One of my passions is football. I played it for 40 odd years. I did not win much just the odd in house tournament I organised, well if you can't win those what can you win. I was always resolute in defence, took no prisoners if they still had the ball. I was Captain most of the time, cos I led by example. It even cost me a broken leg eventually and plaster up to my groin for 6 months, but not before I had inflicted similar in fever pitched battles. I even subjected my family to the worse breakfast service in our 2nd week holiday in Minorca, after I had brought down the Head Waiter in a cloud of dust at a local stadium where I organised the tourists versus the hotel staff England v Spain, and we won, but the Head Waiter was not a happy chappy nor a happy signor.
So playing football, watching Tottenham Hotspur and England has been an anual event of hope and despair an emotional roller coaster. Yes, you can't win them all (why not), but it is nice to win sometimes.
The trouble with football today is that since Sky TV bought the TV rights to show games and then sell them around the world with the Premier League, professional footballers have become over paid prima donnas, achieving celebrity status often without delivering the goods. after all we are talking about a job here that is 90 minutes a week if that, for kicking a round thing in between two white posts and a crossbar and you have 10 mates helping you, with a similar number opposing you. For that you can command £100,000 a game if you are any good, or even if you are rubbish some weeks and fail to perform for just 90 minutes a week. Compare that with any other job, huh !!!
But football is in my blood and without a blood transfusion will be there till I die. There are many in football that have the passion to succeed, there are many that just try to do enough to get by, like in any walk of life.
Today's blog is prompted by what happened last night in South Africa, the World Cup, where England played their first game in their league group. Not since 1966 have we won the world cup. In that final we had certain players who literally run their socks off for their country and their Manager Sir Alf Ramsey. We had brilliant players, Gordon Banks was probably the best goalkeeper in the world, Bobby Moore the best defender in the world, Alan Ball the youngest and best midfield dynamo in the world. They did not need huge sums to play, they had huge hearts. Alas the latter two are already dead. Will their surviving team mates, 3 lions on a shirt, see the new England win the same competition. I hope so, they are among the richest in the world, so maybe they should beat the world.
Last night's not so hopeful verdict:
The Green Green Grass of Home
Once again a nation expects. The flags are flying in every street. In a game we gave to the world, we now compete with the world’s best. But now we watch in hope and often despair, supporting England is a roller coaster ride every game. We used to be the best, we used to produce the best, but now the teacher cannot beat the up and coming pupil.
We used to produce the best goalkeepers the world had ever seen, Gordon Banks, Ray Clemence, Peter Shilton. Now the need and the greed necessary to survive every week in the Premier League means all our top clubs have foreign goalkeepers, and we are left to chose from relegated or near relegated clubs for that vital roll between the posts. We chose goalkeepers who week in week out are used to picking the ball out of the back of the net. Yes every goalkeeper can make a howler, and when they do it is calamitous because they are the last line of defence. Indeed England goalkeepers have made gross mistakes on the world’s stage before and cost their Manager their jobs. However, Green’s mistake last night allowing a long range hope full punt from Dempsey to give USA an equaliser was the same mistake as his name and his colour shirt. It was a schoolboy error not out of the coaching manuals. How any defender could have confidence in him thereafter is unbelievable just like his handling. Yes football is a team game, but some positions are more vital than others. It is no good saying he redeemed himself in the 2nd half with one save that after all was really saved by the woodwork to where he deflected the shot.
In the qualifiers we seemed to have a team select. Once we qualified that plan was, it seems, thrown out of the window. However on form Joe Hart should be in front of the sticks, on experience and because he can be more a hero than a clown James should be number 1. Green should get the next plane home. He has cost us 2 points, he and he alone. He should also take his West Ham colleague Upson with him, both of them got West Ham where they are today, scrapping survivors of a relegation battle.
