KwAcKy's Konfessional |
|
|
Nothing of interest; just mindless links to bikes Birmingham City Football Club and useless junk  
  
|
23 December 2005
 Dear Chelsea On behalf of the Chelsea Pensioners Retirement home (formerly known as Birmingham City Football Club) I would like to plead to the champions elect and ask that you spare a thought for the other team in Blue this Christmas, a team which is quiet clearly at the a***hole end of the table, and show your charitable side by giving a small donation to help those less fortunate than yourselves. All we ask is that you donate 3 points this Christmas. 3 points may not mean much to you, but it can keep a Forssell in tubigrips for a season, make a Melchiot merry for a month or even bring cheer to a Jiri. Please be generous in this festive season. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year one and all. 21 December 2005
Feel the pain - Dinosaur Jr I feel the pain of everyone, then I feel nothing I feel the pain of everyone, then I feel nothing I feel the pain of everyone, then I feel nothing I feel the pain of everyone, then I feel nothing Is it up to me ? You won't wait to see Screwed us both again About as close as you dare I feel the pain of everyone, then I feel nothing I feel the pain of everyone, then I feel nothing Is it up to me? You won't wait to see Screwed us yet again About as close as you dare Hey now, take it back Get off me You're sad trailin' on your scene Just try and keep it clean Relegation is calling. The fat lady has booked her hotel in Bolton for the night of Sunday 7 May and can be heard warming up. We're coming up Christmas and at this time of year the table paints a realistic picture of how things are going to finish. Sure, Wigan and West Ham are likely to be in the second half of the table and Arsenal will probably be higher up, but no one is going to bet on Chelsea not winning the title or Sunderland staying up. Blues are 2nd from bottom with just 12 points from 16 games. You don't need to be a genius to realise we're earning less than a point a game. There are 38 games in a season and you need at least 40 points to be sure of safety. The Board have stated that Bruce will be here until October 2006. A bold announcement. An announcement that has earned praise from the press and the Football Managers Association and shock and despair from the fans. At first I was puzzled by this show of solidarity. Granted, many clubs have sacked their manager when things have been tough: Southampton and Portsmouth have created their own Southcoast soap opera, Doug Ellis sacks a manager every 2 years to appease the creatures from t'other side of the Aston Expressway and even Chelsea and Liverpool have been known to get a new man at the helm when the previous pirate failed to bring in enough pieces of eight. Sullivan talks about loyalty. He's of the opinion that Bruce's decision to stick with us when Newcastle came knocking means the club owe him. Bruce and loyalty haven't been the friendliest of bed fellows. Regardless of the reasons, Bruce's managerial CV can politely be described as "varied". But, one thing is for certain, this Board went out of their way to get Bruce when it was clear Mr Francis was no longer going to be naming the squad. Bruce is a young manager. He took the Blues into the Premier League at the first time of asking. If this season had happened between 2002 to 2004 then no one would be moaning. We all expected to go down. Bruce took gambles on players like Upson, Savage and Dugarry. Those players each played their part in seeing us finish 13th in our first season and 10th in our second. Bruce then tried to take us forward but his lack of managerial experience let him down. He bought experienced pros in the hope that the seasoned premier league players would be able to take us forward in the way we played football. The problem is, most of those players don't have the heart or stomach for a fight. Things didn't go well last season and this season is looking disastrous. Players like DJ are having to show the household names how it's done and even DJ is starting to look jaded. Relegation means we lose a lot of players. Upson, Pennant, Heskey and Butt won't be wearing BCFC's royal blue next season. But that's a good thing. Any Leeds fan will tell you Pennant only plays well when Pennant has things going his way. Upson looks like he's forgotten how to tie his own shoelaces let alone make a tackle and if Butt is worth £45k a week then I have George Clooney's looks and bank balance. We've got a wealth of youth coming through. Your look at Ferguson's successes - they've been with lads who came through the ranks. You look at his failures - they've been names he's bought in. I'm not saying Bruce is another Fergie in the making. However, it seems clear to me that most managers have an easier time managing a younger player, a player who wants to play football, loves the game, is keen to impress and is an open book, than one who comes in having played his way for the last 10 years and has