I just don't know what to make of Tamara Ecclestone

I'm having a problem deciding what I think of Tamara (pictured here with her sister Petra on the right). She is doing some kind of a documentary about herself and her day to day life with Channel 5. And while it is a blatant piece of self-publicity which clearly shows her venal, shallow nature, there is also an intriguing other side which defies ready explanation. The film showed her setting up a charity auction for Great Ormond Street Hospital, than which there is surely no worthier cause. She also went out buying presents for the children and spent several thousand pounds at somewhere like Hamleys.
Now I am not such a naive cat as to believe her motives to be truly altruistic but the fact remains that were it not for her self publicity those sick kids would not have been in receipt of the toys at all. The same can be said of the auction itself. It apparently cost £500,000 to set up and only made £550,000. But that is £50,000 which the hospital would otherwise have been without and nobody said that Tamara was a brilliant business woman anyway.
I cannot leave the subject of the auction without mentioning that Alexandra Burke (a female pop artist) performed for no fee and made no diva like demands on Tamara's resources either.
So here is the puzzle then. Does it really matter if a worker for charity is vain, shallow and self obsessed as long as the work gets done? I'm beginning to think it does not.
The film also made it apparent that Tamara has a rather sad relationship with her father Bernie whom she quite obviously loves.
Her boyfriend (Omar) would seem little better than a hanger on who cannot be bothered to dress respectably when in her company. And he comes off considerably worse by comparison.
I think I shall continue watching the documentary with perhaps fewer cat calls and derisory remarks than I would have expected and I shall urge Old Nic to do the same.

Another non-celebrity to get out of there

I see somebody called Georgia Salpa is set to join the other would-be celebrities in the Australian hinterland. But who on earth is she? I've read that she is Irish so Old Nic will not like her but that is all I can glean from the press.
But I cannot imagine that anyone with eyes like that and such a tanned complexion can possibly be pure Irish.
Apparently she is being set up to partner the appalling Mark Wright from The Only Way Is Essex which gives a clue to her social level and intelligence. I hope she can put up with loud mouth boors.
Other non-celebs this cat has never heard of already featuring in the line up are: Kris Smith, Iwan Thomas and Davinia Taylor. Whooooooo?
I expect I'll be spared this kind of boredom however because old Nic cannot abide Ant or Dec and even the temptation of watching Georgia with the sound muted is unlikely to sway him otherwise.

What a peaceful night!

I don't know why I don't think of this more often but I 've discovered that the most peaceful place to spend the night is half way up the bed. When I try to sleep at the foot I quite often get Old Nic's big toe in my ribs as he's such a fidget. But about half way up I'm at the pivot point and things are a bit more settled, plus it's quite warm next his tummy.
We both slept late while the wind rustled about the place (much too breezy for small cats like me).
But I feel quite guilty. While I passed a peaceful night there are so many who don't and maybe never will again. It's nearly Poppy Day again and this year The Royal British Legion have launched an improved Christmas draw in which £90,000 can be won. There are magnificent prizes for the runners up and purchasers of tickets online can win £50 M&S vouchers too.

Every £1 entry you buy will help serving and ex-Service personnel and their families. Not just those who fought in the two World Wars, but also those involved in the many conflicts since 1945 and those still fighting today. And, of course you could win our fabulous First Prize of £90,000 cash!

There's nothing worse than wet fur

One of Old Nic's most frequent complaints about me (and he has soooo many!) is that I jump on him in the middle of the night when he's comfortably tucked up in bed. He says I always seem to do it when I've been out in the rain and I'm like a wet sponge. He wonders why I do it. Well there are two reasons really:
1) Because he makes a very satisfying ooooomph sound when I land on his tummy.
2) Because I need to get dry and curling up on the duvet when he's under it is the warmest place to be at night.
Old Nic says that I'll do it once too often one night and I'll find myself back out in the rain with my old suitcase and my collection of furry mice for company.
He doesn't mean it though!

A warm spot for a cat-nap

I'm always on the look out for a warm spot for a bit of a kip and I've come across this rather tempting little item. I'm hoping to be able to talk Old Nic into a small investment of £20.45 for some creature comfort for yours truly. It's my birthday on Nov 5th. Well, we call it my birthday because it was a Guy Fawkes night that he first saw me on the doorstep. He thought I was frightened of the fireworks! Frightened? Moi?
Oh I should also say that the white mark in the corner of the bed pictured here isn't where the model has puked up a hair ball. No, believe it or not it's a design feature! Humans eh?
More about this radiator cat bed here

Police spokespeople should improve their grammar

From a report in the Daily Mail:
"A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police added: 'A 46-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of an historic sexual offence.'"
Police Notice:
Historic means notable or significant. Historical may be the word you want since it means 'from the past' But since a sexual offence remains a sexual offence whether it was committed yesterday or ten years ago, I really wouldn't bother with any adjective at all.
However should the use of historic be truly appropriate I think a more complete explanation is owed to this prurient world. A sexual offence of epic proportion would be of genuine public interest.