So, like any England fanatical supporter born out of patriotism, yes I question team and squad selection and logic. Yes, take off Milner who had been ill and was having a torrid 30 minutes against the USA advancing right. But, why bring on a right sided Wright Phillips to patrol the left. Also, as hard working and grafting as Heskey is, he cannot score goals, not with his head or his feet. He is a striker who cannot score goals, so pick him for lay offs and assists, but that means one of your strikers will not score, that leaves only one other. My other player singled out for criticism is Lampard. He can do it week in week out for Chelsea, but when he puts on an England shirt, well his free kick in front of goal 2nd half was more worthy of Twickenham. The guy is just off target, that is his middle name.
Contrast Lampard’s contribution with Captain Courageous Gerrard, who was there covering every blade of grass making vital blocks in defence and scoring the early goal with a true penetrative run and class, that should have eased all our nerves and those of his team mates including Green. Stevie G led by example it’s a great pity most of his team mates could not see it, like the viewers could.
Football is a team game, USA showed us that in defence and midfield resilience and with a far superior goalkeeper from Everton. England did not have the craft or the class, world class, to unpick them again after Gerrard’s superb lift for his country.
Rooney was too short and too deep, crosses across the USA box were not met. The Crouch solution to that problem was 80 minutes too late, Capello take note.
In truth we do not have enough World Class players to win a World Class competition, only a handful of our players would feature in any world side. We are good at going forward down the flanks, especially the right, but we have no converters in the centre. Only Gerrard, Ashley Cole, Johnson and Terry can hold their heads high after that game. Lennon, Heskey, Rooney worked hard. Misses were plenty. 4 players playing really well out of 11 is not good enough and the result is a 1-1 draw against USA, not against Brazil, Argentina, Spain. No against USA.
If we are to improve and we must to succeed in this tournament for the 11th time in 44 years, Capello has to hit on a winning formula team selection, as Sir Alf Ramsey did.
He has a problem with the goalkeeper, midfield and strikers. His substitutions were dictated to him against the USA. Next time he will have to make 3 changes during the game if we cannot find the net again.
Gareth Barry if fit, should replace Lampard, and Joe Cole should be on the left. We need class on the grass. Up front Crouch should partner Rooney, with Defoe ready to come on for the last 20 minutes. Ramsey used to say to his engine room in Peters Ball and Charlton to burn themselves out and they did. We need a similar engine room. In Gerrard we have a start, Lennon needs to up the pace and confidence he had before injury for Spurs. Barry should steady midfield and it’s balance with his left foot in front of the back four. Joe Cole can wriggle his way through from the left, leaving Ashley Cole to forge down the line. Hopefully King’s knee will allow his return, and Hart should be given the job of keeping a clean sheet, because he is the form man with the non Teflon gloves.
Onward and Upward England. At least you did not lose, you could have. Let this be an eye opener Mr Copello, lessons to be learned, quickly and decisively.
as published on on BBC 606
Sunday, 13 June 2010
Sunday, 9 May 2010
the new adventues of Phileas Fogg
A week in the life of, To Boldly Go Where I have not been Before.
Vancouver that is, British Columbia, or as I found out BC = Bring Cash, lots of it. Petrol is two thirds the price, but everything else apart from 2nd hand boats is a lot. They also add tax on to the price so you have lots of loose change and never know how much the thing will cost. But an example is a replica Canadian Ice Hockey shirt, yours for just £100, errr no thanks, I will do without. I’ll get a Red Indian t shirt instead with eagles on it.
And yes the Eagle Landed in Vancouver where my son was head hunted to work and live and raise a young family. There are lots of bald headed eagles flying around, in a very new, picturesque pacific coastline city with the snow capped Rocky Mountains as a back drop. Very clean air, and most people take a pride in their painted wooden houses and their gardens. The woodland acid soil is a paradise in May for rhododendrons, azaleas, and camellias, a splash of colours in every street. The woodlands themselves are a drive away rain forest, tall cedars that reach straight for the skies , the origin of the original nation totem poles. Oh btw it is not pc to say red Indian, it is 1st Nation, But then my life was formulated in the non politically correct era, when you called things and everyone knew that a spade was a spade.