been coached and managed by a string of ex-footballers. This season has seen the emergence of Neil Kilkenny. A lad in years but a footballer on the field. There have been times this season when I've had to double take and remind myself which player is playing his first season in the prem and which has played in a World Cup or European match. Of late, Painter has joined Kilkenny in showing the old hands how football is played. In addition ot the youth, we'll be supported by the more professional players such as Clapham and Clemence. Okay, they might be invited to join another club, but I'm hoping they'll hang around and help us rebuild. That mix of youthful exuberance and seasoned footballer should do us proud in our promotion season. These players have been our unsung heroes since our arrival in this league. Bruce should be given a chance to show us that he's learnt from his mistakes. We have no divine right to play in the Premier League. We arrived, we gave it a good shout, it didn't work. We'll go back to the Championship, we'll lick our wounds, we'll regroup and we'll come back stronger and more experienced. 06 December 2005
Blues go down, Blues go down together St Andrews should have a light house on it to warn fans that their hopes are just about to be dashed on the rocks of relegation. I haven't got a clue what the Board should do. Granted, we shouldn't take about relegation until the maths kick in. But our form at home this season and overall in the last 18 months has been abysmal. Our once solid defence is about as solid as the intelligence reports from pre-war Iraq. Our midfield has no fluidity and often lacks function. We have one striker we can rely on. Our injury list makes the Somme field hospital look casual and tactics are as effective as Hitler's attempts for World peace. Most of the above rests on the Manager. He buys the players, he picks the team, he appoints the coaches and assistants, he makes the substitutions. Bruce was very fortunate in getting us promoted as quickly as he did. I also think it may be his undoing. The lack of time in Division 1 meant Bruce had no time to get the backroom staff sorted or the training facilities needed or just to get the feel of the place. He was forced into buying quickly and, in my opinion, he bought well. Even Morrison was a good buy as Bruce fully expected us to go straight back down and Morrison together with the likes of Clapham and Clemence would have done us proud as well as being the backbone for our future Prem team. But, we didn't go down. Bruce all of a sudden had cash to buy players and he had to meet the expectations of both the board and the fans. Shrewd buys and loans saw us do well. A mix of old and new at the back, bite and guile in the middle and sheer poetry up front in the form of Forssell meant Blues pushed up the table and were at one point 4th. And that's when things started to go wrong. We thought we were good. Bruce as a manager hasn't had time to learn how to deal with the players we as fans want and we as a club need to push us up the table and go play in Europe. He's going through that learning curve and has been for some time. He's taken risks with some players and he's put hsi neck on the block. Big players with big names and big wages are often harder to motivate than those who play for shillings and pence. Those bread and butter players who did us so proud when we first arrive play with heart and pride. This league means something to them. It takes a good manager to get the fancy dans playing like they mean it. It also takes an experienced player (or a graduate in psychology). Relegation could cripple this club. It could also see an old and tattered looking phoenix be afforded an opportunity to rise up with renewed vigour. 20 November 2005
Wearing a tie too tightly could put you at serious risk of being a wanker, doctors have revealed today. The small study measured the personalities of a small group of middle managers before and after they attached their tie. They found a significant rise in wankish behaviour and warned long-term tight tie wearing could lead to a serious increase in memo sending, meeting calling and general pointless fuckwittery Researchers from the Basildon Institute of Self-importance also tested these managers on basic communication skills such as carrying out conversations without everyone in a three mile radius being forced to listen, and not interrupting colleagues with the phrase "I think what you meant to say was…" In every instance the tie-wearers failed miserably. Previous studies by the Institute include looking at the relationship between using a hands-free mobile phone and being a complete and utter prick, and an examination of why getting out your business card at every opportunity makes people want to smash your tiny brains out. Dr Brian Montgomery, who lead the research team, said it was the first time a direct correlation between tie-wearing and being a complete and utter wanker had been confirmed. "It would appear wearing a tie in a work