Blog van Hendo!

R.I.P.

2006-10-21T13:27:00.000+02:00

R.I.P.

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, as his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as
knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Panadol, sun lotion or a sticky plaster to a student but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you
couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar can sue you for assault. Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realise that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust, his wife, Discretion, his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else Is To blame and I'm A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realised he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not join the majority and do nothing.
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Found this on another site. Can't claim to have writtten it but it is my sentiments exactly.

Mongolia Rally 2007

2006-10-21T11:18:00.000+02:00

Found this on the Iain Banks Forum

The Mongolian Rally 2007 - London to Ulaanbaatar in a car with an engine smaller than 1000cc. 3-4 weeks driving then sign over the car to a good cause and catch a plane home.

One team taking part is Team Feersum Endjinn, the name taken from the title of an Iain M Banks novel http://www.iainbanks.net/sf06.htm

I wish them luck, and I have to say I'm jealous as hell now, wish I had a car to take part with.

Interesting links.
http://teamfeersumendjinn.blogspot.com/
http://www.justgiving.com/TeamFeersumEndjinn
http://www.mongolrally.com/

Springs and Things

2006-09-10T12:45:00.000+02:00

Some things you just wish you never started.

The vacuum cleaner was blocked earlier, so me in my mind decided to take the head apart as that is where the blockeage was. (memo to girlfriend - if your going to borrow my tools please put them back, where the hell are all my Philips screwdrivers and half of my metric spanners!)

Anyhoo I take the thing apart and of course there are bloody springs in. After unblocking I screw the thing back together (with my girlfriends Philips screwdriver), but trying to screw it back together while compressing springs aint easy, an extra pair of hands with tiny tiny fingers is required, and now the thing won't sit properly. I can get the brushy things to retract, but not deploy.

Why the hell did I start this?

Some People Just Can't Take A Joke.

2006-09-08T18:05:00.000+02:00

I did something similar with a friends tent and a whole lotta condoms. At least my friend saw the funny side.
Blagged from a post on mortonunofficial.net forum

Dutch Hoops Blog No More

2006-09-06T14:18:00.000+02:00

I've decided to ditch the Dutch Hoops blog.

I'm trying to cut back on my internet time and something had to give. The Dutch Hoops main site at http://www.freewebs.com/dutchhoops/ is still going, how often it will be updated I don't know, but the site software does have a blog option should I feel the need to revive it.

Saturday Seven

2006-08-05T20:00:00.000+02:00

Some bloggers do a Thursday Thirteen.

I can't be bothered, so I'm doing a Saturday Seven

Seven Things You May Or May Not Know About Hendo!

1 I was born in the Rankin Memorial Hospital in Greenock, Scotland.
2 I am a former seaman, who was employed by the British Ministry of Defense.
3 I am a fan of Greenock Morton Football Club.
4 I was once escorted by the police out of Germany.
5 My first ever visit to Belgium was by accident.
6 I have a few other blogs farting around, 3 active.
7 I am not wearing any pants just now.

New England Revolution Fans Taunt Celtic Fans

2006-08-05T19:42:00.000+02:00

I like this on from youtube.com.

Celtic fans have a thing about their clubs Irish heritage, to the point that they have a bit of an identity crisis as to whether they are Scots or Irish.

Have a gander at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDfnKzXzK7Q

Indeed, where in Ireland is Glasgow??

:)

A Couple Of New Links

2006-08-05T17:45:00.000+02:00

I'm on Hyves.nl and Friends Reunited.

Here are the links to my pages.

Hyves profile - http://schotsehendo.hyves.nl/

Friends Reunited - http://allenhenderson.myfriendsreunited.com/home/

Got A New Blog

2006-07-29T22:35:00.000+02:00

Got a new blog on the go.

Have a gander at Ons Volkstuintje (Our Wee Allotment)

A diary of how my allotment is fairing, or not as the case is at the moment.

It's still under construction (aren't all blogs?) so bare with it.

Hahahahahahaha

2006-07-25T10:20:00.000+02:00

Have your fotune told.
Warning may contain swearies.

New Lodger

2006-07-24T11:10:00.000+02:00

Finally pulled my finger out and got myself a new lodger on Blog Explosions 'Rent my Blog'.

Give a warm welcome to The Fifth Column

Ever seen a grown blog naked?

Album Of The Week

2006-07-22T15:21:00.000+02:00

Here we are with another album of the week.

Say howdey doodies to Oysterband - Shouting End Of Life (Cooking Vinyl)
A cracking album from Oysterband. I first saw this band at the Cambridge Folk Festival around 1996, when they were promoting this album. It was released during the T*ry years and is full of Folk Punk energy. Unfortunatly, when N*w L*b**r got in they lost a lot of that anger, but still remain a top band to see live.

Taking Advantage...

2006-07-22T15:17:00.000+02:00

...of the fact that my computer hasn't frozen on me yet.
Been having problems with my computer lately, the thing keeps freezing on me, although I'm onto a lucky stretch here, so I thought I would post something while I can.

It's been a while...

2006-07-15T22:57:00.000+02:00

... since my last post. I've had a mixture of connection problems, enjoying the summer weather and just taking a break from the interweb type thing.

Dutch Hoops Blog gets a reprieve! More news on HERE
See also http://www.freewebs.com/dutchhoops/

Album Of The Week
This time around it's the turn of Martyn Bennett - Bothy Culture (Rykodisc)

I first saw Martyn Bennett (& Cuillin Music) perform at the Hebridean Celtic Festival at Stornoway in 1998, and then at the Cambridge Folk Festival later that summer. Martyn Bennett was an act I always hoped would play the Folkwoods Festival here in the Netherlands, but unfortunatly died of cancer in 2005.
Of the album I think this sleeve note describes it better than I could say.

There is a dichotomy in this music; a gentle old tradition of the land and the sea against the neon technology of our growing Urban culture. The tunes are of an old style: Scottish, Irish, Swedish even Islamic. The beats and mixes are of a new style: Garage, Breakbeat, Trippy, Hip Drum & Bass. I hope when you listen or dance to these tunes you get a sense of your roots. If you push back the pressure of Urban development for a second you might rememberwhere you came from. Go climb a mountain and see.

Thinking Of Ditching Dutch Hoops Blog!

2006-06-30T19:17:00.000+02:00

Full story here.

Dutch Hoops

Put The Kettle On For The New Lodger

2006-06-27T14:05:00.000+02:00

Been neglecting my Blog Explosion Rent my Blog thingy of late, but I have now brought in a new lodger.

House of Tea and Biscuits

I'm quite partial to a cuppa myself from time to time, and on occasion when I'm feeling decadent, then it's a pint of tea that'll be poured. I sometimes have my family back in Scotland supply an emergency air drop of Brooke Bond Scottish Blend as I feel the Pickwick Engels Melange (English Blend) is just too damn week. A double bagger for a single cuppa is just not on! (I still miss the NAAFI tea we would be supplied with when I worked for the MoD, don't know who blended that stuff, but it's the best tea I've tasted)

Anyhoo enough tangents, put the kettle on and pay a visit to House of Tea and Biscuits.

What On Earth Is Going on In Indonesia?!

2006-06-24T14:05:00.000+02:00

The recent past has seen plenty of disasters in Indonesia, earthquakes, volcanoes, floods and a ferry sinking.

What is going on round there?

This link here lists the problems hitting Indonesia.

Album of the Week

2006-06-19T22:48:00.000+02:00

This weeks Album of the Week is.

Deep Purple (self titled third album) (EMI or Harvest, take your pick...)

I got this album (ohhh 12" vinyl!! Almost forgot how to work the turntable!) at a record fayre in Greenock a few years ago. Cover art is a black and white of the Hieronymus Bosch painting The Garden of Earthly Delights, the third panel, with The Treeman and The Musicians Hell. I pity the poor guy with the whistle rammed up his farter though.

Dated 1969, Late 60s British Rock! Yeah baby! Yeah!!

A New Lodger

2006-06-11T13:44:00.000+02:00

A new Rent My Blog lodger for this week.

Pay a visit to Aeowolf Online by clicking on this link, the post title or the thumbnail in my sidebar.

My Irregular Ramblings, Random Irritations and Joys, Links and other stuff I find trawling life real and virtual..... Don't be a thirty second wonder! Stay and read awhile before you rack up that Blogexplosion, BlogMad or BlogWhatever credit....

I gave this a visit and found it alright, so go on, and make my new lodger welcome.

