Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[RED-DOG]

I'll stick with it for another 3 months, & then, as per, pile it all back on again.

Why?

[tikay]

Your former colleagues timeline makes sickening reading right now,

a lot of very strange people online but especially on twitter where it is more like 1905 at times.

https://twitter.com/lynseyhipgrave1/with_replies

I almost wish you had not drawn my attention to that, John, it distressed me considerably, & I thought about it all day.

I know Lynsey very well, spent a long time working with her. Hard working kid, made a decent career for herself by application & energy, what's not to like & respect about that?

I gather that these days she co-presents with Danny Baker on 5 Live, & works for BT Sport. I have no idea if she is any good, but it does not matter, she is making something of her life.  

If anyone does not know the backstory, it was about a unique penalty taken on Sunday by Barcelona. She asked "was it respectful?", exactly as was asked on a blonde thread, here.....

http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=66686.0

She probably Tweeted the question as part of her job at BT Sport & 5Live, that's standard stuff to raise awareness & will be part of her role.

And the Twitter responses included......

Fuck off you fucking titbag we need sandwiches not opinions you slag

And ladies and gentlemen, this is why we don't hire any females unless we need our dicks sucked or our food cooked

This is why women should stay in the kitchen and keep their mouth's shut or around my cock 😂

why do they let women watch football loooool football has never been about respect bitch

LMAO bitch! First that penalty wasn't meant for Suarez and secondly GO FUCK YOURSELF!!!

Somewhere there's a kitchen and it's missing something

Haha honestly no one cares what you think cos you have a pair of tits


So many questions. Why do Twitter allow this disgusting sort of stuff? What are these people like in real life?

I don't know what to think or say. Very very sad.

I abandoned Facebook some years ago, & it genuinely made my life better, never regretted it for a single moment. I'll abandon the internet soon, too, in all likelihood, I don't need that sort of stuff in my life. The dilemma is that the internet contains such wonders, we can learn about anything with a few clicks on google or Wiki, the world is, generally, so much better for it.

Ugh & ugh.  

[tikay]

I'll stick with it for another 3 months, & then, as per, pile it all back on again.

Why?

Morning Tom.

Can't help myself Tom. Pork pies, sticky buns, latte, thickly buttered bread or toast, steak & kidney pud with mash & gravy, tea with sugar, I just adore all these things.  

Let's also remember that apart from all the above, I've never eaten veg (spuds & peas excepted) or salad, & never taken exercise or generally looked after myself. But I've never had a day off work sick in 52 years, apart from a whopper of an abcess on my arse once, when I had to sit on a bloody inner tube. I'm still full of energy & oomph, too, can't wait to get up every morning.

There's a lot to be said for pork pies & sticky buns you know.

Anyway, never mind that, how are things with you & yours? We don't see much of you on blonde these days, which is sad, but understandable we all have lives to live.

[TightEnd]

15th February 2016
Stephen Fry

It’s no big deal – as it shouldn’t be. But yes, for anyone interested I have indeed deactivated my twitter account.

http://www.stephenfry.com/2016/02/15/peedinthepool/


Assume you saw the background to that one?

he hade the sort of joke someone as erudite as him would only make about a good friend, internet goes nuts with the self-righteous.

[tikay]

I suddenly feel rather svelte having read that.

The truth is that I've been feeling like a bit of a fatty myself despite playing golf once or twice most weeks. I weigh ~12st.5lbs. and have a rather magnificent pot-belly too.

I daren't even try to get into my best suit trousers.

Stop it Ralph, stop it right now, 12st 5lbs indeed.

I wonder how many folks still have a "best suit". Hardly see anyone wearing suits these days.

My Dad became very ill at home once, prostate problems, he'd not passed water for 3 days. I was working away at the time, & came home to see him in a terribly distressed state.  I said "right, you, in my car, I'm taking you to the hospital NOW".

He said "OK, but let me just have a wash & shave, & put a clean shirt & tie on, & my Sunday suit".  And he did.

