One of my favourite early Beatles songs with my favourite man. And a dream of "if only".
No other reason.
I put another typo in just to test you...
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Bye Bye Citibank
So Citigroup may fall prey to the international banking crisis and the credit crunch.
When central Lewisham's only office tower block opened in the late 1970s, Citibank, as it then was, moved in. Soon after I had central heating installed, and the contractor set me up with credit with Citibank, though the account was not handled at this building.
Citibank Building, Lewisham 
Former Citibank building
The business moved to Canary Wharf, the new financial centre of London. 
Canary Wharf
When central Lewisham's only office tower block opened in the late 1970s, Citibank, as it then was, moved in. Soon after I had central heating installed, and the contractor set me up with credit with Citibank, though the account was not handled at this building.
Citibank Building, Lewisham The central heating boiler was crap, and kept breaking down. The contractor went bust, and it fell to the credit agency (ie. Citibank) to get it fixed.
When it got to be a once-a-fortnight problem, I really couldn't afford the time, and I couldn't imagine Citibank wanted to keep footing the bill, so I suggested they might have it replaced. To emphasise the point, I stopped making payments. They sent an engineer round to assess it, agreeing to abide by his findings. He found four faults right there, with every expectation of finding more when it was examined in a workshop. He recommended replacement.
The day I received his report, I also received a court summons from Citibank for non-payment of the loan.
One phone call later, a very apologetic Citibank employee withdrew the summons. My boiler was replaced. I beat Citibank!
As soon as the boiler was replaced, I paid off the loan in full.
This is what the office block looks like now. The Citibank sign is gone.
Former Citibank buildingThe business moved to Canary Wharf, the new financial centre of London.
Looks attractive, doesn't it?
Don't be fooled. The reflection is serendipitous. It's an ugly concrete jungle.
Canary Wharf They still have the lease on the Lewisham building, however. It sits there empty, waiting for them to need it again in the event that Canary Wharf should succumb to a terrorist attack.
If the group goes bust, we might get out building back!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Death Roe
Another first. Those pouty, collagen-filled fish lips on that Beatrice woman make me heave, so I've not gone out of my way to cap it.
Bobby, of course, is divine. Or D'Evine.
Too late for CPR, Bobby. And a kiss is out of the question.
There's something very masculine about this profile shot. Maybe the fact of who it's of?
Eames is such a spoilsport. Bobby really wanted to try that grappa.
It's that lucky chair again.
"You Vixens are so shallow."
That window was just made to highlight Bobby's lashes.
Classic Bobby pose. Love him.
More fun. That Bobby's such a naughty boy. Come and be naughty with me, sweetheart.
Ooh, shout at me!
Then look at me with that caring concern. Or with lust...
Bobby, of course, is divine. Or D'Evine.
There's something very masculine about this profile shot.
Eames is such a spoilsport. Bobby really wanted to try that grappa.
It's that lucky chair again.
"You Vixens are so shallow."
That window was just made to highlight Bobby's lashes.
Classic Bobby pose. Love him.
More fun. That Bobby's such a naughty boy.
Ooh, shout at me!
Then look at me with that caring concern.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Zoo Day
I made another trip to London Zoo today. I was glad to see that the tiger is no longer alone. They got his old girlfriend back, and the one he fought with was returned whence she came (Dudley Zoo).
This time I concentrated on taking moving pictures. The baby monkeys were so lively, and you can't get the sound of the lion's roar on a still.
No prizes for spotting the typo, now set in stone.
When I switched off the camera, I remonstrated with the builder who behaved so annoyingly. He was working on the new Children's Zoo, which is right next door to the lion enclosure, and the noise must be a real nuisance for the big cats. The added aggravation of this mimic was an insult.
I mentioned to a volunteer warden what had happened. Later a keeper found me and asked me what had happened. Apparently the man concerned worked for a contractor, who has been asked not to use him at the zoo again. Great news for the lion, thank goodness. My video's still spoilt though.
This time I concentrated on taking moving pictures. The baby monkeys were so lively, and you can't get the sound of the lion's roar on a still.
No prizes for spotting the typo, now set in stone.
When I switched off the camera, I remonstrated with the builder who behaved so annoyingly. He was working on the new Children's Zoo, which is right next door to the lion enclosure, and the noise must be a real nuisance for the big cats. The added aggravation of this mimic was an insult.
I mentioned to a volunteer warden what had happened. Later a keeper found me and asked me what had happened. Apparently the man concerned worked for a contractor, who has been asked not to use him at the zoo again. Great news for the lion, thank goodness. My video's still spoilt though.
