Dartmouth

It occured to me that some of you might want to have some idea of where I'm currently living, so just for you kind souls, I have cobbled together some photos I have taken last summer and have placed them here for your delight.

The photo below shows the naval college which is still used today to train young officers both of the Royal Navy, as well as cadets from other international navies.  It is also rumoured that it was here that our Queen first met Prince Philip.  The Britannia Royal Naval College first began training officers since 1905 however training was first done in Dartmouth as far as 1863 where it took place on board HMS Britannia when it was first moored in the river Dart.

BRNC

Dartmouth is situated on the south coast of Devon, between Torbay, and Kingsbridge (both coastal towns). Dartmouth itself is situated on a hill with homes built both on the top of the hill and down next to the mouth of the river.  The website 'Dartmouth Directory' has some information who those of you interested in seeing more photos.  I will add some more myself below.

The Boatfloat

View from near the river mouth

The boatfloat is where the main shopping area lies which you can see the cars parked.  The road system here is a one way system.  The photo on the right was taken on a walk to the Castle which is situated at the very mouth of the river.  The picture is from 2/3rds of the way there.

The Bandstand

Next to the Boatfloat lies the Royal Avenue Gardens where there is a small area for greenery things (good technical terms eh??).  The main paved is host to the Bandstand whilst the gardens are decorated with various shrubs and flowers throughout the year.

My photos aren't exactly fantastic (for which I apologise) but you'll hopefully get the gist of what I'm describing.  Also, whilst I'm apologising here, I haven't yet got the hang of displaying photos side by side, but it helps makes the post seem longer that it actually is, lol.  Oh, I also take the oppportunity to apologise for world peace failing to materialise, for George W Bush becoming an American President, for Grunge fashion, and for those small plastic foldable forks you get in packaged meals  (I had a few hours to kill so came up with a totally useless idea which seemed good at the time of marketing it, but quality control could never match the dream...sorry).

Royal Avenue Garden

 Moving rapidly on (Ok, I can hear you snoring now, wake up!!!) we venture bravely onwards towards river mouth itself. The River Dart, strangely enough (duh) separates two locales.  Dartmouth on the northern side of the river, and Kingwear to the south.

Kingswear

There are two ferries currently in operation.  One called 'The Higer Ferry' and the other is.....wait for it.....'The Lower Ferry' (original huh?).  There has been a ferry in operation since 1365 from Kittery Point (western most point of Kingswear) to Dartmouth.

Higher Ferry

At the mouth of the Dart lies St Petrox Church and the remains of the castle. Yes, I has a photo here, and a small tidbit of info for you here, the church you see is where I got married. 

Well, thats my (very) small mention of Dartmouth.  I have included a few links should you wish to see more pictures of the place (and Kingswear too).  Enjoy.

 This is the Church from the nearby Jetty and in on the other side of the estuary lies Kingswear Castle.

 This is Dartmouth Castle with the Church tower visible at the right.  The maniacal sailing fraternity sometimes whizz past at....ooohhh.....a rate of knots....but not really fast.  They're boats for crying out loud.


Below is.......that's right, a church. 

I hope you managed to scroll ALL the way down to the bottom.  WHY???  So I can say 'Thanks for reading this'.  You may now fall asleep, lol.

News of the Day - 31/01/2011

UK News

Ok. First read the article. It isn’t informative (much), nor does it really have an impact on the news (which puzzles me as to why the BBC have given this article space, but hey-ho), then comes back and read the rest of this whinge.

My thoughts (for what they’re worth) is why does The Campaign to Protect Rural England feel the need to involve themselves here???

Does Rural England need protecting??? Are they in any danger of stars falling from the skies one by one and landing in a marshy bog, miles away from civilisation as we know it (though it would help with the energy crisis that’s for sure)???  Why has the towns and cities been omitted from these organisations??  Surely they have a right to be afraid as well, or do they not give a damn???  Lives matter here!!!!  Let them know the full dangers too!!! (Yes, what dangers????  Exactly).

As for The Campaign for Dark Skies.....well now, surely they’d be rigorously campaigning to get this tv series back on the telly.  What their involvement here is I really cannot say??  Unless it’s a subliminal way of doing just that.  Hmmmm, sneaky.

Some stars - oh, Orion

Seriously  – Orion.  First of all, we’ll need more educational grants to further the knowledge taught at schools so that wayfaring, loud-mouthed vandalising children can steer their eyes away from their Xboxes, Playstations and Ipods long enough to actually recognise that Orion is in fact, a set of stars that some long forgotten bored greek/roman/Arabic gentleman concocted up into some vague image (that actually looks nothing like a bloke, even in the broadest set of delusional onslaughts whilst puffing away at a marijuana joint). 

