Viruses *cough*

Ironic that the last entry I did should be entitled Virus because for the past few days I’ve been lying in bed with a temperature of 1800 degrees C (although feeling like 0 kelvin). I’ve also been coughing up a seemingly inexhaustible production run of a new adhesive product I simply call “Green Tac” (Patent Pending). Ugh!

It’s not like me to be off work but I’ve spent most of the week aching, coughing, shivering and sweating in equal measures. On Tuesday, just as I was beginning to feel rough, I found out the weekly 5-a-side footy game was cancelled due to a general strike by government workers and I’ve never been so glad. I have to say that in the absence of Sky Sports or Internet Broadband being off work is pretty dull. It is shocking how bad the telly. Celebrity Pet Swap Antique Academy Challenge or endless low grade American sitcoms. Joy. Anyway enough of my moaning.

Everton play Sunderland tomorrow…they could be relegated (Sunderland I mean not Everton!). Not nice to see….then again you know Everton, if ever you need a result it seems Goodison is the place to get it (perversely we never seem to respect team’s long unbeaten records). Sunderland are a bit disappointing…The Mackems I know personally would go to see their team if they ended up in the Newcastle & District Division 6 amateur reserve team’s second XIs league. It’s been a shame to see the Stadium of Light barely half full all year. I know it’s a big ground for a club of their size but it was full not so long ago. Where are all those band-wagon jumpers when their club’s really needed them? I suppose it’s easy enough to criticise them but you’ve got to remember that their team hasn’t won a home game all season. Still I remember going up to the Stadium of Light and being amazed at how fickle their fans were. They were up in something like 3rd in the Premiership when we beat them 5-0 at Goodison and two months later they’d not won a game in the interim…it was 1-1 and they were booing Peter Reid as he stood up to give his team instructions. Then again I suppose I should climb off my high-horse, it was getting a bit hairy for Moyes for a while this season. Back when we just couldn’t win and were rock bottom of the Premiership there were people calling for Moyes to go. It was only ever the odd person moaning but there was a few. I always thought it was a false position and besides these empty vessels never elaborated on step two in their masterplan for success. Funny that! ”Step One : Get rid of the manager” is always fairly well mapped out but “Step Two : And replace him with xxxxxx” is always less well defined. Anyway with 43 points we can afford to take things as they come. Europe is still a possibility (although it’ll be difficult to see us overhauling both Bolton and Blackburn) but ultimately it’s Que Sera Sera.

Waterloo are away at Esher…a game that’s been looming on the horizon for a while but recent results mean that a bonus point win for the men in green, red & white would mean promotion with 3 games to spare, I don’t suspect that will happen, Esher are a very good team, but it goes to show how close ‘loo are now. Still a bonus point win for the Londoners and the lead is back down to 6. Mosely just seem to roll on and on and barring a truly awful turn round in form will be worthy champions.

Anyway enough sportyness (especially considering just walking round the garden is tiring me out at present). My friends Tina and Tony are off to Peru to walk the Inca trail this week…I am fundamentally jealous but we should be there before too long.

Viruses

Just making a note of these for future reference.

Adware remover :

http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-SE-Personal-Edition/3000-8022_4-10399602.html?tag=lst-0-1

Virus remover :

http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/

Virus scanner :

http://www.download.com/AVG-Anti-Virus-Free-Edition/3000-2239_4-10503939.html?tag=lst-0-2

Firewall :

http://www.myzips.com/download/Zone-Alarm.phtml

Just another game

Liverpool 3-1 Everton

Just another game? Yeah, right...I hate losing to them. Hate it, hate it, hate it, hate it! On Saturday as soon as I heard the news about Arteta not being fit I had a bit of a sinking feeling but somehow when Gerrard, their number 08 for the day, got himself sent off I just knew it'd be there day (Anne thinks I am lunatic but I've been a blue long enough to be able to read the signs when it comes to those jammy gets).

It was an annoying getting beat by 10 men especially given the "Gerrard, 9 donkeys and a giraffe" jokes there are doing the rounds I was particularly gutted for Phil Neville who really doesn't deserve to be on -1 career goals for Everton. At the end of the day sucker punches either side of half time meant it was never going to be our day. Their 2nd goal really did expose our veteran defenders' shortcomings. The ref had no choice with either of the red cards though surely it wasn't that bad a game to warrant the host of yellows...apparently this fixture has generated more yellows than any other in the history of the Premiership. Looking at the statistics you'd think it'd be a bloodbath.

Nope we've been screwed over many a time (Handball-Henchoz, Hutchison's 'back header' being chalked off for no reason, the ref allowing McCallister to calmly move the ball forward 10 yards from that freekick *shudder*, Cadamarteri's collar somehow becoming detached as he fell to ground for no reason in the penalty area when clean through and that's just the recent ones) but this wasn't one of them...Sunderland next week.