When we went on holiday, usually on trains & boats using his Railway "free passes", & often involving a 20 hour trip to Jersey, he'd have to wear a suit, too.

Even now, when I travel somewhere in casual gear, I think it's such a luxury, & almost have a conscience that I'm not properly attired.

I came back from Vegas one year, & Flushy was on the same flight, but he was in First Class. And he was wearing a bright yellow tracksuit. Yikes.    

[tikay]

15th February 2016
Stephen Fry

It’s no big deal – as it shouldn’t be. But yes, for anyone interested I have indeed deactivated my twitter account.

http://www.stephenfry.com/2016/02/15/peedinthepool/


Assume you saw the background to that one?

he hade the sort of joke someone as erudite as him would only make about a good friend, internet goes nuts with the self-righteous.

Yes, I saw it all.

Sad, isn't it? He's hardly the type to go round insulting people wily nilly, either.

I guess Twitter & it's users will get what they deserve.

[tikay]

obviously there is a property portfolio and at some stage a valuation that might trigger corporate interest from overseas, it not being a market you could enter from scratch due to planning and competition....

The trouble Tesco (and Asda, Sainsburys, and Morrisons)  have had in my opinion is that despite it looking impossible for new entrants a few years ago, nevertheless new entrants have appeared- there seems to be a new Aldi and Lidl all the time. It's not quite from scratch, but it's close. I reckon the mistake Buffett made was assuming Tesco had a big "moat" in his language, which turned out to be not that wide after all.

Haha, do I espy another Buffett follower?

The "moat" expression is very much in his daily language, as in businesses which have a built in defence, in the case of Supermarkets high entry cost.

Aldi, Lidl & Netto certainly shook the tree in the UK, fair to say. As a Business, Aldi is sensationally good. When they started in the UK, they had a business plan which acknowledged they would not turn a penny of profit for 10 to 15 years, whilst they absorbed start up costs. That's the real beauty of private companies with no outside shareholders to appease, & exactly what caused Tesco to do a bit of creative accounting, the short-termism.

I'm currently reading a book about the downfall of Enron. It's unbelievably good, & I strongly recommend it. 

[Woodsey]

15th February 2016
Stephen Fry

It’s no big deal – as it shouldn’t be. But yes, for anyone interested I have indeed deactivated my twitter account.

http://www.stephenfry.com/2016/02/15/peedinthepool/


Assume you saw the background to that one?

he hade the sort of joke someone as erudite as him would only make about a good friend, internet goes nuts with the self-righteous.

Yes, I saw it all.

Sad, isn't it? He's hardly the type to go round insulting people wily nilly, either.

I guess Twitter & it's users will get what they deserve.

I wish he hadn't deleted his original reply, he was spot on with what he said about the sanctimonious f*******.

[RED-DOG]

I'll stick with it for another 3 months, & then, as per, pile it all back on again.

Why?

Morning Tom.

Can't help myself Tom. Pork pies, sticky buns, latte, thickly buttered bread or toast, steak & kidney pud with mash & gravy, tea with sugar, I just adore all these things.  

Let's also remember that apart from all the above, I've never eaten veg (spuds & peas excepted) or salad, & never taken exercise or generally looked after myself. But I've never had a day off work sick in 52 years, apart from a whopper of an abcess on my arse once, when I had to sit on a bloody inner tube. I'm still full of energy & oomph, too, can't wait to get up every morning.

There's a lot to be said for pork pies & sticky buns you know.

Anyway, never mind that, how are things with you & yours? We don't see much of you on blonde these days, which is sad, but understandable we all have lives to live.

I'm currently in the best shape I've been in for about 20 years, I reached my goal weight and got proper fit. It wasn't easy though, it was bloody hard work. Enjoyable, but bloody hard work.

Now it might all go tits up and over the coming months and I'll slip back into being fat and lazy, but, (and here's the thing) I don't plan to.


