<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19931986</id><updated>2011-04-21T20:48:52.638Z</updated><title type='text'>the TM</title><subtitle type='html'>an online blogging version of the now world famous Thing Monthly magazine.</subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>Alf</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06500567805026402388</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>12</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19931986.post-6201641192328392802</id><published>2006-11-16T22:23:00.000Z</published><updated>2006-11-16T22:25:39.010Z</updated><title type='text'>the future is now</title><content type='html'>&lt;pre  wrap="" style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;wHat i DiD on Me holedays&lt;br /&gt;by Little Jimmy Foster (aged 1 and a half)(ish)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My dad and mum made me get up at 5:30 and do running for SEVEN MILES before i was allowed my Kelloggs No Fat No Sugar Choc All Bran. I then had an apple and then i had to go to my language lessons. I am learning classical Greek, which is where they send yogurt from but mummy says i'm not allowed it cos it's got all fat in it and despite the fact that I'm only 18 months old I should really not be eating more than 1 gram of fat a day as part of my 6 calorie daily intake.&lt;br /&gt;then I went running again as i'd eaten a carrot stick without asking. this skewed my GI index or something and would make me hyperactive so i had to do skipping rope too.&lt;br /&gt;after my lunch of tofu and beansprouts i had to register at the Gubberment silo and tell the nice man behind the bullet-proof plexiglass about how much mummy and daddy love me. I told them that i eat five portions of fruit and vengetables a day and run and skip and jump and have a lovely time while my dna is being extracted at nursery school so they can have special doors that only let us KOOL KIDZ who allow our DNA to be taken into the building. all the other SADD KIDDZ get left out because their mums and daddys are criminals who have things to hide because they don't let their children get scanned or registered. the governemtnt man who came to see us said that because of them we couldn't have new toys this year and if we all tried really hard to get the BAD&lt;br /&gt;boys and Girls to register that we could all get a Super Gameboy PS360 each and be allowed to have a tour around the houses of parliament to see a nice man called tony who is like father chrimstas.&lt;br /&gt;we then went to the seaside where i had ice cream made from a really KOOL thing called Nanotechnology and GM modified animal fat what is part of the govermnent's way of keeping SCIENCE and KOOL stuff like that&lt;br /&gt;alive in the UK. they need our money to stop an man called TREVOR ISTS and his WEMBLEY STADIUMS of MASS CONSTRUCTION DELAYED UNTIL 2015.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;(etc)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19931986-6201641192328392802?l=thingmonthly.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/feeds/6201641192328392802/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19931986&amp;postID=6201641192328392802' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default/6201641192328392802'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default/6201641192328392802'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/2006/11/future-is-now.html' title='the future is now'/><author><name>Alf</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06500567805026402388</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19931986.post-114684484476967212</id><published>2006-05-05T15:59:00.000Z</published><updated>2006-10-15T19:51:22.481Z</updated><title type='text'>I will survive (but he didn't)</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;"&gt;1: &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;"&gt;First you were in jail &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;"&gt;You were kept inside &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;"&gt;Doing anything from eighteen months &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;"&gt;Right up to life &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;"&gt;But your lawyers spent their nights &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;"&gt;Proving how you did no wrong &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;"&gt;And got you sprung &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;"&gt;And now you've vanished on the run &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;"&gt;Ch:&lt;br /&gt;Will you come back? &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;"&gt;I think we knew &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;"&gt;That you'd vanish when we said we were deporting you &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;"&gt;We should have put you in the dock &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;"&gt;We should have thrown away the key &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;"&gt;Cos now it seems you're in this country &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;"&gt;Committing murder and robbery&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Courier New;font-size:85%;"&gt;(etc)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19931986-114684484476967212?l=thingmonthly.