I learnt an interesting fact this week, one which I admit I have had rows about previously and it appears I have been wrong. Merchants in England and Wales do not have to accept Scottish bank notes if they don't wish to.
Now I always thought they did as they were same value and had the same wording relating to payment to bearer as the Bank of England notes. I knew Jersey money was not legal, but had no idea Scottish was discretionary.
it was brought to my attention as there is a campaign North of the boarder to make these notes compulsory tender. I am not sure why as most places do accept them, but the sweaties are always looking for something to dis the rest of the Country with.
The Bank of Scotland ( soon to be Lloyds Group) , The Clydesdale bank and Royal bank all produce their own notes, and there is a fine old market in forged notes which fly around at and during the Edinburgh festival.
I wonder how much it costs them to print the stuff, either they should stop and save themselves the overhead in these times of banking crisis, or they should work a few extra weekends at the print producing extra to eradicate the debt they have racked up with the government!
Friday, 23 January 2009
Thursday, 22 January 2009
...I wantmy baby back.....
Race has become the hot topic at the dinner table, overtaking house prices, second homes and the physical attributes of the Swedish Au Pair. This is all due to Black being the new White, a metamorphosis for which Barack Obama has become the catalyst.
I thought I would test this out using my IBM worldwide employee directory. There are seven Weathers in our organisation, me in London, a no relation in Leeds, and seven in the USA. Its strange, but the two of us in UK are white and the five in the USA are not. I thought I would test this a bit further, and test out our roots. Sure enough all our Irish cousins are white and have been for generations.
Carl Weathers, the actor is black, as is Clarence Weathers the ex-American football player, but research in Wikipedia indicates there is a diversity and dilution of my transatlantic theory, with Weathers even being tracked to Australia.......strewth, and Beck Weathers is worth a look at too.
Not sure what this proves, but it would be fascinating to trace the Weathers roots from Ireland to American and where the Afro-Carri bean influence first came from. A project for old age me thinks. Here is the Wiki Weathers list
I thought I would test this out using my IBM worldwide employee directory. There are seven Weathers in our organisation, me in London, a no relation in Leeds, and seven in the USA. Its strange, but the two of us in UK are white and the five in the USA are not. I thought I would test this a bit further, and test out our roots. Sure enough all our Irish cousins are white and have been for generations.
Carl Weathers, the actor is black, as is Clarence Weathers the ex-American football player, but research in Wikipedia indicates there is a diversity and dilution of my transatlantic theory, with Weathers even being tracked to Australia.......strewth, and Beck Weathers is worth a look at too.
Not sure what this proves, but it would be fascinating to trace the Weathers roots from Ireland to American and where the Afro-Carri bean influence first came from. A project for old age me thinks. Here is the Wiki Weathers list
Thursday, 8 January 2009
Get up that chimney
A happy New year to all of you. Its the festive season which has generated my first thoughts of the year.
During the industrial revolution, the use of child labour was commonplace and well documented by Dickens and others. It provided a source of cheap and subservient labour at a time when the momentum of the revolution needed to be maintained. they worked in mines and factories performing a wide range of menial tasks in terrible conditions. ...and you tell the youth of today that, and they just won't believe you... to paraphrase Monty Python.
Now we are in the midst of a new revolution, and we are missing a trick by not deploying children to help.
I am referring of course to the technological revolution which continues at a pace that adults are struggling to keep up with.
What I say, therefore, is lets get the child labour principle back in vogue. I think when you go to Richer Sounds, Comet, PC World or elsewhere and purchase something, you should get a seven year old thrown in. You can take them home, get them to configure and install the particular electrical product you have purchased and away you go. The child can be fed at your discretion with portions comparable with the size of the task they have performed, and then a call to said retail outlet will result in a cab arriving to take them back for their next assignment.
That should keep them off the streets, teach them that a square meal does not automatically turn up when they are hungry and that the better they are at something the more they are rewarded....more? the boy asked for more?
During the industrial revolution, the use of child labour was commonplace and well documented by Dickens and others. It provided a source of cheap and subservient labour at a time when the momentum of the revolution needed to be maintained. they worked in mines and factories performing a wide range of menial tasks in terrible conditions. ...and you tell the youth of today that, and they just won't believe you... to paraphrase Monty Python.
Now we are in the midst of a new revolution, and we are missing a trick by not deploying children to help.
I am referring of course to the technological revolution which continues at a pace that adults are struggling to keep up with.
