7 Reasons

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  • 7 Reasons to Buy a Fisher .375 Caliber Bullet Space Pen

    7 Reasons to Buy a Fisher .375 Caliber Bullet Space Pen

    Great news, 7 Reasons readers!  It’s now the future, for the zenith of that great and influential piece of technology – the pen – is here.  Pictured down there, just below these words, is the most awesome pen ever.  The only pen you’ll ever need.  A pen that you can use on absolutely any occasion.  If you want to be prepared, never mind the Scouts, get this pen.  Did I mention that it’s awesome already?  It’s awesome.

    A pen that's also a bullet that is also a pen.

    1.  It’s Mighty.  Okay, I can’t get anything past you.  You’ve noticed, haven’t you?  It doesn’t look like a pen, does it?  No.  It’s made from a .375 calibre bullet.  That makes this pen mightier than the pen, which is mightier than the sword.  It’s also packaged in an attractive gift case and is easy to transport in your pocket.

     

    2.  It’s Handy.  I live in Britain where few people own guns and, as such, I have a very limited understanding of them.  But what if bands of roaming barbarian hordes turned up at my house.   Or hordes of roaming barbarian bands?  Or reams of hording, barbering hands?  Or bandaged ranks, handy with swords?   I’d be fucked.  And really confused.  But if I had a bullet pen I’d be able to defend myself and my loved ones in the best possible way: By writing a cross letter to the local newspaper and then hurling the pen really hard at an assailant.  That should work, right?

     

    3.  It’s Feminine.  Now, you might be thinking that this isn’t a very feminine accoutrement, and that this awesome pen would be undesirable to women.  But you’d be very, very wrong.  Because if you thought that, you’d be making the crass assumption that what every woman wants is a man.  But they don’t.  And let me tell you right now, there is no surer way of not getting a man than for a woman to carry a large bullet around in her handbag.  None.  You can’t even top this with a cat in a pram or a hat made of cheese.  Or Crocs.

     

    4.  It’s Waterproof. It writes underwater, which is something conventional pens can’t do.  And it’s important to be able to write under water.  For a successful submariner, for example, the ability to write under water is a necessary part of the job. They need to be able to write things down to do with charts and protractors and compasses and periscopes that you couldn’t possibly understand.  If they were explained by me.  The Fisher .375 Caliber Bullet Space Pen is ideal for all of this underwater tomfoolery.

     

    5.  It’s Airproof. It writes over water too.  So if you’re an unsuccessful submariner, you can still use the pen without feeling stigmatised and discriminated against as a consequence of your haplessness and ineptitude.  Sure, other submariners may mock you, but it won’t be because of your pen.

     

    6.  It’s Oilproof.  Who amongst us hasn’t been trapped in a barrel of oil and suddenly remembered that it’s Mothers Day?  If you own this pen, your mother will never be card-less again.  You’ll also be able to write inside a wok and on the head of my teenage self.  It’s so practical!

     

    7.  It’s A Force For Good. It raises the stakes and pushes back the boundaries of science, technology, the human species as a whole and the design of pouch laminating machines.  Because the bullet space-pen is so amazing that it’s way ahead of the curve.  Sure, the pen works underwater, and so does paper.  For a short time.  But eventually in water, paper turns to papier-mâché and, as we know, turning French is undesirable.  The only thing that can prevent this horror is the pouch laminating machine which sadly, does not work underwater.  Because of this technological imbalance, humankind will inevitably pour all sorts of resources into making the underwater pouch laminating machine a reality.  All because of the Fisher .375 Caliber Bullet Space Pen.  Bring on the future* (only £16.34 and delivered free within the UK)!

     

    *My birthday is in June.

  • 7 Reasons Seven Different Teams Won The 2011 Cricket World Cup

    7 Reasons Seven Different Teams Won The 2011 Cricket World Cup

    Well, that’s it. The Cricket World Cup is over for another four years. And what a World Cup it was. Some incredible performances from some incredible teams producing some incredible results. Or, if you were watching from where I was, rather tiresome once it had entered week 23. The good news is, England won! (Along with India.) (And a few others.)

    7 Reasons Seven Teams Won The 2011 Cricket World Cup

    1.  India. The history books will show that it was the once fully-haired Mahendra Singh Dhoni who lifted the cup for one of the host nations. Given that they won the final I suppose there is an argument that they should be declared victors in their own right. But if we do that, aren’t we forgetting the other winners?

    2.  South Africa. They beat India – the winners – in the group stage. Surely if you beat the winners that makes you the winners?