Album of the Week

2006-06-11T11:00:00.000+02:00

This weeks Album of the Week is.

GREAT BIG SEA - PLAY Cooking Vinyl

Gonna try and learn 'General Taylor' for the session in Malden.

The Beer Stays In The Canteen

2006-06-03T17:22:00.000+02:00

One of the nice things about w*rking in the Netherlands is the Friday after w*rk beer.

Unwind in the canteen with a cold one after a busy week, nice.

There is now a sign on the fridge door that states. "Drinks in the fridge are ONLY for consumption in the canteen, and are not to be taken home."

Who the hell's been doing that?!

Tuneless whistle, innocent...

Got a Lodger!

2006-06-03T16:07:00.000+02:00

I've started doing Blog Explosions Rent My Blog Thingy, and here is my first lodger!

?!Confused!? - Information and more

A website based in Zhuhai China with news, information, tips and lots of fun. Just give it a try, you will come back for sure. BTW: Its the fastest growing webpage in Southern China.

It says in BE.

Have a gander of it by clicking on the thumbnail in my sidebar, (which appears blank, perhaps a fault at their end or BE) or the title of this post, or the link in this post.

I've had a look at it myself, and thanks to it I can confidently ask where the toilet is in various countries. Some good entries there.

Album Of The Week

2006-06-01T20:51:00.000+02:00

This week it's.

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS - BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGIK (Warner Bros)

In my humble opinion, this is where they peaked.

I Think My Arm Is Going To Fall Off!

2006-05-27T11:22:00.000+02:00

Got a mozzie bite on my right forearm recently, and it went through the usual itchy stage. It is now a centimetre wide scab with a trail of six smaller wounds rising towards the elbow.

Never had this before, thankfully I'm left handed.

Scotland's Going To The World Cup!

2006-05-26T17:32:00.000+02:00

Yeeha!!
Click here for Irn Bru adverts!

Album Of The Week

2006-05-22T21:02:00.000+02:00

See I did remember!

This week, I have mainly been listening to Led zeppelin - Remasters Atlantic

The ideal album for, "I really like the band, but cannae be bothered trawling for their back catalogue."

Oh Lordi! Finland Win!!!!

2006-05-22T20:44:00.000+02:00

Yeah!!!! As I hoped in my Oh Lordi! post a few weeks ago, the Finnish entry in this years Eurovision song contest won the thing! :D

Sooperb!!

Eurovision

Lordi

This Is Fuggin' Weird!!

2006-05-19T20:28:00.000+02:00

Just had a gander at my Technocrati account, cos it's still a new toy to me, and found a link to this on it.

http://driving-job-truck-van.truckingblog.org/

It seems to have snaffled my 'Scotland' post and included it it in it's own blog that appears to be a link farm for truck driving jobs...

Strange.

Dan Brown Book Generator

2006-05-19T20:06:00.000+02:00

Generate your own Dan Brown book!

http://tobyinkster.co.uk/Software/dan_brown/

Hit 'refresh' for a new book!

Snaffled from http://www.velcro-city.co.uk/

Album Of The Week (As nicked from Donga)

2006-05-16T22:03:00.000+02:00

This will be a new weekly feature, assuming I remember. The idea has been stolen from Donga, a member of the forum on greenockmorton.net who has an album of the week as his forum signature. I thought it was a good idea so nicked it for this blog.

The albums won't be new releases, just stuff that I've mainly been listening to.

This week. PEARL JAM - LIVE ON TWO LEGS (Epic)

I'm not usually a fan of live albums, mainly because of poor sound quality, but this one is the mutts cheeky bits. Pearl Jam sound amazing here.

Scotland

2006-05-08T23:26:00.000+02:00

On Sunday 3oth April my wee sister Alison got married. A great excuse for the family to go back to my native Scotland!

We arrived on Friday the 28th of April at Prestwick Airport after the Ryanair flight from Niederrhien (sp? bugger it Weeze) in Germany, and were driven to my Uncles house, where we would spend the first night, in the Renault Scenic my folks hired for the week as it seats 7. This is where I introduced to them the delicacy of the chip shop battered and deep fried hamburger. You should have seen the looks on their faces! Of course I wouldn't touch one of the disgusting things myelf, but Laura and Ross wanted to try one, sorry kids. I myself tucked into a battered and deep fried haggis supper for old times sake and enjoyed it. A couple of beers and some catching up with family and later to bed as Saturday was going to be a busy day.

Saturday, up bright and early and of to Greenock to show my dutch driving license to the car hire company so i could also drive the Renault, a bizarre car I thought. No keys, instead a card with three buttons for unlocking the doors and rear hatch. Go inside car, insert card into slot in dashboard, depress clutch and press the Start/Stop button and the engine starts, huzzah! Hang on! Where's the hand brake!!! Nope, no mechanical hand brake lever in the centre (or by the sill if it is a V*lv* Amazon), but by depressing the accelerator the 'Parking Brake' switches off all by itself, although there is also a switch on the dash that does that for you. Interesting. After the car, it was off to Bridge of Weir to get Ross sorted out with a kilt for the wedding. All went well till the socks and shoes, they wouldn't fit and Ross (5) didn't like them. So we took them anyway and decided we would put his normal dark shoes on, nobody would notice that they aint brogues... Back to Greenock to pick up the wedding cake, a masterpiece of decadence. 3 tiers of chocolate sponge, with chocolate cream and chocolate icing. Did I mention chocolate?, and back to my Uncles house before heading of to Castlecary Hotel. And where we find out the digital camera was gubbed, bugger.

We checked in, had a meal (I had beef jalfrezi, yum) and was happy to discover that the hotel had a beer festival on! Yay! Beers I sampled were Houston Hunny Bunny, Broughton Excisemans 80/- and Orkney Dragonhead Stout, imagine smoked Guiness, nice with the curry believe it or not. More of what beers I had can be found at my account on ratebeer.com It was then decided that as we had the biggest accomodation in the hotel, literaly a small flat, there would be a wee get together at ours for drinks, but then we had to go get drinks in. Dad an I made the trip to the worlds worst shopping centre, where even the nearby church was surrounded in razor wire!!! Hastily back to the Hotel flat for a few swallies and chat before bed.

Sunday, the day of the wedding, and my first sight of the wedding car. Was I impressed or was I impressed? Damn I was impressed! None of your usual Mercedes nonsence, oh no this had far more soul! A white Mini Cooper S convertible, and my mother and the Bridesmaid, my cousin Fiona, travelled in a blue Mini Cooper S with a Scotland Flag on the roof! Brilliant. The rest of the wedding party piled into the bus and headed off for Glenkinchie House where the ceremony and reception was to be held, myself and cousin Fraser being Ushers. The easiest Usher job ever, none of the Brides family, Grooms family sorting out to do, everyone was mixed, a very nice touch from my Sister Alison and my soon to be Brother in Law Alan. Another nice touch was that the wedding was not a religious affair, instead the ceremony was conducted by a representitive of the Humanist Society of Scotland, who provided a very nice ceremony with readings and singing from family and friends. Then it was time for the meal, can't remember all four courses, but the main one featured duck, yum.
Later came the drinking and dancing and the barbeque partied out and full bellies, it was time to head back to the hotel. One hitch though, but nothing serious. Before the weding Ross was adamant that he wouldn't wear th big socks and brogues with the kilt, no problem, he can wear his dark shoes, erm where are the dark shoes? Greenock! So there was Ross at the wedding looking dapper in kilt, ghillie shirt, 'Hot Wheels' socks and red trainers, what a trooper! :)

Next day, Monday, hungover, getting out stuff together to head back to Gourock and Greenock, but first the Falkirk Wheel a fantasic piece of engineering that links the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. A rotating boat lift that rises vessels 25 metres using only 22.5kw of power or 8 boiling kettles. Worth a look.

Most of the rest of the week was day trips in the area, including Balloch and Loch Lomond, cos I wanted to see the Maid of the Loch and a meal at Duck Bay Marina, a day trip to Dunoon where we saw a porpoise in the Firth of Clyde, and the chance to take Ross to his first ever Morton game!!! So proud, but pity it was a crap game, more details on the Dutch Hoops Blog 'Dutch Hoops' GMSC NEDERLAND got a mention on the tannoy ;).

