Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Cardiff
Commiserations to PNE for the result in the play-off final yesterday. If truth be told it was a similar performance to last time they were at Cardiff and were beaten by Bolton - they just didn't turn up. West Ham obviously benefitted from having been in a similar position and failed last year and were determined not to let it happen again. North End couldn't even say they were robbed - they only ever threatened from set pieces. It's a shame for the club and their fans but it has still been a tremendous season , especially considering they were languishing in about 18th place before Christmas. Let's hope they can go one better next year.
Half Man Half Biscuit Lyric of the Day
"Well I know what you look like so don't ever come near Stroud"
'Bad Review' from the CD Voyage to the Bottom of the Road
'Bad Review' from the CD Voyage to the Bottom of the Road
Burning Question - How to get rid of Unwanted Guests?
GENEVA, Ill. May 30, 2005 — A 46-year-old man allegedly set his own home on fire in order to get two visitors to leave, police said.
Dean Craig was charged with felony arson after allegedly splashing rubbing alcohol on the floor of the two-story home in Aurora Township and using a lighter to ignite the fire around 1 a.m. Sunday, the Kane County Sheriff's office said.
When authorities arrived at Craig's home, which is owned by his mother, it was engulfed in flames, police said. Craig and his two guests were not injured.
Craig allegedly had asked two visitors to leave, but when they refused, he threatened to light his house on fire, police said.
Craig was being held Monday at the Kane County Jail on $25,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on June 9.
I usually find playing my Fall CDs does the trick without the need for extensive property damage.
Nazi Nutters pt 132
Gregory Withrow and an associate staged a two-man protest at the California state capital in Sacramento in April against U.S. policies on Iraq and on immigration, and in favor of white supremacy, among other issues. The associate's role in the protest was to drive 6-inch nails into Withrow's hands on a cross as he stood as a martyr for six hours. Withrow had brought notes with him from a Butte County, California, health official (seemingly approving Withrow's plan to hurt himself) and from the Sacramento Parks Department (affirming that no permit was needed for such a protest).
I can think of many people who would have paid to nail him to the cross and do away with the need for his 'associate'.
Smoking
A widow whose husband died of lung cancer has lost her landmark court battle against the cigarette giant Imperial Tobacco. His widow claimed that he was unaware that smoking was detrimental to health and caused lung cancer. However, he started smoking in 1964 when the dangers were already well known and the judge decided he must have been aware.
I have mixed reactions to this sort of case. I do feel that the tobacco companies kept people unaware of the dangers even when they knew there was a problem, and I do think they need to be brought to account but I do have a problem with people who know the dangers and carried on smoking yet then sue the tobacco companies when they develop a related illness.
I hate smoking and I object to having to breathe in other people's smoke in places like pubs; irrespective of whether there are dangers in passive smoking or not it is uncomfortable, smelly and it makes your clothes reek. The sooner England brings in a ban on smoking in public places the better as far as I am concerned.
I have mixed reactions to this sort of case. I do feel that the tobacco companies kept people unaware of the dangers even when they knew there was a problem, and I do think they need to be brought to account but I do have a problem with people who know the dangers and carried on smoking yet then sue the tobacco companies when they develop a related illness.
I hate smoking and I object to having to breathe in other people's smoke in places like pubs; irrespective of whether there are dangers in passive smoking or not it is uncomfortable, smelly and it makes your clothes reek. The sooner England brings in a ban on smoking in public places the better as far as I am concerned.
Sunday, May 29, 2005
Good Luck to PNE
I live in Preston. I'm not from there but I moved from St Helens when I got married. PNE are in the play-off final tomorrow against West Ham Utd, who are the favourites to take the final place in the Premiership. I'd love to see North End defy the critics and beat them to it though. I'm not as big a fan of football as I am of Rugby League but I would love to see my adopted town represented in the top division. It would also give me the chance to see Everton playing here. I used to combine watching Everton on a Saturday and Saints on a Sunday but as my commitments increased my disposable income decreased and I gave up the football.