    3.  England. They beat the winners of the match against the winners. Surely if you beat the winners of the match against the winners that makes you the winners?

    4.  Ireland. Ironically, the only people who can’t remember Kevin O’Brien’s incredible innings are the Irish. That’s because they were drinking from 9am. So, in case you have forgotten, let me remind you. Ireland beat England. They beat the winners of the match against the winners of the match against the winners. That makes them the winners then?

    5.  West Indies. Well, not quite. Because the winners of the match against the winners of the match against the winners of the match against the winners (otherwise known as Ireland) lost to the West Indies. Which makes them the winners.

    6.  Pakistan. Or at least they would have been if Pakistan had not beaten the winners of the match against the winners of the match against the winners of the match against the winners of the match against the winners, in the quarter finals. And that’s exactly what Pakistan did. Unfortunately for them, this doesn’t make Pakistan the winners.

    7.  New Zealand.
    That’s because in the group stage they succumbed to lose to the Kiwis. And if you beat the winners of the match against the winners of the match against the winners of the match against the winners of the match against the winners of the match against the winners, that means you win. Or at least it does here because we only provide seven reasons. Which is rather unfortunate for Sri Lanka given that they beat the winner of the match against the winners of the match against the winners of the match against the winners of the match against the winners of the match against the winners of the match against the winners. Mind you, they did lose to the winners. So I guess it doesn’t matter very much.

  • 7 Reasons To Wear Slippers

    7 Reasons To Wear Slippers

    When you get to about ten years of age you start realising that slippers are for girls and Grandads. It is certainly a view I held for the next seventeen years. However, since moving to Kent last June, my relationship with slippers has begun to change. In my previous abode in Fulham the house was very much slipper free. Living with an Australian all I saw were thongs. (That’s Australian for flip-flop, I wasn’t a pervert). In Kent, though, the ratio of flip-flops to slippers is 1:1. Now, I don’t know why, but the slippers in question – my girlfriend’s slippers – had a habit of calling me. Wherever I looked, there they were. Asking to be worn. It’s the same as biscuits in the jar or cushions on the sofa. They demand to be eaten or jumped on. Respectively, obviously. Not simultaneously. After six months of looking after the slippers in question, I was bought my own pair. I have now worn my own slippers for three months. And far from feeling like an old man, I feel young, hip and warm in the tootsie department. If you are not a slipper wearer, here is why you should be:

    7 Reasons To Wear Slippers

    1.  Grip. As someone who is both active and clumsy, wooden or tiled floors have often been my downfall. Quite literally. I just can’t help but try and slide from one end of the kitchen to the other. While this can be fun, it can also be highly dangerous for both myself and other kitchen based persons. Especially if they are carrying a pan of boiling water. Or an expensive antique plant pot. While slippers will never help superglue the pot back together at least the soles prevent further accidents and weeks without receiving pocket money. An extremely valuable source of income when you want to buy a Game Boy.

    2.  Socks. The slipping and the sliding may have something to do with it, but the vast majority of my socks have a hole problem. Or, to be more accurate, my holes have a sock problem. I don’t buy cheap and I don’t attack them with scissors, but matter not within weeks a hole is already beginning to form. Or at least they were. Now, with the introduction of slippers to my daily attire, my socks last much longer. Much longer. We’re talking months here, not just days. To give you a more accurate picture, in the three months of 2011 so far there has only been one New Sock Saturday. In years gone by it has been at least two. Slippers means I am wearing 50% less socks each year. And that’s without reverting to my 2006 One Sock A Day project.

    3.  Warmth. We try not to state the bloody obvious on 7 Reasons for bloody obvious reasons, but on this occasion I feel it is fair game. That’s because I have terrible blood circulation to my extremities. Well, most of them. My toes in particular don’t feel the benefit of any blood. As a result they are always freezing and half the time I forget I have any. Now the last thing you need, especially when you are filling out an important medical form or the census, is to forget you have toes. This can lead to much confusion in the doctors canteen and a £1000 fine. Wear slippers though, and you’ll never forget.

    4.  Emotion. So far this year two sporting events have caught the imagination of my slippers. The Cricket World Cup and the Six Nations. In both events England have thrilled and appalled in equal measure. It’s during these moments of ecstasy and pain that I find my slippers to be of much use. A wicket or a try to the good and my slippers become the loudest clappers in the land. A wicket or a try to the bad however and they make a pleasing thwack on the table. Or a not so pleasing one on my knee. Either way, worth having a pair to hand.