But back to Vancouver city, less than 150 years old. And it is not busy, not masses of people in line queuing up everywhere. The sun shone, it did rain a bit overnight, it did get windy, but the sea and the mountains , well just a great view all the time. You cannot get bored with it. So this guide is not about a rough guide to a rough place. Vancouver is expensive, but nice. Most locals are friendly, but shops are not abundant, when you walk around.
Very patriotic, the Queen’s photo is up almost everywhere, there are a few pubs selling decent brews. A lot of Brits emigrate there to raise a family. I even noticed the passengers on the school bus going to the Museum of the Native Red Indians, were well behaved and their teachers spoke to them instead of screaming as they do in our educational establishments. No sign of disrupters here. There is also an aquarium where sea life is tanked up for all to see and films are shown in the Kenny Everitt Sensaround style. So when the Blue whale blows, so does the spray on your face as you sit in the auditorium ( and the seat vibrates, oooo cheeky)
But the flight is long, 5,000 miles, 10 hours, to go 8 hours time zone difference, and even longer when an Icelandic Volcano delays the flight and enforces a detour around the ash cloud. The central plains of Canada take hours to cross and has snow even in May brrrr!!
Also the Canadian Affair Thomas Cook flight, well it’s hard to sleep, the ticket is cheap so the coffee comes at £2.10 for a small cup. Screaming babies who don’t know why they are on a plane and why their ears hurt, scream as you view the movies wearing extra cost head sets, but the games and tv channels cost extra too. People going to the toilet almost non stop, some people go every hour !!! Its true, I could have been on a time and motion exercise. Then some people do their Yoga in the aisles, we picked up some weirdo’s and some objects on the gaydar !!!
This Phileas Fogg travelled solo, where, security wanted to confiscate his liquid Gaviscon, even though they did not have a stomach ache, the internet cost a pound per 10 minutes, give that a miss, and the overnight hotel internet booking meant my breakfast was a lot extra. Fortunate though as the rations were small in my aircraft seat as was my space. Not as bad as a battery hens though by all accounts.
Wish you were there, a post card from Vancouver, next stop blighty and recovering from jet lag and a travel bug !!
Vancouver that is, British Columbia, or as I found out BC = Bring Cash, lots of it. Petrol is two thirds the price, but everything else apart from 2nd hand boats is a lot. They also add tax on to the price so you have lots of loose change and never know how much the thing will cost. But an example is a replica Canadian Ice Hockey shirt, yours for just £100, errr no thanks, I will do without. I’ll get a Red Indian t shirt instead with eagles on it.
And yes the Eagle Landed in Vancouver where my son was head hunted to work and live and raise a young family. There are lots of bald headed eagles flying around, in a very new, picturesque pacific coastline city with the snow capped Rocky Mountains as a back drop. Very clean air, and most people take a pride in their painted wooden houses and their gardens. The woodland acid soil is a paradise in May for rhododendrons, azaleas, and camellias, a splash of colours in every street. The woodlands themselves are a drive away rain forest, tall cedars that reach straight for the skies , the origin of the original nation totem poles. Oh btw it is not pc to say red Indian, it is 1st Nation, But then my life was formulated in the non politically correct era, when you called things and everyone knew that a spade was a spade.
But back to Vancouver city, less than 150 years old. And it is not busy, not masses of people in line queuing up everywhere. The sun shone, it did rain a bit overnight, it did get windy, but the sea and the mountains , well just a great view all the time. You cannot get bored with it. So this guide is not about a rough guide to a rough place. Vancouver is expensive, but nice. Most locals are friendly, but shops are not abundant, when you walk around.
Very patriotic, the Queen’s photo is up almost everywhere, there are a few pubs selling decent brews. A lot of Brits emigrate there to raise a family. I even noticed the passengers on the school bus going to the Museum of the Native Red Indians, were well behaved and their teachers spoke to them instead of screaming as they do in our educational establishments. No sign of disrupters here. There is also an aquarium where sea life is tanked up for all to see and films are shown in the Kenny Everitt Sensaround style. So when the Blue whale blows, so does the spray on your face as you sit in the auditorium ( and the seat vibrates, oooo cheeky)
But the flight is long, 5,000 miles, 10 hours, to go 8 hours time zone difference, and even longer when an Icelandic Volcano delays the flight and enforces a detour around the ash cloud. The central plains of Canada take hours to cross and has snow even in May brrrr!!
