EELightningWhy thank you! But it’s not as glamorous as it looks, oh no-no-no! Turn up to venue, set your gear up, rehearse, play the actual gig for 1hr 30+ minutes, take it all down, load up, get on the tour bus, sleep (very important), travel, get up, eat (healthily is an important option as I soon found out)… Turn up to venue, repeat several, several, several, several more times. That’s a very modest summary of things…
… However, there those moments of… ‘shenanigans of misbehaviour’, lets say. 😀
It’s been an important part of our life though.
EELightningMy Girlfriend and myself getting back home after a pretty hectic tour in the US and Canada, lots of fun, met a lot of people, learned a lot but very busy. Just nice to be back home in Geordie Land for a re-charge for a week or so, then we’re off to New Zealand and Australia to do the same stuff again.
EELightningThe statistics for those unemployed and speaking work should be set against job vacancies. I was often amazed at the enormous number if vacancies. If that is still the case why aren’t the jobs filled? And why aren’t benefits reduced if jobs are refused?
There’s so many jobs out there, even though I’m a full time worker in my normal day-to-day job and receive time-off for another travelling job I still have a little look on various job sites, Direct Gov (or Universal Jobmatch its called now), Monster Jobs, CV-Library, Reed etc. and there’s lots, a hell of a lot more available now to when I was signing on the dole a few years ago, which was for about 10 months, not ashamed to say it, people shouldn’t have to be if they’re willing to work. Finding and applying is the easy bit, it’s getting your foot in the door that’s the tough bit.
I remember one time on the dole, my “Job Seekers Agreement” stated I had to find and apply for 25 live vacancies per week which was fine by me, I could do a hell of a lot more than that, and in order to receive benefits you simply recorded those in your work diary, or note book as I had. There was one week where there was very little going but still [just] managed to get past the 25 figure, (sometimes that happens)… Some issues had occurred at home, mind got side tracked and I forgot to record 3 of those vacancies for that week that I applied for, which happened to be the second week, so anyhow… Goes to sign on, seen some snotty nosed b*tch, she asked for my work diary/notebook and noticed I was a few short… Result: Docked £65.something for that week, just because I simply forgot to write them down and bearing in mind I applied for something like 40+ vacancies the previous week which made up the overall tally over the fortnight. Later I got it back because I had proof elsewhere but I had to fight like a trooper for it… It’s a pretty nasty kick in the balls when things like that happen while you notice there’s a p*sshead next to you verbally abusing the staff and a foreign guy laying down the same old “Don’t understand nor speak English” card when asked on what they’ve been doing to look for work, and 99.9% of the time get sent on their way with a guarantee of payment in 3 days time regardless.
The question of; And why aren’t benefits reduced if jobs are refused? Well, that’s a question that depends on your nationality and how many cans of Carling you can consume before 9am.
Regards to the reduction of unemployment figures. No one really takes those “official figures” for granted, do they? Surely not?… Did you know that if the dole sends you on some crappy training course or a work programme of some sort, you are “officially” off the their records because you are now under another record [unofficially of course] that belongs to companies called Ingeus, Avantar or whatever they’re misspelt as, whom of which the Government does not take unemployment figures from, only from the Job Centre. So the next time the Prime Minister stands up in The Houses of Parliament, sticks his chest out and proudly states that ‘Last month the unemployment figure dropped by 440,823!’… Oh no… no, no, no… 440,823 have just been referred to a work programme, Mr. Prime Minister.
The majority of unemployed are genuine people, they don’t want to be on the dole as much as the next person… There’s just a minute minority that give the former a very bad tag. It’s a blasted shame.
EELightningThere was a documentary on the other day about Romanian immigrants and how “difficult” is was for them to be living in the UK on an “inconsiderable amount” of benefits… £400 per week, signing on once a fortnight, not needing to show proof work is being looked for in your Work Diary and basically having the freedom to blast Eastern European music all hours of the day in their two-up-two-down privately rented flats for the whole street to hear… I can see how things are incredibly difficult for them while genuine families are having to live in poverty… It’s not much ‘Poverty in Britain’ but, ‘Total F*ck Up in Britain’.
Some things don’t add up, do they…
EELightningGetting letters from the Water Board, T.V Licensing etc, morguage etc telling me my wife, who is leaving me at the end of the month, have ALL been put into MY name. She is taking me to the cleaners, and wants me to sell the house which is in joint names, so she can get her half. She also wants half my Police Pension.
ANY ADVICE welcome guys, I am at my wits end.
Jim.
Lincoln .7
A Hitman!
In all seriousness. Seek the best advice you can, Lawyers, Solicitors maybe? It’d be my first call.