AND, they expect us, Joe Public to do their work for them, UNPAID of course.

What is the world coming to????  Hey, lets have a drag at that spliff.

Local News

(Inhales spliff, coughs and splutters madly for a while, whilst normality returns....(well, that  is another subject to harp on about another day))

Local Football club, Torquay Town (League Two) manages to lose against lower league opposition on Saturday in the FA Cup 4^th round to Crawley Town. 

So, here’s what they would have won.....an Away fixture at Manchester United, lol. 

If their opponents hadn’t already done so on Saturday, I’m sure they’re kicking themselves now for losing.  Stupid plonkers, and no, I don’t support Torquay cause a) I support a far better team (Tottenham Hotspurs) and b) they’re crap.

A mere grumbling about nothing

Lets get one fact cleared up here and now.

I am NOT an accountant. 

It just so happens that by mere coincidence that I chance upon, daily, a room which belongs to a firm of accountants, fifteen miles away.  The coincidence is heightened further when, at the end of each month, they most appreciatively deposit into my bank account, a sum of money for services rendered.  If, in the meantime, I produce numerical data which resembles, by chance, a set of accounts on behalf of people (lets call them in this instance, clients) then who am I to deny the fortuitous set of circumstances that has prevailed.

I am not boring (much) nor am I certified (well, not in the accounting sense anyways lol).  So with that confession out of the way, shall we progress???

My persona today will be perturbed, perplexed, and palpitating, whilst pertaining that certain personalities (eg clients) have peeved me off pretty much persistently.

Will this peculiar penultimate day for submitting tax returns pass by without further pensive moments?? Will I, per chance, see in the next accounting period??? Will I painfully run out of adjectives beginning with the letter P???

Patently not!!!

This playful, and non-photogenic person has time to poignantly look forward towards the weekend.  Perhaps I shall purposefully write prose to present to you for your perusal.  Perhaps it would be proper to postpone my ponderous musings. Maybe I shall keep my precious time to pamper myself drinking potent potions with alcohol being the main ingredient.

What piffle indeed is this pretentious personage prattling on about, lol.

Oh nothing really.  Just started on something and it got away from me a little bit.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

Yes - you read that right.

It means - "a factitious word alleged to mean 'a lung disease caused by the inhalation of very fine silica dust, causing inflammation in the lungs.'" A condition meeting the word's definition is normally called silicosis.

WHY???

No seriously – Why??? 

It just so happens to be the longest word (in a major dictionery) in the English language BUT why did someone have to make up that particular name for that particular disease, and why so long???

Imagine it – 9.30am, a meeting convenes in a hotel boardroom located conviently near to Las Vegas (hey, them name-creating committee members need some leisure time too, after all, you can only play so many rounds of golf in a day!!).

Chair –“Ok, new disease folks.  Gotta have a name for it guys – lets have your ideas. Quickly folks, tea break coming up”

All 30 members puts forward their ideas

Chair “Ok – tell you what.  Let’s put all of those ideas into one big name. Right, job done – who’s for a round of golf??”

I know, I know – latin words thingy breakdown into descriptive reasoning...la-de-dah...zzzzzzz.

But pity the poor nurse who has to make the notes on the patients chart.

Doctor – “Aha, Mr Jennings, I do believe you have a severe case of Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis”

Nurse – “Say what!!! – You taking the p......, err Michael?????”

Nurse – “Anyhow - How do you spell that?”

AND the patients are wising up as well.  Oh yes, they know that the longer and multi-syllabic the word is, then the more irrelevant the disease will be.

God help you if the doctor ever says “Mr Jennings, nothing to worry about – You’ll be fine”

FINE – small word so it MUST be serious!!!

Thought of the day

If you think nobody cares.............try missing a few payments!!!!

Jogging - Oh what fun........NOT

Last night I managed to do my first proper jogging session since I received a football injury back in May 2010, where I pulled my groin.  Sounds silly as it should have healed by July at least but I just seem to reaggravate it every time I do some form of exercise.

So, last night, with paramedics on standby, I bravely ventured forth into the cold night, and boy was it cold.  Polar bears had been sighted in the neighbourhood as is was more suited to them than the Artic.

Anyhow, I was in Brixham and went down to the Breakwater  which is exactly one mile in length, and thus my jogging session began.

Brixham's Breakwater

The wind was flowing through my hair......ok, roaring past would be better.  The waves, either side were being well behaved, so I rather generously waved back.  The lighthouse at the end of the breakwater stood proud and tall, and I patted it.  I know, sad aren’t I??