If they do get promotion there would be eight North West teams in the Premiership - all within a radius of, what, 30 - 40 miles? To sustain the support of that many teams shows the appetite there is for sport of any kind in the region.
Good luck to the Lilywhites.
If they do get promotion there would be eight North West teams in the Premiership - all within a radius of, what, 30 - 40 miles? To sustain the support of that many teams shows the appetite there is for sport of any kind in the region.
Good luck to the Lilywhites.
Half Man Half Biscuit Lyric of the Day
"Never trust a Crown Green Bowler under 30"
'Improv Workshop Mimeshow Gobshite' from the CD This Leaden Pall
'Improv Workshop Mimeshow Gobshite' from the CD This Leaden Pall
Friday, May 27, 2005
Half Man Half Biscuit Lyric of the Day
"I dream of occasional fanzine mentions, I've been to one too many David Lynch conventions,
I play postal chess with a man who doesn't know me, I've got a better frown than Tony Iommi."
'4AD3DCD' from the CD This Leaden Pall
I play postal chess with a man who doesn't know me, I've got a better frown than Tony Iommi."
'4AD3DCD' from the CD This Leaden Pall
Thursday, May 26, 2005
http://www.perkigoth.com/home/kermit/stuff/bullshitbingo/
This reminded me of a similar exercise I undertook in a previous job.
I used to have a boss who bore more than a passing resemblance to Barry Gibb from the Bee Gees. One day a colleague and I decided we would see how many Bee Gees songs we could fit into a meeting with him. 'Tragedy' was easy. 'Words' too, 'Stayin' Alive' worked ok and an audacious 'I've Gotta Get a Message to You' was achieved. 'You Win Again' was fairly simple but eyebrows were raised when I described a useless idea as 'Jive Talkin''.
My colleague blew it with a suicidal attempt to shoehorn in 'New York Mining Disaster 1941'.
This reminded me of a similar exercise I undertook in a previous job.
I used to have a boss who bore more than a passing resemblance to Barry Gibb from the Bee Gees. One day a colleague and I decided we would see how many Bee Gees songs we could fit into a meeting with him. 'Tragedy' was easy. 'Words' too, 'Stayin' Alive' worked ok and an audacious 'I've Gotta Get a Message to You' was achieved. 'You Win Again' was fairly simple but eyebrows were raised when I described a useless idea as 'Jive Talkin''.
My colleague blew it with a suicidal attempt to shoehorn in 'New York Mining Disaster 1941'.
Champions League Final
Congratulations to Liverpool on their success in the Champions League Final.
As an Evertonian I listened (on 5Live initially) and later watched with mixed feelings. I must say that at first I was firmly in the Milan camp - long standing rivalry and all that. I finished coaching the U14s (Rugby League) at about 8pm and Liverpool were 1-0 down. By the time I dropped my son off at his Mum's it was 3-0. All over of course. When I got home, after a protracted disagreement with my ex-, the TV wasn't on and I didn't rectify the situation as I realised shortly afterwards that Dan had left his school shoes and I would have to take them round. On the radio went and I soon found out it was 3-2 and just at that moment Liverpool got the penalty which brought it level again. Any side that can pull a game round like that deserves to have that success so I can't begrudge the Reds their 5th European Cup victory.
The big talking point now is whether they will be back next year to defend the trophy. In common with the World Cup now there is no automatic entry into the next competition. They didn't finish high enough in the League this year to qualify that way so things don't look good for them at the moment. It has been suggested that they should take Everton's place but that won't happen. The rules for qualification were established before the season began and the Blues get the reward for a season of 'overachievement'. Besides, there would be riots in Liverpool if that happened. I had been following Everton home and away for a few years before we won the League in 1985. I was looking forward to competing with the best in Europe the following season (and we really were up there at that time) when a not insignificant event in Heysel Stadium occurred. Many Evertonians believe that if Liverpool had done the right thing and withdrawn voluntarily from European competition then therewould not have been a blanket ban on English clubs. To miss out because of Liverpool again, 20 years later, would be too much to take.