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/feeds/114684484476967212/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19931986&amp;postID=114684484476967212' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default/114684484476967212'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default/114684484476967212'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/2006/05/i-will-survive-but-he-didnt.html' title='I will survive (but he didn&apos;t)'/><author><name>Alf</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06500567805026402388</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19931986.post-113745232291412868</id><published>2006-01-16T22:57:00.000Z</published><updated>2006-10-15T19:51:22.367Z</updated><title type='text'>Pop news</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;Reports are just coming in from U2 that Bono has been told off by his mum for standing too close to The Edge.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19931986-113745232291412868?l=thingmonthly.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/feeds/113745232291412868/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19931986&amp;postID=113745232291412868' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default/113745232291412868'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default/113745232291412868'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/2006/01/pop-news.html' title='Pop news'/><author><name>Alf</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06500567805026402388</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19931986.post-113693688993523032</id><published>2006-01-10T23:28:00.000Z</published><updated>2006-10-15T19:51:22.308Z</updated><title type='text'>Cloning: Update</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;Scientists from the world renowned Society for the Extension and Expansion of Scientific Knowledge And Wisdom Department University Awareness Campaign have today announced the resu&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;lts of their experiments to be the first to successfully clone an egg.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Speaking to our science reporter, R. Sciencereporter, Prof. S. Orr of the Group enthused: "Yay! We're the frickkin' best, us!"&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;Proof, as if you needed it, is featured below.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a style="font-family: courier new; font-weight: bold;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7247/370/1600/egg2.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="cursor: pointer; width: 143px; height: 141px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7247/370/320/egg2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /&gt;                 &lt;/a&gt;&lt;a style="font-family: courier new; font-weight: bold;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7247/370/1600/egg1.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="cursor: pointer; width: 141px; height: 141px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7247/370/320/egg1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:courier new;" &gt;An egg&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:courier new;"  &gt;aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold" &gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;Another egg&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19931986-113693688993523032?l=thingmonthly.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/feeds/113693688993523032/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19931986&amp;postID=113693688993523032' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default/113693688993523032'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default/113693688993523032'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/2006/01/cloning-update.html' title='Cloning: Update'/><author><name>Alf</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06500567805026402388</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19931986.post-113655294461731137</id><published>2006-01-06T13:07:00.000Z</published><updated>2006-10-15T19:51:22.236Z</updated><title type='text'>Gang of eleven</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;"  &gt;We know that the intriguingly-named Liberal peer Lord Razzle is one of the people behind this "letter of no confidence" that is swishing around the Lib Dems at the moment, but what of the other ten?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;"  &gt;&lt;br /&gt;Here, we exclusively reveal the names of Charlie Kennedy's nemeses:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Sir Glenfiddich&lt;br /&gt;Mike Mineapint&lt;br /&gt;Arthur Guinness&lt;br /&gt;Nigel Swift-Halffe&lt;br /&gt;Henry Bacardi&lt;br /&gt;Ann Otheronefortheroad&lt;br /&gt;Jim Andtonic&lt;br /&gt;Helen Absinthe&lt;br /&gt;Martine Nee&lt;br /&gt;Jack Scrumpy&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;No wonder he's turned to the drink!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19931986-113655294461731137?l=thingmonthly.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/feeds/113655294461731137/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19931986&amp;postID=113655294461731137' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default/113655294461731137'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default/113655294461731137'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/2006/01/gang-of-eleven.html' title='Gang of eleven'/><author><name>Alf</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06500567805026402388</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19931986.post-113648692197935483</id><published>2006-01-05T18:47:00.000Z</published><updated>2006-10-15T19:51:22.178Z</updated><title type='text'>Conservation watch</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;It's good to be green (unless you're the colour of my work-shirt today, which really isn't nice).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;And with world-wide interest in saving the planet at an all time apathetic "pfft", it is great to see peoples' efforts really paying off in one particular area.