A bear, arctic temperatures and some suspicious stains.......

Just like to say thanks to Sarah and Alice for a great night out this saturday! Sorry about the photo Sarah but its the only one I had of you two together! The only thing that would have made the night better is if Dave the bear hadn't been on the prowel and if the managment of 5th Avenue hadn't installed two industial blast freezers over the dance floor! Anyway hope to see you guys soon (don't worry i didn't mention the suspicious stains)!

In other news....... I am yet again having hell with assignments, had to give one in on friday in a completely unsatifactory sate, a situation that can no doubt be ascribed to my total lack of motivation! These 20hrs a week at Dixons are really sapping all the energy out of me! Well thats the official line anyway, it pretty hard to schedual any down time in my week so work time and down time merge together into one totally unproductive mess! Arrrgh!

Oh well! Back to the keyboard I go, this essay on impeadance tubes isn't gonna write itself, although if anyone knows of some way to make that possible don't hesitate to contact me!

A sad day........

Yesterday the world lost a sporting legend and I am not talking about George Best! Richard Burns, the only World Rally Champion that England has ever produced, died yesterday as a result of brain cancer. He was a wonderful man, an inspiration, I was getting into rallying just as he was rising through the ranks in 2000. I watched every piece of coverage I could, always wanting to know how he was doing, he was a fellow counrtyman and it felt good to have a sportsman I could respect and talk about to my football loving friends. I couldn't believe it when I read the news of his death, I had no idea, I hadn't been following the recent season. I was shocked and saddened at first but then I grew angry. Why should George Best be lauded and praised when he was a womanising, alchoholic who just happened to be good a football! Richard not only had amazing talent, but did numerous works for charity and fought his illness with humilty and decency, not squandering any chances he was given! It just shows the flaws in this great society when someone as decent as Richard gets one 20 second mention in the news and George Best gets a 2 minuet silence.

Goodbye Richard, the sport of rallying has lost a great icon and I have lost a hero in a world where they are few and far between, god rest your soul.

Reflections on a week from hell......

Well last week was the week from hell! Not only did I have a big assignment in on the Friday which I hadn’t really started, but I managed to strain my back to the point where I couldn’t walk! So this of course meant I had to miss work, which meant I missed out on £90 just before Christmas! Ahhhhhhh! “But wait…” I hear you say, “this means you have more time for you assignment!”. You would think that and I suppose I did, looking back on it now there is no way I could have done all my hours at work and completed it on time! However after hobbling to Uni on Monday I got back to discover to my joyful surprise that my computer had, quite literally exploded with sparks and all! This as you can imagine did vex me slightly as all the write up and code I had written for this assignment was on it, oh I screamed, shouted and threw things knowing it was ultimately futile but it made me feel better! A lengthy call to my sage like girlfriend calmed me down enough to make me try the computer again, this time armed with a screwdriver, some basic knowledge of electronic engineering, a few swift kicks and a lot of curse words. I managed to backup work and spent the next 4 days locked in my room on the verge of madness finishing my report on my trust old coke filled laptop (that’s another story).
Needless to say I was ecstatic when the Friday came and I handed my work in, I met my girlfriend in town, had some beers with a friend and his other half and went back to my mothers for a relaxing weekend in the country! Now I’m sitting here trying to motivate myself into starting my next in a long list of assignments! Oh well no rest for the wicked (or is it wicket I don’t really know what the actual phrase is, answers on a postcard)!  

Bush is back in town....

It seems Mr Bush has arrived in Argentina to be greeted with the accustomed warm welcome by the local people. He is attending a summit on fair trade in the Americas, something I think the local population at least felt was some what of an irony. The hypocrisy is plain to see and although most voiced their disapproval at the unending march of American imperialism by peaceful protest, many voiced theirs using the American's own much used vocabulary of violence and heavy handedness. It is on some level understandable, the ever rolling capitalist jugger-naught seems to have passed by the majority of the developing world leaving in its wake a haze of broken promises and decay, and Mr Bush being the man at the wheel (a frightening prospect in itself) seems to be the figurehead for this built up dissatisfaction. I am sure it is not all America's fault but when you pockets are that bulging and you belly is that fat it is hard to see anyone else to blame.

More of the same....