Also the Canadian Affair Thomas Cook flight, well it’s hard to sleep, the ticket is cheap so the coffee comes at £2.10 for a small cup. Screaming babies who don’t know why they are on a plane and why their ears hurt, scream as you view the movies wearing extra cost head sets, but the games and tv channels cost extra too. People going to the toilet almost non stop, some people go every hour !!! Its true, I could have been on a time and motion exercise. Then some people do their Yoga in the aisles, we picked up some weirdo’s and some objects on the gaydar !!!
This Phileas Fogg travelled solo, where, security wanted to confiscate his liquid Gaviscon, even though they did not have a stomach ache, the internet cost a pound per 10 minutes, give that a miss, and the overnight hotel internet booking meant my breakfast was a lot extra. Fortunate though as the rations were small in my aircraft seat as was my space. Not as bad as a battery hens though by all accounts.
Wish you were there, a post card from Vancouver, next stop blighty and recovering from jet lag and a travel bug !!
Sunday, 25 April 2010
A day in the life of
I read the news today oh boy
About a lucky man who made the grade
And though the news was rather sad
Well I just had to laugh
I saw the photograph
He blew his mind out in a car
He didn't notice that the lights had changed
A crowd of people stood and stared
They'd seen his face before
Nobody was really sure
If he was from the House of Lords.
I saw a film today oh boy
The English Army had just won the war
A crowd of people turned away
but I just had to look
Having read the book
I'd love to turn you on
Woke up, fell out of bed,
Dragged a comb across my head
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup,
And looking up I noticed I was late.
Found my coat and grabbed my hat
Made the bus in seconds flat
Found my way upstairs and had a smoke,
and Somebody spoke and I went into a dream
I read the news today oh boy
Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire
And though the holes were rather small
They had to count them all
Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall.
I'd love to turn you on
About a lucky man who made the grade
And though the news was rather sad
Well I just had to laugh
I saw the photograph
He blew his mind out in a car
He didn't notice that the lights had changed
A crowd of people stood and stared
They'd seen his face before
Nobody was really sure
If he was from the House of Lords.
I saw a film today oh boy
The English Army had just won the war
A crowd of people turned away
but I just had to look
Having read the book
I'd love to turn you on
Woke up, fell out of bed,
Dragged a comb across my head
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup,
And looking up I noticed I was late.
Found my coat and grabbed my hat
Made the bus in seconds flat
Found my way upstairs and had a smoke,
and Somebody spoke and I went into a dream
I read the news today oh boy
Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire
And though the holes were rather small
They had to count them all
Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall.
I'd love to turn you on
Friday, 23 April 2010
England and Saint George!
I am a patriot. I don't know if I could live abroad, I would get homesick, anyway there are too many foreigners abroad, they spoil their place, just like they can spoil my place of birth. Yes the PC brigade will object to telling it as it is, and it is not a sweeping generalisation. There are times when the union jack shorts abroad embarass me and my nation and there are times when I am pleasantly surprised by a person no matter what nationality.
However the English do not celebrate St Georges Day as others do notbaly the Irish and their St Patricks day. Hence today's entry. There are local parades in local towns tomorrow, tick box, and there are some pubs with the cross of St George bunting blowing in the spring breeze and against a blue blue blue sky.
But St George was not English. He was a Tribune in Palestine circa 300ad, and he was beheaded by the Emperor for his christian belief, hence his martyrdome converted pagans to christianity, hence the Crusaders adopted him and told of the myth that he slayed a pagan dragon and saved the sacrificial princess, converting even more to christianity. St George is also held saintly in other countries like Lithuania and Georgia.
But I have a statue of him on my living room window sill slaying the dreadful dragon. I have England T shirts too. So after this weekend we will not be flying the flag until the World Cup in 2 months in South Africa when we will be glued to our sets willing our team on to victory.
Which is a nice link to the Battle of Agincourt where Henry V ralied his out numbered troops against the French to win a famous victory.
