Ben Taskers Blog

I cant seem to catch a break at the moment, today has been as bad as the last few days. (more)   No comments | ¶

The weather is overcast again which certainly suits my current mood. I think it is just the early mornings caused by having to catch the train, I'm currently sat on one whizzing my way to another day of work. Today signals the start of a new week, and hopefully it will be far better than the last one. We can only hope unfortunately.
I'll post some newslinks later on, but for now check out userfriendly.

My plan for tonight is to be creative and see what else I can add to the cocktails page.

but first I have to survive a day at work. Still could be worse I suppose.   No comments | ¶

Im on the train home and i can definitely say its been one of those weeks. Thanks to the bike breaking down I have been commuting by train. This means earlier mornings so i am utterly knackered. Everything seems to be going wrong this week which leaves me with a feeling of "Why the fuck do i bother?"

To top it off the home office are part way through a ten week, nationwide test purchase hit. The government seems to be far too lazy to try and cure the problem. Rather than educating the kids and stopping the parents sending their kids out with enough money for vodka, the Home office instead tries to catch retailers out with some pretty dirty tricks (they have been known to have a dodgy looking guy stand near the champagne whilst the kid tries to get served). In the process they are wasting a lot of your taxes. But if they can hit ten people for £80 then they have raised nearly a grand.

I was reading earlier this week about a councillor (with a spotless record) who also runs an offlicense. Seven years ago he called the police three times about a youth who was getting very rowdy outside his shop. The police didnt turn up, so he went outside and asked the youth to move on. This kid then threatened him with his fist, so the guy pushed him away with one hand and clipped him around the ear with the other. His wife came out to intervene and the kid spat in her face and called her a fat bitch.
The police arrived the next day and told the shopkeeper that the kid had complained and that he would be charged with assault! Seven years (and more than £10000 legal fees) later a magistrate has decreed that the shopkeeper used reasonable force. He awarded legal fees of £1500.

The fact that this could even have happened shows what a mollycoddling nanny state Britain has become. We have long since passed the point where criminals are better protected than we are. No matter the circumstances I could not use bodily force to protect a two year old from harm. Whilst I do not believe the use of firearms should be made acceptable, steps do need to be taken so that we can protect our possesions and loved ones without being criminalised ourselves.

Although I doubt it will come to pass, hopefully Browns Labour will see this come about. More likely however is a tax raise.   No comments | ¶

well its been an interesting day. Schizophrenic weather that switches between beautiful sun and miserable gray at the drop of the hat. Up until 40 minutes ago the day was going well, but then the bike decided to break down when I'm 40 miles from home.
To be fair to the bike I think it is a Suzuki issue rather than a bike specific issue. As far as I can deduce by listening to my engine my cam chain tensioner in the front cylinder has gone to motorcycle heaven.
Still I have suspected it of playing up for a while but did nothing so I cant act too surprised. Thankfully i noticed the change in severity before we got a full seize up.   No comments | ¶

As some are aware (I have posted a link on the front page) the media industry have sent a cease and desist letter to a number of websites and blogs, (more)   No comments | ¶

I've been given much cause recently to think about the rights and wrongs of capital punishment. (more)   No comments | ¶

driving up to work today i had the unpleasant experience of being undertaken by a car going flatout. He had been tailgating me for a good couple of miles so my speed had gradually dropped away. When the opportunity came he moved into the left hand lane and went flat out towards the car in front before shooting out in front of me. To add insult to injury he then wound his window down and gave me a two finger salute!
he seemed to be under the impression that he owned the road. Were my temperament (or indeed my mood) different i could have done a number of things. I could have dropped a cog and shot ahead leaving him no chance to come back across, but it would have caused a major accident. Im sure some drivers would have done it all the same. Equally i could have followed him down the next turning and had a word, meaning i would probably get done for road rage. Instead i sit knowing he will kill himself someday soon and just hope that he doesnt take anyone with him.   No comments | ¶

its been a long hard day, im currently sat in a bar testing the mobile blogging feature on my phone. If you are reading this then it works quite well!

today has really put my patience to the test, the company 'forgot' to pay our bonuses, and delivery was mainly crap we don't need. Its all par for the course i suppose but its starting to wear thin.

I have had a few interesting discussions with various customers today which i will explain later, but thats all for now!   No comments | ¶