tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-93202172024-03-13T11:27:00.537+00:00The Angriest Man in Crouch EndTickling My Fancy and No-One Else's Since 2004, and Not Even Bloody Living in Crouch End Since 2005Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.comBlogger276125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-76874847379077533062015-10-02T10:07:00.000+01:002015-10-02T10:07:10.769+01:00Deadpan Conversations<img src="http://lh3.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CIy4Of6CI/AAAAAAAAAG8/vrb_CTmC5-c/am_quote5.png" style="float: left; margin: 0px 3px;" />Scene: standing at a pedestrian crossing, while traffic crawls past. A limo containing Richard Branson inches down the road, his leonine beard sparkling in the morning light.<br />
Man Standing Next to Me: Did you see that? That was Russell Brand.<br />
Me: No, that was Richard Branson. They both have beards and the same initials.<br />
MSNM: Small world, man.<img src="http://lh6.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CHuoOf6BI/AAAAAAAAAG0/W5x2vrucMww/am_quote4.png" style="float: right; margin: 0px 3px;" /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-40656267386431180572013-06-09T19:06:00.000+01:002013-06-09T19:06:30.275+01:00Deadpan Conversations with Market Stallholders, part 1Scene: A busy market.<br />
<br />
Me: Three Eccles cakes, please.<br />
Stallholder: Three Eccles cakes.<br />
Me: Could I have them in two bags please?<br />
S: Two in one, one in the other?<br />
Me: Unless you can think of a better way.<br />
S: It's been a long day. I've sold a lot of pastry.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-39404826574432122652012-10-26T14:12:00.000+01:002012-10-26T14:12:22.104+01:00Deadpan Conversations with Shop Assistants vol. n+1<img src="http://lh3.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CIy4Of6CI/AAAAAAAAAG8/vrb_CTmC5-c/am_quote5.png" style="float: left; margin: 0px 3px;" /> Me: Hi. Would you mind just checking how much this lightbulb is for me please?<br />
Shop Assistant: Ok. Oh, that's quite expensive, isn't it?<br />
Me: Hmm.<br />
SA: Do you still want it?<br />
Me: Yes, please.<br />
SA: Mind you, they do last for ages, these new ones, don't they? Twenty-five, thirty years, some of them, so I guess it's good value, isn't it?<br />
<img src="http://lh6.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CHuoOf6BI/AAAAAAAAAG0/W5x2vrucMww/am_quote4.png" style="float: right; margin: 0px 3px;" />
Me: I want to have something to hand on to my children.<br />
SA: Ok.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-63323985405498377232012-06-05T22:29:00.002+01:002012-06-05T22:29:58.142+01:00The Queen and I: A Comparative Study<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Elizabeth_II.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="515" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Elizabeth_II.jpg" width="420" /></a>
<img src="http://lh3.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CIy4Of6CI/AAAAAAAAAG8/vrb_CTmC5-c/am_quote5.png" style="float: left; margin: 0px 3px;" />Who's more in tune with the traditions of our fine country, me or the queen?<br />
<br />
The queen, who commands a flotilla of ships to bob past while celebrating the 60th anniversary of the death of her dad, OR me, who as my ancestors have done before me, and I am powerless to prevent myself similarly doing, spent a damp bank holiday in Ikea, getting angrier and angrier at the food queues and the people with their gobs agape at some toilet-roll holders and my failing to consider whether any of the crap we've just bought would fit in the car (it did - just - although we had to remove Frank's car seat and just have him crawl around on the flat-pack boxes, with a stern warning that if we were to crash, he was not allowed to hit our car seats with the force of an elephant like in those adverts glamourising car crashes) and hitting the most tedious road works on the most tedious motorway (M1 - it is) from the most tedious town (I'm too much of a gent to name it, but it begins with Milton, and remember, I'm from Stevenage, so I KNOW roundabouts)?<br />
<br />
Answer - it's me. I'm the one who keeps up empty and unenjoyable rites handed down through the ages in order to cement my place in society
<img src="http://lh6.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CHuoOf6BI/AAAAAAAAAG0/W5x2vrucMww/am_quote4.png" style="float: right; margin: 0px 3px;" /> (the lower middle classes - I don't want the queen to think that I'm a threat to her on any other fronts).<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-14636233903762769662012-05-28T13:18:00.000+01:002012-05-28T16:20:00.792+01:00My London to Brighton Night Ride<img src="http://lh3.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CIy4Of6CI/AAAAAAAAAG8/vrb_CTmC5-c/am_quote5.png" style="float: left; margin: 0px 3px;" />
Cycling down to the start, the evening started off on a bizarre note, as while stopped at some lights on Whitehall, I was spotted by a group of early-20s Frenchmen, wearing white t-shirts and red neckerchiefs (overgrown scouts? cult members? some traditional French costume for a night out?), who on seeing me shouted 'allez!' and 'sportif!', and possibly other, possibly ruder, things that I'm too monolingual to have understood. I gave nods and shrugs as appropriate, and they 'helpfully' gave me a push-start to speed me on my way, like in the Tour de France. It's a bit of a bugger when you're riding fixed gear, and aren't clipped in, but my legs did catch up with the pedals, and on I went.<br />
