You're charging me how much? for what?

Just phoned my insurance company, apparently a good deal better, to change my address...a bit late I know, for them to then go and tell me that my insurance premium will change cause I live in a slightly nicer area, and that it'd also cost me £13 administration charges. Sorry, but what administration charges are involved in typing a few things into a computer, printing something out and posting it. Maybe £2's worth?

So i've just had to pay out £40 for basically nothing. A job I was more than willing to do from home if need be. Noone else has charged me for change of address, bloody insurance companies!!

On another note, the man from Autoglass is currently replacing my windscreen, to which my insurance company have said that once i've paid my £60 excess it won't cost me anything and won't affect my no claims bonus. Why don't I believe them? Anyway, the man from Autoglass is not as nice as they are in the radio ads. Autoglass repair - Autoglass replace and all that.

Swansea and Northampton this weekend for me. Time to go sign away my life, and check out my new sparkling windscreen.

Laugh It Up

A highly amusing night at Venue M seeing Laugh It Up, a comedy club, for the first time. The headline act being the above photoed Paul Sinha. Who quite amusingly had seen me at the interval, seen what I was wearing, and then seen where I was sitting...to then go on and pick on me during the show and tell me that I was everything he looked for in a bloke.

I'm all laughed out now, a great night.

Further posts to come when I think of what to blog about, it's not that easy you know!!!

You're driving on a Motorway - Did you know that?

Have you ever been driving along a motorway and seen one of these stupid signs or messages pointing out the blatantly obvious. Having put them up, Highways Agencys officials clearly feel the need to plaster patronising slogans all over them.

Yes there is fog, congratulations. And why is it that whenever there's heavy fog outside the car, we feel the need to lean forwards nearer to the windscreen, as if the fog is in fact inside the car!

Best one I saw when we had the snow was SNOW - DRIVE WITH CARE. How thick do they think we drivers are? Actually, don't answer that one.

Then there's the ones that say Don't drink/eat/phone/sleep while you're driving. There's some bloke on minimum wage, who's come in on the bus, sitting in the Highways Agency office thinking "I wonder what sh*t I can put on the signs today".

I wonder what we did before we had people pointing out the obvious.

Top Ten Songs from West End Musicals

As promised, here are my Top Ten Songs from West End Musicals:

1. Under Pressure - We Will Rock You
2. Come so far (Got so far to go) - Hairspray
3. Dancing Through Life - Wicked
4. Do you hear the people sing? - Les Miserables
5. There's a fine fine line - Avenue Q
6. Honey, Honey - Mamma Mia
7. I want to break free - We Will Rock You
8. Everyone's a little bit racist - Avenue Q
9. Any Dream Will Do - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat
10. The Sound of Music - The Sound of Music
    

My Dad sometimes gives me £10

It was hard for me to miss this story on the front page of "The Sun" today. It's all about 13-year-old Alfie Pattern who had a one night stand at the age of twelve with 14-year-old girlfriend Chantelle Steadman. This kid's voice hasn't even broken and he's barely out of short trousers, yet he's a father to little baby Maisie.

Sussex Police's Child Protection Division said today "It is not in anyone's interests for a prosecution to take place. Sussex Police Child Protection Team were aware of a 14-year-old girl that had become pregnant as the result of a relationship with a 12-year-old boy". It is now being called for a prosecution to be made against Alfie. Am I the only person that thinks this boy isn't at fault. Firstly, this is another example of "Broken Britain", She lives with her jobless father and five other brothers in a council house, funded by us! He comes from a mother and father who are divorced, and now lives in 3 seperate houses. That says it all. Secondly, he was only 12, and in my books that consitutes as a kid who has barely had any sex education and wouldn't know what he was doing. A fourteen year old girl on the other hand, who in todays world, is perfectly aware of sex etc. She is the one that should be getting prosecuted for this.

Who is now going to be looking after this child, this family, and when she leaves school unemployed....wait it'll be us, the British taxpayer! Where were the parents when this was all going on? Why were they letting their children, especially a young boy of 12, to have unprotected underage sex?! Apparently Alfie's dad sometimes gives him a tenner for sweets, something tells me he's going to need ALOT more than that. Why was Chantelle prescribed the pill at fourteen? I'm sure both families will be struggling to make sense of what's happened and what the future is, as are we all!

I wonder how long Alastair Darling will take for this years budget, I mean how long does it take to say "We are F*****d".

Many saw evil, They dared to stop it.

World War II has always been an interest of mine, it's just something that fascinates me; I can read hundreds of articles and such to do with it for hours upon hours. I think it's just the incredible fact that humans could do this, and this could happen, you just physically can't imagine it.

Anyway, that's the main reason why I wanted to go and see Valkyrie when it was coming out. It's a true story about the courage of a group of men who could see what was happening under Hitler's regime, and their subsequent attemps to put an end to it and find some truce to World War II. Now I won't go deep into history, but the film follows these men, and specifically one of these men; "Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg" as they take part in the fifth and final attempt to assasinate Adolf Hitler.

Many reviewers of this film seem too interested in Tom Cruise, and his performance, which is not what the film is about. These sorts of films must be very hard to direct, because from the start the audience know the ending, and that can ruin the way. But the writers and directors of the film did brilliantly to keep the tense atmosphere, and pack the film with strong performances and tasty actions scenes.