    5.  Efficiency. Slippers are comfortable. If they are not you probably have them on the wrong foot. So take them off the unsuspecting slipper wearer and slip into them yourself. In this comfortable and warm environment one can easily begin to feel slightly sleepy. When I put my slippers on I know I am going to be asleep within the hour. On a good day I have more than an hours work to get through which means I have to work like a Chinese production line to get it done. Then, just before I start snoozing, I whip the slippers off and spend the rest of the day writing stuff for 7 Reasons. Obviously I don’t expect you to write for 7 Reasons in your now empty day, but you could do something equally worthwhile. Like see how many Jaffa Cakes you can eat in one minute. The world record is a paltry seven. I’ve managed five. This was in the days before I wore slippers though.

    6.  Intelligence. I don’t know about you, but I believe in this psychological nonsense. If I am not wearing the right cap I never score runs. If I don’t drink tea with my breakfast I feel thirsty. If I get the letters Z, Q and J when playing Scrabble I never win. Well, in the same light, if I don’t wear my slippers I don’t feel very intelligent. I feel somewhat immature and insecure and other words that begin with ‘i’ that I’d only be able to think of if I was wearing my slippers right now. Which only goes to prove my point.

    7.  Superiority. I was originally going to publish this post at the start of March, but I wanted to conduct an experiment based on the above. Was I really a better performer with slippers on? Well, the jury is very much still out on this one. What I can tell you, however, is that if I answered the door whilst wearing slippers people were much politer to me and much more in awe of my standing than they were the one time I didn’t. That was the time Gary the builder wondered if I wanted my guttering looked at. When I told him that I was quite capable of looking at it myself he got in a huff. I don’t blame him. That’s slippers for you. Or the lack of anyway.

  • 7 Reasons to Ignore What People Tell You About Babies*

    7 Reasons to Ignore What People Tell You About Babies*

    Either I’m missing something or our six day old baby is defective.  I was brought up to believe that parenthood was a living hell and that newborn babies were the worst things in all of existence.  But, so far, and I hope I’m not tempting fate here, it isn’t and he isn’t.  Doubtless there’ll be times when he’s poorly – or we are – and the going is really tough, but the babygeddon that I was led to believe I should expect as a new father has yet to materialise.  I’m beginning to suspect that people have been lying to us.

     

    It isn’t like this.

    1.  “It’s hard, it’s really hard.  It’s awful.  You won’t sleep for the first three years and then when you do, he’ll wake you up within five minutes just to spite you.”  Blimey.  Okay, so we need to feed and change him regularly day and night, but we seem to be getting loads of sleep.  I actually feel guilty.  I’ve begun stretching and pretending to yawn to make other parents feel better.  “Oh, it’s absolute hell” I tell them in agreement, while wondering what all the fuss is about.  Will it be possible for my wife and I to survive on only eight hours sleep per day each?  Only time will tell.

     

    2.  “He’ll scream for hours for no reason.” No, there is a reason.  In the case of the changing-table-screaming, it’s because he doesn’t want two giants tearing all his warm, protective layers off and attacking his bits with cotton wool every time he smells funny.  I wouldn’t like it either.  Nor would you.  Fortunately we have worked out that we can distract him with the Poo Donkey; which is the donkey that comes and takes away the baby poo.  (Not related to the father that takes the piss).  Thank you, Poo Donkey, if it weren’t for you, the baby would still be screaming every changing time.  Babies do scream for a reason.  It just takes a bit of working out what it is.

    All hail the Poo Donkey!
    All hail the Poo Donkey!

     

    3.  “You’ll never be able to go anywhere ever again.” Yes we can, and we have; every day.  We’ve mostly been to Boots, Mothercare and the doctor’s surgery and we have to take a bit more stuff and it takes us a little longer to get ready, but we’ve been perfectly mobile.  Okay, we get a few minutes of pushchair screaming which we don’t have a donkey to sort for us yet, but, with a bit of determination and preparation, a tiny child seems to be no obstacle to doing anything.  I sense that only our own inertia would be.

     

    4.  “Boys will wee absolutely everywhere, on everything.” Yes, and babies are the same.  Fortunately though, fast-hands can protect you from this.  Yes, my nephew (also a baby) has managed to wee in my sister’s mouth and eye on more than one occasion, but this – I am sure – can be attributed to her having the spatial awareness and lightning reactions of a morphine-addled sloth listening to a tuba (throughout my sister’s childhood, the cry of “catch” was almost always followed by a sharp and unexpected blow to her forehead).  For those of us with superhuman awareness and reactions (or even with human awareness and reactions) it is not difficult to place a hand between the source of the wee and the thing you want to protect from it.  Sadly, my wife’s coat (on the back of a door several feet away) was sacrificed in the learning of this.  But so far, we have not drowned in wee.

