Bruce Middlebrook

bengleman @ 2009-07-13T21:45:00

2009-07-13T20:46:55Z

bengleman @ 2009-04-15T00:45:00

2009-04-14T23:48:23Z

The Baby's here. It was 49 hours but the baby is here. Say hello to the world little baby :)

It's quarter to one in the morning and baby Jason is now 4 and a half hours old and i've just got home from the hospital to get a change of clothes then i'll probably head back.

Bruce
(I'm so tired!)

The dreaded letter format

2009-02-25T21:29:52Z

Dear so-n-so

Okay sweet cheeks, so you have a smidge of economic knowledge, that don't mean that you can try to look down upon me.

Yes, doll, I KNOW that even though prices have risen, due to the drop in the value of the pound, the cost is essentially still less. I KNOW this, why would you think I wouldn't, it's only my area, I've only been studying the subject for six bloody years!

So yes luv, I know that things are essentially cheaper. But DO NOT tell me to 'quit whinging' because of that fact when I say I have money problems.

Yes the value of the pound has decreased therefore, even a raise in price means the object is cheaper than it's original cost, BUT my salary HAS NOT INCREASED!

The cost of essentials has increased, my rent has increased, my bills are increasing, i'm looking after my duffed up sister and will soon also be looking after her spawn! The amount of money going out is increasing, but the amount of money coming in has actually DECREASED since I was fired from one of my jobs the other day!

Strangely enough, when the value of the pound decreases, that means it decreases across the board. Their not saying, oh well we'll decrease the value of the pound against what we're buying but it'll be the same for what we're actually getting in- I dunno, like, for fun-sies or something? I mean, what? How would that even work? Oh my God!

ARGGGGGGH

i'm sure that this rant made little to no sense, but god did that piss me off. SPOILT RICH KIDS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO TALK ANYMORE! Fiscal fucktards!

Role Playing!

2009-02-20T00:46:12Z

Ah the time old game of geekery- the role play. In fact, keepin' in real an all This is about a TABLE TOP version, with dice and character sheets and everything!

Yeh man! So this is the first page (that's up online, i've seen some of the others and they're pretty damn funny too) of a webcomic called 'I roll 1s' that a friend of mine is doin'.

It is accompanied by a haiku which was apparantly co-written by the three people involved at 4am after 52 hours of solid game play and is a summary of the sory as it stood so far.

'Missing eye wriggling,
Elf, human, hobbit looting,
We have many shoes.

And, for my amusement she has given me the first draft of her song 'My alcoholic Elf' (which I'm not allowed to give you) and the tagline of their demonic mascot- Blinky!- (with a signed sketch of him in a monocle and top hat) which I AM allowed to give you

- ahem!-

'THERE was a dismembered eye
that lived in a shoe;
With no moving limbs,
He didn't know what to do!'

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this snapshot of Whooper's cracktastic rpg!

IT'S MAH BIRTHDAY!

2009-02-11T23:31:47Z

Well nearly :P
Y'know, like in half an hour lmao!

BUT i'm not staying up for two reasons, ONE i'm not Harry Pooter and TWO I'm sleepy :)

HOWEVER, I demand much birthday love
AND much birthday sympathy as all my friends have pointed out how OLD I now am :(

NIGHT Y'ALL
SEE YOU ALL TOMORROW ON MAH BIRTHDAY!

bengleman @ 2009-02-04T11:23:00

2009-02-04T11:37:21Z

I have some how (haven't a clue how) hurt my back. I hurt it over a week ago in fact and far from getting better it seems to be getting worse. I went to the doctors last week at Rachel's insistence and I was given some tablets that do bugger all. Today, i've actually been so bad that I couldn't get into uni :( SO I went to the doctors again and I've been given a happy little cocktail of drugs that makes my head spin- whee!

Umm, in other news it was Caleb's funeral last week which was beautifully doe, but that doesn't make it any less sad so I'm not going to go into that.

