What an interesting and busy couple of weeks. First I managed to double my money again- not via conventional means but through the 'art' of Texas Hold 'Em poker, over a couple of nights with friends. I would have made more but unfortunately I ran up against someone I think of as a habitual 'bluffer'. Yet on this occasion my King in hand and another on the 'flop' lost to his pocket Aces.
Oh, the woe!
Otherwise my spare time has been taken up watching two shows. One is the UK version of The Apprentice
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0071b63 but I'm not sure that it's as good as previous seasons. It's either that I notice the grinding format, whereas previously I didn't, or the irony of Lord Sugar admodishing the candidates for using corny cliches.....then using his own! I hope that Jason Leech goes further in the competition- he seems a nice sensible guy.
The other show meanwhile seems much fresher. It's called Four Rooms
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/four-rooms- previously it had been on the UK's fourth channel in the evenings once a week but it's now moved to a daily slot during the day (luckily there is Channel 4 On Demand- an online repeat service). The format is simple, four dealers with an expertise in watches, books, art etc. sit alone in a room and wait for a member of the public to enter and offer to sell them an unusual 'object', which might be a family heirloom or something they bought at a boot fair (yard sale). The experts make offers and the potential 'sellers' decide whether to accept the offer. If declined, they move on to the next expert's room. It's entertaining on many levels, for example, the public's over inflation of the 'worth' of their objects, the rudeness of the experts and the sheer variety of interesting objects. I can't wait for the next installment.
I'm now off to plot my next trade. To be continued......