situation along with other factors causes the individual involved to completely alter their behaviour. "All of a sudden things that seem banal and pointless, sales figures, motivational books and Jeremy Clarkson, become much more important in that person’s life," he claimed. Even more surprisingly the study found additional tie-wearing phenomena which made the subjects even bigger wankers. They discovered that even wearing a tie loosely - often including undoing your top button - and even more bizarrely dressing in a way which said "Hey everybody I may be earning twice as much as you, but I’m still cool enough not to wear a tie," was still enough for the participants to display twat-like traits. "It would appear in the mildest association with a tie in a working situation is enough to transform a normal person into an overbearing and disliked individual," said Montgomery "What is even more sad is that for many of these tie-wearing people they are completely unaware of the contempt they produce amongst the rest of society and before they know it find themselves living in some god-awful semi-detached in the home counties, driving a people carrier, reading the Daily Mail and carrying out a completely pointless human existence. "Wankers," he added. 15 November 2005
10 November 2005
KwAcKy'S Cookery Class OK, I lie, I'm no cook, but I do make a mean soup. Tonight I experimented and came up with my Sweet Chilli and Mushroom Soup You need: 200g chestnut mushrooms 2 large sweet chillies (red) 4 medium potatoes 2 medium onions Butter Milk Vegetable stock. Salt Pepper Garam Masala (for some extra flavour) Finely chop the onions. Place a large knob of butter (enough for the onions) in a saucepan and start to melt on a low temperature. Throw in the onions and allow them to simmer in the butter for about 10 minutes. While the onions are getting a butter bath, peel and chop the potatoes, slice the mushrooms and the sweet chillies and make 1/2 litre of vegetable stock. Once the onions are done, pour in 1/2 litre of milk and 1/2 litre of vegetable stock, add the potatoes, chillies and mushrooms. Add some salt and pepper. Allow the soup to briefly boil up (which it'll do quickly because of the milk) and then leave to simmer for 30 minutes. If you want to add the garam masala, do it just after the soup boils. After 30 minutes, blend it. You can either leave it for another 30 minutes or eat it now if you're hungry. Enjoy. I did :-) 06 November 2005
31 October 2005
28 October 2005
 The 2004 Top 10 Bush Awards #10: "I want you to know. Karyn is with us. A West Texas girl, just like me." -Nashville, Tenn., May 27, 2004 #9: "Then you wake up at the high school level and find out that the illiteracy level of our children are appalling." -Washington, D.C., Jan. 23, 2004 #8: "Free societies are hopeful societies. And free societies will be allies against these hateful few who have no conscience, who kill at the whim of a hat." -Washington, D.C., Sept. 17, 2004 #7: "I want to thank the astronauts who are with us, the courageous spacial entrepreneurs who set such a wonderful example for the young of our country." -Washington, D.C. Jan. 14, 2004 #6: "We will make sure our troops have all that is necessary to complete their missions. That's why I went to the Congress last September and proposed fundamental - supplemental funding, which is money for armor and body parts and ammunition and fuel." -Erie, Pa., Sept. 4, 2004 #5: "After standing on the stage, after the debates, I made it very plain, we will not have an all-volunteer army. And yet, this week - we will have an all-volunteer army!" -Daytona Beach, Fla., Oct. 16, 2004 #4: "Tribal sovereignty means that; it's sovereign. I mean, you're a - you've been given sovereignty, and you're viewed as a sovereign entity. And therefore the relationship between the federal government and tribes is one between sovereign entities." -Washington, D.C., Aug. 6, 2004 #3: "I hear there's rumors on the Internets that we're going to have a draft." -second presidential debate, St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 8, 2004 #2: "Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country." -Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004 #1: "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." -Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004 17 October 2005
 It was the fear of losing rather than acutally losing that evoked the greatest angst. As the final whistle went, O'Leary ran onto the pitch and gestured to his aged but eternal Chairman, Melberg gamboled like a spring lamb and the Viler fans, for the first time in this fixture, stayed andc cheered. The exiting Blues fans stopped and faced the away end as they struck up a rousing rendition of "Keep Right On", drowning out the Orcish cries from one half of the Railway End. Blues sang, villa looked stunned. They left with 3 points but at least we left with some pride. 21 September 2005