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;A small group of people are helping to save something that in itself is insignificant, but without it, we would all surely perish.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;These folks - known as 'dieters' have taken a vow to cut down on their intake of 'calories'. This, they hope, will ensure that the calorie lives on and provides joy and delight to many more generations to come.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;And indeed, the results of their work can be seen throughout the world.  A trip to calorie haven "Tescos" will allow you to witness the continued spread of the calorie throughout everybody's lives.  Thanks to the dedication of the dieters and their continuing fight to consume as few calories as possible, I have seen with my own eyes sandwiches filled with nearly 1,500 calories; desserts with over 2,000 calories per portion; snacks, treats and pies all designed to contain as many calories as possible.  It seems that no matter how many calories people eat, yet more are produced. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;Scientists speculate that an exponential growth in calories over the next five years will have a directly inverse effect on energy levels throughout the UK. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;Which is, when you think about it, odd. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;But, when you think about it, true. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;Prof. S. Orr of the International Science Something Or Other Panel For The Dissemination Of Things Scientific Team told us, "As calories are spotted in more and more places around the UK, we are finding that the coverage of the common PS2 is also growing. As is the size of everyone's arses."&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;Congratulations Britain! Our land is swelling with pride - or is the pasties? - and calories are now more prevalent in the UK than ever!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19931986-113648692197935483?l=thingmonthly.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/feeds/113648692197935483/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19931986&amp;postID=113648692197935483' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default/113648692197935483'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default/113648692197935483'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/2006/01/conservation-watch.html' title='Conservation watch'/><author><name>Alf</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06500567805026402388</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19931986.post-113632098405799870</id><published>2006-01-03T20:41:00.000Z</published><updated>2006-10-15T19:51:22.119Z</updated><title type='text'>Gas crisis: Resolved</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;Market forces and increased global consumption being what they are, our ever-depleting reserves of natural gas have led scientists to discover something called "unnatural gas".&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;Whilst they have a process that will allow an infinite amount of unnatural gas to be created, the resulting product has the following disadvantages:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;1. &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;It&lt;/span&gt; decides whether or not to ignite. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;2. It can, at will, change between being a solid, a liquid or a gas. Or something else which science has yet to explain.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;3. It smells unnatural. But can have a pine-fresh scent added to disguise this. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;4. It can talk. (And not in the nice, friendly British Gas adverts way). &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;5. For every BTU of unnatural gas used, a tiny piece of your soul is taken away from you. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;6. When moving through gas pipes, the sound it makes is in a musical key somewhere near K#. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;7. Chemically similar to Bolivian wine. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;8. Has a half-life of 25,000 years. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;Hopefully a number of these factors can be ironed out soon. And as long as the boffins work it out, we should have a source of cheap, if slightly menacing, energy for the future.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;Vladimir Putin has already put in an order for his Comrades in the Ukraine.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19931986-113632098405799870?l=thingmonthly.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/feeds/113632098405799870/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19931986&amp;postID=113632098405799870' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default/113632098405799870'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default/113632098405799870'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/2006/01/gas-crisis-resolved.html' title='Gas crisis: Resolved'/><author><name>Alf</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06500567805026402388</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19931986.post-113589382126182712</id><published>2005-12-29T22:02:00.000Z</published><updated>2006-10-15T19:51:22.060Z</updated><title type='text'>Holiday Lore</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;Back, back in the old days, this time of year was one of mystery.  