I still spend a lot of time on blonde, I love it dearly and I hate to see it in decline, but sometimes you have to accept the inevitable. I have occasionally made an effort to post more, but it's easy to over do it and it comes across as forced, then factor in the fact that most people are bored witless by the things that interest me and my own declining ability to describe them in an engaging way and it's easy to understand why my diary is all tumbleweed and cobwebs.

[Marky147]

Thanks Mark.

I had to go to google & work out what 266lbs was, I deal in stones & lbs.  Jeez, you have piled it on mate.

Did I find it easy? Well I can't do these things until my head is in the right place, but I was not in good shape at all, in many ways, & suddenly, it hit me, I just had to do something. Once I get to that moment, it's dead easy, in fact it's a total pleasure. I'll stick with it for another 3 months, & then, as per, pile it all back on again. You can back the truck up on that. For now, my mind is focussed on resolving the other big problem that has been bedevilling me since Xmas (work related, maybe more follows), & next weeks UKPC. Do you miss Live poker in the UK? Can't say I've seen you playing in the UK for 10 years or more, though of course I generally see you in Vegas. Usually in a distressed condition, it must be said.

If it's not too delicate a question (ignore it if it is) how are you these days, any improvement, or just stable? (well "stable" is probably the wrong word, but you get my drift).  

It's a hefty weight, for sure. Also, being at my heaviest, when my body is at its weakest, compounds matters. Still, makes for good viewing when I'm attempting to move anywhere outside the house, and even the dog gives me funny looks.

Like yourself, I've decided to start making inroads before it got really out of hand. Aiming for 224lbs/16stone, by mid June. I've just dipped into the takeaway kitty, and gotten myself some PT sessions, as I can't train on my own. I'll no doubt be on my way towards 18 again by chrimbo, but hope not to be.

Hope that work issues resolve themself soonest, anyway.

I played a fair bit in 2005/6, then stopped in 2007 when I moved home, and played a bit in 2009 for Flushy. After that, I only used to go to the Killarney festival each autumn, and Vegas. Since they stopped that, I played a couple DTD comps in 2012, and that's it. Too much aggro getting about, and just prefer pottering about in Vegas, where everything is at close quarters. I definitely miss it, but a lot of the lads I used to play/travel about with have stopped, too.

Stable as can be, and not had any extended hospital stays for over 4 years now, which is good enough for me. Only have annual MRIs now, which haven't resulted in me being told anything. That means they're hiding something, or they're ok. All in all, my upper body works fine, so I can still work ok, and I'm quite adept at bouncing off walls now, which makes things easier indoors

All being well, I'll see you at Starbucks soon.

[KarmaDope]

I abandoned Facebook some years ago, & it genuinely made my life better, never regretted it for a single moment. I'll abandon the internet soon, too, in all likelihood, I don't need that sort of stuff in my life. The dilemma is that the internet contains such wonders, we can learn about anything with a few clicks on google or Wiki, the world is, generally, so much better for it.

I've just done the exact same thing, along with Twitter, for work related reasons. Seriously feels like I'm going cold turkey from an addiction but I will feel better for it in the long run.

One downside is that I have since realised that I don't have many of my friends' phone numbers to send them a text or give them a call, plus a lot of activities are arranged on Facebook in groups etc these days.

[Rod Paradise]

I abandoned Facebook some years ago, & it genuinely made my life better, never regretted it for a single moment. I'll abandon the internet soon, too, in all likelihood, I don't need that sort of stuff in my life. The dilemma is that the internet contains such wonders, we can learn about anything with a few clicks on google or Wiki, the world is, generally, so much better for it.

I've just done the exact same thing, along with Twitter, for work related reasons. Seriously feels like I'm going cold turkey from an addiction but I will feel better for it in the long run.

One downside is that I have since realised that I don't have many of my friends' phone numbers to send them a text or give them a call, plus a lot of activities are arranged on Facebook in groups etc these days.

