Red Hot Poker Face

Played real live poker with real live people last night for the first time in years. Six of us round at Paul's house, proper green baize with casino-standard chips & cards plus beer & pizza galore, football on in the background and men being men. It was brilliant, not least because I came away with a tidy profit and didn't have to pawn one of the children :)

Hopefully we can do it again soon but for the moment, here's Nick "Crafty Butcher" Hughes, who cleaned out at least two of the others in some tense 'all-in' action, in full-on WSOP mode:

Just Billing Time

Interesting idea, recording all interaction with particular companies/brands and then invoicing them (at your full hourly client charge-out rate) for your time, ostensibly to ascertain how much they value you as a customer but also to highlight the consumer/brand power question:

#sixweeks

The letter from Julian at Pret is excellent :)

Boycott The Shirts

So I've started a petition:

Boycott of all three of Arsenal's awful 09/10 shirts

They're bloody awful and I hope nobody buys them. I don't care if the replica kit income would pay for a new defensive midfielder; they're taking the piss.

Coining It In

I have a new project.

I am trying to collect a full set* of the new-style UK coins which I think Freyja would really like.

She's very into her numbers, loves completing jigsaws and is also (judging by the disappearing loose change on my bedside table and the colossal weight of her piggy bank) rather fond of money:

So far, the 20p, 10p, 2p and 1p were easy to find but there don't seem to have been as many sightings of the 50p and 5p and the £1 is positively elusive - all donations gratefully received :)

UPDATE 1: I now have the £1 coin - thanks, Solveig!

UPDATE 2: I now have the 50p - thanks, Alex!

UPDATE 3: I now have the 5p - thanks, Christine!

So that's the set collected, via the power of the internet. Photo of them in situ to follow...

* yes, I know you can buy a set from the Royal Mint, but that's no fun now, is it?

Offside Online

Idiots.

Premier League goes to war on internet pirates

They're going to make the same mistake the record industry did. Don't fight it; embrace it. As I commented here back in November, if they offered reasonably priced, live streaming Premiership matches with decent bandwidth, picture quality and commentary, the thousands - nay, millions - of fans who cannot get to a game or see it on TV would pay for it. More money in the FA coffers, not less.

Idiots.

Make It Expensive

Solveig was going to add this to her Amazon basket; one of the options was somewhat less appealing!


Click to enlarge

Four Charity

I forgot to say previously that long-time Spuds fan Julian and I have had a small wager over the last few seasons, involving who would finish higher in the league at the end of the season. 

So far, he owes me £40. 

Given the appalling start by his lot this year, I took pity and agreed to bundle the winnings onto last night's match, double or quits again - Arsenal win, £80 to me; Spurs win, debt wiped out.

Of course, it was only a draw! So the money is going to charity (Macmillan Cancer Support, in case you were interested)

See, some good does come out of gambling (we still should have won though....grrrrr)

Tanks On The Lawn

Nicely measured response from Goonerboy post the Abu Dhabi takeover at Man City (and their subsequent backtracking once they realised the true sorry state of the club, post-Frank)

Goonerboy: Enough is Enough
Personally I think it's gone too far to come back, the sport has already lost any connection to its local roots. How long before we have a summer all-star tournament sponsored by global billionaires with teams bidding for the services of international players competing for untold millions in prize money.

Couldn't happen? Look at cricket. The Indian Premier League? Stanford 20/20? Sorry football, you're next.

BiTE Me

Ever feel peckish at a railway station but feel they bump the prices up because of a 'captive audience'? Well you can get 20% off with the BiTE card...

BiTE, the free discount card for rail travellers
Millies Cookies, Ixxy's Bagels, Ritazza, Upper Crust, Delice de France, The Pasty Shop, Burger King, etc

Late-night post-pub munchies just got cheaper! Not that I would ever ... I mean, only if ... I'll stop now.

48,500 Handles

How much?


Before you ask, it wasn't me :)

Costume Drama

I received a lovely phishing email this morning, claiming to be from the Costumer Service Department of The NationWide UK Bank plc (sic).

Loving the idea that my bank might have an entire department dedicated to fitting staff for their lovely mauve polyester uniforms :)

In For A Penny

...in for a rouble. Separated at birth?

"I want to be in a position that will allow me a blocking stake and will then wait for it to go up in value."

After statements like that, I think it's a valid comparison; where's Dangermouse when you need him?

(On the back of a londonist post which alleged a similarity between Greenback and Avram Grant but I reckon mine is better...)

Overheard #22

Topical.

"I thought the banks crisis was really getting worse when I walked past Nationwide and saw a huge queue gathering outside. Then I realised that they weren't open yet.

Inland Revenue In Common Sense Shocker

HMRC guides UK eBay traders on income tax

Seems that if you just use eBay to get rid of unwanted gifts or purchases, the mighty hob-nailed jackboot of the taxman (or 'HM Revenue and Customs' if you prefer, your majesty) will refrain from crushing your tiny profit and demanding its 25% (or 40%) cut on each sale. However, if you seek to make a profit by listing goods you bought with the sole intention of reselling them, then you're liable for the tax.

Well done. Sense prevails. For once :)