Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Reality gap!

Comedy delusion from a rednoses forum:

"'The criticism of Benitez's signings is also poor judgement. Benitez has worked within a tight budget since he arrived at Anfield and has missed out on top targets such as the likes of Luis Figo, Simao and Daniel Alves because of this. Yet he has still managed to land top players like Xabi Alonso, Daniel Agger, Momo Sissoko and Dirk Kuyt without having the riches of other clubs at his disposal.'"

They actually believe that liverpool aren't amongst the Premiership's big spenders. I assume in their minds Stevie Gerrard plays for nothing and the likes of Kuyt, Cisse and Alonso just turned up begging to be allowed to play.

It's really quite sweet! I wonder if they have images of Benitez chasing players for their subs money and the new boy washing the kits. They genuinely seem to believe that they are plucky minnows taking on the cynical might of United and Chelsea.

You judge

Then again if you look at the what happened to one of their directors when he had a audacity to criticise the manager maybe the nonsense the Echo et al write is a bit more understandable :

Stalinist purge?

Anyway here's Stuey's song of the day. Modern Girl by Sleater-Kinney

Monday, October 30, 2006

The East Terrace | Fantasy Rugby

The East Terrace | Fantasy Rugby

Woohoo!!!!!!!! sign up!

and in other news :

England believe they can win the world cup

That's an optimistic call...we just never seem to have the one-day team no matter how good our test side is.

Arsenal 1-1 Everton

Arsenal 1-1 Everton

Given the blues record away at Arsenal this was a fantastic result...it is slightly disappointingly given we lead for an hour of the game but a point is a point. Wenger and van Persie seemed to be moaning about our pragmatic approach to holding our early lead.

Tim Cahill scores at the Emirates Stadium

We are hardly going to throw caution to the wind whilst leading away from home to one of the best attacking teams in the country. Arsenal are flat-track bullies. If you let them play and set a tempo they'll destroy you...I seem to remember them trying to slow the game down immeasurably at Goodison a couple of seasons ago. Also virus had been doing the rounds with our squad so a point there is all the more creditable.

My sporting weekend was a bit up and down...it started off very, very well with the St Louis Cardinals winning the world series...truly tremendous stuff given their stuttering form towards the end of the regular season.

Here's a vid that contains a bit of a sly dig at Kenny "Pine Tar" Rogers :



I also heard that our friend's Diana's beloved Chicago Fire got dumped out the playoffs at the Semi-Final stage :(:(:(.

Everton's early lead kept our nerves on edge as we watched Waterloo V Pertemps Bees. Again Waterloo had those lapses in concentration which cost them two early tries. They rallied well but never really go back into the game after an attack broke down and the Brummies went up the other end and nicked a third try. A late, late spear tackle on van DeVenter didn't help matters as he's now broke his arm. A great ground out phase-upon-phase effort eventually breached their line and a late interception lead to a breakaway try but ultimately after the slow start Waterloo made a losing bonus was all they could ever hope for 18-38 the final score...We rushed into the clubhouse to watch Sky Sports Centre to see if Everton could hold on, the Evertonian Waterloo fans were all huddled round the television for what seemed like ages. I'm not sure how much injury time was added but eventually Moyes got so annoyed he got sent to the stand for pointing to his watch (painful memories of the City game haunting both fan and management alike methinks).

Friday, October 27, 2006

Here come the southerners

Autumn Internationls

International fixtures

Saturday, 04 November 2006
Wales v Australia, 14:30

Sunday, 05 November 2006
England v New Zealand, 15:30

Saturday, 11 November 2006
England v Argentina, 14:30
France v New Zealand, 20:00
Ireland v South Africa, 17:00
Italy v Australia, 14:00
Scotland v Romania, 14:30
Wales v Pacific Island, 14:30


Friday, 17 November 2006

Wales v Canada, 19:30

Saturday, 18 November 2006
England v South Africa, 14:30
France v New Zealand, 20:00
Italy v Argentina, 14:00
Scotland v Pacific Island, 14:30

Sunday, 19 November 2006
Ireland v Australia, 16:00

Saturday, 25 November 2006
England v South Africa, 14:30
France v Argentina, 14:00
Italy v Canada, 13:30
Scotland v Australia, 14:30
Wales v New Zealand, 17:00

Sunday, 26 November 2006

Ireland v Pacific Island, 14:45

BBC SPORT | McGrath back from the brink

BBC SPORT | McGrath back from the brink

Good article here about Paul McGrath. Interesting the way he says about Ferguson turfing him out when he wouldn't stop drinking. You are reminded of Tony Adams but he straightened up his act and got the extra years on his career.