<br />
Set off around 12.30, and was immediately faced with the first hazard of the evening: a bit of apple stuck in my teeth. Honestly, it niggled me all through the ride. I set off a bit too fast, and the field soon thinned out through the numerous South London suburbs, but enough of us to cause bemusement to the drunks of Mitcham etc.<br />
<br />
Into the country we went, and after a while it got very quiet, with very few cars or other riders about. It's quite difficult to tell whether you're going uphill or downhill at night. My legs would generally give me a clue, but it was a weird feeling. There were lots of hills (either up or down - no-one can be sure), and this led to the second but no less serious hazard: cramp. A direct result of going too fast early on, and not having done enough cycling before today, but all I could think at the time was: ow. In order to get myself off the bike, I had to use the spring in my cramp stiffened legs to fling me off my bike and onto the verge, while simultaneously catching my bike, and taking care of the serious business of saying 'ow'.<br />
<br />
Made it in to Brighton to be greeted by the rubbish of the evening before littering the streets; by rubbish, I mean late-night punters making their way home. Further stereotypes witnessed were: man opening door of car to vomit onto road, people who had lost various items of clothing wobbling along the sea front, abusive drunks waving their fists and yelling, and seagulls the size of humans dressed in top hats singing the works of Stephen Sondheim. I was quite tired by this stage, and doubt exists over some of these sightings.<br />
<br />
And then, back to London on the coach, waking occasionally to try and avoid sleeping on the shoulder of the guy next to me. I hadn't been introduced, and thought it would be a fairly serious breach of etiquette.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://lh6.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CHuoOf6BI/AAAAAAAAAG0/W5x2vrucMww/am_quote4.png" style="float: right; margin: 0px 3px;" />Thanks again to everyone who sponsored me. Cheers!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-39109784181876026012012-05-21T17:27:00.002+01:002012-05-21T17:27:53.301+01:00Photo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sINrwqd0Gyo/T7ps8-UYG4I/AAAAAAAABEQ/_vuGMKRXCdo/s1600/IMG_20120516_072119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sINrwqd0Gyo/T7ps8-UYG4I/AAAAAAAABEQ/_vuGMKRXCdo/s400/IMG_20120516_072119.jpg" /></a></div>
<img src="http://lh3.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CIy4Of6CI/AAAAAAAAAG8/vrb_CTmC5-c/am_quote5.png" style="float : left ; margin : 0px 3px ;">
<img src="http://lh6.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CHuoOf6BI/AAAAAAAAAG0/W5x2vrucMww/am_quote4.png" style="float : right ; margin : 0px 3px ;"><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-40054618591618011252011-09-27T08:14:00.001+01:002011-09-27T08:14:59.580+01:00The Importance of Proof-reading<div><p>No-one should ever have to worry about giving the Cross a good bum.  </p>
<br/><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-7osyj1fiRWs/ToF3xG5nuXI/AAAAAAAAA1c/OKd7-ltvOaI/IMG_20110927_080819.png' /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-60101619615022279452011-04-13T21:53:00.002+01:002011-04-13T22:01:07.683+01:00Packaging<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 388px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fIdyp9IR-oc/TaYOPWNlzKI/AAAAAAAAAwU/-p1hOxbKvnk/s400/Ultralite%2BTube.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595175243877829794" /><br /><br />I've just bought these contraceptives, I mean, lightweight bicycle innertubes. If the front of the pack isn't enough, I ask you to read the back of the pack.<br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 359px; height: 62px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kBdo9X-tKBs/TaYO5RndP8I/AAAAAAAAAwk/7eHAX3IMhbg/s400/Ultralite%2BTube21.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595175964198649794" />Wait - what? Performing maintenance? What? This is sexually INexplicit. I'd hate to think what the Italian or French translations read like.<br /><br />I'm just glad these arrived mail order, in discreet packaging and that no-one was looking over my shoulder when I opened it up.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-66342000088982626492011-01-05T12:01:00.002+00:002011-01-05T12:16:16.580+00:00The Baby Monitor of FearParents often tell of the fear that their baby monitor brings, as they anxiously listen for every movement or sleep-grunt their offspring makes. Well, imagine the fear that that I feel when this is accompanied by the sight of my baby monitor in the dark. To complete the terror, imagine the red eyel, imagine the fear that that I feel when this is accompanied by the sight of my baby monitor in the dark. To complete the terror, imagine the red eye flashing repeatedly while the green eye fixes you with a cold and constant stare.