     

    5.  “There’s poo everywhere and you’ll spend your entire life cleaning it up.” No there isn’t, it’s conveniently contained within nappies, which – at this early stage – are not unpleasant to change (even for someone as squeamish as myself).  Let’s say he does six poos per day and it takes five minutes each time to clean and change him.  That’s only half an hour per day.  The BBC have just axed My Family, so there’s half an hour.  Now all we need is for them to axe EastEnders and Holby City and that’s a week we can spend dealing with shit, rather than watching it. Or we can just turn it off (the television, not the poo).  Half an hour is not difficult to find.  Half an hour is not all day, and half an hour every day is not an entire lifetime.  For some people it’s not even an entire lunchtime.

     

    6.  “Newborn babies are really cute and their tiny little hands and feet are gorgeous.  Awww.  Sssswwwweeeeeettttt ickle babies. Do do do do do do do”.  No they’re not.  Our child has feet almost as large as his mother’s and fingers so long that he could probably play the piano if he could reach it.  Or if we had a piano.  Our son also has a hairier arse than most builders.  Not all babies have tiny hands and feet.

     

    7.  “The baby will take over your life.” Yes – okay I have to concede that there may be a point there – and 7 Reasons apparently**.  Expect us to have wrested some of it back from his evil clutches by next week though.  Jon and I can take a baby in a fight.  We’re not scared.  Bring it on, you big baby!

     

    *Don’t listen to me either, I expect that everyone’s experiences of parenthood are just different and we shouldn’t imagine that what we have undergone will be universally the same for others.

    **We will be putting the baby away soon and normal service – rambling on about biscuits and France – will resume shortly.

     

     

     

     

  • 7 Reasons Potatoes Are The Answer To Anger Management Issues

    7 Reasons Potatoes Are The Answer To Anger Management Issues

    One evening last week I went to bed. This isn’t news, but what happened next is. My fiancée and I started talking about potatoes. Now, I don’t want you thinking this is natural bedroom behaviour for us, in fact, I can assure you we have never spoken of potatoes – or indeed potato based products – in bed before. And we probably never will again. But in that moment it felt right. Having discussed the merits of King Edwards, we promptly moved on to the more pressing matter of potato preparation. It dawned on us – well Claire really, I was checking my email – that potato preparation is the new boxing. Or anger management tool anyway. To paraphrase – without intention of belittling – Winston Churchill’s famous words, “Never in the field of the kitchen is so much owed by so many angry people to so few potatoes”. Here’s why:

    7 Reasons Potatoes Are The Answer To Anger Management Issues

    1.  Skin Them. Does anything beat the satisfaction of skinning a potato? Well, possibly a carrot. And buying a yacht. And eating biscuits. But skinning a potato is still good. How much skin can you peel off in one go? It’s like peeling an orange for real men. (With anger management issues).

    2.  Chop Them. Maybe it’s a quick release you need. Chopping or dicing will have you feeling relaxed in no time. Unless you lose a finger. In which case you’ll probably ruin your dinner.

    3.  Stab Them. If you are so angry that you are going to do something stupid, I recommend getting a knife out of the drawer. Now you can stab the little git and microwave it to the point of explosion. And once you’ve done that, you can do the same with your potato.

    4.  Roast Them. Maybe your anger is so instilled that it’s going to take a long time for you to calm down. Stick a potato in the oven and watching it slowly toast. I find having a window in the oven door helps with this. Otherwise you have to put your head in the oven. Not only is it hot, the potato always gets in the way.

    5.  Boil Them. More slow death treatment, only this time the pain is much more visible. The bubbling, the steaming, the stabbing with a fork to see if they are done. You’ll be mellowed out in twenty-five minutes with this method.

    6.  Mash Them. Whatever or whoever has annoyed you, just pretend you are mashing the life out of it/them. I find adding a little milk and butter helps the process of mashing Davina McCall to death much more pleasant.

    7.  Saute Them. In the words of Claire, “Cook them once, cook them twice. Twice the pain, twice the satisfaction. Mwhahahahaha!” I think I shall don the apron tonight.