Friday was time to leave and head back to the Netherlands. Of to Prestwick in the Renault, check in after saying our goodbyes to the family, then stand around outside because the fire alarm went off (a false alarm, but the whole airport was evacuated) This was where we witnessed one of the most nasty things ever witnessed. A 'gent' of advancing years was witnessed in a pair of very small, tight black lycra cycling pants, with a hole in the back, with a nasty view of butt crack, and green electrical tape in a poor attempt to fix them (we think). Shocking. Incidently the fire engine that arrived may well have been maufactured in our factory in Wanroij.

It was good to be back in Scotland again, and hopefully it won't be too long befor we are back again, and the 'Dutch Hoops' GMSC NEDERLAND can get to another game.

I Like Ducks.

2006-04-25T20:03:00.000+02:00

And not just for eating either!

No seriously, I like ducks. There have been many a cartoon duck published but none of them capture the true characterisitics such as Gary Larsons ducks.

As I cycle to w*rk I often pass ducks (Mallards) paddling around the drainage ditches that surround the fields, and it is the blank expression that appeals to me. You don'r know what they are thinking, the perfect poker player.

Trust me though, they are up to something, and when the revolution comes, I'm siding with the ducks!

Used Condom On The Cycle Path...

... why???!!! I'm cycling home from w*rk yesterday and there in the middle of the cycle path is a used condom.

Why????!!!!

It even had a knot tied in it (dear reader, the wind was in my face which forced my to cycle slowly thus enabling me to notice such a detail)

What do people get up to on the cycle path???

"Hing on! The saddles on that tandem are awffy close together."

Oh Lordi!

2006-04-22T12:41:00.000+02:00

Bring on the Eurovision Song Contest!

Mon the Finns!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4926020.stm

:) (dammit! this blog needs smileys...)

Update to add!!! http://www.lordi.org/

EUROVISION RAWKS!!!!

It's Not That Hot Lads

2006-04-22T12:33:00.000+02:00

The ex-pat contractors in our w*rk have started complaining about the heat already.

It was only 16 Centigrade outside at the time, wait till summer lads when it'll easily double that. Now get yer erse back in that tank and stop whining!

If I Was A South Park Character...

2006-04-21T00:47:00.000+02:00

... this would be me.

Just go to THIS LINK HERE (a South Park site)
Create your character, Press 'Print Screen' on your keyboard >>> Open 'Paint' >>> click 'edit' then 'paste' >>> save

SHAZAAM!

So that's me, Morton top on and a beer in hand. Cute huh? :)

No!

2006-04-20T22:45:00.000+02:00

I won't be supporting England during the World Cup.

:)

"Elvis" Lives!!!

2006-04-19T16:03:00.000+02:00

And he's singing cover versions!

Come As You Are by Nirvana
Whole Lotta Rosie by AC/DC
No Woman No Cry by Bob Marley

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=249

Sooperb!

Asparagus & Funny Smelling Pee

2006-04-09T22:48:00.000+02:00

Why????

I like asparagus, but why does it make my pee smell funny????

UPDATE!
At w*rk today, having a pee at the urinals the guy next to me asks:
"Did you have asparagus last night?"

potato potato potato potato potato.....

2006-04-02T12:42:00.000+02:00

Recently on two messageboards I frequent, two different people started similar threads about money no object, what car would you like to own?

In amongst the list of usual suspects of supercars and exotics was mine.

Had

1974 VW Beetle
1965 Volvo Amazon
1977 VW Camper (ok that was my girlfriends, but I got to drive it also.)

Want

1932 Ford Hot Rod done in an old school style.
Anything or all from 1949-51 Mercury, 1958 Chevrolet Impala done in an old school Kustom style.
1969 Dodge Charger R/T
1969 Shelby Mustang GT 500
Holden Monaro
Dodge Viper
A big ole hearse

What I forgot from the list was a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air, a 1980s Audi Quattro and the Ford Granada from British TV cop show, The Sweeney.

An American guy who posts on one of the forums alerted me to the 2006 Dodge Charger. I shot over to that link as fast as I could full of anticpation, at first excited, then dissapointed...

It's got 4 doors! What the hell is a Dodge Charger doing with 4 doors?! Chargers have 2 doors, only 2, get that Dodge? 2!

Would the Dukes of Hazzard drive a 4 door? NO!

Would the bad guys in Bullit drive a 4 door? NO!

C'mon Dodge, you used to be cool...

And while i'm at it, Belgium, you still haven't fixed your coins

The "I Had A Good Day At Work." Post

2006-03-30T21:20:00.000+02:00

Yeah ok, my job isn't so bad that if I have a good day I would have to blog about it. today though something was different.

For those who don't know I work for a company who builds fire engine superstructures out of glass reinforced polyester, GRP, as a subcontract for other companies. My job entails crawling around in sometimes cramped, sometimes spacious water tanks (1,000 litres - 18,000 litres, anything from local fire brigade pumper tankers to airport crash tenders.) laminating the GRP plates together, or coating the tanks, or trying to figure out the pipe layout from the drawings our cartoonist erm design engineer dreamt up, to preparing the thing for the spray shop while despairing at the quality of work from the British contractors (Why, when they find out I'm an expat who has been in the Netherlands for a few years, ask me where the nearest Coffee Shop is?) So some of my days are good, some are "That's it! One more screw up and I'm walking out of here and not coming back! So you can all kiss my hairy bean bag!" days. Mostly my days are indifferent.

What made today different? I don't know. when I left for work it was raining, great, and me cycling to work too. Fortunatly it didn't set the tone for the rest of the day. when I finally got there things seemed to fall into place, no stress, there was smiling and laughing going on! One of the cool things that you can get away with where we work is playing air bass (too many people play air guitar) with a spirit level while standing on a half built fire engine to AC/DCs Whole Lotta Rosie while it's being played on the radio. I also made my targets on time, in fact in advance, so I had a good run down period till just before leaving time. Cycling home was even a breeze! The weather picked up to a bright spring day with a strong wind, blowing in the right direction! My cycle ride to work can be anywhere between 15 and 25 minutes depending on wind speed and direction. I think I got home in less than 15.

I just hope I'm not going to pay for all this tomorrow!

Belgium! Fix Your Coins!

2006-03-28T22:38:00.000+02:00

Now I don't know if it's Belgian Euro coins, or just the vending machines in our workplace canteen. But whenever the things reject coins it's nearly always the Belgians that get rejected. Dutch, German, French, Spanish, Irish, Italian, Finnish etc, no problem, but Belgian? *clink* into the returned coin tray.

Why is this?
Are the Belgians doing things to their coins deliberatly so they don't work in Dutch vending machines?
Do Belgians have this problem with their own coins in their own machines?
Do Belgians have this problem with Dutch coins?
Do other people in the Netherlands have this problem? Or is it just us?

If anyone has any answer to these questions, or have their own theory, let me know in the comments thingy.

Please!
Hold the mayo!
While I'm on the subject of the works vending machine, why does everything come with mayonaise? Why do the people who stock the thing insist on adding mayo with everything. Contrary to what John Travoltas character said on Pulp Fiction, the Dutch don't pour that shit on everything. However, this company seems to think so. Take the Bapao, a sort of Indonesian doughball with meat inside, I love the things, and if I was to have a sauce with it, it would be a sweet chili sauce. NOT BLOODY MAYO!!!

Iraqi Blogger Nominated For Literary Prize

2006-03-28T21:57:00.000+02:00

A female Iraqi blogger, going by the name of Riverbend, has been nominated for the Samuel Johnson Prize for non fiction. Her blog
Baghdad Burning will be up against another eighteen literary works for the prize from the BBC. The winner is to be announced on June 14th.

So from this blogger here, good luck to you Riverbend.

TEACHER SUES FOR £1M OVER 'FARTING' CHAIR

2006-03-25T12:18:00.000+01:00

Unbelievable! Click on the title for the story, sorry it's from the Daily Record, a paper I detest, but it was the link I was given.

But bloody hell! A cool million for a farty chair? Sure it was the chair???

Wonder if she'll win?

RMAS Rollicker

2006-03-18T15:59:00.000+01:00

RMAS Rollicker is a vessel that was a bit of a landmark (watermark?) in Gourock. Moored in the now delapidated Admiralty Jetty at Cardwell Bay during the 70s and 80s, she was one of the things that stuck in my mind when I was a wee boy. When I was a big boy I got a job with the RMAS at the Great Harbour in Greenock, and finally got a trip on one of her two sisters RMAS Robust in the summer of 1996. The other sister ship was RMAS Roysterer.

Rumour has it that she sunk somewhere in the Middle East, around the Gulf area, and efforts are being made on this thread on the Ships Nostalgia forum to try and confirm this.