Scunthorpe v Birmingham City - Blues Player Ratings. Nico - Looked confident and in command. Some excellent saves - 8/10 Clapham - some errors almost lead to goals but better forward play lead to a penalty - 6/10 Upson - composed as captain. Skill and experience showed - 7/10 Tiny -a footballer, at fullback? It'll never catch on - 8/10 Tebs - liked to go join the midfielders leaving Tiny to cover - 6/10 Gray - as early confidence ebbed so did his skillful football - 6/10 Izzet - lively and involved but no understanding with the forwards 7/10 DJ - solid in the various positions he played - 8/10 Pennant - missed DJ or Mario at RB. Caused problems. 7/10 Forssell - still lacking pace and confidence. Looked better once he scored - 7/10 Pandiani - 2 good shots, 2 poor shots, no other contribution. 5/10 Kilkenny - looked like a regular first teamer. Got on with the job in hand - 7/10 Till - some very sweet football from the youngster as he turned the home defence inside out - 7/10 Painter - slotted in at left back and legaly floored a guy with his first challenge. Nice . 7/10 Overall, Blues looked comfortable on the ball but lacked ideas without it. In the first half we were happy to pass the ball around and build up slowly. The central midfield pairing didn't get a bond going but they weren't assisted by the unexpected arrival of Tebily in the centre of the park. This meant Tiny had to cover centre and right back positions. Upson and Tiny looked like a good pairing. Both tall and strong and both comfortable with the ball at their feet. Tiny showed that a defender can take his time with the ball and carry it out of the danager area rather than blindly hoof it. The Defenders probably felt more comfortable with a vocal 'keeper behind them. Nico came in and took control from the off, making the penalty area his and letting everyone know it. Nice to see and hear good communication. Forssell and Pandiani on the other hand looked like a pair of recent divorcees who had been told that the only 2 seats left on the Orient Express were next to each other. Rifle went off in a huff, looking for someone else to talk to and the Forse shuffled his feet and kicked the dust, refusing to speak to anyone. Scunthorpe took the second half by the scruff of the neck and Blues had no answers; unless you count that old favourite "Hoof It". The Home side were unlucky not to have won the game, with several superb chances skimming across the 6 yard box. A good team selection by the Boss and the result is all that matters, but, Blues are toothless without Heskey and lack a winning midfielder. Butt would have stormed that game. 19 September 2005
12 September 2005
25 August 2005
Not the sort of week I wanted Monday started the week as usual. Work is frantic and I was busy clearing the decks to make way for a large number of files to be transferred to me. Tuesday started off like any other. I took the bike into work and got my head down early as I had to leave the office for an hour in the morning. Tuesday was scan day. Sam was having her 11 week scan. The women's hospital is about 10 minutes away from work (as the motorbike flies) and work were fine about me leaving to go and join up with Sam. Anyway, the time would be made up, I was in at 8 and would be working until after 6 as I intended to go straight to the Ibis to meet up with the SHA crowd before the Blues v Boro game. At a quarter to 10 I leave the office and head up to the hospital. I make good time (yes officer, I know it's a 30.... ) and get there before Sam. She's got the day off and she's decided to keep Georgie for the day. Whilst waiting in reception I spot Sam and Georgie. Georgie, not wanting to be left out, has brought he rbaby along in "baby push" (a toy pushchair to you and me). Georgie has given herself a weird walk. Almost HipHop/Ghetto gangsta stylee. I must stop playing NWA when she's about. Usual story once inside, sign here, wait there, move rooms, wait some more. We're left hanging about for so long I'm talking about having to get back to work. I've already been absent for 90 minutes and we're still waiting for the scan. Just as I'm about to clear off, we get called in. Sexist, I know, but I was surprised to see a bloke doing the scan. He spots the biking gear and we start chatting about bikes. He's got a ZX12R but fancies the new Speed Triple as his bike is too large and he want's something better suited for commuting. We spend a long time talking as he scans Sam. I don't think much of it as we're talking bikes, and bikers love talking bikes. He asked how far gone Sam was. 11 weeks. He scanned some more. Then the solemn face. He couldn't detect a heartbeat. He wanted a second opinion. Off he went to get a colleague, leaving Sam, Georgie and I in the darkened room. Sam and I jut stared at each other. I held her hand. She started to cry. Georgie became agitated. The second opinion confirmed that there was no heartbeat. Our intended second child had died. It wasn't to be. Sam went to the toilet. Georgie, sensing something was up, started to cry and screamed for her mummy. When Sam came back we were taken