Time For Spag Bol and A Horror Flick!

I have something to celebrate. The way I celebrate is thus:-
get my other 'arf to cook one of his yummy spaghetti bolognese dinners and, afterwards, watch a horror film, (currently making my way through the Hammer box set I got for Christmas), with the lights out and candles flickering. Yup, I am a girl of a particular taste and a certain way.

What do I have to celebrate, (someone is maybe asking)? Ahh...(pulls forth a piece of paper and waves it about with a HUGE grin on her strawberry lip glossed lips), MY FIRST SODDING WAGE SLIP FOR A WHOLE FRECKING YEAR!
Oooo...happy, happy am I...cause I have MONEY...

I Started Out With Nothing and I've Still Got Most Of It Left!

Well, I've finished my first week in the new job and...I'm knackered! Yes, after being out of work for a year, (practically to the day), I can safely say the only good thing about working again is the payslip, accompanied by the actual money too that is, not much good without the wonger. I did not miss getting up in the wee, dark hours of the morning, tripping over my sleepy feet on the way to a wash and scrub, no but now, (unlike my previous job), I have to cope with the sodding rush hour traffic.

I have nothing against driving, I like it and I like cars in fact, on the old hush, hush, I'm a bit of a petrol head. The problem is that there are other people on the road and, these people are at their worse during the rush hour. Indication...where?? Curtsy...frecking missing! It can be a bit unnerving and occasionally dangerous; in the my first week of coping with driving to and from work there were two accidents, (that I know of) and no, I was neither the course or, involved thank you very much!

I can't say that I like my new job, I can't say I like the people I have to work with but heck, that's life and the fact I, at last, have a job means I have to shut up and deal with it. In these sorry times, a blighter can not afford to be fussy as there are a, ever, growing amount of people who have nothing and loosing that! On that thought I'll hand you over to the wise Seasick Steve...

Mondays Male - Richard Armitage.

As started last Monday, here's the male for Monday. A much more fun blog to post, in my opinion.


This week it's Richard Armitage - the man who spawned an Army, (see following link http://thearmitagearmy.co.uk/main/), yes a man knows he's arrived when a group of females are prepared to fly his flag, so to speak.













Why, I hear you ask would they want to fly his flag well, it all started with this...North and South the ending of which is below.



A man takes off his cravat and it does something to a gal, especially when the man is tall, dark and speaks like melted chocolate or, what melted chocolate would sound like if it spoke. He needs a health warning stuck onto him. Now that he is in Spooks, (a fine show which I recommend...when it returns to the BBC) he's doing the whole 007/agent thing. Off course the real swoon facter is his Guy of Gisbourne in Robin Hood. All black leather and mean looking...I just hope they've forgotten the black eyeliner in the new series because he did look a tad pantomime baddie!

Unfortunately YouTube is being a twat tonight so I can't obtain a vid from Robin Hood. I dare say you're all crushed!

Newbie.

Today was my first day in my new job. I can't say that I enjoyed it but a new job is a new job and, as anyone who has ever had a new job knows, the first day is well...actually, the first few months are, well...

I am now a laboratory assistant - I have never been a laboratory assistant before so you can imagine how I felt when I was presented with things to measure, solutions to add for listeria or salmonella testing. It is fair to say a rabbit in headlights is better off. I did what I was told, asked if I wasn't sure or plain forgot what I had been told, and got on with it - it's all you can do really. Off course, everyone there has been for a while, they know what they are doing, got their routines worked out - the best time for a break, can tell how long a job is going to take etc, etc and know each other.

Shit, I hate being the frecking newbie!

On a positive note if I hadn't got this job I would be frecked so I'm stuffed and have to 'put up with it'.

The Bulldog Sniffing At Uncle Sam's Butt.

It is a wonder, is it not, why we, the United Kingdom, feel an urge to follow America. Ever since WWII the great British bulldog has had an addiction to blindly follow that lanky Yank in the red, white and blue top hat.

Prior to the last world war we, as a nation, were carrying a good set of hearty balls. Ok, the empire was dying and things were changing, but we still seemed to lead - maybe I'm deluding myself, it's a long time since I was in a history lesson. Anyway, we still stuck our noses up at our American cousins wondering why they had to be so silly and do their own thing. How very Johnny Foreigner of them!

After the war things started to go all stars and strips, from Elvis to their cars, from their gum to their blooming American dream, full of mod cons and moon walking. Yup, us idiots looked over that mighty pond and thought yup, lets fill ourselves with hamburgers and try and look like Jimmy Dean/Marilyn Monroe...prior to their deaths that is....oooo...nasty Jimmy, should have braked harder mate!

Here we are today, minus the mighty manufacturing and industrial sectors we once had, minus the honest days labour a man could depend upon because we wanted to be modern just like Uncle Sam. Now, we are all banks, finance, shops and IT. Not much frecking good when the financial sector is failing, when the banks are frecking us over and retail is struggling because no blighter has any money well, apart from Government ministers and the damnable rich - those two sections of society always end up on their sodding feet while the rest of us are turfed out of our homes and freeze on the streets.