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Telegraph | News | Lt Col John Pine-Coffin

Telegraph | News | Lt Col John Pine-Coffin:

The odd name made me check that it wasn't April 1st but I loved this bit :

"A series of staff appointments followed. In 1963 he was in Nassau when he was ordered to investigate a party of Cuban exiles that had infiltrated Andros Island, part of the Bahamas. His seaplane landed in thick mud and Pine-Coffin decided that his only chance of reaching dry land was to strip off.

On coming ashore, plastered in mud and wearing only a red beret and a pair of flippers, he was confronted by a party of armed Cubans. Mustering as much authority as he could in the circumstances, he informed the group that they were trespassing on British sovereign territory and were surrounded.

The following morning, when the Royal Marines arrived to rescue him they were astonished to find him and his radio operator in a clearing standing guard over the Cubans and a pile of surrendered weapons. He was appointed OBE."

YouTube - Sleater-Kinney - "The End Of You"



Ace stuff....God bless Corin Tucker, Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weis. Hope the good ship Sleater-Kinney is out of dry dock soon.

This is ace too :

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Go go Gormleys

BBC NEWS | Gormley sea statues win reprieve

BBC NEWS | Gormley says statues should stay

So the Gormleys are to stay on Crosby beach! Common sense wins the day!

League Cup | Everton 4-0 Luton

Everton 4-0 Luton

Everton ran out comfortable winners last night against a pretty lively and well balanced Luton side. It was surprising given the makeshift nature of our side, Lescott and Davies employed as emergency full-backs. It never really looked in doubt but when they got the ball in the box in the first half there were a few anxious moments. We were down in the Park End and the Hatters fans seemed to be having a fine old time criticising our supporters for not singing whilst even finding time to sing happy birthday to Wayne Rooney (cheeky monkeys). My colleagues Pete & Nev are Luton fans and were too angry with us afterwards so alls well that ends well.

Despite Everton creating a lot of chances Luton continued to play footy...they hadn't come to defend or kick lumps out of us. It made for a great game, you could argue that they deserved better but ultimately their keeper was their man-of-the-match.

I like the new Victor Anichebe song ("Do, do, do Victor Anichebe" to the tune of "C'mon lets do the conga"). Davie Weir was taken to hopsital after a nasty clash of heads...hope he's okay.

Monday, October 23, 2006

Backing up your trash talk

O'Gara talks trash

It's an old cliche that when an opposition team start mouthing off before a game about how much better they are the manager generally says that the opposition have wrote his team talk for them. This was the case as the English and Celtic teams went head to head in the Heineken Cup at the weekend

"I honestly think that both for Munster and Ireland, we've got more talented players than the English in many positions"

"At the minute I don't know many of the English players on a friendly basis and I'd say a few think they're better than they actually are in reality."

"We no longer suffer from being beaten before we even travel to England or France any more. That's the level we're at in Munster. We expect to win when we go over there,"


Well the best way to respond to that would be for the English teams to spank the Celts last weekend...unfortunately none of them did. Munster bagged a late penalty to complete a clean sweep leaving English rugby licking it's wounds and feeling pretty abject.

liverpool capitulated yesterday in alarming fashion...there is something wrong there. Everton and United will not have easier games this season for their wins over Raffa's title pretenders. Very odd.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Weekend report

Well Everton won, we should be happy. The prematch drink in the Black Horse had been accompanied by Wigan V Man City...Four lost Everton points floating before our eyes. Hopefully Sheffield United would provide a chance for us to get back on track.

For most of the first half we were totally in control and indeed until we went two up they weren't really in the game at all...then with Sheffield United down to 10 men Everton suddenly remembered that they were Everton and retreated into themselves and the Blades came much more into the game. If AJ had put away a chance from the edge of the box just before half time it would have been game over but gradually chances started to fall to United and a less profligate team would have scored...had they I don't know if Everton could have rallied and taken control again. The Blades were never in control of the game but Everton just seemed to be totally disrupted, distracted and utterly lacking in fluency. This week substitutions seem to shore things up (Osman, McFadden and Anichebe) and looking back I suppose the fans' nerves were probably unjustified, it's just life as an Evertonian. It has to be said, however, that Goodison was like a morgue on Saturday...strange as the place has been bouncing since our super-strong start to the season. We didn't give the team much of a lift...perhaps after the previous two games we were just too depressed.