The pagan and religious significance of the lengthening of the days, shortening of the nights made for a time of great thankfulness and joy.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;No day was more anticipated than the first of January. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;The people would gather in hushed awe as they waited for the dawning of that day and the supposed arrival of a legendary figure, seen only once a year.  Like Santa Claus, New Years Dave would come along and bring joy to thousands. However, unlike St. Nick, he did not come bearing gifts in the traditional sense. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;Arriving just after 2:30am in a state that many historical commentators considered "merry", New Years Dave would stand and yell at the door of your house, your cat and your uncollected milk bottles. He would then proceed to pee up your wall, kick over your dustbin and sick-up on your doormat.  All of this, it is speculated, would be accompanied by a mystical tune. Much like the "Auld Lang Syne" we sing today, it would have been filled with traditional cuss-words and threats of violence towards anyone who passed along the street.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;The first householder in the area to offer New Years Dave a bed for the night just to get him to shut-up would be blessed by his appearance and thankfulness the following morning.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;For only a full English breakfast, the use of the bathroom and directions to the nearest ale-house, New Years Dave would bid the family a fine day, leaving only a sock and his manly aroma impregnated upon the sofa for the rest of the year. This is believed to have brought good luck to the family and they would be excused from helping with New Years Dave's celebrations the next time he came along.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;So, everyone, be on the look out for New Years Dave.  He's on his way! &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;As this extract from Chaucer puts it: &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;    And so can ye sense it in the air&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;    Ye smell of vomite everywhere&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;    Beckons forth with sentiment grave&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;    The coming on of New Years Dave &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;    Be he a spirit? Be he a devil? &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;    Be he everso full with ale? &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;    Be he shouting at your cat? &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;    Be ye careful - step over ye doormat &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;    For New Years Dave is here again&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;    Cigarettes snaffled from round a drain&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;    And things unmentionable in his beard&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;    New Years Dave is to be feared &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;    Let him not into your abode&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;    Give him not your festive food&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;    Hand him not a wassailing cup&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;    And your daughters, keep lock-ed up. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19931986-113589382126182712?l=thingmonthly.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/feeds/113589382126182712/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19931986&amp;postID=113589382126182712' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default/113589382126182712'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default/113589382126182712'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/2005/12/holiday-lore.html' title='Holiday Lore'/><author><name>Alf</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06500567805026402388</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19931986.post-113561983615805353</id><published>2005-12-26T17:52:00.000Z</published><updated>2006-10-15T19:51:22.001Z</updated><title type='text'>Things you never see on the internet</title><content type='html'>&lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7247/370/1600/ebay.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7247/370/320/ebay.jpg" alt="" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: courier new;"&gt;(click for detail)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19931986-113561983615805353?l=thingmonthly.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/feeds/113561983615805353/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19931986&amp;postID=113561983615805353' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default/113561983615805353'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default/113561983615805353'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/2005/12/things-you-never-see-on-internet.html' title='Things you never see on the internet'/><author><name>Alf</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06500567805026402388</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19931986.post-113525337678329130</id><published>2005-12-22T12:05:00.000Z</published><updated>2006-10-15T19:51:21.930Z</updated><title type='text'>Your guide to your Christmas chocs</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:130%;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Roses:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;u&gt;Orange Mush:&lt;/u&gt; Thin chocolate shell containing hydrogenated vegetable oil and orange flavour chemicals&lt;br /&gt;&lt;u&gt;Strawberry Gak:&lt;/u&gt; With a filling discovered at the bottom of a pond, this sweet is encased in mercury-enriched SoyChoc&lt;br /&gt;&lt;u&gt;Hazelnut Reaction:&lt;/u&gt; Chocolate-style candy product with a nut-style additive.