<div class="pp_items"><div class="pp_item" align="left"></div><div class="pp_item" align="center"><h4 class="pp_title">The Baby Monitor of Fear</h4><img src="http://static.pixelpipe.com/22b5cf5f-a12d-4d23-abc0-63cf905438c8_b.jpg" style="max-width: 100%;" /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-57985787504003535712010-12-22T16:35:00.002+00:002010-12-22T16:38:56.158+00:00A Christmas Apologia<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 363px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_75xgPU-rV8g/TRIpKtPCUcI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/rX-27WCVb6U/s400/xmas.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553546554419335618" border="0" /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh3.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CIy4Of6CI/AAAAAAAAAG8/vrb_CTmC5-c/am_quote5.png" style="float : left ; margin : 0px 3px ;" /><br />Right, let's get a few apologies out of the way<br /><br /><ul><li>I didn't get around to writing any Christmas cards - for this I am sorry. This is on account of my uselessness. Merry Xmas anyway.<br /></li><li>I haven't done a Christmas CD this year - this is on account partly of my uselessness, but partly on the fact that I'm now a father in my thirties and consequently haven't listened to any new music at all. I could probably do you a CD containing all the new music I've listened to this year, in total, regardless of whether I liked it or not, but I suspect this would just be rubbish. By way of a replacement, I'm just going to point out that the Stooges' I Wanna Be Your Dog is chock-full of sleigh bells, but isn't in the slightest bit Christmassy. I think the fact that one of my cultural references is a song from 1969 is proof that I am now too old to listen to anything new. The other thing I was going to say was that I really liked the Dirty Projector's cover of "As I Went Out One Morning", but I don't think vicariously liking a 1967 Bob Dylan song really counts as the most 2010 thing in the world either. Ah well.<br /></li></ul><br />I will leave you with two seasonal thoughts:<br /><br /><ul><li>All these strikes and the snow reminds me of 1978, The Winter of Discontent, when the binmen and gravediggers went on strike. What a sad state the country was in: we couldn't even bury our rubbish, and the dead bodies were piling up on the streets uncollected.</li><li>Why would anyone refer to "bigfoot" or "sasquatch" when you can call him the abominable snowman. Honestly people, how often do you get to say abominable, let alone in relation to a snowman? The English language, great and varied as it is, <img src="http://lh6.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CHuoOf6BI/AAAAAAAAAG0/W5x2vrucMww/am_quote4.png" style="float : right ; margin : 0px 3px ;" />has given us no more beautiful term.</li></ul><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-50439592234340617782010-11-05T22:12:00.003+00:002010-11-05T22:25:29.234+00:00Warning<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_75xgPU-rV8g/TNSBybXTmYI/AAAAAAAAAgM/nM3C7LKdYsg/S1024/IMG_20101105_210911.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_75xgPU-rV8g/TNSBybXTmYI/AAAAAAAAAgM/nM3C7LKdYsg/S1024/IMG_20101105_210911.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><img src="http://lh3.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CIy4Of6CI/AAAAAAAAAG8/vrb_CTmC5-c/am_quote5.png" style="float : left ; margin : 0px 3px ;">This warning came on a bag of screws with a flat-pack table. <br /><br /><img src="http://lh6.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CHuoOf6BI/AAAAAAAAAG0/W5x2vrucMww/am_quote4.png" style="float : right ; margin : 0px 3px ;">If, however, it's warning me of the dangers of ghostly apple-headed babies, well, I'm ahead of them there, as I suspect are you.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-71067906053162522232010-07-15T13:24:00.005+01:002010-07-20T17:36:17.824+01:00Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11: New Features<img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; height: 308px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_75xgPU-rV8g/TD8HOZMhapI/AAAAAAAAAfQ/jOpTZbG56bY/s400/IMG_20100707_212437.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494118014278265490" border="0" /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_75xgPU-rV8g/TD8F_KS4dcI/AAAAAAAAAfI/O1kyLijXpu8/s1600/IMG_20100707_212437.jpg"><br /></a><br /><img src="http://lh3.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CIy4Of6CI/AAAAAAAAAG8/vrb_CTmC5-c/am_quote5.png" style="float: left; margin: 0px 3px;" /><br />I've been lucky enough to have had a go on the new Tiger Woods PGA 2011 game. I thought I'd run through some of the key differences between previous versions so you can see what's new:<br /><ul><li>New Contrition Mode: accurately simulates handwringing and looking rueful with new EA© Sorrowometer©</li><li>Fully Immersive Emergency Press Conference Mode featuring accurate simulations of top golf writers and seedy tabloid hacks.