Thirdly, as Saffron's due date nears, just a couple of months to go, she's getting steadily crankier, we've had to buy a new bed since she's still inhabiting mine and I cannot sleep on the floor for a further two months with my back in this state (Jesus I feel old). We keep going shopping for baby essentials though I've managed to wheedle some of Shawn's old things out of my dad who has calmed down a lot since he first found out he was going to be a granddad. Furthermore, we have finally settled on a name for the baby and have decided to name him Jason (because I totally got my own way) and his middle name, Saffy's decided, will be Liam.

Lastly, I suppose, it's coming up to my 22nd birthday (cries) and if I wasn't worried about what would happen if I mixed alcohol with my drugs i'd go drink myself into a stupor. I desperately do not want to turn 22, as stupid as that may sound. It kind of verifies the fact that I'm actually an adult, something I well do not feel ready to be, and the fact that four years ago I started uni thinking 'i'll finish my education at 22 how cool is that' and now that i'm nearly 22 education's become a bit of a comfort blanket (i've only been having it for the last 20 years after all) and i'm a little worried about what's going to happen afterwards- especially if I'll now have two more mouths to feed (Saffy's decided not to go back to work).

Anyway, I guess that despite that trepidation, I'm still kind of excited, i'll have my degree and will hopefully be able to move out of the world of working as a waiter, or a night guard, or the guy who cleans the deep fat fryer at McD's and onto something that i'll actually enjoy :D.

Sorry, I know that I have way too much going on atm.

Bruce

bengleman @ 2009-01-24T21:34:00

2009-01-24T21:34:53Z

Anybody going to be at bloodstock this year?

bengleman @ 2009-01-16T22:10:00

2009-01-16T22:19:02Z

This has been such a terrible horrible crappy week :( And it shouldn't have been because i'm back in India and it should have been so good.

But I spent all monday in an absolute state because It would have been Vicki's birthday and then today I got this phone call and my friend Caleb was in a crash- the police came to his house and his sister- HIS FUCKING TWIN- was the only person home to tell and then she had to call their parents and tell them their son was dead and I can't imagine it and I hate hate hate that this happens and I'm really gonna miss him and my heart goes out to Noodle because I love you darling and I know I can't possibly understand what you're going through and i'm so so sorry!

I'm never learning to drive a car- I told Saffy that she's not allowed to get in another car until I get home because I'm so terrified that something will happen to her- I know it's statistically unlikely but in less than a year i've lost two friends to car crashes and it just doesn't seem fair, I shouldn't have to watch on as the people I love die and I just want everything to be okay again.

I'm sorry people.

I raise a metaphorical glass to Vicki and Caleb- I'll miss you both and I love you Noodle- try to be strong for me.

bengleman @ 2009-01-01T00:01:00

2009-01-01T00:02:26Z

HAPPY NEW YEAR UK!

I'll give you five to settle down from the midnight celebrations then I'll give you all a buzz!

A bad christmas

2008-12-25T18:34:56Z

Well it's christmas and so it's the first day since i've been in america that i haven't been doing work experiece which kind of sucks because i really could use something to distract me today. I really really miss being away from my friends, though that did ring me this morning and scream christmas carrolls down the phone at me which was fun.

Haven't heard from any of my family- and given that it's probs about 6:30 there now i'm not really expecting to hear from them- i'd ring them myself but it's expensive to do so.

Anyway- yeh, i'm kind of a bit down in the dumps but I hope that everyone else (especially any of my mates who happen to see this, are having a good day and- just dropping a hint, you guys- a few words of comfort for your far away friend would be Greatly Apprecciated! HINT HINT

Bruce.

ps) I can't find any mince pies and I really want a mince pie so if anyone in Americe knows of a shop where I can either buy mince pies of a tub of mince meat to make mince pies- please let me know!!

bengleman @ 2008-12-18T19:07:00

2008-12-18T19:27:41Z

Christ, it's been nearly three months since I last posted anything. I suppose I've just been busy with exams and stuff, and with the state of the economy right now it's prime time for someone studying economics to be on their game every moment of the day unfortunately :(

Well i've not had much time to keep up with stories on here, I have a three month back log of things to read lol- I'd say thank God it's the christmas break but i'm going to be in America doing work experience in NY for the next two weeks. I'll be really missing everyone back at home in England come christmas day, but this is my first ever time in america so I'm kind of excited about that, and I'm hoping to get a better insight into the situation over there as i really only know drips and drabs of US economics.