Follow your spirit; and, upon this charge
Cry ‘God for Harry! England and Saint George!
And, we cant let this day pass without some music can we, so singalong with Allan:
Land of Hope and Glory
Land of Hope and Glory, Mother of the Free,
How shall we extol thee, who are born of thee?
Wider still, and wider, shall thy bounds be set;
God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet!
Truth and Right and Freedom, each a holy gem,
Stars of solemn brightness, weave thy diadem.
Tho' thy way be darkened, still in splendour drest,
As the star that trembles o'er the liquid West.
Throned amid the billows, throned inviolate,
Thou hast reigned victorious, thou has smiled at fate.
Land of Hope and Glory, fortress of the Free,
How may we extol thee, praise thee, honour thee?
Hark, a mighty nation maketh glad reply;
Lo, our lips are thankful, lo, our hearts are high!
Hearts in hope uplifted, loyal lips that sing;
Strong in faith and freedom, we have crowned our King!
Land of Hope and Glory, Mother of the Free,
God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet!
God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier........ yet!
and now a bit of Pomp and Circumstance by Englishmen Elgar of course
until, next time..........
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moL4MkJ-aLk
Stiring stuff huh goosebumps
However the English do not celebrate St Georges Day as others do notbaly the Irish and their St Patricks day. Hence today's entry. There are local parades in local towns tomorrow, tick box, and there are some pubs with the cross of St George bunting blowing in the spring breeze and against a blue blue blue sky.
But St George was not English. He was a Tribune in Palestine circa 300ad, and he was beheaded by the Emperor for his christian belief, hence his martyrdome converted pagans to christianity, hence the Crusaders adopted him and told of the myth that he slayed a pagan dragon and saved the sacrificial princess, converting even more to christianity. St George is also held saintly in other countries like Lithuania and Georgia.
But I have a statue of him on my living room window sill slaying the dreadful dragon. I have England T shirts too. So after this weekend we will not be flying the flag until the World Cup in 2 months in South Africa when we will be glued to our sets willing our team on to victory.
Which is a nice link to the Battle of Agincourt where Henry V ralied his out numbered troops against the French to win a famous victory.
Follow your spirit; and, upon this charge
Cry ‘God for Harry! England and Saint George!
And, we cant let this day pass without some music can we, so singalong with Allan:
Land of Hope and Glory
Land of Hope and Glory, Mother of the Free,
How shall we extol thee, who are born of thee?
Wider still, and wider, shall thy bounds be set;
God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet!
Truth and Right and Freedom, each a holy gem,
Stars of solemn brightness, weave thy diadem.
Tho' thy way be darkened, still in splendour drest,
As the star that trembles o'er the liquid West.
Throned amid the billows, throned inviolate,
Thou hast reigned victorious, thou has smiled at fate.
Land of Hope and Glory, fortress of the Free,
How may we extol thee, praise thee, honour thee?
Hark, a mighty nation maketh glad reply;
Lo, our lips are thankful, lo, our hearts are high!
Hearts in hope uplifted, loyal lips that sing;
Strong in faith and freedom, we have crowned our King!
Land of Hope and Glory, Mother of the Free,
God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet!
God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier........ yet!
and now a bit of Pomp and Circumstance by Englishmen Elgar of course
until, next time..........
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moL4MkJ-aLk
Stiring stuff huh goosebumps
Monday, 12 April 2010
Sundays FA Cup Semi Final at Wembley
Subject: BBC 606
Date: Sun, 11 Apr 2010 19:40:18 +0000
the legendary allansharpe just wrote;
Pomp & Circumstance
Again Tottering Hotspur fail to break down a resolute defence aided and abetted by a blue shirted referee. Just like against Hull, Stoke, Wolves, throw up a wall and Tottenham will flounder on it. Only Bale holds a key to unlock, the others are just blocked. Tottenham, you need a genius infront of goal with flare and imagination. The 4 strikers lost us that game today, not supported well enough by midfield apart from Modric.
The next fortnight does not look good , it never did, but it’s worse now.