</li><li>15% more shots of three-time US Open©-winner Tiger Woods looking stern and sad, as though his past indescretions weigh heavily upon his broad, successful shoulders (see picture above).</li><li>Now features no women golfers, just to be on the safe side.</li><li>New voiceover of your dead dad, expressing his dissapointment in you, after every shot you play.</li><li>New unlockable feature enables you to appease both sponsors and wife with a press release through your manager</li><li>New downloadable content allows you to keep your game up-to-date with the latest leaderboards, world rankings, weather conditions and steamy sex scandals.<img src="http://lh6.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CHuoOf6BI/AAAAAAAAAG0/W5x2vrucMww/am_quote4.png" style="float: right; margin: 0px 3px;" /></li><li>Balls now harder to hit, reflecting your mental anguish.</li></ul><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-7997472528857919792010-07-12T19:01:00.003+01:002010-07-12T19:10:32.810+01:00Rage, Articulated Adequately<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;width: 400px; height: 242px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_75xgPU-rV8g/TDtZhc46V4I/AAAAAAAAAfA/JNpN-x9vEAs/s400/IMG_20100605_133547.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493082601733904258" /><br /><img src="http://lh3.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CIy4Of6CI/AAAAAAAAAG8/vrb_CTmC5-c/am_quote5.png" style="float : left ; margin : 0px 3px ;">A mother <img src="http://lh6.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CHuoOf6BI/AAAAAAAAAG0/W5x2vrucMww/am_quote4.png" style="float : right ; margin : 0px 3px ;">who will now think twice before she insists they all go on a family visit to Grandma's again.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-62380654533279036272010-04-06T12:06:00.002+01:002010-04-06T12:10:11.234+01:00Reptiles!<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_75xgPU-rV8g/S7sVuW7A62I/AAAAAAAAAeI/bC5w8UN2K9g/s400/2010-04-06+08.05.14.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456979259660757858" /><br /><img src="http://lh3.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CIy4Of6CI/AAAAAAAAAG8/vrb_CTmC5-c/am_quote5.png" style="float : left ; margin : 0px 3px ;">I'm not sure whether this counts<img src="http://lh6.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CHuoOf6BI/AAAAAAAAAG0/W5x2vrucMww/am_quote4.png" style="float : right ; margin : 0px 3px ;"> as advertising, or a desperate cry for help.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-72785829247815338822010-02-20T13:06:00.002+00:002010-02-20T13:17:07.449+00:00Tesco the Terrifying<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_75xgPU-rV8g/S3_eZ-OE4UI/AAAAAAAAAc8/OugCzh4Y5ok/s400/2010-02-18+22.54.48.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440311412666982722" /><br /><img src="http://lh3.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CIy4Of6CI/AAAAAAAAAG8/vrb_CTmC5-c/am_quote5.png" style="float : left ; margin : 0px 3px ;">Why would Tesco choose to advertise their cat litter with poorly stuffed cat? A poorly stuffed cat that died of malevolent anger? And why, for the purposes of this photoshoot, mount this insane giant of an ex-cat on a wall, looming down over you? <br /><br />I honestly don't know, but when compared with <a href="http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs153.snc3/18033_310841535352_665305352_4062312_2692264_n.jpg">this image</a> from some Tesco dessert we ate a few weeks ago, you've got to have your suspicions about them.<br /><img src="http://lh6.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CHuoOf6BI/AAAAAAAAAG0/W5x2vrucMww/am_quote4.png" style="float : right ; margin : 0px 3px ;"><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-63819054576433582332009-12-13T17:11:00.007+00:002009-12-14T13:41:04.853+00:00Xmas Compilation CD 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_75xgPU-rV8g/SyUkPuXHmgI/AAAAAAAAAbM/hrO8NbdsvRw/s1600-h/54266516_ed690ef111_o.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 332px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_75xgPU-rV8g/SyUkPuXHmgI/AAAAAAAAAbM/hrO8NbdsvRw/s400/54266516_ed690ef111_o.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414773979544525314" /></a> It's that time of year again - Compilation CDs will be out in the post just as soon as I'm able to copy the CDs, write the cards and print off some stickers. Merry Xmas everyone!<br /><br /><h2>1. Andrew Bird – Fitz & Dizzyspells</h2>Starting, as is traditional, with someone I know absolutely nothing about, I assume that Fitz and Dizzyspells is a firm of solicitors specialising in Employment Law and those cases where old ladies leave millions of pounds to their cats. It’s a good song, and I could have chosen pretty much anything from his Noble Bird album.<br /><h2>2. Stanley Brinks & Wave Pictures- End of the World</h2>A lovely sweet rambling number with (oh yeah) extended solos. He’s ex- of Herman Düne, stars of last year’s Xmas CD, and Stanley Brinks may no more or less be his name than André Herman Düne, which is what he was called last time he was here.