Of course, any other club who was forced to withdraw at Liverpool's expense could also point to the fact that the rules were known at the start of the season. The only way I can see them getting in is if UEFA punish Inter for the behaviour of their fans by withdrawing their entry.
I believe Liverpool should be allowed to defend the trophy and I hope a solution can be found - but forgive me if I don't lose any sleep over it.
As an Evertonian I listened (on 5Live initially) and later watched with mixed feelings. I must say that at first I was firmly in the Milan camp - long standing rivalry and all that. I finished coaching the U14s (Rugby League) at about 8pm and Liverpool were 1-0 down. By the time I dropped my son off at his Mum's it was 3-0. All over of course. When I got home, after a protracted disagreement with my ex-, the TV wasn't on and I didn't rectify the situation as I realised shortly afterwards that Dan had left his school shoes and I would have to take them round. On the radio went and I soon found out it was 3-2 and just at that moment Liverpool got the penalty which brought it level again. Any side that can pull a game round like that deserves to have that success so I can't begrudge the Reds their 5th European Cup victory.
The big talking point now is whether they will be back next year to defend the trophy. In common with the World Cup now there is no automatic entry into the next competition. They didn't finish high enough in the League this year to qualify that way so things don't look good for them at the moment. It has been suggested that they should take Everton's place but that won't happen. The rules for qualification were established before the season began and the Blues get the reward for a season of 'overachievement'. Besides, there would be riots in Liverpool if that happened. I had been following Everton home and away for a few years before we won the League in 1985. I was looking forward to competing with the best in Europe the following season (and we really were up there at that time) when a not insignificant event in Heysel Stadium occurred. Many Evertonians believe that if Liverpool had done the right thing and withdrawn voluntarily from European competition then therewould not have been a blanket ban on English clubs. To miss out because of Liverpool again, 20 years later, would be too much to take.
Of course, any other club who was forced to withdraw at Liverpool's expense could also point to the fact that the rules were known at the start of the season. The only way I can see them getting in is if UEFA punish Inter for the behaviour of their fans by withdrawing their entry.
I believe Liverpool should be allowed to defend the trophy and I hope a solution can be found - but forgive me if I don't lose any sleep over it.
Half Man Half Biscuit Lyric of the Day
"Sealed Knot Society, let's see you try and do this one - Luton Town/Millwall 1985"
'Uffington Wassail' from the CD Trouble Over Bridgwater
'Uffington Wassail' from the CD Trouble Over Bridgwater
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Vegetarian Week
So it’s National Vegetarian Week. I used to be a vegetarian. I’ll make no bones about it (pun intended) – I was seduced by Morrissey. Now before you phone Social Services I should point out that I was a consenting adult and it was only his views on Meat being Murder that impregnated me. I’m not a veggie any more. To be honest I was never that committed – I don’t mean I used to weaken during that time (although picking the meat bits out of a Pimbletts Meat and Potato pie was stretching my credibility a little) but I was never a vego-warrior. What turned me back to omnivorous eating was practicality/laziness. My first son was starting to eat solids and I got fed up of preparing three different meals each time we ate (my wife did not take to meat-free meals as readily as I did) so I thought ‘Sod It’ and went back to it after a couple of years. Whilst not the prime reason for giving up vegetarianism the mythical bacon sandwiches were an extremely welcome addition to my diet. I still laugh at people who say, “Yeah, I’m a vegetarian – but I eat fish … and chicken (only free-range mind)”.