Checking in at the Airport so we can get to New Zealand… So, you can take your Guitar and Pedal Board on the flight so long as they’re in soft cases? But since they’re in compact hard cases they have to be down below… Not that I’m complaining or anything, but what is the firkin difference? Why all the questions about my gear?… Uuuurgh… And we haven’t made it to the notorious New Zealand and Australian Customs yet…
EELightningNew Zealand: Private Gigs done that will go unnoticed, great fun, all the gear safely stored away until around the 20th of May… Girlfriend and Myself are off to Japan until shortly before then for a holiday. Very excited!
EELightningWell I never,Red Bulls little darling being told to pull over for an Australian! I bet Mark Weber was laughing into his Lager yesterday!
Probably not, Webber laughs, Vettel sends him an email with these figures:
Mark Webber F1 results:
217 races (215 starts)…
Championships: 0
Wins: 9
Poles: 13
Podiums: 42
Fastest Laps: 19
Sebastian Vettel F1 results:
124 Races (124 Starts)…
Championships: 4
Wins: 39
Poles: 45
Podiums: 63
Fastest Laps: 22
*Mark Webber stops laughing and slams his can down on the table*.
EELightningDefine; ‘Hypocrisy.
EELightningThis is even being reported in Japan where I am now, for heavens sake…
Jeremy said something he shouldn’t have, going by the video it was an innocent slip of the tongue albeit a very mumbled sing-song, it wasn’t directed to anyone and it was a malicious verbal attack towards anyone. We’ve all said things we shouldn’t have. That does not make him a racist.
As James and Richard stated, and I’m sure there’s so many others that would say the same too. He’s a lot of things, but he’s not a racist!
Just to point out, a few weeks ago he named his black dog after a black sports person and was branded a “racist”, not sure what’s racist about that, in the same way it’s not racist to name a white dog ‘Snowy’ (Tit-Tin, anyone?), oh and you know that puppet ‘Sooty’? (The Sooty Show, anyone?), ‘Sooty’ is another name for a black person in the US.
The Mirror are the ones that have blown this whole thing out of proportion… The same paper, along with the other papers that are not worthy to wipe one’s ar$e on, that got found out about that little thing not so long ago, oh what was it, just a small thing… that phone-hacking business that ruined many people’s lives. They’re obviously butt-hurt about that still, so it’s little wonder they’re trying to bring others down to their level scumness.
Looking forward to seeing Jeremy and guys back on Top Gear soon!
Back to holiday.*
EELightningThe connection here is a bit dodgy, it’s a little difficult to work a Samsung Galaxy S using a Japanese internet provider, apologies if some weird objects pop up.
He said it twice to camera; do you know how many times he rehearsed it?
Do you? He mumbled it twice and clearly said something totally different for the final cut.
A natural reaction, surely, if they wish to protect their jobs too. But how can you make an assumption that he is not a racist when his past record shows he is frequently happy to say things that others – but, oh no, not him – regard as offensive. I am quite aware that I am making assumptions because he doesn’t (it appears) make these outbursts very often – maybe a part time racist?;o)
How can I make assumptions he’s not a racist? Well, firstly, you’re focusing on the controversial things he’s stated in the past and ignoring the things he’s well known for, such as, his admiration for the Gurkhas, his praising of the Indian Armed Forces during WWII, as is with the same with the Fijians, Canadians, New Zealanders and others that have fought along side the British. He’s also very admirable of what the Australian SAS had achieved during the Vietnam War… Surely if he was a “Racist” why would he show respect, admiration and write books and TV programs about those guys?
And why would he be proud of having a T-Shirt that simply says, ‘Albania’ on it? Or, how about this one, why would he proudly wear a Vietnamese Flag T-Shirt on the Top Gear Vietnam Special and state near the end of the show, what an amazing country it is? Again, surely if he was a “Racist” he wouldn’t show such an admiration?
The dogs name is a new one on me. What is it?
He named his black dog Didier Dogba, whom is apparently a black football player. (See his Twitter account). He’s well known for naming his pets after sports personalities, of all colours.
Think you mean Tintin?
… There’s a white dog in the Tin-Tin series called Snowy…
Surely, if it’s “Racist” to name a black dog after a black person then surely it’s “Racist” to call a white dog ‘Snowy’, yes? I’ve jokingly been called ‘Snowy’ from Tin-Tin by a Pakistani friend, is that “Racist”, was I hurt by that, did I accuse him of being ‘Racist’? Ehm, no.
Understand?…
I believe Sooty was named for his ears (he is yellow, his ears are black and his friend is Sweep – go figure), but I can’t imagine they’ll target that show at America since their having a hard enough time getting kids here to watch it! When you say name do you actually mean racial slur? Just how badly is it regarded – better or worse than the ‘n’ word when said by caucasians?