into another room and left alone for a while to gather our thoughts. Not that you have many at a time like that. A nurse came in to discuss the options: 1) let nature take it's course 2) take a tablet to speed things up 3) have an operation to finalise things. Sam wasn't keen on the first choice and when told that the tablet option didn't always work, she asked for an operation. After checking with the surgeon, Sam was booked in for the next day. I couldn't go to the game. I was too raw. Sam was, understandably, very upset. Tuesday night was difficult. Not only do you have to deal with the loss, but there were nerves about the forthcoming procedure. In short, Wednesday went as well as can be expected. We got there at 9.30, signed the usual forms of consent. Sam was taken to theatre and after an hour returned to her room. Back home in time for the 6 o'clock news. I'll say goodbye to love No one ever cared if I should live or die Time and time again the chance for love has passed me by And all I know of love is how to live without it I just can't seem to find it So I've made my mind up I must live my life alone And though it's not the easy way I guess I've always known I'd say goodbye to love There are no tomorrows for this heart of mine Surely time will lose these bitter memories And I'll find that there is someone to believe in And to live for something I could live for All the years of useless search Have finally reached an end Loneliness and empty days will be my only friend From this day love is forgotten I'll go on as best I can What lies in the future is a mystery to us all No one can predict the wheel of fortune as it falls There may come a time when I will see that I've been wrong But for now this is my song And it's goodbye to love I'll say goodbye to love Just been out to do some shopping and drop a couple of items off at the post office. While I was in the car my "I wish I were a Carpenter" CD kicked in, and this was the first song that played. I realise it doesn't sit on all 4s with what's happened, but there are enough words and lines in the song to kick a tear or two out of me as I drove along. 20 August 2005
16 August 2005
14 August 2005
10 August 2005
New Season Here is my prediction for the forthcoming season. I know it's unfair to have the new teams all relegated but that's based on the current squads. West Brom played some nice football at the end of the season and I think they'll carry on for the first third and get some points in the bag. Man City won't suffer too much due to the loss of SWP. If Pearce can organise the defence then they'll be ok. My surprise package is Pompey. Each season one team comes from nowhere and races up the league. Even if none of their players stand out, they have a good team spirit and they're not afraid to roll up their sleeves and play ugly football to get all 3 points. Blackburn have the makings of a decent side but Hughes's players have more baggage than the Marcos family on holiday. Things can get out of hand pretty quickly and the players won't want to help each other out on the pitch. Spurs have a huge squad but Jol is an excellent manager and he should be able to keep the fringe players happy. Boro continue to quietly build and Moyes should be able to keep his Everton side in the top half. If Viler can land Baros and keep Solano then there's no reason why they won't finish in the top half. DOL has to work with one hand tied behind his back and he's still plagued with injurys but he did well last season with one of the smallest squads in the league. As for Blues, well, this season is all about Bruce. He's been unfortunate with injuries and that curse continues as we start the season with news that Nafti will be out for at least 4 months due to a cruciate ligament tear, Dunn isn't ready, Cunningham is out and Clapham is nowhere to be seen. Dunn is still on the road to recovery and a lot depends on his ability to come back to old best. A team with Dunn on one side and Pennant on the other will scare the hell out of most sides and with Heskey up front doing what he does best - holding the ball up and battering the defence - we should see some goals this season. Of course, a lot depedds on Forssell being fully fit as he's looked rusty and slightly off the pace in the pre-season games. Cunningham is out for a few weeks with a collapsed lung and that means Tiny Taylor gets a chance to stake a claim in the team. With Nafti out of action the central midfield pairing will be Butt and Izzet. Both players have something to prove as one missed all of last season through injury and the other wants to wear the England shirt in 2006. Butt's spell at Newcastle can be politely described as forgettable but Bruce knows the player and this is an ideal club for the ex-Manchester man to make his mark. Bruce has to show what he can do with the team he's built. The Board have invested heavily in the team and a poor season will make it difficult for Blues to hold onto the best players. I predict a slow start but things will turn around in the New Year and we'll storm up the table. 1. Chelsea 2. Arse 3. Man United 4. Liverpool 5. Boro 6. Spuds 7. Everton 8. Bolton 9. Blues 10. Viler 11. Pompey 12. Man City 13. Newcastle 14. Charlton 15. West Brom 16. Blackburn 17. Fulham 18. West Ham United 19. Sunderland 20. Wigan 02 August 2005