A Dream (or Two) Come True
I know what I would do if Vincent came knocking at my door. I'm pretty sure I know what all of you would do. This lunatic woman LETS HIM GO!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
SEX...
...Club. First ever posting (I only just capped it) and when I went into Photobucket to select the pictures for this post, I discovered it was going to be the start of a lot of problems, thanks to Photobucket's latest "improvements". (The check box to select a picture, along with the link codes, was missing.) By a fluke (after restarting the album several times and signing out and back in again) I discovered that these missing elements appeared when the cursor passed over the picture. I also discovered that actually hitting the check box successfully was a real case of hit-or-miss. If you miss, you end up with that picture on a fresh page, and when you go back to the original page, you can no longer see which pictures you had already chosen.
So a post that would normally take me less than 10 minutes has taken me more than half an hour. No doubt PissBucket will defend its actions. Perhaps they will pay me for the time I will have to waste on trying unsuccessfully to select pictures I want. More likely they will just make another infuriating change just for the sake of it, and having only a negative effect on the practicality of what used to be a very simple site to use.
Anyway, here's Bobby:
Looking down at something...
Actually surreptitiously clocking something...
Trying to peer underneath the counter at who-knows-what...
Looking down from his great height at little Alex...
"OK, I own up, I've been caught in the act."
"It was fun while it lasted, though."
Bobby's playing - but imagine what's behind that case...
"If I pretend I'm not up to anything..."
"Oh - was that me?"
Bobby and Carver...
...pretending they aren't looking...
...but Bobby even cranes his neck...
...to get a look at the Honeys.
So a post that would normally take me less than 10 minutes has taken me more than half an hour. No doubt PissBucket will defend its actions. Perhaps they will pay me for the time I will have to waste on trying unsuccessfully to select pictures I want. More likely they will just make another infuriating change just for the sake of it, and having only a negative effect on the practicality of what used to be a very simple site to use.
Anyway, here's Bobby:
Actually surreptitiously clocking something...
Trying to peer underneath the counter at who-knows-what...
Looking down from his great height at little Alex...
"OK, I own up, I've been caught in the act."
"It was fun while it lasted, though."
Bobby's playing - but imagine what's behind that case...
"If I pretend I'm not up to anything..."
"Oh - was that me?"
Bobby and Carver...
...pretending they aren't looking...
...but Bobby even cranes his neck...
...to get a look at the Honeys.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Can I Please Stress
How wonderful Mr D'Onofrio is?
I'm posting from work because I have a meeting tonight and may not get a chance to log on at home.
"What do you mean, Val's not online tonight? Has she deserted me?"
"She'll come running back when she sees this yummy profile."
Object lesson in how to fill a doorway.
"I know I look adorable like this."
Oh no! Bobby's down on one knee! Do you think Alex has accepted?
"This is my master plan to lure Val back to the bolg."
"Please, I beg you, I've even come down to below your level."
Bobby trying unsuccessfully not to look scared. Vincent trying successfully to look like Bobby trying unsuccessfully not to look scared.
I'm posting from work because I have a meeting tonight and may not get a chance to log on at home.
"She'll come running back when she sees this yummy profile."
Object lesson in how to fill a doorway.
"I know I look adorable like this."
Oh no! Bobby's down on one knee! Do you think Alex has accepted?
"This is my master plan to lure Val back to the bolg."
"Please, I beg you, I've even come down to below your level."
Bobby trying unsuccessfully not to look scared.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Welcome to My Collection
"Sorry Vixen, but what are you doing down there?"
"It was so embarrassing, she was doing it in front of the whole squad."
"Why do you want me to look up your skirt?"
"Look, man, shutting my hand in the door won't make them adore you instead."
"No Hallmark or Channel 5 logo, so they made a candlestick grow out of my head instead."
"What do you mean, I'm not your type? You ARE human aren't you?"
"There are several million women out there who would love me to be in their faces like this.
My New Toy
I have this problem with the tendons in my wrists. It's a bit like a cross between RSI and tendonitis. Using a butterfly can opener is doing my thumbs in.
Luckily, most tins have a ring-pull opening, but there are some yummy cat food tins that require an opener, so I treated myself to this amazing little gadget:
Luckily, most tins have a ring-pull opening, but there are some yummy cat food tins that require an opener, so I treated myself to this amazing little gadget:
It's a Culinaire One-Touch Can Opener. You put it on top of the tin, it latches on with a magnet. Press the button, and it chugs its way round the top, then stops when it's done. It lifts the lid straight off. Effort-free.
The best thing is, I tried to buy it a week ago, but they didn't have any in stock. When I went back, they had lots, and they'd reduced them by £3.
