Updating time

Not here for a while as I've found a new albeit short lived hobby. I hadn't been able to collect train tickets since the last small ones stopped in 1996 and besides taking photos didn't have actual items to collect besides model cars which cost a fortune and take up room. But when I found the pre-1963 signs we still have some of in London had been slowly vanishing recently I realised I had to get pictures of every one I could as the government are the enemy. I've spent the time at home researching locations and of course each lot I get is a bit further away so did 60 miles altogether on Friday for the cause. I think they've run out but each day I find another so far and long may it last.

The two women who called me on Friends Reunited are around, one not since then but the other (married...) is back and really wonder how I get the unattainable ones like her although I am well aware marriage in itself is not always a barrier to availability, but usually is to me. And I have looked at every aspect of my being, appearance and personality, and seen nothing particular that would put everyone off simply as I see many worse do perfectly well, plus I have as well in the past. Partly it may be because I treat women nicely it may put some off as they like men to dominate them, plus it also seems to put any off as soon as I fancy them, and attract ones I wouldn't touch with yours who won't leave me alone. That is what seems to do it, the man who doesn't behave differently when they fancy a woman doesn't exist, it's just they either learn to make it work for them or are so attractive the women take no notice what they actually do as they are just waiting to be swept off to bed. We normal guys get mostly the left overs and left behinds, although some women settle for a normal guy after dating the desirable ones long enough to get the shallowness factor out of their system. I learnt with my first girlfriend if there's nothing to talk about after then it doesn't matter how attractive they are they can't be any more than physical.

So more signs await in the forseeable week, Christmas made no difference to my photography as there was no traffic so took full advantage. I saw the family in the evening so covered both bases. Other than that it's business as usual, still getting screwed or ignored by the people that matter but it's in the background now. People promising what they won't deliver, lying, stealing, you name it. But that's human nature at the bottom of the heap and we just have to live with it. And I just heard (you know who you are) not just the EU is imposing blanket carbon taxes on everyone but so is Australia. You see there are two ways to raise tax. Honestly and dishonestly. So income tax is direct and open and people hate it. So they cut income tax but still need the money so have to think of more and more elaborate ways to get us to both pay it and not vote them out as a result. Collusion wins the day now, with governments and parties agreeing on policies so similar you can't vote against anything as they all offer the same. Secondly is false accounting, saying they need it for something which looks like a good cause (eg the child's operation, the flight to the UK and the gold bars offered by our African brothers). The fact the result is identical, ie robbery, seems to be lost on nearly everyone except the intelligent minority who only have the power of the internet to share the truth.

I'm amazed watching TV and listening to similar personal stories how the African gangs take our money so easily with no questions. They pretend to be women, say they love you and then start asking for money, and people pay it? They deserve to lose it, but the rest of us don't. Taxation is never optional and if Al Gore and the rest of them want to invent a different reason to collect income tax we may fall for then it's a done deal. Our atmosphere can and has coped with ten times the CO2 we have now with no trouble (a few hundred parts per million is not the same as if it had been cyanide) and plants love it unlike carbon monoxide which we are not taxed for. But no, tell the people it's as dangerous as curry farts and they say 'Here's some more then'. They are the same as the ones who donate thousands to Ghanaian gangs and basically trust everyone except the ones who are telling the truth as they are either not in authority or offering them sex (which they never get as they piss off as soon as they collect their cash), and the governments exploit the gullibility to feed them more and more fairy stories and cow cakes while they think they'll be given sainthoods for saving the fucking planet. I hope to goodness the lunatics don't end up taking over the asylum but it's the closest it's ever been. God help those of us who actually care.

Keeping busy again

Before I get into my stuff I just heard the latest unemployment figures on the news. Up of course as you'd expect. Now coinciding with the new blitz on benefit claimants, the government have declared war. Not only have they attacked those least able to defend themselves, the sick and incapable, they have done it when the job market is shrinkig drastically. I don't like revenge but believe if someone has to suffer what they do to others it is more like a lesson, or karma. So if Gordon Brown got kicked out, had a breakdown and then had to do tests written by him to claim benefits he may realise what he's actually done. And he knows what he can do with the 2.5% (temporary) VAT decrease. We are being run by heartless sods of all colours politically and would be far better off without them at all. Except possibly Boris Johnson who is moving towards the decent side. There's always one in every pack thank goodness.

I've been chasing up old road signs over a week now, and got 30 different ones now. A few had gone too soon for me to find them, but got the majority and am now left with a final set in the bloody congestion charge area, meaning I either go at the weekend or pay. If I wait till it gets dark after 7 some may no longer be there so that's not an option. But I've done well but wondering what will come next to keep me busy. And weirdly although I've never been contacted first on Friends Reunited in 8 years I was at the weekend, and guess what, twice in the same day! So no one ever contacted me and then two did together. Usually happens to me and many others, far too organised to be random in my opinion.
So besides a trip to Holborn which would have been easier in the summer when I could go after 6 I have got a great collection of rare signs but little left to do now. Things usually turn up, just now when the one TV programme of the evening finished they had a topic about meeting people online on the radio so I called about that. I hope that trend continues.