<br /><br /><h2>3. God Help the Girl – God Help the Girl</h2>Slightly uneven but still interesting album, but it works best where it’s piled on thick: strings, syrupy vocals and the preoccupations of a teenage boy (I mean girl, it's written from the point of view of a girl, and it's not like Stuart Murdoch has just written one of his standard songs and flipped all the genders. P.S. I WAS BEING SARCASTIC).<br /><br /><h2>4. Bishop Allen – The Ancient Common Sense of Things</h2>By far the best thing on their otherwise excellently titled album, ‘Grrr...’, this is pretty nice, isn’t it? Gawd knows what the name of that xylophone-type instrument is called; a xylophone, perhaps?<br /><br /><h2>5. The Duckworth Lewis Method – Jiggery Pokery</h2>OK, so to appreciate this track you do need a certain amount of cricketing knowledge, but once you know that this is a song written from the point of view of tubby England batsman Mike Gatting about the first ever ball Shane Warne bowled in the Ashes which turned impossibly and got Gatting out, you can appreciate the Noel Coward-ly wordplay of Neil Hannon from the weirdly good cricketing concept album released with Tendulkar-like timing during the Ashes this year. Whew, that was a long sentence – I fell I owe you some more punctuation for getting through it: .,.,.,..,,.,<br />Perhaps it’s not too much of a claim to suggest that this is the only single-delivery test cricket-based pop song to feature the words ‘contra bassoon’. I’m happy to be proved wrong.<br /><br /><h2>6. Hot Chip – Take it In</h2>After their disappointing album from last year, this bodes very well for the new one. Having not laid sight on them recently, I’m unable to let you know whether the lead singer still dresses like Brains out of Thunderbirds, but it’s hard not to like the chutzpah of a band releasing a teaser to a new album which starts like a doomy militaristic New Romantic band writing their ‘serious’ song for their album. As my music player wryly notes: “Genre: Electronic”.<br /><br /><h2>7. Annie – I Know Ur Girlfriend Hates Me</h2>I probably haven’t given the newish album a chance yet, given that I was so enamoured of Bubble Gum that I went out and bought (yes, bought) her debut as an import because it didn’t get properly released here for literally a billion donkey’s years. Although in fairness to me, her record company didn’t seem to be too bothered about listening to it either, given that they apparently took about two years to release this one. Poor Annie.<br /><br />To further confuse matters, I’ve put I Know Ur Girlfriend Hates Me on, which was released as a teaser for the album, but didn’t even make it on. Shame! Still, what more do you want than a song that steals Prince's inability to spell and also the stop-start bit from Kiss?<br /><br /><h2>8. Phil Phillips – Sea of Love</h2>Ok, this one only gets on by virtue of being from 1959, which is 50 years ago this year. He doesn’t really make the best use of the ‘sea’ metaphor, but makes up with it in doo wap, which is a fair trade-off in my book. <br /><br /><h2>9. Belle & Sebastian – The State I Am In</h2>Last year, I put a song that didn’t make the B&S BBC sessions album on the Xmas album. This year, to atone for that contrariness, I’m putting one that <i>was</i> on that album. You could accuse me of liking early B&S too much, but I’d just drop my pencil case and faint in a mixture of shock and under-nourishment.<br /><br /><h2>10. John Martyn – May You Never</h2>Poor old John Martyn died at the beginning of 2009. He was brilliantly inventive with guitar delay pedals and mumbly slurry vocals that you can’t really hear. Neither of which feature on this remarkably well enunciated track from Solid Air.<br /><br /><h2>11. Dirty Projectors & David Byrne – Knotty Pine</h2>From the actually good charity album Dark Was the Night, I know little about this track as I can’t find the CD case, sorry. I believe that it’s a part of David Byrne’s ongoing project to collaborate with every living person who has ever picked up a musical instrument. I wish him well.<br /><br /><h2>12. M. Ward – Let’s Dance</h2>I was going to put something on this CD from his new (cheery) album, but I heard this on the Adam & Joe show the other day and thought I’d put this on instead. I particularly like the way he deals with the tricky ‘If you should fall...’ section of the song.<br /><br /><h2>13. Shakira – She Wolf</h2>This is the inaugural Kirsty’s Korner Khoice track – selected by my better half of the fairer sex – and she’s plumped for Shakira’s brilliantly raunchy attempt to better Werewolves of London, including at least one aa-woooooooooooooh, and some wolfy heavy breathing. Her English dictionary is once again put to excellent use – look out for the unexpected coffee machine simile, and her biologically dubious assertion that nocturnal creatures are not so prudent.<br /><br /><h2>14. Bob Dylan – O’ Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)</h2>It’s hard to be surprising in a near fifty year career, but his Bobness manages it here, putting his own unique Bob DylAN intoNATte-e-ON on latin, killing that dead language deader than the ghost of Christmas past in a particularly wooden stage adaptation of A Christmas Carol. It sounds very much like it was recorded in one take, without having had the benefit of seeing or singing the lyrics beforehand. Merry Christmas everybody!