01 August 2005
Donington This turned into a complete waste of time and money for me. My daughter decided to wake the house up at just afer 1 a.m. I go in to chek if she's ok. Not content with me getting up, she then decides to scream the house down until mum shows her face. This goes on until 3.30 when Sam decides to take Georgina downstairs to try and get her to sleep. With just over 2 hours undisturbed sleep under my belt I head off to Donny. I get there in good time and notice that the pit lane seems very quiet. I'm feeling very tired but hope that adrenaline kicks in and keeps me sharp. I make a decision to assess my tiredness at lunch time and call it a day if I'm too tired and putting myself at risk. At briefing we're told that only 50 have booked, so they are running 2 groups with each group having 30 minute sessions. I'm in the slow group and we go out first. I'm at the front and we do our 2 sighting laps when we get waved on by the instructor. I decide to take it easy because I've got all day and the sessions are longer. I'm tootling around but realise that I've left the group behind and I'm starting to see the tail of the group. I didnt' think I was going that fast. I was concentrating on my lines and my braking (that brake set up I've got is stunning) but it seemed I was one of the quickest in the group. Anyway, I'm going through Craners when I ihave my Rossi moment. I feel the back end step out and my arse come out of the seat ("FUCK! HIGHSIDE") is the first thought. Just as I'm getting ready for another broken collar bone I realise my arse is back in the saddle, the bike is upright and I'm still on the tarmac. I decide to go into the pits and check the tyre. A quick inspection showed no reason for the slide and the pressure was spot on. I go back out and notice my fragile confidence had taken a knock. I was sure I could feel the tyre sliding underneath me. Back through Craners and a guy on a Millie goes down in front of me, right where i had my moment. I ride through the shattered plastic and do a couple more laps but I rode like a numpty. The 30 minute wait for the next session was too long and it allowed tireness to creep in. I went out in the second session with bruised confidence, no faith in the rear and feeling knackered. I called it a day and went home. 24 July 2005
22 July 2005
17 July 2005
14 July 2005
 No to war and no to terrorism After the bombing in Madrid hundreds of thousands of Spaniards demonstrated with their hands in the air, palms open. This was to sympolise that their hands were clean, they were not dirtied by supporting either war or terrorism. We have responded to the London bombing inspired by this symbolism and have listed the chain of action and reaction, Falluja and London, New York and Kabul, and too many points inbetween, which must be broken. No to War & to Terror is printed on the sleeve. Non profit-making,HALF-PRICE any profits will be donated to anti-war causes. Available in small (36 inch chest/ 90 cms), medium (40 inch/100 cms), large (44 inch /110 cms), XL (48 inch /120 cms) and XXL (52 inch /130 cms), short sleeves only. Go to: philosophyfootball.com/ then click "dissenters" 11 July 2005
 Last week was our annual holiday. Nothing special, just a few days in the South of Wales. We had planned a week but rain stopped play. Saturday we drove down to Cardiff to meet up with my old next door neighbour, Ed. He's married and they've got a little girl who is about 6 months old. Went for a walk around Cardiff Bay for a beer or two then nipped into see my mate Joe at his new hotel opposite the Cardiff Millenium Centre. SLAMMER dropped in to join the party for a few cheeky beers then we headed back to Ed's for a takeaway balti and more beers. Sunday we drove to Saundersfoot. We had planned to go shopping in Cardiff but a bombscare meant the city centre was sealed off. We went into Tenby on Monday and I managed to get Sam on a boat for the short trip to Caldey Island. The Bluenose above is one of the strange craft they have to help keep a link with the mainland. The weather was so bad on Tuesday that SkyNews were reporting Noah had come out of retirement. We took a drive to Bridgend and spent the day shopping for clothes. I found a Vans shop and went mad. In true British fashion we forced ourselves on the beach. Wednesday's weather was a great improvement (no rain and glimpses of sun) and with the aid of 2 hired windbreakers the Lookers made sandcastles and ate ice cream. It wasn't tanning weather but Sam managed to get burnt.  07 July 2005