I find Whatsapp far better for organising activities, keeping in touch with groups - you control the group membership, so posts aren't public, and you keep it to the relevant people.

I've a couple of family groups (one with one without Mum, for the rude jokes & swearing), football supporters club general, club organisation, and a few different friend groups.

Facebook/twitter only for public stuff.

[tikay]

I'll stick with it for another 3 months, & then, as per, pile it all back on again.

Why?

Morning Tom.

Can't help myself Tom. Pork pies, sticky buns, latte, thickly buttered bread or toast, steak & kidney pud with mash & gravy, tea with sugar, I just adore all these things.  

Let's also remember that apart from all the above, I've never eaten veg (spuds & peas excepted) or salad, & never taken exercise or generally looked after myself. But I've never had a day off work sick in 52 years, apart from a whopper of an abcess on my arse once, when I had to sit on a bloody inner tube. I'm still full of energy & oomph, too, can't wait to get up every morning.

There's a lot to be said for pork pies & sticky buns you know.

Anyway, never mind that, how are things with you & yours? We don't see much of you on blonde these days, which is sad, but understandable we all have lives to live.

I'm currently in the best shape I've been in for about 20 years, I reached my goal weight and got proper fit. It wasn't easy though, it was bloody hard work. Enjoyable, but bloody hard work.

Now it might all go tits up and over the coming months and I'll slip back into being fat and lazy, but, (and here's the thing) I don't plan to.


I still spend a lot of time on blonde, I love it dearly and I hate to see it in decline, but sometimes you have to accept the inevitable. I have occasionally made an effort to post more, but it's easy to over do it and it comes across as forced, then factor in the fact that most people are bored witless by the things that interest me and my own declining ability to describe them in an engaging way and it's easy to understand why my diary is all tumbleweed and cobwebs.

Good to hear you have got yourself in good shape Tom.

You don't plan to slip back into being fat & lazy? I see what you did there. I don't plan to, but the truth is, it's inevitable, & love bad things, pork pies, Belgian Buns, lattes etc. Without them, life is not quite so good, & I don't want to go to the grave on a diet or denying myself these pleasures.

It's a balance problem, I can't do anything in moderation, it's full on or full off.  I always aim for a happy medium, & always fail. I just do. better to acknowledge that than be in denial.

[tikay]

I'll stick with it for another 3 months, & then, as per, pile it all back on again.

Why?

Morning Tom.

Can't help myself Tom. Pork pies, sticky buns, latte, thickly buttered bread or toast, steak & kidney pud with mash & gravy, tea with sugar, I just adore all these things.  

Let's also remember that apart from all the above, I've never eaten veg (spuds & peas excepted) or salad, & never taken exercise or generally looked after myself. But I've never had a day off work sick in 52 years, apart from a whopper of an abcess on my arse once, when I had to sit on a bloody inner tube. I'm still full of energy & oomph, too, can't wait to get up every morning.

There's a lot to be said for pork pies & sticky buns you know.

Anyway, never mind that, how are things with you & yours? We don't see much of you on blonde these days, which is sad, but understandable we all have lives to live.

I'm currently in the best shape I've been in for about 20 years, I reached my goal weight and got proper fit. It wasn't easy though, it was bloody hard work. Enjoyable, but bloody hard work.

Now it might all go tits up and over the coming months and I'll slip back into being fat and lazy, but, (and here's the thing) I don't plan to.


I still spend a lot of time on blonde, I love it dearly and I hate to see it in decline, but sometimes you have to accept the inevitable. I have occasionally made an effort to post more, but it's easy to over do it and it comes across as forced, then factor in the fact that most people are bored witless by the things that interest me and my own declining ability to describe them in an engaging way and it's easy to understand why my diary is all tumbleweed and cobwebs.

Sadly, you & me too.

I could spend more time & start new threads every day, some will be duds, others will work, but I would bet anyone £10,000 that I could help Tighty & get the post count back up to 10,000 a month in one month flat if I had the time. But I don't have the time, I have a job, & a private life, & other things I need to do.