Well i'll be leaving from heathrow on sunday, all things willing, (which, for those of you of the jewish persuasion, is the beginning of hanukkah so enjoy) and i'll be back on the 4th of Jan (I miss new years as well :( ) and then on the fifth i'm going back to India to Jaipur (and Delhi hopefully on the last day to see if I can find Sunita) to work in the street school as I promised that I would try to do, then I come back on the 17th and I'm back at uni on the 19th :P

ps) update for anybody who's interested, Saffy's baby is going to be a boy, though we don't have a name yet, I'm trying to convince her to call it Jason or Tim but i'm not having much joy :P any suggestions? He should be born sometime in April.

bengleman @ 2008-09-23T21:36:00

2008-09-23T20:40:23Z

I dunno, just been depressed lately, for a while now you know. I just feel blue, i'm so tired and my whole body feels heavy like i'm trying to move my limbs through a vat of honey. It's just this complete lethargy mentally and physically and i'm so sad and I get cross and just irrational things and I just want it all to go away i want to wake up tomorrow and have more time- i'm not ready for anything in my life, and there's no point, i don't want to write my papers or go to lectures or do anything.

bengleman @ 2008-08-09T20:02:00

2008-08-09T19:03:54Z

Well, it's official, my sister is pregnant (which I think is just amazing and cute and awesome but she seems to disagree).

So that's the good news but on the other hand, I have finally succumbed to Shawn's icky-ness and have fallen ill, boo yah sucks.

BABIES!

2008-08-06T18:54:00Z

This is the part where you tell me that I am the sweetest guy in the world.

MY SISTER'S PREGNANT! Or, at least, she thinks she probably is, she's visiting her physician on Saturday (and I'm going with her, dear God).

My dad threw a paddy and threw Saff out of the house and no way in hell can she stand on her own two feet, especially not atm, so I've invited her to live with me until dad simmers down.

HEE! I'm still really chuffed that I'm (technically) going to be an uncle! (Saffy's really only my step-sister so it's no blood relation but that seriously is not the point!)

Anyway! As you can tell I'm happy happy happy! Despite the fact that i'll be sleeping on the couch in my own house for the foreseeable future!

I'll get back to you on Saturday to tell you the physician's verdict!

India

2008-08-05T21:54:50Z

Well, as you may have noticed, I have since returned from India; about a week ago in fact, only, like, I've been too busy to actually post anything, i've returned to a poorly little brother, fortunately, it's half past nine here so he's all tucked up in bed and I have a little time for myself!

So, yeh, India.

Well, it was a time. Not necessarily a good time, but a time nonetheless; and I think, somewhere between jumping up and down at the Taj Mahal, passing out on top of a camel, and letting Anita draw henna all up my arms, I fell in love with it.

I wouldn't know where to start telling you about it, the horrendous poverty coupled with the cruelty and the prejudice, the being followed around like some sort of God just because you're pale skinned, the stunning children whom I fell head over heels for, the beggars who are SO persistent but never aggressive, and it was so colourful! The best and worse of humanity: it really is.

The second week was so hard, we had temperatures of 50+ degrees celsius and only five hand fans between all of us to keep us cool, I drank so much water and ate so little and hardly got any hand fan time because every time I managed to get one then someone else was always just as hot and I kept giving it away and, God, it was no wonder I passed out. But the children were INCREDIBLE, just amazing, absolutely stunning.

