Have your say

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/profile/?userid=14354176

I see the I.T. boys at The Castle now have nothing better to do than change the Have Your Say forum, still at least my name doesn't exceed the 16 letter allowance that was enforced previously upon me.

And it still doesn't stop the same inane comments being published.
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big brother is watching you

Like most people, I read Orwells 1984 at Eton, I re-read it in my early twenties and I have just read it again for the third time.

Damned good foresight if you ask me. For we are now living in an Orwellian prediction. I am filmed by god knows how many cameras each day, I am told I am being filmed when I travel, shop, walk, eat and everything else I do.

Whenever I hear "CCTV is being used for your safety" I hear "Big Brother is Watching You" instead

All wars are good and interchangeable, enemies become friends become enemies, the media is feeding us trivia to placate the masses and we are constantly being told to be vigilante and to beware of terrorists.

Some days I feel that we are in the society that Kafka, Orwell & Huxley predicted.

And why is nobody protesting? And why does nobody care? And really, do we want to know that Cheryl celeb is changing her name?

I am in Oxford, the animal rights activists will be out today, being filmed by the police and the security guards...

Time for a drink, Im meeting Baxter at one of the union clubs later.
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Stupidity and ignorance

I am more irritable than usual. If people arent being stupid, they are trying to sell me things I dont want, telling me about things I do not care about, opinionating about topics I have no interest in, sharing remedies I already know, telling me whats in my best Interest, walking in front of me, driving like they have no care for anyone or generally annoying me in some way shape or form.

How did society get so pre occupied and messed up? On the whole I like people, I like talking, socialising, sharing Ideas and having fun. I especially enjoy the company of women. However, when people get together they become dumb.

How on the one hand do we create people like Enstein, Shakespeare and Bach yet on the other create people like Jordan, Cheryl Cole and Tabloid journalists?

Its enough to drive one to distraction.

Tonight I am in town, Baxter, Finbar and I are going to the Theatre. It had better be a good play.
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Football

As Portsmouth FC find themselves in court with a hefty tax bill and large debts (as well as being sued by former players) one is left quizzing where it all went wrong.

A club of over 100 years has now succumbed to the disease that is festering within the whole premiere league. That of Greed.

The death of football came about when satellite TV bought all the TV rights and then players became celebrities and demanded astronomical salaries. Games are now scheduled to coincide with the requests of Asian Gambling syndicates who have more interest in football than we do.

Manchester Utd are reported to have debts of over £700m. No business can survive like this. (Unless your a bank and can get 'subsidised' by the government)

I empathise with the portsmouth fans but as football goes I couldnt care less.
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Cars

Baxter certainly knows how to entertain, my head is a little addled from our session down the club and i am in a nostalgic mood.

Take cars for instance - I don't care for cars nowadays, living in town there is no need, however during my days as a bodyguard i enjoyed the pleasure of many (Aston Martins & Maseratis being my favourites) and in the forces i enjoyed the pleasure of driving all manner of battle wagons

I have been on advanced driving courses, evasive and aggresive driving courses and enjoyed many a weekend drifting and hand brake turning many a car on the track (that Clarkson fellow would be proud)

I even had the mispleasure of rolling a rather nice Audi in a chase with some paparazzi who were intent on photographing the celeb i was driving around. Who she was I have no recollection, apart from her pins were to die for.
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Whiskey

And today I will be intoxicating myself with a number of drops of the golden fluid, and all at Baxters expense!

We will be holed up in another one of his private drinking clubs, somewhere near Marylebone. And an afternoon I am very much looking forward to. The topics of conversation will be limited to golf, whisky, Baxters latest christmas cake filly, guitars and jazz. (incidentally Baxters latest filly has moved back home after a hissy fit about not being able to have full access to Baxters credit cards, If it were me she would have gone a long time ago, but then Baxter has always been more tolerant)

And today I have no interest in car recalls, football clubs being sold for the 4th time, bints getting married, or mps expenses. Or even that infernal message board at the castle.

Hat tip to old blighty as they say.
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Guitars

Today I am ignoring the BBC, Have Your Say, Politics, Golf, Fillys, Murray v Federer, Taiwan, Blair and everything else that makes me irritable to write about my one of my favourite things; Guitars

I have played since I was at Eton, i have studied music to some degree and have used music to escape a number of times throughout my time (especially in the forces and my time as a body guard)

I am forever amazed at the possibilities one can achieve from a guitar from the sublime jazz of Joe Pass and Al Di Meola to the blues/rock of Hendrix and Page and even to some of those 1980's speed freaks like Van Halen and that Vai chappy

I prefer playing something a little more sedate nowadays, more chords and melody than soloing. The fillys love it too, being good with my hands apparently sends them wild.

I was learning a little piece by Handel last night, Gavotte, I venture into the classics rarely on the guitar, too rigid a formula, but i do like to hear a well played piece (give me Paganini anyday)

Milo, my nephew prefers some of this "down tuned" stuff and teaching him chords with more than one number in is a challenge to say the least. (a G13b9 chord will always sound good after Dmin9 but try explaining that in the context of modern rock, although Milo does appear to be drawn to the realms of diminished chords, the locrian mode and altered scales)

Please note that tomorrow I will be back on track...

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