Hype

No matter how many times I try and kid myself that I'm impervious to marketing hype and spin, I usually get swept up in the euphoria that accompanies long-awaited computer games. Yesterday saw the release of GTA IV and I dutifully went to the nearest game shop and handed over forty notes for it. It's not that I didn't want the game, indeed I did, but the sense of having to have it on the day of it's release was overwhelming. The world's problems would be erased as long as I got hold of a copy on the day of release. This is of course utter nonsense and I soon felt cheap, dirty, and used after purchasing it.

The game itself is actually quite impressive and will keep me busy until the next big thing. Especially as I don't really have that much time to play games anymore. After the excitement of buying it and bringing it home I was only able to play it for an hour or so due to a number of factors.

1. Being tired after working all day
2. Looking after baby
3. Looking after the good woman
4. Being 30
5. Struggling to stay up past 21:30

Still the weekend is on the way so maybe I will find a bit of time to cause some digital mischief. Providing I don't want an early night with my cocoa.

The other side of the hill

On Sunday I left the last bastion of youth and entered into adulthood. No longer am I a hip and happening twenty-something but a wily old veteran of thirty years life experience. With this new spring in my step I'm now entitled to see things a certain way.

I can now state with authority that things aren't as good as they were in my day.
I can now laugh at the latest pop icons for their recycled fashions and sounds, safe in the knowledge that Ive seen and heard it all before.
Police men now look as if they can't grow beards,

To prove that us thirty-somethings still have the ability to rage against the machine I openly admit to putting plastic bottles in the glass recycling box - so what you gonna do about that Mr Brown?

Happy St Georges Day

Well our national day is upon us and apart from the odd story of patriotism here and there I have seen no mention of it in the media during the days and weeks leading up to it. Only once have I had the fortuity to participate in celebrating all things English and that was in a pub in Australia.

The Aussies certainly know how to celebrate their national day by having parties and letting off fireworks, the same can be said for our other colonial cousins the Canadians who celebrate theirs with equal amounts of gusto.

Maybe in a year or two we might get an extra day off to celebrate....here's hoping

A Load of Rubbish

I had to cram the last bag of rubbish into the wheelie bin this morning making it impossible to close the lid fully. Normally I wouldn't give it a second thought but Ive just read this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cumbria/7360147.stm

I wonder if I'll get a reduced sentence by testifying against my neighbour for not recycling?

It could be you - or not

I went to Tesco's on Saturday to buy some cigs. Whilst queing up for my cancer sticks, out of the blue came a strong urge to chance my luck on the lottery. I haven't entered into the dream of millions for a number of years but for some devine reason felt a strong compulsion to enter Saturday's draw. Such a powerful urge to be "in it to win it", made me feel justified in spending an extra two pounds (I put two lines on), how could I loose?

I got three numbers.

Spread across two lines.

Back to work for another week.

Another Blog

Rather than just writing for writing's sake I have started another blog about our trip to Belgium and France last year. On that trip I visited numerous First World War sites and was overwhelmed at the scale of devastation and loss that was experienced by both sides.

I feel that we have much to learn from this period in history but now that the final members of that generation are fewer and farther between we are in danger of forgetting just what it was they endured.

Religious Salesmen

I'm not a member of any particular faith but I have adopted a few of the principles that are common to most of the good ones, namely;

Being good,
Not murdering anyone;
Apologising when I've done something wrong,
Being respectful of others etc

The more i watch T.V. and read articles on the tinernet the more difficult it is to escape religious thought and rhetoric. Every faction seems to want to promote the requirements of their own particular belief. If I decided to nail my colours to the post and pick a faith to follow would I need to phone around and get a few quotes from religious salesmen in order to get the best deal? Would they then try to entice me into their brood with a few incentives?

For example:

Cashback for converts to Judaism.
Catholic converts get a few bottles of wine thrown in.
For converting to Islam you get a free trip to Mecca Bingo.

As this contract will probably be in force for the rest of your life I would strongly recommend checking the small print before signing anything.

A few clauses I have found:

Judaism - Being circumcised.
Catholicism - Lots of kids.
Muslim - Growing a beard.

I hope this helps anyone thinking of changing faith get a good deal.

Phrase of the Day

"You never know whats around the corner"

I don't know why so many people keep saying this.

I know exactly what's around the corner.

A bank
A card shop
Tesco's
A Post Office (although it might not be there much longer)
A grocery shop (also might not be there much longer due to Tesco)
A Railway Station
A chip shop

Am I psychic or what?!