The most poignant thing for me, I think, was wen we spent a few hours at the other school the woman who set up the school we worked in in Dundlod set up. It was a school for street boys in Jaipur and there were 11 boys ranging between about 7 and 14 by the looks of them. The eldest lad, Rahoul (I think that's how you spell it) he was so sweet and really looked out for the younger boys and he had all burns down the one side of is face and neck where his step-sister had thrown boiling water over him and thrown him out and he was just the dearest thing! And smart too, though he couldn't afford to go to a regular school, despite the fact that he should have been in grade 10 and despite the fact that, to us, the cost was so little, only about £300, but to him...

Well, long story short, Flora, whom I've never really talked to before but who is absolutely incredible, she put this idea to me that we, the two of us, and maybe some of our friends if they want to help to (Wolkins has already said that she will), raise money all this year and then next summer we go back and we take Rahoul the money to be able to attend a proper school and then we stay and we work with those boys for a few months. So we've emailed the woman who set up the street school and the school in Dundlod and asked her if we could and she seemed overjoyed!

Flora and I both finish uni next year (although se's younger than me, her course was a typical three year one, whereas mine was four years) so we thought, since neither of us have taken a gap year, that we might stay on for the year, so we could really do some good!

This sounds so ridiculous doesn't it, but I could so see myself living there, so long as I had some *motivation* to do so, some good that I could be achieving by being there, then I think I could live there, despite all the curries and the heat (ironically, the day we arrived back in England was the hottest day of the year so far in the UK). I think that the boys and the street school count as motivation enough, and the children at Dundlod, I miss them already and I promised them that I would write (and visit hopefully).

I need to buy a lead to download my photos from my camera to my computer but when I do then I'll put up some pictures of our time in India and the amazing children we met there.

Bruce

ps) there's one little girl whom we met in Delhi when we went to whichever of the four forts it was that we visited that was in Delhi, I think that was red fort, red fort or amber fort, though I think Amber fort may have been the one in Jaipur, but anyway, tis little girl, she was LOVELY, just beautiful, named Sunita, grubby as heck in a raggedy old dress but spunky and sweet and full of live and so smiley, she was a beggar girl (obviously) and about eight years old I'd guess but absolutely precious, I admit I broke down and gave her money. Anyway, point being that I can't get her off my mind, I'm tempted to see if I can't go back sooner that next summer, maybe at Christmas if I can raise the cash, and if I can go back then, just for a week or two, I'll see if I can find her, I'll go back to Delhi and see if I can find her again! I'm going to obsess over tis you realise, I'm going to obsess over Sunita and te street children and the children in the school in Dundlod and, God, yeh, I know, I'm weird aren't I.

Away

2008-07-12T23:12:42Z

Yeah, okay, so my last post was a LIE, I didn't upload ANY pictures WHAT SO EVER!!! I'm so sorry, I just didn't have time (is ashamed at self)!

Anywho, the reason why i'm on here now tapping away is partially because i'm bored and partially because i'm excited and partially because i can't sleep (though that's nothing knew i've always been a bit of a night owl :P)

- the reason for my excitement? I'M GOING TO INDIA TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!

Hee!

I've been saving up all year and It's cost me over £3000 but it is SO worth it! There arer 15 of us going from all different departments in the university and I didn't know anyone else who was going at the start but I LOVE them all now and you can tell that i'm excited because i keep using CAPITALS!!!

HEE!

So yes, it's two weeks long and in the first week we're going to all tourit-y type places and in the second week we're working in a school in Dunlod and I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm going to go know, Steph (another student going to India with me) has just come on line so we're going to babble at one another about how exciting it all is!

SEE YOU IN TWO WEEKS!!!!!!

bengleman @ 2008-06-16T20:54:00

2008-06-16T20:05:45Z

So, yeh, busy couple of days. Yesterday, obviously, was father's day so I had a hot wheels batmobile figure for my real dad (of which I will take a picture at a later date) and a bunch of Alfred Hitchcock DVDs for my step-dad.

Umm, also! My friend Sleeps' dad, who has been away for a couple of weeks, came back yesterday morning. And, because I'm lovely (obviously) he bought me a present from America; it's this very cool limited edition Jack Sparrow figurine which now has a home on my bedside table. I absolutely love Selina's dad, he's just, genuinely, a great guy.