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-32963849744649385122009-11-19T15:22:00.003+00:002009-11-19T15:39:55.841+00:00Highlights from the Index of 'Welwyn Garden City Past' by Tony Rook, 2001<img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 110px; height: 146px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_75xgPU-rV8g/SwVjAG1RTMI/AAAAAAAAAbE/nqj1wNOiqk8/s400/9781860771415.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405835781213342914" /><br /><img src="http://lh3.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CIy4Of6CI/AAAAAAAAAG8/vrb_CTmC5-c/am_quote5.png" style="float : left ; margin : 0px 3px ;">I've just moved to Welwyn Garden City, which is exciting. In order to learn more about my new surroundings, I googled, and found a book called 'Welwyn Garden City Past' by Tony Rook. Well, I found a copy of the <a href="http://www.britishlocalhistory.co.uk/community/local-history-wiki-article-Welwyn-Garden-City-Past-Index-Page.aspx">index</a> to the book. Here, mainly for my own amusement, I have provided potted highlights of the index here:<br /><br /><blockquote>Black Death, 51<br />bus services, 87<br />cemeteries, 14-15, 18, 19, 58<br />chalk, 6-7, 9, 12-13<br />Chamber of Commerce, 95<br />‘Moo-cow Chapel’, 62<br />match manufacturers, 92<br />Norton Abrasives, 95<br />Wrestlers’ Bridge, 33, 34</blockquote><br /><img src="http://lh6.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CHuoOf6BI/AAAAAAAAAG0/W5x2vrucMww/am_quote4.png" style="float : right ; margin : 0px 3px ;"><br />This tells the story of the town I now live in pretty well, I think.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-80119812639045202062009-07-28T16:20:00.006+01:002009-07-28T16:52:01.109+01:00Crows Redux<img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_75xgPU-rV8g/Sm8dpTJH3bI/AAAAAAAAAak/cd2HdsXI2LE/s400/3756913921_15456efe4c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363538276571930034" border="0" /><img src="http://lh3.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CIy4Of6CI/AAAAAAAAAG8/vrb_CTmC5-c/am_quote5.png" style="margin: 0px 3px; float: left;" />Yo. I just wanted to alert you to <a tooltip="linkalert-tip" href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/27/murder_of_crows/">this report</a> in The Register, which should strike fear into the hearts of, er, me.<br /><br />Some additional crow facts that have recently come to light through scientific research:<br /><br /><ul><li>A crow was originally the main character in the New Testament, until focus groups found him to be an unsympathetic character, and he was hastily replaced by Jesus.</li><li>Crows are one of the few animals alongside man and horses to be able to whistle. Most crow species choose not to, however, being the contrary beasts that they are.</li><li>Bob Crow, head of the RMT union, is actually a pseudonym, chosen to make him sound more menacing in negotiations than his given name, Bob Canada-Goose. </li><li>Crows: Bejeesus, they're scary.</li><li>Crows illegally file share more than any other genus of bird, save for the Wireless Duck.</li><li>The American crow is very susceptible to the West Nile Virus, a disease just recently introduced in North America. American crows usually die within one week of acquiring the disease with only very few surviving exposure. Crows are so affected by the disease that their deaths are now serving as an indicator of the West Nile Virus’ activity in an area.</li><li>Wikipedia is interesting, but not funny.</li><li>The common expression 'stone the crows' belies the fact that crows don't care much for getting high, preferring instead a good single malt and an episode of Inspector Morse.</li><li>Crows think they is all that.</li><li>But they ain't.</li><li>The courtship rituals of <i>Corvus corone </i>or the Carrion crow are so disgusting that they'd make your hair turn white, unless you're a crow, in which case they make your feathers turn black, handily.</li><li>Crows generally use second class stamps, believing that most post doesn't get there the next day anyway.</li><li>Crows.</li></ul><img src="http://lh6.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CHuoOf6BI/AAAAAAAAAG0/W5x2vrucMww/am_quote4.png" style="margin: 0px 3px; float: right;" />Pretty exhaustive, eh?<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">[Crow photo from <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/26311710@N02/3756913921/">Kohei314</a> on Flickr]</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-3489971482275347632009-03-05T15:20:00.003+00:002009-03-05T15:30:30.955+00:00Watchmen - a link<img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;width: 255px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_75xgPU-rV8g/Sa_vgOKLh6I/AAAAAAAAAXk/R9SE0XykqaA/s400/watchmen.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309725822528751522" /><br /><img src="http://lh3.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CIy4Of6CI/AAAAAAAAAG8/vrb_CTmC5-c/am_quote5.png" style="float : left ; margin : 0px 3px ;">I don't often just post links, but here's a link:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/viewer.php?id=485797&key=BuNyQlXzNtOzlxbStiMWYxMjIxNWY4QjM5NDIrNl9xNGI4NjE7QjMxQlYxOzJWNjJiMjI0ZjErVnFfOTAxbTk5MDg3ODE5MQ%3D%3D">Watchmen as a Saturday morning kid's cartoon</a>.