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;u&gt;Goldenish Barrel: &lt;/u&gt;Moist, whipped centre with a sparse covering of stuff&lt;br /&gt;&lt;u&gt;Praline Thing:&lt;/u&gt; Stuff. In stuff. Tastes a bit nutty. Like a mental squirrel.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;u&gt;Hedgerow fudge: &lt;/u&gt;Collected by immigrants and digested by weasels. This is their output.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;u&gt;Chunky Truffle:&lt;/u&gt; Chunks of lard with enriched with crispy surprises.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:130%;"&gt;Quality Street: &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;u&gt;Toffee Finger:&lt;/u&gt; Stick in mud&lt;br /&gt;&lt;u&gt;Toffee penny:&lt;/u&gt; Stone in mud&lt;br /&gt;&lt;u&gt;Coffee creme:&lt;/u&gt; Mud in different mud&lt;br /&gt;&lt;u&gt;White chocolate surprise: &lt;/u&gt;Last year's milk chocolate with that special "bloom" on it to make it white &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:130%;"&gt;Miniature Heroes: &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Mr Little&lt;br /&gt;Super Tiny Weeny Man&lt;br /&gt;The Dot&lt;br /&gt;Gnatwoman&lt;br /&gt;Electron-Microsope-O&lt;br /&gt;The Ultra Violet&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:130%;"&gt;Celebrations: &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;u&gt;Mars:&lt;/u&gt; The bringer of war&lt;br /&gt;&lt;u&gt;Milky Way: &lt;/u&gt;Not as good as it used to be&lt;br /&gt;&lt;u&gt;Bounty:&lt;/u&gt; On the Mutiny&lt;br /&gt;&lt;u&gt;Falaffel Treat: &lt;/u&gt;Chick pea, onion and garlic goodness. Enrobed in chocolate. (Limited edition)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19931986-113525337678329130?l=thingmonthly.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/feeds/113525337678329130/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19931986&amp;postID=113525337678329130' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default/113525337678329130'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default/113525337678329130'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/2005/12/your-guide-to-your-christmas-chocs.html' title='Your guide to your Christmas chocs'/><author><name>Alf</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06500567805026402388</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19931986.post-113501612315787121</id><published>2005-12-19T18:13:00.000Z</published><updated>2006-10-15T19:51:21.874Z</updated><title type='text'>Safety advice for when you are out this Christmas</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;* Personal safety: &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;- Always tell your mummy and daddy where you're going to be, who you're going to be with and whether or not you have clean pants on.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;- Try to adapt your route home if there are alleyways or underpasses (unless you are running late, when places like Murder Alley are a perfectly sensible alternative).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;- Don't limit your ability to sense trouble, ensure you are bitten by a radioactive spider so you can feel your spidey sense tingle when the bad guys are nearby.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;- Consider taking pre-emptive measures, like always carrying napalm or a flame thrower. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;* Personal Property &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;- Keep valuables such as mobile phones and laptops safely hidden whilst out. We suggest you carry a safe with you at all times.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;- If you're going out for the night, take enough cash with you for the evening. And also for a plane ticket out of the European city you'll end up in once someone's drugged you and removed one of your kidneys.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;* Drinking sensibly &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;- Never leave your drink unattended: There may be students about and they'll steal it from you. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;- Never accept drinks from strangers. It may be snakebite and black. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;- Or MD 20/20. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;- If you feel unwell, you're a lightweight. Go find an alleyway to spew up in. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;- If you fall asleep on the train, expect to have been cavity searched for explosives. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;* Beating terrorism together &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;- Terrorism is a crime. Like not buying a TV licence or paying tax. If you have not done either of these things, you are a terrorist.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;- Turn yourself in at the nearest police station. Everything you say/own will be used as evidence against you and it'll jolly serve you right.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;- If you want a reduced sentence, turn informer. We'll give you money and a new identity. Just think - you could end up as Hugh Grant**. Or Bill Gates!**&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;* Safe travelling &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;- Never let a black cab cross your path. