The Monetary Value of Music

Around 1975,  I was out of school, on the dole, and my job seekers allowance was £3.25 a week, and I had to get into town to sign on, so that a week later I'd get my cheque or whatever. Around this time, Pink Floyd issued "Wish You Were Here". This was just after the petrol/vinyl shortage that had caused the album to rocket from around £2 to over £3, and petrol to hit £1 a gallon!! Hard times indeed.

Anyway I got to thinking, today petrol clocks in at £1.30 a litre if you're lucky, that about £7.50 a gallon (worked that out in my head so apologies if it's wildly out), Job Seeekers Allowance is around £60 I believe, so if music had kept pace with these items we should be paying around £50 for an album, but we're not. Amazon have 100 classic albums at £3 to download, and the Pink Floyd album you will pick up for around a tenner (however, the new "Immersion" release will set you back £90)

So really music just gives you great value for money, and it amazes me that people still think it's fine to steal. Amazon have plenty of free downloads so you can get free music, but really, are you telling me you can't afford a tenner for a new CD?

Football In Hock To Legalised Loan Sharks?

Last night I caught a bit of the seasons curtain lifter , Hull City vs Blackpool (though according the media with therir three page spreads on Manchester United and Chelsea and that team from Manchester the season hasnt started yet) , and was slightly worried by their shirt sponsors.

Blackpool are still sponsored by Wonga and Hull City by Cash Converters. To the left you see Gary Taylor -Fletcher in his sponsored shirt and the one to the right is from the Hull City web site!!



Worrying times indeed for football , sponsored by people who routinely charge 2000% interest to people who can't afford it , but can't get money from banks because they're paid pittance wages . Admittedly there will be some druggie scum in there but surely football should not be effectively endorsing these brands!!

The Road To TV Dinners

You know I'm bored if I'm writing about food . I have no time for TV Celebrity Chefs bar Heston Blumenthal . But I tend to make stuff from tins , and fresh / wrapped product . There's no TV dinners in the fridge as basically they taste rubbish and are full of anything but food.



Hate buying fresh stuff from supermmarkets as they bully farmers into accepting low prices and penalise farmers if stuff doesnt sell. I use the Grainger Market in Newcastle when I can and small local shops , which Tesco and Sainsburys are doing their best to extinguish with the influx of Tesco Extra , Tesco Express and Sainsbury Local shops. Hell there's even one in Central Station in Newcastle.



 I detest when you see a street that consists of a Greggs , Subway , Tesco , Sainsburys  , that is such a downer .

Anyway the point of this was that I was using a supermarket yesterday (Morrisons) and was gonna get some cheese to grate . 400g of  cheese was £2.15 , but 2 x 200g  of grated Cheese was only £2. So I bought the ready grated stuff. How long before I buty a ready meal ??

Having said that I still dont have a microwave!!

Three Score years And Ten

Not long ago that was a man's expiry date on this earth , with ladies getting a few years more. It doesn't seem two minutes since I was watchi Roger Daltrey sing "I hope I die before I get old" on Top of The Pops , I was about seven at the time a tenth of the way there!!. Also remember at that time think how old my uncle was when he started his first job at sixteen!!!

I think Datltrey's sentiment still applies , but the context has altered subtly. There's nothing we can do about physical ageing , but we should look after ourself and keep aftive and stimulated , so we can effectively stay younger longer. I know people in their nineties who live full and active lives , and I see people in their teens who have reach "old" decades before they should have.

This week Buddy Holly would have been 75 , Paul Simon at 70 is touring his new album , Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones and what's left of the Who are still performing , the Stones to ever increasing crowds in places like Rio De Janeiro.

Eventually we've all got to go , but we can have a hell of a time while we're here , and it doesnt matter what Richard Dawkins or the Pope tell you there no one on this Earth knows what happens when we shuffle of this mortal coil . So enjoy the party while you can , it can be fun!!

Diabetes .... A Young Persons Game?

Went for my annual diabetic review today and everything looks OK . I'm still doing so many drugs that certain South Americans would love to make my acquaintance , but I ain'yt to enamoured with  the alternative.

Is used to be if you were iverwight and over 40 then you might end up with Diabetes, and the treatment of it includes keeping fit , losing weight , eating and drinking the right stuff (no cake , chocolate or alcohol) . What surprised me today is that most of the people at the clinic were young and anything but overweight. So what the hell is happening . Obviously modern living is screwing up people big style.


There are a lot of diabetic sites out there which may help answer the question . You can start here!.

How The Government Effectively Fuels Us

I see a lot of folk rightly complaining about the latest price rise on fuel , but I'm lucky , mostly I'm indirectly affected. However, I filled up my car at the weekend and immedietly doubled its value (the write off value is £50 , which is what it now costs to fill up).

unusually the villains of the piece are the oil companies , who let's face it DO deserve most of the flack they get but think on this. David Cameron , that brilliant responsibilty dodger (Nick Clegg knows)  is the latest in a long line of politicians not really taking responsibility just the financial fruits of a captive market. . After the petrol company and garage set their price of about 54p the government adds on fuel duty and VAT which result in another 170% being added on to the price you pay (around £1.40).

So when the goverment say they cant't do anything about the price of fuel , you what they are talking . It's an easy win for them , and will do until they can find a way of taxing the air that we breathe!!

Here's where I got some of the figures from.

This song is vaguely connected and makes me feel good , the good old Foos!!

Kindle vs Paper - The Final Verdict II

I am sold on E-Books , and I love paper , but was decided that I would buy myself a Kindle eventually. However that idea has just been blown out of the water. Why? You may ask.

Earlier this year after being tempted by the concept of Apple's iPad but well aware of the amount of Apple related garbage and baggage that would come with it , I purchsed an Advent Vega tablet which is Android based , and is an excellent piece of kit , but you cant actually add applications to it via the Android Marketplace as its a 10" tablet (too big) and doesnt have 3G connectivity built in . Marketplace has been implicitly promised and it does havethe WH Smiths e-Reader which will allow you to only read books purchased from WH Smiths.

This morning I visited Android Pit , which allowed install of their Marketplace App on my Vega and allowed me to install the excellent Aldiko e-Reader.

So no I have my e-reader , yes it's a 10 incher , but does the job excellently ,so I now don't need to purchase a Kindle because I have something else that will do the job. Yes the vega only has a 10 hour battery life and its backlit , but it does it for. It ends here , I can read e-books wherever and whener I want!!