It's nice to get back in the winning habit...even if replays show that both goals were dodgy (there was a push on their defender just before our opener and AJ was tugged back but was pretty happy to go to ground). Warnock did a Warnock afterwards bemoaning the referee Dermot Gallagher (hinting that he was a homer due to the fuss Everton had made of him 'cause it's his retirement year). They should take heart from how they rallied and didn't give up even though they were down to 10...Everton should just bank the points and get on with it, take it as recompense for some of the wins we've let slip through our fingers recently. Honourable mentions go to Joleon Lescott who, on what we've seen so far, is a brilliant player and Phil Neville who ranged forward and delivered a superb cross for our first goal even though it was obvious he was going to get clattered late by the defender. Arteta played well whilst the rest of the team were playing well but too many people went missing in the second half for me to sit here singing their praises. Beattie took a superb penalty but again didn't put himself about enough. Davies was positive and strong after his recent superb showing for Wales.

BBC Match Report

As we grumbled our way out of Goodison the lovely autumn day turned pretty wintery so we nipped off home sharpish pausing only long enough to grab a yummy lamb korai. Once home teletext told us that good old Waterloo had won down at Exeter. That's a hell of a result, they've invested a lot in the team and infrastructure and have ambitions of getting to the Guinness premiership (if the money men don't declare themselves untouchable and abolish the promotion/relegation system). Nice to see the lads get something for their efforts after weeks of hard slog being undone by little dodgy spells where they ship two or three tries.

Exeter website match report

The Heineken Cup kicks off this weekend amid lots of big-talk by our celtic cousins about how they rule the roost in terms of the relevant quality of the Guinness Premiership and the Magners League...So far they've certainly lived up to their hype with Leinster punishing Gloucester and the Ospreys beating Sale whilst Llanelli went to the Madjeski to win against London Irish. Let's hope the Tigers can tear a strip off Munster.

So far so good for the Cardinals as they won the opening game of the world series and Scouser Beth Tweddle deserves kudos for winning Great Britain's first ever gold at the Gymnastics World Championships (asymetric bars).

Sunday meant we had a curry to burn off...my throat was destroyed after the match and so my attempts at hymns in Mass were very much like strangling a cat. After Mass we got the bikes out and cycled over to Camp Hill...it's funny how you only notice the 'Hill' part of the name once you are trying to cycle up it. Once we'd got there and my pulse had returned to something like normal (lots of fitness work to do I'm afraid) we kicked a rugby ball to each other with varying degrees of success and played some frisbee...who could ask for more?

As I write this United and the rednoses are just kicking off...let's hope the sh*t doesn't hit the fan as it has done, quite literally, in recent meetings.

Everton have a new investor in Robert Earl. The founder of Planet Hollywood certainly talks a good game in this News of the World interview. Welcome aboard Robert.

Friday, October 20, 2006

Videos on YouTube

More tremendous stuff on YouTube - I might make this a regular feature so for today...girlie indie :

10,000 Maniacs - Because the night (unplugged)



Belly - Full Moon, Empty Heart



Belly - Gepetto



Throwing Muses - Not too soon



Sleater Kinney - You're no rock n roll fun

Cards reach World Series

ESPN.com - MLB - Recap

BBC SPORT | St Louis seal World Series place

Congrats to the St Louis Cardinals who did what is, in baseball terms, the almost impossible. In the regular season the Mets were so far ahead of the redbirds as to make the contest barely worth looking at. They were something like 27 games better.

Article outlining the odds.







Sounds like that 9th inning would have given me palpatations! The Tigers are going to be very difficult but the pennant is an achievment in itself. Congratulations to Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor and the boys? ;)

I'm not going to touch the whole Muslim veil women issue with a 20 foot poll. Suffice to say I disagree with the whole veil issue but they should have a right to where it in their everyday lives...however if your work has a dress code and your religious attire interferes with that then you've just got to lump it...not get all bolshy and take the country to court. I oppose politicians getting involved with the issue and I would oppose a ban like the French introduced but you are employed to go into a classroom to teach. There are rules and standards which everyone has to obey.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Reading players escape FA action

BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Chelsea | Reading players escape FA action

Personally I think Mourinho's comments about the ambulance services are pretty out of order. He does, however, have a point about it being daft to have no stretcher route between dressing room and door apart from going out along the touchline (especially given that their stadium is practically brand new and used for rugby where neck injuries are more common).