With the cloud of a derby defeat hanging over me the perfect way to unwind was to spend a nice sunny afternoon watching the rugby...didn't happen. We'd just arrived and about to start our first pint when the rain started and I assured everyone it would only be on for 5 minutes but 80 minutes later it was still throwing it down. Still after a slow start to the game Waterloo hit their stride against a really tenacious Wharfedale side who scored the try of the match despite having a scrum half who must have weight less than 9 stone. From the moment 'loo mauled over (complete with some pretty hardcore exchanges between the respective forwards right in front of us) for the first of 3 quick tries it looked like we could hold them off. Towards the end we sheltered from the rain in the pavilion and chatted to a really nice chap who turned out to be, the number 8, Nijke Tchakoute's father-in-law and afterwards we spent the 'third half' chatting to some nice gents from up at Grassington (where Upper Wharfedale are from) and talked about pubs, beer & rugby.

So apart from the crippling anxiety & annoyance generated by the footy and the constant rain during the rugby not a bad day. When we got home checked the teletext and found out Esher had got beat which puts Waterloo 11 points clear with 4 to play (Waterloo's next game is at Esher so fingers crossed).

Echo match report

Kember freed & George Cross for Iraq bomb hero

BBC NEWS World Middle East British Iraq hostage Kember freed

Gallantry

Nice to hear some halfway decent news from Iraq. Whatever you think about the war (and, for the record, it's obvious how fundamentally flawed and fundamentally wrong the whole thing was from the start) the people who've been sent out there deserve recognition. People are all too quick to seize upon lurid pictures of rogue troopers (regardless of whether they are taken in context or even genuine).

All that gallantry and humanity makes my worrying about the forthcoming derby fairly shallow but let's face it come tomorrow my stomach will be in knots. At least we have played ourselves into a position where we are desperate for the points...It'd be annoying if that lot where there first team to do the double over us, especially considering that since the last time we played them we've only dropped 8 points out of the last 33.

WWWWXWWLXWW isn't that bad a run of league form is it? Especially when you consider it came after LWLLLLLLXWWLWWWXLLLL. What an odd, odd season we are having.

Tomorrow I'll go for updates on Sky Sports (far too gut churning listening on the radio) then some consolatory or celebratory drinks watching 'loo.

Hmm

Colm, an Irish blue I know has posted this picture on the forum.



I assume any Welsh officials looking at this would state that each and every one of the Ireland players is standing on the field of play.

The East Terrace has a different slant on the game :

The East Terrace - For the Rugby Football enthusiast

We interrupt this public affairs program in order to bring you a football game

England beat India to tie series

Tremendous stuff from England this morning. With their captain, vice captain, two seamers and their first choice spinner all sitting at home injured Flintoff's second string skittled India out this morning.

England doing the job, sun shining and TMS on the radio! Who could ask for more. Especially when they actually delayed "Yesterday in Parliament" to continue coverage of the match. Special mentions go to the usual suspects (Flintoff, The Hogster etc etc) but Anderson & Udal deserve special mentions and it was great for little Monty. He dropped an absolute skier from Doni which could have been key but three balls later the same batsman loft one to him again and he redeemed himself much to the delight of the rest of the team (He seems a really popular lad). Ironically in the end the match finish just before Yesterday in Parliament was due!

Sara's Musings

Sara's Musings

This Everton blog has a countdown to the world cup...I don't know how to insert it into mine but click the link to check how long it is to the off.

Also in an "It's a small world" sort of moment it's turn out that Sara is a mate of Diana, a friend of ours who runs the Everton North American Supporters Club.

SB

Tough day at the cricket

Tough day

Third Test, Mumbai, day four (stumps):
England 400 & 191 v India 279 & 18-1

England have ground out a decent lead going into the final day at the Wankhede Stadium (*snigger*). The need another 9 wickets to draw the series and are defending a lead of 295 runs.



The name of a the venue for the match (second only to the Wankdorf stadium in Bern) allows me a priceless opportunity to swear without adding to my burgeoning Lent swearbox. Not doing too bad so far but the jar is slowly building up. As predicted the match is proving tricky but I'm generally remembering to go with "We don't care what the red side say, what the hell do we care" as opposed to the real words. The brummies in front of us are enjoying my inability to join in with the banter but at the end of the Villa game the wife of the couple, Ann, gave me a pound of the jar as penance for their contributions.

Ireland

Here is secret footage from last week of the Ireland team donning hard hats and getting in some last minute training whilst the the workmen demolished Lansdowne Road :

The weekend

St Patrick's night was fun enough but I've got a feeling it meant that at 12:45 the next morning the Everton fans going the game weren't as vociferous as they'd usually be.

It was a unusually flat feeling 4-1 victory for Everton...pretty dull stuff in truth. We were passing it about well and they were pacey up-front which was causing nerves even at 3-1.

The Villa fans had a good sense of fun singing "We've got an honest bunch of lads" as a reference to their managers excuse mongering.

Had a quick couple of pints in the Black Horse afterwards and got home in time for the 2nd half ot the rugby. Ireland are improving because they only needed two dodgy tries to beat England this time....Keep up the good work lads.

As I type England are battling India's wagging tail in the final test...it's going fairly well for the lads but they have to win to square the series. Fingers crossed.

