Ry Cooder/New Order - The Very Thing That Makes her Rich (Makes Me Poor)/Thieves Like Us

OLD PA'S WEDNESDAY CLUB

'THE ONLY CRIME'
Thieves like us!

 
RY COODER -   The Very Thing That Makes Her Rich (Makes Me Poor)(1979)

One thing that really gets to me is people who make bets and will gladly accept the winnings when they win. But if they loose, well that is another story. They just will not pay up!. In my eyes that is a crime, it is stealing.

I was watching a movie the other day. I think it was the Kite Runner,  but I watch a lot of movies.  This guy said that there is only one crime and that is stealing. When you think about it, he could be right, You could apply the term steal to all crimes, including murder and rape and stealing you wife's last chip, when she is not looking.

What a wise fellow, I thought!

Here are two examples of bets I have made and won, but the thieves would not pay up.

I played football for a while in my thirties and one day a 'mate' said I had put on weight.  I immediately said I could loose 15 kilos in 3 months. Bets were taken and I stood to loose about £200, a lot of money in these days. The bets were with 4 different guys.

I ran, I played tennis, I played squash. I played football. sometime all in the same day. I was not going to drink alcohol until I lost the weight.

To cut the story short I lost the 15 kilos, well within the 3 months and 3 of the guys paid up on the spot. One guy just would not pay up. I hassled him, I embarrassed him whenever I met him. In front of all the guys I would go for him, I was relentless, but he just would not pay up.

What a thief!, what a looser! 

I sort of follow cricket in a small way, but a Pakistani guy I worked with was a real enthusiast and new all the Pakistani National Cricket Team. England were playing Pakistan in a one day series and I said to my learn ed collegue that England would win the first match  (England were very poor at that time). He laughed and we ended up having a bet.

England won of course. He said double or quits on the next match (this great Pakistani team were incapable of loosing 2 one day matches back to back).

England won of course. He said double again on the 3rd match. I agreed,  but I said this is the last time as eventually his team must win and he agreed.

England won of course. He just would not pay up and always made excuses. As we were in Saudi Arabia and betting is frowned upon I could not embarss him as much as he deserved, but he never did pay up.

What a thief!, what a looser!  
 
NEW ORDER - Thieves Like Us (1984)

Comments

Anonymous said…
You're so right about people who do not honour their betting debts. In fact, I think this kind of dishonourable behaviour goes on in so many aspects of life and it stinks. Mind you, I never gamble, so I'm not really speaking from direct experience on that score. Life is full of shits, eh? Absolutely excellent tunes, of course.
The Swede said…
When people let you down, particularly people you know and like, it's a true bummer. Good result on the weight loss though Old Pa. I could do with a bit of incentive on that front myself.
Shell Hunter said…
Another 2 corkers from the old pa vault! Can't believe you lost 15kg in 3 months, shame it didn't stay off eh?! I guess the moral of the story is don't make bets with 'loosers'!
flycasual said…
Ain't that the truth...I run a fantasy footy game at work and it's the same people I have to chase up at the end, sometimes at the end of the season. As SH says, too corners from the vault...