As for the Cech challenge I didn't think anything of it until I saw it from this angle.



I don't for a second think Hunt is trying to seriously hurt Cech but it is a bit naughty to leave your leg in like that when you are clearly going to be second the ball.

The Cudicini one is odd too...that's a funny way to jump for a ball

BBC NEWS | Beach statues set to leave coast

BBC NEWS | Beach statues set to leave coast

Anthony Gormley's Another Place is to be removed over health and safety fears. This seems a shame...it gave the area real character.





I suppose they should also get rid of the Mersey Wave in case motorists are distracted and crash or the Super Lamb Banana in case someone climbs it and falls off.

The world will be a pretty dull place if everything that can possibly cause someone to injure themselves is taken away. Those statues made an otherwise non-descript section of Crosby beach a national tourist attraction. Art exhibits like that and the aforementioned wave and, erm, banana are what make the place unique.



Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Celtic 3-0 Benfica

BBC SPORT | Football | Europe | Celtic 3-0 Benfica

Hail Hail, the Celts are here,
What the hell do we care,
What the hell do we care,
Hail Hail, the Celts are here,
What the hell do we care now...

For its a grand old team to play for,
For its a grand old team to see,
And if you know the history,
Its enough to make your heart go,
Nine-in-a-row

We don't care what the animals say,
What the hell do we care,
For we only know,
That there's gonna be a show,
And the Glasgow Celtic will be there.

Sure it's the best darn team in Scotland
and the players they are Grand,
"We support the Celtic"
'cos they are the finest in the land.
We'll be there to give the bhoys a cheer
When the League Flag flies,
And the cheers go up 'cos we know the Scottish Cup
is coming home to rest at Paradise.





PS Thanks for Andy & Helen Mills down in lovely Higham Ferrers for being the first folk to leave me a message on the fridge thingy! Superstars

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Celebrity cults

Sweet Jesus....as if it wasn't enough 20 year old footballers having books out :

Amazon.co.uk: Living the Dream: My Story: Books: Chantelle Houghton

This country's obsession with the cult of celebrity makes me want to emigrate. It's truly, truly pathetic when bimbo no-marks like her have people slavering all over them to read their 'story'. It's truly an embarrassment. From soft girl up there padding out "I am a vapid, blonde Paris-Hilton-a-like who fancies herself" and Jade Goody's "I am thick as pig-excrement" through Kerry Whats-her-name and Jordan gurning at me from newsagent shelves right up to the omnipresent but omni-not-doing-anything-of-note Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and Sadie Frost.

A load of utterly average, utterly fatuous famous-for-being-famous egomaniacs who for some reason people are obsessed with. There is part of me that says "Good luck" to these people...if morons are going to hang on your every word and deed then who not cash in but for God sake...what are you people famous for. I mean the fact that Chantelle used to work as a Paris Hilton impersonator is, for me, the ultimate statement. The most pointless air-headed spoilt-little-rich-girl has an impersonator...so that other people can book the wannabe no-mark-a-like to come to there parties and flounce round allowing the party throwers and all their stupid little friends pretend to know Paris Hilton...who is famous for going to parties....and being thick.

I despair....but then again I am obsessed with living vicariously through sporting teams so different strokes for different folks.

At the other end of the I'm-blonde-so-I-have-a-right-to-be-famous scale is this :

Sheffield girl group Twin launch a foul mouthed tirade at stadium full of people.

Updates on the Madonna baby story...it seems that Malawian human rights groups have raised objections to her adopting a kid without the usual checks. Before the objections could formally lodged, and for reasons other than Madonna's vast wealth and fame, the child was issued with a passport and allowed to leave the country. Maternal Madonna immediately dispatched a staff member to Africa to retrieve the little urchin.

Now the upshot off all this is one child raised out of poverty and others helped by her donations but it does basically mean that if you have enough cash a child is for sale and the normal procedure don't apply.

Leave me a message

*Update*

Scroll down to the bottom...I've decided to keep the bugger permanently

TV Links

TV Links

Good place to catch up with any My Name is Earl episodes you may have missed.