I woke up this morning and went downstairs to have breakfast. Came back to my room and switched on the tv. Heard the news about London. At that time it was reported as an electrical fault in the tube. Just a few injuries. As we packed our bags to come home, reports started to come in of further explosions. Then there was the explosion on the bus. We had previously decided to take the long route home; Neath, Abergavenny, Hereford and Brum. On the way back we listened to radio (excellent work by Radio 2, balanced informative and calm, not reactionary or ghoulish). One man spoke of his decision to get off a bus early, due to the heavy traffic. He got off a few yards before the bus exploded. Regretably, there a number of people who didn't share that man's good fortune. Terrorists don't care about the death toll. Their purpose is to ensure maximum media exposure. Credit has to be give to the timing of the attacks. The UK is hosting the G8 Summit. London won the bid for the 2012 Olympics. Key security was in Scotland. London was swollen with the press, covering the reaction to the IOCs decision. God speed to the innocents. 10 June 2005
07 June 2005
Student fined for gay horse comment A student spent a night in police cells and was fined £80 for making homophobic comments about a police horse. Sam Brown, of Balliol College, Oxford, was arrested for causing harassment, alarm or distress after calling a police horse 'gay' during a night out celebrating the end of his university exams. The English student had been drinking with friends in The Cellar when he staggered past two police horses in Cornmarket Street in the early hours of Bank Holiday Monday, May 30. After calling one of the horses 'gay', police issued a warning then called for back-up before taking him to the cells in a squad car. The 21-year-old student was freed in the morning but has now enlisted a solicitor to overturn the ruling. He said: "I don't know why but I saw these two gigantic police horses and said that one of them was gay -- at no stage did I swear. "One of the officers warned me not to say that but when the horses were about 70 yards up the road I shouted it again at which point these massive horses started trotting back up the road. "I said, 'this is ridiculous, you can't arrest me'. They said I was being belligerent and called back-up. They got patrol cars and six police officers, banged on the handcuffs on and took me to the station." Mr Brown, originally from Belfast in Northern Ireland, denies his comments were homophobic. He said: "As far as I know calling a horse gay is not offensive. I don't think I've committed a crime -- I wasn't talking about a human being. One of my friends I was with is homosexual and doesn't think I did anything wrong." Thames Valley Police confirmed Mr Brown was arrested and issued with a fixed penalty notice. A spokesman said: "Although he thought calling a police horse gay was funny it could cause offence to people walking past." 27 May 2005
24 May 2005
23 May 2005
Dear Soccer fans, As you all know, I've been looking to buy the United's of Manchester for a little while now. I've also heard that some of you may not be too happy about me using, sorry, buying the club in order to reach new heights and also, that I may not be a fan. Well fear not, as i'm writing this personal letter to let you know that i'm a genuine fan of you blue devils. I began rooting for the United's back in 1992 when our little Malcolm JR was practising those Soccer home runs out in the yard. I loved the way you turned defence into offence, and the way that Bobby Shearer used to top half it into the goal bag. Oh man, that play was hot. My son tells me that you even out-zoned your City rivals Southampton in the 4th quarter of the FA World series. As for your current team, that Rude guy is awesome!!!! I see a profitable future at the United, with the young talent of Cristiano Rooney (man, that guy can dance!) and Peter Shilton giving us hope in defeating the evil Russian tyranny which assaults the freedom of our beloved Soccer. With the marketing potential of those Neville brothers and that Pearce dude leading the team, we can all look to acheiving our beliefs of a better future. Especially when I add Alexei Lalas and Cobi Jones to the starting 15. Now to you, the fans. I've been to see the United's play once before, and the respect you pay your team in silently admiring the play out on the pitch was overwhelming. Because of this, i've just purchased a new £45 million mansion in the Manchester to be close to you guys. And more good news is i'm planning to add an extra 10,000 seats through corporate boxes so more genuine blue devils can experience the play. What's with the prawn sandwiches I had to eat when I was there? Well, rest assured, it'll be super size prawn baguettes when I take charge. I can't wait to come over to the Manchester isles, as I love the country, especially the beaches and the hot chicks. I hope you can all see my vision of this future, with new shirt sponsors (Dunkin Donuts) and new team name (The Manchester Gloom) i'm sure things are looking bright. Further good news for you guys is that i've just agreed a partnership deal with McDonalds, who will help in promoting the Manchester brand. This will involve re-naming the stadium to 'McTrafford' as well as an exciting launch of Manchester Gloom plastic fan toys in every happy meal. Cristiano Rooney will be the face of this campaign and during this, he will be marketed globally as Roonald McDonald. TOUCHDOWN! Take care dudes. Regards, Malcolm.  18 May 2005