So far we have established that in 1997 she was sold to New Zealand owners and renamed Joseph Brown , and became part of the fleet of Ocean Towage & Salvage, a company that seems to have gone to the recievers in February 2000, and was sold to Iraqi interests in September 2000 while the vessel was in Dubai, renamed Al Fahd, and set sail from Dubai in February 2001. After that the trail seems to run dry. There is an Al Fahd built in 1973 (the build year for Rollicker), Cambodian flagged tug, but I can't seem to get anymore details for it.

If anyone can help, leave a message in the comments bit. Cheers :)
=========
Inverclyde Council screw up again.
Scotlands ban on smoking in public places comes into effect on the 26th of March, an ideal chance for Inverclyde Council to scrap their loathed 'Curfew'. But hey they didn't!

The 'Curfew' is a bizzare local bye law that forbids anyone entering a pub, club or disco after 11:30pm, used to be worse, at one time it was 10pm! So if you are not in one of the afore mentioned establishments by 11:30pm, for you Tommy, the night is over, get your kebab and go home. So smokers who want a cigarette after 11:30pm, are just going to have to grin and bear it, or go home. If you leave the premises after that time you won't get back in, or into anywhere else.

One councillor has had the nerve to claim that the people of Inverclyde want the 'Curfew'. BOLLOCKS! anyone I know loathes and detests the thing, we feel embarrassed by it, we feel it makes Inverclyde a laughing stock. It must encourage binge drinking as people down as many drinks as possible in pubs where drink is cheaper than in the discos they will be moving on to.

Could be time for the creation of a new political party, geared soully for council elections. This is a thing I've noticed in the recent council elections here in the Netherlands. Small local parties taking an interest and being voted in on local issues. In our district only one of the mainstream parties, CDA, contested. The other three parties who make up Sint Anthonis Gemeente are small local parties. People chosen for local issues, not party politics, not protest votes against unpopular government, not votes because of family traditions, or votes for certain partes because a tabloid told them to. Perhaps this is what Inverclyde needs. A council that listens.

If or when Scotland introduce the 24 hour drinking already available in England and Wales, will Incerclyde Council remove their collective heads out of their collective arseholes? I doubt it.

Story here => http://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/readstory.php?id=7002
=============
Something cool to finish up on. A couple of days ago I was cycling home from work I saw a Buzzard flying level with me on the other side of the road. Nearly crashed my bike as I was watching the huge bird glide along before veering off and scaring a lot of smaller birds out of a tree.

NEDERLANDSE SPOORWEGEN SUCK DONKIES!!

2006-02-28T16:23:00.000+01:00

I've never had much of a problem with the Dutch railway system, apart from a time about 6 years ago when a cow took to wandering down a railway track. The resulting impact with a train meant that my own train had to stop at Ede - Wageningen instead of powering its way to Nijmegen. A pain in the arse, but nothing major.

But yesterday NS found their way into my own personal shit list.

I had to go to Amsterdam to renew my passport, so I got up bright and breezy at 7am. The plan of attack was. Leave Boxmeer at 0823, change at Nijmegen at 0850, arrive Amsterdam 1016.

The 0823 train from Boxmeer was delayed half an hour, or rather the 0853 train left more or less on time. The next train from Nijmegen to Den Helder (stops at Amsterdam Centraal) was cancelled, so we were told to get the Zwolle train and get of at Arnhem where we could catch the next Den Helder train, the next Den Helder train was the 0950 from Nijmegen, so instead of farting around with the Zwolle train we could have waited at Nijmegen and got on the same train without trying to find empty seats. Remember the arrive Amsterdam at 1016? 1010 I'm just leaving Arnhem. Reasons for delays were Technical Failures. what sort of Technical Failures? Blown fuse? Driver still canned from Carnaval? Cow on the track? At this moment my arse is twiching like a rabbits nose, I couldn't remember when the passport office in the British Consulate closes, noon? Or 1pm? I wasn't exactly sure where the Consulate is all I knew was an address, and to take the Number 2 tram, and could I be sure there wasn't another Technical Failure somewhere down the line?

Anyhoo being a good boy and remembering what was on the consulates web page about no mobile phones, laptops and other electrical goods being allowed on the premises I left my moby at home, but remembered the bike light that was in my pocket after thinking in Boxmeer at the bike shed, 'some bugger will nick that.'. I had visions of a controlled explosion outside the consulate and me with a riddy.

Finding the consulate was easier than I thought, get the Number 2 tram from Centraal Station to Emmastraat (€1.60 one way, I walked back to the city centre through the Vondelpark) and the entrance to Koningslaan is right in front of you, two minute walk and there is the building, you can't miss it, it's the only one in the street with wire fencing, concrete blocks, police portacabin across the road, a Butchers Apron flying from it and the building opposite has a rainbow peace flag flying from it.

Went in got searched and scanned with a metal detector, they didn't blow up my bike light, so I probably could have taken my moby and made my way into the passport office. Small it was, almost a smaller but less depressing version of the Greenock DHSS office from 16 years ago. So I surrendered my old passport, photos (I'm sure the woman smirked when she saw them, for the next 10 years, or until I'm 44 I'm going to be stuck with a mohican on my passport) and €115 (should only cost €107, but the extra €8 is for postage) and was out again. A 3+ hour journey for a 5 - 10 minute operation, mooi.

I decided to walk back to the city centre through the neighbouring Vondelpark and tryed to find the Picasso sculpture I pee'ed against during Koninginendag almost 7 years earlier, yeah Philistine I know, but after a few beers, when you gotta go, you gotta go,(a 12" La Traviata, found left over from the huge car boot sale that is Koninginendag was used as a frisbee) but the Vondelpark is kinda huge, and a deserved beer was beckoning and got myself a Guiness at an Irish theme pub in the Rembrant Plein. I regret it now, there must be thousands of classic old back street boozers in Amsterdam that I would have preffered, but no I had to do the expat thing and head for for the Irish bar, bugger. A wander through the city later (I like cities, and could just as happily wander through them as I could the woods behind our village) I headed for the train home, fortunatly no Technical Failures this time, but I was still pissed off at NS.

Oh and Che Guevara is alive and kicking, I saw him walking out of the Bulldog Bar.

Puff, Pant!

2006-02-19T21:26:00.000+01:00

Whoa over a month and a half since my last post?!

Slacker!

Started going to a gym though, partly because I really should, seeing as my family has a bit of a history with heart disease, and partly because the gym I'm going to had a special offer for employees of some of the local companies in the area. €12.85 per month for one visit per week, and because I joined before the New Year, I got January free! Woo hoo!

I normally go on a Sunday morning, partly because it's quiet, and partly because it's a good deterrent to getting totally bladdered on a Saturday night. (note to Dutch readers learning English, to find an Enlish language expression for being drunk, pick an every day English word and add "ed" at the end. Eg. Trousered, bladdered, guttered. etc etc.)

Occasional Sunday mornings do have drawbacks though. Dance competitions. A couple of weeks ago there was the Street Dance one, and this week the Country & Western competition, trying to get a parking space when that lot is on is no fun, trust me.

Gym music is bad enough, but sweating through that is a real pain in the arse.

================

OOH! I GOT A CERTIFICATE!

Recently at w*rk we had to sit through an incredibly boring talk about how to safely handle organic peroxides (naw, I'm no bleaching my hair! Although I did get a mohican done.).
Organic peroxide is wot we use to make polyester resin go hard, and make sure fire engines don't fall apart on us, or the firefighters who use our products. Dodgy stuff it sure is, dodgy enough, that the manufacturer, Akzo Nobel, came round to tell us how not to set fire to the factory with it. A few days ago a nicely laminated certificate dropped through the letter box stating I've been a participant in the safety training. Jolly good, wheres my certificate stating that I stayed awake during it?

These are a few of my favourite things.....

2006-01-02T22:09:00.000+01:00

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with string,

These are a few of my favorite things.

Never mind that pish!~

Iain (M) Banks and Greenock Morton.

Two of my favourite things.

Or how about Iain (M) Banks in a Morton top?!~

Sooperb!

Images blagged from somewhere, not tellng where though...

Got A Scanner

2005-12-18T13:09:00.000+01:00

Got a scanner, printer & copier type thing recntly, which means I can scan old photos like this and give myself a riddy on the web.

Wish I hadn't done that now...

Hey! I Got Hit By A Car!

2005-11-29T15:12:00.000+01:00

Yep, cycling to w*rk yesterday morning, I got hit by a car. It was a 'lucky' hit because he only clipped my back wheel. Could have been a whole lot worse. I'm still trying to piece bits and bobs from the crash, it all happened in three stages.