I still have days where I don’t eat meat but it is not a conscious decision to avoid it – it’s just that some of the meals I enjoy don’t contain meat. I have vegetarian friends (does that sound a bit like “Some of my best friends are black/Asian/delete as applicable” ?) who don’t try to convert me or constantly harp on about it. I suppose my attitude is a bit like my attitude to Christianity (as well as the ‘Been there, tried that, bought the luminous dashboard figure of Jesus) – if you want to do it fine, just keep it to yourself and don’t get evangelical on me. Nature has decided that both plants and animals are part of the food chain. We, as humans, have the capability to digest both. So let’s just agree to disagree and go eat some good food.
I still have days where I don’t eat meat but it is not a conscious decision to avoid it – it’s just that some of the meals I enjoy don’t contain meat. I have vegetarian friends (does that sound a bit like “Some of my best friends are black/Asian/delete as applicable” ?) who don’t try to convert me or constantly harp on about it. I suppose my attitude is a bit like my attitude to Christianity (as well as the ‘Been there, tried that, bought the luminous dashboard figure of Jesus) – if you want to do it fine, just keep it to yourself and don’t get evangelical on me. Nature has decided that both plants and animals are part of the food chain. We, as humans, have the capability to digest both. So let’s just agree to disagree and go eat some good food.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Half Man Half Biscuit Lyric of the Day
"Trying to sell Clan of Xymox from your car boot, ain't gonna get you to no sunny place."
'Faithlift' from the CD Some Call It Godcore
'Faithlift' from the CD Some Call It Godcore
Ian Millward
Well, the Ian Millward saga rumbles on and on. Rumour, claims, conjecture and speculation are still the order of the day. Personally speaking (and let’s face it, who else would want me speaking for them?) any sympathy I may have had for the man disappeared the moment he signed for Wigan. I know he was unemployed and needed work but to go to the Pie Eaters is the biggest kick in the teeth he could have administered to the Saints fans short of … well it’s hard to think of what would be worse.
When his suspension was first announced there was widespread disbelief that the club could treat their most successful coach in this way. There were long and vocal protests at and after the Challenge Cup game against York and most fans understandably took the side of the coach in the absence of any clear indications from the club about why they had proceeded in this manner. When the news filtered out that it was about swearing there was incredulity in abundance. Swearing? You must be joking. Or as the terrace chant had it – “F*ck off, he only said F*ck off!”. When the news got more concrete it appeared that there was more to it than just swearing – abusing an employee of Saints, abusing an employee of Warrington Wolves (using sexist language allegedly) and abusing an official of the RFL. Still some fans stuck by Millward although the mood on the Messageboards was shifting somewhat. Rumour persisted that despite the seriousness of these allegations there was something more serious which had not yet been revealed publicly – a rumour that still persists.
Millward continued to express his desire to continue coaching at St Helens, his love of the club and the players and his special relationship with the fans. He has allegedly previously expressed his hatred of Wigan and Maurice Lindsay at supportes’ meetings and now he has joined them as coach. Apparently it took him only five minutes to decide. I have seen his position compared to that of Gordon Strachan who, after leaving Southampton, was offered the job at their arch-rivals Portsmouth. Strachan said that the Portsmouth job was a great opportunity but not for a former Southampton manager. He has retained the respect and admiration of the Saints (football variety) fans for that. Had Ian Millward acted similarly he would have had the keys to the town for life and would have been welcomed back by the fans no matter which club he was with.
As it stands the fans are stunned that he could jump straight into bed with Wigan. Already he has started the mind games for which he is notorious by saying he would not flinch from signing Saints players leading to the inevitable speculation about who will jump ship. I see this as nothing more than an attempt to destabilise St Hellens before the new coach, Australian Daniel Anderson, has had a chance to establish himself. The players need reminding that their loyalty, such as it is, is to the club not to their ex-coach and that they are all under contract. Having said that if any player is still not 100% committed to St Helens after that reminder they should be told where the door is.
Eamonn McManus (Chairman) and Sean McGuire (Chief Executive) have done a tremendous job in turning the club around financially and should receive the backing of the fans.
