I�ve been thinking about gangsters. It started when I was in an antique shop which plays classic hits type music. The Whole World by Outkast came on. One of the lines is this �Playah I rhyme the focus is crime� HA HA HA Write that yourself? The whole hip hop bling bling gangsters� thing is so rubbish. Everyone knows that real gangsters wear suits and Bowler hats and sunglasses. All this running around attired like they�ve raided a fancy dress shop, talking about pimpin� and shooting willy-nilly is just silly (of course I would never say that to their face). Real gangsters are slick. Oh! But� this is ever so slightly making me change my mind. I had overlooked the language "Man, I gots tha bling-bling, yo." and "Damn Johnny, you sure be bling-blinging it tonight!" No, I will not be swayed � it is still flashy, trashy, Bentley driving ridiculous.

One of my favourite parts from Pheonix nights is in the second series where Jerry starts taking lots of herbal remedies and gets frantic. Looking at all the empty bottles Les says "Ginko Biloba, echenicia... he's gangsta trippin'!" It then cuts back to Jerry performing his stand up "chitty chitty bang bang LOUDER FASTER oh we love you CATCH ME" and he stage dives

To be a proper gangster is on my list of reasons why it would be OK to be male. Men say that an advantage is that they can pee standing up. Eh, because sitting on your ass is so much effort? Here are some things I think would be cool about being a man:

*To be strong enough to think you could beat someone up. Not that I would want to, but y�know it would be nice to feel like you could

*To be a gangster

*To flex the pecs (yeah, I know, totally chose this one just so I could type �flex the pecs�)

I am trying hard to think of some more reasons. I guess to not get PMS.

Speaking of which, last night I had to go out and buy lemons, limes, lemonade and a bag of grapes. What is with the citrus craving? I (absurdly seriously) almost cried when Safeway�s had run out of 7UP. Thoughtless, heartless bastards! Where is the foresight to know that their most valued customer needs a large lemonade dose NOW? I won�t even get into the pain.

Here is why the next week and a bit are going to be shit:

Saturday: Working

Monday: Working

Tuesday: Working

Wednesday: Graduation

Friday: Working

Saturday: Working

Monday: Working

Tuesday: Working

And here is why the next week and a bit will be ok:

Saturday eve: drinking and M

Sunday: drinking and M

Wednesday: drinking and family and M

Etc, I could go on but I think the picture has been painted.

Here is why I should shut up bitching about why my next week and a bit will be shit:

My closest friends (twins) have to travel across the country and go to court to attend the hearing of how/why their dad was killed.

It�s strange because even though it was over a year ago and I know he is gone I keep thinking I see him around. I sometimes do a double take on people that I think are him.

Greece got through to the final stage of Euro 2004. Last night there were constant street parties and today too the cars have all been beeping. Last night there were also lots of police sirens and at one point an ambulance. I think it would have been pretty brave to be English and go out last night.

While I was in the antique shop I also heard this line:

Got a lion in my pocket and baby it�s ready to roar - Prince 1999

Be sure that I am using that line from now on.

This eve I am going out for Chinese and ice cream and drinks

Inkysoso sets her pretty gangster lion free