That team just threw away the chance of a medal , a trophy, silverware for the Team and the Supporters. Booooooooooooo
In truth Spurs did not play bad, they faced 12 blue shirts including the referee Alan Wiley, who surely did not have a flutter on the side, he did disallow a perfectly good goal for Spurs which would have levelled the scores, it was the only time Crouch did not miss several chances coming his way. Even Pompey goalkeeper David James ironically smiled at the cameras at his good fortune with the referee saying he was impeded before the goal. Rubbish.
Referees, they cost teams and supporters, hope your bet was worthwhile Mr Wiley. Oh btw how many free kicks did you award to Portsmouth, and yet when Krancjar is hauled down, blind as a bat aren't you.
Date: Sun, 11 Apr 2010 19:40:18 +0000
the legendary allansharpe just wrote;
Pomp & Circumstance
Again Tottering Hotspur fail to break down a resolute defence aided and abetted by a blue shirted referee. Just like against Hull, Stoke, Wolves, throw up a wall and Tottenham will flounder on it. Only Bale holds a key to unlock, the others are just blocked. Tottenham, you need a genius infront of goal with flare and imagination. The 4 strikers lost us that game today, not supported well enough by midfield apart from Modric.
The next fortnight does not look good , it never did, but it’s worse now.
That team just threw away the chance of a medal , a trophy, silverware for the Team and the Supporters. Booooooooooooo
In truth Spurs did not play bad, they faced 12 blue shirts including the referee Alan Wiley, who surely did not have a flutter on the side, he did disallow a perfectly good goal for Spurs which would have levelled the scores, it was the only time Crouch did not miss several chances coming his way. Even Pompey goalkeeper David James ironically smiled at the cameras at his good fortune with the referee saying he was impeded before the goal. Rubbish.
Referees, they cost teams and supporters, hope your bet was worthwhile Mr Wiley. Oh btw how many free kicks did you award to Portsmouth, and yet when Krancjar is hauled down, blind as a bat aren't you.
Sunday, 11 April 2010
Power to the People
Power to the People
It’s Modern History time. Back in the Conservative days of Rule Brittania, in the gloomy 80’s and 90’s, the Tory Government decided they could not afford to run industry anymore, forget nationalisation, lets privatise everything. So Margaret Thatcher and John Major, sold off our public transport and the fares went up, the service got worse and a few lucky bosses in the right place at the right time became fat cats, whilst the rest of us suffered.
And so it was, not only with Public Transport the buses and railways, you know the sort of thing the people depend on to go to work etc. No they privatised the H2O, that falls from the sky and collects in holes in the ground, they privatised all the public utilities, you know the sort of thing people rely on to turn a tap and drink, switch a kettle on and cook a meal, heat a house, light up the dark. Yes the Tories thought it a good idea to lose control of basic essentials and let fat cats profit and the population suffer.
Now one of the new breed of power companies is N Power. They provide my gas and electricity. They can’t read meters, so they estimate bills, that go up and up all the time, and are not so quick to come down when international wholesale prices fall through basic economics supply and demand.
Just recently they have sent me enough bills for me to wallpaper a wall in one of my rooms. On line I can see the reverse of my bill but not the front!! I read the meter and send them the figures, they send me another bill. But, it has no readings. So they send me another copy which is the same as before, no readings. Finally the penny drops and they send me a bill justifying their exorbitant rates. Then they send me an amended bill, which is less. So I pay their last bill the amended bill. Then they send me a letter stating I owe them more money.
So…………….. I telephoned them yesterday, and the poor girl at the end of the phone got a dreadful ear bashing from me, as she tried to explain. But, as I said to her, if you ate at a restaurant and got 6 bills, which one would you pay.
I don’t know if it’s my age, but I am sure incompetency is getting more and more contagious, and spreading. The symptoms are you don’t know your left hand from your right hand, and you just make things up as you go along and hope no one notices.
I do think N Power staff are suffering from this disease. Me, I shall be changing my supplier. After all in a free market, competition drives down prices and improves efficiency, doesn’t it…………………………………..doesn’t it.