Hmm, lets see, what else, the four of us (Sleeps, Wolkins, Clarky and I) went to watch the new Hulk movie- it was good, very fighty, better than I expected, not only were the fight scenes very good but the interaction between Liv Tyler and Edward Norton was good as well, I would say anything specific about it though because you guys may not have seen it.

Today was not so good, it started out okay (Clarky bought me felt tips :D i'm such a child at heart) and I will upload the FAULOUS half finished picture of an eye later! Whoo, go me!

BUT, then, I fell over and killed my foot. It really, really, really hurts! Basically, I was wearing sandles and I tripped and a stone smashed into my nail and split the nail down the centre and then all the broken bits of nail dug into my skin and it bled- A LOT!!!

So that really hurt and I went to A&E but they were busy so I left.

Anyway! Pictures of stuff will be coming soon. I'm thinking of uploading all my figures of stuff cuz I like them, woo! But currently i'm resting my foot and cannot reach my camera :( Pity me

Poison Ivy!

2008-05-25T09:59:58Z

SO basically my friend is a Poison Ivy fan- a huge one and her birthday is coming up and I'm broke and so can't afford anything expensive! SO I commissioned an American woman to custom make her a Poison Ivy style my little pony. It was $30 plus $12 for shipping which all together makes about £21 which is just so cheap for what it is, I would have paid at least £50 over here, hee hee!

And the pony turned out beautifully! I'm so happy with it and I hope my mate will be too!

bengleman @ 2008-05-16T19:48:00

2008-05-16T18:48:51Z

Well.

Yes.

Well then.

*Cough*

Haven't been around lately, like- at all! Been busy with work and work and school work and more work and stuff... Yeh, all that important crap. So I have about 100 stories to read and a single frickin weekend to read it them all in- Joy-

Anywho! I have pictures, and they're fun, fun fun, from my mate's party last week, it's marking the end of the real work and the beginning of exams... Damn it!

Anyway, enjoy! That was a damn good night!

bengleman @ 2008-04-06T09:35:00

2008-04-06T08:38:32Z

IT'S SNOWING, SNOWING, SNOWING! So yeh... it's snowing... in April... Nah, course global warming isn't happening lol :D

Anyway, I got a phone call about 15 minutes ago from Wolkins saying "OMG, GAH, THERE'S SNOW' so I threw on shoes and a dressing gown and went clumping up and down the road for ten minutes :) then I came back in and called Selina (she has a garden) and said "OMG GAH, IT'S SNOWING, CAN WE COME AND PLAY IN YOUR GARDEN?" (we're all ten year olds at heart) so now I just need to get dressed and get a bus to Sleeps' house to plaaaaay :):):):)

EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT

Right, so three hours and some glorious sunshine to start melting the snow, later, and I am back for a visual update!

So those two were just of Selly's garden before the two of us decide to trounce all over it!

That's Selly (she had like, a hundred layers on) throwing a snowball for one of her dogs- we found it hilarious when he'd pick them up and then be all onfused when they disintegrated in his mouth

That's a bamboo tree that got covered in snow and weighed down by it all

Mr Snow!

So you see those two massive clumps of snow? They fell straight in my face, I was lying on the floor trying to take a photo through the branches and Selly shook the bloody branch and all the snow came tumbling straight down on me :(

Bad Selly :(

Hee hee, I've actually had so much fun today, I've reverted back to child hood, I've made snow angels, and a snow man, and had a snow ball fight which reverted into a game of hit the snow ball with the stick which was especially amusing as Selly's dogs kept trying to grab the snowball as I tried to hit it and I had to keep avoiding them. Selly got stuck on a giant snowball we made, we watched the dogs play tug of war against a tree (until the branch snapped off) and I've got soaked to the bone: GLORIOUS!

Dog and Kitties!

