GOFFA FROM THE BLOCK

I fear there is a long hard road ahead learning how to operate my new iMac.  If I say so myself, I'm usually pretty good at what I know and I'm a whizz around Windows but this Mac is literally a whole new ball game (not that Jamie Oliver version of literally where he describes something as literally every other sentence).  Hey ho, I wasn't planning on getting stressed over anything in my real life (non-work) for the forseeable future so this will do.  Even the wireless mouse seems to need an extra long push to get it working.  Mind the 27 inch screen is probably partly to blame as well. Just got a message on Facebook (no more asterisks) that Larry and His Flask (I implore you to click on the link) at Dr Brown's on 23 April .  I think I might have wrote a few words about when they played Liberty's last year.  This photo's from the iPhone again and my photography teacher says you are supposed to capture an odd number of people rather than even...

I've had my new computer since Tuesday and I still haven't set it up. I should be excited but it's filling me with dread. I used to be fairly computer savvy, people even used to ask me advice and occasionally I even used to be able to assist. In saying that there's nothing like a task to get me focused and with that in mind I've put my mind into techno mode. So far today I've downloaded an app so I can post entries to my blog on my phone and set it up so I can send emails. For the last year I've only been able to receive them. I'm lying down having a rest and then I'm going to take on the iMac! Alas, can't find a spell checker so please be kind. Entry posted from iPhone

Went for an great walk along the cliffs from Runswick Bay to Whitby today finishing off with fish and chips in Whitby. I think it's quite a test getting up to the cliff top but it's a piece of cake once up there.  We tried to walk into Whitby along the beach and I got caught by the incoming tide up to my knees.  Somebody must have been looking out for me though because at least Shamila didn't.  I wouldn't have heard the last of it if she'd got wet. Saw quite a lot of the yellow ball in the sky which was refreshing but it was still generally bloody freezing. That still didn't fully explain this lot.     It was only at one point and I wondered if it was Sheep wool or something as we approached it.  Not sure my iphone pics do it justice but it looked bloody weird.

No crummy words tonight. Photo taken 26 December 2006.  As good as it got. 

Came downstairs and turned the TV on.  Had a look at the guide and saw the England match was on.  Football's not my thing other than (just) my Boro nowadays but I thought I check the score.  It was 1-0 to England then Moldov er a or Montenegro or or somebody had about 6 shots at goal (really) in the space of about 3 minutes and then equalised.  Needless to say, in Spence family tradition the TV went off. It's not that I dislike football as a sport per se,  it's just as I've said many times, I just don't think much of the hype/entertainment ratio of the supposed best domestic league in the world or our national team for that matter. "Our" top teams are usually ok when knocking spots off the likes of Reading or QPR but as soon as they come up against anybody decent (any of the top teams in Germany, Spain or Italy) they just turn into Boro.  I'm allowed to say that as a Boro supporter as are any other Boro supporters amongst my re...

At least I've sussed out how to post from an iPad.  I'll have to work out how to post from my iPhone next and then how to work out how to work my new computer which should be arriving in the next couple of days. It was very expensive.  It's supposed to be a flying machine but I'm going to have to work to justify the extravagance and cost.  Blummin' heck, I'm making it sound like work! That'll have to do.  Trying to post on an iPad is purgatory.  Back home tomorrow, so will do a proper post.

For some reason as long as I can remember I've found Sunday nights (school or work the following day) to be even more of a drag than the Monday morning.  You would think that means work always turns out to be better than I thought it would.  Sadly, it's seldom true.  Oh well, just thought I'd share that! God, I was hung over this morning.  6 pints of strong European lager at The Mink Tattoo Coffee Bar took their toll with my fragile inner workings.  Still, I managed to avoid the temptation of having a tattoo done upstairs.  It wasn't actually an option last night but apparently it is if you go in during the day. Louis Barabbas and the Bedlam Six (I count that as 7 but there were only 5 of them) describe their music as lyric driven dirt swing or rockabilly cabaret blues  and I wouldn't argue with that other than to say there was a bit of Balkans eurovision stylee in there.   Well worth the entry fee (free)....