This film is a true depiction of World War II, and a group of mens brave fights to bring back a Germany that they can remember. An utterly fascinating story which is easily watchable, even for those of us who aren't great movie buffs. A must watch

A small fact for you: The entire cast and crew started every night of filming on Bendler Block with a moment of silence in memory of Stauffenberg.

Another thing I noted, not related to the film, but how much money have the Beeb got to be advertising in cinemas. Too Much!

25 Things about Me - Taken from Facebook

1. I think i've got the best job in the world, and actually love going to work.
2. There are a large number of people in life who i tolerate, but don't really like.
3. I absolutly hate letting people down and will beat myself up for months for doing it
4. I think relgion and god is utter bollocks, all in peoples heads, and causes more trouble than it solves.
5. Tea is the best drink in the world, anything can be solved over a nice cuppa.
6. I've never been in a relationship on Valentines Day
7. I have alot of good friends, but I don't have a best friend.
8. The future scares the shit out of me
9. I am the most organised person in this world
10. I'm like a tortoise, i put up a hard shell, but inside i'm unbelievably soft and caring.
11. I can play guitar, just not very well.
12. I was always fascinated by people in the days of Myspace who left bulletins asking people to 'comment their pics' because it's basically the equivalent of telling everyone you are a complete loser.
13. The labour government, specifically Gordon Brown, have totally screwed this country up, so i'm voting for change.
14. I actually don't like drinking alcohol, it has no interest. I'd rather stay sober and do something with my evening.
15. I'm scared of spiders and being alone.
16. People think i'm lying cause I giggle when confronted, in fact i'm usually being totally honest, and just can't help it.
17. If I could stay in Hastings for the rest of my life I would.
18. I believe university would be a waste of 3 years of my life, so am going to continue living it.
19. I've been pulled over for driving while under the influence of drink, yet gotten away with it. Never ever again, it really scares you.
20. I miss my Rugby playing days, and will get back to it all one day.
21. If my current career fails, i'll join the Police.
22. Noone, not even my parents, know the real me.
23. I can get slightly OCD about things, for example checking time after time that my alarm is set
24. I hate Facebook cause its so addictive.
25. You'll never find a person more straightforward and honest. I'll tell you just how it is, whether its what you want to hear or not.

Top Tens

Every Monday, i'll be publishing my top ten songs of something. It could be music, rock, cheese etc. It's just something different, and why not just do something similar, have a wizz through your ipod and pick out those favourite tunes. It's not as easy as you think it is. Here's my first one...My Top Ten Songs of All Time!

1 - Guns n Roses - Sweet Child of Mine
2 - Aerosmith - I don't want to miss a thing
3 - S Club 7 - Never had a dream come true
4 - Lonestar - Amazed
5 - The Beatles - Let It Be
6 - Bryan Adams & Melanie C - When you're Gone
7 - McFly - I'll be Okay
8 - Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes - I've had the time of my life
9 - Go West - We Close Our Eyes
10 - Queen - I want to Break Free

Applying common sense, logic and toothpaste

On the way to find a pub in Folkestone, we got pulled to one side by a couple of attractive young ladies (part of the reason why we stopped) who were from a local church, one of these new ones that are popping up all over the place. We subsequently had a long discussion on god, and our beliefs, which did at one point turn into quite a heated debate. I think the above interview with Eddie Izzard sums up my views, and I think they are not that dissimilar to those of Izzard.

Personally, I think, as Izzard says, that by applying common sense, logic and science to religions and the belief of god I can see no reason for his existance. The earth was created by the big bang or some scientific phonomenon, which subsequently resulted in the production of micro-organisms which then developed over thousands of years into the animals around us and ourselves. The bible was written by people over time who "believed" that god was speaking to them, it wouldn't that hard for me to say right now that I "believe" that god is speaking to me and subsequently i'm off to write a book.

The church is used by alot of people as comfort, its someone there, its someone to talk to, and in times of hardship it's the belief that someone is there. Let's not generalise this though, i'm not focusing on Christianity, but all the other beliefs around the worlds that believe in a "god" or a higher being. Religions are, 90% of the time if not more, the cause of major conflicts and wars around the world.

The heated debate with these two young ladies along Folkestone seafront sort of came to an end when I turned around and said, quite honestly, "If you can prove to me that God exists then i'll believe, but at the end of the day, God is all in people's heads. Any comments will be gratefully appreciated and taken on board.

Planes, Trains and a bit of snow.

How come this was forecast a week and a half ago, yet its shut down major transport links, airports have been closed, and there has been no end of car crashes. Yes, maybe this is the first time in 18 years this has happened, and we don't get it alot, but places like Heathrow Airport I would have thought would have been ready for such incident. And they would have runways and taxiways cleared to enable planes to move about. But no, 6 inches of snow and the entire country shuts down.

Then we've got people who turn around and say "oh even though I only work 10-15minutes down the road, I can't get there". I managed to get to the dentists and around Hastings today, and I even went up to the gym, don't tell me you can't get to work. People who use trains and buses have a fair reason.

£1.2 billion has been lost today. This country should have been better prepared, and people shouldn't be so lazy. But no matter what you think it's pretty damn lovely to wake up to and look at. Now it'd be nice for it to go away.

*Photo copyright to the BBC by the way. They're probably not getting enough money from the TV licences at the moment and in the very slim event of them seeing this, they're likely to sue. Nothing any good to watch on there anyway*