the moon's a balloon
Evening at the Chateau.
I'm trying to type on the computer while MC hamster scrogs around up my sleeve.
It's not easy.
The door opens.
Tis the Dad.
"James," quoth he in hushed tones. "Can you keep a secret."
I look into the middle distance for a moment.
Presumably his question is rhetorical.
Or ironic.
Or both.
"What's going on?" sez I, neatly avoiding any further speculative ruminations on my discretionary capacities.
The Dad casts a surreptitious glance over his shoulder.
"I think I've won a quarter of a million in the lottery," sez he.
That little vein some of you have come to know and love above my left eyebrow, gives a gentle throb.
The noble Heelers rises with restrained dignity from his seat at the computer.
"You're not bloody serious!" I scream calmly.
The Dad nods.
"I am serious," quoth he, "I just want you to check the ticket."
I follow the Dad to the kitchen.
We check the ticket.
There is a mistake.
We haven't won.
Let us draw a curtain on that tender scene.
Later tonight I found the Mammy laughing to herself in the front room.
"What's so funny?" sez I.
"You know well," sez she.
"I'm still not over it," sez I.
"Sure what do you care?" sez she.
"He'd probably have given me fifty quid for myself," sez I.
"I wouldn't bet on it," sez she.
I whistled up Paddy Pup for his night walk.
Outside a regent moon was riding through the treetops in the garden of my father.
I had absolutely no interest in it whatsoever.
I'm trying to type on the computer while MC hamster scrogs around up my sleeve.
It's not easy.
The door opens.
Tis the Dad.
"James," quoth he in hushed tones. "Can you keep a secret."
I look into the middle distance for a moment.
Presumably his question is rhetorical.
Or ironic.
Or both.
"What's going on?" sez I, neatly avoiding any further speculative ruminations on my discretionary capacities.
The Dad casts a surreptitious glance over his shoulder.
"I think I've won a quarter of a million in the lottery," sez he.
That little vein some of you have come to know and love above my left eyebrow, gives a gentle throb.
The noble Heelers rises with restrained dignity from his seat at the computer.
"You're not bloody serious!" I scream calmly.
The Dad nods.
"I am serious," quoth he, "I just want you to check the ticket."
I follow the Dad to the kitchen.
We check the ticket.
There is a mistake.
We haven't won.
Let us draw a curtain on that tender scene.
Later tonight I found the Mammy laughing to herself in the front room.
"What's so funny?" sez I.
"You know well," sez she.
"I'm still not over it," sez I.
"Sure what do you care?" sez she.
"He'd probably have given me fifty quid for myself," sez I.
"I wouldn't bet on it," sez she.
I whistled up Paddy Pup for his night walk.
Outside a regent moon was riding through the treetops in the garden of my father.
I had absolutely no interest in it whatsoever.
posted by heelers | 2:52 AM
3 Comments:
thought you'd enjoy this, see below.
Johnston faces Irish shortfall
By Salamander Davoudi
Published: April 30 2009 03:00 | Last updated: April 30 2009 03:00
Final round bids for Johnston Press's Irish newspaper titles are due in early May but valuations have dropped amid deteriorating trading conditions.
The 11 titles, some of which are lossmaking, were expected to raise €80m-€90m (£72m-£81m) when the company put them up for sale earlier this year. But Johnston is now not expected to achieve more than €40m from the sale. The company declined to comment.
Richard Findlay, former chief executive of Scottish Radio Holdings, which originally owned some of the titles, is one of three bidders for the Irish newspapers. He is understood to be backed by a private equity group.
The sale comes amid increased competition, little growth in circulation and depressed advertising markets. Many mainstream media companies, such as Independent News & Media, are short of cash and struggling with large debt piles.
One industry observer said that, given the poor state of the Irish economy and the UK newspaper sector, failure to sell the titles could leave Johnston holding on to them for some time.
Johnston bought the newspaper assets of Scottish Radio Holdings in June 2005 for about €120m. It then expanded its operations by paying €137m for the Leinster Leader titles, making it the largest regional newspaper publisher in Ireland.
The group's Irish operation achieved revenue last year of about €38m according to industry sources. Total circulation was just less than 136,000 copies.
In February, Johnston called in KPMG to help it restructure its £450m debt burden.
Johnston has hired Raglan Capital, an Irish corporate finance specialist, to sell its regional Irish titles.
Shares in Johnston rose ¾p to 12¾p.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 200
I never take pleasure from the downfall of buffoons.
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