A New Wheel?

18 January 2012

Our birding trip we had hoped to go on today is off because it's raining.  According to Shefali it will be raining now for the next few days.  Hopefully she will be wrong as usual and we get it out.  For once she was right today ... I don't know what the world is coming to when we can't rely on weather presenters to keep their records - right or wrong ;-)))

The Dorktown News is shy of anything worth reporting again today apart from of their own success in scooping an award for the best newspaper in the group they belong to.  Well done to the news then.  Being Wednesday of course means that there is a property section within the paper.  I've had a look through it today for the first time in a couple of months.  I'm not looking to but though, I'm looking to find properties similar to ours and the price they are going for so that we can get an idea as to how much we will have to spend on the new version of Jaronland when the time comes.  We're still not ready to move yet and won't be for some time but it's good to look and dream anyway.

Me old mate Bill Howe has just phoned and told me that I am trying to reinvent the wheel with my ideas about benefit fraud.  Bill used to work for the old DHSS and he was telling me that what I suggested used to happen.  But it all got dropped simply because of the huge number of claimants that suddenly appeared when Mad Maggie arrived at 10 Downing Street.  Cost spiralled out of control really and all the checks were dropped in an effort to save money.  However, that shouldn't prevent them using the database of claimants names, addresses and NI numbers to root out fraud.  But I wonder ... does it suit the government to allow a certain amount of benefit fraud so that a big splash can be made when the bust one.  Then they have something to wave a big stick at don't they?

I'm still struggling with Happyman I'm afraid.  A few months ago I made a few notes on a follow up for House of Pain, so last evening I had a go at that one and got the first chapter of around 2500 words done.  It's based in Cambridge and the same coppers are involved with.  However, it will have links to cities across the UK eventually.  Now I shall have to think of a decent title.    

Some time ago I took out a subscription for Writing Magazine and for the introductory gift I chose the Writers Handbook and a boxed set of bits'n'bobs under the title You Can Write a Novel.  I'd actually forgotten about it so when Mr Postie was there banging the front door to deliver it I was pleasantly surprised.

Today's photo then ...

I found this one beside the A6 in Lancashire.  I make no comment the name chosen for used vehicle dealer ;-)))          

The 6th affair from me old mate the Sage ... and the best of the lot ...

Jake was dying. His wife sat at the bedside.  He looked up and said weakly: 'I have something I must confess.'
 

'There's no need to, 'his wife replied.
 

'No,' he insisted, 'I want to die in peace. I slept with your sister, your best friend, her best friend, and your mother!'
 

'I know,' she replied. 'Now just rest and let the poison work.'