  • 7 Reasons To Name Your Son Byron

    7 Reasons To Name Your Son Byron

    Yes, it’s me. I’m back. Despite quitting on Tuesday, I find myself back in front of the 7 Reasons CMS typing away. Apparently I need to give two years notice if I want to leave. Roll on March 2013 then! So that’s the future sorted, now let’s concentrate on today. You probably remember with great fondness that day I gave you seven reasons to name your son Troy. Since then there has been a 0.004% rise in the number of Troys in the world showing that with great reasoning comes great Christenings. It did dawn on me though that, given its current upward curve of popularity, come the year 5000, one in every 18,000 people would be called Troy. That’s too many Troys floating around. As a result I need to increase the popularity of another name to decrease the popularity of Troy. And the name I have chosen is Byron. Here are seven reasons to name your son Byron:

    7 Reasons To Name Your Son Byron

    1.  Unique. If you get in now, your son will have a very unique name. According to wikipedia only 24 people in the entire world have the first name Byron. Personally I think it’s closer to 25. They are probably just slow at updating their records. That’s still not many though.

    2.  Achiever. On that wikipedia list of 24, there are professional sportsmen, US senators and a Greek cellist. In fact the worst profession of any of the Byrons is ‘Welsh football player’. You name your son Byron and you watch him go.

    3.  Strength. I suspect the above has something to do with the following. The name Byron is a motivator. On the one hand constantly saying ‘Bye Ron’ to your son will have a slightly negative effect. For one, he’ll think he’s called Ron and secondly, he’ll feel neglected. On the positive side though, it will make Ron a tough character. He’ll start looking after himself from a very young age. Your Byron will probably start cleaning cars for money. Then he’ll sell cars for money. Then he’ll sell money for more money. Eventually he’ll be hosting series 63 of The Apprentice. It’ll be amazing to watch him say, ‘You’re fired!’ and the firee reply with a cheery, ‘Bye Ron’.

    4.  Awkwardness. Quite why anyone would want to know where young Byron was conceived is beyond my capabilities of understanding. Just in case you are friends with one (or more) of the Loose Women though, the name automatically answers their question. Yep, Byron Bay. It would be helpful if you had an amazing holiday in Australia nine months before the birth too. Just so the story has gravitas.

    5.  Twins. If you would like more than one child at the time of birth, deciding on naming your son Byron is a sure fire way of ending up with twins. Byron, get one free.*

    6.  Shortening. The great thing about the name Byron is that he can shorten it to match his occupation or hobbies. If he invents a new pen, it’s Byro. If he likes dabbling in the stock-market, it’s Byr. If he likes women and men, it’s By. And if he enjoys pollinating flowers, making honey, stinging people and dying, it’s B.

    7.  Meaning. The name Byron means ‘barn for cows’ or ‘at the cattle sheds’. You know where you stand with that. I suspect one of the reasons for my self-loving is because Jonathan means ‘gift of God’.

    PS: Many congratulations to anyone who has had a baby recently. Particularly if you’ve called him (or her) Byron.

    *I’m sorry. This is probably the worst reason I have ever written. I just couldn’t help myself.

  • 7 Reasons to Wear a CAT Cap When Borrowing a Flat Flap (For Fat Cats)

    7 Reasons to Wear a CAT Cap When Borrowing a Flat Flap (For Fat Cats)

    The CAT cap, that iconic piece of American headgear is, despite what you may have read yesterday, the ideal piece of millinery to wear when borrowing a large cat flap.  Here’s why.

    1.  You’re Lost.  On the way to see your flat flap (for fat cats) lender you get lost and you don’t have a map.  Normally, you couldn’t ask for directions at all but, with your CAT cap as a disguise, you can.  By pretending to be an American.  It’s a well known fact that 94% of lost American tourists that you encounter in the UK are actually fat, badly dressed British people putting on a funny accent.  You can be one too!

     

    2.  Whippets.  You might not own a fat cat at all, you might own a whippet; those mid-sized runts from greyhound litters.  But what if you want to borrow a cat flap for a whippet and don’t want it to be known that your greyhound is inadequate?  You can’t wear a flat cap, they’ll assume you’re a whippet owner.  You can, however, wear a CAT cap and pretend that you’re borrowing one for a cat.  And that your caps lock is stuck.