And to quote Johnny Moped (again) "we should be out pogoing and dancing and fings" and with that in mind I'm going out to see Louis Barabbas and the Bedlam Six  at The Mink Tattoo Coffee Bar in the Boro.  Free before 8.30 apparently. It's no warmer mind.  It would be cold for the middle of December never mind the middle of March.  Still no snow though on Teesside.  Been listening to the original Soundtrack to Night on Earth which arrived today.  It's listed on Amazon as a Tom Waits album but he only sings on a few of the tracks.  As ever pretty weird.  Will need a few listens to get into but that's TW. Anyway, what have I been up to?  Nothing much really.  Read all the newspapers as usual, Morrison's, got rid of my recycling.  I could type aimlessly and hope for some inspiration or share a news article that I find incredulous.  Then again I could go in the bath and listen to some ...

I can't remember a colder March day ever. Sham took the day off (did I mention that yesterday) and we planned to go for a long walk.  Thankfully for various reasons we only had time for a quick sprint up Eston Hills and it was just as well because the cold and the biting wind made the conditions extremely unpleasant to walk in.  The peaks looked amazing which I tried to  capture (not very successfully) on my phone.  I had my camera with me but it was just too cold to get it out.  As you can see there was no snow where we were, a small amount over Roseberry Topping but the peaks not much further were completely white.  Talk  about localised weather! We're planning trying to get out again on Sunday but I think the forecast even worse than today.  I might be throwing a sickie. For those that don't know East Middlesbrough, I live just over there.

The week-end's soon come round again. Being off mid-week definitely worked for me and I ended working week with a  couple of drinks and tea in pub with some of mates from work.  Could definitely get used to that. Tried out another Spensian out on James and Steve and it went down pretty well so I'll share it with the world or at least the 16 people that have tuned in for the last 2 nights. Admitedly Tuesday's night idea was more of a bit of a vibe rather than a bona fide action plan but I thought it was at least a pretty good vibe unlike Ozzie's "plan" to assist people to buy second homes to help start a new unsustainable housing boom.  He must have really enjoyed the sweetness of the plaudits he received from the so called experts yesterday.  Pity it's all turned sour  today .  Only The Guardian and the BBC are running the story (probably in that order) but from my experience where th...

Made good use of my day doing chores areound the house.  Did all my ironing, a bit of painting and some general cleaning. Watched the budget and the only surprise was the 1p off a pint of beer.  That should save me about 50p a year.  On the other hand by my reckoning 10p on a bottle of wine will cost me about £10.40 a year.  Also, I can look forward to a maximum of 1% pay rise for the next 3 years so I should be amongst the front runners in the race to the bottom.  I suppose least it means I don't lose much pay when I go on strike so it's not all bad. Picked Shamila up from work and went over to Teesside Park to do a bit of shopping.  She went to M&S and Argos and I detoured to HMV, probably for the last time.  I normally just browse but on this occasion the "closing down sale" discount brought the CD's down to what I would pay on the Internet so I bought a couple of CDs for old time sake.  Bought The Stand In by Caitlin Rose which w...

So we're on strike tomorrow.  The cabinet office think it's futile and I tend to agree.  We've got no chance of getting anything other than what we are given and we will be expected to be grateful. I'm ok, because I'm happy to have a day off without pay but plenty of people are a bit peeved and I don't blame them.  Our call to arms is being led by our our "radical socialist" leader, Mark Serwotka who receives a salary before pension contribution of something over £100,000 and lives in a house in Surrey worth over £500,000.  Excuse me, for thinking his  rally call  sounds a bit hollow. The country is on it's knees though but as I said the other night I'm unconvinced about this debt thing.  That said we have to do something to get people spending money. A tax cut at the lowest rate?  A VAT cut?  I don't know but the best way to get money circulating is by giving it to the poor.  Give more money to the poor and they will spend it...