It will be interesting to see what the reaction of the fans will be when Millward returns to Knowsley Road on 26 June in the Challenge Cup. Some Saints fans on the Messageboard have been wishing him luck in his new job. I’m sorry; good luck for Millward now means good luck for Wigan and I am not going to hope for that. I hope they stay a trophy-free zone for as long as they exist. I won’t boo Millward – I will concentrate on supporting my team and its new coach. I have seen Millward called Judas and I can’t disagree with that at the moment. It’s the ultimate betrayal. The only saving grace is that the issue has also divided the Wigan fans, who for years have referred to him as “Goldfish Gob” and worse.
We all need to move on now, however, and the best way to do that is to get behind Daniel Anderson and the players on Friday in their game against the League Leaders and current Champions Leeds Rhinos. It promises to be a hell of a night.
When his suspension was first announced there was widespread disbelief that the club could treat their most successful coach in this way. There were long and vocal protests at and after the Challenge Cup game against York and most fans understandably took the side of the coach in the absence of any clear indications from the club about why they had proceeded in this manner. When the news filtered out that it was about swearing there was incredulity in abundance. Swearing? You must be joking. Or as the terrace chant had it – “F*ck off, he only said F*ck off!”. When the news got more concrete it appeared that there was more to it than just swearing – abusing an employee of Saints, abusing an employee of Warrington Wolves (using sexist language allegedly) and abusing an official of the RFL. Still some fans stuck by Millward although the mood on the Messageboards was shifting somewhat. Rumour persisted that despite the seriousness of these allegations there was something more serious which had not yet been revealed publicly – a rumour that still persists.
Millward continued to express his desire to continue coaching at St Helens, his love of the club and the players and his special relationship with the fans. He has allegedly previously expressed his hatred of Wigan and Maurice Lindsay at supportes’ meetings and now he has joined them as coach. Apparently it took him only five minutes to decide. I have seen his position compared to that of Gordon Strachan who, after leaving Southampton, was offered the job at their arch-rivals Portsmouth. Strachan said that the Portsmouth job was a great opportunity but not for a former Southampton manager. He has retained the respect and admiration of the Saints (football variety) fans for that. Had Ian Millward acted similarly he would have had the keys to the town for life and would have been welcomed back by the fans no matter which club he was with.
As it stands the fans are stunned that he could jump straight into bed with Wigan. Already he has started the mind games for which he is notorious by saying he would not flinch from signing Saints players leading to the inevitable speculation about who will jump ship. I see this as nothing more than an attempt to destabilise St Hellens before the new coach, Australian Daniel Anderson, has had a chance to establish himself. The players need reminding that their loyalty, such as it is, is to the club not to their ex-coach and that they are all under contract. Having said that if any player is still not 100% committed to St Helens after that reminder they should be told where the door is.
Eamonn McManus (Chairman) and Sean McGuire (Chief Executive) have done a tremendous job in turning the club around financially and should receive the backing of the fans.
It will be interesting to see what the reaction of the fans will be when Millward returns to Knowsley Road on 26 June in the Challenge Cup. Some Saints fans on the Messageboard have been wishing him luck in his new job. I’m sorry; good luck for Millward now means good luck for Wigan and I am not going to hope for that. I hope they stay a trophy-free zone for as long as they exist. I won’t boo Millward – I will concentrate on supporting my team and its new coach. I have seen Millward called Judas and I can’t disagree with that at the moment. It’s the ultimate betrayal. The only saving grace is that the issue has also divided the Wigan fans, who for years have referred to him as “Goldfish Gob” and worse.
We all need to move on now, however, and the best way to do that is to get behind Daniel Anderson and the players on Friday in their game against the League Leaders and current Champions Leeds Rhinos. It promises to be a hell of a night.
Time
... and why does the time appear incorrectly when I post? Do I always have to set it myself? The post on The Fall was my second one. I'll get the hang of this in a year or so.