Lewis Hamilton splits from his pussycat

Although she is known as a pussycat, I've never felt much affinity with Nicole. She never struck me as particularly bright and I seem to recall Old Nic saying on more than one occasion that they were an ill-matched couple. I know that Old Nic will be happy that Lewis will now be able to concentrate on business again. Which is something that has been sadly lacking in the last few months. Maybe he will also be able to find someone more suitable as a girlfriend, someone younger anyway. Jensen's done all right for himself after all!

Chelsee Healey's bullying accusations

It seems that Chelsee Healey (pictured here dancing in the BBCs Strictly Come Dancing show) has been bleating to the press about people bullying her on Twitter [see article]. Which is a little weird in itself because I don't really see how someone can be bullied without a physical interface (he he). I mean if you don't like someone's use of Twitter then don't use it yourself - it is not essential for life.
But my main problem with her complaint is that being disliked by people is the opposite end of the stick from being liked. People such as Chelsee adopt careers like hers because they have a fundamental need to be appreciated and applauded. They must surely be prepared for their failures without whining in public and calling it an emotive term such as bullying.
Neither Old Nic nor myself like Chelsee at all but in no way do we regard or intend our remarks as bullying.
In fact let's get it over with right now.
Old Nic says that when Chelsee opens her mouth to speak, it's as if her tongue goes mad and flaps uncontrollably without ever reaching her hard palette or allowing her mouth to close so that almost every word ends with an short expulsion of breath.
I think that may just be her vile Manchester accent however.
Old Nic also wonders why she seems to have an obsession with double EEs and wonders what her bra size happens to be. When I pressed him for an explanation he said that her name is ChelsEE (an improperly spelled version of Chelsea) and she plays a character called JanEEce in her day job. Oh I get it now!

The shadowy world of a poor little rich girl

I see that Tamara Ecclestone, the under privileged daughter of F1 boss Bernie claims she wants 'to step out of her father's shadow' and make her own way. Her plans for doing this include launching a range of hair products to be called Formula One. Understandably Bernie will have none of it, after all, the brand Formula One belongs to him already. But what strange planet does she inhabit that she thinks naming a product the same as her father's is in any way stepping out of his shadow?
In the same Daily Mail article it states 'Cameras follow the socialite- turned-businesswoman and her younger sister Petra, 22, who married in a £5 million ceremony in August.'
Pardon me! Does this not say that Tamara married her sister or is my English not up to snuff? Is that legal? I know the world has moved on a pace or two since I was a kitten but surely not that far.
The item also states that Tamara has declined an offer to buy her £45 million house in London's Kensington. £45 million!! You didn't earn that on your own and I would say that you never will.
Stay in your father's shadow you silly girl!

A high class hooker? No way TOWIE.

Got to shift Old Nic away from the computer. It's my turn and anyway it's time for his morning sleep. Let's see what he's looking at......oh yes, the Daily Mail on line.

I see some revelation has appeared about one of those awful TOWIE girls. That Maria Fowler (is she the one with the overblown front and strange mouth?) has appeared in an ad for an escort company [see article] and she is 'suicidal' as a result. She also says that what is worrying her most is that her mother might think that she is a 'high class hooker'
Well at least it will only be your mother darling, the rest of us will know that you could only be a LOW one. D'ja nah wot I mean, like, shuuuu...up, innit.

Oh the boredom, oh my poor cold bottom

Within a few hours of writing in my intro that I liked to sit on the digi box warming my bottom while watching the telly, the blasted thing expired - the telly, not the digi box. And of course, with no telly to watch Old Nic has not have the digi box operating. I suffered from a frozen South Pole while he watched something on the iplayer (whatever that is). And this morning he watched the Korean Grand Prix live on it at quite a beastly hour. Now he is passing the time by playing with some silly ads on an online newspaper page. He's found two ads for O2 which are next to each other and is playing with the bubbles which follow your mouse (ooooh that word gets me every time) around.
The computer doesn't get warm anywhere I can sit. I am not looking forward to tonight!
I can guarantee the fellow will be in a foul mood so my lap time later on is in jeopardy too!

Pondering who to follow on Twitter

I was contemplating who I should follow on my twitter page and then I recalled that Old Nic and I had been watching Have I Got News For You last night when Victoria Coren was a guest on what turned out to be a really funny show. Victoria hinted that she likes cats (wishing that her mother accepted that ownership of a cat was a sign of a settled domestic life) although she did say that collectors of cat memorabilia should be deported instantly.
I should point out, Vicky, that nobody owns a cat and there is nothing intrinsically wrong with collecting feline trivia.
Anyway I could see the expression on Old Nic's face when La Coren appeared on screen and it resembled mine when detecting a saucer of cream in the vicinity. He says that she ticks all the boxes but that's not saying much considering he only has two - boobs and wit.
Old Nic also says that he remembers her dad, the sage of Cricklewood, and that he used to buy the Times purely for his television column and that Punch never had the same appeal after he left.
So there you are, we both love Victoria Coren and we can happily add her to Stephen Fry.