     

    3.  Escape.  You’re on the run.  They’re after you.  It’s your own fault really, you fell into bad company and were led astray.  When one of your friends suggested that you should brilliantine your hair and don clothes from the 1920s to go out for a night on the town, you acquiesce.  Unfortunately, your gang’s – having consumed several too many Tom Collins and Manhattans – behaviour has become indecorous and has descended into committing acts of japery and tomfoolery.  Soon, you and your friends are filming each other with your portable telephones as you grab total strangers on the night bus and forcibly dance the Charleston with them.  After one happy flapping incident too many, you find you have become separated from your chums and are being chased by an angry, powerful looking man called Matt whose only desire for the evening was to enjoy a quiet meal out with friends, and transport his large cat flap (for his fat cat, Pat) home.  And boy is he fast.  As you tear round the corner of Crash Street you find that he is tiring though, and you begin to pull away from him until, eventually, he is out of sight altogether.  Then, with creeping horror, you realise that something is blocking your path.  That’s right, it’s the Crash Street wall: You’ve run into a dead end.  Desperately scanning the surrounding area for some means of escape, you spot a yellow CAT cap protruding from a bin bag.  You dust it off and put it on just as Matt bounds into view.  “He went in there” you shout while pointing at a padlocked door to your right, “here let me hold that for you”.  He hands you the large cat flap and furiously heads toward the door.  While his back is turned, you rapidly attach the cat flap to the wall and make your escape through it.  If it weren’t for the CAT cap, this might not have ended so well.

     

    4.  Baldness.  Have you ever lent a cat flap to a bald person?  No.  No one ever does.  They need to cover their heads to get cat flaps.  A CAT cap will achieve this.

     

    5.  Fame.  You’re Guy Ritchie.  You need to go out and borrow a prop.  It’s a flat cat flap for a fat cat (the film’s in plain old 2D, so you only need a flat one).  But you’re being papped, so you can’t wear a flat cap (as you’re a recognisable chap who they’ll try to snap) so you slap on a CAT cap to borrow your flat flap (for a fat cat), which you’re able to borrow without incident.

     

    6.  When Abroad.  You’re in America.  In the American mid-west, in movies from the eighties, where most people wear plaid shirts and mesh CAT caps.  And you’re on holiday.  Being the sort of person who likes to be prepared (and has a suitcase full of baked beans, ginger biscuits, tea and beige trousers), you have remembered to pack your fat cat and your door, but have unaccountably forgotten your cat flap.  Your cat won’t be able to get through the door so you’ll need to borrow one.  And how better to approach the locals and showing them you’re not a stranger than by donning a CAT cap, and driving over to their place in a pick-up truck.  With Michael J. Fox or Kevin Bacon in the passenger seat.  It’ll put them at their ease and they’ll be happy to let you take their cat flap.  And these broken wings.

     

    7.  Donning.  Perhaps you’re already the wearer of a CAT cap.  And already own a fat cat, for whom you have a cat flap.  But what if your fat cat has had some sort of cat flap mishap that caused it to snap (the cat flap, not the fat cat) while you were having a nap?  Well in that case, you’d need to don your CAT cap and pop out to borrow a flat fat cat cat flap to replace the one that snapped.  Self-evident, really.

     

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  • 7 Reasons To Wear A Flat Cap When Borrowing A Cat Flap

    7 Reasons To Wear A Flat Cap When Borrowing A Cat Flap

    Having examined the virtues of borrowing a cat flap on Monday and a flat cap yesterday, it seems only logical to combine the two. Logical, that is, to a professor of reasoning to the tune of seven. So, here you go. Seven reasons to wear a flat cap when borrowing a cat flap.

    Cat Wearing Flat Cap
    Flat Cap Cat In Cat Flap Flap Shocker!

    1.  Doffing. Unless you are very, very old, you probably haven’t had someone doff their hat/cap/beanie/pork pie at you. Sadly, along with the ability to offer thanks when you open a door for their entire rabble, it is from another age. But that doesn’t mean it’s wrong to do so. In the same way that I am now pleasantly surprised if I get a thank you- or indeed a tip – when I hold open the door to the local Co-Op or Claridges, a cat flap owner would be impressed if you doffed your flat cap at them when they answered the door. Immediately this disarms them. Well done, you have broken down the barriers to the cat flap.

    2.  Pink. Obviously if you have shocking pink hair then wearing a flat cap is a necessity. Anything that alienates you from a potential cat flap sharer is a bad thing. And pink hair is such an alienator. So wear a flat cap and ignore the doffing. In many ways doffing when you have pink hair is worse than not wearing a flat cap at all. But that’s not an invitation. Wear it and keep it on. Just as a by line, personally, I don’t believe you should be allowed a cat if you have pink hair. Under the incumbent government though it is allowed so all I can do is urge you to wear a flat cap. At all times.

