2009 March | The Adventures of Scribbleboy

Archive for March, 2009

Mar

2+2=5

By Scribbleboy 1 Comment

Categories: Life List and Money

It seems that over the past week my train of thought has jumped the track. What should be a blog focused solely on reader suggested challenges is instead a bunch of unrelated posts that cover everything from Bibles through Adidas Originals to red noses.

While the Google ads may be confused (they’re going to be sorting this out soon, make sure you go read my spanking new privacy policy so that you’re ready) most people seem to be of the opinion that “What’s in your head is interesting.” Well, there’s plenty more where that came from but today I’m going to be dazzling you with my mathematical ability and vector graph making skills (this time it’s accurate).

Week commencing 2nd March (blogged five times this week)

Accounts & Overdrafts: I know it’s not standard procedure but after last week’s fiasco I thought it’d be a good idea.

Chelsea: I am currently trying to close my Chelsea kids account but apparently I need to get my mum to sign a form (no seriously). Will rediscover the form, is on my desk somewhere, and get the parental permission I need to access my own money.
HSBC: £2,135 overdraft paid off last week. Very tempted to close this account.
LLoyds TSB: I owe them £589 on my graduate account. Will pay this off and let them know I haven’t graduated (assumption makes fools of us all).
Nationwide: I repaid the £504 overdraft last week and reduced my overdraft limit to £50 (it was the lowest I could go).
NatWest: I have paperwork suggesting that between 12th March 2002 and 10 August 2005 I was in possession of a First Reserve account. What happened after that is unclear, NatWest claim the account doesn’t exist and was probably closed. I imagine I will have to get my mother involved.

Incoming: £0

Outgoing:

£35 food
£10 drink
£1 transport (Sounds crazy but a single was £1.20 and all blog figures are rounded)
£3 stationery (My Winnie the Pooh cards are all gone but I have invested in some equally heterosexual notelets featuring pink and purple watercolour flowers)
£12 entertainment (previously I’ve only used this section to record cinema trips but it makes sense to put my Amazon purchases here too. I bought Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook 2009 and the album Baduizm, if you like Macy Gray, Jill Scott or India Arie you’ll like this too, however if you like those folks you’ll probably already know about Badu)
£27 Vodafone
£6 paid to Mr Piggles

Total: £93

End of Week Total: -£3,637

the sparklier something is the more accurate it is, you can't argue with that - it's science

The Poverty Line, for the week commencing 2nd March*

*Student loan debt of £19,754.92 is not included, however this does not make the graph any less sparkly/ accurate. If you study at Staffs Uni head over to register your debt at Brokebroken.com, get some financial advice and at the same time help to support the NUS’ Broke & Broken campaign.

Mar

Happy Red Nose Day 2009

By Scribbleboy 0 Comments

Categories: Life

Scribble is modelling the Alan Carr red nose from Comic Relief’s 2009 collection
Eyewear by Specsavers
Jumper provided by Scribs’ Gran
Hair by the barber on College Road
Makeup by Mother Nature
Photography: Sarah Gingell
Post Production: Jon Harrington

Mar

Celebrate Originality with Adidas

By Scribbleboy 4 Comments

Categories: Life

Roll tape.

This year some of the brightest stars in the music world and the sporting galaxy (along with two fashion designers who managed to gatecrash) gathered at a secret location, triple striped invites stuck to their palms, sweating in anticipation of a truly awesome house party.

They skated, bounced, they drew on the walls a bit. They played cards, drank responsibly and had a quick fumble in the bathtub. Most importantly, they wore some really bright, white shoes.

Happy Birthday Adidas three stripes, it’s 60 years since you were introduced by company founder Adi Dassler, I got you a bus pass. The advert is about more than just the three stripes though, it’s about pushing the Adidas Originals range, represented here by a sneaker, free from colour or design, sinking to the bottom of a swimming pool.

The tag line: Celebrate Originality.

It’s a bizarre concept, celebrating originality by making everyone wear the same pair of nondescript white trainers while dancing along to a remixed song. It’s even more bizarre to try and convince viewers that they can be unique too if they buy into a mass-produced global brand.

It’s hard to imagine that the celebrities featured in the campaign got to where they are today by conforming and it’s even harder to link them to the product. Daryl McDaniels rapped about Adidas (but where’s the Reverend?), Missy has an extensive collection and David Beckham always seems to be wearing it (and as I remember he once made them an ugly basketball shoe that has thankfully been lost to the ages) but I don’t know why everyone else is there.

Katy Perry’s presence confuses me the most. I’d describe Katy’s style as a caricature of a 1940s pin-up. I can see her knocking back the drinks with Eddie Valiant in the Ink & Paint Club, somewhere between Betty Boop and Jessica Rabbit (if that last sentence passed you by invest in this film).

The only time I’ve ever seen Katy wearing Adidas is for approximately 20 seconds in the video for Hot N Cold and the closest she came to urban was posing with a flick knife four years ago (following the backlash, she posed with a spoon. No, I didn’t make that up).

Surely originality in fashion is about wearing the unknown or taking what is popular and wearing it in a different way. The most unoriginal thing you can do is wear a logo like a billboard across your chest.

While this advert ultimately confuses me, if Adidas wants to invite me to party with the pretty people I’d be more than willing to go, it’s just that I might wear Nike to celebrate my originality.

[On Monday I posted a number of my thoughts and promised to blog the rest on Tuesday. Then I spent all day Tuesday bashing my head against a Ubuntu shaped wall, while I was doing that my thoughts on Adidas grew so big that they deserved a post of their own.