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;- Sorry, we mean black cat. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;- Always carry the number of a trusted minicab company. SEE OUR ADVERTISERS!!! &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;- If you are on your own in a minicab, people are looking at you and pointing because you are obviously sad and lonely. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;**Some identities not currently available. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19931986-113501612315787121?l=thingmonthly.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/feeds/113501612315787121/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19931986&amp;postID=113501612315787121' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default/113501612315787121'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default/113501612315787121'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/2005/12/safety-advice-for-when-you-are-out.html' title='Safety advice for when you are out this Christmas'/><author><name>Alf</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06500567805026402388</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19931986.post-113476404077208614</id><published>2005-12-16T20:08:00.000Z</published><updated>2006-10-15T19:51:21.808Z</updated><title type='text'>the chrisTMas issue</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;                       chrisTMas issue&lt;br /&gt;            - issue 38 or thereabouts -&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;-- this wide -------------------------------------------&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;-- use fixed width font like Courier New to view -------&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;(c) 2005 Fairweather and Beeton Productions&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;permission is granted to send this on to your chums should&lt;br /&gt;you so wish - but in its entirety. don't try and pull the&lt;br /&gt;wool over their eyes by claiming that you wrote it cos you&lt;br /&gt;didn't. and if we catch you doing it, we'll report you to&lt;br /&gt;Teach and you'll be caned in front of the class. that's&lt;br /&gt;caned as in "beaten" rather than "forced to take&lt;br /&gt;psychotropic substances".&lt;br /&gt;this issue, the "Christmas issue in 2 hours", was writ by&lt;br /&gt;Alf Fairweather. it was a lonely old job, but I just had&lt;br /&gt;to do it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;## introduction&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And the Thingites cried out in their pain "Woe is us,&lt;br /&gt;Lord, for we have not had mannah from TM Towers in such a&lt;br /&gt;long while.&lt;br /&gt;And the Lord spaketh and said, "You frickin' morons! 'Woe&lt;br /&gt;is us?' What kind of English is that?" And the people&lt;br /&gt;looked at their feet and mumbled about how it was simply a&lt;br /&gt;dodgy translation from the original Aramaic. Or Greek. Or&lt;br /&gt;whatever.&lt;br /&gt;"Ok ok," spaketh the Lord. "As it's the panto season, I&lt;br /&gt;grant you one wish. Like in Aladdin, but with not so many&lt;br /&gt;goes."&lt;br /&gt;And so the people mumbled a bit more and the Lord sighed&lt;br /&gt;and demanded of them to speak up. And one of the braver&lt;br /&gt;people there piped forth "Can we have a lamp to rub?" And&lt;br /&gt;the Lord said, "What am I running here? Some kind of&lt;br /&gt;fetish club?" And the red-faced one shrunk back into the&lt;br /&gt;crowd (where he was soundly whipped) (which he enjoyed).&lt;br /&gt;And after a while the Lord made sucking-teeth noises and&lt;br /&gt;spoke thusly: "Get a bleedin' move on."&lt;br /&gt;"Ok," said the crowd. "Give us a Thing Monthly for&lt;br /&gt;Christmas."&lt;br /&gt;So the Lord smiled upon them and said, "OK. But you're&lt;br /&gt;only going to get it in text format. No pictures. Alf's&lt;br /&gt;too busy."&lt;br /&gt;But the people all beat their breasts and went "Awwwwwww!"&lt;br /&gt;and made long faces.&lt;br /&gt;So the Lord said, "Look just think of it as a very long&lt;br /&gt;text message!"&lt;br /&gt;And the people all cheered up and said "Gr8!"&lt;br /&gt;And as if by magic, the shop keeper appeared.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;## the shopkeeper&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Awright geeeezah! Geez, howya doin'? Geez? Geeeez? 'Ay?&lt;br /&gt;'Ay? Got yer sum luverly stuff here, matey boy. Nah two&lt;br /&gt;ways abarht it. Look at 'em, 'ay? Wotdya fink? Bewdy, 'ay?&lt;br /&gt;Bew-dee-fool. Special offer, Geez. Spesh-awl. For you,&lt;br /&gt;like. Can't say fairer an' 'at, 'ay? 'Ad a good day? 'Ay?&lt;br /&gt;I betcha missus loikes a bita these, 'ay? Them there, top&lt;br /&gt;quality, mate, top quality. Good price I'll do ya. Ho yes.&lt;br /&gt;You want sum morov them ones you 'ad last week, 'ay? I got&lt;br /&gt;'em special in fors ya. I gottem 'ere, 'old on.&lt;br /&gt;Oi! Kids! Faaack orf will ya? I'm tryin' to run a flamin'&lt;br /&gt;bizniz 'ere and them faaackin' kids cum along an' take the&lt;br /&gt;piss. I tell ya what look. I got these here, good quality,&lt;br /&gt;just a bit over their date though. How's abaht I chuckem&lt;br /&gt;in ya bag and charge ya a quid, ay? Laaarvley. Awright&lt;br /&gt;then, geez, I'll let ya get on. Love to ya missus, 'ay?&lt;br /&gt;Luvley girl, that. You got sah lucky wiv her you did.&lt;br /&gt;Lucky man, 'ay? Lucky man.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;## a celebrity writes&lt;br /&gt;## Chris Langham&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I tell you, if I was the sort of man who celebrated&lt;br /&gt;things, I would, er, go and celebrate winning my award at&lt;br /&gt;the comedy awards. However, I currently have a restraining&lt;br /&gt;order and a curfew imposed on me, so I'm not really&lt;br /&gt;allowed out of my house. Except to go to the local school.