Well I never ...


I have spent the last 25 years living (and spreading) a deceit, it would appear. I specifically remember watching the news on my birthday and hearing the news that the then General Secretary of the Communist Party, Leonid Brezhnev, had died ... and have since always mentioned this little known factoid as an aside, anytime the topic of my birthday has come up.

Well according to Wikipedia, the modern day tome that speaks only the 'trut' (am listening to Black Uhuru), it seems 'Lenya' actually died on November 10th. Humph - well that bust my bubble. In my defence, the Soviet Union was not exactly forthcoming with news, was it. How long did it take them to admit that the Chernobyl disaster had taken place? 3 days if I remember that documentary correctly?!! And only then when they could no longer deny knowledge of the cloud of radioactivity wafting across Scandinavia and most of Western Europe. And the Kursk submarine tragedy .. both a lesson in how not to do journalism (or a lesson in how to do PR perhaps .. no offence meant 'fillup'). Mind you the Slavs don't really have the hugest amount of respect for good journalism - ask Ms Politskaya ...

So anyway, I digress. As I ease into the best month of the year in half an hour, I had to find some new Nov 15th facts to keep myself amused. And here they are. After a quick skim through the list, How much cache to being born on the same day as SS General Rommel! Which is hopefully offset by the birth on the same day of Claus von Stauffenberg, Hitler's would-be assassin. Which are both superceded, surely, by the opening of America's first "Wendy's" fast food restaurant (on my birthday?! perhaps this explains the fat gene?!).

2 weeks to go .. (look at the ego on the boy). Mind you, it's enough to be celebrating the passing of one more month in this shit-awful year. It's almost over. 10 down, two to go.

Let's Play Ball

First ever superbowl fixture outside of USA ... At Wembley stadium and guess who's going?! Thanks Neill! Last ever picture with my 3.2 mega pixel camera fone? Well ... If the 5 mega pixel replacement arrives before the weekend. D D D ... Defence! Go Giants!

Yo man, those jeans are PHAT!

I was prompted into thinking this while checking out the latest howies catalogue. Clothes are heinously expensive and I recommend getting on their mailing list just once so you can receive the paper version of their latest products. You may, like me, be incredulous, that one small group of - I hope well-intentioned - people in Cardigan Bay (Wales) could produce page after of page of self-aggrandising, pretentious, moral-high-ground-claiming load of shite I have EVER read. I bought and occasionally still succumb to their organic, fair trade clothing (there aren't many chemical free clothing options out there .. and don't they f****ing know it) ... but I do have to grit my teeth every time I click "buy". Anyway I won't get started on howies .. for now.

Actually was thinking about my genes today on cycle into work. When I think that I currently cycle over an hour a day; my job for the last 6 months has involved 7hrs walking or cycling from patient to patient (current rotation with a caseload on 4 floors .. up and down stairs all day); I have a virtually vegan diet, no dairy products at all in weeks (only my love - lust? - for eggs are my vegan downfall); I even stay within the government recommended level of alcohol consumption (admittedly, ok, a week's 'allowance' in about 4 hrs on Friday ...). But I just don't get it - how I can still be pudgy round the mid-riff .. What more can I do. How else should I be living to not feel like Mr love handle? I must have the fat gene. What on earth would I look like today, if I'd stayed in comfy office job and lifestyle in houston back in 2002? Perish the thought.

Should probably get this checked out. Probably made a little paranoid (more aware?) from the last month working in a specialty cardiac hospital. Some of the people that come in for valve replacements and heart bypasses are just like you and me - only with their cardiac pump completely stenosed (only? that's layman's speak for 'furred up'). "I never thought it would happen to me"; "makes you wonder"; "I'm really gonna change the way I live from now on"; "I said I'd give up (smoking) when/ if something major happened to me" (good move - wait for a heart attack). All encouraging stuff .. until you walk outside the main entrance and see patients outside smoking .. what fuc*ing planet are you on mate?!

The only thing I reckon in my lifestyle that may "get me" is the alcohol. But surely the odd one won't hurt. I go on a bender, what, once in a blue moon these days; I've got to be able to let my hair down once in a while, right? I deserve it; I'm so good in virtually every other area of my life; that kind of thing would never happen to me. I am invincible right. Capt fu****g America.

Errrrr, what fu****g planet am I living on

EotFt


no post in weeks. ugh .. the world didn't stop spinning??! hmmm ... big rugby game later today apparently but personally .. am hoping this lad clinches the title. there is so much more cld write about from last month or three but i hope my next post relates to the first (mixed race) man in history to win F1's ultimate prize in their maiden season. I don't know why it matters, it just does. allez le blanc/noir-et x (oh yeah .. and England v Safas)