I do love a bargain.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
The Big Noise Abatement Joke
Police cars
Police helicopters
Concorde
They are but sent to try us - and they do.I slept really badly last night. I live in a densely populated but pretty quiet area, and we are seldom troubled by noisy parties or nuisance neighbours.
Most nights, if I am restless, I hear the sirens of police cars echoing in from the surrounding areas, even though they are not supposed to sound them after dark (they don't actually know that, what, you expect the police to know the law?) but last night I didn't hear any.
Frequently, the police helicpter can be heard doing a tour of the area. You can tell when they are not in pursuit of anyone or anything, because they do not hover, or follow the route of a perp escaping into the distance; they do big circuits, and you lie there waiting for them to come back round in a few minutes to continue their jolly.
Don't ask me how this is possible. Planes are prevented from flying over London and disturbing its millions of inhabitants after about 11.30 pm, until about 5 or 5.30 am. Why not helicopters, other than to give support in a genuine police pursuit.
We have been lucky lately, in that the flight path for planes from Heathrow seems to pass over some miles away, and the only planes are heard in the distance. But this morning, the first planes passed over at about 4.30 right overhead. And they kept on coming every couple of minutes. Sometimes the next one could be heard approaching before the sound of the previous one had faded away.
So much for noise abatement. Won't it be so much better if they build a third runway.
In the days of Concorde, the beast flew over my house 3 times a day. You always knew it was Concorde. The volume and intensity of the sound was far above any other plane. If you heard it come over, you could tell the time without looking at your watch - 10.15 am, 2.15 pm, 5.15 pm. It was beautiful to behold, but appalling to hear, and the knowledge of what it was doing to the environment was scary. In the early days, I heard one go over very late at night when I and most of the rest of the capital were in bed. I made an immediate phone call to complain. I was told that "Concorde doesn't go over at that time of night. But it did go over. But it doesn't go over". And that was all the sense I got. It didn't do it again.
When the planes made their last flights, they flew very low over the area. I was about to enter the local shopping centre, and I saw one fly past much lower than I had ever seen before. Most people were so accustomed to the noise, they didn't even look up. I entered a department store, and was right in the middle of it when I heard a second Concorde go over, very low and very loud. No-one seemed to notice.
WELL I BLOODY-WELL NOTICED THE FLIGHTS LAST NIGHT SO, POWERS-THAT-BE, SHUT THEM UP!
Most nights, if I am restless, I hear the sirens of police cars echoing in from the surrounding areas, even though they are not supposed to sound them after dark (they don't actually know that, what, you expect the police to know the law?) but last night I didn't hear any.
Frequently, the police helicpter can be heard doing a tour of the area. You can tell when they are not in pursuit of anyone or anything, because they do not hover, or follow the route of a perp escaping into the distance; they do big circuits, and you lie there waiting for them to come back round in a few minutes to continue their jolly.
Don't ask me how this is possible. Planes are prevented from flying over London and disturbing its millions of inhabitants after about 11.30 pm, until about 5 or 5.30 am. Why not helicopters, other than to give support in a genuine police pursuit.
We have been lucky lately, in that the flight path for planes from Heathrow seems to pass over some miles away, and the only planes are heard in the distance. But this morning, the first planes passed over at about 4.30 right overhead. And they kept on coming every couple of minutes. Sometimes the next one could be heard approaching before the sound of the previous one had faded away.
So much for noise abatement. Won't it be so much better if they build a third runway.
In the days of Concorde, the beast flew over my house 3 times a day. You always knew it was Concorde. The volume and intensity of the sound was far above any other plane. If you heard it come over, you could tell the time without looking at your watch - 10.15 am, 2.15 pm, 5.15 pm. It was beautiful to behold, but appalling to hear, and the knowledge of what it was doing to the environment was scary. In the early days, I heard one go over very late at night when I and most of the rest of the capital were in bed. I made an immediate phone call to complain. I was told that "Concorde doesn't go over at that time of night. But it did go over. But it doesn't go over". And that was all the sense I got. It didn't do it again.
When the planes made their last flights, they flew very low over the area. I was about to enter the local shopping centre, and I saw one fly past much lower than I had ever seen before. Most people were so accustomed to the noise, they didn't even look up. I entered a department store, and was right in the middle of it when I heard a second Concorde go over, very low and very loud. No-one seemed to notice.
WELL I BLOODY-WELL NOTICED THE FLIGHTS LAST NIGHT SO, POWERS-THAT-BE, SHUT THEM UP!
Labour of Love
Mixed in with my project of going through every episode of Criminal Intent, cherry-picking pictures and captioning them, today I decided to start a new project of creating an A-Z of episodes from different seasons. Here's the first offering, A-C.