&lt;br /&gt;Er, shops I mean. Shops. (We'll stop that now - Alf)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;## 26 Things You Can Do With An Overdraft&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1.  Pay it off&lt;br /&gt;2.  Leave it to someone in your will&lt;br /&gt;3.  Ignore it.&lt;br /&gt;4.  YOU CAN STICK IT UP YOUR ARSE BARCLAYS, YOU BUNCH OF&lt;br /&gt;FUCKING BASTARDS, YOU AND YOUR BANK CHARGES. Bastards.&lt;br /&gt;5.  And caaaaaalm.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;## Little Jimmy Foster - The Voice of The Young&lt;br /&gt;## he's controversial, he's forthright, he's 1-and-a-half&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;What my mummy and daddy don't appreciate is the fact that&lt;br /&gt;as their only son and heir (especially now, after my older&lt;br /&gt;sister drank all that vodka I mixed in with her Ready Brek&lt;br /&gt;one morning and went to sleep to be with Jesus) is that if&lt;br /&gt;I ask for a present for Christmas, THEN I JOLLY WELL&lt;br /&gt;DESERVE IT. They sit there in my house simpering away&lt;br /&gt;saying STUPID sayings like "But it costs a lot of money"&lt;br /&gt;and "Your father's the only one earning now" and "Please&lt;br /&gt;stop screaming, your mother's trying to recover from her&lt;br /&gt;breakdown".  Well WHO CARES!? Christmas is a time for&lt;br /&gt;getting, so says Billy's older brother. He drives round in&lt;br /&gt;a Nova car that has all cool lights underneath it and a&lt;br /&gt;horn what's so loud it sets off other car alarms. He can&lt;br /&gt;drive it really FAST and I said I wanted one so I can go&lt;br /&gt;in it WHENEVER I LIKE. But dad said about us already&lt;br /&gt;having a car but Billy's brother said it's a rubbish car&lt;br /&gt;cos it's a diesel and they can't do a thing called&lt;br /&gt;"accellerate for shit".&lt;br /&gt;Billy's brother said my dad is an idiot and he should get&lt;br /&gt;more money out of the social (whatever that is) cos then&lt;br /&gt;he could get me a WELL COOL Burberry basecap ball. My dad&lt;br /&gt;thinks he's funny cos he calls them "peaked caps" which I&lt;br /&gt;think is meant to be an insult, but when I've got my&lt;br /&gt;hoodie on, I pretend I can't hear him.&lt;br /&gt;So I've made my list of stuff I'm going to get, and if I&lt;br /&gt;don't then I've been told by one of my special invisible&lt;br /&gt;friends that the dog is going to get very poorly.&lt;br /&gt;I mentioned this to dad and he looked worried, but NOT&lt;br /&gt;WORRIED ENOUGH. He'll rue the day he crisscrossed me.&lt;br /&gt;I wish you all a merry Christmas, and if you don't&lt;br /&gt;celebrate it in your household, then durrrrr, YOU GET FREE&lt;br /&gt;PRESENTS YOU SPACKERS.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;signed - LJF&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;## Facts&lt;br /&gt;## The History of Film&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;* Film was invented by the Nazis in the second World War,&lt;br /&gt;but the Americans bought the technology afterwards as&lt;br /&gt;reparation.&lt;br /&gt;* "Star Wars" was filmed on the other side of the film&lt;br /&gt;reel used for Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho". This is why&lt;br /&gt;you often see Double Features of both films - they&lt;br /&gt;simply thread the film in the other way round to get the&lt;br /&gt;other film.&lt;br /&gt;* Film is sensitive media and should be kept in a cool,&lt;br /&gt;dry place away from bright lights and overpowering&lt;br /&gt;smells&lt;br /&gt;* Film uses bacteria to make the pictures. Hence the&lt;br /&gt;expression "develop your pictures" is used as it is like&lt;br /&gt;a human "developing pneumonia".&lt;br /&gt;* The first motion picture ("Star Trek The Motion&lt;br /&gt;Picture") has been analysed and is medically a "motion".&lt;br /&gt;* Claims that Charlie Chaplin invented the penguin are&lt;br /&gt;untrue. Harold Lloyd invented them 7 years before&lt;br /&gt;Chaplin was first seen on screen.&lt;br /&gt;* The first convincing CGI dinosaur can be seen in the&lt;br /&gt;film "Dirty Harry" - it is played by Clint Eastwood.&lt;br /&gt;* Whilst some claim the film "Event Horizon" is in league&lt;br /&gt;with the devil, this is untrue. He only put up 5% of its&lt;br /&gt;final cost. He was more an Executive Producer. However,&lt;br /&gt;all Disney films ARE.&lt;br /&gt;* Lindsay Lohan was digitally placed in the film "Herbie:&lt;br /&gt;Fully Loaded" when they realised original star Goldie&lt;br /&gt;Hawn wasn't working as the teenage lead. Despite the&lt;br /&gt;botox.&lt;br /&gt;* In the future, films will come on media like an LP which&lt;br /&gt;will be called "Fine Image Laser Media Storage", or&lt;br /&gt;"FILMS" for short!&lt;br /&gt;* The Box Office is where boxes in grey suits go to work.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;## back issues&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you require any back issues, there are a number of&lt;br /&gt;options:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1.  Sit in an awkward position for 12-hours straight.&lt;br /&gt;2.  Get a big strong fellow to punch you in the kidneys.&lt;br /&gt;3.  Land badly from a parachute jump.&lt;br /&gt;4.  Go to a really bad physiotherapist/osteopath.&lt;br /&gt;5.  Pick up a heavy box without bending at the knees.