Still doing the decorating...grim, grim, grim. Still after we'd called it a day we had a nice bottle of Brooklyn lager. Can definitely recomend....full flavoured and hoppy although not at all lagery. Over the weekend we had Cains Lager...which I've already extolled at length on here and some Magners Irish cider just to see what all the fuss was about. It gets a thumbs up. It's not a dry cider but certainly not a sweet teenagers in the park type affair. I'd certainly go for it on a hot day.

The Brooklyn Lager was part of my abortive scheme to have a beer for each and every one of the Everton first team. I put it on hold until I could get my hands on some Nigerian beer and some Tooheys New. The full list read thus :

Howard - Brooklyn Lager
Wright - Greene King
Hibbert - Cains
Lescott - Banks
Yobo - Star (from website)
Stubbs - Cains
Weir - McEwans
Valente - Super Bock
Arteta - San Miguel
Naysmith - McEwans
Neville - Boddingtons
Carsley - Guinness or Magners
Cahill - Tooheys
Osman - Cains
Van der Meyde - Heineken
Davies - Brains
Beattie - Lancaster Bomber
Anichebe - Star
Johnson - Bombardier
McFadden - McEwans

I suppose the rednoses I know can just get a full crate of San Miguel.

Monday, October 16, 2006

NewsBiscuit: France to be ‘constantly reminded’ it lost 2012 Olympics

NewsBiscuit: France to be ‘constantly reminded’ it lost 2012 Olympics

Hee hee

Another weekend of sporting disappointment

Middlesbrough 2-1 Everton

Another pooey weekend of sport for me...I think I am jinx. A few weeks ago I could do nothing wrong and now every team I support seems to be lurching from disaster to disaster. I put this down solely to me losing my lucky hat. I have no idea where it could be so I assume I've left it on a train or something.

Everton lost their unbeaten record up at Middlesboro. Sounds like we can't really have any complaints. Cahill chipped in with a goal and we pressed for an equaliser (during 8 minutes of stoppage time due to a mobile phone being hurled onto the pitch).



The cricketers were playing one-day cricket and therefore were getting beat.



We now have to beat Australia and the Windies to stay in the tournament.

Waterloo took there usual hammering...apparently Waterloo held their own. They scored as many tries as the opposition but their kicker kept them well clear. Most of these games 'loo seem to come away with positives but they seem to have a period in every game where they concede a tonne of tries and the game is out of sight. They do need to start picking up points otherwise it'll be all over for them :
p w d l pts
10th London Welsh 7 3 0 4 13
11th Coventry 7 2 1 4 13
12th Newbury 7 3 0 4 12
13th Nottingham 7 1 0 6 9
14th Moseley 7 1 0 6 9
15th Waterloo 7 1 0 6 5
16th Sedgley Park 7 0 0 7 2

I also fancied Northampton beating Leicester purely due to Grayson being an ex-Waterloo player. Saints lost by two tries to nil. Goode kicked everything in the same way Simon Binns kicked everything for Otley.

Anyway the two teams I forot about Peterboro and St Louis did okay over the weekend so all wasn't lost.

Unusually for me and Anne we went to a gig at the weekend, our friend Paul designated Amsterdam's gig at the Carling Academy as his official birthday do. Had a good old time apart from the fact that all of Amsterdam's fanbase seemed to be at least 6'2. Ludicrous!

Sunday was spent decorating our front room...I now have someting in common with the Queen 'cause aparently her entire world smells of paint too. I hate decorating but we've put it off for over a year now and it really needed doing.

Friday, October 13, 2006

Time for a photo blog

Time for a photo blog methinks...here's some piccies from the Waterloo V Bedford game.

Waterloo rugby club V Bedford

Waterloo rugby club V Bedford

Waterloo rugby club V Bedford



Waterloo rugby club V Bedford

Waterloo rugby club V Bedford

and here's a stork sitting atop next door's house!!!!!

BBC NEWS | Madonna 'adopts child in Africa'

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Madonna 'adopts child in Africa'

Am I missing something there...was has Madonna adopted a baby from a single parant family. I'm not saying her heart isn't in the right place but is it okay for celebs to just stroll in an buy an African baby?

EVERTONFC.COM | AJ IS PREM PLAYER OF MONTH

EVERTONFC.COM | EXCLUSIVE - AJ IS PREM PLAYER OF MONTH

Hope he's okay for the weekend though. The two week break will have given him time to rest his injury. We've picked up another hamstring problem too. Phil Neville dropped out during England's warm-up. When you add to that Yobo and Cahill's globetrotting for their international appearance you can imagine us being a bit depleted and weary going into the weekend's game. Losing out on the win against City was a kick in the balls...hopefully we can put it right against 'boro.

