NCP Tackle Homelessness

I WAS PLEASED TO SEE THAT A CITY CENTRE CAR PARK HAS PROVIDED THE HOMELESS WITH A PLACE TO STAY.

I took a picture with my cameraphone. Click on the image to enlarge.

It shows a wheelie bin outside the car park.  The bin is filled and overflowing. On the side is written

NCP
REFUGE
ONLY

It is so nice to know that there is a refuge at the NCP. I had always thought of those wheely bins as being for Refuse or Rubbish, and it would certainly seem to be the case that some silly person has mixed up Refuse with refuge and filled the wheely bin with refuse! I do hope this doesn’t inconvenience the homeless people using the bin as refuge at this time of year.

The Mask

I WAS STRUCK BY SOMETHING ON A LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL NOTICE BOARD.

It shows a group of children, in a “before and after” scenario. The Before has all four kids in red hooded tops with white masks.  The one below is clearly meant to be the same chaps without masks… except one of them definitely wants to keep his true identity top secret.

Click image to enlarge.

Perhaps his family are on a witness protection program?  Or maybe he looks like that in real like (and that is NO mask)? Will we ever find out?

Child’s Improvised Anti-Theft Device

I WAS STROLLED THROUGH SHAWLANDS WHEN I CAME ACROSS THIS CHILD’S SCOOTER PARKED BY THE ROADSIDE.

Clearly the child was aware of theft and had taken measures to secure the scooter, using a cable and the church railings. It is clear that the cable was usually stored in the wee pink bag fitted to the handlebars.

So there it was all carefully locked up, except that it would extremely simple to remove the cable and take the scooter. My heart went out to this little girl who took a degree of care in parking and attempting to secure her wee pink scooter.  I do hope no-one actually does steal it.

Things are getting worse when such small children are even aware of theft, and I can only imagine that this little girl has some experience.  She does not want her scooter stolen, but, when you look at the scooter, there is very little that can be done to secure it.  She’s done her best, but really an eyelet ought to be part of the design.

Holy Street!

AMAZINGLY, NO ONE WAS HARMED WHEN THE STREET CAVED IN TODAY.

I was walking along Renfield Street, and right at the corner where the old ABC cinema used to be, the road simply collapsed!

It was big enough to drop a full-length family car waiting to turn left onto Renfield Street!  Things are getting worse when roads can suddenly cave in.

In 2007, the road outside the Citizens’ Theatre collapsed as a result of a burst water main, ironically while “The Tempest” was being performed (see Clipped News Article).  Glasgow’s infrastructure was shown to be crumbling and in dire need of investment.  The pot holes cannot be making things any better. Thing sare definitely getting worse when pavements and roads can simply and suddenly cave in without warning!

InSecurity

I WAS AMAZED TO SPOT THIS NOTICE PINNED UP AT THE FRONT DOOR OF A FANCY OFFICE BLOCK.

It simply states that Security will be back in 5 minutes. Yes, security – the people securing the building are unavailable for a few moments — and, importantly, were thoughtful enough to let us all know about this fact.

Things getting worse? What do you think?

Holiday Puzzlers

I LOVE GOING ON HOLIDAY, BUT I HATE LOOKING FOR HOLIDAYS.

The websites are rubbish because they let you fill in forms online and then tell you that there is nothing — and you are left to wonder what particular thing was wrong — was it the dates or times? Perhaps it was the Airport (Glasgow? so you try Edinburgh, Pretwick, Newcastle and so on), was it the hotel or detination.  It is a nightmare of complexity!

Even the local travel agency in Shawlands is confusing.  Click on the picture to enlarge.  I took this picture in the window to illustrate the point that you look at two prices and cannot help but compare them.  It looks like Majorca for £229 versus Kos for £297 — but that is not true; Majorca is based on FOUR sharing, while Kos is based on TWO sharing.

Why can’t the website and cheap airlines be simpler and clearer?  Why can’t the adverts tell you the price of the holiday or individual price? It doesn’t seem to me to be beyond them.

 

Nice Dinner?

A LOCAL CHINESE RESTAURANT HAS A MENU THAT STRUCK ME AS UNUSUAL, SO I THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE IT HERE.

I noticed that there was a section of dishes headed “Wonderful Dishes”! However, it fails to describe the dishes sufficiently well for my taste, wonderful thought they no doubt are, these dishes could not really tempt me.

Please double click on the image to enlarge.

I then noticed that there was a section of dishes called “Wu Ming” – perhaps for women? What of Wanton Wu Ming? Who knows? I certainly don’t. I suppose photographs would have helped, all I know is that the people serving had English as a remote secondary language, and my enquiries bore no fruit (nor any forms of new Chinese food).

Things are getting worse when the local Chinese takeaway is a mystery!

Cat Milk

I AM OFTEN STOPPED IN MY TRACKS BY WHAT I FIND ON SHOP SHELVES.

I came across Cat Milk recently, and wondered (of course) if it were milk from a cat (or cats).  It is more likely to be milk for a cat (or cats), but still, the matter was never made clear. The picture of the cat did not help.

Either way, Cat Milk cannot really be a serious proposition; it is not in national newspapers nor is it on TV or radio adverts (to the best of my knowledge).

I fancied buying a bottle to try it on my cereal, but at the last minute decided against it because it does not have any celebrity endorsement.

Things are certainly getting worse when Cat Milk is a possibility, don’t you think?

Same Flat Syndrome

IN THE WINDOW OF ANY ESTATE AGENCY ARE PHOTOGRAPHS OF FLATS FOR SALE.

Things must be getting worse because every flat is decorated in the same style! Notice the pseudo traditional sanded floorboards, fireplaces, couches and plain walls.

Perhaps the television make-over shows are to blame for all this, but it was never like this in the past; I quite enjoyed viewing flats for sale and browsing estate agencies, and the variety in décor was exactly what made house hunting fun. Things are getting worse when we all live in the same flat, or aspire to sameness.

Glasgow Dress Code

WE ARE GRATEFUL TO RECEIVE A LOT OF FUN THINGS BY COMMENTS AND E-MAIL.

Some are virals and round-robbin items, but others are (or seem to be) genuine originals.  This photograph taken of a public house notice in Glasgow has the appearance of being authentic.

Thanks to Robbie for this.  We reckon it will make Glaswegians smile, but still, things are getting worse when we have to resort to public admissions of bigotry and foolishness.

For those out there in the internet world who wouldn’t know what this means, allow me an explanation: pubs in Glasgow are known as “Rangers Pubs” or “Celtic Pubs”; these are places where football fans congregate after matches to drown their sorrows or celebrate their victories. There are several football teams in Glasgow, but the biggest two are Celtic and Glasgow Rangers.

Other pubs distance themselves from football and the associated bigotry and religious sectarianism, to avoid drunken violent incidents and perhaps try to cater for families.  These pubs put up notices stating the policy of refusing access to people wearing “football colours” — meaning scarves, football tops, flags and the like.  The word “Fud” is a local slang term for vagina, but it means “fool”.  Now you know!