Gary Vine Associates

When I’m not kicking ass playing online blackjack, or even online bingo, which I’m increasingly into lately (don’t knock it – you can pick up some decent prizes and there are lots of women to talk to in the chat rooms), I like to kick back with a few DVDs on my widescreen Samsung. It’s 42″

So what do I like to watch? I’m glad you asked! Well, I love HBO, mainly because it’s not really TV? It’s HBO! When I watch HBO TV I just sense real-life as I watch the people act out the script. Unsurprisingly, then, the majority of this list is HBO shows.

5. Family Guy

I love this show it’s so random! Sometimes when Lucy is away I like to have the lads round, crack open a few cans (beer) and see what the Griffin family are up to! Do you like babies who talk? How about DOGS who talk? Sometimes it’s really wrong, but this show is definitely in my top five!

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

4. Madmen

Advertising. The slick world. Dogs eat dogs. The past. That’s what this show’s all about. I love the style of the clothing, and the message it conveys. Pure HBO at its best. This show made me start smoking again!

3. The Wire

This show is so good I can barely understand it! It deals with the streets and the underground world of New York. It’s cops and robbers all the way, with some well-rounded characters including gays and lesbians. It’ll take you about three episodes to get into it, but once you do, there’s no way you’ll ever be the same again!

2. The Shield

What happens when one man has a job as a vigilante cop? Simple: vigilantism! Vic Mackay is one bad-ass police officer, and he doesn’t take no (or yes) for an answer. I don’t know where he stands on Maybes though – probably on their necks!!!

1. 24

Best. Show. Ever. Jack Bauer is the fastest man alive, and probably the toughest. This man has saved US ass so many times it’s untrue. But, if I had to guess a figure, I’d have to say… 24

Smoke me a kipper, I’ll be back before breakfast … with some cold, hard cash! Had a BRILLIANT week. This is mainly due to my superior gambling skills, granted, but as the old saying goes ‘you can’t gamble when you’re an idiot’, and I am not an idiot. Hence my win.

It makes no sense to me when people slag off online blackjack. It has all the thrills and spills of its offline counterpart but with none of the bad feeling. If I lose at a casino, I have to do the walk of shame back home, and inevitably end up crawling into bed at 6am with Lucy crying herself into unconsciousness. When I play on my laptop, Lucy just crawls up next to me and waits up until I finish, then when I do finish, I knock the computer off and we go straight to sleep. If anything, online blackjack has saved my relationship!

What’s going to happen this weekend, then? Lucy is away with her mother (again!) and I am at a loose end. Perhaps another quiet outing (not!) with the lads is in order? My mate Gazzo is down from Manchester and he’s always a laugh! Last time we went out he fell in a bin!

I might also spend some time on my wheels. Picked up an old BMW 5-series a couple of months back and she needs a little TLC. When I first got it, Lucy joked that she would leave me because I spent so much time with it, then she went to her mother’s house for a couple of days, just to leave me to get on with things. I think she knew I needed time alone with the car.

I love that girl.

I’m a man – sure. I’ve got a girlfriend – check! I go out with the lads – bingo! And I drive a Beemer – cheers! But in the last few years I think there’s been something else a man needs to complete his armoury – a superb internet connection.

As the old saying goes, you’re nobody ’til somebody pings you a seriously large PDF over the email and remains comfortable in the knowledge that you’ll be able to download and view it with ease. I get sent a lot of important documents so it’s vital that my net connection is top drawer. It also comes in handy for the online gaming, naturally. So after absolutely no discussion with her indoors, I opted to get us an SDSL line. Why? Simple. Speed. I can do my downloading without any hassle whatsoever. It’s a Godsend! Also means I can go on Chat Roulette without any slowdown – time to dig out the webcam and have a laugh at some strangers.

I’ve been going down the gym a lot more recently. Started a high-intensity cardio routine which I hope will get me a swimmer’s body by summer. I’ve even bought a couple of small weights to play with while I’m playing blackjack online, and I’ve been clenching during games (admittedly not good during those edge of seat moments).

This week I’m still looking for a new long-term job, but I may postpone it as I’ve got a couple of big meetings coming up. Just been thinking outside the box a lot and figured it’d be best to lay down some creative before these ideas flutter away like nobody’s business. Still haven’t written them down, though – I like to do things on the fly.

I’ve also picked up a digital camera from a friend, and ever since I’ve felt inclined, no POSSESSED, to take pictures of all the little things that make up London. The other day I walked by a bin and took a snap. It was beautiful, man – such a stark image, you know? I’m not even doing it to get commissioned but just because I think beauty is great.

I’ll leave you on this snap:

Ciao!

Awesome, awesome weekend back in the capital. Lucy was away seeing her mum (how many times do they need to see each other?!). Anyway, while the cat’s away, the mouse will play! So, myself and a few ‘partners in crime’ decided to get together and have an old-fashioned night out!

It’s been a while since we’ve all been together. The last time was maybe in 2003 for Ibiza. We had a laugh! Some stories from that holiday can never be retold – not even here! What happens in Ibiza… stays in Ibiza.

It all started, as per usual, with a few quick games of poker at mine. Not online poker, old-fashioned style. I cleaned up, as per. Oh, by the way, we’d all donned our Pacino suits by this point!

So we catch the tube and head central up to Leicester Square for a few beverages with the tourists. I’ve lived in London for ages now and I’m still not cool with the prices – it’s not 2-4-1 vodka in Ibiza anymore!

Steve showed me this app on his iPhone. Basically, it checks your heartbeat. Why might this be interesting? If you’re aware of it, you can take steps to calm it down. Useful in a poker game, no? Here it is: iPhone heartbeat monitor.

We ended up in a non-descript club full of university students who have just left home for the first time. I spent most of my time at a slot machine. There was nothing major going on, except Jack trying in vain to get the number of a girl. He’s been reading that dating book The Game, bless him. Doesn’t he know that luck comes naturally?

So Lucy came back on Sunday night and went straight to bed. Her mother must have worn her out – she certainly wears me out!

Ciao!