With winter fast approaching (it's true, don't try to ignore it) hope is the only means by which we'll survive.  Ideally the new system will come and not have to deal with any of these unfortunate things that define the locale; short of that 'the great escape' plan is falling into place.  This autumn I should be making my way down to so. illinois to work out a few more details on the re-introduction of a long dead brewery.  Might also include a brief trip to colorado (maybe it was new mexico? hrmm) to talk to a man who has his own ideas on how things might be done.  Either way it's a brief reprieve from here (which isn't soooo bad, i just like to moan.)

 

But the real glitter and shine is the prospect of spending some of late winter/spring/ and or summer working more directly with things down at the Shay.  Provided the HRLFC makes it past sept 3rd.   Still mostly pie in the sky, but making definite progress with the online radio broadcast.  If I (with a little help from my friends) can generate roughly $600 gross revenue for the club/month it would give me a stronger position to be coming from.  Not exactly roman ambrahmovic money, and won't clear up the little matter of the 176k quid trading deficit - or HRLFC mysteriously missing 90k.  But a step in the right direction and shows potential.

 

In my mind the bags are packed and the passport's in the pocket.

 

UP THE SHAYMEN!!! (...assuming we last that long...)

Been a hectic week so far - don't expect it to ease up much til next week :-( 

 

I've just realised I've not had more than 3 hours of sleep in a day since Saturday.  This can not be good and would explain the random stuttering and slurring of my speech.  I've always had that a little but this week I'm so incoherent I don't even know what I'm saying.  Can't wait to give the Bible Reading tonight :-D  

 

Apart from working overtime at hutch and hitting the doc's I've been pretty well swamped trying to make sense of the mess down at the Shay.  The news earlier this week that the rugby boys might go into liquidation pending a drastic boost in attendance was fairly unsettling to say the least.  As one goes so goes the other....eeee. 

 

Almost non-stop emails back and forth.  I'll feel better once tangible benefits are sprouting.  Excited about the prospect of an online radio station.  Would do wonders for the fans' morale.    Cue hasty phone calls made in the early hours (time difference, you know) to see what the heck is going on.   Sounds like some investors may have come along.  Good but I've learned my lesson.  Money is second to ingenuity.  Money will buy the clubs some more time but unless they've got some good ideas in the pipes, don't bother.

 

Very frustrating.......try my best to get some sleep.

Let me just make clear that I love the work I do.  It's nice to meet new people and be involved behind the scenes.  But there are some very frustrating drawbacks.

 

Granted I prefer to fight from off the back foot; being the underdog is to have the advantage.  But when you hit the wall every bit of momentum worked up is lost.  I try very hard to avoid that, putting as much responsibility on my shoulders as possible so I'm not dependant on the actions or re-actions of anyone else.  I'm finding it's not enough to work for free or even to be the driving force behind idea conception.  So I've stepped it up to the point of dropping my own cash for their benefit.  It's a good way to go - when it involves your own money you stop and think twice.  Is the quality in it?...better be, otherwise you're proving yourself incompetent and out of touch in a very expensive way.

 

And yet even that's not enough.  Still clipping the hedges in dealing with the clubs and the stadium on the one project, while another project has so many people and companies involved it'll take a year to untangle the mess of even knowing who owns what.  but ambition makes the lungs rattle in the ribcage.  And should i grow tired of the slow progress, I may just ignore the copyrights and trademarks etc etc, and pretend it's my own company.  If worse comes to worse they'd seize any profits made......which is what was originally intended anyhow.....

I suppose if I had to go into business based on a bad pun, I'd become an "Heir Dresser" a gentleman's outfitter for the uppercrust.

 

That gets me thinking about how truly awful some things are.

 

Most disappointing movie this summer (granted haven't seen many): The Benchwarmers.    How hard is it to make a funny movie.  This movies was so appalling it ruined an entire week for me, and I didn't even watch it all the way through.

 

Worst song at the moment: Fergie-London Bridge.  Thank goodness she's not english.  If she were I'm pretty sure I'd give up football and sandwiches, go off and live in a camper van in Bulgaria.

 

 

At least we've still got The Daily Show and Colbert Report to save our sanity.

So they've announced I'm no longer an M.S.    And quite childishly, I must admit, I didn't attend that meeting.  Not so much out of shame - I'm fairly comfortable with my faults and mis-steps being public knowledge - I just don't care for the attention.  I don't much care for pity either (almost dislike it as much as people suggesting that's what i'm after....rubbish, i'm only ever just an honest communicator) Whether it's commendation or condemnation I'd rather not be there for it.

 

On top of it all it's been a long time coming; I've been deserving a boot up the backside for a while now.  The whole situation that lead up to the direct action was a step removed from any reason I would personally have for discontinuing, but it brought the right result so I'll take it.

 

  Quite often you need to take 1 step back in order to take 2 steps forward.  Give yourself enough room to work up a head of steam, know what i mean?  So I'll use this hiatus to straighten out the basics, relay the foundation, and then when I'm ready and properly qualified to do so I'll reconsider being an MS again.  As it is there's a lot of good-hearted people telling me I can hop right back in in no time at all.  But that doesn't solve the underlying problems.  So with all due respect they can take their kind words and go play in the freeway with them ;-)  To avoid the danger of working towards a status within the congregation, I'm going to focus on overall quality and spiritual health. 

 

And that my friend is how progress is done.

Picked up latest issue of the WT today, on the cover "Is this the End of the World?"  (or something to that affect)            I see this going like hotcakes - should swipe some more from behind the counter as I know at least 6 ppl at work who have asked that question within the past 2 weeks.

That, my dear friend, is a clap of good advice for the forlorn optimist.  So in a tizzy of early a.m. plotting, have committed myself to a sizeable investment with no prospect of financial return.  And that's what we do for excitement 'round here, not exactly SoCal then.  But if it goes off a treat I'll have a tad more weight to throw behind the Shay projects.

 

In other news:   ....hrmm, not much going on come to think of it. ......   

 

 

back to bed.

Glorious.  Leeds v Norwich and we're getting away with a few lucky mistakes on Norwich's part (HEALY PUTS IT IN THE NET!!!).  Later it's a pre-season friendly between Halifax Town and Wigan Athletic  (weeeeee!!!!)   C'Mon Town!

 

Gotta see if it's online anywhere.....

 

 

Happy days again.

These are the latest awards as of August 2006:

 

The Daily Show

 

Panic at the Disco!

 

Lamborghini Gallardo - soft top

 

Gnarls Barkley

 

New Gap line and accompaning ad campaign