For more Assasins Weekender photos (a selection of which are shown below) and random others from Leicester and Drayton go to http://spaces.msn.com/members/tc2001/

Little does Tom know that Alice is about to punch him in the nuts!

"My hair does not look gay!"

Look at My Nips!

The Assassins Weekender

Well here we are, another week has shot by at a rate that seems a slight increment on the rate last week went whooshed past, which itself was at a speed that could be described as slightly faster than the week proceeding it, a pattern it seems is forming!
  Anyway last weekend, the 29th for those not paying attention, was the long planned and much talked about trip to London, to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts no less, by the Drayton Massive. We were there to see my good friend James Russell in a wonderful musical called “Assassins”. He really is going places, he played his serious role, placed among an abundance of comedy roles, with a strength and conviction that made me forget he was the man I had know for so long and I really saw him as this down-trodden polish immigrant on course to shoot the president. It was a great show with great actors in all roles, the lead actor who played John Wilks Spook (who shot Lincon) had particularly commendable facial hair, of which I was most jealous!
  Following this theatrical escapade we proceeded to have a few drinks in the RADA bar, mingling with the arty types in a decidedly less than convincing way as evident in my overwhelming need to pull the aforementioned lead actors facial fur, then it was on to an exclusive actors bar, only to be turned away by the most annoying man in a sequined waistcoat I have ever met! In the end we settled at James’ exclusive London residence and proceed to drink the night away, this lead inexorably to a game of truth or dare, which involved, indecent exposure, a Jaguar xjs, a plastic bag and some green Y fronts to name but a few.
  After 2-3 hours sleep it was time to head home via our friend Alice’s abode. Here we had much need showers and an over abundant pizza intake. Then I had to dash across London, hangover kicking in with avengance, to catch a coach home, the execution of which was I have to say the worst journey of my life, as I tried for 5 hours not to throw up on the very nice black lady next to me as she talked about her grandson!
  In hindsight I wouldn’t have changed the experience for the world I got some great photos and it reminded me again how lucky I am to have such a close and fun group of friends that go so far back in my life we always have something to talk about good or bad. So to you Draytoners I say thankyou and I’ll see you all at Christmas!

In a bit YA!

BOB    

and finally to this!

to this.....

to this.....

From this........

The night of the tall glasses.....

Well things are going pretty good here in Salford! The course continues to be a bit perplexing with its barely comprehensible maths and bearded professionals but aside from that it’s going remarkably well! Saturday was nothing less than a leviathan of a night out! Myself, an esteemed colleague (who wishes to remain anonymous) and his flat mate partook in some birthday festivated, socially orientated and to begin with at least, sensibly motivated drinking in the fine establishments of Manchester City centre’s Northern (chav free) Quarter! The night started well, if a little overpopulated with country and western music, in a bar called Cord, so called for the abundance of corduroy trouser material affixed to the walls. It was a time spent mainly pondering where they had found a country and western DJ and also as to my experience, or lack there off, of a song called “All my ex’s live in Texas”, which my companions seemed to think was essential listening. After a few bottles of Corona Extra, some neat vodka and a visit to the basement of badly placed speakers it was time to move on.
Our next (and last bar) that night was the legendary “Matt and Phred’s!”, a jazz bar of which my companions are members. This fact allowed us to forgo a cold stay outside in the chilly Manchester air and instead be ushered in warmly by a behemoth of a man who we later surmised was exactly 8/3rds our size! After a few dignified hours of intelligent and meaningful conversation on a wide range of topics not necessary including world politics and the state of the empire we decided to increase our alcohol intake and partake of one of the establishments fine tables just in front of the jazz stage. It was here, that latter reflection revealed, our rapid and rather less than dignified fall from the wagon of grace began. The aforementioned downfall was expedited mainly. but not solely by the fact that my companion, (whose birthday we were out to celebrate) was acquainted with one of the bar staff, this provided a gateway into the shady world of extremely generous spirit measures and the manufacturing of rather impressive alcohol fuelled burning edifices to inebriation, (pictures to follow!). Needless to say many Havana Rum and cokes, Gin and tonics, neat vodka on the rocks and some unholy substance called Strogg later the three of us had not only fallen off the wagon of grace but that same wagon had stopped reversed over us several times and then continued on without a hope of us ever catching it again.
You would think at this point that there was little more to this story than a convoluted metaphor, a walk home with a hang over to follow, but you would of course (sadly) be wrong! In the process of our festivities we had managed somehow to ensnare a couple of passing girls, complete with boyfriend and brother. There were other ensnarement's before this point but they involved some misunderstandings with regard to technology, some sharp words directed at the operation of said technology and needless to say some embarrassment on my part! Returning to the girls in question, one (George) was celebrating her 29th birthday a fortunate/unfortunate coincidence, depending on your point of view. The other (Claire), who was here sister no less, was apparently showing her sibling a good time in Manchester. My companion, whose birthday it was, proceeded to talk to George in a swarve and admirably comprehensible way while my other companion endeavoured to do the same with Claire. In the course of his endeavour he decided to purchase a packet of cigarettes and then offer them to the girls, a nice gesture somewhat reduced in positive impact when in trying to light said cigarettes he narrowly missed setting Claire’s face on fire and well as his own nose, possibly to atone for this he then proceeded to purchase a rather expensive bottle of champagne complete with bucket, ice and 5 glasses (skilfully segregating the brother of the two girls and Georges boyfriend in one smoothly executed, if less than premeditated move). It was in the consumption of this champagne that the last of our dignity was beaten out of us as we tumbled down the evolutionary ladder landing somewhere between homo-erectus and faeces flinging ape. This regression was sealed when my companion who had been endeavouring with Claire, fresh from his previous fall from the wagon of grace partook in a decidedly non-metaphorical decent from dignity in the form of a fall from his chair, of which he was quite motionless on moments before. What followed after this point is decidedly blurred and reciting it would be risking inaccuracy but sufficed to say that there was some wrestling, arguments concerning locations of taxi’s, hugging, sleeping on buses, vomiting, a loss of eye sight, accosting of passers-by and a strongly worded argument involving sleeping arrangements.