Make sure you take a look at Baines' post Running after Gingell -Whose your personal trainer? and Gingell's short but sweet Getting somewhere. This is the closest our house is going to get to blogging on the same topic (I'm broadly classifying this post as sports related). Also, in case you haven't already, sponsor Gingell to run 10k for Lupus UK, I haven't sworn all week so she's going to need your money.]

Mar

Where’s Your Head At?

By Scribbleboy 0 Comments

Categories: Life

This is what I’ve been thinking about over the past few days;

Bibles

Charity is exercising more and doing additional Bible study as part of Lent. I am her accountability buddy, which means I need to understand the books of Job, Isaiah and Ezekiel; otherwise I won’t be able to test her on what she’s been reading. I am contemplating investing in a New International Version of the Bible, it seems to retain all the detail of the New King James Version but is translated into more contemporary English which will make skim reading easier (don’t take my word for it, I only compared Ecclesiastes).

Was browsing the Bibles in Birmingham’s Borders today and found a version I liked (large print, book summaries, good typography on the cover) but figured it’d be cheaper in Amazon. Unfortunately, they don’t stock it. I suppose what I’m trying to say, after seeing £30 Bibles for sale, is this; why is the Bible still so expensive? It seems like it’s been out a while now, surely it’s time for a reduction?

Apples

If you’ve been reading the challenge page you’ll have noticed that Holly challenged me to eat one apple everyday for the entire month. The only problem is that we both forgot about this. It’s now the ninth day and I’ve only eaten three apples, will attempt to catch up.

Wii Fit

Eating challenges are probably a good thing because the Wii Fit tells me I need to put on 8lb to even begin to class as a healthy weight on the Body Mass Index. Please take into consideration that the Wii Fit board isn’t the world’s most accurate set of scales and according to BMI my sister is dead.

High School Musical

The other day my sister (who isn’t dead) warned me against watching any of the High School Musical films because, in her opinion, “they sucked.” Unfortunately Gingell challenged me to watch them all and because it’s a challenge that (probably) won’t “result in death, injury or mutilation”, doesn’t “contradict one of the challenges I already have” and won’t make my life any worse, I am duty bound to complete it. Sometimes I think she is trying to fashion me into the gay BFF she never had.

Paris Hilton

While we’re on the topic of homosexuality and BFFs; Paris Hilton’s British Best Friend. Everyone I’ve mentioned this programme to has turned up their noses but they need to realise that bad is good. Programmes like Girls of the Playboy Mansion, Dog the Bounty Hunter and My Super Sweet Sixteen may be trashy but they make a hilarious comment on our society and don’t tax the brain cells of my hungover mind.

Haven’t watched this week’s yet but Scribbleboy.co.uk put their money on Kat, Chrissie or Sam winning.

There are still lots more things that are trapped inside my skull like Adidas House Parties and Ubuntu but I’m running out of time here (need to post before midnight else Gingell wins) will blog them all out of my head tomorrow.

Mar

Gosh Darn it’s Still Fricking Lent

By Scribbleboy 0 Comments

Categories: Lent and Life List

It’s been twelve days since my non-kosher buddy, Mr Piggles, wiggled his way into my house and into my heart. Let’s assess the damage.

For those still confused by the format; for every forbidden word I use during Lent, I put one pound in Mr Piggles and on 11th April I put the sum total towards sponsoring Gingell in her 10k race for Lupus UK.

piggles_week_2

Monday 2nd March

Subtotal: £0

Tuesday 3rd March

17:45 – “‘Fury over Cherwell editors’ infant b*****y party’” I was reading snippets of various comments on this news story to Baines and suggesting she do something similar (that is a satirical newspaper that goes heavy on Nazis, Klansmen and pornography).

Subtotal: £1

Wednesday 4th March

13:20 – “Originally it was a story to warn girls against putting it about, she gets in bed with the wolf and is eaten. That’s why she wears red because she’s a h*.” I was explaining the origins of Little Red Riding Hood to Gingell. Never seen the word h* censored before, it looks ridiculous.

Subtotal: £1

Thursday 5th March

17:00 – “H*** yeah.” The Wii Fit asked me if I’d been exercising regularly, it seemed a suitably sarcastic response.

19:35 – “Where the h***?” Trying to locate my friends in the audience of a play.

Subtotal: £2

Friday 6th March

19:00 – “How the h***?” I try to comprehend why my new hula hooping technique is not being recognised by the Wii Fit. Baines’ record will remain unbroken until tomorrow when Gingell will smash it to pieces.

Subtotal: £1

Saturday 7th March

Subtotal: £0

Sunday 8th March

2:22 – “aww, why should you care what he thinks anyway? (and why is he f***ing people in your loo?)” It was a valid question, next time I shall try and use more delicate phrasing when instant messaging.

Subtotal: £1

Week Two Total: £6
Grand Total: £16

The first full week of Lent and I’ve sworn less in it than I did in the five day wannabe week. I’m definitely getting better, the h*** word is still present but is being used less and there is less cursing at inanimate objects. While last week’s most unusual cause of cursing was Beyoncé Knowles, this week joint first place is held by The Guardian and the Wii Fit.

Average Cost of Lent per Day: £1.33

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About

Born in Paignton, educated in Stoke-on-Trent and living in Peterborough. I am a footsoldier in the army of the unemployed and an occasional blogger.

I survive on caffeine, willpower and JSA. This blog is a record of my attempts to find work and my successes and failures as I try and complete life-improving challenges suggested to me by readers.