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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on May 8, 2021 20:49:29 GMT
Very impressed with central Glasgow - weirdly it reminds me of Toronto ! A widely spaced grid pattern on a hill rising up from water, big grand Victorian buildings mingled with brand new ones, and a motorway through it ! Also tonnes of flashy cars, we’ve seen multiple new lambos, more Porsche’s than ive seen in ages, bentleys, RR’s, even two SVR F Paces. Glasgow frequently stands in for US cities ( Philadelphia in World War Z comes to mind) in movies because of its grid system and the integration of the motorways based on US designs.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on May 7, 2021 15:51:52 GMT
For me this was a nailed on certainty and I think it'll be repeated more and more as the months and years go by. For Labour to field a pro Remain candidate in an area that voted leave by 70% was sheer madness. For the "London liberal intellectuals" to then spend years calling these voters thick, racist, gammons but then asking them to vote Labour, well that was always going to end well wasn't it?
But more than that there has been a huge change on Teesside since the Conservative Mayor, Ben Houchen came into power. He's just been re-elected by a huge margin and that is only to be expected - he's delivered far more than he promised and there's a real sense of optimism and pride in the area these days. I know from my dealings with the Labour council in the area they considered that industry had no future in the Tees Valley and they saw a post industrial Teesside based around retail, leisure, and tourism (read: lots of people in minimum wage jobs plus tax credits). Teessiders are proud of their industrial heritage and want to bring real, well paying jobs to the area, something Ben is doing. He fought against Labour to buy the airport, he fought against them to buy up the old SSI site and create a huge industrial site twice the size of Gibraltar for modern industries, he got the freeport, brought Treasury jobs and lots of other initiatives you don't hear about. Labour's plan was to preserve and turn the old steel works into a museum as it would provide 100 jobs and showcase the heritage (despite the fact the blast furnace was only built in the 70s and people were only too pleased when it was demolished and they got rid of an eyesore).
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on May 5, 2021 7:52:54 GMT
I’ve always assumed if they could fix it they would. I remember the AA supplying and fitting a new timing belt on my Cavalier in the car park of The Hilton Hotel, Glasgow.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on May 2, 2021 18:52:03 GMT
Never been more proud of United fans.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 29, 2021 18:01:47 GMT
I would point out that Man Utd did not boycott the FA Cup. Pressure was put on them by the English FA to pull out of the FA Cup for a year and play in a FIFA tournament in South America as a way of supporting the English World Cup bid. And look how that turned out. I’m a Liverpool fan so sticking with Man U being arrogant and boycotting it the horrible bastards That’s OK. Some of us haven’t forgiven Liverpool fans for Heysel and getting English teams banned from Europe all together..
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 28, 2021 21:32:28 GMT
I have SKY with the sports, HD and broadband (no movies) , and mine is £60 a month Thats not too bad considering pretty much all I watch is sport. I don't pay for BT sport as I've never agreed with it and I think I pay enough anyway. I do have a log in for my bro's that I use to watch games on that. Its shame the days of champions league on ITV are a thing of the past. It used to be great watching a game On ITV with Clive Tyldsley commentating. As for the super league, I'm SO glad of the outcome, and that players and managers have given their honest opinions. It would've been an absolute disaster. Just think back to when Man Utd boycotted the FA cup about 20 years ago, for that shitty FIFA club championship or whatever it was, because they thought they were bigger and better than the FA cup. Look how that turned out....
Finally, after watching the final over the weekend, how frigging good was it to finally see and hear a decent amount of fans in a stadium again. I would point out that Man Utd did not boycott the FA Cup. Pressure was put on them by the English FA to pull out of the FA Cup for a year and play in a FIFA tournament in South America as a way of supporting the English World Cup bid. And look how that turned out.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 24, 2021 6:32:08 GMT
I remember having to drive from Newcastle to Berwick upon Tweed every Wednesday to watch Manchester United in the Champions League. Newcastle had qualified that year and Tyne Tees were showing their games instead. We’d found a pub in Berwick that had a TV in back room that could pick up Granada TV, showing the United games.
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Apr 23, 2021 19:03:39 GMT
Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 23, 2021 19:03:39 GMT
I must admit I assumed the chickens all had blood donor cards and attended a session at their local church hall to donate. Then sat around afterwards with a cup of tea and a custard cream.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 23, 2021 8:06:49 GMT
it’s like a sickness...