The car hit my back wheel.
I'm lying on the ground.
I've got his passenger side door open and shouting Scottish obcenities at him.

All this happened in an eyeblink.

But it was an accident waiting to happen, there is a T Junction on the Sint Anthonisweg between Ledeaker and Wanroij where the road from Rijkevoort joins. Traffic coming from Rijkevoort have two Give Way lines to go through before they can join the Sint Anthonisweg. One for the cycle path and one for the road itself. I have had a couple of 'near misses' there already (near miss? wouldn't that be a hit?! "Well I nearly missed him!")

Yesterday the guy that hit me didn't see me coming (despite the fact I had my lights on and it wasn't even that dark anymore - roughly 0810-15 in the morning) I got his details and cycled off to w*rk where I built a fire engine before 1500 and buggered off to the doctors to get myself checked out. Now I'm not trying to portray myself as a hero here. "Look at me, get run over by a car and carry on with my w*rk." Not at all, it's mearly a comment on the effects of adrenaline and nervous energy, that and Burd van Hendo! called me a "Stupid bastard." when she found out.

So I call up my better half who picks up both me and the bike with bent wheels and takes me to the docs. He checks me over and tells me I have internal bruising on my wrist and hip where I landed, I got away with it, I have taken heavier tackles playing football, but this could have been far worse. The police say they can't do much unless the guy tries to wriggle out of paying for the damage, which to his credit he has done after I got a quote from Bicycle Repair Man! © Monty Python (probably) for roughly €140 to have the two bent wheels done and the damaged mudgaurds fixed.

People may be thinking I'm being too forgiving on him, and to an extent they may be right, he was careless I know that and he knows that, but there is no point in dragging this out in a prolonged bitch fight. Like I said earlier this was an accident waiting to happen. I've found out that a w*rk mate who cycles the same route has also had a few near misses (near hits?) on that bit, so perhaps it's time to get on the councils case about it.

Untitled

2005-11-09T00:00:00.000+01:00

I was watching a film last night on TV called Almost Famous. A light hearted, but enjoyable (enough o' that pish, I'll be hacking for Empire next...) film about a 15 year old school boy who in 1973 goes on tour with a rock band, and documents it for Rolling Stone magazine. I also work with a guy who also aged 15 quit school to go on the road with Golden Earring (although a big rock fan, when not building fire engines with me he teaches ball room dancing in his spare time). And it got me thinking, had I been given the chance, would I have done the same?

Probably not.

Patrick Fugit's character in the film, William Miller, is supposedly an uncool guy, but trust me, when I was 15 I could uncool him into a cocked hat. This was a kid who lived for music, me? I took it or left it until I reached my 20s and Grunge and the whole Indie, Alternative and Industrial thing was coming out, it was the first real music that gripped me, it got me interested in music in the broader sense.

Yeah I listened to stuff, but it was just there. I didn't really care about what I was listening to, a quick flick through some of my first vinyl would confirm that. One album I loved at an earlier age was by a Scottish Folk duo called The Corries. On that album was the song that interested me, The Portree Kid a parody of Ghost Riders In The Sky. I got older but turned to Rock after a very brief fling with Rap, the Folk however was still there in the background, but I never actively listened to it, until a friend talked me into going to the Cambridge Folk Festival sometime around 1994. And I'm glad he did, because not only did I meet my partner there, but it really opened my eyes to Folk music! There was me thinking it was really uncool, whereas it is actually incredably cool in a bizarre inverted way (bare with me). The first night there we went to a session in a Cambridge pub. I can't play any instruments, but after more than a few pints I was battering the hell out of a jerry can full of home made cider as if it was a bodhran, the place was jumping, so I was told the next day, and it seems I was 'jammin' with Irish group The Saw Doctors. I also dicovered one of my favourite bands ever at Cambridge. Oysterband were a band who really caught my ears, a Folk band with a good dose of angry Punk, well they were during the T*ry years, unfortunatly lost some of that edge when N*w Lab**r got in. I have a feeling that will be coming back though.

Anyhoo fast forward to my mid - late 20s, I finally went on the road, well not quite. I 'roadied' for a couple of friends that I'd met through Cambridge. Norrie and Billy were a duo under the name of Ceabhar which if I remember right is the Gealic for the state of intoxication, how apt. A lot of the time I was able to help set the gear up at the start of the night, but when the gig was over, well lets just say I could barely see straight to load the van. Oh yes the van, a knackered Ford Escort van. The two performers would occupy the front seats, whereas I would be in the back sharing space with a pair of 15" Peavey Black Widows, a small amp and mixing desk and the instruments. They wanted me to do the sound for them as well but I refused. The arguments were already playing out in my head.

Norrie : I need more gain.
Me : Naw!
Norrie : But I cannae hear masel'!
Me : Fuck it! Get a monitor, my ears are bleeding here and there is a pack of dogs gathering outside!

It would have ended in tears.

We had some good trips though, O'Neills pub in Stirling was nearly always a good gig but trying to get round the the circuit breaker the council installed was always inventive. The owner of the Indian Restraunt upstairs was always complaining about the noise from bands playing in the pub below, so the council installed a circiut breaker hooked up to a microphone, which was ran on a traffic light system, green and orange, you were ok, red, then the circuit breaker would kick in and shut down your amps, and the thing was incredibly sensitive. What you had were guys on stage singing with one eye on the crowd and what they were doing, and the other eye watching this wee traffic light thing. In the end we just covered it with bar towels and tee shirts.

Now we don't get that much music. Ceabhar split up, Norrie as far as I know is performing solo in Denmark, and wee Billy has a day and sometimes night job.

Veronika and I have been going to sessions lately but some of those have a bit of a yiddley diddley Oirish cringe factor, lots of Guiness tee shirts if you get my drift. But we do have Folkwoods to keep us going even if it is only one weekend a year. This is something i would love to really get involved with as I miss the music and stuff. Hmm 'Area Promotions Manager for Land van Cuijk' I wonder if they will go for that?

Sniff

2005-11-06T17:34:00.000+01:00

My head is absolutely stuffed with snot.

Ach well hopefully the last couple of drams from my bottle of 10 year old Bladnoch will take the edge from it.

Why oh why?

2005-10-25T19:04:00.000+02:00

It's the arse end of October.
There is a nip in the air.
There is Herfst Bock beer in the bar.
Boerenkool Stamppot on the menu.
The geese are heading south.

So why the hell am I still getting bit by mozzies?!

Messing with Wikipedia :)

2005-10-19T12:05:00.000+02:00

One of the blokes on the Iain Banks Forum has invented his own philosophy called Jagism, where by doing something different every day you change your normal routine, which is both a great and groovey idea. Why yesterday I decided to have an afternoon kip on the sofa, and felt better for it.

Jag has since entered a page on Jagism to Wikipedia. That very reliable online encyclopedia that can be edited by anyone (just like 90% of the interweb). There are now bodies on Wikipedia who are making moves to delete the page, an ismist act if there ever was one. Why is Buddhism or Communism ok when Jagism isn't?

Update. Have a gander at Articles for deletion/Jagism

:)

Update. I have now been sin-binned for 48 hours from Wikipedia for calling someone a grass.

:)

Update. Karmafist has blocked me again from posting.

User is blocked
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The reason given is:Autoblocked because your IP address has been recently used by "Hendo!". The reason given for Hendo!'s block is: "Disruptive Sockpuppet at Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Jagism".

Fud.

You Couldn't Make It Up!

2005-10-17T22:28:00.000+02:00

Woman arrested for walking. < Click on that for the full story!

I shit you not. It now seems that walking on a cycle path is enough to get you lifted under anti terror laws.

Sheesh! What are they gonnae do with the tractor drivers that use the cycle paths here?!

BUT!

Here is my conspiracy theory.

Tory Blur knows he won't be PM forever. So he gets his mob to invent anti terror laws that infringe on peoples civil liberties, the kind of stuff Cherie is earning her crust from by fighting against in the courts.

Invent more laws = create more work for Cherie, Cherie becomes main bread winner, Tory Blur 'retires' and hands over the reins to Gordy Broon.

Stroke of genius if you ask me.

Some Walk

2005-10-15T00:48:00.000+02:00

There is a guy in my w*rk who has an interesting walk.

I have been able to put into three catagories. It is definately a mix of.

Swagger
Mince
Drunk guy in the middle of a long walk home.