What I say, therefore, is lets get the child labour principle back in vogue. I think when you go to Richer Sounds, Comet, PC World or elsewhere and purchase something, you should get a seven year old thrown in. You can take them home, get them to configure and install the particular electrical product you have purchased and away you go. The child can be fed at your discretion with portions comparable with the size of the task they have performed, and then a call to said retail outlet will result in a cab arriving to take them back for their next assignment.
That should keep them off the streets, teach them that a square meal does not automatically turn up when they are hungry and that the better they are at something the more they are rewarded....more? the boy asked for more?
Sunday, 21 December 2008
....but I couldn't eat a whole one!
Well, its early Christmas present time, but I did not realise how naughty I have been this year. Number two daughter has just announced she is with child, and I am much too young to be a grandfather!!
So come July, the house will be echoing to the sound of baby stuff, Maxine will be delighted as she likes babies, and it gives me an excuse for a barbecue. So she is the boss for the first three or four years, then I can take over when 'it' gets interesting.
We actually knew before Emma did, as Maxines mate Donna, the spook, sent Maxine a text asking how Emma was. Maxine replied in true clairvoyant speak, 'you tell me' when back came the answer 'pregnant with twins'. Well the scan has so far only shown one, unless the terrors were playing hide and seek with each other already.
Lee, the international vocalist, is already working on a new set, I can imagine songs like A Child is Born, Baby Driver, Hey Baby, and Wild Child will be included, although Baby What a Big Surprise by Chicago should slot into the playlist somewhere.
I am not sure what I am going to do with all the stuff I store in the Wendy House though, maybe its a good excuse to get another shed!
So come July, the house will be echoing to the sound of baby stuff, Maxine will be delighted as she likes babies, and it gives me an excuse for a barbecue. So she is the boss for the first three or four years, then I can take over when 'it' gets interesting.
We actually knew before Emma did, as Maxines mate Donna, the spook, sent Maxine a text asking how Emma was. Maxine replied in true clairvoyant speak, 'you tell me' when back came the answer 'pregnant with twins'. Well the scan has so far only shown one, unless the terrors were playing hide and seek with each other already.
Lee, the international vocalist, is already working on a new set, I can imagine songs like A Child is Born, Baby Driver, Hey Baby, and Wild Child will be included, although Baby What a Big Surprise by Chicago should slot into the playlist somewhere.
I am not sure what I am going to do with all the stuff I store in the Wendy House though, maybe its a good excuse to get another shed!
Monday, 15 December 2008
Up up and away, hic!
I have noticed a few comments starting to be posted against my ramblings, which is very gratifying. One regular poster, Martin, is my brother-in-law, who has recently become a snow bird, moving from Boston to Delray just North of Miami.
His last comment was to enquire how old the cuddly birds were as referred to on the second day of Christmas. Well Martin, about 32, which is far too old for you!!!
I am sure the family will all be looking at how they can get down there for a holiday come 2009, although hopefully the dollar will have recovered a bit by then to give them some spending money.
Best way to get to Miami is, of course, by air, and I have been flying a lot recently as I commute between various homes and Edinburgh. Recently I have noticed the airways equivalent of the nutter on the bus. That for those of you not familiar with the Billy Connolly story, relates to the hobo style character who gets on the bus talking to himself, and everybody shrivels up as small as they can and whisper to themselves, 'please no, don't sit next to me'
In airline terms, I just seem to attract the selfish idiot who insists on reclining their seat violently onto my knees even though its a 45 minutes journey, and if he moved up one row, he could have them all to himself.... my coffee goes everywhere I huff and puff, stick my knees in his back, but all to no avail. I remember reading once that an inventor in America was trying to design a clip you could put on the seat in front to stop it reclining, but it worked intermittently so it never caught on.
Never mind, its the season of goodwill, so I grin and bear it, in the knowledge that tonight is the staff party, when all bad memories will be dispersed in a cloud of alcohol induced euphoria. Make mine a pint please!
His last comment was to enquire how old the cuddly birds were as referred to on the second day of Christmas. Well Martin, about 32, which is far too old for you!!!
I am sure the family will all be looking at how they can get down there for a holiday come 2009, although hopefully the dollar will have recovered a bit by then to give them some spending money.
Best way to get to Miami is, of course, by air, and I have been flying a lot recently as I commute between various homes and Edinburgh. Recently I have noticed the airways equivalent of the nutter on the bus. That for those of you not familiar with the Billy Connolly story, relates to the hobo style character who gets on the bus talking to himself, and everybody shrivels up as small as they can and whisper to themselves, 'please no, don't sit next to me'
In airline terms, I just seem to attract the selfish idiot who insists on reclining their seat violently onto my knees even though its a 45 minutes journey, and if he moved up one row, he could have them all to himself.... my coffee goes everywhere I huff and puff, stick my knees in his back, but all to no avail. I remember reading once that an inventor in America was trying to design a clip you could put on the seat in front to stop it reclining, but it worked intermittently so it never caught on.