Thursday, October 12, 2006

YouTube - Introduction to webcameron

YouTube - Introduction to webcameron

Be warned this link will make you wretch. I've only just caught up with WebCameron...I am truly speechless.

I thought nothing could top Menzies Campbell's action man video at the Liberal Conference but this is a million miles past that.

This is politics in modern Britain. They truly, truly think we are complete imbeciles they really do.

Croatia 2-0 England, Ukraine 2-0 Scotland. Poo!

Croatia 2-0 England



You could argue that the ball taking a freakish bounce over Robinson's foot is fairly useful in England's media response to the 2-0 defeat. It is what people will focus on first when they should be focusing on the fact that Croatia, as far as I could see, took them to the cleaners. Coming after Macedonia a performance like this was unnacceptable. Croatia have never lost a competitive game at home so it was always going to be tough but there was no spirit and certainly no brain involved in last night's performance. Ironically Robinson was a strong man-of-the-match candidate, he made at least 3 great saves. You have to wonder about these lack-lustre performances? They make the right noises about pride etc etc but how much does playing for England mean to them? Is it one big jolly for them? They seem to have trouble turning it on at kick-off time.

The Scots didn't fair much better in Ukraine...They were outclassed but at least showed character and spirit. They really should have been level, Kenny Millar made a superb run and missed a header from a perfect cross...sad really. The ref didn't do them any favours but it would have been nicking a point rather than deserving an equal share.

Nice to see Killa grab a goal for the Republic :

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

BBC SPORT | Hunter loses battle with cancer

BBC SPORT | Hunter loses battle with cancer

Sad news this morning...not particularly a big snooker fan but by all accounts he was a really, really amazing person.

Don't you wish that disease would just f*ck off.

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/

Otherwise not a lot going on...This is an interesting project

History Matters

They want a mass blog on October 17th...just a record of what you were doing, what was on your mind. A sort on snapshot of everyday Britain in the year 2006.

Monday, October 09, 2006

Sport eh!

What can you do. You've got to take the rough with the smooth I suppose but Saturday, in sporting terms, was a bit rubbish.

Waterloo V Bedford

Bedford shape up like a team who belong in this division (and hope to go one better). Waterloo, at the moment, don't. It sounds odd but a pretty even game save Bedford run out 42 - 13 victors. Up until 60 minutes Waterloo had held there own but at present they are the antithesis of the word 'clinical'. After conceding an early penalty they pushed Bedford onto the back foot on several occasions but didn't make anything out of it. A couple of times in the first half points went begging. A try (where the ball was across the line & only need to be grounded but wasn't), possibly another (knock-on) and a penalty that we declined to take (because by that stage we needed to points). I know this is all "What if..." but with a bit more experience and nouse it could have been a different game. Instead Varndell scorched through for the opening try and Bedford started to exert their obvious class.

In truth you can look at the game and say the result was never in doubt, at the start of the second half 'loo pushed and pressed and the score stood at 22-13 but after 60 minutes Bedford started to punish us in a blistering spell where 3 tries were scored in rapid succession. After that there was only one winner much to the delight of their fairly sizable travelling support (complete with air-horns no less). Teams like Bedford are teaching us lessons about life in this division. We do have the players and fitness & stamina will come as the game-time mounts up (Amateurs playing against professionals will always find it tough) but by playing against quality opposition will expose our naivete and hopefully before too long we'll be able to take the chances when offered. The bad news was that Tom Varndell looked to twist his knee and was helped from the field looking very, very gingerly. Hope he's okay. It was the same for us too...van DeVenter went off with a foot injury. Hope thing are okay there 'cause we really don't need more injuries. Muchie, Loader and McKay all looked impressive for Waterloo. Another game further up the learning curve I hope.

Beds on Sunday - Match Report

Echo Match Report

England V Macedonia

From there we nipped into the clubhouse to watch the England game, by now we were drowning our sorrows whilst still celebrating my birthday (The half pint of port was a bit too much for me) so perceptions may have been skewed. England looked woeful from the off...Whereas 'loo had took a tanning but had lots to be positive about it was difficult to come up anything truly positive about the game. Macedonia actually looked the better side overall. The cliche about playing like a team of strangers could have been invented to describe our midfield and forward.

