01 July 2009

Daily Chat 01/07/09

The Battle of Gettysburg began on this day in 1863. The British North America Act established the Canadian Confederation in 1867, with John MacDonald becoming Canada's first Prime Minister. The Sony Walkman was introduced in 1979. The Scottish Parliament was officially opened in 1999. And the Oresund Bridge was opened to traffic in 2000. Celebrating birthdays today: Leslie Caron, Jean Marsh, Deborah Harry, Fred Schneider, Pamela Anderson, Patrick Kluivert and Ruud van Nistelrooy. In addition to being Canada Day, it is Independence Day in Burundi and Rwanda, Republic Day in Ghana and Somalia, and Emancipation Day in the Netherlands Antilles and Suriname.

48 comments:

  1. Damn! If I'd not moved to the UK I could have been having a holiday today, instead of being bored shitless in London.

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  2. Debbie Harry...

    Atomic is still the best memory I have of an electrifying, truly romantic date. We were really clicking, and Atomic came on the juke box in the bar just as we'd stopped talking for a moment... that girl stole my heart for nearly five years...

    Shame she was f@cking mental.

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  3. Interesting that the mint has turned out a few thousand 20p coins with no date on them. It is said that they will buy them back for £50 each but I think that ebay would be the way to go.

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  4. Whatever happened to Patrick Kluivert after he left Newcastle?

    He was a bit like Michael Owen-- peaked too early, then slowly deteriorated.

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  5. Given the Gettysburg anniversary, I read "The Red Badge of Courage" by Stephen Crane yesterday and would recommend it to anyone who hasn't. Very evocative, you can almost feel the heat and the fear and the panic. Crane's short stories are good too.

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  6. staybryte: I agree, I picked up 'The Red Badge of Courage' by chance a couple of years ago and I was impressed. Its brevity and style reminded me of Juan Rulfo who documented revolutionary Mexico in a similar way.

    BTW: On CiF, rail re-nationalisation or death!!

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  7. Hi guys, just a quickie to say I'm now the manager of Riad Maizie in Marrakech Medina and am offering 20% discount on rooms. I'm here cos previous managers have turned out to be dodgy (big surprise...) and we're short of cash.
    So: rooms are 50/60 quid (fucking bargain) per night including breakfast and you can see photos of riad on mirandan.com
    Many flights from London airports.
    Email me if interested: danielmarescopearce@gmail.com

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  8. Perhaps I shall re-read TRBOC one of these days. We were forced to read it in High School by a teacher who was one of those 'analyse the symbolism of every single word' types and she sucked any interest it might have had right out of it.

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  9. DanPearce - you're really managing a hotel in marrakech? How come?

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  10. wow - sounds nice, dan. would love to go to morrocco some day. won't be this year tho, that's for sure...

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  11. I havent been away yet this year and nothing planned, it might just be feasible for me.

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  12. I'm off to France for a just over a fortnight in August. Cannot blooming wait. Although this weather is just as good. Sat here outside at the moment with a beer and a lap top, nice breeze blowing over the garden. Bliss.

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  13. fortnight in france would do nicely...

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  14. Jay
    When you get to France, BB will cook you artichokes ...

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  15. Without the protein! BB knows about these things.

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  16. stoaty
    Haven't found one of those 20p coins yet, despite an extensive search of me cash ...

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  17. No protein and wheat-free artichokes it is then

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  18. MsChin,
    Nor have I, they are going for a fortune on ebay.

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  19. Stoaty

    Could be right about the cat - I didn't see the kill. But H'hogs do have a soft underbelly if you can flip quick enough. Fact is they do roll into a ball damn quick though.

    I'm claiming ** for yesterday. Must dash night all.

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  20. A fortnight in France *and* a meal from BB? This is coming together nicely.

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  21. LOL
    Won't come this side of the river at night...

    Hahahaha!

    Anywho, apparently there was one 20p selling on ebay with bids in excess of £15k.

    Now that's silly. If there are between 100 and 200 thou of them in circulation.

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  22. Jay

    I'm a dab hand at the old cuisine mate.

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  23. Sorry for not biting sooner, mr stoat, but I had to go to work and check me change first!

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  24. BB,
    You'd think so but the banks are probably hoovering them up so they will become more rare.

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  25. Daydreaming now about what I could spend £15K on, assuming that a) I find an elusive 20p with the necessary credentials and b) that someone's daft enough to pay said £15K for it. A holiday in France for the UT regulars perchance, with artichokes and the odd glass of something nice. Could take Deano's boat for a spin; perhaps our hog friend Dave might like to come too so he can run rings round Mungo?

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  26. MsChin,
    Don't sweat it, I have been released from the naughty step so took me puerility over to cif.

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  27. MsChin,
    Like your thinking Madam, you could replace sheff if you play your cards right. I think she is a bit flighty.

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  28. Mr stoat
    Free (to post) at last!
    and careful, I might be spoken for ...

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  29. If you can get £15k for a duff 20p I would expect to see lots of hard to fault duff 20ps to come flooding out of Birmingham in the next few weeks!

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  30. Wonder if we can get one of the snide ones from B'ham before everyone else does?

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  31. He was after Montana yesterday am @ 10.27am!

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  32. Anon,
    Apparently this is happening as we speak.

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  33. Bent as a three-bob stoat...

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  34. @ Bitterweed

    ***

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  35. Nice one Bitters.
    Anonymous, who? where? when? oh, at 10.27.
    You lost me squire.

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  36. Going to bed now, to dream of finding a winning 20p coin ...

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  37. As I recall it - @ 10.27 yesterday am Mr Stoat was chancing his charms across the pond to Ms Wildhack but I may have been mistaken.

    The response @ 11.10 am (which you missed) was an in/off so to speak. You also missed the 13.47

    "Stoats no weasel"

    The later response to the Montana one was a little sneaky but what the hell - two ** are two ** !

    I think BW's bent as three bob stoat is a worthy ***.

    Class pure class BW - and credit where credit is due a generous acceptance @23.07 Stoaty

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  38. Anonymous,
    Beginning to wonder about you comrade but if you are awarding points may I suggest that you clock my exchange with MikeMichigan on the cif thread celebrating Al Frankens victory? 'plinketty plink' is a 4 star riposte and I await your reply with considerable interest. Check out me comments. And further more it should have been nine bob note.

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  39. That was me that was, silly site.

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  40. anonymouse,
    and may i also nominate MsChin who said, in another place, that I got off the naughty step because of my 'witty begging letters to Matt'?
    Not that anyone will read this of course.

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  41. Stoaty

    Thought you had gone to bed.

    You would always be fancied to win an encounter - you have a fine and fast wit.

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  42. Bravo Stoat.

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  43. "should have been nine bob note."
    Sorry for the underestimation stoaty.

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  44. Bitterweed,
    Made me laugh though.

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