My Mallory Trackday  It was a decent day. I'm still getting used to the bike. I'm sitting too far forward, upright and not shifting my arse for corners. The bike handles like a dream. It was even better after I had the suspension set up (no more front chatter going into the hairpin) Very precise and difficult to unsettle. In one session I clipped a curb coming out of Edwina's but kept the throttle pinned back and went for it. The bike was a little shaken and it took me a while to get my head together over the fact I was still on course (the Sprint RS would have gone off the track) but once I had brought my mind back to task I had the bike nicely set up for the hairpin (I'll never work out of you go wide in narrow out or visa versa) Later on in the day I was barrelling towards the hairpin over taking a KTM when the KTM decided to shut the door in my face. I slammed on the front brakes expecting to crash into the back of him but the new Beringer discs decapitated my speed and at the same time lifted the rear wheel . The back came back down when I let go of the brake and I re-applied the brakes to make sure I didn't take myself and A N Other off the track. Once again the bike seemed not to notice and quietly got on with the job. For most sessions I went out near the back and found myself some space on the track to play about. I was catching most people going into Gerrards or through the Dunlop Esses and I was being caught going into Edwinas (I was rolling off and braking far too early every time but couldn't stop myself from doing it). I'm still crap on the track - rolling off too early, braking too early, not sitting right - but the bike seemed to have fun 30 April 2005
Legoland. Foundations on sand Here's a cut and paste from today's Financial Times. This article doens't cover the full story, but you get the (bitter) flavour of Legland's incompetence. On the plus side, one man, a Bluenose, has battled until he's forced changes. Legoland now have to replace their ticketing system. A misfit at Legoland over bar codes MUDLARK - CLAY HARRIS. By CLAY HARRIS 462 words 30 April 2005 Financial Times London Ed1 Page 4 English (c) 2005 The Financial Times Limited. All rights reserved If you're planning a trip to Legoland at Windsor over the bank holiday weekend, keep in mind the experience of Colin Harris and his family during the Easter holidays. When Harris, an IT business consultant from the West Midlands, tried to enter the park, he was told two of his seven tickets were invalid because they had "already been used". This came as a shock to Harris (no relation). He had kept the tickets securely at his home since buying them in January. Legoland claimed that one adult ticket and one child's ticket had been used on separate days in March. It would not let the party enter until Harris paid Pounds 40.60 for extra tickets. After the long trip, and with children keen to see the park, what else could he do? After e-mail exchanges, Legoland refused to accept that it could have made any error. On Tuesday, the PA to Legoland's managing director revealed in an e-mail: "The bar codes used today are what are known in the industry as 1D bar codes, which unfortunately allows them to be copied. However, we will be introducing 2D bar codes which will not allow tickets to be copied." She added: "Based on the information that we have from our ticketing system, the tickets, or a copy of the tickets, were used on the days and times specified." Hans Aksel Pedersen, sales and marketing director for Legoland at Windsor, told the FT: "This is obviously a very serious matter for us and having liaised with our ticket system provider, we now believe there has been a breach of security in the fulfilment process. This could have occurred any time from when the tickets were printed at the park until they were delivered to Mr Harris's home address." He said Legoland was "undertaking a full review of the park's side of the fulfilment process and will take the necessary steps to ensure that this situation is not repeated." Legoland was "aware that the bar codes on entrance tickets can be photocopied, just like all other bar codes". Mr Pedersen added: "Our ticketing system ensures that each ticket bar code is unique. Once the bar code has been scanned, the system will not accept it a further time so tickets can only be used once." One bar-code expert consulted by the FT thought it was not likely that a photocopier could reproduce bar codes to the necessary resolution. Legoland is offering Harris a Pounds 40.60 refund and seven free vouchers. He has little appetite for a return visit so is giving away the tickets through his local paper. PSB 29 April 2005
|
