Nationality
Posted: Thu 3 October, 2013 Filed under: Domestic, People, Thoughts, Travel Leave a comment »Over the last few days, the BBC website has had some really interesting pieces on Nationality, and people giving up one Nationality for another. What I’ve found really interesting has been the motivations for doing so – and how so many of them seem to be financial, of the country they’re no longer resident in making financial demands on ex-pats. America is particularly hot on this, apparently (<sarcasm>I know, hard to imagine America being fiscally tight.</sarcasm>)
Anyway, it’s made for interesting reading…
- Goodbye, US Passport was the article that started the series
- Twenty ex-Americans explain why – pretty self-explanatory
- Twenty readers who switched nationalities – and then twenty other people, explaining their reasons for switching Nationality from other countries
I’ve often thought about going to another country – I still don’t know if I will in the end or not, there’s a lot of rebuilding to be done yet, regardless – but it’s been interesting to see these knock-on effects that you don’t really think about all that much, and particularly about the ongoing demands of the country you’ve left.
Approaching Year-End (Part 2)
Posted: Mon 23 September, 2013 Filed under: 1BEM, Advertising, Cynicism, Festering Season, People, Shopping 1 Comment »At the end of August, I wrote about the signs that we were coming to the end of the year, and the Festering Season. Obviously X-Factor and Strictly being back on TV are the two primary harbingers mentioned in that one.
Now though, I’m seeing more signs – and they seem to be earlier than ever.
- On TV, we’re starting to see the adverts for perfumes/fragrances (for both men and women) and also the music compilation CDs that only ever seem to be on the shelves for the Festering Season. It’s always the “Oh god, I don’t know – get something” gift of last resort.
- In the supermarkets, hard though it is to believe, there’s already Christmas confectionary and mince pies on the shelves.
- And then there was this, spotted yesterday…
Yep, Christmas Cards are already on the shelves. I despair.
I’m surprised at how early all this tat is hitting the shops- I assume it’s retail’s way of handling people having less money than usual, so making the items available ever earlier. Personally I think that’s bollocks, and they’re just hoping for as many sales as possible – but as you can see from the picture above, people are actually buying the damn cards already…
Up For Sale
Posted: Sun 22 September, 2013 Filed under: Domestic, House Purchase, Norfolk, People, Weirdness Leave a comment »Having just done a random search, I’ve found out that the house in Norfolk I had with Herself is back up for sale.
It’s kind of weird, seeing the changes that have been put in by the new owners – some make sense, and are things we’d talked about doing. However, others are – somewhat mental.
As a prime example of the latter, the new owners have brutally trimmed the cherry tree in the front garden, and completely removed the huge weeping willow that was in the back garden. (and was one of the factors that made me like the place) I can see why they would have got rid of it – it was a pain in the tits to mow around, and dropped crap on the grass all year round – but it was such a fantastic tree, I’m actually kind of sad to know that it’s gone.
Interestingly, despite the work the new owners have obviously done, the price isn’t actually any different than we paid for it six years ago.
Progress, eh?
Changing Homes
Posted: Fri 13 September, 2013 Filed under: Domestic, People, Thoughts, Weirdness 2 Comments »No, it’s not me that’s changing homes, for once – I’m staying firmly put for a while longer, I think.
In this case, one of the houses along the road from me went up for sale nearly a year ago, sold in February of this year, and last weekend they were finally able to move out. (I don’t know the people, I’ve just seen how long they’ve stayed there after the ‘sold’ sign went up!) The front garden of the house was filled with plants, including a spectacular lilac, and was really quite decent. Not my thing, but decent all the same.
Anyway, within a week of moving in, the new owners have completely ripped out everything in the front garden. I don’t know what they’ve done with it all (one assumes the tip’s been busy) but I came home the other day and noticed the change straight away.
I understand the whole thing of buying something/somewhere to do your own thing to it, and all that Sarah Beeny crap. I get making it your own, making it more attractive, more sellable, blah blah. I just don’t necessarily get the reasoning of buying something, only to rip out one of its more appealing features. I just think it’s a bit of a shame really. (And yes, I know it’s nothing to do with me.)
Common Sense (Or Lack Thereof)
Posted: Fri 6 September, 2013 Filed under: 1BEM, BMW Drivers, Cynicism, Driving, Fog, People, Thoughts Leave a comment »Following on from yesterday’s horrid (yet spectacular) crash in Kent on the Sheppey Crossing, the BBC’s now carrying a story saying that various people are wanting warning signs, lighing etc. on the bridge to prevent such an accident again.
The thing is, I don’t see how that’s going to improve things. (other than in the context of Being Seen To Be Doing Something)
The accident(s) happened in thick fog. As such, I would suspect that the actual primary causes of the accident(s) were
- Fog
- Drivers going too fast
- Drivers not using their lights/foglights
- Drivers being dickheads
I get the idea of warning signs on the crossing – again, in that context of Being Seen to be Doing Something – but I can’t see how they’ll improve safety. After all…
- If they’re warning of thick fog, will people be able to see them in – um – the thick fog?
- If they’re giving warnings, won’t they also be distracting the attention of dickhead drivers who don’t seem able to multitask?
If the warning signs just read “Don’t be a fucking moron”, it might help. But even then, it would be helping far less than drivers simply not being fucking morons.