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;       ** Update complete! ********************&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;**&lt;br /&gt;** You must now restart your computer&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;** &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;       ** Click to:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;       ** &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;       ** Restart Now       &lt;br /&gt;** Restart Later&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;       ** &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;       ****************************************&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;## in and out&lt;br /&gt;## lizz doesn't work here any more&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;######-IN-######&lt;br /&gt;# Lost&lt;br /&gt;# Top Gear&lt;br /&gt;# The pig in all its forms&lt;br /&gt;# Whisky&lt;br /&gt;# Tomb Raider&lt;br /&gt;# Friendliness&lt;br /&gt;# Three-for-twos&lt;br /&gt;# Kids&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;######-OUT-######&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;# Wrapping paper&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;# Greedy, self absorbtion&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;# Thanklessness&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;# Quosh&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;# War&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;# Lies&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;# Grey squirrels&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;# Tidying up before Xmas&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:courier new;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;## things george lucas should have called the prequels&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1.  This sucks, no really&lt;br /&gt;2.  Rich: Gettin' Richer&lt;br /&gt;3.  Not Listening&lt;br /&gt;4.  You'll go anyway&lt;br /&gt;5.  Attack of the critics&lt;br /&gt;6.  Cheap actors = Greater profit margin&lt;br /&gt;7.  Plastic Tat Generator&lt;br /&gt;8.  Money for old rope&lt;br /&gt;9.  You Know How In The Godfather Trilogy, The Prequel Was&lt;br /&gt;The Shite One? Guess What..?&lt;br /&gt;10. Joanna Lumley&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;## the jealous giraffes&lt;br /&gt;## look at some nudie ladies&lt;br /&gt;## (don't tell mat beal)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;- Lucky git&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;(Like I said, No Pictures This Time - Alf)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;## a celebrity writes&lt;br /&gt;## boris johnson&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;What-ho! Pip-pop! Ding-dong! Tally-ho! Tee-hee! Toodle-&lt;br /&gt;pip! Jolly good! Fa-la! Zing-zong! Mumble-wumble! Tiddly-&lt;br /&gt;ping! Tra-la! Hi-de-ho! Flinky-doo! Herbly-flerbly!&lt;br /&gt;Terribly confused. What? Oh! What ho!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;## pam rhodes' thermometer of annoyance&lt;br /&gt;## aggravated? then let us add to your "f" to your "ire"&lt;br /&gt;## and "ury" and "fire your fury"*&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;10%  - The moon&lt;br /&gt;16%  - Haribo&lt;br /&gt;25%  - Weebl and Bob, not as good as they used to be&lt;br /&gt;36%  - Grime&lt;br /&gt;47%  - People who rattle on about how cold it is... It's&lt;br /&gt;  DECEMBER you idiots! It's meant to be cold.&lt;br /&gt;50%  - Heisenberg's uncertainty principle**&lt;br /&gt;65%  - Microsoft Office&lt;br /&gt;71%  - That kid they've got on "Sky at Night" to do all&lt;br /&gt;  the "moving around" now Sir Patrick can't.&lt;br /&gt;80%  - British Telecom, the whining feck-brains.&lt;br /&gt;87%  - Time, who invented it and where the hell does it&lt;br /&gt;  all go?&lt;br /&gt;93%  - Idiot drivers. IDIOTS!&lt;br /&gt;96%  - Idiot Microsoft Office users&lt;br /&gt;100% - Pam Rhodes&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;* No, that didn't ~quite~ work, did it?&lt;br /&gt;** 1 x joke for the theoretical physicists among us.&lt;br /&gt;Trust me, they'll love it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;## the wisdom of the old&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The old are meant to be wise, yes? People will sit and say&lt;br /&gt;things like "Oooh, listen to Old Mister Gribbins, he's&lt;br /&gt;very wise!" But most of the things Old Mister Gribbins&lt;br /&gt;says begin with "When I was in the war...", or "When it&lt;br /&gt;was legal to beat-up the immigrants...", or "They should&lt;br /&gt;try a dose of amoebic dysentery, that'd learn them..."&lt;br /&gt;Dribbling old fools the lot of them. I tell you, it would&lt;br /&gt;be a much better place if we locked them all up and threw&lt;br /&gt;away the key (at least that's what my old Grandad used to&lt;br /&gt;tell me).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;## thought for the issue with&lt;br /&gt;## rev. doug dogcollar&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Some girls do, and some girls don't.&lt;br /&gt;However, the really good girls always charge more.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19931986-113476404077208614?l=thingmonthly.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/feeds/113476404077208614/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19931986&amp;postID=113476404077208614' title='3 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default/113476404077208614'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19931986/posts/default/113476404077208614'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thingmonthly.blogspot.com/2005/12/christmas-issue.html' title='the chrisTMas issue'/><author><name>Alf</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06500567805026402388</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>3</thr:total></entry></feed>