Never mind, its the season of goodwill, so I grin and bear it, in the knowledge that tonight is the staff party, when all bad memories will be dispersed in a cloud of alcohol induced euphoria. Make mine a pint please!
Thursday, 11 December 2008
Tralalalala lalalalal
A vicar in Walsall has written a new version of the The Twelve Days of Christmas as follows :
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me...
12 soldiers serving
11 lottery losers
10 hoodies hollering
Nine single mothers
Eight AIDS victims
Seven shoppers struggling
Six carers caring
Five repossessings
Four calling conmen
Three starving children
Two addicts shaking
And a poor homeless refugee
While all is not well in the world, it does seem a bit gloom and doom, so here is my alternative which I hope gives a balanced view. It also scans a bit better!!
The Twelve Days of Christmas Revisited:
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me...
12 soldiers serving (I like that one)
11 Royals boozing
10 Ballroom dancers
Nine judges judging
Eight lotto winners
Seven banks a merging
Six Poles decamping
Five cycling golds
Four pints of pride
Three curries
Two cuddly birds
And a brand new colour TV ( 42" flatscreen and heavily discounted of course!)
Ho ho ho!!
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me...
12 soldiers serving
11 lottery losers
10 hoodies hollering
Nine single mothers
Eight AIDS victims
Seven shoppers struggling
Six carers caring
Five repossessings
Four calling conmen
Three starving children
Two addicts shaking
And a poor homeless refugee
While all is not well in the world, it does seem a bit gloom and doom, so here is my alternative which I hope gives a balanced view. It also scans a bit better!!
The Twelve Days of Christmas Revisited:
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me...
12 soldiers serving (I like that one)
11 Royals boozing
10 Ballroom dancers
Nine judges judging
Eight lotto winners
Seven banks a merging
Six Poles decamping
Five cycling golds
Four pints of pride
Three curries
Two cuddly birds
And a brand new colour TV ( 42" flatscreen and heavily discounted of course!)
Ho ho ho!!
Sunday, 30 November 2008
Double bubble and a cuppa tea luv.......
Heston Blumenthal, of snail porridge fame, if turning his hand to the menu of the Little Chef chain, and i sense a disaster coming on. The red sign of the Little Chef has been a beacon for me and the family on our many trips along the A303, A38 or A50, and always under the beacon, like a crock of gold at the end of a rainbow, is the renowned all day breakfast, the highlight of which are the saute potatoes.
Now Heston knows alot more about food than ever I do, but I think he needs to apply the Honda principle to the all day breakfast. if it aint broke don't fix it! The thought of it changing and by so doing sacrificing the tatties and fried bread is a thought I cannot bear. Its the best way to eat a lump of lard, known to man.
I always remember staying at the Gleneagles Hotel some years ago, and was disappointed that their breakfast was not made to order, rather it was kept in trays under those ghastly heat lamps. we were quite later down, so had pretty miserable dried up fayre, which prompted a letter to the general Manager on my return home.
'Sir' I indicated ' I would consider an establishment such as yours well able to provide a breakfast worthy of your status. On the last occasion I visited, it came a poor second to the Little Chef.' Needless to say the offer of a complimentary week in the hotel did not materialise, just a standard acknowledgement of the letter. If the Little Chef start offering snail porridge on the menu, then Gleneagles has no chance!
Now Heston knows alot more about food than ever I do, but I think he needs to apply the Honda principle to the all day breakfast. if it aint broke don't fix it! The thought of it changing and by so doing sacrificing the tatties and fried bread is a thought I cannot bear. Its the best way to eat a lump of lard, known to man.
I always remember staying at the Gleneagles Hotel some years ago, and was disappointed that their breakfast was not made to order, rather it was kept in trays under those ghastly heat lamps. we were quite later down, so had pretty miserable dried up fayre, which prompted a letter to the general Manager on my return home.
'Sir' I indicated ' I would consider an establishment such as yours well able to provide a breakfast worthy of your status. On the last occasion I visited, it came a poor second to the Little Chef.' Needless to say the offer of a complimentary week in the hotel did not materialise, just a standard acknowledgement of the letter. If the Little Chef start offering snail porridge on the menu, then Gleneagles has no chance!
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