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Apr 23, 2021 8:04:34 GMT
Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 23, 2021 8:04:34 GMT
Someone at work told me an interesting true story about a chicken today I’d warn him you can get 5 years for sexually interfering with a chicken.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 21, 2021 10:43:04 GMT
Agreed but the ones who do make it appear to very quickly forget just how lucky they are. Perhaps some do. When she worked for NUFC Mrs Sacamano spent quite a bit of time with players and while, pretty much to a man, the French ones were sulky pains in the arse, most were just ordinary lads who only wanted to play football for the love of the game. We have Sean and Matty Longstaff at our golf club and they are just nice lads doing what they enjoy. The fact that they are earning very good money is a nice side benefit but if they weren't playing for Newcastle they'd be playing for North Shields or Blyth Spartans and be just as happy.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 21, 2021 10:25:34 GMT
The problem with salary and transfer caps is that there are lots of ways round them - as we've seen in the case of rugby. If you look at financially doped clubs like Manchester City and PSG where they are owned by countries they find all sorts of ingenious ways to get round Financial Fair Play and salary caps. City boost their income by having their owners funnel money to them through dubious sponsorship deals and often will get round salary caps by paying their stars to open events in Abu Dhabi, do tours, image rights, etc etc. UEFA and FIFA must be also getting backhanders as they show no great desire to tackle the problem. The idea that Manchester City, a club that a few years ago was playing in the old 3rd division, getting crowds of 10K are now worth $3 billion and all their income basically comes from one wealthy owner's pocket is farcical. The reason the City and Chelsea didn't want to go in the ESL and were late entrants (and therefore first out) was because they could see the project was aimed at reining in their spending as salaries were to capped at 55% of income. The thing is the level of skill that the players demonstrate, while maybe comfortably in excess of anything I achieved, could be replicated by hundreds of thousands of others who, for a variety of reasons, didn't quite make the grade. You've answered your own question there - the tiny percentage of spotty 20 year olds that earn these huge sums are the ones who, from the age of 8 (or younger) have competed with their team mates every year, dedicated themselves to the game, and watched as one by one the rest fell by the wayside or were culled in the most brutal fashion - usually a letter at the end of a season saying "thanks, but no thanks", devastating them and ending their hopes and dreams. It can be a very cruel game and a career can be ended by one mistimed tackle before it's even started. I live next door to the NUFC Academy and there are hundreds of kids who go in there, of all ages - how many come out and play for the first team?
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 21, 2021 8:21:59 GMT
The problem with salary and transfer caps is that there are lots of ways round them - as we've seen in the case of rugby. If you look at financially doped clubs like Manchester City and PSG where they are owned by countries they find all sorts of ingenious ways to get round Financial Fair Play and salary caps. City boost their income by having their owners funnel money to them through dubious sponsorship deals and often will get round salary caps by paying their stars to open events in Abu Dhabi, do tours, image rights, etc etc. UEFA and FIFA must be also getting backhanders as they show no great desire to tackle the problem. The idea that Manchester City, a club that a few years ago was playing in the old 3rd division, getting crowds of 10K are now worth $3 billion and all their income basically comes from one wealthy owner's pocket is farcical.
The reason the City and Chelsea didn't want to go in the ESL and were late entrants (and therefore first out) was because they could see the project was aimed at reining in their spending as salaries were to capped at 55% of income.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 20, 2021 22:16:23 GMT
I can only see another Z4 on the horizon. Everything else has been ruled out.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 20, 2021 21:26:15 GMT
Lucky her, although I see you have lost the plate as it's been transferred onto another Jag. Not my cup of tea but I wouldn't object if someone bought something like that for me You’d have to sleep with Frankie...