Is a Dream a Lie if it don't come True, or is it Something Worse?
Well, here we go - my first attempt at creating a blog. Knowing my attention span it will probably last about three days but at least I will have given it a go.
What do you need to know? Well, I'm not sure how much I want to disclose at this stage. I'm not really familiar with blog etiquette so I will probably lose my inhibitions as time goes on.
My interests? Well, Rugby League is a big one (St Helens to be exact), as well as music (many types). I got into music when I was young and punk was just happening so for a while I was very exclusive and wouldn't give ear space to anything pre-1976 but as I matured I developed wider tastes and now I will give most things a go. I still like stuff with a bit of an edge but that doesn't necessarily mean loud and raucous (although it often does!). The last group I went to see were the Manic Street Preachers with my elder son (whoops - more personal info. You now know I have two sons).
I also like films although I don't get to the flicks as much as I would like. Last film was Hitchhikers Guide ....
I enjoy American cop shows such as Law and Order, The Shield, CSI etc.
I need to take stock now and decide how I approach this thing - maybe I should read a few more blogs before taking the full plunge!
What do you need to know? Well, I'm not sure how much I want to disclose at this stage. I'm not really familiar with blog etiquette so I will probably lose my inhibitions as time goes on.
My interests? Well, Rugby League is a big one (St Helens to be exact), as well as music (many types). I got into music when I was young and punk was just happening so for a while I was very exclusive and wouldn't give ear space to anything pre-1976 but as I matured I developed wider tastes and now I will give most things a go. I still like stuff with a bit of an edge but that doesn't necessarily mean loud and raucous (although it often does!). The last group I went to see were the Manic Street Preachers with my elder son (whoops - more personal info. You now know I have two sons).
I also like films although I don't get to the flicks as much as I would like. Last film was Hitchhikers Guide ....
I enjoy American cop shows such as Law and Order, The Shield, CSI etc.
I need to take stock now and decide how I approach this thing - maybe I should read a few more blogs before taking the full plunge!
Monday, May 23, 2005
The Fall
Now, I'm a big fan of the Fall - I first saw them in the late '70s at St Helens Tech lecture theatre. What a strange place for a gig - I felt like we should all have been taking notes. The youth of St Helens had done themselves proud - one even turned up in his pyjamas. I'm still not sure if that was a rebellion against the ongoing constrictions of the vagaries of fashion or whether he has clinbed out of his window after his mam had tucked him up for the night.
I've seen them, probably about 7 or 8 times since then but I was really disappointed in their performance on Later on Friday. They (well, Mark E to be honest) seemed really flat and disinterested. I wonder if he has given up trying to convert people to his sound and is happy to pander to his loyal audience. The best bit was the cheesy wave the band gave at the beginning of the show - nearly caused me to lose valuable beer as I suppressed a guffaw.
I'm not one of those people who think he has produced nothing of merit since the early '80s - some of the later stuff (Sparta FC, Touch Sensitive, Reckoning) is up there with the best but having anticipated the performance so much I was disappointed.
Oh well - I suppose I will have to try to justify the purchase of Perverted By Language Bis with the bonus of one of the Leeds gigs I went to now.
I've seen them, probably about 7 or 8 times since then but I was really disappointed in their performance on Later on Friday. They (well, Mark E to be honest) seemed really flat and disinterested. I wonder if he has given up trying to convert people to his sound and is happy to pander to his loyal audience. The best bit was the cheesy wave the band gave at the beginning of the show - nearly caused me to lose valuable beer as I suppressed a guffaw.
I'm not one of those people who think he has produced nothing of merit since the early '80s - some of the later stuff (Sparta FC, Touch Sensitive, Reckoning) is up there with the best but having anticipated the performance so much I was disappointed.
Oh well - I suppose I will have to try to justify the purchase of Perverted By Language Bis with the bonus of one of the Leeds gigs I went to now.
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