With unemployment growing lets just hope it's growth isn't has bad as in America where it is 2.6 million and rising. The view over there, seems to be that the current economic problems will continue for a long time yet and, get worse. Companies are trimming not just their fat, but also some of their muscle in fear of the severity of the situation.
The following link explains why -http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7820128.stm

For once, I hope we do not follow the fear American employers have because actually, such actions will make the recession worse and prolong it. It is up to the Government to ensure employers have the support and help they need so, in return, the employers can hold onto their staff. Unfortunately, we have a unfeeling twat in charge who has no real comprehension of what it is like to be jobless and one of the wretched. It really is about time ALL Government ministers pay was performance related, that would make the bastards care I can tell you!


'Oh my God, you've killed the economy, you bastards!'

There's Hope For The Monkeys Yet

I have decided to set up a new award - I have neither a trophy or any form of physical prize to give for this award but the title should be award enough...

There's Hope For The Monkeys Yet

Yes, if there is a news item about a person, (monkey), who has done something to show some good sense and demonstrate some hope for our sorry species then they will be awarded that prestigious title.

The first reciprocate is a bit of a surprise but that's good, when someone you don't expect to impress you does then it's a happy event - Sir Stuart Rose, the chief executive of Marks and Spencer's.

Why have I awarded him the title...well? For once a 'big boss' is actually displaying some sense and, possibly, understanding as he will not be taking a pay rise this year or a bonus, well no more of a bonus then his staff. This seems a rare thing in an age of the 'big boss' screwing the workers over, (in the case of the w..bankers the globe), it might well be a bit of good P.R. too but heck, I'll take whatever signs of 'sense' I can get!

See link below for a more detailed and full story -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7816414.stm

Talking about bankers it seems Barclays are pulling the plug on some jobs...ahh, just when I was enjoying that rare bit of hope.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7815759.stm

This Is Not Just Redundancy, This Is M & S Redundancy.

A worry, is it not, this same old bad news coming from the high street? The latest retailer to depress the workforce of this country is Marks and Spencer yes, this isn't just redundancy folks, this is M & S redundancy and it's going to cost 1,000 people their jobs.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7812917.stm

There's usually some accompanying bad news to go with the main bad news, in this case it's fellow retailers Next and Debenhams whose sales over the Christmas period were not good. I dare say their staff are in for some crappy news before long - lets hope otherwise.

No Longer Redundant/Men.

First, some good news. I am no longer redundant, jobless, one of the wretched - I am, once again, in gainful employment well, from next Monday I will be. Yes, I have beaten the job interview woes and actually impressed someone enough for them to hire me. That would explain the pig currently flying over my house...and the stuff that is splattering on to the roof!


Prior to the telephone call this morning, (that informed me of the above), I had planned a blog for today. I had decided to bring a cheer to the gloom of Monday, to make it the day I write about that fine species called Men. More specifically, men who I like so, first on the agenda is Mr Kevin McKidd, a fine figure of a Scottish actor who first came to my attention in one of my favourite films of all time and one of the best werewolf films ever made, 'Dog Solder's'. I was forced to pay close attention to him in that modern day romp, 'Rome' which was marvelous stuff and very informative on the old history front.

















There's something about a man in Roman uniform...





Dog Soldiers, vital viewing for any werewolf fan!

Happy New Year Unless You Work For Woolworths!

Woolworth's has now gone. The demise of a major retailer, that many of us view as much a part of our growing up, as cord trousers; x-ray spectacles; Shaun Cassidy; The Rocky Horror show and, off course Dr Who, was never a good thing but Woolworths had a part to play in many of our lives. If you're a child of the 1970, (in any shape or form), then Woolies would have been part of it...mainly the pick & mix part of it.

The trouble is that most of those 1970s children gave it a miss once they had become adults. I am no expect about the history of Woolworth's but I would place good money that after the '70s things were never the same for them. No, Woolworth's were stuck in an era and, despite attempts, could never get that era back especially with the growth of the supermarkets which have/are causing some unfavourable changes to the British high street.

I guess no-one is that surprise about what has happened to Woolworth's but that doesn't mean 'we' should not be upset by the fact it has gone. It is more upsetting when you read a story from today's news - Woolworth's staff in Jersey and Guernsey will not get any redundancy money, (see BBC News - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7809195.stm ), due to the fact these islands are self governed so do not have the same statutory benefits as a mainland worker...it isn't always nice to be a tax haven it seems. Whatever your view, it does seem very unfair that these staff members aren't getting a redundancy package; surely some of them must have been with the company for years.

Hopefully, the Jersey and Guernsey governments will be able to offer some type of monetary help but that isn't something I would put money on.

Woolworth's final end is bad enough, but the manner it is happening is something akin to a deceased prey having it's bones picked clean. The following remarks from a Woolworth's manager is sadly telling-

"I've obviously had instructions to sell fixtures and fittings, so half of those have been removed by customers as well.
"There's a price on everything in the store. We were under strict instructions to make sure we got as much sold as possible so we're down to sort of unpacked socks and stuff like that."