2008-03-26T16:52:06Z

So we couldn't find homes for our kitties, Tuppence and Ferdinand, so I'm keeping them and then Rach suggested that we needed a dog to go with them so we bought a cavalier king charles spaniel (who is very, very cute) and then we decided to name it Alfred... cuz we're cool like that... yeh

Photos

2008-03-16T19:47:53Z

Lookie, lookie, lookie! It's me, me ,me! Oh! Gah, I was cute as a button once :P

I looked so much like my mom when I was little, but I think I look more like my dad nowadays. Tch, what a shame, I rather miss being adorable.

And that was me with my nan and my cousin who is about a year and half younger than I am- weren't we adorable- look how happy I looked :) I like old photos, I have a whole bunch of my mom when she was younger too, she used to be such a cherub.

I'll have to upload some of my brother Shawn (he's only six) but he's such a beautiful little lad- much cuter than, Teddy, Saff or I.

BuUDGET REPORT 2 (CONTINUED)

2008-03-12T21:47:22Z

Rates of unemployment will increase and the no of people claiming job seekers allowance and income support will increase so Government expenditure will increase-

-even whilst the revenue decreases causing a large budget deficit (haven't found the estimated figures anywhere yet).

No wonder Darling was trying to place a positive spin on the whole thing.

Anyway, as we can see, in a recession Government spending is going to automatically increase, the good thing about this is that it will cause an increase in AD and as such: the multiplier effect! A good thing, I think you'll agree.

Hopefully, that will make people feel somewhat more as though they have more disposable income and will make them start spending again, however, with consumer confidence in its current state, I wouldn't count on it, especially with the slowing down of the housing market.

At least the Bank of England was pre-emptive about this with March's lowering of the base rate, hopefully this will help people to start spending again. Also, it has taken measures to begin to flood the economy with more money in the hopes that Banks will begin lending again, we can't afford to have a credit crunch! But banks are still being wary after what has been going on in such places as America- it's ridiculous really.

But at least people are trying, so all I can say is 'good on you Bank of England', please, other banks, start lending again, and please people start spending more, you're harming our economy when yo try to protect yourselves like this :(

Anyway, I'm not going to bitch any more or get into any deeper economic theory than this because I'm not sure if anyone will understand me :P

BUDGET REPORT 1

2008-03-12T21:34:23Z

Jesus! So- yeh! The Budget report! I think Britain is having a little bit of a fiscal meltdown. So umm, essentially, for anyone who is interested, in last years budget report brown said that in the 2008/9 year then we would be borrowing £30bn, however, this rose in the autumn pre-budget report and today when Darling talked about what will be occurring in the following 2008/2009 year this figure rose by a staggering 43% to £46bn.

Although the figures have increased in a similar fashion from budget report to budget report over the last few years this in no way justifies the huge increase in borrowing that out Government intends to do, especially considering the slowing down of growth in the economy at this time.

Our borrowing totals for the period 2008/09 to 2011/12 have gone up by £20bn since the autumns pre-budget report; the equivalent of a 9 pence rise in the basic rate of income tax.

My largest concerns at this present time is that many people are beginning to talk themselves into a recession. Due to the estimated cut in growth rates for the following 08/9 year and the current slowing down in the world economy, I've noticed that a lot of people are beginning to worry that a recession will occur whilst not looking past this to fact that our economy is still very stable and resilient.

The problem is that if we do talk ourselves into a recession rather than just the estimated slowing of growth then business and consumer confidence is going to fall, people will spend less and thus perpetuate things. In a recession revenue drops, people don't spend so companies don't gain so revenue from corporation tax falls, causing incomes to fall- revenues from income tax with it. As people don't spend then even revenue from VAT will lessen.

Rates of unemployment will increase and the no of people claiming job seekers allowance and income support will increase so Government expenditure will increase-

Wolkins the great

2008-03-11T20:58:14Z

For any of you guys who don't know, this is my babe and utter, utter one and only! The amazing Wolkins!

Once I was a popsicle
And voltage is like something but different
And I'm not me can I be you
Now that I know how to flip the coin
But these are all nonsensical things
Wolkins is great
But sometimes I'm a snake
Ignore me.