Readership is down since i started regulating the comments at the weekend. Seems like it's back to normal. That is a dilemma though. Go back to relative obscurity or stir things up and let people say what they want and get a bigger readership? I mean what really is the difference between 51 people reading the blog and 230? Is it that much of a clincher? That's still relative obscurity isn't it? I guess if we were talking in the thousands it maybe a problem.
It's not exactly Neighbours is it? When viewers left in their millions when it got shit, it was always shit but you know what I mean. I suppose when Kylie left to be a professional cutie is when the slippery slope began. Then it was Jason, Marge, Harold. They all jumped ship as did the viewer. Hang on what the f***k am I on about? Comparing me losing 120 readers on my blog to Neighbour's losing 8 million in the 90's? Doing a critique of an Australian soap opera? Am i taking the piss?
At least 51 people in the world have dropped what they are doing to read this shit. You could be doing absolutely anything. Reading up about Obama's policies to get America out of the shit over the next 4 years (Good luck with that one Obama, think of his name in a West Country accent), you could be visiting Poundland and stocking up with Wagon Wheels. You could be reading one of the myriad of topical informative blogs about fiscal policy, self help, exercise, nutrition or Peter Andre. You could even be spending time with family or friends eating Victoria Sandwich. But no you have decided to read this blog and I have decided to talk nonsense about Neighbours and the great demise since Harold and marge left to concentrate on opening a swinging club in Milton Keynes. I do apologise.
I'll get back 'on message' now, sorry about that.
Obama won. I suppose it was the lesser of 2 evils. I have no Faith in politics or politicians. Surely it's corrupt and essentially run by faceless corporate giants. I think politicians especially ones in power are puppets and the masters are behind them. Having said that America has more African Americans, Hispanics &Asians voting so they were hardly going to vote for a white, middle aged, right wing, idiotic Mormon, millionaire, who doesn't believe in homosexuality, fairness or abortion were they. I think the writing was on the wall when he invited Clint Eastwood to speak at his party conference where a live TV audience of millions saw Clint slip gently into Insanity on Romney's time. 'Vote for Romney and strong librium'. Not a message to inspire confidence.
Obama is vaguely believable, I suppose I would have voted for him too. What surprised me was the large turnout for voting. They do everything bigger in the USA. I'm surprised they were able to put that burger, fries, with maple waffles and twinky down for long enough and waddle their obese leisure slacks and reinforced trainers down to the polling booth squeeze into it and wrap their fat little fingers around a pen long enough to actually vote. Well done USA at least you voted.
Other news today?
M&S reported a 10% drop in profits and Primark a 12% rise. It's the way we are going here in the UK. The middle income market is dropping. You are either rich or poor. M&S used to be the bastion of British class. Now it is the bastion of British confusion. Have you shopped in there? It's like going into the mind of a paranoid schizophrenic. Messy. They don't know what they are anymore. If it wasn't for Percy Pigs and Cashmere they would be fucked.
Not like Primark. Primark knows exactly what it is and does not apologize for it. It's scum but good scum. Cheap as chips and busy as anything. I love it. Bodywarmer for £8, T-shirts for £3. Polo neck jumpers for £6. OK you look like you've just put up a shelf and are about to worm the dog but it's very cheap clothing. Anywhere that sells leopard print high heels and leggings is OK in my book. Perfect for the casual transvestite. I can't believe they haven't opened one in Llanelli. It's a perfect market.
It's very interesting to see how the High Street is changing in the UK. The traditional community is dying out. Independent shops like Butchers. Greengrocers, boutique's are fading. Supermarkets and out of town retail parks are ever popular. Replacing these on the high streets & A sign of harsh economic times is the growth of 'Poundshops' in the UK.
This is a strange phenomenon. Shops such as 'Poundland', 'Everything under a Pound', '99p or less' have sprouted up everywhere. Some selling their own branded shit and others with mass brand names. At first most people were snobbish about it and looked down on people shopping there. The target market were low income people who smoked Rothmans or roll ups and ate fun size packets of Twix's for breakfast. However in the recession this has changed. Now the middle classes are shopping there and it is more acceptable. A sign of our times maybe?
Of course in lower income areas there are loads of them. Hounslow and Llanelli have several. For some things they are wicked. I guess people with kids who want to stock up the biscuit jar, chocolates, house hold things it's perfect. Toblerones for a quid? Get in there. Why go to Tesco or Asda and pay £2 when you can go to these places and get them for a quid.
You can also annoy the shit out of people in there by picking up every item and asking 'How much does this cost?' They must hear it 10 times a day.
You must be careful though as i bought some hair gel last week and although it's bright pink & looks the part it has about as much hold on the hair as Clint Eastwood does on reality. I may as well have used spunk and been done with it. Poundshop gel is useless. The washing powder isn't too clever either as it makes your clothes about as clean as Jimmy Saville's closet and the shampoo? Even Rats it was tested on said 'got any Loreal?' You have to choose your products wisely.
Still it's great for biscuits. £1 for huge packets of wagon wheels, vicounts, blue ribbands & trios. It's a nostalgic bulimics dream.
It does show the changing patterns of retail in this country though. Of course the high end luxury brand shops are unaffected. People with money will always shop there, but the lower income market is booming. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Even the supermarkets are getting into it by introducing budget lines. Waitrose has jumped on board with their own 'Essential' lines. Rivalling Tescos's 'Basic' lines which has the worst packaging in the world. They couldn't even be arsed to make it look appealing. Three blue stripes with the words 'Basic' on the pack. They are effectively saying to the consumer, 'Look we know you're skint and like shit and we don't really want you're custom as you're scum but we've had to accommodate you, but we're fucked if we're going to make any effort for you. I wouldn't even bother looking in the ingredients as it's full of shit and additives and mechanically separated. Give up and go to poundland. We despise you'.
No respect they show the consumer. At least the Waitrose 'Essential' range has some semblance of class about the packaging, though it is vastly different from the Tesco or Aldo budget range. In Waitrose because it's so middle class, 'Essential' items include Focccia, Organic artichokes and a Ford Focus (Estate), such is our supermarket class wars.
Other news today. Olympic legend and Tour De France winner was knocked off his bike whilst training by a woman in a white Astra......insert your stereotype here. Oh I just did.
I took 5 hours to do a powerpoint presentation. I reckon anyone from Poundland could have done it better. Not my strong point.
Mint Lindy chocolate is the new crack cocaine.
Until tomorrow
x
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