-early. Also I took the opportunity this week to bike in and bike home, a bit of a health kick I suppose.

All in all it’s been tiring, the 5am alarm calls are really tough, I’m not a morning person. But the biking hasn’t been that bad, I thought it would be worse. Sure the hills kill me, but I’m getting faster each day and aching less each day (the legs are the worst part).

So this weekend I will be trying to catch up on lost sleep, projects that I’ve meant to clean up on, and some good food!

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