How the hell he combines these gaits I don't know.

Whit?!

2005-10-10T21:47:00.000+02:00

Just found out on a thread on greenockmorton.net that one of the members there is now serving 60 days in jail for non-payment of a fine.

His crime was (with two other people) removing a union flag from a civic building and replacing it with a Scottish Saltire during the G8 summit earlier this year. He was fined 750 Quid with 6 weeks to pay! He didn't pay, so 60 days in the pokey for him.

750 Quid for the removal of the union flag?! Yet neds (or chavs if your English) who run around terrorising people are getting away with a slap on the wrists?!

Sounds to me a political punishment.

GET THE BOABY OOT!

My Foot Hurts

2005-10-04T10:21:00.000+02:00

This just feels like posting for the sake of posting, and it probably is.

I have a pain in my right foot, right on the ball of it. It only hurts if I put weight on it, and I have a sneaking suspicion it's the safety boots provided by my employer to protect my feet.

Trick is they are really cheap and nasty, ok they have the steel toe cap and oil proof sole, which is pretty much all you can ask for in working boots, but the sole is useless, and the overall quality of the shoe is poor. I'm sure they are due to self destruct soon

Ah well, enough of this keech.

Tinkering

2005-09-24T14:50:00.000+02:00

Tinkered about with the A to Z of NL site this morning. I felt the orange on black was a pain to read, the new look I think is an improvement.

Ha Ha

2005-09-17T15:51:00.000+02:00

Click on the image to enlarge it.

Even one of the Murdoch Empire is waking up to it it seems.

More Lost Wheelie Bin!

2005-09-16T23:33:00.000+02:00

It's still there. Nearly a month of lurking outside our house. I could, I suppose do something about it, but I cannae be arsed...

UPDATE! - We have "claimed" it.

bandtoband.com

2005-09-13T22:30:00.000+02:00

Found a website on a forum run by one of the blokes who is a regular on the Iain Banks forum.

Have a gander at http://bandtoband.com/ Type two random band names in and see the link between them through the movements of band members.

Even found a link between Buddy Holly and Napalm Death!

Tartan of Holland

2005-09-10T13:09:00.000+02:00

Here it is, the Tartan of Holland. Incorporating the colours of the Dutch flag, red white and blue and orange from the House of Oranje Nassau, the Dutch royal family.

You can read about it here on the Beeb Beeb Ceeb site http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4211272.stm

Also http://www.wishart.org/TartanofHolland/

Now what woud be Dutch for 'Hooch!', "Hoeg!"?

Lost Wheelie Bin

2005-09-09T22:34:00.000+02:00

Someone seems to be missing a wheelie bin. One has been camped outside our house for nearly 3 weeks now, and none of the neighbours are claiming it.

I'm just wondering, if it smells less offensive than our own, can we keep it?

Nissa

2005-09-04T23:18:00.000+02:00

Here is our new pup Nissa, a 9 week old German Shepherd bitch.

Clicking on images enlarges them.

Word Verification

2005-09-01T00:00:00.000+02:00

I've switched on the Word Verification on this here thing as I've now started getting hit with spam in the comments thingy, and it seems that this is a means to combat it.

Don't know how foolproof it is, but I hope it doesn't put off genuine commenteers by making it more fiddly.

Cheers fae Hendo!

Rant Lite (TM)

2005-08-31T21:08:00.000+02:00

Strange that this sort of thing should annoy me but it does, or did.

I had one of those days at w*rk today and had plenty to rant about, but as the day rolled on it began to improve, slightly, and by the time I got home the things I was going to rant about had died off.

Ok, this could be a positive 'Crap Day Turns Ok' entry, but I actually got annoyed that I'd lost a rant. Everyone needs a good rant occasionally, and I was needing one today! So here it is, Rant Lite TM

What was the rant to be about? The radio, what gets played over the PA system at my place of w*rk. Someone who controls the knobs had swithed it to rtl fm, a station that sucks donkeys. Now peoples musical tastes vary, and that is a good thing, I don't expect everyone to listen to Rock or Folk or a mixture of the two like wot I do. But c'mon rtl fm! I seriosly doubt you lot have changed the playlist much in the last 20 years! (and yes I do know I'm exaggerating, before someone feels the need to post a comment) There is a song (and rtl fm aren't the only offenders here, oh no, step up Noordzee FM) called "Music Was My First Love" by John Miles. While living in Scotland I had somehow managed to miss this pile of steaming horse jobbie, but now since moving here it has invaded my head with monotonous regularity. Some stations are really kicking the arse out of this one, but not only that. "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" by Meatloaf is another, a song I could tolerate until I heard it for what seemed like the zillionth time. Another song stations have cicked the arse out of is "Hey Ya" by Outkast. Now I liked this song, I really liked this one and loved the video to the point I decided that I deserve a crown just like Drummer Andre. I still want one, but I'm digressing, because some nobhead at the station (any station) decides that this song has to be played x amount of times it got to the point that I can barely listen to that song now.

At least my clock radio alarm doesn't go off to "I Got You Babe" by Sonny & Cher everymorning.

Shudder!

(Very) Late Addition! - Radio 538, you are next up on the (s)hit list here. Black Eyed Peas are a group I can pretty much take or leave, but why the hell do you shower insist on playing what seems like their entire discography during the working day?! And what is it with the dance music? C'mon we need more RAWK! during day time radio, and I don't mean easy options like Green Day or Nickleback either.

New Contract

2005-08-24T22:41:00.000+02:00

Got a new contract for w*rk today. Was on a 6 month one, but when that ends my PERMANENT contract begins!

Time for a celebratory cold one!

More Folkwoods

2005-08-20T12:31:00.000+02:00

Rapalje

Rowwen Hèze What to do with drinking horns in between drinking. Moo!
Transsylanians
Sound Engineers answers *titter*

Some more Folkwoods photies.

Again clicking on the images enlarges them.

Folkwoods 05

2005-08-15T20:16:00.000+02:00

Camp
Fake tattoo, could be tempted to get this for real, if I wasn't such a cowardy custard.
Heidevolk
dropje from members of the Omnia forum (see Links a go go)
Cyberpiper (WTF?)

Clicking on photies enlarges them, I think.

New Tent

2005-08-06T15:57:00.000+02:00

Ok not a brand spanking and new tent, an ex display model, which meant we got it for almost half price. We gave it a try out this afternoon in the woods. It's a Bardani Rimini, sleeps 5 and weighs a ton, ok not a ton but 20 kg. This is a vast improvement on our previous tent, a cheapish Eurohike effort and we got about 6 years usage from it, until it got torn in an incident during our trip to France in May, involving either a cat or a kid with a big stick. We still don't know which. Where on the old tent the flysheet was just a light polyester sheet this is a heavier Cotton / Polyester mix, and the fiberglass pole are a good bit heavier also. The tear on the old tent would have been repairable but I wouldn't have trusted it in any heavy weather, not after last years festival where it hammered down. This tent is going to last us a good while and well done to Burd van Hendo! for spotting it.

=======

The things you see when you don't have a camera! I have an interest in classic cars, hot rods and kustoms. When stopping of at the petrol station for some LPG what was there but a whole load of 50s & 60s Chevrolet pick ups. There was some really nice ones with my favourite being a 50s model that had been mildly lowered with racing wheels on and a nice deep purple paint job that really suited it. And not to forget the tasty V8 burble (slever)

=======

FOR SALE!
Found in the July edition of What's Brewing, the newspaper of The Campaign For Real Ale - CAMRA, Christie's is trying to sell the old watering hole ot the Krays, The Blind Beggar, but are having trouble shifting it, so go on get yer bid in!

=======

Morton 2 - 0 Raith Rovers

nice one!

Next Blog

2005-08-04T17:26:00.000+02:00

I like that wee Next Blog thingy on the top right hand corner of the screen. It's just like a wee surprise, you never know where you're going to end up next. Ok you could end up in a blog written in a language you don't understand, or a blog that is really just a link farm for finance companies or what not.

It is a good chance to read into other peoples thoughts and opinions from around the world, or the blog could be similar to mine, a collecton of irrelevant posts with not much linking them. It's also amazing the things you can find in them, like the London Calling blog, sorry I've lost the url from it, but it did have an interesting recipe for Stuffed Camel in it.

See? It's stuff like this that makes me enjoy blogging.

The Next Blog thingy disney work on this blog as I think the Make Poverty History banner blocks it but two blogs I know off hand where it does work are http://dutchhoops.blogspot.com/ and http://boaby.blogspot.com/

If you have drifted in here on the Next Blog thingy drop a mention in the Guestmap thingy on the left of the screen before you drift of again.