Luckily enough I passed A level Economics.
It’s Modern History time. Back in the Conservative days of Rule Brittania, in the gloomy 80’s and 90’s, the Tory Government decided they could not afford to run industry anymore, forget nationalisation, lets privatise everything. So Margaret Thatcher and John Major, sold off our public transport and the fares went up, the service got worse and a few lucky bosses in the right place at the right time became fat cats, whilst the rest of us suffered.
And so it was, not only with Public Transport the buses and railways, you know the sort of thing the people depend on to go to work etc. No they privatised the H2O, that falls from the sky and collects in holes in the ground, they privatised all the public utilities, you know the sort of thing people rely on to turn a tap and drink, switch a kettle on and cook a meal, heat a house, light up the dark. Yes the Tories thought it a good idea to lose control of basic essentials and let fat cats profit and the population suffer.
Now one of the new breed of power companies is N Power. They provide my gas and electricity. They can’t read meters, so they estimate bills, that go up and up all the time, and are not so quick to come down when international wholesale prices fall through basic economics supply and demand.
Just recently they have sent me enough bills for me to wallpaper a wall in one of my rooms. On line I can see the reverse of my bill but not the front!! I read the meter and send them the figures, they send me another bill. But, it has no readings. So they send me another copy which is the same as before, no readings. Finally the penny drops and they send me a bill justifying their exorbitant rates. Then they send me an amended bill, which is less. So I pay their last bill the amended bill. Then they send me a letter stating I owe them more money.
So…………….. I telephoned them yesterday, and the poor girl at the end of the phone got a dreadful ear bashing from me, as she tried to explain. But, as I said to her, if you ate at a restaurant and got 6 bills, which one would you pay.
I don’t know if it’s my age, but I am sure incompetency is getting more and more contagious, and spreading. The symptoms are you don’t know your left hand from your right hand, and you just make things up as you go along and hope no one notices.
I do think N Power staff are suffering from this disease. Me, I shall be changing my supplier. After all in a free market, competition drives down prices and improves efficiency, doesn’t it…………………………………..doesn’t it.
Luckily enough I passed A level Economics.
Sunday, 4 April 2010
This Easter Message from Pope Allan the 87th
This Easter Remember the RESURRECTION Shuffle......doing alright...
Choose yourself a partner
From the middle of the floor.
Blow a little kiss
To the woman next door.
Step on the gas
Put your head in the air.
make a "V" sign
And you throw back your hair....doing alright yeah
a do a loo a doo lop, a do a loo a do lop
Put your hand on your hip
Now you let your back bone slip.
Put out your tongue
Put your head in the air.
Make a "V" sign
And you just don't care.
Now you feel free
You gotta loose control.
All Gods children gotta
Little bit of soul.
You don't have to think
You don't have to move a muscle
just do the brow beatin'
Heavy leather resurrection shuffle.....doing alright yeah
a do a loo a doo lop, a do a loo a do lop
Think about nothing now
You're nice and high.
You're advocating love
But you don't know why.
Now you getting vibrations
All down to your feet.
That's the brow beatin'
Heavy leather resurrection beat........doing alright now
a do a loo a doo lop, a do a loo a do lop
Choose yourself a partner
From the middle of the floor.
Blow a little kiss
To the woman next door.
Step on the gas
Put your head in the air.
make a "V" sign
And you throw back your hair....doing alright yeah
a do a loo a doo lop, a do a loo a do lop
Put your hand on your hip
Now you let your back bone slip.
Put out your tongue
Put your head in the air.
Make a "V" sign
And you just don't care.
Now you feel free
You gotta loose control.
All Gods children gotta
Little bit of soul.
You don't have to think
You don't have to move a muscle
just do the brow beatin'
Heavy leather resurrection shuffle.....doing alright yeah
a do a loo a doo lop, a do a loo a do lop
Think about nothing now
You're nice and high.
You're advocating love
But you don't know why.
Now you getting vibrations
All down to your feet.
That's the brow beatin'
Heavy leather resurrection beat........doing alright now
a do a loo a doo lop, a do a loo a do lop
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