Scotland stole all the plaudits with a well earned win against France. They now sit on top of the group of death. Congrats to Walter Smith, Davie Weir and James McFadden.

Anyway that was my day...Thanks to Anne, our Ste & Claire, Katherine & Sara, Jack & Penny, Tina, Anne & Mark, Mike & Mary, Paul & Rachel, Jenny & Mike, Louise, Mark, Bernadette, Caroline and her little dog. The sport was grim but the beer was good.

Friday, October 06, 2006

BBC - Comedy - QI - Homepage

BBC - Comedy - QI - Homepage:

"Quite Interesting - or 'QI' to its friends - could loosely be described as a comedy panel quiz. However, none of the stellar line-up of comedians is expected to be able to answer any questions, and if anyone ends up with a positive score, they can be very happy with their performance."

Dave Gorman's Genius is pretty good on Radio4 too.

I love this show, here is the QI website...God bless the BBC.

Pope revokes concept of limbo

BBC article and report.

I'm surprised at all the fuss over this...it was just an outdated concept that he's stated is invalid. If there is an afterlife of course there wouldn't be a difference between good catholics and good atheists etc etc. It reminds me of this old joke :

This atheist dies and wakes up at the gates of heaven, apart from feeling a bit embarressed about being wrong he is surprised to find he's immediately ushered in by St Peter. "We know you were one of the good'ns so don't worry, in you come".

Now heaven is ace and he gets the grand tour, everything you'd want, loads to do, everyone's smiling & happy but St Peter points out this big huge wall and says "The only rule we really have here is when you are by this wall we like you to keep the noise down...The Catholics are on the other side and they like to think they are the only ones up here".


There are enough sticks to beat the Catholic church with without having to make stuff up and wave dead babies in our faces. Still anything to let the Grauniad readers blither around and prove what good liberals they are.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Telegraph | Sport | Dropped Varndell gets the message

Telegraph | Sport | Dropped Varndell gets the message

Hmm...aparently he'll have to start on the bench as he hasn't trained with Bedford this week. It'll be a wee bit surreal seeing last season's leading premiership try scorer lining up against us.

CHELSEA HIT BACK AT CALDERON CLAIMS

A Madrid president saying Chelsea's money is ruining the game!!!!!!!! Talk about the Galacticos calling the kettle black. That's actually trumped the rednoses making similar claims. How much did they pay for Figo, Zidane, Ronaldo et al?

Anyway even if Roman does take his millions away Chelsea can just get their local council to use public money to buy their training ground at a fantastically over-inflated price thus clearing their debts....allegedly.

It's my brithday today...32. Ho hum, got a nice shiny new bike off Anne should be good for keeping fit although it's probably the wrong time of year to start a regime. Happy Super-Birthday wishes to my mates Paul Cunningham and Carmel Wilde.

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Links

BBC NEWS | Magazine | Clicking with comedy

Web satire sites.

And before I forget it, this is the train crash sketch from That Mitchell And Webb Sound :

Radio Presenter: Those are are the headlines at 5.09. And for an immediate reaction to today's events I think we can speak to Tom Hilton. Hello, Tom.

Tom: Er, hello?

Radio Presenter: Chris Powell here from Radio 4, thanks for speaking to us. Can I ask what your response is to today's announcement that Rail North East will not be funding the laser-assisted train early warning system?

Tom: Erm, well yeah. I personally think it's a shame.

Radio Presenter: So, it's shame on the management? Shame on the Government?

Tom: Well, I suppose, but look, can I just say I'm really not the best person to talk to about this, I mean it's weird you even had to call me. You see, by a spooky coincidence, I actually lost my wife in a train crash.

Radio Presenter: yes, we know.

Tom: One exactly this kind of system could have prevented.

Radio Presenter: That's why we're in touch with you, Tom.

Tom: Oh. Oh, right. Blimey. That does seem a bit, almost, ghoulish.

Radio Presenter: Well, no. It's because you've got personal experience of a rail tragedy that your views are so important.

Tom: Really? I would have thought that it was because I've got personal experience of a rail tragedy that my views should be dismissed out of hand.

Radio Presenter: No. No, look. Would you say, that to you, safety is by far the most important issue facing the rail network?

Tom: Well, of course I would. My wife just died in a train crash.

Radio Presenter: Thank you.

Tom: But you really should talk to someone else. It's impossible for me to have any objectivity at all.