Now jogging isn’t exactly an activity which you can describe as exciting.  Quite frankly, it isn’t.

It’s mental. And I guess you have to be mental to do it as well.  BUT, it serves a purpose. You get to pass other like minded idiots (assuming you’re not as out of shape as they are) looking like they are either having a heart attack, on happy drugs, or just intellectually challenged.  This is why I jog at night.  Too dark for anyone to see me die, lol.

And why do we do these things???  To be that little bit fitter when death visits us, which will now be sooner rather than later, as my body isn’t used to the abuse that jogging is giving me.

But persevere I will, as I need to be moderately fitter before I resume my footballing career.  Yes, Me. A 40+ year old playing footie with a bunch of kids half my age or younger. 

I must fit into the intellectually challenged category :(

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

In the UK - why is there only one monopolies commission??

ET Phone Home

Well, you heard it here  Click to see article

Just another reason for ET to invade us.  Imagine them getting ahold of the phone and phoning up directory enquiries or speaking to a customer services rep.

More likely an indian chap who can hardly understand english at the best of times, and you can never understand him at all.  God help the aliens.

"Can I have your phone number and password please" - "*c-@^&" ???"

"Your memorable name/place/location??" - "@;%£"$" ????"

"Anything at all to help me identify you"...............and then, fully exasperated after the two hour wait of speaking to someone, the alien invasion begins.

Well, just a thought....

Interpals

I’m guessing that most folk that are reading this will have come from the hallowed halls of Interpals.  But for the brave souls who have yet to hear about this wonderous place, allow me to take the opportunity to explain.

Interpals is a website designed so that people wishing to ‘meet’ and correspond with penpals from around the world can begin their journey from.  Once your profile has been created, then you can begin your search for like minded people, or even find somebody to help you with learning another language.

They have an active forum which has numerous sections for languages, but also for other matters, such as religion, food & drink, family & friends, humour, and so forth.  It is frequented by a wide variety of personas and the mix can get fraught, exciting, humorous and intellectual (and not necessarily at the same time, lol).

The site also has a chat room which I have to confess, I do not go at all, as I find the forums to be of enough interest, but many do and I’ve heard it said that there is a spark there too.  Sometimes the spark ignites and the place goes up in flames (only kidding).

It has to be said that I have spent a large portion of my time in the forums since I first joined and found this to be better than actually penpalling (which I have to admit, I’m a bit poor at so I’ve found).  Whilst recently I have not been so active there (due to other reasons) I am slowing returning only to find that the eclectic mix of people has evolved with new people joining in the fray which keeps it from turning stale.

Some of the personalities that I have come across there are as follows (and apologies should I not list everyone, but there are only 24 hours in the day and Interpals has over 10,000 members so there :p)

Morgana38 and Eurofan14 - Interpals star-crossed lovers who have yet to meet but will be booking a room soon near you)

Norfire  - a truly delightful friend who I have shared a lot of humorous repartee in the forums)

Athena_hp1 - well, I was going to say a newcomer but has been on the site for a while and is making a name for self as an intellectual and all round nice gal

Greg – A stunning addition to the mods, but is fair and knowledgable and his postings always have something to say

Pagliacci – Architect of getting the boys to win at several of the games in the forums and official defector to the ranks of moderator, although still dabbles with both sides of the fence.

Mucker86 – has recently taken over the forums crossing swords and other cooking utensils with Morgan38.  A pub he has and has offered a sanctuary for anyone visiting the country (he hasn’t actually but he should – free grub too???)

Horatio-Snert – (Ahh, Brother Horatio, where are thou?? – another jester who has only recently taken a vow of silence – Must find out what he has been up to)

JustWannaChat – A man of legend (an aussie with humour too!!) one who is not afraid of a padded cell.

I will add more names as time goes on, but these are only the top of the iceberg, and frankly, that is ideally where they all belong.  It is a wonderful community and I am very fortunate to be a part of it all.

So, now that I have managed to advertise the website, all I need now are new people to go visit it and worship my name there.............well, I can dream can’t I, lol.

What is the mentality of the Scammer/Spammer???

The task of Moderating a website is a serious business (how serious is dependent upon the website itself).  Part of the moderator’s time is spent vetting and removing profiles of those insurgents (both new and old) who takes time to harass and spam, and even those whose effort is to deprive folks of money.

I ask myself why do people become spammers/scammers??  Ok – maybe a dumb question, as in they do it to get money or some sad sadistic perverted pleasure, duh??? 