I'm still learning all sorts of things about human nature, how easy it is to con the public as most believe whatever they're told, and the nature of the evil who carry out these cons. Patterns are everywhere and people can be sorted into types in all aspects. Youtube demonstrates the polar aspects of this as people have no inhibitions, and unlike here there is no pre-moderation so they can and do hit and run. Like schizophrenics who tell me the same voices tell them the same things all these guys seem to be possessed by the same evil but from an inner source. I am learning to deal with them as well as they are the same people who blow up innocent people in India and Iraq but only do what they think they can get away with. One threw a rock at me once on a station platform and many make rude comments while I'm taking photos. All from the single mould of pure evil. Anyone who remembers the last idiot here in my comments box will have seen an example as well. And that was the tip of the iceberg as you can imagine. Most people wouldn't dream of going up to someone either in public, in their house or online and call them names but here it's easy. The relative few who do it are the same who gassed Jews in concentration camps, broke their windows before the last war, and drive with mobile phones in their hands. Big, small, the crime is the same. It is born of evil and expresses itself in the same way however large the offence. The attitude however is the same.

On balance good is there as well, and animals are nearly all good before you start on humans. A rogue animal is rare and if you treat them well they treat you well. People could learn a lot but I fear some are intrinsically unable to understand other people matter so can never be corrected to learn. They call it levels of psychopathy, and the variation is how far they are prepared to go. But the good people are seemingly unable to cross that barrier whatever happens so you can normally rely on them as you can on your pets. But I'd always be more inclined to lend a cat money than a person if you get my meaning. There are far more shades of grey in humanity though.
So the next few days remain a mystery. One photo trip fucked by financial considerations and darkness. And the traffic is just as bad there as it was before from what the reports say. So I'd have to pay somehow (no idea where or what I have to do) and then suffer the jams I haven't experienced since early 2003. OK I'll be glad when I've done it (besides having run out of places to go) but it would be a lot nicer if I could just do it like all the others.

Well a bit of everything today, a week's activities which took me from Enfield to Banstead. But none a patch on the hassle the Holborn one presents to be. Maybe I am wrong but time will tell.

Old road sign collections

Willesden Lane sign
Originally uploaded by satguru.

I have been tracking down and taking these pre 1963 signs as my latest project before they all go, which has provided a fascinating lesson into road history and geography as a result. In 1963 these were replaced by the new ones designed by Worboys, but I remember them as the norm well into the 70s and plenty still exist. In 1994 the local ones which had blue edges became black and strangely fewer exist and are filthy as you can see.

I also saw my second red triangle sign and forgot where, the first being on the corner of my old road and pretty sure I forgot to take it, and also forgot where the new one was although have a vague idea. I'll have to wait a week as it was in Surrey. I've got quite a collection now and half aren't on any other sites either.

In other business after being discredited last week, EON UK announced they couldn't drop prices when wholesale energy went down as the government forced them to spend it on fucking wind power. Literally money up in smoke there as if it was that simple we'd all keep our lights on by lighting our farts and keeping the windows open for a draught. Or something like that. OK, that looks stupid, but it's exactly as stupid as relying on wind power. Meanwhile almost each week new evidence arises disproving any human effect on potential global warming (it's cooled since 1998 remember), how many holes this Leviathan has to get in it before it sinks beats me, but they all need to be made until enough people realise it's fiction.
Plans this week, guess what. Taking more old road signs. I've been doing rail bridges as well and got some bloody good trains and arch bridges, as well as numerous parks which are often next to them. And guess what, from the large heap of messages I sent last month one has replied! Better than nothing, and makes me wonder what hopeless bastards the other people can be as if I actually know someone I learnt as a child to reply when I was spoken to. Too much for them clearly after deliberately announcing their presence on a website like a beacon.

The photos will keep me busy all week now, plus my second repeat work booking so business as boring usual. It's a start but will not actually get me any Nobel prizes or other recognition besides as an anorak but at least that's who I am, and I do it bloody well I think.

Friends old and new.

I'm still working my way round new scenes, a park nearby I saw online on Monday for the first time was the venue for yesterday and a bus in Southgate today. I've had two bunches of calls for work enquiries and one actually booked and he hasn't called since. I had a set of accounts to do over the weekend so slightly busier on the work front but that pays peanuts. But better than nothing. I've continued sending messages to people with a complete lack of results, fancy that. I can't find the list of women I was going to try on the dating site (usual occurence here) but keep looking for new ones. You never know. Just for the curious the main focus of my own social life for years now has literally been the YMCA. It took (like most places here) ages before I even spoke to anyone in the gym where I spend most of the time, the cafe everyone keeps to themselves and at least they've had the odd party there where I chatted to one woman and danced with another older than my mother (apparently). I also had a blind date from hell set up with a member which I described at the time. The social side is extra as it's mainly gym related but I've no idea if others have managed more than I have. But I don't hide away like some people think.

