A Certain Time, A Certain Place

Today's P&L: GBP 200.00

Today's Booze: 3 pints of Aspinall Cider

Today's Soundtrack: Fleetwood Mac

Early close today. My skin graft seems to be pleasing the doctors, still looks disgusting to me though. My leg is quite painful and I am still immobile. I have put on quite a belly since I couldn't move much - damn my aging, rotten old carcass. Getting old is a terrible thing. I have so many regrets, but if I could go back and do it all again I doubt I would have done much different. I wish I had treated myself a little better, but I would probably have missed out on some of my wilder times if I had. I do wish I had tried harder in the band as I would have made a proper celebrity, not like these chancers around today.

Obama seems to be making headway with the health program in the US, universal healthcare in the richest nation the world has ever seen - what an absurd notion! I still predict it will all come to nothing as America is a country that is dominated by the rich and there is nothing they hate more than higher taxation - still, I hope I am proven wrong. The Europeans true to my predictions have muddled through the Greece issue. Merkel seems to have gotten what she wanted, a weaker Euro, (to help Germany which is still the worlds leading exporting nation, although soon to be overtaken by the Chinese), And the IMF to actually carry the can for the kebab eaters. Make no mistake this is a bad business. The Euro zone has absolved itself from responsibility and proven itself to be nothing more than a currency of convenience. If I was a betting man, (and I am), I give the Euro in its present form no more than five years. Look forward to a Club Med Euro, (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece), to accompany the real Euro. Anyone who is trading, should look to pick up Gold futures if it goes below one thousand and fifty dollars per ounce.

The UK budget was a bit of a joke, but what do you expect so close to election time. Both parties want to increase VAT, but who is going to do that before an election? Thirteen percent on Cider - looks like me, Sir Digby Chicken Ceaser, (check you tube), and the other park dwellers will have to switch to single Malt Whiskey. Having said that, I have faith in the UK this country can survive much, (except perhaps joining the single currency), We just need some new politicians and a thorough cleansing of Whitehall.

Music today was varied but for some reason I was drawn to Fleetwood Mac. A dinosaur band, I know but I am drawn to their songs and also the dynamics of the band. Their biggest hit "Rumours", was the biggest selling record until Thriller and is basically the soundtrack of personal relationships falling apart, (I like Abbas' last record for much the same reasons). I am not interested in hearing some Pakistani kid from Bradford or some white middle class kid from Maine rapping to me about the ghetto. OK, I don't expect everyone to have seen or experienced the things I have done, but if I am going to listen to a song I would like to think that the emotion is genuine. Maybe I am a fraud as well, When I was in some of the bad places I have been, I wasn't the target, there were a few times with guns pushed against the back of your skull, when you get really scared but you kind of know that killing a white european in these circumstances may cause more problems for them. Some black kid in south side Chicago or Los Angeles doesn't have that luxury. I remember reading somewhere that the average life expectancy for a single black male in the worst parts of Los Angeles is twenty seven - that seems crazy. Anyway, according to my loyal iTunes top five Fleetwood Mac songs today were:

The Chain - "If you don't love me now, you will never love me again". A really simple song with few lyrics, but have you ever felt that your life was inextricably linked with that of someone else?

Seven Wonders - This song really appeals to me, It reminds me of some of the deepest feelings I have ever had. When I looked into a girls eyes and just knew. "So it's hard to find, someone with that kind of intensity. You touched my hand, I played it cool". "So long ago, it's a certain time, a certain place. You touched my hand and you smiled". This one also reminds me of Lucy.

Everywhere - A feel good song, One of the first songs learned to play on bass while singing at the same time - although I tried to play the bass in the style of Jaco Pastorius. "c'mon baby, we better make a start. We better make it soon, before you break my heart". These days I look at everything at such a distance, I never let anyone get too close to me. There was a time when things were different.

Mystified - just a really beautiful song.

Tango In The Night - "I keep the dream, in my pocket - never let it fade away". A one-sided song, a man remembering his one love perhaps.

Other contenders were; Go your Own Way, Caroline, Tusk, Little Lies, Big Love and When I see You Again. Better get back and see if there is any more money to be made today.

In case I don't see 'ya...good afternoon, good evening, and goodnight!