I mean, have you ever received an email, or private mail (a PM) from a scammer? I know English isn’t their native language (usually) but seriously??? And woe begone if you should happen to have accepted a friend request from one. They start their spiel about how short of money they are and what bills they need to pay and so on and so forth and then it somes, the polite request - could we part with our hard earned spondulicks so they can have a healthier, wealthier lifestyle that they obviously deserve and we don’t. 

Most websites worth their salt tend to spot these people a mile off and delete instantly with what I guess would be a high success rate.

BUT, time and time again, they return creating new profiles in the hope that they can evade those moderating.  Why???

Don’t they have a life interesting enough?  Shouldn’t they be out on the streets of Nigeria, raping and knifing respectable folk instead of being online?  Come to think of it, should we be out on the streets helping prevent the mugging and raping of people on the streets too (ok, Nigeria might just be pushing it, but here in the UK, a few more good Samaritans wouldn’t go amiss)??

Is it to do with the social environ they have there, or the levels of poverty they may have?  Is this the future that lies ahead for the more wealthier, western civilisation countries as the divide between the rich and the poor ever increases?  A scary thought maybe, but not entirely impossible!!

Doctor Who - Matt Smith / Smallville - The Ending

Doctor Who

Yes, I confess.  I happen to like Doctor Who.  There, I’ve admitted it – The road to recovery can begin, lol. BUT, in the meantime, I’d thought that I would just impart my thoughts onto the world so it can be dismissed as irrelevant.

I first began watching Doctor Who mainly with Tom Baker as the lead, and he still remains to this day, my favourite.  I vaguely remember seeing Jon Pertwee before him, but Tom is, was and forever will be the best Doctor.

David Tennant has made a very sizable impression when he was in the role, and I believe him to be the second best.  Other favs, for me, are Peter Davison and the more I think about it, Sylvester McCoy.

Matt Smith

However, the current incumbrant, Matt Smith has taken quite a while to fit into the role whichI have been disappointed with, but not surprised.  Normally, a new doctor will make his mark usually within the first season.  I remember Peter Davison’s first few episodes were filmed  out of kilter (so that the fourth episode filmed was the first episode aired) so that he had gotten used to the character.

However, the script writing for Matt’s first season, to me, was still written in the style of David Tennant, and coupled with that Matt Smith’s tendacy for flailing his arms around as if to say “What am I doing here, cause I ain’t got a clue” just made him appear amateurish, and whilst his first season is now over, it has left me fearing that he might not make a good fist of it and finish with the role before he had a good crack at it.

So, Christmas came and went and it brought along the festive episode (which also featured Catherine Jenkins and Michael Gambon) and I have to say that I was very impressed with Matt Smith as he suddenly appeared to be at ease within the role.  It still needs refining which I’m now more certain he will do as the next season approaches.  I’ve heard rumours of what is to come (Daleks, More about who River Song is, and an episode filmed in the US) so I am fervently looking forward to watching Doctor Who again whenever it appears on BBC.

I will post an airing date when I get to find out.

Smallville – The Ending

Oh well, I've fessed up about Doctor Who, so here’s another (brief) one about another of my favourite TV programmes, Smallville (and yes, there may be a theme here – sci fi anyone??? Lol).

This one is only going to be about my idea for the final scene as the current series number 10 (now showing in the US, jammy what nots) will be the final season, so the obvious thing the script writers will have to do is to tie up the story so that Clark Kent dons the Superman cape.  How they will actually do this is anyones guess, so I’m gonna do exactly that, lol.

Anyhow – The way in which I would have the final scene is thus – Clark, having heard a call for help (or seen a disaster on tv) is running on his way to help out and is running towards the camera (in super-speed, but obviously slowed down for the viewers) and he begins to pull his shirt apart to reveal the S logo on his uniform worn beneath his work shirt, and as he runs into the camera, the screen darkens to black but the S logo remains in the middle of the screen, and then the music which is synonymous with Superman (or Smallville) is then played, and that is, as they say, that. 

The rest is history....or history yet to be.

Introduction

Well well my fellow bloggers (or bloglessers if you don’t blog), I was once like you, and much like Cliff Richards, I too stepped out from the Shadows and light then entered my world.

I am semi-charged with the intent of making various comments about things that I tend to think about in the time that I could otherwise be blatantly productive but cannot be arsed.  I too, can pen my thoughts on how to save the world, and put wrongs to right but no-one ever seems to listen to me (Oi YOU!! Pay attention now).

So I will meander about pondering things and will get back to this ere site and demonstrate why I too, can bore the pants of every and anyone here.  Let it be known that from this day forth, the world just got a little bit duller, as one more sad git went online to hide away from the manic rituals that purveys reality.

Am I boring you yet.......No??? Oh I will.....trust me, lol, I will mwah ha ha ha ha ha......erm, Ha.