FFS!

2005-08-04T08:32:00.000+02:00

First yesterday I'm clearing up the back garden when I get a facefull of shredded slug while strimming. The TV REMOTE CONTROL IS AWOL!!! And now the Iain Banks forum has gone tits up.

Bonus I did find a link to Playboy Centerfolds 1953 - 2002 though.
============

Ok now the Iain Banks forum is back on. But now the video remote has died, time to get one of those 3 in 1 jobbies. The computer is on a go slowwwwwww.

Thank feck the Folkwoods Festival is on on the 12th.

Podcasting

2005-07-31T13:55:00.000+02:00

I've stumbled accross this article on the Sunday Herald site today.

Podcasting it seems is a sort of audio book, but on the net, something to play on yer i-pod or mp3 player.

Any hoo here are some more links.
http://www.dreamwords.com/
http://scotpod.blogspot.com/
http://britcaster.com/

GEGS

2005-07-31T12:42:00.000+02:00

Made a hangover assisted brunch of scrambled eggs on toast for the kids today.

Now can someone tell me how to get burnt egg from the bottom of the pot?

Drunken Ramble

2005-07-30T23:59:00.000+02:00

I'm a few beers and a good whack of wine to the good and feel the need to type some pish.

Last night Burd van Hendo! and me was wondering how something so important in our lives could easily be forgotten. Take the Cambridge Folk Festival for eggsample. Burd van Hendo! had been going to this since she was 16, myself since I was 23(ish) we never new each other till my first Cambridge, she was by then a veteran and I a (Cambridge) virgin. I was still living in Scotland back then and she here in the Netherlands, I'd fancied her for quite a bit as we met up at future festivals with not only us lot from Inverclyde, but others from Kent and the Dutch crowd. We would always camp at the same spot. We would spend six months after Cambridge winding down and the other six months winding up to the next festival. Durng the 1998 festival we finally got together, with me flying periodically to the Netherlands to see her and her daughter (from a previous relationship). In April 2000 I moved to Sint Anthonis the village where she (we now) lives and a few months later our son Ross was born, we gave Cambridge 2000 a miss (he was about a week old then). We did go to the 2001 festival but that was the last. Price hikes and the Euro v Pound thing has made the costs prohibitable for us now a family of 5 since our daughter Skye was born in 2002.

This (We think) is the weekend for Cambridge 2005, and it had almost slipped our minds, the festival we lived for before we got together, and where we met just doesn't seem to register now. We have found another Folk Festival nearby in Neunen, give http://www.folkwoods.nl/ a looking at. We first went to Folkwoods in 2000 (the first) when Ross was 2 weeks old and have been ever since.

Enough rambling I'm guttered....

Got A Lamp!

2005-07-21T18:50:00.000+02:00

Cheers

Got A Web Cam!

2005-07-20T22:19:00.000+02:00

My folks are over for a visit. They told me they got a computer and we can now keep in touch by e-mail. They have now given me a web cam, which is nice, all I need now is a lamp...

End Of An Era

2005-07-15T18:18:00.000+02:00

Sadly a major part of Greenock Mortons digital history is becoming history as I type this.
http://www.mortonunofficial.net/ is going off line. It has been on the go in one form or another since 1995 giving fans vital info as the club itself had no website at the time. A former chairman who I shall not name, but it does sound a bit like Huge Scrote, tried to close down the internet (no really!) during the dark old days of administration. But they powered on giving fans in the dark a ray of light.

I was only a member since August 2002 and met up with some great Morton fans. The organisation of the flag parade at Cappielow before the 3rd Division title decider in 2003 was partly orchestrated through the messageboard. Still all good things come to an end, but it is not really the end. A new(ish) messageboard has cropped up at http://www.greenockmorton.net/

Some people complained about mortonunofficial.net's lack of features such as EDIT, DELETE & QUOTE. Some people prefered the simplicity of it. I like both the old and new sites.

Good luck to Eddie in hanging up his keyboard for a bit, and good luck to nach0king in running greenockmorton.net

EDIT! - http://www.mortonunofficial.net/ IS NOW THE HOME OF THE 'GREENOCK MORTON SUPPORTERS TRUST'.

Retirement

2005-07-15T00:12:00.000+02:00

No not mine, one of the guys at work retired today, lucky get.

Ah well only another31½ years to go...

All the best Rob.

A to Z of NL

2005-07-08T23:07:00.000+02:00

Click on the title of this post to link to my website, which is an A-Z list of things that have caught my eye in the Netherlands.

I've just started it, so bear with me as it is under construction.

That Photie.

2005-07-03T15:19:00.000+02:00

That photie below has been uploaded to http://www.live8live.com/ as part of their gallery of faces to be shown in Edinburgh to tell the world leaders that enough is enough. Well if I can't be there in person, I'll be there in print.

http://www.live8live.com/live8/imageHome.do takes you directly to that page. You can also MMS your mug to 0044 7774 777 444

Erza Photie

2005-07-03T00:17:00.000+02:00

Ok here is a photie of me taken about 18 months ago after farting about in the woods on my mountain bike (yeah, a mountain bike in Holland, ho ho!).

Just another excuse to use this new image thingy from blogger ;)

And if you click on the photie, it gets bigger.

Image Test

2005-07-02T14:43:00.000+02:00

Been trying for ages to post pictures here from the web or wherever without success. Seems blogger have something sorted!

Yay!

Edit - Seems I can change the shape and form of the image, the image may now be slightly out of proportion to the original, ie wider, but it gives me something to tinker with.

Hou Doe Pet

2005-07-02T10:24:00.000+02:00

Long time no blog...

Recently the company I work for has brought in a few Scottish and English (alright one Scots guy and the rest English) contractors, glad they have increased the amount of Friday beer to compensate.

Thing is though, two of them have been sacked for not being enthousiastic enough. Can't have been pushing their brooms hard enough.

But I feel the company have screwed up here, they simply brought in too many contractors for the amount of work we have, add to that on Fridays a lot of people are taking time off resulting in not enough people for the work involved, meaning we could have used the two guys they sacked!

What the hell is going on there?

Featured Link

2005-06-04T11:39:00.000+02:00

Since joining Blogshares, a sort of fantasy stock market game type thing, I noticed a 'mission' to gain chips. This mission was to publicise an Australian/New Zealand group called Fight Dem Back, a group countering race hate in the two countries. Give their website a visit, it's for a good cause.

You can find a link to them in the Links A Go Go bit on the left hand of the screen, or here => http://www.fightdemback.com/

NEW POLL!!

2005-05-25T18:32:00.000+02:00

Got a new poll on the left hand bit of the screen.

Ok here is the deal. I am on a 6 month contract with work, but I'm getting bored with it, even though at the end of the 6 months there is a chance my contract could be extended.

Should I...

A - just knuckle down and get on with it, and boost my chances of a contract extension?

OR

B - just fart about and go through the motions, as I'm already bored (after 2½ weeks back) and there is no guaranteee of that extension?

VOTE NOW!

Hendo! Scribbles!

2005-05-18T21:32:00.000+02:00

Updated the Boaby blog, which has been renamed Hendo! Scribbles!

I changed the name as it is moving away from the NaNoWriMo blog it started of as. Now it will be used for things like the Drabbles and other nonsence I might come up with , including bumph for NaNoWriMo 2005.

You can either link Hendo! Scribbles! by clicking the title of this post or finding the link in the Links a go go! section at the side of the screen.

A new drabble is there already.

Drabbles

2005-05-17T21:49:00.000+02:00

Clicking on the title of this post will give you the thread on the Iain Banks forum where I first learned about Drabbles - 100 word stories.

So I had a go at one, not sure about it but here it is anyway.

The new officer was conspicuous in his new flight suit. He stood there in front of his crew looking for inspiring words before his first mission in command. Words to instil trust in his leadership, trust in the crews ability, trust in their crafts capability to get them back in one piece.

It was just a run of the mill raiding sortie on an enemy supply convoy, he had been on several already, but this was his first command.

Where were the words? The inspiring words? The crew were waiting.

‘Right,’ he started ‘let’s get this shite over with.’

I was running this through my head while I was cycling home from work, I'll see what tomorows ride comes up with.

Green Oak Tree

2005-05-16T08:59:00.000+02:00

Just noticed we have an oak tree growing in our front garden, was wondering where it might have come from when I realised my son Ross had a thing about collecting acorns, I think he may have been a squirrel in a former life.