Besides there I did work my way through my mum's Polish cleaners (many far higher qualified than me), but got no more than vague discussions of arrangements and no further. She's also introduced me to a few women who were (apart from her friend) disaster areas, but her friend is nearly as old as her and not up for any funny business. Of course there's always the old standby, funerals. I've asked one woman out from one (no), and had one ask me out (no way!). There's little else to do once the service is over and everyone's back at the house eating. It's at least a way to keep in touch with the relatives who forget we're alive till someone else dies, and then forget again till the next one. My favourite local cousin died young about 20 years ago and the other is American. I've been to see him there once but he comes here every few years since I was born. And he shares my dirty mind which is an added benefit. But with only one (late) uncle all my cousins are my parents' ones as my uncle had no children. I have at least 100 second cousins worldwide from up the road (almost) to Australia but never really had a lot in common with them. As soon as they were old enough to go out on their own we only saw them at weddings and funerals and besides being related may as well have met them on the bus. Tragic really.

I could never think of any reason to drift away from any of my long term friends, besides when they move away, but a few chose to drift away from me for whatever reasons. Fair enough, I did better than most with nearly all my friends being met before I was 17 besides one who also drifted off since. I don't think most people average 20-30 years for most of theirs but I always have. That's another reason I look from the past as even if just one old friend wanted to get involved again it would take the chance element out of the equation. The character from Crouch End clearly got fed up so can't see him bothering although I only have a rough idea where his brother is since they left the area and none about him. One who went back to Holland in the 70s for reasons unknown didn't keep in touch as of course he knew where I was but not vice versa. He was another character and very entertaining. Jacob as described before was run over and killed long before anything could be revived here. Another one ended up a career criminal and vanished once he'd done his last stretch and got married (and then divorced). We went back to 1965 and had looked after me till he buggered off to his new life of crime some 20 years later. He followed me through three schools and regularly bought my lunch (he just did that sort of thing) although it turned out later he'd probably nicked a lot of the money he spread around on other people. Easy come easy go. But he didn't do it to his friends, only made up stories to get me in trouble sometimes but nobody's perfect.

Then there were the people who weren't friends but the class comedians. Maybe if I name a few here someone will find them. I've had it happen before actually although one had a very unusual name, and sadly another death but at least I know everything about her life now. Malcolm Cohen was a Scottish eccentric who'd moved to London and loved to show off 'my father's a lawyer you know' was the main routine (although both my parents are, his were millionaires). He was the class comedian when I was off duty, and could sing and do improvised comedy like a professional or nutcase, depending on your point of view. But bloody hilarious. But there are thousands of people with the same name including a couple where he used to live so that's a dead end. Then a name few could confuse with another, Neil Ralph Dourmashkin. He loved the name so much he'd go around shouting it out at break and was another albeit more anarchic entertainer. He's probably in insurance now with a few kids. Most go that way. Then there was the 'Jewish brigade' at primary school. Not because they were as most of us were, but because they'd kept the names my family and so many others had rejected, and sounded like a roll call in The Bronx. Berger, Berglas, Portnoy, Rappaport, Goodman, Rifkin, Levene, Cohn, which are like music to my ears when reminded whenever I hear them now. I hope more people hang on to their European names as it's an identity lost when each is lost to an English version or worse still something randomly chosen. Cohen for Horsebox as a comedian pointed out.

Well now I know if anyone googles Neil Dourmashkin my blog will turn up as probably the sole hit. The number of times I've googled something to find the only reference was my own when looking for them initially. I think the whole of life seems to be doing that to me for some reason, like the oozlum bird, eventually disappearing up my own fundament (arsehole to you). God forbid.

It's Monday again

Besides a slow but steady stream of facts about global warming (there isn't any), nothing much has happened for a while. In fact the whole year has been the year of non events and disappointments. No new media work, most emails ignored and hardly any other work (that is expendable though due to certain legal restrictions). I really see a war between good and evil, or truth and lies in this global warming bullshit. The two sides provide opposite data, but both can't be right. The actual climate is shit as usul and 40,000 people in this country are expected to die this winter from the cold (they don't usually die from heat) this year and they want us to try and stop it getting less cold (like it was actually possible). But the fact the truth has to win as it displaces lies, like CO2 displaces water vapour, means they can't keep it up for ever but they'll bloody well try.



My plans for the week run out after tomorrow. Nothing besides putting stuff in my new (old) desk, finishing the accounts and making more phone calls. It gets too dark for photos around 3 now and will for 6 more weeks so photography may be taken over by daytime TV. Not that there's a lot left to take, a few stations in Tottenham and I can't think of any more. There's a dating group on Facebook I'm working my way through now but no replies so far. And two last resorts to call from my recent past as no one else left. It's a bit like my school library after I'd read all the interesting books and they haven't got any more since the war. Or maybe when I was born. I was also reminded of another older woman I was after a few years ago when I bumped into her friend in a shop, and besides being 100 miles away the whole time now (she had two houses) is still with the man who stopped her getting it on with me although it was pretty obvious she wanted to. One more down the drain as per. She said I should phone her, which will produce absolutely zero but maybe she'll be reminded what she's missing.



Well if a picture tells 100 words here are some of my weekend south of the river:





Thames Ditton and Putney