    3.  Association. There are five types of people who wear flat caps. Hoorays, Guy Ritchies Marc Fearns’, whippet owners and farmers. The probability of a Hooray wanting to borrow a cat flap is slim, Guy Ritchie can afford to buy one, Marc Fearns already has one and we’ll come to whippet owners in the next reason. That leaves farmers as one of only two type of people who would knock on a door and ask to borrow a cat flap. Now farmers, as I am sure we are all aware, like animals. As a result the typical cat flap owner is going to be much more receptive to a farmer’s request than they would be if it came from someone attired in pith helmet. With accompanying shotgun and elephant tusks.

    4.  Preconception. As mentioned in the previous reason, the other type of person who wears a flat cap is a whippet owner. Or, if you prefer, a whippetier. Why should it be that the flat cap is synonymous with a type of dog and not a cat? It shouldn’t. It is catist. There is no better way therefore than to challenge the flat cap/whippet association by attempting to borrow cat flaps in a flat cap. And of course, if you are successful in your pursuit of a cat flap borrowing you will then have to decide what to do with your whippet. I find listening to Delia helps.

    5.  Bargaining. If may be that the cat flap owner – particularly if they are a 7 Reasons reader – is on the look out for a flat cap to borrow. How lucky therefore that you should be wearing one. It’s the perfect exchange of goods.

    6.  Versatility. In the unlikely event that the cat flap owner declines your request you may well become desperate. You may well start begging. And of course the best way to beg is by kneeling down and placing your cap upside down in front of you. If you smell bad this would also help.

    7.  Fame. As with many of the things we encourage on 7 Reasons, this has never been done before. I can absolutely guarantee that no one in the history of the world has attempted to borrow a cat flap while wearing a flat cap. So why not be the first? This time next week you could have the front page of your local paper framed and hanging on your wall. And what a wonderful talking point that would be. “Why is this, ‘Flat Cap Wearer Harasses Cat Flap Owners’, story on your wall?” Be sure to mention us won’t you?

     

  • 7 Reasons to Borrow a Flat Cap

    7 Reasons to Borrow a Flat Cap

    Yesterday, my colleague Jonathan Lee wrote 7 Reasons to Borrow a Cat Flap.  As sometimes happens at 7 Reasons, I found myself in disagreement with some of his reasoning and decided to write an answer post.  I sat down.  Before I had accomplished anything, my wife asked me what I was writing.  An answer post to “7 Reasons to Borrow a Flat Cap…Flat Cap…Flat Cap………Flat Cap!  Fuck it.  I’m writing 7 Reasons to Borrow a Flat Cap.”  So there it is.  Today’s post is brought to you courtesy of my inability to say the phrase cat flap.

    This is not a flat cap
    This is not a flat cap.

     

    1.  DNA.  If you borrow a flat cap you might find that there are fragments of DNA in it that you can use to clone the lender.  And what better birthday surprise is there for a flat cap owner than to be presented with the gift of themself?  Then they’ll be able to see how daft they look in a flat cap.  And pretend to be in the dining room when they’re not.

     

    2.  Yorkshire. Yorkshiremen are notable for two things.  Their wearing of flat caps and their fiscal prudence/utter meanness.  While a purchased flat cap satisfies one of these criteria; a borrowed flat cap fulfils both.  Nothing screams Yorkshire like a borrowed flat cap (except for a drunken ruddy-faced cricket spectator screaming “Yorkshire” at a whippet).  Real Yorkshiremen borrow hats.  I’m certain of it.

     

    3.  Versatility.  Flat caps aren’t just headgear.  They can be used for other purposes too.  Imagine you find yourself at the beach without a Frisbee.  You can borrow a flat cap and use it as one.  Always remember to remove the owner first and include them in the game though.  Otherwise you’re just bullying them.

     

    4.  Disguise.  You’re on the run.  They’re after you.  They’re after you!  You’re like Richard Hannay in The Thirty-Nine Steps (except that in this example I have thoughtfully provided an escalator).  As you flee through the fog, the whistle-blowing rozzers are hot on your heels.  You round a corner and almost collide with an old man in a flat cap.  Thinking quickly, you tear the hat from his head and place it on your own.  You spin round, stoop, and shuffle in the direction from which you have come, while the police tear past you round the corner and continue running into the fog.  You breathe deeply, fleetingly experiencing the sweet serenity of relief.  Then the old man – a retired escalator salesman – sets about you with his walking stick, hitting you thirty-nine times, as you repeatedly yell “Stop!”