<br /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh6.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CHuoOf6BI/AAAAAAAAAG0/W5x2vrucMww/am_quote4.png" style="float : right ; margin : 0px 3px ;">The only trouble is, the animation is too fluid and well drawn.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-5891736549540578912009-02-25T13:00:00.001+00:002009-02-25T13:00:10.711+00:00Deadpan Conversations: The Semi-International Edition<img src="http://lh3.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CIy4Of6CI/AAAAAAAAAG8/vrb_CTmC5-c/am_quote5.png" style="margin: 0px 3px; float: left;">(Scene: A bustling Post Office, in which the day before I had bought some Euros, and today was coming to buy some more)<br />Post Office Man: Hi.<br />Me: Hi.<br />POM: Euros?<br />Me: Oh. Yes please.<br />(We then deal with the mechanics of buying Euros, the dazzling thrills of which I will spare you.)<br />POM: They've gone down today. Yesterday it was 109 for £100, and today it's 110.<br />Me: I should have waited for tomorrow.<br />POM: Maybe.<br /><img src="http://lh6.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CHuoOf6BI/AAAAAAAAAG0/W5x2vrucMww/am_quote4.png" style="margin: 0px 3px; float: right;">Me: But that'd be gambling, right?<br />POM: I cannot guarantee anything.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-52831017049688463302009-02-24T15:41:00.004+00:002009-02-24T15:59:35.961+00:00Phone the Crows<img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 206px; height: 334px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_75xgPU-rV8g/SaQYXIuB9FI/AAAAAAAAAXE/9t19sA_xCxA/s400/phone.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306393046705894482" /><img src="http://lh3.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CIy4Of6CI/AAAAAAAAAG8/vrb_CTmC5-c/am_quote5.png" style="float : left ; margin : 0px 3px ;">I've recently had the joy of talking to a lot of utilities companies, one after the other. I will share with you my experiences. You are not allowed to refuse this sharing; just take it like a man.<br /><br />Thames Water had the longest wait, and worst hold music. The most Geordie voice was supplied by BT, and the most chipper was provided by Alliance & Leicester. The most surprised to be receiving a call was Hackney Council, and the most likely to be the inspiration for an Eastern European work of allegorical fiction was TV Licensing. 0844 is the area code for the moon, isn't it?<hr>The Onion knows my fears: <a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/loud_squawking_crow_forces">Crows</a>.<br /><br />(Incidentally, I love it when articles from the Onion turn up on <a href="http://www.snopes.com/">Snopes</a> when people have forwarded Onion articles, and they then get accepted as the truth - I believe anything I hear <br /><img src="http://lh6.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CHuoOf6BI/AAAAAAAAAG0/W5x2vrucMww/am_quote4.png" style="float : right ; margin : 0px 3px ;">about crows, so I'd swallow this wholeheartedly. Crows...)<br /><br />(photo from <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/faithfull/404722774/">faithfull's</a> flicker stream.)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-5128318097539706662009-02-13T16:08:00.006+00:002009-02-13T16:14:12.690+00:00Traffic Warden vs. Estate Agent<img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_75xgPU-rV8g/SZWbQCNG1fI/AAAAAAAAAWc/Jcp5xuBoX_c/s400/146399823_07aec6c625.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302314836070684146" /><img src="http://lh3.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CIy4Of6CI/AAAAAAAAAG8/vrb_CTmC5-c/am_quote5.png" style="float : left ; margin : 0px 3px ;">I'm flat-hunting at the moment. I'm not going to moan though. Let's just take that as read. I will, however, share with you an experience.<br /><br />We were looking round a flat with Daniel, a fresh-faced estate agent. Just as we were coming out of the flat, there was a traffic warden ticketing Daniel's car. This sight almost literally blew my mind: A traffic warden ticketing an estate agent's car. In terms of moral conundrums involving stereotypes of most-reviled professions, that's like seeing a high-priced libel lawyer punching a tabloid journalist, or observing a politician receiving a telemarketing call.<br /><br />(I've just googled 'most hated professions', and am disappointed to find that 'Richard Branson' doesn't feature amongst any of the top tens I could see. I assume this is some kind of statistical error.)<br /><br />Postscript: With a little grovelling, Daniel got off his ticket. I'm going to apply <img src="http://lh6.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CHuoOf6BI/AAAAAAAAAG0/W5x2vrucMww/am_quote4.png" style="float : right ; margin : 0px 3px ;"> for a slot on 'Thought for the Day' to discuss the moral meaning of this. Listen up!<br /><br /><br />Photo from <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/albedo/146399823/">Fin Fahey</a> off Flickr.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-33601525624147468022009-01-13T16:27:00.005+00:002009-01-13T16:37:05.890+00:00Boro Bear! In the Flesh! Or is that in the Fur? Ha!