Radio Presenter: Right, but if spending the three billion on system could bring back your wife that would be worth it?

Tom: Well, obviously. Although I must stress I lack any objectivity.

Radio Presenter: Nevertheless, what would you say to the minister? What would your message be to him?

Tom: My message would be, "Minister, good luck in judging how to allocate your finite resources given the many competing demands you face."


As found here! (Well here actually but it's out of date)

Ringfencing

BBC SPORT | RFU considers ending relegation

"'Promotion and relegation has always been an article of faith on our side,' said RFU chief executive Francis Baron.

'But we are prepared to look at that again.'"


Surprise surprise...'quins back in the fold, let's nail that trapdoor shut.

They'll have the bigger Div 1 teams dancing round like monkeys in a season or two so they can haul up two or three teams from geographical area's they want a presence in (Ie Yorkshire, Brum and Cornwall. Franchises at the ready, screw the little clubs. Very Corinthian!

Surely to God sport has to be a meritocracy. Otherwise what's the point?

Anyway, on a lighter note here's the posh waiter and insecure nazi sketches from That Mitchell and Webb Look :





More here

AJ hamstring.

BBC SPORT | Bent replaces Johnson for England

"Striker Johnson will miss Saturday's game against Macedonia at Old Trafford and the 11 October trip to Croatia because of a hamstring injury."

EVERTONFC.COM: | JOHNSON OUT OF ENGLAND SQUAD

"Andrew Johnson has withdrawn from the England squad ahead of the European Championship qualifiers with Macedonia and Croatia.

The Blues striker misses out after picking up a hamstring injury during Saturday\'s 1-1 draw with Manchester City."


This is certainly worrying news for us blues...I've got no desire to see Everton players running around for England (though I always want England to do well) but the news that they has a hamstring strain certainly makes the ears prick up. I suppose a player who puts so much effort into covering the ground and winning the ball is bound to get strains and pulls but at the moment he's been in superb form so naturally we are relying on him. Beattie isn't playing well (although not as bad as some people are making out) so it might well be upto McFadden, Anichebe, Vaughan, Osman and Cahill to cover for AJ. It's amazing how quickly Johnson has become a talisman for us Evertonians.

Speaking of Beattie & McFadden, any excuse to post these :





Get in!

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Perceptions

This is an interesting example of media reporting.

BBC NEWS | Commission joins search for girl

Mother's statement

When it was first reported it was basically Molly Campbell taken from her home and abducted to Pakistan for an arranged marriage only for the girl herself to paint a completely different picture.

BBC NEWS | Police pledge in girl custody row

BBC NEWS | Girl at the heart of global family feud

In other news the Conservatives are beginning their conference with the Liberals and Labour having had their's over recent weeks. I've made no secret that I detest the Tories. Their Are you thinking what we're thinking campaign made me sick to my stomach and seeing as it's the only set of policies soft lad Cameron has put his name to you have to draw on of the following conclusions :

A) He is an evil racist fear-mongerer
B) He is cynical enough to put out a load of stuff he doesn't believe in in order to get people to vote Tory
C) He was spineless and lacking in integrity enough to quietly go about writing that nasty, nasty manifesto on his boss' say so

Whichever way it's not looking good eh Dave you lame schyster. Labour are still hovering on the edge of disaster and will continue to be so until next May, the media will continue their pathetic scandle, scandle, scandle politics (as emphasised with the Cherie Blair 'liar' debacle "It doesn't matter if it's true" said one BBC journo)...the Liberals still haven't got the strength of character to put themselves truly on the political radar. It'll be an interesting year.

Monday, October 02, 2006

icLiverpool - Rotherham 66, Waterloo 17 and other sporting disasters

icLiverpool - Rotherham 66, Waterloo 17

There are times when sport really does kick you in the balls. Everton should have been out of sight on Saturday. Instead we were 1-0 up and falling further and further into our shells as City rallyed. You knew what was going to happen, Moyes made 3 dozey substitutions and we fell deeper and deeper....they equalised with the last kick of the game. Gutted. It felt like a heavy defeat. That's 4 points wasted in the last two home games. Games we should have won easily but have got no-one to blame but ourselves. I'll try and write more about it when I'm less pissed off.

We grumbled our way home to find 'loo had been absolutely battered by Rotherham. Great!

1-1...two points dropped

Congrats to the St Louis Cardinals for turning their appalling form into merely very bad form and holding on to their playoff berth.