     

    5.  Finance.  A borrowed flat cap has an approximate annual maintenance cost per annum of £0.00.  This represents great value.  If worn all the time this could – in my case – mean an annual saving of £120 on haircuts. So borrowing a flat cap makes great fiscal sense.  You could use the money you’ve saved by not getting your hair cut (highlighted/dyed (you might be a girl or a pillock)) to buy some sort of larger over-hat to hide your flat cap.  Perhaps a pirate hat. Then you’ll have saved yourself money and you’ll look like a pirate. I really should have been a financial adviser.

     

    6.  Comedy.  Why, you might reasonably ask, would someone wear a hat which makes their head look like they’ve had an unfortunate accident involving both gravity and an anvil?  The answer is comedy.  Borrow a flat cap and you can:

     

    • Convince a small child that your head is flat.
    • Wear it backwards and pretend to be a git.
    • Impersonate Norman Wisdom (this is only funny in Albania)
    • No, that’s about it.
    • For comedy you’re actually better off borrowing a custard pie.
    • Or a plank.

     

    7.  Benevolence.  By borrowing a flat cap, you provide a valuable service to the flat cap owner.  I, for example, am the owner of two flat caps.  If someone borrowed one of them I’d feel less like Guy Ritchie.  I’d like that.

     

     

     

    Coming tomorrow: 7 Reasons to Borrow a Flat Cat*

    *or 7 Reasons to Borrow a Cap Flap

     

  • 7 Reasons To Borrow A Cat Flap

    7 Reasons To Borrow A Cat Flap

    Last night, upon viewing a Felix advert, my girlfriend – not for the first time – announced she wanted a cat. Upon enquiring as to why she didn’t get one, I was told that we don’t have a cat flap. (To be honest, I had noticed this before). Sensing my girlfriend’s disappointed I then suggested that perhaps we could borrow our next door neighbour’s cat flap. I didn’t share the seven reasons as to why this is a great idea then, because I wanted to share them with everyone who has a cat flap problem now. (And, I didn’t have seven reasons on me at the time). Here they are:

     

    One flap, half a cat.
    One flap, half a cat

    1.  Collection Service. It won’t make any difference to the cat whose flap they enter. The reason a cat enters the home is because they have had enough of being outside. At least that’s my logical conclusion. As a result, all you need is an arrangement with your neighbours. Whenever the cat enters their flap they get on the phone, you whip round, pick it up and bring it home. Then, the next day, you just take the cat round to your neighbours and let it make its own mind up on when it wants to leave the house via the flap.

    2.  Annoying. As with humans, I imagine a proportion of cats are very indecisive. They’re not sure whether they want to be in or out which means a lot of cat flap exit and entry. Thankfully, it’s your neighbours who will have to put up with the constant opening and shutting of the flap. You, quite frankly, couldn’t care less.

    3.  Maintenance. Due to the fact that you have an indecisive cat, the wear and tear on your neighbours cat flap is going to be acelerated. Not your problem though is it? They are the ones who will have to invest in WD40.

    4.  Hole In The Wall. The idea of knocking a hole in the wall to let a cat in or out scares me. What happens if a fox tries to get in? Or a rat? Or an alligator? That’s not the kind of thing I want to meet in the kitchen at 6.30am. Especially as I don’t have my eyes in at that time and as such can’t see a bloody thing. I’ll probably think my girlfriend has brought some crocodile skin boots. Which means we’ll end up having an argument. Firstly, about her choice of footwear attire and, secondly, about why I’ve bought an alligator to bed. I’ll win though. I’ll just tell her we should have borrowed next door’s cat flap. As I had recommended.

    5.  Community. The chances are that if your neighbours have a cat flap they also have a cat. As with your typical cat-based film, the two cats will argue and fight at first before slowly beginning to accept each other and like each other. They will then set out to patrol the neighbourhood together, fighting the invasion of mice and pigeons. And then presenting them on your neighbour’s carpet.

    6.  Worry. Now, despite never having had a cat myself, I know that owners start worrying when their feline friends don’t come home for a couple of months. If you are relying on your neighbours to tell you when your cat has returned from a day of adventure, you don’t have to worry so much. So they haven’t been in touch for a few days. That’s easily explained. They might not be in, they might be asleep or they might have moved. The cat it probably fine in Salisbury. Relax!

    7.  Feeding. With any luck your cat will eat the food that was supposed to be for your neighbours cat. Saving both your money and your nostrils.*

    *Having recently fed a cat, I came to the conclusion that to own a cat you must have a permanently blocked nose.