It needs lots of people to make the effort, but they don't, & in some ways, why should they? As a Community, we'll get what we deserve. If we all, collectively, make a little effort, it could thrive. If we don't, it'll wither & die, simple as that.

I'm almost resigned to it now.

Curiously, whilst Poker chit chat is in serious decline here, Sports Betting is thriving, & Fred is astonishing. Did you know it has more lurkers, taking everything & giving back nothing, than regular contributors? It's a fact. Bit sad really, that people think that fine & dandy, but it's not, imo. If I had time, we could re-brand it to be blondeBetting, or blondeSports or somesuch, I'm quite sure traffic would boom, Sports Betting is huge these days & we have a core of really knowledgeable guys here. 

Anyway, if it dies, I'll be quietly happy that I left nothing on the table, I gave it my absolute best shot but came up short. No disgrace in that, none at all. It was unlucky for me that Dave abandoned ship & left me holding the baby, but lucky that we found Tighty, without whom it would have died long ago.

What will be will be, & I'm at ease with that.
 

[tikay]

Thanks Mark.

I had to go to google & work out what 266lbs was, I deal in stones & lbs.  Jeez, you have piled it on mate.

Did I find it easy? Well I can't do these things until my head is in the right place, but I was not in good shape at all, in many ways, & suddenly, it hit me, I just had to do something. Once I get to that moment, it's dead easy, in fact it's a total pleasure. I'll stick with it for another 3 months, & then, as per, pile it all back on again. You can back the truck up on that. For now, my mind is focussed on resolving the other big problem that has been bedevilling me since Xmas (work related, maybe more follows), & next weeks UKPC. Do you miss Live poker in the UK? Can't say I've seen you playing in the UK for 10 years or more, though of course I generally see you in Vegas. Usually in a distressed condition, it must be said.

If it's not too delicate a question (ignore it if it is) how are you these days, any improvement, or just stable? (well "stable" is probably the wrong word, but you get my drift).  

It's a hefty weight, for sure. Also, being at my heaviest, when my body is at its weakest, compounds matters. Still, makes for good viewing when I'm attempting to move anywhere outside the house, and even the dog gives me funny looks.

Like yourself, I've decided to start making inroads before it got really out of hand. Aiming for 224lbs/16stone, by mid June. I've just dipped into the takeaway kitty, and gotten myself some PT sessions, as I can't train on my own. I'll no doubt be on my way towards 18 again by chrimbo, but hope not to be.

Hope that work issues resolve themself soonest, anyway.

I played a fair bit in 2005/6, then stopped in 2007 when I moved home, and played a bit in 2009 for Flushy. After that, I only used to go to the Killarney festival each autumn, and Vegas. Since they stopped that, I played a couple DTD comps in 2012, and that's it. Too much aggro getting about, and just prefer pottering about in Vegas, where everything is at close quarters. I definitely miss it, but a lot of the lads I used to play/travel about with have stopped, too.

Stable as can be, and not had any extended hospital stays for over 4 years now, which is good enough for me. Only have annual MRIs now, which haven't resulted in me being told anything. That means they're hiding something, or they're ok. All in all, my upper body works fine, so I can still work ok, and I'm quite adept at bouncing off walls now, which makes things easier indoors

All being well, I'll see you at Starbucks soon.

You are an absolute inspiration Mark, you really are.

Let's not beat about the bush, you are a sick man, & life must be bloody difficult, with no prospect of getting any better. And yet you are ever cheerful, always smiling & making light of life.

I think of guys like you, & Iron, Ice-Tiger, Tomgoodun & so many others, who are enduring these horrible illnesses & disabilities cheerfully when I'm fielding niggly questions Next Door every day. 

"Freerolls with a 25 point entry criteria, worst thing ever".

"Those pop ups are the most annoying thing ever". (The pop ups are in a chat box, & on a mini-view table measure around 20mm x 8mm, one click gets rid of them).

No further questions M'Lord.