Another comfortable win for 'loo but it actually means we lose ground on the other's 'cause we didn't get a 4th try and therefore no bonus point.

Fonzie

Fonz will ALWAYS be the ultimate in cool.

The ISO accept that he represents the bench mark for the internationally agreed standard on coolness levels. He clocks in at 1 Fonzie (this being the point of absolute coolness which nothing can exceed). The rest of us have levels measured in the millifonzies.

Alternatively there is a radical movement using the Daniel O'Donnel scale. A recent article pulished in the journal 'Cool & Coolness' details a scale that starts at 0 DO'Ds (the theoretical point at which there is a complete absense of cool) and rises up from there...the controversial theory behind this is that even Fonz could be more cool....for example if The Fonz started going to Everton games then the theory goes that he'd obviously be more cool...this would cause scientists using the millifonzie scale to have to recalibrate their scale whereas the DO'D scale would be okay.

When this topic is debated at ISO meetings supporters of Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli simply raise their thumbs and going 'Eyyyyyyyyyy'. The DO'D supporters have no counter-argument.

The best one day match ever?

SA shatter record to beat Aussies

Two world record run totals and a one wicket win with two balls to spare......no too bad.

Fat man walking....plus the weekend's sport

TheFatManWalking.com

Saw this in the Observer and thought I'd bookmark it.

Woke up yesterday to find a thick load of snow had plopped down onto Liverpool. In the time it took me and Anne to walk to the shop to get the sunday papers all our footprints had been covered over by fresh snow...I was not intending to do much with the rest of the day. In fact the way it was going it looked dodgy for getting work this morning (although ultimately that didn't happen).

Spent the day being depressed by England...The Cricket is currently plodding towards and Indian win after yesterday morning's capitulation, I then spent the afternoon watching the rugby team embarress themselves in Paris...one of those days. The final footnote to the day was England's best midfielder reprising his European Championships by playing back a tame backpass to Theiry Henry putting him clean through on goal. Some of these were funnier than others.

Saturday had been "Score a spectacular goal" day in the Premiership...Everton, it has to be said, don't score many goals and goal-of-the-month contenders are even rarer. Against a woeful Fulham we scored two...it was almost surreal! Two beautiful, audacious, sublime, spectacular goals sailing & looping their way into the far corner of the net. One into the Park End by Beats and in the second half McFadden did a brilliant chest down and volley into the Gwladys St....brilliant stuff. Whilst Everton were rampant against Fulham the rest of the Premiership seemed to be chipping in with great goals of their own. Gallas, Roberts, Mendez, Pederson amongst others.



Highlight of the weekend...one bloke in the Upper Gwladys trying to salute Arteta's man of the match display with "Arrrrrteta, Arteta, Arteta." to the tune of the Mexican Hat Dance (oddly enough).

FCL - Football Club Lourdais - site officiel

FCL - Football Club Lourdais - site officiel

It turns out our fave French town has one of the most successful rugby teams in France. Nowadays however they are in the lower divisons but not many teams have been champions more than Lourdais. Might have to investigate.

Weather spoils second Test again

Weather spoils second Test again

English whether here and in India making for little play at the test...no TMS for me.

The rednoses crashed out of the Champions League. You know that feeling when a team gets a blatantly unjustified penalty but then the keeper saves it...lot of that about the other night.

In the same way all those foolish Evertonians got the half-time smiles wiped off their faces last year I think a few of our lovable cousins might have learnt a bit recently. Going to Old Trafford to 'five' the Utd fans & coming away well & truly Nevilled. All lined up in the pub cheering away as Barca took on 'Chelski', sending e-mails about big-red and Barca making John Terry cry then getting dumped out by one of the weakest teams left in the competition.

Live by the gloat die by the gloat...

Lent

Cripes....I've decided to give up cussing & a-swearing for lent. Always good thing to cut out your spontaneous expletives.

The match will be tricky...and I find driving brings out a few.

20p per swear for 6 weeks......might mean the chancellor has to raise the base rate 'cause of the increased spending.

My mate Antony has given up all drinking and another mate Darren is giving up beer (but not spirits)...it's me extra tough for him 'cause he's Irish and St Patrick's day approaches.

Sublime to the ridiculous

After Tuesday's glorious weather we've went a bit to the other extreme. Snow on Wednesday and thick fog & ice this morning.

Running out of screenwash didn't help...could barely see a thing with the low sun shining through all the dirt on my windscreen. Usually I'd have a bottle of water to squirt but this morning I had to resort to chucking my cup of tea onto the windscreen...worked a treat though.

Cricket progressing with it's usual pleasantness...Man of the day Mathew Hoggard who at one point had bowling figures for the day of 9 overs 6 maidens 4 wickets for 12 runs. Top work.

1st Test: India v England at Nagpur

1st Test: India v England at Nagpur, 1-5 Mar 2006

Ah the cricket is back...I've said it before but the drive to work is a million more pleasant with TMS on the radio. Especially on mornings like this...their won't have been more clear blue sky above the cricket down at Nagpur than there was beaming down on me, just 35 degrees C temperature difference.