Also wondering what to do about it, leave it there? It's a small garden. But then that appeals to my sence of humour, having a dirty great oak tree growing there. :)

And it is a symbol of where I was born - Greenock - Green Oak (although I think Greenock comes from a Gaelic word meaning something different, and I was raised in Gourock).

Bloody Car!

2005-05-15T21:14:00.000+02:00

The Mitsubishi is really pissing me off now!

The problem with the cooling system seems to be getting worse. Today we went to Veronika's dads house which is in Driebergen about 90km away. The car overheated at about 60km into it, before it was overheating at about 100km. Same thing happened on the way back. And the radiator appears to bee falling apart, the woven copper thing between the radiator pipes is starting to fall out. Time to hit the Mitsubishi forum, again...

Woof, Grrrr, Woof! *

2005-05-14T15:22:00.000+02:00

* Translated as 'Sod that for a game of soldiers, I'm not going down there!'

Our doggie, a West Highland Terrier, named Wesley by her previous owners (an elderly couple with little sence of imagination it would seem) has something of a Napoleon complex, a little short arse that thinks the world revolves around it.

Anyhoo, there is a street in our village she mostly refuses to walk down, but last night it got weird. Apparently nothing in sight Wesley starts puling on her leash in the opposite direction, then starts growling and barking at nothing in sight.

What the hell is it about that street she refuses to walk down it? Is this one of those examples of animals picking up on the paranormal?

Who am I gonna call?

Back To Work

2005-05-13T18:01:00.000+02:00

Just finished the first week back at work after some six months on the dole.

Not much has changed there, even the music on the radio was almost the same (memo to 3FM - If I hear Meatloafs 'Paradise By The Dashboard Light' one more time, I swear I'll bloody well lose control!). One or two working practises have been changed, but after the first couple of hours it was as if I hadn't been away.

Ah well it's the Pinksteren holiday on Monday, I need a break after my first week back.

France

2005-05-09T18:44:00.000+02:00

Saturday 30th April – Sunday 8th May

Headed south to Veronika’s brother and his family in the French village of Massugas, somewhere between Bordeaux and Bergerac.

Driving through south Netherlands and Belgium was uneventful. The real hell awaited us in France. The petrol system in the Mitsubishi is knackered, so we had to rely on the LPG system which meant driving on the peage, the French toll roads as we didn’t trust the availability of LPG (GPL in France) on the Route National. The toll roads from Lille to north Paris, then south Paris to Tours then Tours to Bordeaux came to a total of around €65 one way! And that is before we even paid for fuel!

The Paris ring road is unique, especially at midday on a Saturday, filled with Dutch and Belgian holiday traffic heading south and in a car with hot and sticky, not to forget bored kids in. This is where I learnt a new French word ‘bouchon’. The thing was one huge tail back, a crash in one of the tunnels didn’t help matters much, and the sight of striking ambulance drivers circling the ring road with sirens on was a tad bizarre.

Aside from the toll prices, the French motorway was pretty good, and we finally got there after losing ourselves a couple of times before finding their village.

Cracking house they have too, an old farm house that they got for €40,000 and allowing a further €40 – 50,000 to fix up. Handy thing is, it had no electrics or plumbing to rip out and replace, just do your own fittings the way you need them. It is one of those classic ‘step out the door, and it’s vine yards as far as the eye can see’ places.

So what did we do there? Not much, stuck the tents in their sizable back garden as although their house is habitable, it is still largely a building site. Days were spent relaxing in the sun or entertaining their strange little dog (I don’t know the breed, imagine a hairy rat with longish legs) by launching a tennis ball into the vine yards where it will eventually find it, and evenings spent in the garden feeding beetles to a fat toad that appeared on their porch.

Oh yeah nearly forgot the wine! The lucky gets live within a five minute walk from Chateau La Combe D’Aynet. Sound grand but in reality it is a modest farmhouse with 15 hectares of vine yard and his own winery, which qualifies him as a Chateau. Nice wine, and I’m no expert, my main rule with red wine is ‘No more than €4, no less than 12%’. We got five bottles for free as the owner wasn’t happy with the corks, and there was nothing wrong with the wine either. This is where we heard the story of a man in a neighbouring village who committed suicide by popping several sleeping tablets before locking himself in the freezer.

The rest of the holiday was spent with a trip to an empty beach, cooking oysters and prawns on their open hearth, and drinking more wine, plus a beer from the Alsace region called Dorelie.

The trip back wasn’t much fun though, after loading the car with essentials (wine, 5L plastic barrel for €3.50! cheap but not nasty, and Breton cider) we set of north.

Still in southern France the car overheated, an airlock in the cooling system which meant having to stop every 100km. We eventually got home at 4:30am Sunday morning after leaving at around 10:00am on Saturday.

I’m knackered!

Justice For Gordon Gentle

2005-04-16T12:40:00.000+02:00

In June 2004 Gordon Gentle was killed by a roadside bomb in Basra, Iraq. He had joined the Army only 6 months earlier, joining up when signing on for unemployment benefits at his Job Centre. An 'economic conscript'.

Gordon died because the vehicle he was travelling in wasn't provided with proper equipment, a 'Bolterman' device which jams the remote signal that detonates roadside bombs. They had been sitting on shelves in an MoD storeroom.

Now his mother is standing in the British General Election in the East Kilbride, Strathhaven & Lesmahagow seat held by Armed Forces minister Adam Ingram.

You can learn more about the campaign by clicking on the title of this post.

5 Years In NL

2005-04-15T15:05:00.000+02:00

Yesterday was the fifth anniversary of me living in the Netherlands. No celebration or anything, just another day.

Got me thinking though. Was it a sucess?

I would say so. I'm living with the woman I love, have great kids and can bluff my way through a conversation in Dutch.

Ok losing my job in December was a pisser, but it was also a good kick up the arse I needed to find other work that will be more interesting. I still haven't found that work yet as I have no experience or qualifications in it, but it has opened my eyes as to the possibilitie that are there.

I'm gonna be starting back at my old job next month after a short break at Veronikas brothers place near Bergerac (sp?) in France.

Do I miss Scotland? Hell yeah! But I don't regret the decision to go, I'm glad I did it.

Weird

2005-04-08T17:32:00.000+02:00

As you may know, I was made redundant just before Christmas.

Today I get a phone call from my ex boss, asking if I want my old job back. Tempted to say "Shove it!" but said "Yeah ok..."

I'm still in two minds about it, I was getting bored with crawling around 1000 x1000 x 1500mm water tanks, getting covered in dust, resin and the stuff they coat the tanks with. But it's only for six months and I'm getting brassed of sitting at home.

Yesterday, I get an email from a new cable TV station offering work (unpaid as yet...) so sent them a reply saying I don't have experience or qualifications in that field of work and I live on the other side of the country, but what the hell, here is my CV anyway.

They send me a reply saying they will get in touch with me about an appointment.

?

Guest Map Type Thing

2005-03-31T14:19:00.000+02:00

Another thing I've blagged from Bravenet is their Guest Map thingy.

Click on the Guest Map icon below the poll to the left and you can pin your position on the map followed by a wee comment in a guestbook type stylee.

Independence First

2005-03-26T12:00:00.000+01:00

Whether you agree or not as to whether Scotland should be an Independent state you might like to visit the site of Independence First (clicking on the title of this post will link you to their site, it is also listed in the 'Links a go go!' on the left of the screen).

Surely it's time to get this sorted once and for all. Membership details are also on the site, with Association Membership for people like myself residing outside Scotland.

Incidently I can be found lurking around that site and forum as An Isealtìr (Gaelic for Netherlands)

New Poll

2005-03-11T22:51:00.000+01:00

Results after 14 votes.

1st - Excession 6 votes 43%
2nd - Whit 3 votes 21%
=3rd - The Bridge & Feersum Endjinn 2 votes each 14%
5th - Espedair Street 1 vote

NEW POLL!!
"M" or "non M"

BEST BANKS BOOK POLL

2005-03-05T09:31:00.000+01:00

Finally I have it, as my other poll hosting site has gone tits up this morning, I have used Bravenet, which to be honest I found fiddly, but once I found my way around it was ok.

Anyhoo stick yer votes here. (well on the left hand side)

If there are any titles you feel I've missed mention them in the comments thingy below, you don't need to register with blogger.com.

Bravenet restricted me to 10 options, and as Banksie has written 20+ books I had to make a short list.