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 20, 2021 21:23:28 GMT
Not quite: the Premier League wrested control the top tier from the Football League, putting the top levels of football in England in the hands of the FA. This is why the FA Cup is now relatively small an occasion - because the FA can crow about the EPL instead. The EPL was also always a precursor for this meeting of the larger clubs more frequently as the FA's relationship with UEFA is different to the Football League's, hence the large number of English sides into the UCL. At that time David Dein of Arsenal had a lot of muscle in the League, at the FA and was one of the Architects of the EPL - since then he's lobbied on various FIFA and UEFA issues. He also made sure Sven Goren Ericsson was made England Manager to keep Wenger at Arsenal. This super league will happen but as I said in the OP it's currently about who controls it. UEFA will be forced down the route which looks a bit like I've written above or the big clubs will just start not arriving at FC Minions, the champions of Moravia. It was a completely stupid idea and the fact that they thought they could still compete in their domestic leagues was Pie in the sky. Good riddance.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 20, 2021 18:57:45 GMT
Doubt it will happen now Chelsea and City have pulled out. Spurs and Arsenal were only invited to give the big clubs some easy victories.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 17, 2021 18:44:04 GMT
That is sad news. When I worked in the motor industry (on crash sensors) I very occasionally visited Ford and he was known to all simply as "RPJ". Any time a visit by him was due, there was an atmosphere of excitement and also trepidation over what he would pick up "this time". RIP Richard Reminds me of when Carlos Ghosn used to visit Nissan in Sunderland and people used to run around sweeping up and painting everything insight before he arrived.
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Apr 17, 2021 17:31:50 GMT
via mobile
garry likes this
Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 17, 2021 17:31:50 GMT
But the prize for the place with the longest queue with most people in it goes to Greggs..... yes, at 9:30am there were about a dozen people lining up to buy pasties or whatever As a Geordie this makes me very proud.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 16, 2021 20:41:43 GMT
I do think the battle flag of the Confederacy would look good on the hood.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 15, 2021 16:10:02 GMT
The new job isn't doing my fuel economy any good..... From getting just under 50mpg commuting 20 miles each way largely on the M3, the Fiesta is now struggling to crack 35mpg on the approx 3 miles each way drive to and from work. I can at least console myself with the fact that a week's commuting costs about the same as a day's commute previously did, but I'm not sure that these short trips are good for the engine. I'll be interested to see what consumption I get out of the Kuga on the new commute, and the bike seems a realistic option in the summer on dry days Good to see you've found that cloud in the silver lining of the better paid job, Chris! If it's only 3 miles I'd walk, or as you say, cycle. It would do me the world of good and is cheaper than a gym.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 13, 2021 20:06:54 GMT
After 129 days, I had my hair cut again today at 8.20am. Huzzah. The Mrs has been cutting mine with the dog’s clippers. I get a Bonio afterwards if I’m good.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 13, 2021 13:24:48 GMT
Thought it might be. His training is impressive. Him and his daughter were both in the Baa last night. Yes he said he was looking forward to his first pint in the pub for 3 months. I did wonder if it was your local.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 13, 2021 12:40:38 GMT
I was up in your neck of the woods today at Carterway Heads taking the dog to training, it was lovely up there. Phil Armstrong? Yes, that him, Ruffside Gundogs up at Summerfield Farm. Just had a very nice pint of Moretti on the patio at the golf club. Not busy and a bit of sunshine.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 12, 2021 19:59:06 GMT
Cullercoats Grace Darling Gold. Cheers. I was up in your neck of the woods today at Carterway Heads taking the dog to training, it was lovely up there.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 12, 2021 18:16:02 GMT
Yes but since they're the main IT person plus deal with the maintenance, etc of the properties they're going to have to be in the office some of the time when things open up. Just insist non vaccinated people wear masks at all times and practice social distancing rigorously. They’ll soon get sick of that and get jabbed.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 12, 2021 16:44:12 GMT
Our golf club has just invested £70k in a new patio area, outside furniture, planters, and glass windbreak walls. It opened today so I'll pop down tomorrow and have a pint (after I've scraped the snow and ice off the top, of course).
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 11, 2021 21:07:03 GMT
Do I need to find a Costco member or can anyone apply? I’ve never been to one. Anyone can apply, they have a fairly wide/liberal membership criteria. It was £35 a year when I was a member but that was years ago.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 10, 2021 16:46:22 GMT
Company cars used to be a perk designed to offer an improved package rather than as an actual work tool but that's been taxed out of existence over the years. We use our company cars as actual tools of the job but there is growing levels of decent, especially among the younger consultants who don't do much driving on their spare time, that the cost to them in tax is becoming something of a burden. The obvious answer is for them not to take their cars home and leave them at the office as pool cars and therefore pay no tax whatsoever.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 9, 2021 17:46:34 GMT
BBC has gone completely OTT, cancelling all TV and radio shows until tomorrow. Republicans will be seething.
Anyway, The Masters on Sky it is then..
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