It doesn’t matter what colour he is, the point is, ‘Sooty’ is (according to the Political Correct mob) a racial slur, Sooty was/is what is described as black person in the US. If, as you say, Sooty was named for his [black] ears, then… Go figure it out!
Pretty much done here. Back to holiday, me thinks.
EELightningIs this thread still going?… Obviously, it is…
Intro to Eminem’s song named… *Cough*… Ni**a, (2x ‘Gs’ rather than how its spelt; N***er).
I love ni**as, I love ni**as ’cause ni**as are me
And I should only love that presents me
I love to see ni**as go through changes (Whoo)
I love to see ni**as shoot through s**t (Did it again)
And to all ni**as that do it I love
John Lennon, song: ‘Woman is the Ni**er of the World.’
Woman is the ni**er of the world
Yes she is…think about it
Woman is the ni**er of the world
Think about it…do something about it
Marilyn Manson, song; ‘Rock n’ Roll Ni**er.’ (My girlfriend has this on her iPod, she must be “Racist” too despite her country of origin being the UAE).
Title says it all…
Bob Dylan, song; Hurricane. (I have this song on my Sony MP3… That must make me “Racist”…Oh dear.)
All of Rubin’s cards were marked in advance
The trial was a pig-circus he never had a chance
The judge made Rubin’s witnesses drunkards from the slums
To the white folks who watched he was a revolutionary bum
And to the black folks he was just a crazy ni**er
No one doubted that he pulled the trigger
And though they could not produce the gun
The DA said he was the one who did the deed
And the all-white jury agreed
John Frusciante, song; Ni**er Song.
Title says it all…
They all must be “Racists” too because they’re all white, yet they’re still shown in one form or another on the BBC and haven’t been branded as racist like Clarkson has for his use of the word, which apparently, “kinda sounds like” ni**er, about 75%… What’s the difference, exactly?
Ooooh! My Sushi is arriving! (Not a racial slur before anyone accuses me of being a “Racist”).
EELightning🙂 Do you know there are an awful lot of very jealous people over here reading that 🙂
I do apologise if it seems like bragging, lol. The past few years have been very difficult, my girlfriend and myself (whom comes with me) were told… A lot of difficult personal stuff… etc…
… Then an opportunity came up, I took it, she got offered to come with us to boost up her photography portfolio and it’s just been a relief for us both. 🙂
However, it’s not as glamorous as it seems to be. Lol.
EELightningRegarding John Surtees; indeed, the only racer to have ever won the MotoGP and Formula 1 championships.
Nice to be back home, spent a few days in New Zealand, then spent a long time in Japan on holiday, amazing country, then back to New Zealand and Australia for a few gigs. Great time, great live shows, great people. Even went to those little Hobbit homes… places… village thingy-places where they were filmed during a day off. Back to work, proper day job, then a short UK tour next month. Shattered, but wonderful times.
EELightningThank you, Charlie & Trumper. Much appreciated. 🙂
Charlie, yes it’s pretty small next time around in compared to the likes of the US/Canada and the first (well, my first) UK tour but is just as much as a laugh, and tough going too. New Zealand and Australia were tiny but the most we could do, everything down under I thought was so sparse, even major cities but that’s probably down to me being from and living in Newcastle upon Tyne where everything is within a few miles. Weird, but nice countries… And their customs are bigger ar*eholes than US customs.
Keep your head up, AE. We’ve all been hit with something at some point in our lives, positive things always happen sooner or later.
EELightningVery sad news, totally unexpected. Feeling genuinely gutted & heart broke about his passing.
I was at work today in the Guitar store, finished at the same time as my girlfriend whom works just next door in the comic book shop and she told me right away. Rik Mayall? THE Rik Mayall?… Bottom, The Young Ones, The New Statesman Rik Mayall? We couldn’t believe it and still can’t
I had the pleasure of meeting him during a book signing at WHSmith on Northumberland Street in Newcastle a few years, man is he funny in real life, and a very nice guy too. Everyone he met he stood up and talked to… and insulted too of course, Alan B’stard style but in his usual charming way we all love him for.
He wrote in my book. Word for word:
To… Who the f*ck cares Geordie w*nker. F*ck you, stick it, stuff it, flog it, rim it, lick it, sniff it, get a life and stop wasting mine with your peasant ways, I should say thank you for buying my book and lining my pockets with your Social Benefits but I’m not because technically that money is mine anyway, so really I’m buying my own sh*t back there for not making a living and boosting up my already easily earned millions. So p*ss off. I don’t love you but I know you love me. Not necessarily yours, Rik Mayall.
R.I.P, Rik. You brought me a lot of happy times during both happy and more importantly, during sad times. And you will continue to.
See ya later, chap!
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