Up to 10 views yesterday.  It may not seem many but from a low base of 1 (me), that's an increase of 1000% since last Tuesday.  Cheers.  That's the thing about stats from a low base improvements can sound impressive if you measure them by percentage.  On the other hand if today they go back down to 5 (and they probably will after this post) they will only have gone down by 50%.  Oh well, I know it's not great but still I've only lost 50% so that's still 950% since last Tuesday. If another one of the 5 drops off that will be another 20% leaving 980%.  Of course discerning Goffa From The Block intelligentsia know that's bullshit but many people out there wouldn't.  They don't know their arse from their elbow when it comes to numbers so how are they expected to understand the figures and percentages that are being thrown at them on a daily basis to judge how well or badly the country is doing? So what have we got to measure how wel...

Another quick post today, not sure what time I'm getting back from Sheffield and I want to keep the run going. Alas, technical problems and I've got to go so just one of some random lasses from EOTR 2011.

The week end is here, at last.  I don't know how you lot manage to work 5 days a week.  It was lovely finishing early Tuesday but it wasn't worth the pain of having to go in to work this morning.  At least we're on strike next Wednesday.  Although it's not easy trying to find out what we're actually striking for.  Apparently amongst other things we're paid 21% less than comparable workers in the private sector. Of course we deserve it and of course we almost certainly won't get any pay rise at all but I'll enjoy the extra day off nonetheless and worry about losing a days pay at the end of the month.  Work is for suckers anyway. Just watched Question Time on catch up.  The panel was made up of that fella who always comments on the Cvil Sevice, Francis Maude, Dragon's Den's (apparently) Theo Paphitis and the actually quite convincing Chucka Umunna.  It was broadcast from Wales so they also had somebody from the Welsh Nationalists...

Just finished my tea.  I'm at Shamila's so it was all cooked for me.  I'll give her a hand with the pots but that's all I'll have to do.  She's watching Comic Relief in Zambia.  I can't watch it.  It goes without saying that I can't abide the cretinous celebrities but that's not the only reason why I can't watch. What was that quote " To be born an Englishman is to win first prize in the lottery of life".  Per WWW it was either Rudyard Kipling or Cecil Rhodes.  Whoever it was, it was a different age and they weren't talking about life in the Tax Office on Teesside but let's be honest for many of us in this country life's a piece of piss. I finished off the bottle of wine I opened last night, thus my talking daft again.  Anyway, Bonnie Tyler.  Have you heard it?      Sadly, it's no Puppet On A String  nor Boom Bang A Bang  and in recent years for every Beg Steal or Borrow  there's be...

Just had a rant on Facebook about wealth and privilege and access to healthcare.  Oh well, in my defence I've just drank half a bottle of Rioja with my late tea/supper. I always eat late on a Wednesday because I go to my photography night class and I'm normally starting to wind down for the week-end, Thursday being my Friday and all that.  Alas got to go in for a few hours on Friday.  As Cam said "we've all got to do our bit" or something like that.   Sadly, thanks to my wasting time on FB I haven't got time to do a proper post. I could just as easily have ranted here.  I was going to do a piece about Bonnie Tyler and Eurovision as well.  Don't worry,  I might do it tomorrow instead. By way of consolation here are a couple of bridges over the River Tees.   PS.  Just had an offer to go out on Saturday night with Ste.  Rock Garden Reunion, The Ruts supported by a Clash tribute band.  Mmmm, now should I stay o...

I used to say to people "I do a blog" and then I started saying "I used to do a blog" and now I don't even mention it.  So here I am with my second post of the year.  Just had a look at my resolutions....  Yeah, they're going ok.  Haven't been up to much. Only been out 4 times this year.  Only been to see one band, The Dutch Uncles - I think they're playing the Stockton Festival.  Them plus Primal Scream = 2 good reasons to give it a miss this year versus one very good reason to go named Dexys?  We'll see.  My friend and fellow  blogger Richard from Thoughts on Music keeps his ear fairly close to the ground commented  on the great quality of music currently on offer.  I'm sure he's right but for now it's all passing me by.  The Kids Are Solid Gold appear to have re-camped to Stockton, mams and dads favourites (but not mine) Stornoway show aside.  Can't blame Phil and Andy, full houses at The Georgi...