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_75xgPU-rV8g/SWzBK2vk_WI/AAAAAAAAAU4/FPty7kORENM/s1600-h/200901131523370.boro+bear+1+web.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_75xgPU-rV8g/SWzBK2vk_WI/AAAAAAAAAU4/FPty7kORENM/s400/200901131523370.boro+bear+1+web.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290816054491413858" /></a><br /><img src="http://lh3.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CIy4Of6CI/AAAAAAAAAG8/vrb_CTmC5-c/am_quote5.png" style="float : left ; margin : 0px 3px ;">Right, they said it will be a cold day in hell before I make two posts in a day, but balls to what they think - I have important news. If by 'important', you mean 'fully grown man dressed head to foot as a curious footballing bear'.<br /><br />Yes, this is your chance to go to Stevenage and meet Boro Bear, the mascot of Stevenage Boro, without any of the attendant risks of being forcibly ejected from the stadium for pitch invasions and given a lifetime ban. <br /><br />He will be at (gasp) Asda on Wednesday lunchtime between 11am and 1pm, (thrill) the Westgate Centre on Thursday afternoon between 1pm and 3pm and at (oh my giddy knees) Tesco in the town centre on Friday afternoon between 1pm and 3pm. If you're under 16 (and let's face it, you're not - that was such a long time ago that you can't even remember if you ever were 16),<br /><img src="http://lh6.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CHuoOf6BI/AAAAAAAAAG0/W5x2vrucMww/am_quote4.png" style="float : right ; margin : 0px 3px ;"> you can get free tickets for Saturday's game off him. If not, you can just give him a big hug.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-36139211317588167852009-01-06T10:48:00.006+00:002009-01-13T15:03:32.651+00:00Pigeon Deaths and the Games People (Don't) Play (Any More)<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nakolah/1064311193/"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 274px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_75xgPU-rV8g/SWybWFqOXzI/AAAAAAAAAUw/vmt5Svilktk/s400/1226212373_5baf4c291e.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290774466032197426" /></a><br /><img src="http://lh3.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CIy4Of6CI/AAAAAAAAAG8/vrb_CTmC5-c/am_quote5.png" style="float : left ; margin : 0px 3px ;">One morning recently, I came into the office, and a feather floated down past my window. I thought, ah, that's pretty. After a couple of seconds another one fell. Ah, I thought again. Then some more came down. I went over to the window and looked up; there was a crow, picking savagely at the corpse of a pigeon.<br /><br />Then, later that same day, I was walking through the park, and I see one of the local schoolkids, who must have been about 13, cooing to some pigeons and throwing it some breadcrumbs. In her other hand, she held a large stick. Fortunately, the pigeon was too quick for her.<br /><br />If I was living in a Shakespeare play, or was myself a pigeon, these would be OMENS.<hr>In unrelated news (unless he's taken to slaughtering wildlife and gorging himself on their corpses), my friend Chris has set up a blog to document his attempts to give up video games for a year. While I applaud his efforts, I've a feeling that he's going to be living vicariously through me, and asking me for ever more detailed descriptions of the games I've played, while he drools and struggles to control his thumbs. He's doing it for <img src="http://lh6.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CHuoOf6BI/AAAAAAAAAG0/W5x2vrucMww/am_quote4.png" style="float : right ; margin : 0px 3px ;">charity to boot.<br /><br /><a href="http://ukgameover.blogspot.com/">Game Over Blog</a><br /><br />(Photo from <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nakolah/1064311193/">nakolah</a>)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9320217.post-34525576586483537512008-12-30T16:58:00.002+00:002008-12-30T17:08:31.821+00:00Xmas Compilation CD: MP3s<img src="http://lh3.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CIy4Of6CI/AAAAAAAAAG8/vrb_CTmC5-c/am_quote5.png" style="margin: 0px 3px; float: left;" />I've had a request. Apparently, they're so backwards on the other side of the globe that CDs haven't caught on yet. If, due to your being in Australia, you would prefer your Xmas compilation in one of the three following alternative formats, please drop me a line (jabber (at) theangriestman (dot) com) and I'll do my best to oblige:<br /><ul><li>Special edition heavyweight vinyl remastered by blind audiophile experts in a soundproofed former nuclear bunker</li><br /><li>MP3s</li><br /><li>Sheet music (arranged for trombone or zither)<br /></li><img src="http://lh6.google.co.uk/jimmckenzie/R6CHuoOf6BI/AAAAAAAAAG0/W5x2vrucMww/am_quote4.png" style="margin: 0px 3px; float: right;" /></ul>Hope that keeps you all happy enough to have a happy new year.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>From <a href="http://angriestman.blogspot.com">The Angriest Man in Crouch End</a>. He doesn't live in Crouch End anymore, and he's been accused of not being all that angry. Bah.</div>Bill Murray's Moustachehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07222670110427792946noreply@blogger.com2