And that as they say was that, the next morning involved regret beyond precedent, an abundance of fried foodstuffs and an inability to go 5 minuets without remembering another reason never to show our faces again! All in all a wonderful night out!

The HC's back!

After I accidentally deleted the haris club blog...........no one noticed! But thanks to a recent spurt of emails between the various members of our more than motley crew I have reopended it to the world. Hopefully it will help everyone keep intouch, more than likely people will forget about it again but I'lll try my level, or possibly ungulating best to keep it going!

www.theharisclub.blogspot.com

In a bit YA!

How could i forget.......

Oh I forgot to mention! In the 6 month void in my blog I went to see Audioslave! Words cannot describe how much they totally f**kin' rocked! Managed to get my camera past the security too! Score!

Yes I have a job!

Well it had to happen eventually, someone has given me a job (a part time one)! At Dixons! Which is great because I get to be around my beloved technology for hours on end! I f anyone is reading I freely admit I am techno-"Geek" but I am not a "Nerd"! They have spots and no friends! Anyway this now mean I might be able to afford to go out and even buy christmas presents! Woohoo Tom is less poor!

Very good, very amazing!

Get it now! These guys kick ass! If you liked, hundred reasons and other such greats you will love this album! Their last album, racecar is racecar backwards, was amazing this is equally if not more fantastic! A purchase you will not regret!

Oh how i miss you!

Oh how I miss Leicestser and the Haris club, I miss the uni and even our dirty kitchen and i miss the people most of all! The guys in my house, the guys on my course, such a great bunch of people! Oh if i wasn't such a macho tough guy i wou...i...would......boohoohooohooo sorry its all got a bit to much for me!

Well here I am again!

My last post was in march, oh how I neglect you blog of mine! Anyway guess i better update the cyberinterhyperwebway on the last 6 months! I was home in drayton for a few weeks and the at my girl friend's (Alex) for a month cleaning houses for much needed money. I then went on a fantastic holiday with her in rome! It really was great wish we could have stayed longer!

After the holiday i went back to drayton for a week, had a good time with some old friends and right now I'm at my new uni in Salford! Hopefully this course will give me what I need to start a career!

Well guess thats everything up till now in a heavily summerised fashion!

Wathched farenhight 9/11 last night! Bloody bush, moronic as****e! Anyway enough of that! Hopefully will be able to keep up the political ranting over the next few months!

Anyway I got work to do!